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Ah! Sifter, ſays Dinarzade, you break off at the very beſt of the Story. It’s true, anſwers the Sultaneſs, but Siſter, you ſee am forc’d to do ſo. If my Lord the Sultan pleaſes, you may hear the reſt to-morrow. Schahriar agreed to this, not ſo much to pleaſure Dinarzade, as to ſatisfy his own Curioſity, being mighty impatient to know what Adventure the Prince met with in the Caſtle.
The Twenty First Night.
DInarzade, to make amends for her Neglect the Night betore, never laid Eye together, and when ſhe thought it was time, awak’d the Sultaneſs, ſaying to her, my dear Siſter, pray give us an Account of what happen’d in the fine Caſtle where you left us yeſterday.
Scheherazade forth with reſum’d her Story, and addreſſing her ſelf to Schahriar, ſays Sir, the Sultan perceiving no body in the Court, enter’d the great Halls, which were hung with Silk Tapeſtry, the Alcoves and Soſa s were cover’d with Stuffs of Mecca, and the Porches with the richeſt Stuffs of the Indies, mixt with Gold and Silver. He came afterwards into an admirable Saloon, in the middle of which there was a great Fountain, with a Lion of maſſy Gold at each Corner: Water iſſued at the Mouths of the four Lions, and this Water, as it fell, form’d Diamonds and Pearls, that very well anſwered a Jett of Water, which ſpringing from the middle of the Fountain, roſe as high almoſt as the bottom of a Cupulo, painted after the Arabian manner.
The Caſtle, on three Sides, was encompaſſed by a Garden, with Fiower-pots, Water works, Groves, and a thouſand other fine Things concurr’d to embelliſh it; and what compleated the Beauty of the Place, was an infinite number of Birds, which fill’d the Air with their harmonious Notes, and always ſtay’d there, Nets being ſpread over the Trees, and ſaſten’d to the Palace, to keep them in. The Sultan walk’d along time from Apartment to Apartment, where he found every thing very great and magnificent. Being tir’d with walking, he ſat down in an open Cloſer,