( 76 )
ſo much Comfort as to tell me that you love me? My Soul, ſpeak one Word to me, at leaſt, I conjure you.
The Sultan making as if he had wak’d out of a deep Sleep, and counterfeiting the Language of the Blacks, anſwers the Queen with a grave Tone, There’s no Force or Power but in God alone, who is Almighty. At theſe Words, the Enchantreſs, who did not expect them, gave a great Shout, to ſignify her exceſſive Joy. My dear Lord, cries ſhe, don’t I deceive my ſelf, is it certain that I hear you, and you ſpeak to me? Unhappy Wretch, replies the Sultan, art thou worthy that I ſhould anſwer thy Diſcourſe? Alas! replies the Queen, why do you reproach me thus? The Cries, replied he, the Groans and Tears of thy Husband, who thou treateſt every Day with ſo much Indignity and Barbarity, hinder me to ſleep Night and Day. I ſhould have been cur’d long ago, and have recover’d the Uſe of my Speech, hadſt thou diſenchanted him. That’s the Cauſe of my Silence, which you complain of. Very well, ſays the Enchantreſs, to pacify you, I am ready to do what you will command me; would you that I reſtore him as he was? Yes, replies the Sultan, make haſte to ſet him at Liberty, that I be no more diſturb’d with his Cries.
The Enchantress went immediately out of the Palace of Tears, ſhe took a Cup of Water, and pronounc’d Words over it, which caus’d it to boil, as if it had been on the Fire. She went afterwards to the Hall, to the young King her Husband, and threw the Water upon him, ſaying, If the Creator of all things did form thee ſo as thou art at preſent; or if he be angry with-thee, don’t change. But if thou art in that Condition, meerly by Virtue of my Enchantments, reſume thy natural Shape, and become what thou waſt before. She had ſcarce ſpoke theſe Words, when the Prince finding himſelf reſtor’d to his former Condition, roſe up freely, with all imaginable Joy, and return’d Thanks to God. The Enchantreſs then ſaid to him, Get thee gone from this Caſtle, and never return here on Pain of Death. The young King yielding to Neceſſity, went away from the Enchantreſs, without replying one Word; and retir’d to a remote Place, where he impaticntly expected ths Succeſs of the Deſign which the Sultan had begun ſo happily. Meanwhile
