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to open the Gate, and appear’d ſo beautiful to him that he was perfertly ſurpriz’d, or rather ſo much ſtruck with her Charms, that he was like to have let his Basket tall, for he had never ſeen any Beauty that came near her.
The Lady who brought the Porter with her, perceiving his Diſorder, and the Occaſion of it, diverted her ſelf with it, and took ſo much Pleaſure to examine his Looks, that ſhe forgot the Gate was open’d. Upon this the beautiful Lady ſays to her, Pray, Siſter, come in, what do you ſtay for? don’t you ſee this poor Man ſo heavy loaded, that he is ſcarce able to ſtand under it.
When ſhe enter’d with the Porter, the Lady who open’d the Gate ſhut it, and all Three after having gone thro’ a very fine Porch, came in to a ſpacious Court, encompaſs’d with an open Gallery, which had a Communication with ſeveral Apartments of a Floor, and extraordinary magnificent. There was at the further end of that Court a Sofa richly adorn’d with a Throne of Amber in the Middle of it, ſupported by four Columns of Ebony, enrich’d with Diamonds and Pearls of an extraordinary Size, and cover’d with a red Sattin, embroider’d with Indian Gold of admirable Workmanſhip, In the Middle of the Court there was a great Fountain, ſac’d with white Marble, and full of clear Water, which fell into it abundantly, out of the Mouth of a Lion of Braſs.
The Porter tho’ heavy loaden, could not but admire the Magnificence of this Houſe, and the excellent Order that every thing was plac’d in, but that which particularly captivated his Attention, was a third Lady, who ſeem’d to be a greater Beauty than the Second, and was ſat upon the Throne juft now mentioned; ſhe came down from it, as ſoon as ſhe ſaw the two former Ladies, and advane’d towards them: He judg’d by the Reſpect which the others ſhew’d her, that ſhe was the Chief, in which he was not miſtaken. This Lady was called Zobeide, ſhe who open’d the Gate was call’d Safie, and Amine was the Name of her who went out to buy the Proviſions.
Zobeide ſays to the two Ladies, when the came them, Siſters, don’t you ſee that this honeſt Man is like to ſink under his Burden, why don’t you eaſe him of it? Then Amine