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look upon him and you’ll ſoon be ſatisfied as to that. He is a young Stranger, who is curious to ſee the Ceremonies obſeryed at at Weddings in this City; and ſaying thus, they put him in the middle of them, and carried him in whether the Porters would or no, they took his Torch out of his Hand, and gave it to the firſt they met; having brought him into the Hall, they placed him at the Right-hand of the Hump-back’d Bridegroom, who ſat near the Vizier’s Daughter on a Throne moſt richly adorn’d.
She appear’d very lovely in all her Dreſſes, but in her Face there was nothing to be ſeen but Vexation and mortal Grief. The Cauſe of this was eaſy to be gueſſed at, when ſhe had by her Side a Bridegroom ſo very deformed, and fo unworthy of her Love. The Throne of that ill-match’d Couple, was in the midit of a Sopha. The Ladies of the Emirs, Vizier’s, and thoſe of the Sultan’s Bed-Chamber, and ſeveral other Ladies of the Court and City were placed on each ſide, a little lower, every one according to their Quality, and all of them o fine and richly dreſs’d, that it was one of the pleaſanteſt Sights that could be ſeen, each of ’em holding a large Wax-Taper in their Hand.
When they ſaw Bedreddin Haſſan come into the Room, they all fix’d their Eyes upon him, and admiring his Shape, his Behaviour and the Beauty of his Face, they could not forbear looking upon him. When he was ſet down, every one left their Seats, and came near to him to have a full View of his Face, and almoſt all of ’em as they turned to their Seats, found themſelves moved with tender Paſſhion.
The Diſparity between Bedreddin Haſſan and the Hump-back’d Groom, who made ſuch a horrible Figure, occafion’d a great Murmuring among the Company, infomuch that the Ladies cried out, We muſt give our Bride to this handſome young Gentleman, and not to this ugly Hump-back. Nor did they reſt here, but utter’d Imprecations againft the Sultan, who abuſing his abſolute Power, would unite Uglineſs and Beauty together, They did alſo upbraid the Bridegroom, ſo as they put him quite out of Countenance, to the great Satisfaction of the Spetators, whoſe Shouts for ſome time put a ſtop to the Conſort of Muſick in the Hall. At laſt the Muſicians began again, and the Women, who had dreſſ’d the Bride, cameallabout her. ButScheherazade
