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Scars on his Back. O Dog, ſay they, redoubling their Blows, would you have us to believe you to be an honeſt Man, when your Back ſhows us the contrary? Alas! ſays my Brother, my Faults muſt be very great, fince after having been abuſed already ſo unjuſtly, I am abuſed again a ſecond time without being more culpable.
The two Servants, no way moved with his Complaint, carry’d him before. the Judge, who asked him how he durſt be ſo bold as to go into their Houſe, and purſue them with a drawn Knife? Sir, reply’d poor Alcouz, I am the moſt innocent Man in the World, and am undone if you will not be pleaſed to hear me patiently: Nobody deſerves more compaſſion; Sir, replies one of the Domeſticks, will you liſten to a Robber who enters Peoples Houſes to plunder and murder ’em? If you won’t believe us, only, look upon his own Back; and when he ſaid ſo, he uncovered my Brother’s Back, and ſhewed it to the Judge, who without any other Information, commanded immediately to give him 100 Laſhes with a Bull’s Pizzle over the Shoulders, and made him afterwards be carry’d through the Town on a Camel, with one crying before him; Thus are ſuch Men puniſh’d as enter Peoples Houſes by Force. And after having treated him thus, they baniſ’d him the Town, and forbid him ever to return to it again. Some People, who met him after the ſecond Misfortune, brought me Word where he, was, and I went and fetch’d him to Bagdad privately, and gave him all the Affiſtance I could. The Califf, continu’d the Batber, did not laugh ſo much at this Story as at the other. He was pleaſed to bewail the unfortunate Alcouz, and ordered ſomething to be given me. But without giving his Servants Time to obey his Orders, I continued my Diſcourſe, and ſaid to him, My Sovereign Lord and Maſter, You ſee that I don’t ſpeak much: And fince your Majeſty. has been pleaſed to do me the Favour to liſten to me ſo far, I beg you would likewiſe hear the Adventures of my two other Brothers: I hope they will be as diverting as thoſe of the Former. You may make a compleat Hiſtory of them. that won’t be unworthy, your Library: I do my ſelf the Honour then to acquaint you, that the, fifth Brother waſ called Almaſor.
