( 150 )
ments, that he could not forbear to applaud her at the End of the Stave: Is it poſſible, cries he, that you have the Gift of knowing People’s Hearts, and that your Knowledge of what is in my Mind, has occaſioned you to give us a Taſte of your charming Voice by thoſe Words? I ſhould not expreſs my ſelf otherwiſe were I to chuſe. The Lady reply’d nothing, but went on and ſung ſeveral other Staves, with which the Prince was ſo much affected, that he repeated ſome of them with Tears in his Eyes; which diſcovered plain enough that he apply’d them to himſelf. When ſhe had made an End, ſhe and her Companions roſe up and ſung all together, ſignifying by their Words, That the Full Moon was going to riſe in all her Splendour, and that they ſhould ſpeedily ſee her approach the Sun; by which it was meant, that Schemſelniher was juſt a coming, and that the Prince of Perſia ſhould have the Pleaſure to ſee her.
And in Effect, as they look’d towards the Court, they ſaw Schemſelnihar’s Confidant coming towards them; followed by ten black Women, who, with much ado, carried a Throne of maſſy Silver curiouſly wrought, which they ſet down before them at a certain Diſtance; after which the black Slaves retir’d behind the Trees to the Entrance of a Walk. After this came Twenty handſome Ladies richly apparell’d, all in one Dreſs: They advanc’d in two Rows ſinging and playing upon Inſtruments which each of them held in her Hand, and coming near the Throne, ten of them ſat down on each ſide of it.
All theſe Things kept the Prince of Perſia and Ebn Thaher in ſo much the greater Expectation, that they were curious to know how they would end at laſt: They ſaw come out at the ſame Gate from whence the ten black Women came, ten other handſome Ladies very well dreſs’d, who halted there a few Moments expecting the Favourite, who came out at laſt and plac’d her ſelf in the midſt of them.
Day-light beginning to appear, Scheherazade was obliged to ſtop; but next Night purſued the Story thus.
The
