"We had not yet done speaking, when an army of negroes appeared, and fell on me on all sides, and began to attack me without delay with their swords and spears; what could one single unarmed man do? In a moment they covered me with wounds; I had no sensation or recollection of myself. When I recovered my senses, I found myself on a bed, which two soldiers were carrying along [on their shoulders]; they were speaking to each other; one said, 'Let us throw the corpse of this dead man on the plain; the dogs and crows will soon eat it up.' The other replied, 'If the king should make investigation, and learn this circumstance, he will bury us alive, and grind our children to paste; what! are our lives become a burthen to us, that we should act so rashly?'
"On hearing this conversation, I said to the two [ruffians] Gog and Magog, 'for God's sake take some pity on me, I have still a spark of life left; when I die, do with me what you please; the dead are in the hands of the living; [372] but tell me what has happened to me; why have I been wounded, and who are you? pray explain thus much to me.' They then having taken pity on me, said, 'The young man who is confined in the cage is the nephew of the king of this country; and his father was previously on the throne. At the time of his death he gave this injunction to his brother: 'My son, who is heir to my throne, is as yet young and inexperienced; do you continue to guide the affairs of state with zeal and prudence; when he is of age, marry your daughter to him, and make him master of the whole empire and treasury.'
"After saying this his majesty died, and the younger brother became king; he did not attend to the [late king's] last injunctions; on the contrary, he gave it out that [his nephew was] mad and insane, and put him into a cage, and has placed such strict guards on the four sides of the garden that no bird can there flap its wing; and many a time he has administered to [his nephew] the poison called halahal; [373] but his life is stronger and the poison has had no effect. Now the princess and this prince are lover and mistress; she is distracted at home, and he in the cage; she sent him a love-letter by your hands; the spies instantly conveyed intelligence [of this circumstance] to the king; a body of Abyssinians were ordered out and treated you thus. The king has consulted his wazir on the means of putting to death this imprisoned prince, and that ungrateful wretch has persuaded the princess to kill the innocent prince with her own hands in the king's presence.'
"I said, 'Let us go, that I may see this scene even in my dying moments.' They at last agreed [to my request], and the two soldiers and myself, though wounded, went to the scene and stood in silence in a retired corner. We saw the king seated on his throne; the princess held in her hand a naked sword; the prince was taken out of the iron cage, and made to stand before [the king]; the princess, becoming an executioner, advanced with the naked sword to kill her lover. When she drew near the prince, she threw away the sword and embraced him. Then that lover said to her, 'I am willing to die thus; here, indeed, I desire thee,—there, also, I shall wish for thee.' [374] The princess said, 'I have come, under this pretext to behold thee.' The king, on seeing this scene, became greatly enraged, and reproached the wazir, and said, 'Hast thou brought me here to see this sight?' The [princess's] confidential servant separated the princess from the prince, and conducted her to the seraglio. The wazir took up the sword, and flew with rage at the prince to end with one blow his unfortunate existence. As he lifted up his arm to strike, an arrow from an unknown hand pierced his forehead, so that [his head] was cleft in twain, and he fell down.
"The king, seeing this mysterious event, retired into his palace; and they put the young prince again into the cage, and carried him to the garden; I likewise came out from where I was. On the road, a man called me and conducted me to the princess; seeing me severely wounded, she sent for a surgeon, and enjoined him very strictly, 'cure this young man quickly, and perform the ablution of recovery. Your welfare depends on it; as much care and attention as you bestow on him, so many presents and favours you will receive from me.' In short, the surgeon used his skill and assiduity according to the princess's injunctions, and at the end of forty days, having caused me to be bathed and washed, he presented me to the princess. She asked me, 'Is there now anything else left to be done.' I replied, that through her humanity I was quite recovered. The princess then gave me a rich khil'at and a large sum of money, as she had promised; yea, she even gave me as much more, and then dismissed me.
"I took all my friends and servants with me, and set out from that country [to return home]. When I reached this spot, I desired all of them to return to their native country, and I erected on this hill this building, and got a statue made of the princess. I took up my residence here, and having rewarded my servants and slaves according to their respective merits, I dismissed them, saying, whilst I live, I leave it to you to provide me with food; beyond this act, you are your own masters. They supply me with subsistence from gratitude, and I, with heart at ease, worship this statue; whilst I live, this will be my sole [care and] employment; these are my adventures which you have just heard." O, Darweshes! on hearing his story, I, having thrown the kafni over my shoulders, and having put on the habit of a pilgrim, set out with extreme desire to see the country of the Franks. After long wandering over mountains and through woods, I began to resemble Majnun Farhad.
At last, my strong desire carried me to the same [European] city [where the old statue-worshipper had been]; I wandered through its streets and lanes like a lunatic, and I often remained near the seraglio of the princess; but I could get no opportunity to have an introduction to her. I was greatly vexed that I should not obtain the object for which I had undergone such misery and toil, and come so far. On day, I was standing in the bazar when all at once the people began to run away, and the shopkeepers having shut up their shops, also fled. What crowds there were Rustam in appearance, and roared like a lion; he flourished a naked sword in each hand; he was in armour, with a pair of pistols in his girdle, and kept muttering something to himself like an inebriated maniac; two slaves followed him, clothed in woollen, and bearing on their heads a bier covered with velvet of Kashan.
On seeing this sight, I determined to proceed with it; those I met dissuaded me from it, but I would not hear them. Pushing forward, the young man went towards a grand mansion; I also went along with him. He looked back, and perceiving me, he wished to give me a blow and cut me in two; I swore to him that this was the very thing I wished, saying, "I forgive you my blood; relieve me by some means or other from the misery of life, for I am grievously afflicted; I have knowingly and voluntarily put myself in your way; do not delay [my execution]." Setting me determined to die, God infused compassion into his heart, and his anger cooled, and he asked me with much kindness and gentleness, "Who art thou and why art thou tired of life?"
I replied, "Sit down awhile that I may tell you; my story is very long and tedious. I am caught in the claws of love, for which reason I am desperate." On hearing this, he unfastened his waist band, and having washed his hands and face, he took some food and gave me some likewise. When he finished his meal, he said, "Say what has befallen thee?" I related all the adventures of the old man and the princess, and the cause of my going there, [i. e. to Europe]. On hearing them he wept at first, and then said, "What numbers of homes this unfortunate [princess] has ruined! Well, thy cure is in my hands; it is probable that through the means of this guilty being thou wilt attain thy wishes; do not give way to anxiety; be confident." He then ordered the barber to shave me, and to apply to me the bath; [375] his slave brought me a suit of clothes and dressed me: then the young man said to me, "This bier which thou seest is that of the late young prince, who was confined in the iron cage; another wazir murdered him at last through treachery; he indeed has obtained release though he has been wrongfully slain. I am his foster brother; I put that wazir to death with a blow of my sword, and made the attempt to kill the king; but he entreated mercy, and swore that he was innocent; I having spurned him as a coward, allowed him to escape. Since then, my occupation has been this, to carry the bier, in this manner, through the city, on the first Thursday of every moon, and to mourn for the [murdered prince]."
On hearing these circumstances, from his mouth, I attained some consolation, saying, "If he should wish it, then my desires will be accomplished; God has favoured me greatly, since he has made such a mad man well inclined towards me; so true is it, that if God is favourable, all goes well." When the evening came, and the sun set, the young man took up the bier, and instead of one of the slaves, he put it on my head and took me along with him. He said, "I am going to the princess, and will plead for thee as much as I am able; do not thou open thy lips, but remain silent and listen." I replied, "Whatever you advise, I will strictly do; God preserve you, for you feel pity on my case." That young man proceeded towards the royal garden, and when we entered it, I perceived a marble platform of eight sides, in an open space of the garden, on which was spread an awning of silver tissue with pearl fringe, and erected on poles set with diamonds; a rich brocade masnad, with pillows, was spread under the awning. The bier was placed there, and we were both ordered to go and sit under a tree [which he pointed out].