THE STORY OF THE PRINCES AMGRAD AND ASSAD.
The two princes were brought up with great care, and, when old enough, had the same governor, and the same master for the arts and sciences which king Camaralzaman would have them learn; and they had the same master for each exercise. The friendship which from their infancy they entered into, occasioned an uniformity of manners and inclinations which increased with their years. When they were of age to keep a separate court, they loved one another so tenderly, that they begged king Camaralzaman to let them live together. He consented to it; and they had the same officers, the same domestics, the same lodging, and the same table. King Camaralzaman had so good an opinion of their capacity and justice, that he made no scruple of admitting them into his council at eighteen years old, and letting them by turns preside there, while he took the diversion of hunting, or recreated himself with his queens at his houses of pleasure.
The two princes being equally handsome, both in infancy and when they were grown up, the two queens loved them with incredible tenderness; in such a manner, however, that the princess Badoura had a greater kindness for prince Assad, queen Haiatalnefous' son, than her own; and queen Haiatalnefous loved Amgrad, princess Badoura's son, better than her own son Assad.
The two queens thought at first that this inclination was nothing but a friendship that proceeded from an exeess of their own for each other, which they still preserved; but as the two princes advanced in years, that friendship turned to a secret love, when the graces that appeared in their youth blinded their reason. They knew the criminality of their passion, and did all they could to resist it; but their efforts proved vain. They were accustomed to be familiar with them, to admire, to praise, to kiss and caress them from their infancy, and could not desist when they grew up, which inflamed their desires to such a height that they could neither eat, drink, nor sleep. It was their and the princes' ill fortune, that the latter, being used to be so treated by them, had not the least suspicion of their infamous desires.
The two queens had not discovered the secret of their passion, nor had either the boldness to mention the prince she loved, by word of mouth, or the guilty flame with which she burnt; they at last resolved to do it by billet, and made use of king Camaralzaman's absence to execute their wicked design, when he was gone a hunting, which would take him up three or four days.
Prince Amgrad presided at the council-table the day of king Camaralzaman's departure, and heard causes till three or four o'clock in the afternoon. When he returned to the palace from the council-chamber, an eunuch took him aside, and gave him a billet from queen Haiatalnefous, Amgrad took it but read with horror. Traitor! said he to the eunuch, as soon as he had read it through, is this the fidelity thou owest thy master and thy king? At these words he drew his sabre, and cut off his head.
Having done this, he ran in haste to the princess Badoura his mother, bearing his resentment still in his looks, and showing her the billet, told her the contents of it, and from whom it came; but, instead of hearkening to him, she fell into a passion, and said, Son, it is all a calumny and imposture: Queen Haiatalnefous is a very discreet princess, and you are very bold to talk after this rate. The prince was enraged at his mother, to hear her speak so of him. You are both bad alike, said he and had it not been for the respect I owe my father, this day should have been the last of Haiatalnefous's life.
Queen Badoura might have imagined, by the example of her son Amgrad, that prince Assad, who was as virtuous as the other, would not be pleased with such a declaration of love as had been made to his brother: yet that did not hinder her persisting in so abominable a design; she wrote him a billet the next day, which she trusted with an old woman belonging to the palace to convey to him.
The old woman watched her opportunity to give it as he was coming from the council-chamber, where he presided that day in, his turn: the prince took it; and, reading it, fell into such a fury, that, without finishing it, he drew his sabre, and punished the old woman as she deserved. He ran presently to the apartment of his mother queen Haiatalnefous with the billet in his hand; he would have shown it to her, but she did not give him time crying out, I know what you would have: you are as impertinent as your brother Amgrad, Begone! and never come into my presence again.
Assad stood as one thunderstruck at these words, of which he could not comprehend the meaning. When he recollected himself, he was so transported with rage, that he had like to have given very fatal demonstrations of his anger; but he contained himself, and withdrew without making any reply, fearing, if he staid, he might say something unworthy the greatness of his soul. Amgrad had put the same constraint on himself; and, guessing by his mother's carriage that she was altogether as criminal as queen Haiatalnefous, went to his brother, to chide him, for not communicating that hated secret to him, and to mingle his sorrow with Assad's.