After much trouble and fatigue, he arrived at that famous city, like which there are few in the world either for extent or beauty. He alighted at the gate of a mosque, where, being spent with weariness, he lay down. No sooner was he fallen asleep, than he saw the same old man, who said to him, I am pleased with you, my son; you have given credit to my words. You are come hither, without being deterred by the length or the difficulties of the way: but take notice, that I have not put you upon undertaking such a long journey upon any other design than to make trial of you. I find you have courage and resolution. You deserve I should make you the greatest and richest prince in the world. Return to Balsora, and you shall find immense wealth in your palace. No king ever possessed so much as is there.
The prince was not pleased with that dream.—Alas! thought he to himself, when he awaked, how much was I mistaken! That old man, whom I took for our prophet, is no other than the product of my disturbed imagination. My fancy was so full of him, that it is no wonder I have seen him again. I had best return to Balsora; what should I do here any longer? It is very happy that I told none but my mother the occasion of my journey: I should become a jest to my people if they knew it.
Accordingly he set out again for his kingdom; and as soon as he arrived there, the queen asked him, whether he returned well pleased. He told her all that had happened; and he was so much concerned for having been so credulous, that the queen, instead of adding to his vexation by reproving or laughing at him, comforted him. Forbear afflicting yourself, my son, said she; if God has appointed you riches, you will have them without any trouble. Be easy: all that I recommend to you is, to be virtuous. Renounce the delight of dancing, music, and high-coloured wine: shun all pleasures; they have already almost ruined you: apply yourself to the making of your subjects happy; and, securing their happiness, you will fix your own.
Prince Zeyn swore he would for the future follow his mother’s advice, and be directed by the wise viziers she had made choice of to assist him in supporting the weight of the government. But the very first night after he returned to his palace, he the third time saw in a dream the old man, who said to him, Brave Zeyn, the time of your prosperity is come. To-morrow morning, as soon as you are up, take a little pick-axe, and go dig in your father’s closet; you will there find a mighty treasure.
As soon as the prince awaked, he got up, ran to the queen’s apartment, and with much earnestness told her the new dream of that night. Really, my son, said his mother, that is a very positive man: he is not satisfied with having deceived you twice; have you a mind to believe him again? No, madam, answered Zeyn, I give no credit to what he has said; but I will, for my own satisfaction, search my father’s closet. I really fancied so, cried the queen, laughing very heartily: go, my son, please yourself; my comfort is, that work is not so toilsome as the journey to Egypt.
Well, madam, answered the king, I must own that this third dream has restored my belief, for it agrees with the two others; and, in short, let us examine the old man’s words. He first directed me to go into Egypt; there he told me, he had put me upon taking that journey only to try me. Return to Balsora, said he; that is the place where you are to find treasures: this night he has exactly pointed out the place where they are. These three dreams, in my opinion, are connected. After all, they may be chimerical; but I would rather search in vain, than blame myself as long as I live for having perhaps missed of great riches, by being unseasonably too hard of belief.
Having spoken these words, he left the queen’s apartment, caused a pick-axe to be brought him, and went alone into the late king’s closet. He fell to breaking up the ground, and took up above half the square stones it was paved with; and yet found not the least appearance of what he sought after. He ceased working to take a little rest, thinking within himself, I am much afraid my mother had cause enough to laugh at me. However, he took heart, and went on with his labour: nor had he cause to repent; for, on a sudden, he discovered a white stone, which he took up, and under it found a door made fast with a steel padlock, which he broke with the pick-axe, and opened the door, which covered a staircase of white marble. He immediately lighted a candle, and went down those stairs into a room, the floor whereof was laid with tiles of china-ware, and the roofs and walls were of crystal; but he particularly fixed his eyes on four places a little raised above the rest of the floor, on each of which there were ten urns of porphyry stone. He fancied they were full of wine: Well, said he, that wine must needs be very old; I do not question but it is excellent. He went up to one of the urns, took off the cover, and, with no less joy than surprise, perceived it was full of pieces of gold. He searched all the forty, one after another, and found them full of the same coin, took out a handful, and carried it to the queen.
That princess was as much amazed as can be imagined, when the king gave her an account of what he had seen. Oh! my son, said she, take heed that you do not lavish away all that treasure foolishly, as you have already done the royal treasure: let not your enemies have so much occasion to rejoice. No, madam, answered Zeyn, I will from henceforward live after such a manner as shall be pleasing to you.
The queen desired the king her son to conduct her to that wonderful subterraneous place, which the late king her husband had made with such secrecy, that she had never heard the least account of it. Zeyn led her to the closet, down the marble stairs, and into the chamber where the urns were. She observed every thing with singular curiosity, and in a corner spied a little urn of the same sort of stone as the others. The prince had not before taken notice of it, but opening, found in it a golden key. My son, said the queen, the key certainly belongs to some other treasure; let us look all about; perhaps we may discover the use it is designed for.
They viewed all the chamber with the utmost exactness, and at length found a key-hole in one of the pannels of the wall, and guessed it to be that the key belonged to. The king immediately tried, and as readily opened the door, which led into a chamber, in the midst of which were nine pedestals of massy gold, on eight of which stood as many statues, each of them made of one single diamond, and from them came such a brightness that the whole room was perfectly light.