Upon Zeokinizul's asking the Meaning of that Noise and Bustle, Kelirieu, who had acted without any such Orders from him, durst not make any Answer, but the young Kam, whose Heat was not over, gave the King such an Account of it, as made him very angry; for he not only condescended to ask the Kam's Pardon, but forbad Kelirieu his Presence. The judicious Mollak laid hold
of that Instant to discourse of the Concerns of his Conscience to the dying Monarch; and as his own Reflections, had beforehand suggested preparative Ideas of it, he was the sooner brought to the wished for Contrition and Repentance.
The Behaviour of the Mollak is certainly very praise-worthy, but it would have been much more so, if after having, with a truly Apostolic Zeal, pathetically represented to the Sovereign the Enormity of his Crimes, the Certainty of his Death, and the Punishments to be dreaded after such a licentious Life, he had stopp'd at bringing him to a due Sense of Things, and strengthening him in such a pious Disposition, but he shewed more Zeal than Discretion, for his Devotion being sharpened with Resentment, made him imagine, that he was ruining Lenertoula beyond Retrieve; whereas he was, in Reality, doing nothing less than paving the Way for her greater Exaltation, in Case the King recovered.
Thus, under a Pretence that true Repentance required more than a Detestation of what was past, and guarding against future Relapses, he signified to Zeokinizul, that it was still his farther Duty to make some signal Satisfaction for the Offence which he had given to the whole Kingdom. That in order thereto, he must disapprove and abrogate all his Grants and Favours to Lenertoula. Zeokinizul, who now was intent only upon dying in the Religion of his Ancestors, pleasing his People, and carrying their Esteem as well as their
Grief with him to the Grave, complied with all the Mollak's Injunctions, ordered Lenertoula to be immediately dismissed the Court, with a Prohibition from ever appearing in his Presence.
Having thus settled all the Affairs of his Conscience, Zeokinizul became senseless, so that he was thought dead by all his Attendants. But this sudden Alteration was the happy Crisis which saved his Life. During this Interval of Inanition, the Mind recover'd its former Situation, and freed itself from all its Anxieties. The Body performed its Functions, and the Passages which all the Art of the Physicians could not relax, opened of themselves, which was followed by such copious Evacuations as saved the Patient. This joyful News spread itself rather quicker than the other, so that it was as soon known at Kofir that the King was out of Danger, as that there was no Hopes of his Recovery.
In the mean Time, the Queen arrived. She made Use of the Mollak's pious Impressions, and tho' her Austerities and Vexations, together with her advanced Age, had rendered her no tempting Spouse, yet the kind and grateful Monarch was so taken with her Tenderness and Diligence, that he vowed, that from this Time his Heart should be her's, and her's alone. But that Man knows himself but very little, when he is in Danger; and that the Assurances of Amendment which he then makes, are weak and transitory when he has recover'd his Health,
is what the Sequel of this History will abundantly demonstrate.
Zeokinizul was soon perfectly recovered, and then his Generals whose Ardour had been restrain'd by Fear and Grief, soon made their Enemies feel, that their King was restored to them, for they forced them to repass the Nhir with considerable Loss; and the most Skilful in Military Affairs do not scruple to affirm, than if the Kofirans had not been headed by a General prudent even to a Fault, not so much as a single Soldier would have been left to have given the Queen of Ghinoer an Account of their Expedition. This General so deficient in the ardent Bravery of his Country, was call'd Leosanil; he was afterwards disgraced, and though his Age was still fit for Military Functions, he was taken into the Cabinet, which was a fitter Theatre for his Abilities; for there being out of the Reach of Swords and Guns, and left to undisturbed Reflection, his Advice and Schemes were of excellent Service. I now shall leave Zeokinizul in the pure Embraces of his Consort, and preparing to besiege a Place of Strength, to follow Lenertoula in her Disgrace.
She did not betray any great Confusion, when Zeokinizul's harsh Order was notified to her; but she little knew what she was to go through upon the Road. She took a travelling Chariot, accompanied by her Sister, and followed by a few Domestics. Here was an Instance of such Strokes with which Fortune