the grand vizier Giafar shall have an account of this insolence, and he shall cause all the broom-sellers to be put to death.  For the love of God, sir, said I, let me beg of you to pardon them, for they are not guilty.  How, madam, said he, what is it I must believe?  Speak, for I am absolutely resolved to know the truth from your own mouth.  Sir, said I, I was taken with a giddiness, and fell down; and that is the whole matter.  At these last words, my husband lost all patience.  Oh! cried he, I have given ear to your lies too long.  With that, clapping his hands, in came three slaves:  Pull her out of bed, said he, and lay her in the middle of the floor.  The slaves obeyed his orders, one holding me by the head, and another by the feet:  he commanded the third to fetch him a scimitar, and when he had brought it, Strike, said he, cut her in two in the middle, and then throw her into the Tigris to feed the fishes.  This is the punishment I give to those to whom I have given my heart, if they falsify their promise.  When he saw that the slave made no haste to obey his orders, Why do not you strike? said he; who is it that holds you? what art thou waiting for?

Madam, then, said the slave, as you are near the last moment of your life, consider if you have, any thing to dispose of before you die.  I begged to be allowed to speak one word, which was granted me.  I lifted up my head, and looking wistfully to my husband, Alas, said I, to what condition am I reduced? must I then die in the prime of my youth?  I could say no more, for my tears and sighs prevented me.  My husband was not at all. moved, but to the contrary, went on to reproach me; so that to have made an answer would have been in vain.  I had recourse to entreaties and prayers; but he had no regard to them, and commanded the slaves to proceed to execution.  The old woman that had been his nurse came in just at that moment, fell down upon her knees, and endeavoured to appease his wrath:  My son, said she, since I have been your nurse, and brought you up, let me beg the favour of you to grant me her life; consider that he who kills shall be killed, that you will stain your reputation, and lose the esteem of mankind.  What will not the world say of such a bloody rage?  She spoke these words in such a taking away, accompanied with tears, that she gained upon him at last.  Well, then, says he to his nurse, for your sake I will spare her life; but she shall carry some marks along with her, to make her remember her crime.  With that, one of the slaves, by his order, gave me so many blows, as hard as he could strike, with a little cane, upon my sides and breast, that he fetched both skin and flesh away, so that I lay senseless:  after that he caused the same slaves, the executioners of his fury, to carry me into a house, where the old woman took care of me.  I kept my bed four months; at last I recovered; but the scars you saw yesterday have remained ever since.