Let us return to the prince of Persia and Elm Thaher, whom we left in the gallery.  Ebn Thaher could not enough admire all he saw.  I am not very young, said he, and in my time have seen great entertainments; but I do not think any thing can be more surprising and magnificent.  All that is said of enchanted palaces does no way come near this prodigious spectacle we now see.  O strange! what riches and magnificence together!

The prince of Persia was nothing moved with those objects which were so pleasant to Ebn Thaher; he could look on nothing but Schemselnihar, and the presence of the caliph threw him into inconceivable grief.  Dear Ebn Thaher, said he, would to God I had my mind as free to admire these things as you!  But, alas!  I am in a quite different condition; all those objects serve only to increase my torment.  Can I see the caliph cheek to cheek with her that I love, and not die of grief?  Must such a passionate love as mine be disturbed by so potent a rival?  O heavens, how cruel is my destiny!  It is but a moment since I esteemed myself the most fortunate lover in the world, and at this instant I feel my heart so struck, that it is like to kill me.  I cannot resist it, my dear Ebn Thaher; my patience is at an end; my distemper overwhelms me, and my courage fails.  While speaking, he saw something pass in the garden, which obliged him to keep silence, and to turn all his attention that way.

The caliph had ordered one of the women, who was near him, to play on her lute, and she began to sing.  The words that she sung were very passionate; and the caliph was persuaded that she sung thus by order of Schemselnihar, who had frequently entertained him with the like testimonies of her affection; therefore he interpreted all in his own favour.  But this was not now Schemselnihar’s meaning; she applied it to her dear Ali Ebn Becar, and was so sensibly touched with grief, to have before her an object whose presence she could no longer enjoy, that she fainted and fell backwards upon her seat, which having no arms to support her, she must have fallen down, had not some of the women helped her in time; who took her up, and carried her into the saloon.

Ebn Thaher, who was in the gallery, being surprised at this accident, turned towards the prince of Persia; but, instead of seeing him stand and look through the window as before, he was extremely amazed to see him fall down at his feet, and without motion.  He judged it to proceed from the violence of his love to Schemselnihar, and admired the strange effect of sympathy which threw him into great fear, because of the place in which they were.  In the mean time he did all he could to recover the prince, but in vain.  Ebn Thaher was in this perplexity when Schemselnihar’s confident, opening the gallery door, came in out of breath, as one who knew not where she was.  Come speedily, cried she, that I may let you out.  All is confusion here, and I fear this will be the last of our days.  Ah! how would you have us go? replied Ebn Thaher, with a mournful voice.  Come near, I pray you, and see in what condition the prince of Persia is.  When, the slave saw him in a swoon, she ran for water in all haste, and returned in an instant.