The concert ceased, to give the caliph an opportunity of attending to the countenance of his guest, and all that he might say in his surprise.  The ladies, Mesrour, and all the officers of the chamber, waited in profound and respectful silence.  Abou Hassan bit his finger, and cried loud enough for the caliph to hear him, “Alas!  I am fallen again into the same dream and illusion that happened to me a month ago, and must expect again the bastinado and grated cell at the mad-house.  Almighty God,” added he, “I commit myself into the hands of thy divine providence.  He was a wicked man that I entertained at my house last night, who has been the cause of this illusion, and the hardships I must again undergo.  The base wretch swore to shut the door after him, but did not, and the devil came in and has turned my brain with this wicked dream of being commander of the faithful, and other phantoms which bewitch my eyes.  God confound thee, Satan? and crush thee under some mountain of stones.”

After these words, Abou Hassan closed his eyes, and remained some time thoughtful and much perplexed; then opening them again, and looking about him, cried out a second time with less surprise, and smiling at the various objects before him, “Great God!  I commit myself into the hands of thy providence, preserve me from the temptation of Satan.”  Then shutting them again, he said, “I will go to sleep until Satan leaves me, and returns as he came, were I to wait till noon.”  They did not give him time to go to sleep again as he promised himself; for Strength of Hearts, one of the ladies whom he had seen before, approached, and sitting down on the sofa by him, said to him respectfully, “Commander of the faithful, I entreat your majesty to forgive me for taking the liberty to tell you not to go to sleep; day appears, and it is time to rise.”  “Begone, Satan!” answered Abou Hassan, raising his voice; but looking at the lady, he said, “Is it me you call the commander of the faithful?  Certainly you take me for somebody else.”  “It is to your majesty I give that title,” replied the lady, “to whom it belongs, as you are sovereign of the world, and I am your most humble slave.  Undoubtedly,” added she, “your majesty means to divert yourself by pretending to have forgotten yourself, or this is the effect of some troublesome dream; but if you would but open your eyes, the mists which disturb your imagination would soon be dispelled, and you would find yourself in your own palace, surrounded by your officers and slaves, who all wait your commands:  and that your majesty may not be surprised to find yourself in this hall, and not in bed, I beg leave to inform you, that you fell so suddenly asleep last night, that we were unwilling to awake you, to conduit you to your chamber, but laid you carefully upon this sofa.”  In short, she said to him so many things which appeared probable, that at last he sat up, opened his eyes, and recollected her and all the ladies again.  They all approached him, and she who spoke first, resuming the discourse, said, “Commander of the faithful, and vicar of the prophet on earth, be not displeased if I acquaint your majesty once more that it is time to rise, for day appears.”