melancholy. The cause of it was too sensible, and too mortifying,
not to make you yield to it. O heaven! what a strange adventure!
nor do I believe the like of it ever befel any man but yourself.
But, in short, I must bless God, who has comforted you; and since
I doubt not but your consolation is well grounded, be so good as
let me know what it is, and conceal nothing from me. Schahzenan
was not so easily prevailed upon in this point as he had been in
the other, because of his brother's concern in it; but, being
obliged to yield to his pressing instances, answered, I must obey
you then, since your command is absolute; yet am afraid that my
obedience will occasion your trouble to be greater than ever mine
was. But you must blame yourself for it, since you force me to
reveal a thing which I should have otherwise buried in eternal
oblivion. What you say, answers Schahriar, serves only to
increase my curiosity. Make haste to discover the secret,
whatever it may be. The king of Tartary, being no longer able to
refuse, gave him the particulars of all that he had seen of the
blacks in disguise, of the lewd passion of the sultaness and her
ladies; and, to be sure, he did not forget Masoud. After having
been witness to those infamous actions, says he, I believed all
women to be that way naturally inclined, and that they could not
resist those violent desires. Being of this opinion, it seemed to
me to be an unaccountable weakness in men to make themselves
uneasy at their infidelity. This reflection brought many others
along with it; and, in short, I thought the best thing I could do
was to make myself easy. It cost me some pain indeed, but at last
I effected it; and, if you will take my advice, you shall follow
my example.

Though the advice was good, the sultan could not take it, but