6 om The King of Persia

my keeping a silence your majesty has thought so strange and
unaccountable? The love of our native country is as natural to
us as that of our parents; and the loss of liberty is insupportable to
every one who is not wholly destitute of common sense, and knows
how to set a value on it.’

‘Madam, replied the king, ‘I am convinced of the truth of
what you say; but till this moment I was of opinion that a person
beautiful like yourself, whom her evil destiny had condemned to
be a slave, ought to think herself very happy in meeting with a
king for her master. :

‘Sire,’ replied the fair slave, ‘whatever the slave is, there is no
king on earth who can tyrannise over her will. But when this very
slave is in nothing inferior to the king that bought her, your majesty
shall then judge yourself of her misery, and her sorrow, and to what
desperate attempts the anguish of despair may drive her.’

The King of Persia, in great astonishment, said ‘Madam, can it be
possible that you are of royal blood? Explain the whole secret to
me, I beseech you, and no longer increase my impatience. Let me
instantly know who are your parents, your brothers, your sisters, and
your relations ; but, above all, what your name is.’

‘ Sire, said the fair slave, ‘my name is Gulnare, Rose of the Sea;
and my father, who is now dead, was one of ‘the most potent
monarchs of the ocean. When he died, he left his kingdom'to a
brother of mine, named Saleh, and to the queen, my mother, who is
also a princess, the daughter of another powerful monarch of the sea.
We enjoyed a profound peace and tranquillity through the whole
kingdom, till a neighbouring prince, envious of our happiness, invaded
our dominions with a mighty army; and penetrating as far as our
capital, made himself master of it ; and we had but just time enough
to save ourselves in an impenetrable and inaccessible place, with a
few trusty officers who did not forsake us in our distress.

‘In this retreat my brother contrived all manner of ways to drive