THE FIRST CALENDER. 73

I gave a long detail of the dreadful cause of my return, and
of the miserable state in which he saw me. “Alas!” cried he,
“was it not sufficient to lose my son ; but must I now learn the
death of a brother, whom I dearly loved, and find you in the
deplorable state to which you are reduced?” He informed me
of the distress he had suffered from not being able to learn any
tidings of his son, in spite of all the inquiries he had made, and
all the diligence he had used. The tears ran from the eyes of
this unfortunate father in giving me this account, and he ap-
peared to me so much afflicted that I could not resist his grief,
nor could I keep the oath I had pledged to my cousin. I then
related to the king everything that had formerly passed.

He listened to my recital and replied, “I know that my son
built such a tomb, and I know very nearly the spot. Let us keep
the secret to ourselves, and endeavour to discover the place.”
We disguised ourselves and went out by a gate that led into the
fields, and were soon fortunate enough to discover the object of
our search. I recognised the tomb, and found the iron trap-door,
which we had a difficulty in lifting up, but at length we succeeded
in raising it. My uncle first descended, and I followed. We
went down about fifty steps, and found ourselves in a sort of
ante-room ; from this we passed on to one much larger, the roof
of which was supported by columns, and lighted by many lustres.
Opposite to us there was a raised sofa which was ascended by
some steps. The king went up and discovered the prince, his
son, quite dead and burnt and changed into a coal, as if he had
been thrown on to an immense fire and taken off before he was
consumed. :

After a short time my uncle cast his eyes on me and said,
“ My dear nephew, if I have lost a son, ] may find in youa
happy reparation of my loss.” The reflections which arose on
the untimely end of the prince drew tears from us both.

I afterwards learnt that the magnificently dressed female who
had accompanied my cousin into the vault was a wicked sor-
ceress, who had inspired him with an affection for her, and who,
having lured him into the tomb, there effected his destruction.

We returned to the palace before our absence had been ob-
served, and shortly after we heard a confused noise of trumpets,
cymbals, drums, and other warlike instruments. A thick dust,
which obscured the air soon informed us what it was, and