THE SECOND CALENDER. 87

Soon afte: this the first vizier died, and the sultan immediately
advanced the dervise to the situation. The sultan himself after-
wards dying without any male issue, this excellent man was pro-
claimed sultan by the general voice of the different religious and
military orders.

The good dervise, being thus raised to the throne of his
father-in-law, observed one day, as he was walking with his
courtiers, the envious mah among the crowd who were in the
road. He called one of his viziers who accompanied him, told
him in a whisper to bring that man whom he pointed out to him,
and to be sure not to alarm him. The vizier obeyed ; and when
the envious man was in the presence of the sultan, the latter
addressed him in these words :—“I am very happy, my friend,
to see you: go,” said he, speaking to an officer, “and count out
directly from my treasury a thousand pieces of gold. Nay
more, deliver to him twenty bales of the most valuable mer-
chandise my magazines contain, and let a sufficient guard escort
him home.” After having given the officer this commission, he
took his leave of the envious man, and continued his walk.

When I told this history to the genius who had assassinated
the princess of the Isle of Ebony, I made the application to my-
self: “O genius,” I said to him, “you may observe how this
benevolent monarch acted towards the envious man, and was
not only satisfied in forgetting tnat he had attempted his life,
but even sent him back with every benefit and advantage I have
mentioned.” In short, I employed all my eloquence to persuade
him to imitate so excellent an example, and to pardon me. But
to alter his resolution was impossible.

“All that I can do for you,” he said, “is to spare your life;
yet do not flatter yourself that I shall suffer you to return safe
and well. I must, at least, make you feel what I can do by
means of my enchantments.” At these words, he took up a
handful of earth, and pronouncing, or rather muttering, certain
words, of which I could not comprehend the meaning, threw it
over me: “Quit,” he cried, “the figure of a man, and assume
that of an ape.” He immediately disappeared, and I remained
quite alone, changed into an ape, overwhelmed with grief, in an
unknown country, and ignorant whether I was near the domin-
ions of the king, my father.