14.  The king, who never let any sentiments of humanity come too near his heart, did not much trouble himself about the matter; however, for his own reputation, he told the father, that since it was known through the empire that Balsora died at a time when he designed her for his bride, it was his intention that she should be honoured as such after her death, that her body should be laid in the black palace, among those of his deceased queens.

15.  In the meantime Abdallah, who had heard of the king’s design, was not less afflicted than his beloved Balsora.  As for the several circumstances of his distress, as also how the king was informed of an irrecoverable distemper into which he was fallen, they are to be found at length in the history of Helim.

16.  It shall suffice to acquaint the reader, that Helim, some days after the supposed death of his daughter, gave the prince a potion of the same nature with which he had laid asleep Balsora.

17.  It is the custom among the Persians, to convey in a private manner the bodies of all the royal family a little after their death, into the black palace; which is the repository of all who are descended from the Caliphs, or any way allied to them.  The chief physician is always governor of the black palace; it being his office to embalm and preserve the holy family after they are dead, as well as to take care of them while they are yet living.

18.  The black palace is so called from the colour of the building, which is all of the finest polished black marble.  There are always burning in it five thousand everlasting lamps.  It has also an hundred folding doors of ebony, which are each of them watched day and night by an hundred negroes, who are to take care that nobody enters besides the governor.

19.  Helim, after having conveyed the body of his daughter into this repository, and at the appointed time received her out of the sleep into which she was fallen, took care some time after to bring that of Abdallah into the same place.  Balsora, watched over him till such time as the dose he had taken lost its effect.  Abdallah was not acquainted with Helim’s design when he gave him this sleepy potion.

20.  It is impossible to describe the surprise, the joy, the transport he was in at his first awaking.  He fancied himself in the retirement of the blest, and that the spirit of his dear Balsora, who he thought was just gone before him, was the first who came to congratulate his arrival.  She soon informed him of the place he was in, which notwithstanding all its horrors, appeared to him more sweet than the bower of Mahomet, in the company of his Balsora.

21.  Helim, who was supposed to be taken up in the embalming of the bodies, visited the place very frequently.  His greatest perplexity was how to get the lovers out of it, the gates being watched in such a manner as I have before related.  This consideration did not a little disturb the two interred lovers.