The lady stopped presently before a gate that was shut, and knocked:  a Christian, with a venerable long white beard, opened the gate, and she put money into his hand, without speaking one word; but the Christian, who knew what she wanted, went in, and in a little time after brought a large jug of excellent wine.  Take this jug, says the lady to the porter, and put it in your basket.  This being done, she commanded him to follow her; and as she went on, the porter says still, “O happy day! this is a day of agreeable surprise and joy!”

The lady stopped at a fruit-shop, where she bought several sorts of apples, apricots, peaches, quinces, lemons, citrons, oranges, myrtles, sweet basil, lilies, jessamine, and some other sorts of flowers and plants that smell well; she bid the porter put them all into his basket, and follow her.  As she went by a butcher’s stall, she made him weigh her twenty-five pounds of his best meat, which she ordered the porter to put also in his basket.

At another shop, she took capers, cucumbers, and other herbs preserved in vinegar; at another she bought pistachios, walnuts, small nuts, almonds, kernels of pine-apples, and other fruits; and of another she bought all sorts of confections.  When the porter had put all these things into his basket, and perceiving, that it grew full, My good lady, says he, you ought to have given me notice that you had so much provision to carry, and then I would have got a horse, or rather a camel, to have carried them; for if you buy ever so little more, I shall not be able to carry it.  The lady laughed at the fellow’s pleasant humour, and ordered him still to follow her.

Then she went to a druggist, where she furnished herself with all manner of sweet-scented waters, cloves, musk, pepper, ginger, and a great piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices; this quite filled the porter’s basket, and she ordered him to follow her.  They walked till they came to a magnificent house, whose front was adorned with fine columns, and which had a gate of ivory:  there they stopped, and the lady knocked softly.

While the young lady and the porter staid for the opening of the gate, the porter had a thousand thoughts:  he wondered that such a line lady should come abroad to buy provisions; he concluded she could not be a slave, her air being too noble for that, and therefore he thought she must needs be a woman of quality.  Just as he was about to ask her some questions upon that head, another lady came to open the gate, and appeared so beautiful to him, that he was perfectly surprised, or rather so much struck with her charms, that he was like to let the basket fall, for he had never seen any beauty that came near her.

The lady, who brought the porter with her, perceiving his disorder, and the occasion of it, diverted herself with it, and took so much pleasure to examine his looks, that she forgot the gate was opened.  Upon this, the beautiful lady says to her, Pray sister, come in, what do you stay for?  Do you not see this poor man so heavy loaded, that he is scarcely able to stand under it?