The jeweller was much surprised at this resolution of the confidant, and said, “Certainly you do not consider that the caliph will never suffer this?” “You think the thing impossible,” replied she; “it is not.  You will alter your opinion when I tell you that the caliph has given liberty to all her slaves, with a pension to each for their support.  He has committed to me the care and keeping of my mistress’s tomb, and allotted me an annual income for that purpose, and for my maintenance.  Besides, the caliph, who was not ignorant of the amour between Schemselnihar and the prince, as I have already told you, without being offended, will not be sorry if after her death he be buried with her.”  To all this the jeweller had not a word to say.  He earnestly entreated the confidant to conduct him to her mistress’s tomb, that he might say his prayers over her.  When he came in sight of it, he was not a little surprised to find a vast concourse of people of both sexes, who were come thither from all parts of Bagdad.  As he could not come near the tomb, he said his prayers at a distance; and then going to the confidant, who was waiting hard by, said to her, “I am now so far from thinking that what you proposed cannot be put in execution, that you and I need only publish abroad what we know of the amour of this unfortunate couple, and how the prince died much about the same time with his mistress.  Before his corpse arrives, all Bagdad will concur to desire that two such faithful lovers, whom nothing could divide in affection whilst they lived, should not be separated when dead.”  It happened as he said; for as soon as it was known that the corpse was within a day’s journey of the city, an infinite number of people went above twenty miles to meet it, and afterwards walked before it till it came to the city gate; where the confidant, waiting for that purpose, presented herself before the prince’s mother, and begged of her in the name of the whole city, who earnestly desired it, that she would be pleased to consent that the bodies of the two lovers, who had but one heart whilst they lived, from the time their mutual passion commenced, might be buried in the same tomb.  The princess immediately consented; and the corpse of the prince, instead of being deposited in his own burying-place, was laid by Schemselnihar’s side, after it had been carried along in procession at the head of an infinite number of people of all ranks.  From that time all the inhabitants of Bagdad, and even strangers from all parts of the world where the Mahummedan religion prevails have held that tomb in the highest veneration, and pay their devotions at it.

The Story of the Loves of Kummir Al Zummaun, Prince of
the Isles of the Children of Khaledan, and of Badoura,
Princess of China.

About twenty days’ sail from the coast of Persia, there are islands in the main ocean called the Islands of the Children of Khaledan.  These islands are divided into four great provinces, which have all of them very flourishing and populous cities, forming together a powerful kingdom.  It was formerly governed by a king named Shaw Zummaun, who had four lawful wives, all daughters of kings, and sixty concubines.