Prince Assad obeyed her; and sitting down, began thus:  “Mighty queen, your majesty is not mistaken, in thinking there is something extraordinary in the story of my life:  it is indeed more so than you can imagine.  The ills, the incredible torments I have suffered, and the death to which I was devoted, and from which I am delivered by your royal generosity, will shew the greatness of my obligation to you, never to be forgotten.  But before I enter into particulars of my miseries, which will strike horror into the hearts of all that hear them, I must trace the origin of them to its source.”

This preamble increased queen Margiana’s curiosity.  The prince then told her of his royal birth; of his brother Amgiad, and their mutual friendship; of their mothers’ criminal passion, the cause of all their sufferings; of the king his father’s rage; how miraculously their lives were saved; how he had lost his brother; how he had been long imprisoned and tortured, and was devoted to be sacrificed on the fiery mountain.

When Assad had finished his recital’ the queen was more than ever enraged at the adorers of fire.  “Prince,” said she, “though I have always had an aversion to the adorers of fire, yet hitherto I have had some humanity for them:  but after their barbarous usage of you, and their execrable design to sacrifice you, I will henceforth wage perpetual war against them.”

She was proceeding, but supper being served in, she made prince Assad sit down at table with her, being charmed with his beauty and eloquence, and touched with a passion which she hoped soon to have an opportunity of making known to him “Prince,” said she, “we must make you amends for so many fasts and wretched meals, to which the pitiless adorers of fire made you submit; you must want nourishment after such sufferings.”  With conversation of this kind she helped him at supper; and ordered him to drink a good deal of wine to recover his spirits; by which means he drank more than he could well bear.

The cloth being taken away, Assad having occasion to go out, took an opportunity when the queen did not observe him.  He descended into the court, and seeing the garden-door open, went into it.  Being tempted by the pleasantness of the place, he walked there for some time.  At last he came to a fountain, where he washed his face and hands to refresh himself, and lying down on the turf by the fountain, fell asleep.

Behram, to prevent the queen from executing her threats, had weighed anchor, vexed at the loss of Assad, by which he was disappointed of a most acceptable sacrifice.  He comforted himself as well as he could, with the thoughts that the storm was over, and that a land breeze favoured his getting off the coast.  As soon as he was towed out of the port by the help of his boat, before it was hoisted up into the ship again, “Stop, my lads,” said he to the seamen, “do not come on board yet; I will give you some casks to fill with water, and wait for you.”  Behram had observed, while he was talking to the queen in the garden, that there was a fountain at the end of it, near the port.  “Go,” said he, “land before the palace-garden; the wall is not above breast high, you may easily get over; there is a basin in the middle of the garden, where you may fill all your barrels, and hand them aboard without difficulty.”