The prince of Persia was not at all interested by the objects which so delighted Ebn Thaher; he could look on nothing but Schemselnihar, and the presence of the caliph threw him into inconceivable grief.  “Dear Ebn Thaher,” he exclaimed, “would to God I had my mind as much at liberty to attend to those objects of admiration as you!  But alas!  I am in a quite different situation, all these things serve only to increase my torment.  Can I see the caliph familiar with the objets of my love, and not die of grief?  Must so ardent a passion as mine be disturbed with so potent a rival?  O heavens!  How cruel and strange is my destiny!  It is but a moment since I esteemed myself the most fortunate lover in the world, and at this instant I feel a death stroke to my heart.  I cannot resist it, my dear Ebn Thaher; my patience is exhausted, my disorder overwhelms me, and my courage fails.”  While he was speaking, he saw something pass in the garden, which obliged him to be silent and to turn all his attention that way.

The caliph had ordered one of the women, who was near him, to play upon her lute, and she began to sing.  The words she sung were very passionate, and the caliph, persuaded that she sung thus by order of Schemselnihar, who had frequently entertained him with the like testimonies of her affection, interpreted them in his own favour.  But this was not now Schemselnihar’s meaning; she applied them to her dear Ali Ebn Becar, and was so sensibly touched with grief, to have before her an object whose presence she could no longer enjoy, that she fainted and fell backwards upon her seat, which having no arms to support her, she must have fallen, had not some of the women given her timely assistance, taken her up, and carried her into the saloon.

Ebn Thaher, who was in the gallery, being surprised at this accident, turned towards the prince of Persia; but instead of finding him standing, and looking through the window as before, he was extremely amazed to discover him Iying at his feet motionless.  This convinced him of the violence of the prince’s passion for Schemselnihar, and he admired that strange effect of sympathy, which put him into a mortal fear on account of the place they were in.  He did all he could to recover the prince, but in vain.  Ebn Thaher was in this perplexity, when Schemselnihar’s confidant opened the gallery door, and entered out of breath, as one who knew not where she was.  “Come speedily,” cried she “that I may let you out; all is in confusion here; and I fear this will be the last of our days.”  “Alas! how would you have us go?” replied Ebn Thaher, with a mournful voice; “approach, and see what a condition the prince of Persia is in.”  When the slave saw him in a swoon, she ran for water, and returned in an instant.