While he was thus absorbed in grief, a circumstance occurred which attracted the whole of his attention.  A secret gate of the sultan’s palace suddenly opened, and there came out of it twenty women, in the midst of whom walked the sultaness, who was easily distinguished from the rest by her majestic air.  This princess thinking that the king of Tartary was gone a-hunting with his brother the sultan, came with her retinue near the windows of his apartment.  For the prince had so placed himself that he could see all that passed in the garden without being perceived himself.  He observed, that the persons who accompanied the sultaness threw off their veils and long robes, that they might be more at their ease, but he was greatly surprised to find that ten of them were black men, and that each of these took his mistress.  The sultaness, on her part, was not long without her gallant.  She clapped her hands, and called “Masoud, Masoud,” and immediately a black descended from a tree, and ran towards her with great speed.

Modesty will not allow, nor is it necessary, to relate what passed between the blacks and the ladies.  It is sufficient to say, that Shaw-zummaun saw enough to convince him, that his brother was as much to be pitied as himself.  This amorous company continued together till midnight, and having bathed together in a great piece of water, which was one of the chief ornaments of the garden, they dressed themselves, and re-entered the palace by the secret door, all except Masoud, who climbed up his tree, and got over the garden wall as he had come in.

These things having passed in the king of Tartary’s sight, filled him with a multitude of reflections.  “How little reason had I,” said he, “to think that none was so unfortunate as myself?  It is surely the unavoidable fate of all husbands, since even the sultan my brother, who is sovereign of so-many dominions, and the greatest prince of the earth, could not escape.  Such being the case, what a fool am I to kill myself with grief?  I am resolved that the remembrance of a misfortune so common shall never more disturb my peace.”

From that moment he forbore afflicting himself.  He called for his supper, ate with a better appetite than he had done since his leaving Samarcand, and listened with some degree of pleasure to the agreeable concert of vocal and instrumental music that was appointed to entertain him while at table.

He continued after this very cheerful; and when he was informed that the sultan was returning, went to meet him, and paid him his compliments with great gaiety.  Shier-ear at first took no notice of this alteration.  He politely expostulated with him for not bearing him company, and without giving him time to reply, entertained him with an account of the great number of deer and other game they had killed, and the pleasure he had received in the chase.  Shaw-zummaun heard him with attention; and being now relieved from the melancholy which had before depressed his spirits, and clouded his talents, took up the conversation in his turn, and spoke a thousand agreeable and pleasant things to the sultan.