to some art or calling that might stand them in stead upon occasion, he asked me if I had learned any thing whereby I might get a livelihood, and not be burdensome to any man? I told him that I understood the laws both divine and human; that I was a grammarian and poet; and, above all, that I understood writing perfectly well. By all this, says he, you will not be able, in this country, to purchase yourself one morsel of bread; nothing is of less use here than those sciences: But if you will be advised by me, says he, dress yourself in a labourer's habit; and since you appear to be strong, and of a good constitution, you shall go into the next forest, and cut down fire-wood, which you may bring to the market to be sold; and I can assure you it will turn to so good an account, that you may live by it without dependence upon any man: By this means you will be in a condition to wait for the favourable minute when Heaven shall think fit to dispel those clouds of misfortune that thwart your happiness, and oblige you to conceal your birth: I will take care to supply you with a rope and a hatchet.
The fear of being known, and the necessity I was under of getting a livelihood, made me agree to this proposal, notwithstanding all the meanness and hardships that attend it. The day following, the tailor brought me a rope, a hatchet, and a short coat, and recommended me to some poor people that gained their bread after the same manner, that they might take me into their company. They conducted me to the wood, and the first day I brought in as much upon my head as brought me half a piece of gold, which is the money of that country; for though the wood is not far distant from the town, yet it was very scarce there, by reason that few or none would be at the trouble to go and cut it. I gained a good sum of money in a short time, and repaid my tailor what he had advanced for me.
I continued this way of living for a whole year; and one day that by chance I had gone further into the wood than usual, I happened to light on a very pleasant place, where I began to cut down wood; and, in pulling up the root of a tree, I espied an iron ring, fastened to a trap-door of the same metal. I took away the earth that covered it, and, having lifted it up, saw stairs, which I descended, with my axe in my hand.
When I was come to the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a large palace, which put me into a mighty consternation, because of the great light which appeared as clear in it as if it had been above ground in the open air. I went forward along a gallery supported by pillars of jasper, the bases and chapiters of massy gold; but seeing a lady of a noble and free air, and of extraordinary beauty, coming towards me, this turned my eyes from beholding any other object but her alone.
Being desirous to spare the lady the trouble to come to me, I made haste to meet her; and as I was saluting her with a low bow, she asked me, What are you? a man or a genie? A man, madam, said I; I have no correspondence with genies. By what adventure, said she, (fetching a deep sigh,) are you come hither? I have lived here these twenty-five years, and never saw any man but yourself during that time.
Her great beauty, which had already smitten me, and the sweetness and civility wherewith she received me, made me bold to say to her, Madam, before I have the honour to satisfy your curiosity, give me leave to tell you that I am infinitely satisfied with this unexpected rencounter, which offers me an occasion of consolation in the midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an opportunity to make you also more happy than you are. I gave her a true account by what strange accident she saw me, the son of a king, in such a condition as I then appeared in her presence; and how fortune would have it that I should discover the entrance into that magnificent prison, where I had found her, but in an uneasy condition, according to appearance.
Alas! prince, said she, (sighing once more,) you have just cause to believe this rich and pompous prison cannot be otherwise than a most wearisome abode; the most charming place in the world being nowise delightful when we are detained in it contrary to our will. It is not possible but you have heard of the great Epitimarus, king of the isle of Ebone, so called from that precious wood it produces in abundance; I am the princess his daughter.
The king my father had chosen for me a husband, a prince that was my cousin; but, on my wedding-night, in the midst of the rejoicing there was in the court and the capital city of the kingdom of the isle of Ebone, before I was given to my spouse, a genie took me away. I fainted at the same moment, and lost all my senses; but, when I came to myself again, I found myself in this place. I was a longtime inconsolable; but time and necessity have accustomed me to see and receive the genie. It is twenty-five years, as I told you before, that I have continued in this place, where, I must confess, I have every thing that I can wish for necessary to life; and also every thing that can satisfy a princess that loves nothing but fine dress and fashions.
Every ten days, says the princess, the genie comes hither to lie with me one night, which he never exceeds; and the excuse he makes for it is, that he is married to another wife, who would grow jealous if she came to know how unfaithful he was to her. Meanwhile, if I have any occasion for him by day or night, as soon as I touch a talisman, which is at the entrance of my chamber, the genie appears. It is now the fourth day since he was here, and I do not expect him before the end of six more; so, if you please, you may stay five days and keep me company, and I will endeavour to entertain you according to your quality and merit. I thought myself too fortunate to have obtained so great a favour without asking it, to refuse so obliging a proffer. The princess made me go into a bagnio, which was the most handsome, the most commodious, and the most sumptuous, that could be imagined; and when I came forth, instead of my own clothes, I found another very costly suit, which I did not esteem so much for its richness as that it made me look worthy to be in her company. We sat down on a sofa covered with rich tapestry, with cushions to lean upon, of the rarest Indian brocade; and, some time after, she covered a table with several dishes of delicate meats. We ate together, and passed the remainder of the day with very great satisfaction; and at night she received me to her bed.
The next day, as she contrived all manner of ways to please me, she brought in at dinner a bottle of old wine, the most excellent that ever was tasted, and, out of complaisance, she drank part of it with me. Whan my head grew hot with the agreeable liquor, Fair princess, said I, you have been too long thus buried alive; come follow me, and enjoy the real day from which you have been deprived of so many years, and abandon this false light that you have here. Prince, replied she with a smile, leave this discourse; if you, out of the days, will grant me nine, and resign the last to the genie, the fairest day that ever was would be nothing in my esteem. Princess, said I, it is the fear of the genie that makes you speak thus; for my part, I value him so little that I will break his talisman, with the conjuration that is written about it, in pieces. Let him come then, I will expect him, and how brave or redoubtable soever he be, I will make him feel the weight of my arm. I swear solemnly that I shall extirpate all the genies in the world, and him first. The princess, who knew the consequence, conjured me not to touch the talisman, for that would be a mean, said she, to ruin both you and me; I know what belongs to genies better than you. The fumes of the wine did not suffer me to hearken to her reasons, but I gave the talisman a kick with my foot, and broke it in several pieces.
The talisman was no sooner broken than the palace began to shake, and was ready to fall, with a hideous noise like thunder, accompanied with flashes of lightning, and a great darkness. This terrible noise in a moment dispelled the fumes of my wine, and made me sensible, but too late, of the folly I had committed. Princess, cried I, what means all this? She answered in a fright, and without any concern for her own misfortune, cries, Alas! you are undone, if you do not escape presently.
I followed her advice, and my fears were so great that I forgot my hatchet and cords. I was scarcely got to the stairs by which I came down, when the enchanted palace opened at once, and made a passage for the genie. He asked the princess, in great anger, what has happened to you, and why did you call me? A qualm at my stomach, said the princess, made me fetch this bottle which you see here, out of which I drank twice or thrice, and by mischance made a false step, and fell upon the talisman, which is broken, and that is all the matter.
At this answer the furious genie told her, You are a false woman and a liar. How came that axe and those ropes there? I never saw them till this moment, said the princess. Your coming in such an impetuous manner has, it may be, forced them up in some place as you came along, and so brought them hither without your knowing it.
The genie made no other answer but what was accompanied with reproaches and blows, of which I heard the noise. I could not endure to