When the prince had intelligence that Hoshung, from vanity, self-secure of victory, was, like the careless, drunk with quaffing the goblet of oblivion, the treasure of his understanding sacrificed to jollity, and the ears of his senses, like the head of a phial, stuffed with the cotton of negligence, esteeming the opportunity precious, he committed him­self to the protection of the Almighty. Having uplifted the standard of resigna­tion, which is ever a mean of unbarring the gates of success, he ascended the wooden throne, and seated with him his companions, who were as the four pillars of his dignity, and as the four elements in the composition of his state. By the power of divine operation, the machine, which was as the phoenix of the firma­ment of glory, ascended into the air like the throne of Solomon.

Tyre-women of inventive fancy, imi­tating the work of spring, were busy in adorning the head and tresses of Mher­banou with variety of flowery ornaments; and having enrobed that sun of the sky of smiling beauty, like the gentle natives of the garden, they seated her on a splen­did throne. Encircling her neck with wreaths of roses and chains of pearl, they tinged the ends of her fingers scarlet with the Hinna, so that they resembled branches of coral. The aged procuress danced, exulting with joy before her, making antic grimaces like an old she-monkey, and screaming out a bridal song, when suddenly the throne descending alighted in the court of the temple. The attendants and domestics, on beholding this astonishing phoenomenon, being alarmed, fled different ways, and became scattered like the stars in the milky way; while the tyre-women, panic-stricken, stood motionless and silent as figures on a wall.

Mherbanou, on beholding the world-adorning beauty of the prince, nimbly as the breeze springing from her mus­nud, and seizing the hand of the beldame whose head had contrived the blaze of disturbance, ascended the throne of pros­perity with her. Much as the old woman resisted, and cried for help, it availed not, for the machine, with the swift­ness of a happy-winged bird, mounting into the air, like the throne of the deity soared to the highest heaven. Suddenly it stopped over the court of the palace, where the ill-fated Hoshung, employed in feasting, and smilingly exulting in the thought of possessing Mherbanou, had his heart expanded with mirth, like the blossom of the opening rose. The com­pany, observing this phoenomenon, gazed with astonishment; when the vizier’s son having separated the head of the impure old woman from her body, cast it bleeding from the sky to the earth. It lighted directly before Hoshung, on the throne, and the body fell into the midst of the assembly. Many of the company fled instantly from panic, dreading some calamity from heaven; while others, rising from the carpets and retiring a little, meditated what the strange appear­ance might portend. Hoshung, pushing out the feet of firmness from the skirt of magnanimity, and much alarmed, descended from his throne.

At this instant, the guards of the temple ran in with great disorder, and uplifting the voice of complaint, disclosed the overthrow of his plans; saying, “Five dirveshes, arrayed in ashy-coloured vestments, and sitting upon a wooden throne, suddenly descended from the air into the court of the temple, and having seated the prin­cess together with the old woman upon it, again mounted into the sky. The descent and ascent of the throne was sudden as a flash of lightning, and effected in the twinkling of an eye; so that the guards of the temple had no intimation of the circumstance, till unable to prevent the mischief.”

Hoshung on hearing this intelligence became distracted. He commanded his matchlock and rocket-men to fire on every side, and if possible bring down the throne; but, like an arrow from the aim of fate, it had escaped their reach, and their efforts proved unsuccessful. Remediless, he bowed his head on the collar of despondency, and the assembly of joy was changed into mourning. Instead of the melody of rejoicing, the plaints of sadness arose; and in place of wine flowing into the cup, the eyes of Hoshung overflowed with tears.

The prince at length, with glory and success, having reached his own country, like the sun, illuminated the city of Fut­tun by the light of his auspicious presence; and having rewarded his faithful companions according to their merits with ample jaghires, dismissed them to enjoy repose from their fatigues.