CHAP. V.

BENUZZEER, when he became exalted by the fortunate audience and ennobling prostration at the throne of the prince, after the ceremonial praises and thanksgivings, presented the portrait of Bherawir Banou to his gracious view. What a form! Though the heavens, in their azure canopy, display a thousand heart-fascinating beauties, one equal to this was never beheld, even in fancy. The Mani of antient days, in the opera­tions of the world, had never pourtrayed such a miraculous sketch with the pencil of imagination on the tablet of design. At view of the garden of its clear­ness and brilliancy, the lap of sight was filled with flowers, and from the over­flowing of its wisdom-ensnaring beauty, the goblet of appearance was crowned with wine. The pen, while delineating traits of the charms of such a perie-fascinating form, like the stem of the Nergus, becomes verdant in the hands of the writer. The pictured nightingale, from ardour to behold the rose-envied countenance of such a charmer, would, if it could, attempt to fly.

The prince, on the first glance of this accomplished figure and heart-grati­fying portrait, became like Mujjenou,* a forlorn pilgrim in the path of desire for enjoyment of Bherawir Banou. From the inebriation of love, he fell like the intoxicated from his throne, and was in an instant, as the embroidery of his couch, a lifeless figure on the surface of the carpet. His officers and attendants, at sight of his condition becoming alarmed, had recourse to physicians, and poured rose-water on his face; but Benuzzeer, better acquainted with the pulse of his heart, made all retire from his pillow. Reclining the prince’s head on his bosom, and having recovered him from the heart-burning fit, he re-seated him on his throne. However, the entrail-piercing dart of love had penetrated his soul, and he could not be freed from the hand of passion for its object. Involuntarily impelled to tear the collar of patience, having put the ring* of frenzy into the ear of life, he turned from every thing else to his beloved idol. He for­sook the path of reputation, and bowing the head of submission and forehead of sacrifice to the power of love, laid pru­dence aside. The report of his madness reached every ward and street of the metropolis; till at length, the attendants at the foot of the imperial throne, represented an account of his situation to the presence.

The monarch, on hearing the heart-rending circumstances, became fettered in the chains of grief; and summoning the prince to his closet, opened to him the gates of admonition, and poured the royal pearls of advice into the lap of his condition. As, however, the ears of Jehaundar were stopped by the envenomed cotton of love, the remarks of wis­dom found no entrance to his mind; and not in the least advancing his foot towards the path of compliance, he, like his own blood-dropping eyes, ran more violently on his way. The emperor was overwhelmed in the whirlpool of sor­row, and having summoned his intelli­gent viziers and wise statesmen, explain­ers of difficulty, sought their assistance to unravel this indissoluble knot. By the dictates of foresighted policy, and pru­dence-approving skill, howeversomuch they endeavoured with wise schemes to repair this rent, and devised various remedies, none became successful: the flame more rapidly increased, and the fire of madness in the secret stove of the prince’s mind, glowed with redoubled ardour.

When the skilful physicians and wise prescribers, in every path of contrivance which they pursued, had found no index to their object, out of perplexity, all the the faculty agreed in this point, namely, day and night to relate to this youthful sovereign of the region of frenzy, strange tales and surprizing anecdotes in debase­ment of women, and of the inconstancy of that fickle sex, as perchance such a remedy might prove beneficial to the fever of his madness.*