On account of my necessities, in order to procure a maintenance, which is indispensable to the strugglers on this earth (and in this world of causes, with­out exertion a livelihood cannot be attained), I paid my attentions to persons of rank; and having procured a house, placed in it that sun-like beauty, the envy of the Hoories. I hired a virtuous matron as an attendant upon her, for the management of necessary affairs. As, in consequence of former duty, the bands of connection in the way of service obtained proper confirmation under the governor of the city, now and then leaving my wife in town, in reliance on the watchfulness and fidelity of the old woman who was entrusted with our household matters, I went to the coun­try; and on account of much business, not finding opportunity of return till late, passed some nights abroad.

One day, according to custom, having taken leave of my wife, I was going on a journey to a certain village, when the old woman came up to me and said, “I am an aged matron, of excessive feebleness and debility, so that I cannot properly take care of your house, or continue the charge of its security. It is fitting that for this purpose you should appoint another more alert than myself, and excuse me, for the crisis demands it.”

I simple man, as I had the fullest confidence in the honour of my wife, not understanding the mysterious remarks of the old woman, who could not have spoken more plainly with decency to the experienced, regarded her desires to be released from the charge of my house, as the interested evasions of policy; and having soothed and concili­ated her, proceeded on my business. The next time when, having prepared my conveyance, I was setting out upon a journey, the old woman finding me alone, said, “Stupid man, perceivest thou not the tillage of thy honour, how it has been trodden down by the feet of trespassing cattle? Dost thou not know, that woman in her nature is vicious? However she may apparently be graced with the ornaments of modesty and jewels of purity; still to use proper caution and wise preven­tion, is becoming honour, and incum­bent on wisdom.”

From hearing this remark, the bird of understanding fled from the nest of my brain; the flame of indignation filled my mind, and madness, from the fumes of passion, overcame my reason. I exclaimed, “O! pious matron, inform me of the account of facts, and what is the business? Perhaps the lightning of calamity has fallen on the storehouse of my honour; and the chrystal vase of my credit and reputation, having struck against the stone of disgrace, is dashed to pieces!” The old woman replied, “Foolish youth; I have per­formed my duty, and observed the claims of service. Expect not from me farther connivance, nor defile my vesture in my old age with dishonour; but in any way that thy reason may direct, guard thy property against the hand of robbers.”

From this occurrence, for a time I remained motionless as a body void of animation, and confusion overpowered my faculties. There was no retreat, or pretence to remain. Remediless, hav­ing reclined my head on the collar of reflection, I had recourse to policy, when at this instant, from the cabinet of my heart it was thus suggested, that having taken leave of my vicious wife with an undisturbed countenance, I should pursue my journey. I did so; and speeding quickly from the sight of my people, hastened through the city, and alighted in a garden. Here, like the maniac, with extreme pangs of rage and excess of grief, so that every instant my soul melted with the heat of agony, and my heart bled, I passed till evening, a day more gloomy than the night of mourn­ing. That day to me seemed formed of a thousand years, or as if no night was to follow it.

At length, when dusk had spread her dark mantle over the face of the horizon, I quitted the garden on foot, oppressed, bemoaning my lost enjoy­ments, and lamenting my honour, hav­ing concealed my face, after the manner of a beggar, in a coarse wrapper. Thus disguised, I reached the back part of my own house, and stood at the foot of the wall, listening at every sound from within. At length it clearly appeared, after a short interval, that mischief was awake and welfare sleeping; evil alive, and good expired. From excess of fury, the world was dark to my eyes, and trem­bling seized my frame. Having climbed the wall, I entered in such a manner, that the sound of my feet could not be heard.

In the area of my house was a clump of tall trees, whose leafy branches formed a thick canopy. Into one of these I ascended, and sat concealed, to watch the actions of my impure. In the centre of my garden was a chubbootree* of much elegance, taste, and beauty. Upon this I saw spread a magnificent carpet, candles lighted, and that my wife, with all her purity and virtue, was busy in the path of criminality and scandal. Reclining like the vaunting peacock on the bosom of her paramour, with a thousand smiles and glances, she was pouring the wine of enjoyment into the cup of invitation. Near her sat a faithful and attached handmaid, who repeatedly supplied the circling goblet. The season of toying was warm, and the cup of kisses and embraces overflowed. The breeze of desire had torn asunder the skirt of her chastity, like the vesture of the rose; and vice had shed the dregs of crimi­nality on the couch of her purity.

“Gracious God!” said I to myself, “with such bashfulness, modesty, and delicacy, that she would not look at the moon with freedom, or open her eyes fully to the sun, is it possible she can thus repose with this impu­dence and wickedness, with all fond­ness, on the bosom of a stranger, and outdo him in quaffing the goblet! She has no relic of constancy, or trace of shame. Behold the distance from that (her former conduct) to this, how far!”

When part of the night had passed, and repeated draughts overcome the understandings of these wicked wretches, the infamous woman, rising up, retired to a corner of the garden. The waiting maid also followed the impure, but the drunken gallant remained. At this instant, regarding the crisis of opportunity precious, I descended with rapidity from the tree, and advancing unperceived to the chubbootree, snatched the sabre of the fate-devoted wretch from before him, and at one stroke brought him to his end. Having then laid the blood-stained weapon across his breast, I hastily remounted the tree, and sat down in my hiding place.

The wicked woman now returned, but beheld the carpet stained with the blood of her infamous gallant, the reek­ing sabre lying on his breast, and himself extended at his length in the sleep of annihilation. At this sight the fire of despair seized her frame, and the flames of indignation raged. With great fury, having taken up the sabre from the wretch’s breast, and given a candle to the servant, she began to run about the garden in every part like a frantic per­son. It appeared from the manner of this ill-starred woman, that had she met the white demon,* from her inward rage and fury, she would have encoun­tered him like Rustum without hesita­tion. When she could not find the trace of any one, being disappointed, she returned, and throwing down the sabre, stood for some time confounded, like the overpowered with grief; then ordering her attendant to bring a large wine-jar, she cut the body of her wicked gallant into pieces, and putting them into the jar, buried it in the garden. After this, having mourned over him with doleful cries, she retired to a dark cham­ber, and I went away by the mode I had entered.

When the Aflatoon* of day, the sun, ascended from the vat of the east, and the light of morning shone from the horizon of the world, I returned to my house, where I found my wife bound in the captivity of grief, and fettered in the chains of sorrow. I said to her, “O thou, to whose purity and love my heart and soul are a fit sacrifice, whence appear these signs of sorrow and affliction on thy rosy cheek, and why is the sun of thy aspect eclipsed by mourning?” She replied, “Thy absence yesterday involved me in grief; for how can I, who cannot bear for thee to be from me an instant, endure the separation of a whole day?” Gracious heaven, thought I, what hypocrisy! sitting all the night so warmly in pleasure and mirth, playing the game of love with my rival, and now breathing the incantation of deceit, and mocking me with such ideot alluring speeches! In short, that day passed over, and the next she was still more sullen and melan­choly. Upon which I said, “What can now be the cause of thy sorrow, as we are together, the gratification of society in our power, and the cup of desire overflowing with the wine of enjoyment?”

She replied, “Last night I beheld a frightful vision, by which I am alarmed, and know not its interpretation.” I asked her, saying, “Tell me what you saw in your dream, that all this gloom of melancholy dwells upon your aspect?” She answered, “I saw thee standing on the shore of a stormy ocean, and a monstrous Afreet* bent on murdering thee. You threw your­self into the waves, and the Afreet followed, overpowered, and was pro­ceeding to assassination.” I replied, “Be not sorrowful or sad, for its inter­pretation is remarkably fortunate. The Afreet was my accursed enemy, and my diving into the sea signified my obtaining aid from the blessed Khizzer. His overpowering me meant, that Khizzer, having divided him in two with the sabre of punish­ment, should thrust him into a wine-jar, and lay him in the earth.”

My wife, instantly on hearing these words, glowed with rage, and rushing upon me with fury, seized my dagger; with which, as I lay unapprehensive on the carpet, she made two cuts on my cheek, and said, “Alas! that yester­night thou escapedst from my hands.” When I saw that with violence and force she was bent on my destruction, I started up, and wresting the weapon from her hands, dispatched her to the infernal regions at one blow; also sent the faith­ful handmaiden, out of gratitude to the attachment she had shewn in the service of her mistress, along with her to the place she had merited.

O my prince, for the love of women, who are created as evil spirits in the shape of humanity, and whose forms are as talismans placed on the treasury of cunning; to rush into the wilds of madness, and quit the pleasures of for­tune, and delights of life; to relinquish fame and honour, character and religion; and, with such vexation and unmanly solicitude, to seek the gratification of desire; must at length end in being involved in the torture of their inconstancy and pangs of their want of faith.