WHEN Jehaundar Shaw in the dis­guise of a fakeer, arrived thus at the city delighful as paradise, and was going to enter it, a band of the king’s guards, hav­ing laid hold of him, hurried him away to the royal palace; for it was an anciently established custom of the happy king­dom, that whenever strangers arrived, whether in the equipage of dignity or tatters of beggary, they were instantly conducted to court, and examined by officers, who represented their condition to the attendants on the heaven-like assembly, and frequently the king would interrogate them himself, as in this instance he chose to do.

When the wise Sultaun, with intent to explore particulars, cast the looks of penetration upon the countenance of this traveller in the path of love and wan­derer in the plain of fascination, notwith­standing his collinder’s disguise and beg­gar’s dress, he perceived that his air and manners differed from those of the meanly born, and saw the star of dignity and rays of grandeur beaming upon his forehead. With feigned surprize therefore he said, “Whence came this uncommon collin­der? and why has he wandered to my capital?”

The prince, withdrawing the veil of silence from the damsel of speech, intro­duced her into the assembly of narration, and in the manner of the informed in the rules of compliment and the skilled in the ceremonials of politeness, thus represented. “I am immediate heir to the crown and ring of the paradise-envied regions of Hindoostan, and was tenderly cherished in the cradle of royalty and high fortune. As all affairs are bound in the knot of divine will, agreeably to its everlasting decree and the motions of fate, desire of submission to the throne emblematic of benevolence took place in my heart, and the wish to serve your imperial majesty possessed my mind. Inevita­bly impelled, I removed my affections from my own family, and accord­ing to the verse (to me, being thy supplicant, is preferable to royalty) chusing the station of a collinder before that of a prince, I estranged my mind from power and command. Regard­ing the perils of the road and fatigue of travel as light upon myself, I hastened onwards amid a thousand unlooked for felicities. Praise and thanks be to God, that the glorifying interview and blessed meeting with your sacred majesty has taken place, and that after the endurance of innumerable toils in my journey, the happiness of kissing the most sacred carpet has been obtained. Now, per­haps, the high bounties and liberal favours of your majesty may repay my sufferings and exile.

The deeply-judging and wise sultaun, when he had heard the approved elo­quence and well-chosen expressions of the prince in the above speech, was convinced of his accomplishments in the graces of courtly behaviour and polite manners. The coming of the embassa­dor, his bringing the letter containing assurances of regard and friendship, and delivering the message requesting a union with Bherawir Banou, now recurred to his mind; and from the wild air, dis­tracted demeanour, and pensive manner of the stranger, he was convinced by whose charms he had been induced to disguise his princely person as a collin­der. Policy-consulting prudence, how­ever, would not permit his owning himself acquainted with the mystery, or declare it openly. Plunging therefore into the sea of feigned disbelief, and knocking wilfully at the gate of igno­rance, he exclaimed, “Drive from my august presence and royal palace this insolent and lying collinder, who, in order to enhance his value and increase his consequence and importance, has set forth a tale contrary to probability. With design that he may obtain credit and reputation in the sight of man, he has embroidered the sleeve of his con­dition with the deceitful flourishes of pretended rank. As his folly, how­ever, is greater than his hypocrisy, he has not perceived, that his lies, before the bright lamp in the cham­bers of penetration and judgment, could beam forth no splendour.”

Though the sultaun, thus permitting the garb of the noble-minded and high-born prince’s condition to be sullied by the dust of scandal, drove him from his heaven-like company, yet privately, he appointed intelligent and prudent officers, who could distinguish reality from appearances, in order, that being constantly informed of his proceedings, and watching his behaviour and employments night and day, they might report his conduct constantly to the imperial minis­ters and confidential attendants at the world-commanding throne, without neglecting the most trifling point in their intelligence.