Page:History of Sindbad the sailor.pdf/21

21 an end, as to be devoured by cannibals; but I must submit. The king and all his court would honour the funeral with their presence, and the most considerable people of the city did the like. When all was ready for the ceremony, the corps was put into a coffin with all her jewels and magnificent apparel The cavalcade was begun and as second actor of this doleful tragedy, I went next the corpse, with my eyes full of tears bewailing  my deplorable fate. Before I came to the mountain, I addressed myself to the king in the first place and then to those who were round me, and bowing before them to the earth, to kiss the border of their garments. I prayed upon them to have compassion upon me. "Consider," said I, "that I am a stranger, and ought not to be subject to this rigorous law and that I have another wife and children in my own country.” It was to no purpose for me to speak thus no soul was moved at it, on the contrary, they made haste to let my wife’s corps into the pit, and put me down the next moment in an open coffin, with a vessel of water and seven loaves. In short the fatal ceremony being performed, they covered up the mouth of the pit, notwithstanding the excess of my grief and my lamentable cries.

As I came near the bottom. I discovered by the help of the little light that came from above, the nature of this subterranean place it was a vast long cave, and might be about 50 fathom deep. I immediately felt an insufferable stench, proceeding from the multitude of dead corpse which I saw on the right and left; nay I fancied I heard some of them sigh out their last. I got down I immediately left my coffin and getting at a distance from the corpse held my nose, and lay down upon the ground, where I staid a long time bathed in tears.