Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/132

120 could do to appease her, and said to him, ‘O accursed one, may God the Most High not bring thee to thy desire!’

Then his servants brought her a mule with gold-embroidered housings and mounting her thereon, raised over her head a silken canopy, with staves of gold and silver, and the Franks walked about her, till they brought her forth the city by the sea-gate, where they took boat with her and rowing out to a great ship [that lay in the harbour], embarked her therein. Then the vizier cried out to the sailors, saying, ‘Up with the mast!’ So they set up the mast and spreading the sails and the pendants, manned the sweeps and put out to sea. Meryem continued to gaze upon Alexandria, till it disappeared from her eyes, when she fell a-weeping and lamenting passing sore and recited the following verses:

The knights came up to her and would have comforted her, but she heeded them not, being distracted with passion and love-longing. And she wept and moaned and complained and recited the following verses:

In this plight she abode during all the voyage; no peace was left her nor would patience come at her call.