Page:Three crump twin-brothers of Damascus.pdf/4

 4 HISTORY OF THE THREE to do: there could be but one criminal, and he ſeemed to be three ; and never a one of the would own himſelf to be the man: he thought could not do better than to inform the King Damaſcus of ſo ſingular an affair. He carried tl three crumps before his throne; and that Prin having examined them himſelf, without being ble to find out the truth, gave command, in order to diſcover it, that each of them ſhould have hundred' baltinadoes upon the ſoles of his feet They began with Syahouk, and afterwards pro- ceeded to Ibad; but both of them being ignora whether Babekan was the criminal or no, ſo mud reſemblance there was between them, they endu cd the baſtinado without giving the King an clearer Information than he had before. Babekan afterwards received his quota of ſtripes; but b ing judge in his own cauſe, he did not think to betray himſelf; he made the moſt earneſt pro- teſtations of his innocence, and the King ni knowing which was the murderer, and unwilling to put to death two innocents with one criminal was contented with baniſhing them all three fra Damaſcus for ever. Ibad, Syahouk and Babekan were obliged comply with this ſentence immediately. The departed from the city and having conlidera what they ſhould do, Ibad and' Syahouk were e tirely for keeping together; but Babekan havin repreſented to them, that let them go where the would, ſo long as they were together they ſhou always be the jeſt of the public, and that if th were ſingle they would each be infinitely leſs o ſerved; this reaſon prevailed over the opinion the other two. They parted from each othe and taking every one a different road, Babekan after having travelled through ſeveral towns Syri