18- Three Princes

THE ADVENTURES OF THE THREE PRINCES, SONS OF THE SULTAN OF CHINA.

A sultaness of China being seized with an alarming illness was
given over by the physicians, who declared her case incurable by
any other means than the water of life, which they feared it was
next to impossible to obtain before nature would be exhausted;
the country in which, if anywhere, it was to be found, being so
very distant. Such, however, was the affection of the sultaness's
three sons, that in hopes of saving their mother they resolved to
go in search of the precious medicine, and departed immediately
in the route pointed out by the physicians. After travelling
without success to their inquiries through divers countries, they
agreed to separate, in hopes that one of them at least might be
fortunate enough to procure the wished-for miraculous liquid, and
return home in time to save their mother. Having taken an
affectionate farewell, each pursued his journey alone. The
*eldest prince, after a fatiguing walk (for the brothers had
thought it prudent to lay aside their dignity, and as safest to
disguise themselves in mean habits) over a wild country, arrived
at last within sight of a large city, inhabited by blasphemous
Jews, near which, in a superb synagogue, he laid himself down on
a carpet to repose, being quite exhausted with toil and hunger.
He had not rested long, when a Jew rabbi entering the building,
the prince begged for the love of God a little refreshment; but
the wicked infidel, who hated true believers, instead of
relieving, cruelly put him to death with his sabre, and wrapping
the corpse in a mat, threw it into a corner of the synagogue. By
ill fortune, on the day following the second prince arrived, and
was treated in the same manner by the barbarous Jew, and on the
next came also the youngest brother to the same place, where he
was met by the base assassin, who would have killed him also, had
not the extraordinary beauty of the young prince struck his
covetous mind with the idea of making him a slave, and selling
him for a large sum of money. Speaking therefore to him in a kind
manner he brought him refreshments, and inquired if he was
willing to be his servant, and employ himself in cleaning the
synagogue and lighting the lamps; to which the prince, being in
an exhausted condition, seemingly assented, seeing no other means
of present support, but secretly resolved to escape when
recovered from his fatigue. The Jew now took him to his house in
the city, and showed him, apparently, the same tenderness as he
used towards his own children. The next day the prince repaired
to his allotted task of cleaning the synagogue, where, to his
grief and horror, he presently discovered the bodies of his
unfortunate