made me sensible of his resentment. But now that he had me in his power, he came to me like a mad-man, and thrusting his finger into my right eye, pulled it out, and thus I became blind of one eye.
His cruelty did not stop here; he commanded the executioner to cut off my head, and leave me to be devoured by birds of prey. The executioner conveyed me to the place of execution to complete this barbarous sentence; but by my prayers and tears, I moved the man’s compassion: “Go,” said he to me, “get you speedily out of the kingdom, and never return, or you will destroy yourself and me.” I thanked him, and as soon as I was left alone, comforted myself for the loss of my eye, by considering that I had very narrowly escaped a much greater evil.
Being thus surrounded with sorrows and persecuted by fortune, I had recourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save my life: I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and putting on a calender’s habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city. I avoided the towns till I arrived in the empire of the commander of the faithful, the renowned caliph Haroun al Raschid, when I ceased to fear. I resolved to come to Bagdad and throw myself at the feet of this great monarch. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself, by the relation of my misfortunes, and without doubt he will take pity on a persecuted prince, and not suffer me to implore his assistance in vain.
67
