( 86 )
Porter, Friend, have you never heard that which is commonly ſaid, If you bring any thing with you, you ſhall be welcome; but if you bring nothing, you muſt get you gone with nothing.
The Porter notwithſtanding his Rhetorick, muſt in all probability have retir’d in Confuſion, if Amine had not taken his part, and ſaid to Zobeide and Safie, my dear Siſters, I conjure you to let him ſtay with us; I need not tell you that he will divert us, you ſee well enough he is capable of that: I muſt needs tell you, that without he had been very wiling, as well as nimble, and hardy enough to follow me, I could not have done ſo much Buſineſs in ſo little time, beſides, ſhould I repeat to you all the obliging Expreſſions, he had to me by the way, you would not be ſurpriz’d at my, protecting him.
Art thoſe Words of Amine, the Porter was ſo much tranfported with Joy, that he fell on his Knees, kiſs’d the Ground at the Feet of that charming Perſon, and raiſing himſelf up, ſays, moſt beautiful Lady, you began my good Fortune to-day, and now you compleat ir by this generous Action, I cannot enough teſtify my Acknowledgment for it. As to what remains, my Ladies, adds be, addreſling himſelf to all the three Siſters, ſince you do me ſo great Honour, don’t think that I will abuſe it, or look upon my ſelf as a Perſon that deſerves it. No, I ſhall always look upon myſelf as one of your moſt humble Slaves. When he had ſpoke theſe Words, he would have return’d the Money he had receiv’d, but the grave Zeboide ordered him to keep it. That which we have once given, ſays ſhe, to reward thoſe who have ſerved us, we never take again.Here Day began to dawn, which put Scheherazade to ſilence.
Dinarzade, who liſten’d with a great deal of Attention, was much troubled at it, but had this Comfort however, that the Sultan who was as curious as ſhe to know what paſs’d betwixt the three beautiful Ladies and the Porter, order’d the Sultaneſs to go on with the reſt of the Story next Night, and roſe up to go about his Buſineſs,
The End of the Firſt Yolume
