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thouſand Sequins. The next Day, and the Day following; he was very ſamiliar with him; in ſhort, this Prince thinking that he could never enough acknowledge the Obligations he lay under to that able Phyſician, beſtow’d every Day new Favours upon him. But this King had a Grand Viſer, that was avaricious, envious, and naturally capable of all Sorts of Miſchief; he could not ſee, without Envy, the Preſents that were given to the Phyſician, whoſe other Merits had already began to make him jealous, and therefore he reſolv’d to leflen him in the King’s Eſteem. To effect this, he went to the King, and told him in private, that he had ſome Advice to give him, which was of the greateſt Concernment. The King having ask’d what it was; Sir, ſaid he, it’s very dangerous for a Monarch to put Confidence in a Man, whoſe Fidelity he never tried. Tho’ you heap Favours upon the Phyſician Douban, and ſhew him all the Familiarity that may be, your Majeſty does not know but he may be a Traitor at the ſame time, and come on purpoſe to this Court to kill you. From whom have you this, anſwer’d the King, that you dare to tell it me? Conſider to whom you ſpeak, and that you adviſe a Thing which I ſhall not eafily believe. Sir, replied the Viſier, I am very well inform’d of what I have had the Honour to repreſent to your Majeſty, therefore do not let your dangerous Confidence grow to a further Height: If your Majeſty be aſleep, be pleaſed to awake; for I do once. more repeat it, that the Phyſician Douban did not leave the Heart of Greece, his Country, nor come hither to ſettle himſelf at your Court, but to execute that horrible Deſign, which I have now hinted to you.
No, no, Viſier, replies the King, I am certain, that this Man, whom you treat as a Villain and a Traitor, is one of the beſt and moſt virtuous Men in the World, and there is no Man I love ſo much. You know by what Medicine, or rather by what Miracle, he cur’d me of my Leproſy; If he had had a Deſign upon my Life, why did he ſave me? He needed only have left me to my Diſeaſe, I could not have eſcap’d it. My Life was already half gone, forbear then to fill me with unjuſt Suſpicions: Inſtead of liſtening to you, I tell you, that from this Day forward, I will givethat
