doors, where you will find enough to satisfy your curiosity, and to sweeten your solitude during our absence; but for your own welfare we recommend you to forbear opening the golden door, for if you do we shall never see you again, and the fear of this increases our grief. We hope, nevertheless, that you will follow the advice we give you, as you value your own peace and the happiness of your life; therefore take heed that you do not give way to indiscreet curiosity, for you will do yourself considerable mischief. We implore you not to commit this fault, but let us have the satisfaction of finding you here again after forty days. We would willingly carry the key of the golden door away with us, but it would be an affront to a prince like you to question your discretion and modesty.'
This conversation with the fair princesses grieved me extremely. I omitted not to tell them how much their absence would trouble me. I thanked them for their good advice, and assured them that I would follow it, and willingly do what was much more difficult in order to secure the happiness of passing the rest of my days with ladies of such rare qualifications. We took leave of one another with much tenderness, and, after I had embraced them all, they departed, and I was left alone in the castle.
Their agreeable company, the good cheer, the music and other pleasures had so much occupied me during the whole year that I had neither time nor the least desire to see the wonderful things contained in this enchanted palace. I did not so much as take notice of a thousand rare objects that were every day in my sight; for I was so entranced with the charming beauty of the ladies, and took so much pleasure in seeing them, that their departure afflicted me very much, and though their absence was to last only forty days, it seemed to me an age to live without them.
I determined not to forget the important advice they had given me not to open the golden door, but as I was permitted to satisfy my curiosity in everything else, I took the first of the keys of the other doors, which were hung in good order.
I opened the first door, and came into an orchard, which, I believe, the universe could not equal. I could not imagine anything that could surpass it, but that which our religion promises us
