and leave me, I shall surely die, for it is impossible for me to
live without her." Queen Gulnare soon put him out of his fears.

"Brother," said she smiling, "what I have just heard gives me a
greater proof than ever of the sincerity of your affection; I
could not brook your proposing to me a match with a prince of the
earth: now I can scarcely forbear being angry with you for
advising me to break the engagement I have made with the most
puissant and most renowned monarch in the world. I do not speak
here of an engagement between a slave and her master; it would be
easy to return the ten thousand pieces of gold he gave for me;
but I speak now of a contract between a wife and a husband--and a
wife who has not the least reason to complain. He is a religious,
wise, and temperate king, and has given me the most essential
demonstrations of his love. What can be a greater proof of the
sincerity of his passion, than sending away all his women (of
which he had a great number) immediately upon my arrival, and
confining himself to me alone? I am now his wife, and he has
lately declared me queen of Persia, to share with him in his
councils; besides, I am pregnant, and if heaven permit me to give
him a son, that will be another motive to engage my affections to
him the more."

"So that, brother," continued the queen Gulnare, "instead of
following your advice, you see I have all the reason in the
world, not only to love the king of Persia as passionately as he
loves me, but also to live and die with him, more out of
gratitude than duty. I hope then neither my mother, nor you, nor
any of my cousins, will disapprove of the resolution or the
alliance I have made, which will do equal honour to the kings of