king, but without discovering the least surprise, or so much as
rising from her seat to salute or receive him, as if he had been
the most indifferent person in the world, she put herself in the
same posture again.

The king of Persia was extremely surprised to see a slave of so
beauteous a form so ignorant of the world. He attributed this to
the narrowness of her education, and the little care that had
been taken to instruct her in the first rules of civility. He
went to her at the window, where, notwithstanding the coldness
and indifference with which she had received him, she suffered
herself to be admired, caressed, and embraced, as much as he
pleased.

In the midst of these amorous embraces and tender endearments,
the king paused awhile, to gaze upon, or rather to devour her
with his eyes. "My lovely fair one! my charmer!" exclaimed he;
"whence came you, and where do those happy parents live who
brought into the world so surprising a masterpiece of nature? How
do I love thee, and shall always continue to do. Never did I feel
for a woman what I now feel for you; and though I have seen, and
every day behold a vast number of beauties, yet never did my eyes
contemplate so many charms in one person--charms which have so
transported me, that I shall entirely devote myself to you. My
dearest life," continued he, "you neither answer, nor by any
visible token give me the least reason to believe that you are
sensible of the demonstrations I have given you of the ardour of
my passion; neither will you turn your eyes on me, to afford mine
the pleasure of meeting them, and to convince you that it is
impossible to love in a higher degree than I do you. Why will you