the queen shut her book, and went along the gallery to the king's
bedchamber, Mocbel watched his time, and placed himself, under the
form of a frightful apparition, directly in the queen's path. She
started at the sight, and uttered a piercing shriek. The king
recognised her voice, and hastened to see what had happened to her.
She explained; but the king spoke of something much more extraordinary,
and asked her how it could possibly happen that she should be in the
gallery, at the same moment that he had left her, undressed and in bed.
They proceeded to the chamber to unravel the mystery. Here a contention
occurred between the real and the seeming queen, each charging the
other with imposture. The king turned from one to the other, and was
unable to decide between their pretensions. The courtiers and the
ladies of the bedchamber were called, and all were perplexed with
uncertainty and doubt. At length they determine in favour of the false
queen, It was then proposed that the other should be burned for a
sorceress. The king however forbade this. He was not yet altogether
decided; and could not resolve to consign his true queen, as it might
possibly be, to a cruel death. He was therefore content to strip her
of her royal robes, to clothe her in rags, and thrust her ignominiously
from his palace.
Treachery however was not destined to be ultimately triumphant. The
king one day rode out a hunting; and Mocbel, that he might the better
deceive the guards of the palace, seizing the opportunity, assumed his
figure, and went to bed to Dilnouaze. The king meanwhile recollected
something of importance, that he had forgotten before he went out to
hunt, and returning upon his steps, proceeded to the royal chamber.
Here to his utter confusion he found a man in bed with his queen, and
that man to his greater astonishment the exact counterpart of himself.
Furious at the sight, he immediately drew his scymetar. The man
contrived to escape down the backstairs. The woman however remained in
bed; and, stretching out her hands to intreat for mercy, the king
struck off the hand which had the ring on it, and she immediately
appeared, as she really was, a frightful hag. She begged for life; and,
that she might mollify his rage, explained the mystery, told him that
it was by means of a ring that she effected the delusion, and that by
a similar enchantment her paramour had assumed the likeness of the
king. The king meanwhile was inexorable, and struck off her head. He
next turned in pursuit of the adulterer. Mocbel however had had time
to mount on horseback. But the king mounted also; and, being the
better horseman, in a short time overtook his foe. The impostor did
not dare to cope with him, but asked his life; and the king,
considering him as the least offender of the two, pardoned him upon
condition of his surrendering the ring, in consequence of which he
passed the remainder of his life in poverty and decrepitude.
STORY OF A GOULE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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