The genie omitted nothing that could prevail upon the fisherman; Open the vessel, says he, give me my liberty, I pray thee, and I promise to satisfy thee to thy own content. Thou art a mere traitor, replies the fisherman; I should deserve to lose my life, if I were such a fool as to trust thee; thou wilt not fail to treat me in the same manner as a certain Grecian king treated the physician Douban. It is a story I have a mind to tell thee, therefore listen to it. The Story of the Grecian King and the Physician Douban. There was in the country of Zouman, in Persia, a king, whose subjects were originally Greeks. This king was all over leprous, and his physicians in vain endeavoured his cure; and when they were at their wits end what to prescribe to him, a very able physician, called Douban, arrived at his court. This physician had learned his science in Greek, Persian, Turkish, Arabian, Latin, Syriac, and Hebrew books; and besides that, he was an expert philosopher, and fully understood the good and bad qualities of all sorts of plants and drugs. As soon as he was informed of the king’s distemper, and understood that his physicians had given him over, he clad himself in the best habits he could procure, and found means to present himself to the king. Sir, says he, I know that all your majesty’s physicians have not been able to cure you the leprosy; but if you will do me the honour to accept my service, I will engage myself to cure you without potions, or external applications. The king listened to what he said, and answered, If you be able to perform what you do promise, I will enrich you and your posterity; and besides the presents I shall make you, you shall be my chief favourite. Do you assure me, then, that you will cure me of my leprosy, without making me take any potion, or applying any external medicine? Yes, sir, replies the physician; I promise myself success, through God’s assistance, and to-morrow I will make trial of it. The physician returned to his quarters, and made a mallet, hollow within, and at the handle he put in his drugs: he made also a ball in such a manner as suited his purpose, with which, next morning, he went to present himself before the king, and falling down at his feet, kissed the ground. Here Scheherazade, perceiving day, acquainted the sultan with it, and held her peace. I wonder, sister, says Dinarzade, where you learn so many fine things. You shall hear a great many others to-morrow, replies Scheherazade, if the sultan, my master, will be pleased to prolong my life farther. Schahriar, who longed as much as Dinarzade, to hear the sequel of the story of Douban, the physician, did not order the sultaness to be put to death that day. TWELFTH NIGHT.