I gave him a long detail of the tragical cause of my return, and of the sad condition he saw me in. Alas! cried he, was it not enough for me to have lost my son, but must I have news also of the death of a brother I loved so dearly, and see you also reduced to this deplorable condition? He told me how uneasy he was, that he could hear nothing of his son, notwithstanding all the diligence and inquiry he could make. At these words the unfortunate father burst out into tears, and was so much afflicted, that, pitying his grief, it was impossible for me to keep the secret any longer; so that, notwithstanding my oath to the prince my cousin, I told the king his father all that I knew. His majesty listened to me with some sort of comfort; and when I had done, Nephew, said he, what you tell me gives me some hope. I knew that my son ordered that tomb to be built, and I can guess pretty near at the place; and with the idea you still have of it, I fancy we shall find it; but since he ordered it to be built privately, and you took your oath to keep his secret, I am of opinion that we ought to go in quest of it alone, without saying any thing. But he had another reason for keeping the matter secret, which he did not then tell me, and an important reason it was, as you will perceive by the sequel of my discourse. We disguised ourselves, and went out by a door of the garden which opened into the field, and soon found what we sought for. I knew the tomb, and was the more rejoiced at it, because I had formerly sought it a long time in vain. We entered, and found the iron trap pulled down upon the entrance of the staircase; we had much ado to raise it, because the prince had fastened it on the inside with the water and plaster formerly mentioned, but at last we did get it up. The king my uncle descended first, I followed, and we went down about fifty steps. When we came to the foot of the stairs, we found a sort of ante-chamber, full of a thick smoke, of an ill scent, which obscured the lamp that gave a very faint light. From this ante-chamber we came into another, very large, supported by great columns, and lighted by several branched candlesticks. There was a cistern in the middle, and provisions of several sorts standing on one side of it; but we were very much surprised to see nobody. Before us there appeared an high sofa, which we mounted by several steps, and over this, there appeared a very large bed, with the curtains drawn close. The king went up, and opening the curtains, perceived the prince his son and the lady in bed together, but burnt and changed to a coal, as if they had been thrown into a great fire, and taken out again before they were consumed.