380 TJie Adventures of Prince Hassan. 



" Here lies the unfortunate Prince Hassan V 



He did not know what to think of this, and was in a profound reverie, 

 when ho heard a noise, which made him conceal himself where he could 

 not be seen. The noise increased, till he saw the car, wherein was the 

 princess, approaching. He recognized her as the same person represented 

 in his picture. She alighted, and approaching the tomb, she embraced it, 

 and bathed it with her tears. The prince attributed to his absence the 

 idea she had formed of his death. Hid from all view, his joy was extreme 

 to find so exact a resemblance in her to his picture. He recollected what 

 the magician had told him that he should never see the princess but at 

 the foot of his tomb. Not only did he see her, but he was persuaded she 

 loved him. He never felt so severely the penalty the fairy had inflicted 

 on him ; he would willingly have thrown himself at her feet, if the peril to 

 which he would have exposed her had not prevented him ; he scarce dared 

 breathe; he feared the least noiso would cause her to look round. What a 

 situation for a lover! to see her he loved to see what he had so long 

 sought and to tremble for fear of being observed what a trial ! He knew 

 not how to announce to her his return. Her grief increased his own. He 

 saw her drowned in tears, and not able to tear herself from the tomb. At 

 length he recollected the enchanted wand the fairy had given him : he pro- 

 fited by the opportunity of putting the princess to sleep, and then wrote the 

 following line on the tomb : 



" Go to the Dark Tower, and you will there find an end to your griefs I' 1 



The prince was charmed with such an opportunity of contemplating the 

 beauty of the princess; but he trembled, as he had not yet made a trial of 

 the virtue of his wand. He, therefore, quitted her, after having put an end 

 to her enchantment ; and, regaining the shore, he returned to the tower, 

 agitated with the most lively sensations. 



Hardly had Aurora began to enlighten the rest of the universe, when 

 the princess left her palace, and returned to the tomb of the prince. She 

 there read what he had written. Her heart expanded with joy when she 

 found herself so near a termination of her sorrows. She flew to the sea- 

 side, embarked, and arrived at the foot of the Dark Tower. Prince Hassan 

 heard with joy the dashing of the waves against her boat, as it approached 

 nearer and nearer. They had a most tender meeting. She avowed her 

 passion, and expressed to him the grief she felt at supposing him dead. On 

 his part, he told her how he had been carried away by the pirates, being 

 obliged to yield to numbers, after having killed the first who- attacked him, 

 and whom she had honoured with so splendid a funeral. He recounted 

 the risk he ran of perishing with hunger while he was bound to the mast,, 

 and how a fairy had extricated him from so perilous a situation. This 

 recital rendered him still more dear to the princess. It was on her account 

 he had run such risks. Could she repay him otherwise than by all the 

 tenderness of which her heart was capable? They swore an eternal 

 fidelity, and separated. The princess tore herself away at this period, and 

 returned to her palace, rejoiced at having regained her lover. 



Not a day passed that she did not go to the Dark Tower. They were 

 as happy in each other's society as possible ; they loved with an equal ten- 

 derness ; they passed the whole day in conversing. The hopes that the 

 fairy had given the prince, that his troubles would have an end some day, 

 lessened, in some degree, the cruel chagrin of not being able to see each 



