Chap.XVII. of Monfieur Tavernier, 185 



Wax-Candle in my hand, I went and viewed them all. The King laugh'd, and 

 being very glad to ice my face among theirs , Bring hither , laid he, her. to whom 

 thou haftmojl a fancy. In obedience to which, I pick'd out the eldeft, as I thought, - 

 and led her to his Majefty , who caus'd us to fit down by him. Then the King 

 pointing to another , And why , faid he , did you not chooj'c yonder Girl , which % 

 younger and handfmer • commanding them both to kifs me one after another, that 

 I might underftand the difference between the Carcffes of one and the other. 

 But I reply'd, that were I to choofe again , I would make the fame choice, be- 

 lieving prudence to accompany age. However I befought his Majefty to confidcr, 

 that it was not for me to look upon elder or younger , and that though he had 

 giv'n me the liberty to fend the elder home to my Lodging, yet it was not in my 

 pow'r to accept of his favour , in regard I had a Wife , to whom 1 never had been 

 unfaithful. 



We had thus droll'd together 'till eleven a Clock at night, when the Kin* 

 ftarted another Queftion , Whether any one prefent knew how to Sing ? It hap- 

 pen'd that there was one Monfieur Daulicr there, that Play'd upon the Virginals, and 

 pretended to Sing , who immediately began a Court-Air. But his Voice being a 

 high-pitch'd Voice, and for that the Ferfians are altogether for Bales, the King 

 did not like him. When I perceiv'd that, being in a merry vein , though I knew 

 not a Note , yet having a good deep voice, and clear, I fung an old Air that came 

 into my head, which begins, 



Fill all the 'Bowls then, flVcm high, 

 Fill all the Clajfes then , for why 

 Should every Creature drinks but I ? 



The King was fo pleas'd , that he cry'd out , Baricala, Baricala, as much as to 

 fay , Oh the works of God ! an expreflion of admiration ufual among the "Per- 

 fans. 



By this time it was very late , and the King growing flcepy, gave us leave to de- 

 part} which we did very willingly, having had hard labour for feventeen hours 

 together. 



The next night the King fell a drinking again , and there was in his prefence 

 ant^V; or Pilgrim newly returned from Mecca^nd confequcntly oblig'd never to drink 



fans when they were dancing , and committed fo many other a£ts of folly, that the 

 King incens'd at fuch a xontinuation of Buffbnry, in a great fury, This Rafcal y 



laid he , has lofl all his rejpeil , and thinks he is no more my Slave ; drag him out by 

 the feet , and throw him to the Dogs to cat. Immediately four or five of the King's 

 Officers came and drag'd him out of the Hall by the feet , and every body wondcr'd 

 he was not thrown to the Dogs, according to the King's Command-, but 'tis 

 thought that fome of the King's Women beg'd for him , fo that his punifriment was 

 chang'd. 



There was one of the Curtifans that gave one of her Companions a box on the 

 ear , not in the King's prefence , but in the Gallery where they were drinking 

 together. However flic did notftrikc fo foftly, but that the King heard the noile 

 of the blow. Whereupon he commanded her that had giv'n the blow to be had 

 before the Dcroga or Judge of the Town , whom he order'd to expunge her out 

 of the number of Curtifans, and to put another in her place ^ that fhe fhould 

 have a hundred Tomans giv'n her, and that the Dcroga fhould caufc her to be 

 marry'd. 



The next day I waited on the King , and receiv'd thofe Models which he had 

 befpoke me to fend into France. They were the Patterns of certain Drinking- 

 Cups and Trenchers, with the Model of a Dagger drawn with his own hand : for 

 he had learnt to draw of a couple of Dutch-men that were in his Service. The 



Dagger 



