Chap.XVII. of Monfieur Tavernier. 183 



Wax-Candie in my hand, I went and view'd thera all. The King laugh'd, and 

 being very glad to fee my face among thçirs , Bring hither , laid he, her to whom 

 thou haftmofi a fancy. In obedience to which, I pkk'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 , laid he , did you not choofe yonder Girl , which is 

 younger and handfomer ; commanding them both to kils me one after another, that 

 I might understand the difference between the Careffes 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 confider, 

 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 I never had been 

 unfaithful. 



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

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

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

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

 high-pitch'd Voice , and for that the Pcr/ians are altogether for Bafes , the King 

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

 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, fiWem high, (J^y fic&t^tUj 



Fill all the Glajfes there , 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 expreffion of admiration ufual among the Ter- 

 fians. 



By this time it was very late , and the King growing fleepy, 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 

 zxisAgi or Pilgrim newly return'd from Mecca^xA confequently oblig'd never to drink 

 Wine after that. While this Agi ftaid , there was one of the Ter fan Lords got 

 fo impertinently fuddl'd, that he twice ftruck the <^4g?s Turbant from his head, 

 refus'd to drink when the King commanded him , play'd the fool with the Curti- 

 fans when they were dancing , and committed fo many other afts of folly, that the 

 King incens'd at fuch a continuation of Buffonry, in a great fury, This Rafcal, 

 faid he , has loft all his r effect , and thinks he is no more my Slave ; draq him out by 

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

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

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

 thought that fomeof the King's Women beg'd for him, fo that his punifhment was 

 chang'd. 



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

 ear , nôt in the King^s prefence , but in the Gallery where they were drinking 

 together. However fhe did not ftrike fo foftly, but that the King heard the noifc 

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

 before the Deroga 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 Dero?a fhould cauie 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 



