The King, greatly affrighted and
astonished, began to conjure this terrible vision, promising that he
would return without doing any injury in the Cave, after he had
obtained sight of what was contained in it. The Statue ceased to
strike the floor, and the King, with his followers, somewhat
assured, and recovering their courage, proceeded into the hall; and
on the left of the Statue they found this inscription on the wall:
Unfortunate King, thou hast entered here in an evil hour. On the
right side of the wall the words were inscribed: By strange Nations
thou shalt be dispossessed, and thy subjects foully degraded. On
the shoulders of the Statue other words were written, which said, I
call upon the Arabs. And upon his heart was written, I do my
office. At the entrance of the hall there was placed a round bowl,
from which a great noise, like the fall of waters, proceeded. They
found no other thing in the hall,--and when the King, sorrowful and
greatly affected, had scarcely turned about to leave the Cavern, the
Statue again commenced its accustomed blows upon the floor. After
they had mutually promised to conceal what they had seen, they again
closed the Tower, and blocked up the gate of the Cavern with earth,
that no memory might remain in the world of such a portentous and
evil-boding prodigy.
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