despatched it to her; and Prince Behram abode with her till death sundered their union.  “See therefore, O King” (continued the favourite), “the malice of men in their dealing with women.  As for me, I will not go back from my due till I die.”  So the King once more commanded to put his son to death; but the seventh Wazir came in to him and kissing the ground before him, said, “O King, have patience with me whilst I speak these words of good counsel to thee; how many patient and slow-moving men unto their hope attain, and how many who are precipitate fall into shameful state!  Now I have seen how this damsel hath profligately excited the King by lies to horrible and unnatural cruelties; but I his Mameluke, whom he hath overwhelmed with his favours and bounties, do proffer him true and loyal rede; for that I, O King, know of the malice of women that which none knoweth save myself; and in particular there hath reached me, on this subject, the story of the old woman and the son of the merchant with its warning instances.”  Asked the King, “And what fell out between them, O Wazir?” and the seventh Wazir answered, “I have heard tell, O King, the tale of

The House with the Belvedere.[FN#221]

A wealthy merchant had a son who was very dear to him and who said to him one day, “O my father, I have a boon to beg of thee.”  Quoth the merchant, “O my son, what is it, that I may give it thee and bring thee to thy desire, though it were the light of mine eyes.”  Quoth the youth, “Give me money, that I may journey with the merchants to the city of Baghdad and see its sights and sail on the Tigris and look upon the palace of the Caliphs[FN#222]; for the sons of the merchants have described these things to me and I long to see them for myself.”  Said the father, “O my child, O my little son, how can I endure to part from thee?” But the youth replied, ’ I have said my say and there is no help for it but I journey to Baghdad with thy consent or e’en without it:  such a longing for its sight hath fallen upon me as can only be assuaged by the going hither.” —­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

      When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the merchant’s son said to his sire, “There is no help for it but that I journey to Baghdad.”  Now when the father saw that there was no help for it, he provided his son with goods to the value of thirty thousand gold pieces and sent him with certain merchants in whom he trusted, committing him to their charge.  Then he took leave of the youth, who journeyed with his friends the merchants till they reached Baghdad, the House of Peace, where he entered the market and hired him a house, so handsome and delectable and spacious and elegant that on seeing it he well nigh lost his wits for admiration; for therein were pavilions facing one another, with floors of coloured marbles and ceilings inlaid with gold