is the young gentleman whom I here present to you, and is to be my son-in-law.  I hope you will do me the honour to be present at his wedding, which I am resolved to celebrate this day.  The noblemen, who could not take it ill that he preferred his nephew before all the great matches that had been proposed to him, said, that he had very good reasons, for what he did, were willing to be witnesses to the ceremony, and wished that God might prolong his days to enjoy the satisfaction of the happy match.

The lords met at the vizier’s, having testified their satisfaction at the marriage of his daughter with Noureddin, sat down to dinner, which lasted a good while; and the latter course was sweet-meats, of which every one, according to custom, took what he thought fit.  The notaries came in with the marriage-contract, when the chief lords signed it; and, after the company departed, the grand vizier ordered his servants to prepare a bagnio, and have every thing else provided for Noureddin in the best manner:  When he had washed and dried himself, he was going to put on his former apparel, but had an extraordinary rich suit brought him.  Being dressed and perfumed with the most odoriferous essence, he went to see the grand vizier, his father-in-law, who was exceedingly well pleased with his genteel mien; and having made him sit down, My son, said he, you have declared unto me who you are, and the quality you had at the court of Egypt.  You have also told me of a difference betwixt you and your brother, which occasioned you to leave your country.  I desire you to make me your entire confident, and to acquaint me with the cause of your quarrel; for now you have no reason either to doubt me, or to conceal any thing from me.  Noureddin accordingly gave him an account of every circumstance of the quarrel; at which the vizier burst out into a fit of laughter, and said, This is one of the oddest things that I ever heard:  Is it possible, my son, that your quarrel should rise so high about an imaginary marriage?  I am sorry you fell out with your elder brother upon such a frivolous matter; but I find he is in the wrong to be angry at what you only spoke in jest, and I ought to thank Heaven for that difference which has procured me such a son-in-law.  But, said the old gentleman, it is late, and time for you to retire; go to your bride, my son; she expects you; to-morrow I will present you to the sultan, and hope he will receive you in such a manner as shall satisfy us both.  Noureddin took leave of his father-in-law, and went to his spouse’s apartment.  It is remarkable, continued Giafar, that Schemseddin happened also to marry at Cairo the very same day that this marriage was solemnized at Balsora; the particulars are as follow.  After Noureddin left Cairo, with an intention never to return, Schemseddin, who was gone a hunting with the sultan of Egypt, did not come back in a month; for the Sultan loved the game extremely, and continued the sport all that while.  Schemseddin, on his return, ran