“Your majesty may remember, that about two or three years ago, you gave that vizier ten thousand pieces of gold, strictly charging him to buy you a slave with that sum.  The money, indeed, was laid out upon this very slave; but instead of bringing her to your majesty, thinking his son deserved her better, he made him a present of her.  Noor ad Deen, since his father’s death, having wasted his whole fortune in riot and feasting, has nothing left but this slave, whom he at last resolved to part with; and she was to be sold in his name, I sent for him; and, without mentioning any thing of his father’s prevarication, or rather treachery to your majesty, I in the civilest manner said to him, ‘Noor ad Deen, the merchants, I perceive, have put your slave up at four thousand pieces of gold; and I question not, but, in emulation of each other, they will raise the price considerably:  let me have her for the four thousand pieces; I am going to buy her for the king our lord and master; this will be a handsome opportunity of making your court to him:  and his favour will be worth far more than the merchants can propose to give you.’

“Instead of returning me a civil answer, the insolent wretch, beholding me with a fierce air, “Impotent villain,’ said he, ‘I would rather give my slave to a Jew for nothing than to thee for money.’ ‘Noor ad Deen,’ I replied, without passion, though I had some reason to be a little warm,’you do not consider, that by talking in this manner you affront the king, who raised both your father and me to the honours we have enjoyed.’

“This admonition, instead of softening him, only provoked him to a higher degree; so that, falling upon me like a madman, without regard to my age or rank, he pulled me off my horse, and put me into this miserable plight.  I beseech your majesty to consider, that it is on your account I have been so publicly affronted.”

The abused king, highly incensed against Noor ad Deen by this relation, so full of malice and artifice, discovered by his countenance the violence of his anger; and turning to the captain of his guards, who stood near him, “Take forty of your soldiers,” said he, “immediately plunder Noor ad Deen’s house, and having ordered it to be razed to the ground, bring him and his slave to the presence.”

Before the captain of the guards was gone out of the king’s presence, an officer belonging to the court, who overheard the order given, hastened out.  His name was Sangiar; and he had been formerly a slave of the vizier Khacan who had introduced him at court, where by degrees he had raised himself.

Sangiar, full of gratitude to his old master and affection for Noor ad Deen, whom he remembered a child, being no stranger to Saouy’s hatred of Khacan’s family, could not hear the order without concern.  “This action,” said he to himself, “may not be altogether so black as Saouy has represented it.  He has prejudiced the king against him, who will certainly put him to death, without allowing