The History of Aboulhassen Ali Ebn Becar, and
     Schemselnihar, Favourite of Caliph Maroon Al Rusheed.

In the reign of the caliph Haroon al Rusheed, there lived at Bagdad a druggist, named Alboussan Ebn Thaher, a very rich handsome man.  He had more wit and politeness than people of his profession generally possess:  his integrity, sincerity, and good humour made him beloved and sought after by all sorts of people.  The caliph, who knew his merit, had entire confidence in him.  He held him in such high esteem, that he entrusted him to provide his favourite ladies with all the things they stood in need of.  He chose for them their clothes, furniture, and jewels, with admirable taste.

His good qualities, and the favour of the caliph, occasioned the sons of emirs, and other officers of the first rank, to be always about him:  his house was the rendezvous of all the nobility of the court Among the young lords that went daily to visit him, was one whom he took more notice of than the rest, and with whom he contrasted a particular friendship, called Aboulhassen Ali Ebn Becar, originally of an ancient royal family of Persia.  This family had continued at Bagdad ever since the conquest of that kingdom.  Nature seemed to have taken pleasure in endowing this young prince with the rarest qualities of body and mind:  his face was so very beautiful, his shape so fine, his air so easy, and his physiognomy so engaging, that it was impossible to see him without immediately loving him.  When he spoke, he expressed himself in terms proper and well chosen, with a new and agreeable turn, and his voice charmed all that heard him:  he had besides so much wit and judgment, that he thought and spoke of all subjects with admirable exactness.  He was so reserved and modest, that he advanced nothing till after he had taken all possible care to avoid giving any ground of suspicion that he preferred his own opinion to that of others.

Being such a person as I have represented him, we need not wonder that Ebn Thaher distinguished him from all the other young noblemen of the court, most of whom had the vices which composed the opposites to his virtues.  One day, when the prince was with Ebn Thaher, there came a lady mounted on a piebald mule, in the midst of ten female slaves who accompanied her on foot, all very handsome, as far as could be judged by their air, and through their veils which covered their faces.  The lady had a girdle of a rose colour, four inches broad, embroidered with pearls and diamonds of an extraordinary bigness; and for beauty it was easy to perceive that she surpassed all her women, as far as the full moon does that of two days old.  She came to buy something, and as she wanted to speak to Ebn Thaher, entered his shop, which was very neat and spacious; and he received her with all the marks of the most profound respect, entreating her to sit down, and directing her to the most honourable place.