The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2
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Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2
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'Oh soul of me, an thou accept my rede, * Thou shalt be wealthy
and of grace entire:
Cast off ambitious hopes and vain desires, * How many a death was
done by vain desire!'
Among the sayings of Sufyan al-Thauri, with which he admonished
Ali bin al-Hasan al-Salami was, 'Be thou a man of truth and 'ware
lies and treachery and hypocrisy and pride. Be not indebted save
to Him who is merciful to His debtors; and let thine associate be
one who shall dissociate thee from the world. Be ever mindful of
death and be constant in craving pardon of Allah and in
beseeching of Allah peace for what remaineth of thy life.
Counsel every True Believer, when he asketh thee concerning the
things of his faith; and beware of betraying a Believer, for
whoso betrayeth a Believer, betrayeth Allah and His Apostle.
Avoid dissensions and litigation; and leave that which causeth
doubt in thee for things which breed no doubt:[FN#372] so shalt
thou be at peace. Enjoin beneficence and forbid malevolence: so
shalt thou be loved of Allah. Adorn thine inner man and Allah
shall adorn thine outer man. Accept the excuse of him who
excuseth self to thee and hate not any one of the Moslems. Draw
near unto those who withdraw from thee and excuse those that
misuse thee: so shalt thou be the friend of the Prophets. Let
thine affairs, both public and private, be in Allah's charge, and
fear Him with the fear of one who knoweth he is dead and who
fareth towards Resurrection and Judgement stead between the hands
of the Lord of Dread; and remember that to one of two houses thou
art sped, either for Heavens eterne or to the Hell fires that
burn.' Thereupon the old woman sat down beside the damsels. Now
when thy father, who hath found mercy, heard their discourse, he
knew that they were the most accomplished of the people of their
time; and, seeing their beauty and loveliness and the extent of
their wisdom and lore, he showed them all favour. Moreover, he
turned to the ancient dame and treated her with honour, and set
apart for her and her damsels the palace which had lodged
Princess Abrizah, daughter of the King of Greece, to which he
bade carry all the luxuries they needed. They abode with him ten
days and the old woman abode with them; and, whenever the King
visited them, he found her absorbed in prayer, watching by night
and fasting by day; whereby love of her took hold upon his heart
and he said to me, 'O Wazir, verily this old woman is of the
pious, and awe of her is strong in my heart.' Now on the eleventh
day, the King visited her, that he might pay her the price of the
damsels; but she said to him, 'O King, know that the price of
these maidens surpasseth the competence of men; indeed I seek not
for them either gold or silver or jewels, be it little or much.'
Now when thy father heard these words he wondered and asked her,
'O my lady and what is their price?'; whereto she answered, 'I
will not sill them to thee save on condition that thou fast,
watching by night a whole month, and abstaining by day, all for
the love of Allah Almighty; and, if thou do this, they are thy
property to use in thy palace as thou please.' So the King
wondered at the perfection of her rectitude and piety and
abnegation; she was magnified in his eyes and he said, 'Allah
make this pious woman to profit us!' Then he agreed with her to
fast for a month as she had stipulated, and she said to him, 'I
will help thee with the prayers I pray for thee and now bring me
a gugglet of water.' They brought one and she took it and recited
over it and muttered spells, and sat for an hour speaking in
speech no one understood or knew aught thereof. Lastly she
covered it with a cloth and, sealing it with her signet ring,
gave it to thy sire, saying, 'When thou hast fasted the first ten
days, break thy fast on the eleventh night with what is in this
gugglet, for it will root out the love of the world from thy
heart and fill it with light and faith. As for me, tomorrow I
will go forth to my brethren, the Invisible[FN#373] Controuls,
for I yearn after them, and I will return to thee when the first
ten days are past. Thy father took the gugglet and arose and set
it apart in a closet of his palace, then locked the door and put
the key in his pocket. Next day the King fasted and the old
woman went her ways."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan thus continued to Zau al-Makan, "Now when came the day for
the Sultan's fast, the old woman went her ways. And after he had
accomplished the ten days thereof, on the eleventh he opened the
gugglet and drank what was therein and found it cordial to his
stomach. Within the second ten days of the month the old woman
returned, bringing sweetmeats wrapped in a green leaf, like no
leaf of known tree. She went in to thy sire and saluted him;
and, when he saw her, he rose to her saying, 'Welcome, O pious
lady!' 'O King,' quoth she, 'the Invisible Controuls salute thee,
for I told them of thee, and they rejoiced in thee and have sent
thee their Halwa,[FN#374] which is of the sweetmeats of the other
world. Do thou break thy fast on it at the end of the day.' The
King rejoiced at this with great joy, and exclaimed, 'Praised be
Allah, who hath given me brethren of the Invisible World!'
Thereupon he thanked the ancient dame and kissed her hands; and
he honoured her and the damsels with exceeding honour. She went
forth for the twenty days of thy father's fast at the end of
which time she came to him and said, 'Know, O King, that I told
the Invisible Controuls of the love which is between me and thee,
and informed them how I had left the maidens with thee, and they
were glad that the damsels should belong to a King like thee; for
they were wont, when they saw them, to be strenuous in offering
on their behalf prayers and petitions ever granted. So I would
fain carry them to the Invisible Controuls that they may benefit
by the breath of their favour, and peradventure, they shall not
return to thee without some treasure of the treasures of the
earth, that thou, after completing thy fast, mayst occupy thyself
with their raiment and help thyself by the money they shall bring
thee, to the extent of thy desires.' When thy sire heard her
words, he thanked her for them and said, 'Except that I fear to
cross thee, I would not accept the treasure or aught else; but
when wilt thou set out with them?' Replied she, 'On the seven and
twentieth night; and I will bring them back to thee at the head
of the month, by which time thou wilt have accomplished thy fast
and they will have had their courses and be free from impurity;
and they shall become thine and be at thy disposal. By Allah,
each damsel of them is worth many times thy kingdom!' He said, 'I
know it, O pious lady!' Then quoth the old woman, 'There is no
help but that thou send with them someone in thy palace who is
dear to thee, that she may find solace and seek a blessing of the
Invisible Controuls.' Quoth he, 'I have a Greek slave called
Sophia, by whom I have been blessed with two children, a girl and
a boy; but they were lost; years ago. Take her with thee that
she may get the blessing'"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan continued to Zau al-Makan, "Quoth thy sire to the ancient
woman when she demanded the handmaids of him, 'I have a Greek
slave called Sophia, by whom I have been blest with two children,
a girl and a boy, but they were lost years ago; so take her with
thee, haply she may get the benediction and, belike, the
Invisible Controuls will sue Allah for her that her two children
may be restored to her.' 'Thou hast said well,' replied she; 'for
that indeed was her grievousest want.' Thy sire gave not over
finishing his fast till the old woman said to him, 'O my son, I
am going to the Invisible Controuls; so bring me Sophia.'
Accordingly, he summoned her and she came forthright, and he
delivered her to the old woman who mixed her up with the other
damsels. Then she went in to her chamber and bringing out a
sealed cup, presented it to the Sultan saying, 'On the thirtieth
day, do thou repair to the Hammam and when thou comest out, enter
one of the closets in thy palace and drink what is in this cup.
Then sleep, and thou shalt attain what thou seekest, and peace be
with thee'! Thereat the King was glad and thanked her and kissed
her hands. Quoth she, 'I commend thee to Allah's care;' whereat
quoth he, 'And when shall I see thee again, O pious lady? In
very sooth I love not to part with thee.' Then she called down
blessings on him and departed with the five damsels and the
Queen; whilst the King fasted after her departure other three
days, till the month ended, when he arose and went to the Hammam
and coming out shut himself up in a closet of his palace,
commanding that none should go in to him. There, after making
fast the door, he drank what was in the cup and lay down to
sleep; and we sat awaiting him till the end of the day, but he
did not come out and we said, 'Perchance he is tired with the
bath and with watching by night and fasting by day; wherefore he
sleepeth.' So we waited till next day; but still he did not come
forth. Then we stood at the closet door and cried aloud so haply
he might awake and ask what was the matter. But nothing came of
that; so at last we lifted up the door;[FN#375] and, going in,
found him dead, with his flesh torn into strips and bits and his
bones broken.[FN#376] When we saw him in this condition it was
grievous to us, and we took up the cup and found within its cover
a piece of paper whereon was inscribed, 'Whoso doeth evil leaveth
no regrets, and this be the reward of him who playeth traitor
with the daughters of Kings and who debaucheth them; and we make
known to all who fall upon this scroll that Sharrkan, when he
came to our country, seduced our Queen Abrizah; nor did that
suffice him but he must needs take her from us and bring her to
you. Then he[FN#377] sent her away in company of a black slave
who slew her, and we found her lying dead on the desert sward and
thrown out to wild beasts. This be no kingly deed, and he who
did this is requited with naught but what he merited. So do ye
suspect none of having killed him, for no one slew him but the
cunning witch, whose name is Zat al-Dawahi. And behold, I have
taken the King's wife, Sophia, and have carried her to her
father, Afridun King of Constantinople. Moreover, there is no
help for it but that we wage war upon you and kill you and take
your country from you, and ye shall be cut off even to the last
man, nor shall a living soul be spared by Death nor one who
bloweth fire with his breath, save he who Cross and Belt[FN#378]
worshippeth.' When we read this paper, we knew that the ancient
woman had beguiled us and carried out her plot against us:
whereupon we cried aloud and buffeted our faces and wept sore
when weeping availed us naught. And the troops fell out as to
whom they should make Sultan; some would have thee, and others
would have thy brother Sharrkan; and we ceased not to dispute
about this for the space of a month, at the end of which certain
of us drew together and agreed to repair to thy brother Sharrkan:
so we set out and journeyed on till we fell in with thee. And
such is the manner of the death of Sultan Omar bin al-Nu'uman!"
Now when the Wazir Dandan had made an end of his story, Zau al-
Makan and his sister, Nuzhat al-Zaman wept; and the Chamberlain,
who wept also, said to Zau al-Makan, "O King, weeping will avail
thee naught; nor shall aught profit thee but that thou harden thy
heart and strengthen thy stress and establish thy sovranty; for
verily whoso leaveth the like of thee is not dead." Thereupon Zau
al-Makan gave over his weeping and caused his throne to be set up
without the pavilion, and then commanded the army to pass in
review order before him. And the Chamberlain sat by his side and
all the armour-bearers[FN#379] behind him, whilst the Wazir
Dandan and the rest of the Emirs and Grandees stood each in his
individual stead. Then quoth King Zau al-Makan to the Minister
Dandan, "Inform me concerning my sire's treasures;" and he
replied, "I hear and I obey;" and gave him to know of the late
King's hoards and monies, and what was in the treasury of amassed
wealth and jewels, and acquainted him with other precious things.
So Zau al-Makan opened his hand to the army, and gave a sumptuous
robe of honour to the Wazir Dandan, saying, "Thou continues" in
office. Whereupon Dandan kissed the ground before him and wished
him long life. Then he bestowed dresses on the Emirs, after
which he said to the Chamberlain, "Bring out before me the
tribute of Damascus that is with thee." So he was shown the
chests of money and rarities and jewels, when he took them and
parted them all amongst the troops,--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zau al-
Makan ordered the Chamberlain to bring out before him what he had
brought of the tribute of Damascus; and, when he was shown the
chests of money and rarities and jewels, he took them and parted
them all amongst the troops, till nothing was left. And the
Emirs kissed the ground before him and wished him long life,
saying, "Never saw we a King, who gave the like of these gifts."
Then all went away to their tents and when it was morning he gave
orders for marching. So they marched for three days, till, on
the fourth day, they drew near to Baghdad. When they entered the
city, they found it decorated, and Zau al-Makan, the Sultan, went
up to his father's palace and sat down on the throne, whilst the
Emirs of the army and the Wazir Dandan and the Chamberlain of
Damascus stood between his hands. Then he bade his private
secretary write a writ to his brother Sharrkan, acquainting him
with all that had passed, from first to last, and he concluded,
"As soon as thou hast read this letter, make ready thine affair
and join us with thine army, that we may turn to Holy War upon
the Infidels and take man bote for our father and wipe out the
stain upon our honour." Then he folded the letter and sealed it
with his seal ring and said to the Minister Dandan, "None shall
carry this letter but thou; and it behoveth thee speak my brother
fair and say to him, 'If thou have a mind to thy father's
kingdom, it is thine, and thy brother shall be Viceroy for thee
in Damascus; for to this effect am I instructed by him.'" So the
Wazir went down from before him and made ready for his march.
Then Zau al-Makan bade set apart a magnificent house for the
Fireman and furnished it with the best of furniture and long is
the tale of that Fireman.[FN#380] Presently Zau al-Makan went
out chasing and hunting and, as he was returning to Baghdad, one
of the Emirs presented him with blood horses and with beauteous
handmaids whose description the tongue evades. One of the
damsels pleased him: so he went in unto her and knew her that
night, and she conceived by him forthright. After a while, the
Wazir Dandan returned from his journey, bringing him news of his
brother Sharrkan and that he was then on his way to him, and
said, "It were fitting thou go forth to meet him." Zau al- Makan
replied, "I hear and I consent;" and riding forth with his
Grandees a day's journey from Baghdad, he pitched his pavilions
there awaiting his brother. Next morning appeared King Sharrkan
amid the army of Syria, a horseman of might, a lion fierce in
fight, a prow and doughty knight. As the squadrons drew nigh and
the dust clouds came hard by and the troops rode up with banners
on high, Zau al-Makan and those with him pushed forward to meet
Sharrkan and his men; and when Zau al-Makan saw his brother, he
desired to dismount, but Sharrkan conjured him not to do on this
wise, and himself footed it, and walked a few paces towards
him.[FN#381] As soon as he reached Zau al-Makan, the new Sultan
threw himself upon him, and Sharrkan embraced him and wept with
great weeping and the twain condoled with each other. Then they
mounted and rode onward, they and their troops, till they reached
Baghdad, where they alighted and went up to the royal palace and
there they passed that night, and when next morning came, Zau al-
Makan went forth and bade summon the troops from all parts, and
proclaimed a Holy War and a Razzia.[FN#382] They then awaited the
coming of the levies from each quarter of the kingdom, and every
one who came they entreated with honour and promised him all
manner of good; till in so doing a full month had sped, and the
fighting men flocked to them in a continuous body. Then Sharrkan
said to Zau al-Makan, "O my brother, tell me thy history." So he
told him all that had befallen him from first to last, including
the benevolent dealing of the Fireman with him. Asked Sharrkan,
'Hast thou requited his kindness?"; and he answered, "O my
brother! I have not rewarded him as yet, but Inshallah! I will
recompense him whenas I return from this raid"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sharrkan
asked his brother Zau al-Makan, "Hast thou requited the Fireman
for his kindness?"; and he answered, "O my brother, I have not
rewarded him as yet, but Inshallah! I will recompense him whenas
I return from this raid and find time so to do." Therewith
Sharrkan was certified that his sister, Nuzhat al-Zaman, had told
him the whole truth; but he concealed what had passed between
them and offered his salutation to her by her husband the
Chamberlain. She sent him back her greeting, calling down
blessings on him and enquiring after her daughter Kuzia-Fakan, to
which he replied that the maiden was well and in the best of
health and safety. Where upon she praised Almighty Allah and
gave him thanks. Then Sharrkan went to his brother to take
counsel with him for departure; and Zau al-Makan said, "O my
brother, as soon as the army is complete and the Arabs have come
in from all parts, we will march forth." So he bade make ready
the commissariat and prepare munitions of war and went in to his
wife, who was now five months gone with child; and he put under
her astrologers and mathematicians, to whom he appointed stipends
and allowances. Then he set out three months after the arrival
of the army of Syria, and as soon as the Arabs were come in and
the troops were assembled from all directions; and, as he fared
forth, he was followed by the warriors and the united host. Now
the name of the General of the Daylam army was Rustam and that of
the General of the army of the Turks[FN#383] Bahram. And Zau al-
Makan marched in mid host and on his right was his brother
Sharrkan, and on his left the Chamberlain his brother-in-law. So
the squadrons broke up and pushed forward and the battalions and
companies filed past in battle array, till the whole army was in
motion. They ceased not to fare on for the space of a month, and
each body dismounted at its own ground and there rested every
week three days (for the host was great); and they advanced in
this order till they came to the country of the Greeks. Then the
people of the villages and hamlets and the poorer sort took
fright at them and fled to Constantinople. But when King Afridun
heard the tidings he arose and betook himself to Zat al-Dawahi,
the same who had contrived the stratagem, and had travelled to
Baghdad and had slain King Omar bin Al-Nu'uman; and who after
carrying off her slaves and Queen Sophia, had returned with them
all to her native land. Now when she had been restored to her
son, the King of Greece, and felt herself safe, she said to King
Hardub, "Cool thine eyes; for I have avenged by blood the shame
of thy daughter Abrizah, and have killed Omar bin al-Nu'uman and
have brought back Sophia. So now let us go to the King of
Constantinople and carry to him his daughter and acquaint him
with what hath happened, that all of us be on guard and prepare
our forces; and I will fare with thee to King Afridun, Lord of
Constantinople, for I opine that the Moslems will not await our
attack." Said Hardub, "Tarry thou till they draw near our
country, that we may make us ready meantime and assemble our
power." Accordingly they took to levying their forces and
preparing for war, and, when the news of the Moslems' advance
reached them, they were prepared for defence; and Zat al Dawahi
had preceded them. Now when she and her son arrived at
Constantinople, the King of Kings, Afridun, hearing of the
approach of Hardub, King of the Greeks, came forth to meet him
and asked how it was with him and the cause of his visit. So
Hardub acquainted him with the cunning doings of his mother, Zat
al-Dawahi, how she had slain the Moslem King and recovered from
him Queen Sophia, and had said, "The Moslems have assembled their
forces and are on their way to attack us, wherefore it behoveth
that we two join hands in single band and meet them." Now King
Afridun rejoiced in the return of his daughter and the killing of
King Omar bin al-Nu'uman; and he sent to all countries seeking
succour and acquainting the folk with the cause of slaying the
Moslem King. So the Nazarene troops flocked to him and three
months were not past ere the army of the Greeks was complete,
besides which there joined themselves to him Franks from all
their lands, French, Germans[FN#384] and Ragusans,[FN#385] with
men of Zara,[FN#386] Venetians, Genoese, and all the hosts of the
Yellow Faces[FN#387]; and, when the gathering was at its full,
earth was straitened on them by reason of their multitude. Then
Afridun, the Great King, ordered a march; so they set out and
ceased not to defile through the city for ten days. They fared
on till they reached the Wady highs Al-Nu'uman, a broad sided
vale hard by the Salt Sea, where they halted three days; and on
the fourth they were about to set out again, when news came that
the army of Al-Islam on them press, and the defenders of the
faith of Mohammed, of Men the Best. So they halted in it other
three days, and on the eighth they espied a dust cloud which
towered till it walled the whole land; nor was an hour of the day
past ere that dust began to drift and was torn to shreds in the
lift, and pierced through its shades the starry radiance of lance
and the white levee of blades. Presently there appeared beneath
it the banners Islamitan and the ensigns Mahometan; the horsemen
urged forward, like the letting loose of seas that surged, clad
in mail, as they were mackerel-back clouds which the moon enveil;
whereupon the two hosts clashed, like two torrents on each other
dashed. Eyes fell upon eyes; and the first to seek combat
singular was the Wazir Dandan, he and the army of Syria,
numbering thirty thousand bridles, and with him were the General
of the Turks, and the General of Daylam, Rustam and Bahram, amid
twenty thousand horse, behind whom came the men from the shores
of the Salt Sea, clad in iron mail, as they were full moons that
past through a night o'ercast. Then the Nazarene host called out
on Jesus and Mary, and the defiled[FN#388] Cross and they heaped
themselves upon the Wazir Dandan and those with him of the Syrian
host. Now all this was in pursuance of a stratagem devised by
that ancient woman Zat al-Dawahi; for, before his departure, King
Afridun had gone in to her and asked her, "How shall I do and
what plan shall I pursue?; it is thou hast caused this great
distress to us;" and she had answered, "O great King and mighty
Cohen![FN#389] I will teach thee a trick would baffle Iblis
himself, though he summon to his assistance all his grisly
hosts."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, all this was a
stratagem of the ancient woman, for that the King before his
departure had gone to her and asked, "How shall I do and what
plan shall I pursue? it is thou hast caused this great distress
to us!" And she had answered, "O great King and mighty Cohen, I
will teach thee a trick would baffle the Devil himself though he
summon to his assistance all his grisly hosts. It is that thou
send fifty thousand men going down in ships, and sailing over the
sea to the Mountain of Smoke; and there let them land and stir
not till {he standards of Al-Islam come upon thee, when do thou
up and at them. Then bid the troops from the seaward sally out
upon the Moslems and take them in rear, whilst we confront them
from the landward. So not one of them shall escape, and our
sorrows shall tease and peace abide with us." Now the counsel of
this ancient woman commended itself to King Afridun, and he
replied, "Right is the recking thou reckest, O Princess of wits
and recourse of Kings and Cohens warring for their blood wit!" So
when the army of Al-Islam came upon them in chat valley, before
they knew of it the flames began to burn up the tents and the
swords in men's bodies to make rents. Then hurried up the army
of Baghdad and Khorasan who numbered one hundred and twenty
thousand horse, with Zau al-Makan in the front of war. When the
host of the Infidels that lay by the sea saw them, they sallied
out against them and followed in their tracks; and when Zau al-
Makan espied this he cried out to his men, "Turn back to the
Infidels, O People of the Chosen Apostle, and slay those who deny
and hate the authority of the Compassionating, the
Compassionate!" So they turned and fought with the Christians.
Then Sharrkan marched up with another corps of the Moslem host,
some hundred thousand men, whilst the Infidels numbered nigh upon
a thousand and six hundred thousand men. When the Moslems were
united, their hearts were strengthened and they cried out,
saying, "Verily Allah hath pro mised us victory, and to the
Infidels hath assigned defeat." And they clashed together with
sword and spear. Now Sharrkan tare through rank and row and
raged among the masses of the foe, fighting so fierce a fight as
to make children grey grow; nor did he cease tourneying among the
infidel horde and working havoc among them with the keen edged
sword, shouting "Allaho Akbar!" (Allah is Most Great) till he
drove back the host to the coast. Then failed the force of the
foe and Allah gave victory to the faith of Al-Islam, and folk
fought folk, drunken without strong drink till they slew of the
Infidels in this affair forty and five thousand, while of the
Moslems but three thousand and five hundred fell. Moreover, the
Lion of the Faith, King Sharrkan, and his brother, Zau al-Makan,
slept not that night, but occupied themselves with congratulating
their braves and with looking to the wounded and with assuring
the army of victory and salvation and promise of reward in the
world to come. Thus far concerning the Moslem; but as regards
King Afridun, Lord of Constantinople and Sovran of Roum, and Zat
Al-Dawahi, they assembled the Emirs of the host and said to them,
"Verily, we had worked our will and solaced our hearts, but our
over confidence in our numbers, and that only, defeated us." Then
quoth to them the ancient one, the Lady of Calamities, "In very
sooth nought shall profit you, except ye draw you nigh unto the
Messiah and put your trust in the True Belief, for, by the virtue
of the Messiah, the whole strength of the Moslem host lieth in
that Satan, King Sharrkan." "Tomorrow," said King Afridun, "I
have resolved to draw up in battle array and to send out against
them that redoubtable cavalier, Luka bin Shamlut; for if King
Sharrkan come forth as a champion to fight single handed, our man
will slay him and will slay the other Moslem Knights, till not
one is left. And I purpose this night to sacre you all with the
Holy Incense." When the Emirs heard these words they kissed the
ground before him. Now the incense which he designated was the
excrement of the Chief Patriarch, the denier, the defiler of the
Truth, and they sought for it with such instance, and they so
highly valued it that the high priests of the Greeks used to send
it to all the countries of the Christians in silken wraps after
mixing it with musk and ambergris. Hearing of it Kings would pay
a thousand gold pieces for every dram and they sent for and
sought it to fumigate brides withal; and the Chief Priests and
the great Kings were wont to use a little of it as collyrium for
the eyes and as a remedy in sickness and colic; and the
Patriarchs used to mix their own skite[FN#390] with it, for that
the skite of the Chief Patriarch could not suffice for ten
countries.[FN#391] So, as soon as dawn was seen and the morning
shone with its shine and sheen, the horsemen ran to their spears
full keen, and King Afridun,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
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