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The Manners of Kings

men were in my company whose external appearance displayed the adornment of piety. A great man, who had conceived a very good opinion of these persons, had assigned them a fixed allowance; but, after one of them had done something unbecoming the profession of Dervishes, his opinion changed and they fell into disgrace. I desired in some way to save the allowance of my friends and intended to wait upon the great man, but the doorkeeper would not allow me [to enter] and was rude. I pardoned him, because it has been said: 'The door of an amir, vizier, or Sultân is not to be approached without an introduction. When a dog, or a doorkeeper, sees a stranger, the former takes hold of his skirt, the latter of his collar.'

When those, who could at any time approach the presence of the said great man, became aware of my case, they took me in with compliments and desired to assign me a high seat, but I humbly took a lower one and said: "Allow me, who am the smallest slave, to sit in the line of slaves."

He said: "Allah! Allah! What need is there for such words? If thou sittest on my head and eyes I shall be polite, for thou are polite!"

In short I took a seat, and we conversed on a variety of topics, til the affair of the error of my companions turned up, and I said: "What crimes has my lord seen, who was bountiful, to make the slave despicable in his sight? To God that magnanimity and bounty is surrendered, which beholds the crime but nevertheless bestows the bread."

The governor, being pleased with these words, ordered the support of my friends to be attended to as before, and the arrears to be made good. I expressed my gratitude, kissed the ground of obedience, apologised for my boldness, and said: