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The Manners of Kings

prince, having inherited abundant treasures from his father, opened the hand of liberality, and satisfied his impulse of generosity by lavishing without stint benefits upon the army and the population. A tray of lignum aloes will emit no odour; place it on fire, it will smell like ambergris. If thou wishest to be accounted great, be liberal, because grain will to grow unless it be sown.

One of his courtiers began heedlessly to admonish him, saying: "Former kings have by their exertions accumulated this wealth, and deposited it for a useful purpose. Cease this movement, because calamites may arise in front and enemies in the rear; it is not meet for thee to be helpless at a time of necessity. If thou distributest a treasure to the multitude, each householder will receive a grain of rice; why takes thou not from each a barley-corn of silver that thou mayest accumulate every day a treasure?"

The royal prince turned away his face at these words, and said: "God the Most High has made me the possessor of this country, to enjoy and bestow, not to guard and to retain. Qarûn, who possessed forty treasure houses, perished ; Nushirvân has not died, because he obtained a good reputation."