Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/361

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When I heard this, I scented the odour of mercy, knowing his disposition to clemency. Then he turned to his son El Abbas and his brother Abou Ishac and other his chief officers there present and said to them, “What deem ye of his case!” They all counselled him to slay me, but differed as to the manner of my death. Then said he to Ahmed ibn Ali Khalid, “And what sayst thou, O Ahmed?” “O Commander of the Faithful,” answered he, “if thou put him to death, we find thy like who hath slain the like of him; but, if thou pardon him, we find not the like of thee that hath pardoned the like of him.” At this Mamoun bowed his head and repeated the following verse:

And also these:

When I heard this, I uncovered my head and cried out, saying, “God is most great! By Allah, the Commander of the Faithful pardons me!” Quoth he, “No harm shall come to thee, O uncle.” And I, “O Commander of the