Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/366

336 like thereof in this world, after the fashion aforesaid. Now under his hand were a hundred thousand kings, each ruling over a hundred thousand captains, commanding each a hundred thousand warriors; so he called these all before him and said to them, ‘I find in old books and histories a description of Paradise, as it is to be in the next world, and I desire to build its like in this world. Go ye forth therefore to the goodliest and most spacious tract in the world and build me there a city of gold and silver, whose gravel shall be rubies and chrysolites and pearls and the columns of its vaults beryl. Fill it with palaces, whereon ye shall set galleries and balconies, and plant its lanes and thoroughfares with all manner of trees bearing ripe fruits and make rivers to run through it in channels of gold and silver.’ ‘How can we avail to do this thing,’ answered they, ‘and whence shall we get the chrysolites and rubies and pearls whereof thou speakest?’ Quoth he, ‘Know ye not that all the kings of the word are under my hand and that none that is therein dare gainsay my commandment?’ ‘Yes,’ answered they; ‘we know that.’ ‘Get ye then,’ rejoined he, ‘to the mines of chrysolites and rubies and gold and silver and to the pearl-fisheries and gather together all that is in the world of jewels and metals of price and leave nought; and take also for me such of these things as be in men’s hands and let nothing escape you: be diligent and beware of disobedience.’

Then he wrote letters to all the [chief] kings of the world (now the number of kings then reigning [in chief] over the earth was three hundred and threescore kings)