Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/349

319 ‘Are ye indeed agreed upon this?’ asked the King, and they answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘Peradventure,’ quoth he, ‘ye say this to my face, of respect for me; but, behind my back, ye will say otherwise.’ But they all answered, saying, ‘By Allah, our word, in public and in private, is one, varying not; and we accept him frankly and with all our hearts.’ ‘Since the case is thus,’ said the King, ‘bring the Cadi of the Holy Law and all the chamberlains and captains and officers of state before me to-morrow, and we will settle the affair on the goodliest wise.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they and withdrawing, notified all the doctors of the law and the chief Amirs.

So, on the morrow, they came up to the Divan and saluted the King, who said to them, ‘O Amirs of Baghdad, whom will ye have to be king over you after me, that I may invest him in my lifetime, in the presence of you all?’ Quoth they all, ‘We are agreed upon thy daughter’s husband, Hassan, son of the Vizier Ali.’ ‘If it be so,’ said the King, ‘go all of you and bring him before me.’ So they all arose and repairing to Hassan’s palace, said to him, ‘Come with us to the King.’ ‘Wherefore?’ asked he, and they answered, ‘For a thing that will advantage both us and thee.’ So he went in with them to the King and kissed the ground before the latter, who bade him be seated and said to him, ‘O Hassan, all the Amirs have approved of thee and agreed to make thee king over them after me; and it is my purpose to proclaim thee, whilst I yet live, and so make an end of the business.’ But Hassan arose and kissing the earth once more before the King, said to him, ‘O our lord the King, among the Amirs there be [many] who are older than I and greater of worth; hold me quit therefore of this thing.’ Quoth all the Amirs, ‘We consent not but that thou be king over us.’ Then said Hassan, ‘My father is older than I, and he and I are one thing; and it befits not to advance me