Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/34

16 his rule, proclaiming peace and security and doing after the fashion of kings; and he was unique among the people of his day for glory and valour and just dealing among the folk.

One day, the old king fell sick and his heart forebode him of translation to the mansion of eternity. His sickness increased on him till he was nigh upon death, when he called his son and commended his mother and subjects to his care and caused all the amirs and grandees once more swear allegiance to the prince and assured himself of them by oaths; after which he lingered a few days and was admitted to the mercy of God the Most High. His son and widow and all the grandees and amirs and viziers mourned over him, and they built him a tomb and buried him therein.

They ceased not to mourn for him a whole month, till Salih and his mother and cousins arrived and condoled with them for the king and said, ‘O Julnar, though the king is dead, yet hath he left this noble and peerless youth, the fierce lion and the shining moon; and whoso leaveth the like of him is not dead.’ Moreover, the grandees and notables of the empire went in to Bedr and said to him, ‘O king, there is no harm in mourning for the king: but [continuance of] mourning beseemeth none save women; wherefore occupy thou not thy heart and ours with mourning for thy father; for he hath left thee behind him, and whoso leaveth the like of thee is not dead.’ Then they comforted him and diverted him and carried him to the bath. When he came out thence, he donned a rich robe, wroughten with gold and embroidered with jewels and jacinths, and setting the royal crown on his head, sat down on his throne of kingship and ordered the affairs of the folk, doing equal justice between the weak and the strong and exacting from the amir the poor man’s due; wherefore the people loved him