Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/87

69 ‘O our king and our protector, if thou shouldst set over us one of thy slaves, we would hearken to thy word and obey him: how much more then with thy son Seif el Mulouk? Indeed, we accept of him and approve him, on our heads and eyes!’ So the king came down from his seat and seating his son on the great throne, took the crown from his own head and set it on that of Seif el Mulouk and girt his middle with the royal girdle. Then he sat down beside him on the throne of his kingship, whilst the amirs and viziers and notables and all the rest of the folk rose and kissed the earth before him, saying, ‘Indeed, he is worthy of the kingship and hath better right to it than another.’ Then the ushers made proclamation of safety and offered up prayers for his victory and prosperity. And Seif el Mulouk scattered gold and silver on the heads of the people and conferred dresses of honour and gave gifts and largesse.

Then, after a moment, the Vizier Faris arose and kissing the earth, said, ‘O amirs and grandees, ye know that I am vizier and that my vizierate dated from of old, before the accession of King Aasim ben Sefwan, who hath now divested himself of the sovereignty and made his son king in his stead?’ ‘Yes,’ answered they, ‘we know that thy vizierate is from father after grandfather.’ ‘And now,’ continued he, ‘I put off my office, in favour of this my son Saïd, for he is intelligent, quick-witted and sagacious. What say ye all?’ And they answered, saying, ‘None is worthy to be vizier to King Seif el Mulouk but thy son Saïd, and they befit one another.’ With this Faris arose and taking off his vizier’s turban, set it on his son’s head and laid his inkhorn of office before him, whilst the amirs and chamberlains said, ‘Indeed, he is deserving of the viziership.’ After this, King Aasim and Faris the vizier arose and opening the royal treasuries, conferred magnificent dresses of honour on all the viceroys and amirs