the presence said to him, "O Wazir, advise me how to act in the
affair of this Youth and what measures should be taken." The
Minister bowed his brow groundwards in thought for a while, then
raising it he addressed the Sultan and said, "O King of the Age,
this be a thing beyond experience, and the doer must be master of
a might we comprehend not and haply he may work thee in the
future some injury and we fear from him for thy daughter.
Wherefore the right way is that thou issue a royal autograph and
bid the Crier go round about the city and cry saying, 'Let him
who hath wrought this work appear before the King under promise
of safety and again safety--safety on the word of a Sultan which
shall never be falsed.' Should the Youth then surrender himself,
O King of the Age, marry him to thy daughter when perhaps his
mind may be reconciled to thee by love of her. He hath already
cast eyes upon her and he hath seen the inmates of thy Harem
unrobed, so that naught can save their honour but his being
united with the Princess." Hereupon the Sultan indited an
autographic rescript and placed it in the Crier's hands even as
the Wazir had counselled: and the man went about the streets
proclaiming, "By Command of the just King! whoso hath done this
deed let him discover himself and come to the Palace under
promise of safety and again safety, the safety of
sovereigns--safety on the word of a Sultan which shall never be
falsed." And the Crier ceased not crying till in fine he reached
the square fronting the great Mosque. The Youth who was standing
there heard the proclamation and returning to his Shaykh said, "O
my lord, the Crier hath a rescript from the Sultan and he crieth
saying, 'Whoso hath done this deed let him discover himself and
come to the Palace under promise of safety and again
safety--safety on the word of a Sultan which shall never be