and fending off his malice with war; wherefore the people's
contentment redoubled and their joy in that which God the Most
High had vouchsafed them of his elevation to the kingship over
them. So he upheld the ordinance of the realm and the affairs
thereof abode established upon the accepted customs.

Now the late king had left a wife and a daughter, and the people
would fain have married the latter to the new king, to the intent
that the kingship might not pass out of the old royal family. So
they proposed to him that he should take her to wife, and he
promised them this, but put them off from him,[FN#64] of his
respect for the covenant he had made with his former wife, to
wit, that he would take none other to wife than herself. Then he
betook himself to fasting by day and standing up by night [to
pray], giving alms galore and beseeching God (extolled be His
perfection and exalted be He!) to reunite him with his children
and his wife, the daughter of his father's brother.

When a year had elapsed, there came to the city a ship, wherein
were merchants and goods galore. Now it was of their usance, from
time immemorial, that, when there came a ship to the city, the
king sent unto it such of his servants as he trusted in, who took
charge of the goods, so they might be [first of all] shown to the
king, who bought such of them as befitted him and gave the
merchants leave to sell the rest. So he sent, as of wont, one who
should go up to the ship and seal up the goods and set over them
who should keep watch over them.

To return to the queen his wife. When the Magian fled with her,
he proffered himself to her and lavished unto her wealth galore,