down himself to meet him, received him with all worship and
hospitality and entreated him with the utmost honour. Moreover,
he carried him [and his suite] into the palace and causing make
ready for them carpets and cushions, sat down upon a chair of
gold, with traverses of juniper- wood, set with pearls and
jewels. Then he bade bring sweetmeats and confections and
odoriferous flowers and commanded to slaughter four-and-twenty
head of sheep and the like of oxen and make ready geese and
fowls, stuffed and roasted, and pigeons and spread the tables;
nor was it long before the meats were set on in dishes of gold
and silver. So they ate till they had enough and when they had
eaten their fill, the tables were removed and the wine-service
set on and the cups and flagons ranged in order, whilst the
mamelukes and the fair slave- girls sat down, with girdles of
gold about their middles, inlaid with all manner pearls and
diamonds and emeralds and rubies and other jewels. Moreover, the
king bade fetch the musicians; so there presented themselves
before him a score of damsels, with lutes and psalteries and
rebecks, and smote upon instruments of music, on such wise that
they moved the assembly to delight.

Then said El Aziz to the King of Baghdad, "I would fain speak a
word to thee; but do thou not exclude from us those who are
present. If thou consent unto my wish, that which is ours shall
be thine and that which is incumbent on thee shall be incumbent
on us,[FN#121] and we will be to thee a mighty aid against all
enemies and opposites." Quoth Ins ben Cais, "Say what thou wilt,
O King, for indeed thou excellest in speech and attainest [the
mark] in that which them sayest" So El Aziz said to him," I
desire that thou give thy daughter Mariyeh in marriage to my son