wrath[FN#165] and [danger of] punishment till thou turnedst me
back from this into the right way, extolled be the perfection of
the Causer of causes and the Liberator of necks! Indeed, O
Shehrzad," continued he, "thou hast awakened me unto many things
and hast aroused me from mine ignorance."

Then said she to him, "O chief of the kings, the wise say, 'The
kingship is a building, whereof the troops are the foundation,'
and whenas the foundation is strong, the building endureth;
wherefore it behoveth the king to strengthen the foundation, for
that they say, 'Whenas the foundation is weak, the building
falleth.' On like wise it behoveth the king to care for his
troops and do justice among his subjects, even as the owner of
the garden careth for his trees and cutteth away the weeds that
have no profit in them; and so it behoveth the king to look into
the affairs of his subjects and fend off oppression from them. As
for thee, O king," continued Shehrzad, "it behoveth thee that thy
vizier be virtuous and versed in the knowledge of the affairs of
the folk and the common people; and indeed God the Most High hath
named his name[FN#166] in the history of Moses (on whom be
peace!) whenas He saith, [Quoth Moses] 'And make me a vizier of
my people, Aaron [my brother].[FN#167] Could a vizier have been
dispensed withal, Moses ben Imran had been worthier [than any of
this dispensation].[FN#168]

As for the vizier, the sultan discovereth unto him his affairs,
private and public; and know, O king, that the similitude of thee
with the people is that of the physician with the sick man; and
the condition[FN#169] of the vizier is that he be truthful in his
sayings, trustworthy in all his relations, abounding in