第64章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

I had sworn that I would give my daughter in marriage to none but him；so when he cameI married him to her. Now he is young and I am old；my hearing grows dull and my judgment fails；wherefore I pray our lord the Sultan to make him Vizier in my roomfor he is my brother's son and the husband of my daughterand he is apt for the Vizieratebeing a man of sense and judgment.'The Sultan looked at Noureddin and was pleased with himso granted the Vizier's request and appointed him to the Vizieratepresenting him with a splendid dress of honour and one of his choicest mules and allotting him stipends and allowances. Noureddin kissed the Sultan's hands and went homehe and his father-in-lawrejoicing greatly and saying'This is of the good fortune of the new-born Hassan.''Next day he presented himself before the King and repeated the following verses：

New favours attend thee each day of thy lifeAnd fortune to counter the craft of thy foes！

May thy days with God's favour be white to the endAnd black be their days with misfortune and woes！

The Sultan commanded him to sit in the Vizier's place；so he sat down and applied himself to the business of his officeexamining into the folks'affairs and giving judgment on their suitsafter the usage of Vizierswhilst the Sultan watched him and wondered at his wit and good sense and judgmentwherefore he loved him and took him into favour. When the Divan broke upNoureddin returned to his house and related what had passed to his father-in-lawwho rejoiced. Thence-forward Noureddin ceased not so to apply himself to the duties of the Vizieratethat he left not the Sultan day or night and the latter increased his stipends and allowances till he amassed great wealth and became the owner of shipsthat made trading voyages for his handas well as of slaves and servantsblack and whiteand laid out many estates and made irrigation-works and planted gardens. When his son Hassan was four years oldhis father-in-lawthe old Vizier，diedand he buried him with great pomp. Then he occupied himself with the education of his son and when he came to the age of sevenhe brought him a doctor of the lawto teach him in his own houseand charged him to give him a good education and teach him good manners. So the tutor taught the boy to read and all manner of useful knowledgeafter he had spent some years in committing the Koran to memory；and he grew in stature and beauty and symmetryeven as says the poet：

The moon in the heaven of his grace shines full and fair to see，And the sun of the morning glows in his cheeks'anemones.

He's such a compend of beautiesmeseemsindeedfrom him The world all beauty borrows that lives in lands and seas.

The professor brought him up in his father's palaceand all his years of youth he never left the housetill one day his father clad him in his richest clothesand mounting him on one of the best of his mulescarried him to the Sultanwho was struck with his beauty and loved him. As for the people of the citywhen he passed through the streets on his way to the palacethey were dazzled with his loveliness and sat down in the roadawaiting his returnthat they might gaze their fill on his beauty and grace and symmetry. The Sultan made much of the boy and bade his father bring him with himwhenever his affairs called him to the palace. Noureddin replied'I hear and obey，'and ceased not to carry him to the Sultan's courttill he reached the age of fifteenwhen his father sickened and calling his sonsaid to him'KnowO my sonthat this world is but a temporary abode，whilst the next is an eternal one. Before I dieI wish to give thee certain last injunctionsso pay heed to my words and set thy mind to understand them.'Then he gave him certain advice as to the proper way of dealing with folk and the conduct of his affairs；after which he called to mind his brother and his native land and wept for his separation from those he loved. Then he wiped away his tears and turning to his sonsaid to him'Before I proceed to my parting exhortationsthou must know that thou hast an uncle who is Vizier in Cairoand I left him and went away without his consent.'Then he took a sheet of paper and wrote therein all that had happened to him from the day of the disputetogether with the dates of his marriage and going in to the Vizier's daughter and the birth of his son；after which he folded and sealed the paper and gave it to his sonsaying'keep this paper carefullyfor in it is written thy rank and lineage and originand if any mishap befall theego to Cairo and ask for thine uncle and give him this and tell him that I died in a foreign landfull of longing for him.'So Bedreddin took the paper and wrapping it in a piece of waxed clothsewed it into the lining of his skull-cap and wound the muslin of his turban over itweeping the while at the thought of losing his father，whilst himself but a boy. Then said Noureddin'I have five behests to lay on thee： and the first is that thou be not too familiar with any oneneither frequent him nor foregather with him over-much；so shalt thou be safe from his mischieffor in retirement is safetyand I have heard it said by a poet：

There is no man in all the worldwhose love is worth thy trust，No friend whoif fate play thee falsewill true and constant be.

Wherefore I'd have thee live apart and lean for help on none. In this I give thee good advice；so let it profit thee.

SecondlyO my sonoppress no onelest Fortune oppress thee；for the fortune of this world is one day for thee and another against theeand its goods are but a loan to be repaid. As I have heard a poet say：

Be slow to move and hasten not to snatch thy heart's desire；Be merciful to allas thou on mercy reckonest；For no hand is there but the hand of God is over itAnd no oppressor but shall be with worse than he oppress.