he, “I am King Bakhtzaman.”  When they heard this and knew that it was indeed he, they dismounted from their horses and kissed his stirrup, to do him honour, and said to him, “O king, why thus risk thy life?” Quoth he, “Indeed, my life is a light matter to me and I set my trust in Almighty Allah, looking to Him for protection.”  And quoth they, “May that suffice thee!” presently adding, “We will do with thee that which is in our power and whereof thou art worthy:  hearten thy heart, for we will succour thee with our substance and our existence, and we are his chief officers and the most in favour with him of all folk.  So we will take thee with us and cause the lieges follow after thee, because the inclination of the people, all of them, is theewards.”  Said he, “Do whatso Allah Almighty enableth you to do.”  So they carried him into the city and hid him with them.  Then they agreed with a company of the king’s chief officers, who had aforetime been those of Bakhtzaman, and acquainted them with this; whereat they rejoiced with joy exceeding.  Then they assembled together to Bakhtzaman, and made a covenant and handfast of fealty with him and fell upon the foe and slew him and seated King Bakhtzaman again on the throne of his kingship.  And his affairs prospered and Allah amended his estate and restored to him His bounty, and he ruled his subjects justly and abode in the obedience of the Almighty.  “On this wise, O king” (continued the young treasurer), “he with whom Allah is and whose intent is pure, meeteth naught save good.  As for me, I have no helper other than the Almighty, and I am content to submit myself to His ordinance, for that He knoweth the purity of my intent.”  With this the king’s wrath subsided and he said, “Return him to the prison till the morrow, so we may look into his case.”

The Seventh Day.

Of Clemency.

When it was the seventh day, the seventh Wazir, whose name was Bihkamal,[FN#205] came in to the king and prostrating himself to him, said, “O king, what doth thy long-suffering with this youth profit thee?  Indeed the folk talk of thee and of him.  Why, then, dost thou postpone the putting him to death?” The Minister’s words aroused the anger of the king, and he bade bring the youth.  So they fetched him before him in fetters and Azadbakht said to him, “Ho, woe to thee!  By Allah, after this day there abideth no deliverance for thee from my hand, by reason that thou hast outraged mine honour, and there can be no forgiveness for thee” The youth replied, “O king, there is no great forgiveness save in case of a great default, for according as the offence is great in so much magnified is mercy; and it is no grace to the like of thee if he spare the like of me.  Verily, Allah knoweth that there is no crime in me, and indeed He commandeth to clemency, and no clemency is greater than that which spareth from slaughter, for that thy pardon of him whom thou purposest to put to death is as the quickening of a dead man; and whoso doth evil shall find it before him, even as it was with King Bihkard.”  Asked the king, “And what is the story of King Bihkard?” And the youth answered, “Hear, O king,