forgive thee!"; for his heart yearned to him; and the youth
kissed the hand of his sire who said, "O my son, were I sure that
thou wouldest deal justly by Anis al-Jalis, I would give her to
thee." "O my father, what justice am I to do to her?" "I enjoin
thee, O my son, not to take another wife or concubine to share
with her, nor sell her." "O my father! I swear to thee that
verily I will not do her injustice in either way." Having sworn
to that effect Nur al-Din went in to the damsel and abode with
her a whole year, whilst Allah Almighty caused the King to forget
the matter of the maiden; and Al-Mu'in, though the affair came to
his ears, dared not divulge it by reason of the high favour in
which his rival stood with the Sultan. At the end of the year
Al-Fazl went one day to the public baths; and, as he came out
whilst he was still sweating, the air struck him[FN#20] and he
caught a cold which turned to a fever; then he took to his bed.
His malady gained ground and restlessness was longsome upon him
and weakness bound him like a chain; so he called out, "Hither
with my son;" and when Nur al-Din Ali came he said to him, "O my
son, know that man's lot and means are distributed and decreed;
and the end of days by all must be dree'd; and that every soul
drain the cup of death is nature's need." The he repeated these
lines,

"I die my death, but He alone is great who dieth not! * And well
I wot, soon shall I die, for death was made my lot:
A King there's not that dies and holds his kingdom in his hand, *
For Sovranty the Kingdom is of Him who dieth not."

Then he continued, "O my son, I have no charge to leave thee save
that thou fear Allah and look to the issues of thine acts and