to her, "Art thou Miriam the Girdle-girl, daughter of the King of
France?" Answered she, "Yes, O Prince of True Believers and
Priest of those who the Unity of Allah receive and Defender of
the Faith and cousin of the Primate of the Apostles!" Then the
Caliph turned to Nur al-Din Ali and seeing him to be a shapely
youth, as he were the shining full moon on fourteenth night, said
to him, "And thou, art thou Ali Nur al-Din, son of the merchant
Taj al-Din of Cairo?" Said he, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful
and stay of those who for righteousness are care-full!" The
Caliph asked, "How cometh it that thou hast taken this damsel and
fled forth with her of her father's kingdom?" So Nur al-Din
proceeded to relate to the Commander of the Faithful all his
past, first and last; whereat the Caliph was astonied with
extreme astonishment and diverted and exclaimed, "How manifold
are the sufferings that men suffer!"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Caliph Harun al-Rashid asked Nur al-Din of his adventure and was
told of all that had passed, first and last, he was astonied with
extreme astonishment and exclaimed, "How manifold are the
sufferings that men suffer!" Then he turned to the Princess and
said to her, "Know, O Miriam, that thy father, the King of
France, hath written to me anent thee. What sayst thou?" She
replied, "O Vicar of Allah on His earth and Executor of the
precepts of His prophet and commands to man's unworth,[FN#20] may
He vouchsafe thee eternal prosperity and ward thee from evil and
enmity! Thou art Viceregent of Allah in His earth and I have