lest thou trust to every word spoken to thee by the Great; but
rather lend thou ever an ear unto the voice of the general; for
that thy Grandees will betray thee as they seek only whatso
suiteth them, not that which suiteth thy subjects." A few days
after this time the old Sultan's distemper increased and his
lifeterm was fulfilled and he died; whereupon his son, Zayn
al-Asnam, arose and donned mourning-dress for his father during
six days; and on the seventh he went forth to the Divan and took
seat upon the throne of his Sultanate. He also held a levee
wherein were assembled all the defenders of the realm, and the
Ministers and the Lords of the land came forward and condoled
with him for the loss of his parent and wished him all good
fortune and gave him joy of his kingship and dominion and prayed
for his endurance in honour and his permanence in prosperity.
--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy,
tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the
waking hours of this our night;" and quoth Shahrazad:--It hath
reached me, O King of the Age, that Zayn al-Asnam seeing himself
in this high honour and opulence[FN#13] and he young in years and
void of experience, straightway inclined unto lavish expenditure
and commerce with the younglings, who were like him and fell to
wasting immense wealth upon his pleasures; and neglected his
government, nor paid aught of regard to his subjects.[FN#14]
Thereupon the Queen-mother began to counsel him, and forbid him
from such ill courses, advising him to abandon his perverse