the Princess ‘Giauhara Be 21

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’ thing against the security and tranquillity of his subjects, by showing,
himself-on his frontiers.

It required no less than a whole year for this young king to carry
out his plans. Soon after his return, the old king his father fell so
dangerously ill that he knew at once he should never recover. He
waited for his last moment with great tranquillity, and his only care
was to recommend the ministers and other lords of his son’s court to
remain faithful to him: and there was not one but willingly renewed
his oath as freely as at first. He died, at length, to’ the great grief
of King Beder and Queen Gulnare, who caused his corpse to’ be’
borne to a stately mausoleum, worthy of his rank and dignity.

The funeral ended, King Beder found no difficulty in complying
with that ancient custom in Persia to mourn for the dead a. whole
month, and not to be seen by anybody during all that time. He
would have mourned the death..of his father his whole life, had it
been right for a great prince thus to abandon himself to grief.
During this interval the queen, mother to Queen Gulnare, and
King Saleh, together with the princesses their relations, arrived at
the Persian court, and shared their affliction, before they offered
any consolation. :

When the month was expired, the king could not refuse
admittance to the grand vizier and the other lords of his court,
who besought him to lay» aside his mourning, to show himself
to his subjects, and take upon him the administration of affairs
as before.

He showed such great reluctance at their request, that the
grand vizier was forced to take upon himself to say to him; ‘Sir,

neither our tears nor yours. are capable of restoring life to the
good king your father, though we should. lament him all our days.
He has undergone the common law of all men, which subjects
them to pay the indispensable tribute of death. Yet we cannot
say absolutely that he is dead, since we see him in your sacred