254 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

 

reddin’s turban, which he examined narrowly on all sides, saying, ‘I
should take this to be a vizier’s turban, if it were not made after the
Bussorah fashion.’ But perceiving something to be sewn between the
stuff and the lining, he called for scissors, and having ripped it, he found
the paper which Noureddin Ali had given to his son upon his deathbed,
and which Bedreddin had sewn in his turban for security.

Schemseddin having opened the paper, knew his brother’s hand, and
found this superscription, ‘For my son, Bedreddin Hassan.’ Before he
could make any reflections upon it, his daughter delivered him the bag
that lay under the garments, which he likewise opened, and found it
full of sequins; for, notwithstanding all the liberality of Bedyreddin, it
was still kept full by the genie and peri. He read the following words
upon a note in the bag: ‘A thousand sequins, belonging to Isaac the
Jew.’ And these lines underneath, which the Jew had written—‘ De-
livered to my lord, Bedreddin Hassan, for the cargo of the first of those
ships that formerly belonged to the noble vizier his father, of blessed
memory, sold to me upon its arrival in this place.’ He had scarcely
read these words, when he groaned heavily, and fainted away.

The vizier Schemseddin being recovered from his fit, by the aid of
his daughter and the women she called to her assistance, ‘ Daughter,’
said he, ‘ your bridegroom is your cousin, the son of my beloved and
deceaséd brother. The thousand sequins in the bag reminds me of
a quarrel I had with him, and is without doubt the dowry he gives
you. Bismillah! Praise be to God for all things, and particularly
for this miraculous adventure, which demonstrates His almighty power !’
Then looking again upon his brother’s writing, he kissed it several times,
shedding tears.

He looked over the book, from beginning to end. In it he found
the date of his brother’s arrival at Bussorah, of his marriage, and
of the birth of his son; and when he compared them with the day
of his own marriage, and the birth of his daughter at Cairo, he
wondered at the exact coincidence which appeared in every circum-
stance.

The happy discovery put him into such a transport of joy that he
took the book, with the ticket of the bag, and showed them to the
sultan, who pardoned what was past; and was so much pleased
with the relation of this adventure that he caused it, with all its
circumstances, to be put in writing for the information of posterity.

Meanwhile, the vizier Schemseddin could not comprehend the
reason why his nephew did not appear ; he expected him every moment,
and was impatient to receive him to his arms. After he had waited
seven days in vain, he searched through all Cairo, but could procure no
intelligence of him, which threw him into great perplexity. ‘This
is the strangest occurrence,’ said he, ‘ that ever happened.’ In order to
certify it, he thought proper to draw up in writing, with his own hand,
an account of the story, as given by his daughter—how the hall and
bed-chamber were furnished, with the other circumstances. He like-