Persian Stories Illustrative of Eastern Manners and Customs

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: whether in anger or in pleasure, thou shouldst never deviate from what is just and right; and that in all things thou shouldst seek the repose of thy people, rather than thine own ease; no man can rest within thy dominions, while thou seekest nothing but thine own enjoyment." The King felt the full value of the Dervise's 'words, and hastened to alight from his horse, that he might pay him the greater reverence; but when he looked for him, he was gone; and no one could tell which way he went. So he ordered the words to be written down, and strictly followed them as the rule of his conduct, through a long and prosperous reign. RESIGNATION. A King once asked a learned man, on what the faithful might rely for divine aid under difficulties: and he told him chiefly upon two things; prayer and resignation. So the King resolved to act upon these rules, and to make these two duties familiar to his mind. RESIGNATION. 15 On a sudden, a powerful enemy arose against him, and advanced, with a strong and numerous army, to attack him in his capital; upon which, collecting as many troops as he could, he went forth to meet the invaders. When they were now within a short distance of each other, and it appeared that the event must depend upon the issue of a battle, the whole of that night, on the morrow of which they were to draw up in battle-array, was passed by the King in fervent prayer. One of his generals besought him to take a little repose, to prepare him for the labours of the following day. To whom the King replied, " I will this night serve God; and do the work that is appointed me; the business of tomorrow is in His hands; let Him do whatsoever He will, I have neither any concern in it, nor any power to choose." Then the general urged him to get his armour ready, and to ...