after which he said to them， "I call you to witness that I free this my slave-girl and purpose to marry her." So the Cadis drew up the act of enfranchisement， and the Sultan scattered much gold on the heads of those present， which was picked up by the pages and eunuchs. Then they drew up the contract of marriage between Sherkan and Nuzhet ez Zeman， after which he bade write the merchant a perpetual patent， exempting him from tax and tithe upon his merchandise and forbidding all and several to do him let or hindrance in all his government， and bestowed on him a splendid dress of honour. Then all who were present retired， and there remained but the Cadis and the merchant； whereupon quoth Sherkan to the former， "I wish you to hear such discourse from this damsel as may prove her knowledge and accomplishment in all that this merchant avouches of her， that we may be certified of the truth of his pretensions." "Good，" answered they； and he commanded the curtains to be drawn before Nuzhet ez Zeman and her attendants， who began to wish her joy and kiss her hands and feet， for that she was become the Viceroy"s wife. Then they came round her and easing her of the weight of her clothes and ornaments， began to look upon her beauty and grace. Presently the wives of the Amirs and Viziers heard that King Sherkan had bought a damsel unmatched for beauty and accomplishments and versed in all branches of knowledge， at the price of three hundred and twenty thousand dinars， and that he had set her free and married her and summoned the four Cadis to examine her. So they asked leave of their husbands and repaired to the palace. When they came in to her， she rose and received them with courtesy，welcoming them and promising them all good. Moreover， she smiled in their faces and made them sit down in their proper stations，as if she had been brought up with them， so that their hearts were taken with her and they all wondered at her good sense and fine manners， as well as at her beauty and grace， and said to each other， "This damsel is none other than a queen， the daughter of a king." Then they sat down， magnifying her， and said to her，"O our lady， our city is illumined by thy presence， and our country and kingdom are honoured by thee. The kingdom indeed is thine and the palace is thy palace， and we all are thy handmaids；
so do not thou shut us out from thy favours and the sight of thy beauty." And she thanked them for this. All this while the curtains were drawn between Nuzhet ez Zeman and the women with her， on the one side， and King Sherkan and the Cadis and merchant seated by him， on the other. Presently， Sherkan called to her and said， "O queen， the glory of thine age， this merchant describes thee as being learned and accomplished and asserts that thou art skilled in all branches of knowledge， even to astrology： so let us hear something of all this and give us a taste of thy quality."
"O King，" replied she， "I hear and obey. The first subject of which I will treat is the art of government and the duties of kings and what behoves governors of lawful commandments and what is incumbent on them in respect of pleasing manners. Know then， O King， that all men"s works tend either to religion or to worldly life， for none attains to religion save through this world，because it is indeed the road to the next world. Now the world is ordered by the doings of its people， and the doings of men are divided into four categories， government （or the exercise of authority）， commerce， husbandry （or agriculture） and craftsmanship. To government are requisite perfect （knowledge of the science of） administration and just judgment； for government is the centre （or pivot） of the edifice of the world， which is the road to the future life since that God the Most High hath made the world to be to His servants even as victual to the traveller for the attainment of the goal： and it is needful that each man receive of it such measure as shall bring him to God，and that he follow not in this his own mind and desire. If the folk would take of the goods of the world with moderation and equity， there would be an end of contentions； but they take thereof with violence and iniquity and persist in following their own inclinations； and their licentiousness and evil behaviour in this give birth to strife and contention. So they have need of the Sultan， that he may do justice between them and order their affairs prudently， and if he restrain not the folk from one another， the strong will get the mastery over the weak. Ardeshir says that religion and the kingship are twin； religion is a treasure and the king its keeper； and the divine ordinances and men"s own judgment indicate that it behoves the folk to adopt a ruler to hold the oppressor back from the oppressed and do the weak justice against the strong and to restrain the violence of the proud and the unjust. For know， O King， that according to the measure of the ruler"s good morals， even so will be the time； as says the apostle of God （on whom be peace and salvation）， "There are two classes， who if they be virtuous， the people will be virtuous， and if they be depraved， the people also will be depraved： even princes and men of learning." And it is said by a certain sage， "There are three kinds of kings， the king of the Faith， the king who watches over and protects those things that are entitled to respect and honour， and the king of his own inclinations. The king of the Faith constrains his subjects to follow the laws of their faith， and it behoves that he be the most pious of them all， for it is by him that they take pattern in the things of the Faith； and the folk shall do obedience to him in what he commands in accordance with the Divine ordinances；
