"Why is the Sultan so sad and what keeps him from going out of his palace?"
The Sultan Alexander answered: "I am grieving at the thought of the smallness
of this world, and of all the troubles I am giving myself and others for the sake
of reigning over a world that is so little worth. It is the vanity of my works that
renders me sad."
Aristotle replied: "The reflection of the Sultan is just, for what, in truth, is the
world? Certainly it has not enough importance by itself that the Sultan should
occupy himself with a vain kingdom. But the government of this world is a mark
of the sublime and eternal kingdom of the other world, and this kingdom the
Sultan can obtain by governing this present world with justice. Your Majesty
must therefore give all his cares to the government of this world, to obtain
finally in the other world a kingdom of which the greatness is beyond measure
and the duration is eternal."
The Sultan Alexander heard with pleasure the words of his wise counsellor.
Two qualities are essential to kings, generosity and magnanimity. When a
minister remarks, in his king, sentiments unworthy of his rank, he should warn
him of the fact, and should turn him from unworthy actions. They tell that a
king, having made a gift of 500 dirhems, his minister said to him: "I have heard
from the mouth of wise men that it is not permitted to kings to make a present of
less than 1,000 dirhems!"
One day Haroun-er-Raschid made a gift of 500 tahil. His minister, named
Yahya, made by signs and by gestures every effort to prevent him from
doing this. When all those who had been present were gone, Haroun-er-
Raschid said:
"O Yahya! what were you trying to do with all your signs?"
The latter replied: "O prince of true believers! I was trying to say that kings
should never let it be seen that they are capable of making presents of less than
1,000 dirhems."
One day King Mamoun-er-Raschid heard his minister, named Abbas, say to a
servant, "Go to the bazaar and buy something with this half-tahil."
Mamoun-er-Raschid was angry with him and said: "You are capable of dividing