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attended by his suite and preceded by the cresset-bearers crying aloud. Then Haroun and Jaafer and Mesrour landed also and making their way through the press of servants, walked on before them. Presently, the cresset-bearers espied them and seeing three strangers in merchants’ habits, misdoubted of them; so they pointed them out and caused bring them before the mock Khalif, who looked at them and said, ‘How come ye here at this hour?’ ‘O our lord,’ answered they, ‘we are foreign merchants, who arrived here this day and were out a-walking to-night, when ye came up and these men laid hands on us and brought us before thee.’ Quoth the mock Khalif, ‘Since you are strangers, no harm shall befall you; but had ye been of Baghdad, I had struck off your heads.’ Then he turned to his Vizier and said to him, ‘Take these men with thee; for they are our guests this night.’ ‘I hear and obey, O our lord,’ answered he; and they followed him, till they came to a lofty and splendid palace of curious ordinance, such as no king possesses, rising from the dust and laying hold upon the marges of the clouds. Its door was of teak, inlaid with glittering gold, and by it one passed into a saloon, amiddleward which was a basin of water, with an artificial fountain rising from its midst. It was furnished with carpets and cushions and divans of brocade and tables and other gear such as amazed the wit and defied description. There, also, was a curtain drawn, and upon the door were written these two verses:
A palace, upon it be blessing and greeting and grace! Fair fortune hath put off her beauty to brighten the place.
Therein are all manner of marvels and rarities found; The penmen are puzzled in story its charms to retrace.
The mock Khalif entered with his company and sat down on a throne of gold, set with jewels and covered with a prayer-carpet of yellow silk; whilst the boon-companions took their seats and the sword-bearer stood before him
