198 Translations from the TdrUcli i Firiiz Shdhi. [No. 4, 



" enter the apartments of my own female relatives ? Of what account 

 " too would my subjects esteem me, and what daring and boldness 

 " would the rebellious and disaffected see in me to make them pre- 

 " serve their allegiance to me ? Come what may, I am bent upon 

 " marching to-morrow from Siri into the plain of Kili, where T pur- 

 " pose joining battle with Qutlugh Khwajah and his army ; so that in 

 " the course of this mighty conflict, it may be proved between him 

 " and me, to which of us Grod intends to grant the victory, and to 

 " which success is to present itself. 



" 'Alaulmulk ! to thee have I confided the post of Kotwal, and 

 " the charge of my seraglio, and treasures, together with the whole 

 " town. Whichever of us two, whether he or I, prove the conqueror, 

 " salute the victor with the keys of the gates, and of the treasures, and 

 " lay them before him, and become his obedient servant and vassal. 



" Do not you with all your wisdom and ability know this much, 

 " that prudence and judgment can only ward off hostilities so long 

 " as the enemy be not close at hand. Now that he has come 

 " up in hot haste however, no mode of thought or action is left 

 " to me, but to make haste in falling upon him, and to dash out 

 " the brains of my foes with the stroke of battle-axe, sword, and arrow. 

 il You propose pacific measures, but pacific measures are incompatible 

 " with the turmoil of this busy world. The refined and elegant ex- 

 " pressions that you can use (when seated) on the four square yard 

 *' carpet of your house, are never taken into the wide world, and would 

 " ill become the field of carnage, where streams of blood shall flow 

 " from either side. 



" As for what you say about the ideas you entertain on the subject 

 " of preventing these invasions of the Mughuls, as soon as I am at 

 " leisure from this war, and have fulfilled all the duties attending it, 

 " I will listen to these ideas of your's. You are a literary character 

 " and the son of a literary man, and doubtless your mind sted- 

 " fastly contemplates all these matters, of which you speak to me." 



'Alaulmulk humbly submitted that he was indeed an old servant, and 

 invariably mentioned any suggestion that happened to cross his mind. 



The Sultan exclaimed : " You are a truly loyal subject, and I have 

 " always had a high regard for your opinion. Now, however, a crisis 

 " has occurred, in which it is necessary to set wisdom aside, and not 



