1871 .] 
The reign of Midizz-uddin'. 
193 
unguarded moment fell a victim to the treachery of one of your 
assassins, be sure the dishonour of such an act would cleave to 
you and your children till the world’s end. But suppose that after 
a while you are seated on the throne of Dihli, darkening it with 
the staiu of your infamy,—your courtiers and counsellors either bro¬ 
thers in crime, meet minions to adorn the sceptre of your sover¬ 
eignty, or your sons who will claim the title of princes, or a retinue 
composed of the faithful followers of your earlier days and pen¬ 
sioners on your bounty, or slaves who will be sure to flock in 
crowds round your imperial throne, and will be no unmeet confi¬ 
dants and lords for such an emperor, or, if you like, a few vaga¬ 
bonds like those now hanging about you, abject villains, whom 
you believe to be your very devoted servants and well-wishers 
because every now and then they ask where they shall place this 
cup or that flask for you, fellows who comb their beards and wear 
fine coats and gold sashes and rub themselves with extracts of 
rose,—these are the sort of men you will have as friends and coun¬ 
cillors in the court of Jamshed and Kai Khusrau. You will set up 
misers and skinflints, and mean helpless knaves and fools in high 
places, and will drag down the honour of the empire into the mire 
of contempt and insignificance. The gravest matters of state, the 
task of the great and noble, will be made over to nobodies and 
sons of nobodies and misbegotten knaves, who care for no interests 
but their own, and who for their vile money-bags would throw 
themselves headlong out of paradise. Have you not heard me tell 
over and over again of the courtiers of Shams-uddin, what princely 
men they were and what utter nobility and greatness they were 
endowed with, so that many a time the emperor Shams-uddin 
in mid conclave exclaimed—‘ How shall I thank the High God 
enough who has given me for courtiers men so noble, a thousand 
times better than myself! Each time that in obedience to the 
imperial custom they pass before me and behind, and raise their 
hands in salutation, and stand before me in Darbar, their greatness 
and nobility makes me ashamed of myself, and ready to come down 
from my throne and kiss their feet and hauds. the emperor L>al- 
ban with twenty years’ experience as a malik and twenty years’ as 
a klian, gathered round him a set of nobles on whom he could rely 
