fifth I was alarmed for your
honour, and acquainted you of her atrocious behaviour."

The sultan, on hearing the relation of the vizier, held down his
head for some time in profound thought, then lifting it up,
commanded the two attendants whom he had despatched with orders
to put his wife and children to death to be brought before him.
On their appearance, he said, "What have you done in execution of
the charge I gave you?" they replied, "We have performed that
which you commanded to be done, and as a testimony of our
fidelity, behold these garments dyed with the blood of the
offenders!" The sultan took the garments; but the recollection of
his beauteous consort, her former affectionate endearments, of
the happiness he had enjoyed with her, and of the innocence of
his guiltless children, so affected his mind, that he wept
bitterly and fainted away. On his recovery he turned to the
vizier, and said, "Is it possible thou canst have spoken the
truth?" He replied, "I have."

The sultan, after a long pause, again said to the two attendants,
"Have you really put to death my innocent children with their
guilty mother?" They remained silent. The sultan exclaimed, "Why
answer ye not, and wherefore are ye silent?" They replied, "My
lord, the honest man cannot support a lie, for lying is the
distinction of traitors." When the vizier heard these words his
colour changed, his whole frame was disordered, and a trembling
seized him, which the sultan perceiving, he said to the
attendants, "What mean you by remarking that lying is the
distinction of traitors? Is it possible that ye have not put them
to death? Declare the truth instantly, or by the God who hath
appointed me guardian of his people, I will have you executed
with the most excruciating torments."

The two men now fell at the feet of the sultan, and said, "Dread
sovereign, we conveyed, as thou commandest us, the unfortunate
sultana and thy daughters to the middle of the desert, when we
informed them of the accusation of the vizier and thy orders
concerning them. The sultana, after listening to us with
fortitude, exclaimed, 'There is no refuge or asylum but with the
Almighty; from God we came, and to God we must return; but if you
put us to death, you will do it wrongfully, for the treacherous
vizier hath accused me falsely, and he alone is guilty.' She then
informed us of his having endeavoured to corrupt her by rich
presents, and that she had put his messengers to de