e transient
instances of success which seemed to arrest the current of his
misfortunes soon plunged him into greater evils than those which he
had escaped. Circumstances that were unforeseen, and steps that were
innocent, gave him the appearance of ingratitude and guilt, even when
everything assured him of the purity of his conduct. My lot, alas! is
but too like that of his."

The young man had related the adventures of the unfortunate merchant
of Bagdad so naturally and with so much grace, and had made so happy
an application of them, that Bohetzad, still disposed to favour a
criminal whom he had loved so well, and moved by the instance of rash
judgment which he had just heard, put off the execution which he had
ordered till the day following, under pretence of its being too late
for it then.

"Return to thy prison," said he to him. "I grant thee thy life till
to-morrow: I put off till that time the punishment that is justly due
to thee."

In the meantime the First Vizier expected with impatience the account
of Aladin's execution, and when he heard that it was delayed, he
assembled his associates, and thus addressed the Second Vizier:

"The favourite has found means to suspend the execution of his
sentence. I have done my duty in determining the King to an act of
justice. It now belongs to you to do yours by representing to him the
wrong which he does in forgetting the duties of the throne, and in
withholding so long the punishment of a crime that has been proved.
Make your remonstrances to his Majesty, and give them that force which
both his personal safety and ours requires."

The next morning, as soon as access could be had to Bohetzad, Baharon
(for that was the name of the Second Vizier) was introduced to the
King.

"Sire," said this minister to him, "I heard in the retirement of my
closet, and amid the important business with which I am entrusted, of
the insult your Majesty has received. Excuse the zeal by which I am
animated if I offer your Majesty all the service which can arise from
my experience and attachment to you to stop the progress of this
evil."

The King thought Baharon might really be ignorant of the event which
had happened within the palace, and told him the crime of which Aladin
was guilty.

The Vizier seemed to shake as he listened to this report.

"Sire," said he to the King, as soon as he had done speaking, "if the
son of a chief of villains, brought up and nourished amidst guilt,