Viziers for his
sword-bearers, whilst all the troops and people of the city, both
townsfolk and strangers, walked in procession before him, carrying
flambeaux and drums and flutes and instruments of mirth and music, till
they brought him to his palace, when he alighted and entering, sat down,
as did also the Viziers and Amirs who were in his company, whilst the
mamelukes brought sherbets and sweetmeats [493] and gave all who were
with him in the procession to drink, albeit they were a multitude of
folk whose number might not be told. Moreover, he gave commandment unto
his mamelukes, and they went out to the door of the palace and fell to
showering gold upon the folk.

Meanwhile, [494] when the Sultan returned from the horse-course and
entered his palace, he bade forthright carry his daughter the Lady
Bedrulbudour in procession to the palace of her bridegroom Alaeddin. So
the troops forthright mounted with the officers of state, who had been
in Alaeddin's procession, and the slave-girls and eunuchs went out
with flambeaux and carried the Lady Bedrulhudour in great state to her
bridegroom's palace, Alaeddin's mother by her side and before her the
women of the Viziers and Amirs and grandees and notables. Moreover, she
had with her eight and-forty slave-girls, whom Alaeddin had presented to
her, in each one's hand a great candle of camphor and ambergris, set in
a candlestick of gold, studded with jewels; and all the men and women in
the palace went out with her and fared on before her, till they brought
her to her bridegroom's palace and carrying her up to her pavilion,
[495] attired her in various robes [496] and displayed her. Then, after
they had made an end of displaying her, they carried her to the pavilion
of her groom Alaeddin and he went in to her. Now his mother was with the
Lady Bedrulbudour, and when he came up and did off her veil, she fell to
gazing upon the bride's beauty and grace and looked at the pavilion, the
which was all wroughten [497] of gold and jewels and therein were golden
lustres, all embossed with emeralds and rubies; and she said in herself,
"Methought the Sultan's palace was magnificent; but, for this pavilion
[498] alone, I doubt me the greatest of the Chosroes and the kings never
owned its match; nor, methinketh, might all mankind avail to make
the like thereof." And the Lady Bedrulbudour also fell to looking and
marvelling at the palace [499] and its magnificence. Then the table was
laid and