The vizier Giafar went home in great confusion of mind. Alas! said he, how is it possible, that in such a vast and populous city as Bagdad, I should be able to detect a murderer, who undoubtedly committed the crime without witness, and perhaps may be already gone from hence? Any other but I would take some wretched person out of prison, and cause him to die, to satisfy the caliph; but I will not burden my conscience with such a barbarous action; I will rather die than save my life at that rate. He ordered the officers of the police and justice to make strict search for the criminal; they sent their servants about, and they themselves were not idle, for they were no less concerned in this matter than the vizier. But all their endeavours amounted to nothing; what pains soever they took they could not find out the murderer; so that the vizier concluded his life to be gone, unless some remarkable providence hinder it. The third day being come, an officer came to this unfortunate minister with a summons to follow him, which the vizier obeyed. The caliph asked him for the murderer. He answered, with tears in his eyes, Commander of the faithful, I have not found any person that could give me the least account of him. The caliph, full of fury and rage, gave him many reproachful words, and ordered that he and forty Bermecides [55] more should be hanged up at the gate of the palace. In the mean while, the gibbets were preparing, and orders were sent to seize forty Bermecides more in their houses; a public crier was sent about the city to cry thus, by the caliph’s order:-- Those who have a desire to see the grand vizier Giafar hanged, and forty more Bermecides of his kindred, let them come to the square before the palace. When all things were ready, the criminal judge and a great many officers belonging to the palace, brought out the grand vizier with the forty Bermecides, and set each of them at the foot of the gibbet designed for them, and a rope was put about each of their necks. The multitude of people that filled the square, could not without grief and tears behold this tragical sight; for the grand vizier and the Bermecides were loved and honoured on account of their probity, bounty, and impartiality, not only in Bagdad, but through all the dominions of the caliph. Nothing could prevent the execution of this prince’s too severe and irrevocable sentence, and the lives of the most honest people in the city were just going to be taken away, when a young man of handsome mien and good apparel, pressed through the crowd till he came where the grand vizier was, and after he had kissed his hand, said, Most excellent vizier, chief of the emirs of this court, and comforter of the poor, you are not guilty of the crime for which you stand here. Withdraw, and let me expiate the death of the lady that was thrown into the Tigris. It was I who murdered her, and I deserve to be punished for it.