In that last and precious moment he forgot not his son Bedreddin, but called for him, and said, My son, you see this world is transitory; there is nothing durable but in that which I shall speedily go to. You must therefore from henceforth begin to fit yourself for this charge, as I have done; you must prepare for it without murmuring, and so as to have no trouble of conscience for not acting the part of a real honest man. As for your religion, you are sufficiently instructed in it by what you have learnt from your tutors and your own study; and as to what belongs to an honest man, I shall give you some instructions, which I hope you will make good use of. As it is a necessary thing to know one’s self, and that you cannot come to that knowledge without you first understand who I am, I shall now tell it you. I am, said he, a native of Egypt; my father, your grandfather, was first minister to the sultan of that kingdom. I myself had the honour to be vizier to that same sultan, and so has my brother, your uncle, who I suppose is yet alive; his name is Schemseddin Mohammed. I was obliged to leave him, and come into this country, where I have raised myself to the high dignity I now enjoy. But you will understand all these matters more fully by a manuscript that I shall give you. At the same time Nourreddin Ali pulled out his pocket-book, which he had written with his own hand, and carried always about him, and giving it to Bedreddin Hassan, Take it, said he, and read it at your leisure; you will find, among other things, the day of my marriage, and that of your birth; these are such circumstances as perhaps you may hereafter have occasion to know, therefore you must keep it very carefully. Bedreddin Hassan being most afflicted to see his father in that condition, and sensibly touched with this discourse, could not but weep when he received the pocket-book, and promised at the same time never to part with it. That very moment Nourreddin Ali fainted, so that it was thought he would have expired; but he came to himself again, and uttered these words: My son, said he, the first instruction I give you is, not to make yourself familiar with all sorts of people. The way to live happy is to keep your mind to yourself, and not to tell your thoughts easily. Secondly, Not to do violence to any body whatever; for in that case you will draw every body’s hatred upon you. You ought to consider the world as a creditor, to whom you owe moderation, compassion, and forbearance. Thirdly, Not to say a word when you are reproached: for, as the proverb says, He that keeps silence is out of danger. And in this case particularly you ought to practise it. You also know what one of our poets says upon this subject, That silence is the ornament and safeguard of life; That our speech ought not to be like a storm of rain that spoils all. Never did any man yet repent of having spoken too little, whereas many have been sorry that they spoke so much.