The caliph was very attentive to the discourse of the grand vizier, who went on after this manner. Isaac the Jew, after he had paid his respects to Bedreddin Hassan by kissing his hand, says, My lord, dare I be so bold as to ask whither you are going at this time of night alone, and so much troubled? Has any thing disquieted you? Yes, said Bedreddin, a while ago I was asleep, and my father appeared to me in a dream, looking fiercely upon me, as if he were very angry; I started out of my sleep very much frightened, and came out immediately to go and pray upon his tomb. My lord, said the Jew, who did not know the true reason why Bedreddin left the town, your father of happy memory, and my good lord, had store of merchandise in several vessels which are yet at sea, and belong to you; I beg the favour of you to grant me the first refusal of them before any other merchant. I am able to lay down ready money for all the goods that are in your ships; and to begin, if you will give me those that happen to come in the first ship that arrives in safety, I will pay you down, in part payment, a thousand sequins. Drawing out a bag from under his gown, he showed it him sealed up with one seal. Bedreddin, banished from home, and dispossessed of all he had in the world, looked upon this proposal of the Jew as a favour from Heaven, and therefore accepted it with a great deal of joy. My lord, said the Jew, then you sell unto me, for a thousand sequins, the lading of the first of your ships that shall arrive in port? Yes, answered Bedreddin, I sell it to you for a thousand sequins; it is done. Upon this, the Jew delivered him the bag of a thousand sequins, and offered to count them; but Bedreddin saved him the trouble, and said, he would trust his word. Since it is so, my lord, be pleased to favour me with a small note, in writing, of the bargain we have made. Having said this, he pulled his ink-horn from his girdle, and taking a small reed out of it, neatly cut for writing, he presented it to him, with a piece of paper he took out of his letter-case, and, whilst he held the ink-horn, Bedreddin Hassan wrote these words: 'This writing is to testify, that Bedreddin Hassan of Balsora has sold to Isaac the Jew, for the sum of one thousand sequins, received in hand, the lading of the first of his ships that shall arrive in this port.' This note he delivered to the Jew, who put it in his letter-case, and then took leave of him.