Khacan, as soon as he came home, sent for all the courtiers who used to deal in women slaves, and strictly charged them, that, if ever they met with a slave that answered the description he gave them, they should come and acquaint him with it. The courtiers, partly to oblige the vizier, and partly for their own interest, promised to use their utmost endeavours to find out one to his liking. Accordingly there was scarce a day past but they brought him one, yet he always found some fault or other with them. One day as Khacan was getting on horseback very early in the morning to go to court, a courtier came to him, and, with a great deal of eagerness, catching hold of the stirrup, told him there was a Persian merchant arrived very late the day before, who had a slave to sell so surprisingly beautiful, that she excelled all women that his eyes ever beheld; and, as for her parts and learning, the merchant engaged she could cope with the finest wits and the most knowing persons of the age. Khacan, overjoyed at this news, which made him hope for a favourable reception at court, ordered him to bring the slave to his palace against his coming back, and so continued his journey. The courtier failed not of being at the vizier’s at the appointed hour; and Khacan, finding the lovely slave so much beyond his expectation, immediately gave her the name of the Fair Persian. As she had an infinite deal of wit and learning, he soon perceived by her conversation that it was in vain to search any farther for a slave that surpassed her in any of those qualifications required by the king, and therefore he asked the courtier at what rate the Persian merchant valued her. Sir, replied the courtier, he is a man of few words in bargaining, and he tells me, that the very lowest rate he can part with her at, is ten thousand pieces of gold: he has also sworn to me, that without reckoning his pains and trouble from the time of his first taking care of her, he has laid out pretty near the sum upon her education, on masters to instruct and teach her, besides clothes and maintenance; and, as he always thought her fit for a king, so from her very infancy, in which he bought her, he has not been sparing in any thing that might contribute towards advancing her to that high honour. She plays on all sorts of instruments to perfection, she dances, sings, writes better than the most celebrated authors, understands poetry; and, in short, there is scarce any book but what she has read; so that there never was a slave of so vast a capacity heard of before. The vizier Khacan, who understood the merit of the Fair Persian better than the courtier, that only reported what he had heard from the merchant, was unwilling to drive off the bargain to another time; and therefore he sent one of his servants to look after the merchant, where the courtier told him he was to be found.