After this notorious piece of villany, Saouy turned to the king, and giving him the letter, Sir, said he to him, in a low voice, what does your majesty intend to do? What the caliph has commanded me, replied the king. Have a care, sir, said the wicked vizier, what you do: it is true, this is the caliph’s hand; but the set form is not to it. The king had observed that very well, but in the confusion he was in, he thought his eyes deceived him, when he saw it was gone. Sir, continued the vizier, we have no reason to doubt, but that the caliph upon the complaints he has made against your majesty and me, has granted him this letter purely to get rid of him, not with any intention of having the order contained in it executed. Besides, we must consider, he has sent no express with a patent: and without that, the order is of no force: and since a king of your majesty’s grandeur was never deposed without that formality, let who will bring such a letter as this, it ought not to be put in execution. Your majesty may depend upon what I have said; and how dangerous soever the consequence of disobeying this order may be, I will take it all upon myself. King Zinchi, easily persuaded by this pernicious counsel, left Noureddin entirely to the discretion of the vizier Saouy, who led him to his house after a very insulting manner; where, after causing him to be bastinadoed till he was almost dead, he ordered him to a prison, where he commanded him to be put in the darkest dungeon, with a strict charge to the gaoler to give him nothing but bread and water. When Noureddin, sadly bruised with the strokes, came to himself, and found what a nasty dungeon he was in, he bewailed his misfortunes after the most pathetic manner imaginable. Ah! fisherman, cried he, how hast thou cheated me; and how easy have I been in believing thee! Could I, after the civility I showed thee, expect so inhuman and barbarous usage! However, may Heaven reward thee: for I cannot persuade myself, that thy intention was so base, and I will with patience wait the end of my afflictions. The poor disconsolate Noureddin remained six whole days in this miserable condition, and Saouy did not forget that he had confined him there, but being resolved to put him to a shameful death, and not daring to do it by his own authority, to accomplish his villanous design, he ordered some of his slaves to prepare some very rich presents, which he, at the head of them, went and presented to the king, saying, Behold, sir, what the new king hath sent you upon his accession to the crown, and begs your majesty to accept of it.