When the funeral obsequies were ended, king Beder found no difficulty to comply with that ancient custom in Persia to mourn for the dead a whole month, and not to be seen by any body during all that time. He had mourned the death of his father his whole life, had he hearkened to his excessive affliction, and had it been permitted to so great a prince as he was to amuse himself after that manner. During this interval, the queen, mother to queen Gulnare, and king Saleh, together with the princesses their relations, arrived at the Persian court, and shared in great part of their affliction, before they proposed any consolation. Though the month was expired, the king could not prevail on himself to give admittance to the grand vizier and the other lords of his court, who all besought him to lay aside his mourning habit, to show himself to his subjects, and take upon him the administration of affairs as before. He showed so great unwillingness to their request, that the grand vizier took upon him to speak in the following manner: Sir, it would be needless to represent to your majesty that it belongs only to women to persist in perpetual mourning. We doubt not but you are sufficiently convinced of that, and that it is not your intention to follow their example. Neither our tears nor yours are capable of restoring life to the good king your father, though we should lament all our days. He has undergone the common fate of all men, which nobody can resist. Yet we cannot say absolutely that he is dead, since we see him reviving in the person of your sacred majesty. He did not himself doubt, when he was dying, but he should revive in you, and to your majesty it belongs to show that he was not deceived. King Beder could no longer oppose such pressing instances. He laid aside his mourning habit that very moment; and after he had resumed the royal ornaments, he began to provide for the necessities of his subjects with the same assiduity as before his father’s death. He acquitted himself with universal approbation; and, as he was exact in maintaining his predecessor’s ordinances, the people perceived no alteration in their sovereign. King Saleh, who was returned to his dominions in the sea, with the queen his mother and the princesses, no sooner saw that king Beder had resumed the government, than he came alone to visit him; and king Beder and queen Gulnare were overjoyed to see him. One day, as they rose from table, they fell to discoursing of several matters. King Saleh fell insensibly on the praises of the king his nephew, and the queen his sister, how glad he was to see him govern so prudently, which had acquired him so great reputation, not only among his neighbours, but more remote princes. King Beder, who could not bear to hear himself so well spoken of, and not being willing to interrupt the king his uncle, through good manners turned on one side, and seemed to be asleep, leaning his head against a cushion that was behind him.