Finding that no one any longer opposed my design, I took the pen, and did not leave off till I had given an example of six different sorts of writing used in Arabia. Each specimen contained a distich, or impromptu stanza of four lines, in praise of the sultan. My writing not only excelled that of the merchants, but I dare say they had never seen any so beautiful, even in that country. When I had finished, the officers took the roll and carried it to the sultan. The monarch paid no attention to any of the writing, except mine, which pleased him so much, that he said to the officers, “Take the finest and most richly caparisoned horse from my stable, and also the most magnificent robe of brocade possible, in order to adorn the person of him who has written these six varieties, and bring him to me.” At this order of the sultan the officers could not forbear laughing, which irritated him so much, that he would have punished them, had they not said, “We entreat your majesty to pardon us; these were not written by a man, but by an ape.”--“What do you say?” cried the sultan, “are not these wonderful specimens of writing from the hand of a man?”--“No sire,” answered one of the officers, “we assure your majesty that we saw an ape write them.” This matter appeared too wonderful to the sultan, for him not to be desirous of seeing me. “Do as I command you,” said he to them, “and hasten to bring me this extraordinary ape.” The officers returned to the vessel, and showed their order to the captain, who said the sultan should be obeyed. They immediately dressed me in a robe of very rich brocade, and carried me on shore; where they set me on the horse of the sultan, who was waiting in his palace for me, with a considerable number of people belonging to the court, whom he had assembled to do me the more honour. The march commenced: while the gate, the streets, public buildings, windows, and terraces of both the palaces and houses, were all filled with an immense number of persons of every age and sex, whom curiosity had drawn together from all quarters of the town to see me: for the report was spread in an instant, that the sultan had chosen an ape for his grand vizier. After having afforded so uncommon a sight to all these people, who ceased not to express their surprise by violent and continued shouting, I arrived at the sultan’s palace.