Halt on the Journey WHIMPER 514 Táj-el-Mulook receiving the Old Woman VASEY 519 The Lady Dunyà writing HARRIET CLARKE 523 The Lady Dunyà untwisting the Old Woman's Hair T. WILLIAMS 526 The Old Woman beaten by Female Slaves S. WILLIAMS 528 Illustrations of the Stratagem in the Lady Dunyá's Garden LANDELLS 532 Táj-el-Mulook and the Lady Dunyà LANDELLS 535 Scene on the Arrival of the Troops of Suleymán Sháh WHIMPER 538 The Horses sent to Suleymán Sháh GRAY 541 Tail-piece to Chapter VIII. WRIGHT & FOLKARD 543 Head-piece to Notes to Chapter VIII. LANDELLS 544 Tail-piece to Notes to Chapter VIII. GREEN 555 [Illustration] INTRODUCTION. _In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful._[i_1] Praise be to God, the Beneficent King, the Creator of the universe, who hath raised the heavens without pillars, and spread out the earth as a bed;[i_2] and blessing and peace be on the lord of apostles, our lord and our master Moḥammad, and his Family; blessing and peace, enduring and constant, unto the day of judgment. To proceed:--The lives of former generations are a lesson to posterity; that a man may review the remarkable events which have happened to others, and be admonished; and may consider the history of people of preceding ages, and of all that hath befallen them, and be restrained. Extolled be the perfection of Him who hath thus ordained the history of former generations to be a lesson to those which follow. Such are the Tales of a Thousand and One Nights, with their romantic stories and their fables. It is related (but God alone is all-knowing,[i_3] as well as all-wise, and almighty, and all-bountiful,) that there was, in ancient times, a King[i_4] of the countries of India and China, possessing numerous troops, and guards, and servants, and domestic dependents: and he had two sons; one of whom was a man of mature age; and the other, a youth. Both of these princes were brave horsemen; but especially the elder, who inherited the kingdom of his father; and governed his subjects with such justice that the inhabitants of his country and whole empire loved him. He was called King Shahriyár:[i_5] his younger brother was named Sháh-Zemán,[i_6] and was King of Samarḳand.[i_7] The administration of their governments was conducted with rectitude, each of them ruling over his subjects with justice during a period of twenty years with the utmost enjoyment and happiness. After this period, the elder King felt a strong desire to see his brother, and ordered his Wezeer[i_8] to repair to him and bring him. [Illustration]