Pagina 155 van 1116

Know, O thou Ifrit, that in days of yore and in ages long gone

before, a King called Yunan reigned over the city of Fars of the

land of the Roum.[FN#78] He was a powerful ruler and a wealthy,

who had armies and guards and allies of all nations of men; but

his body was afflicted with a leprosy which leaches and men of

science failed to heal. He drank potions and he swallowed pow

ders and he used unguents, but naught did him good and none among

the host of physicians availed to procure him a cure. At last

there came to his city a mighty healer of men and one well

stricken in years, the sage Duban hight.