Pagina 619 de 1116

So Hasan of Bassorah set himself steadily to sell his sweetmeats;

but the Wazir, his uncle, halted in Damascus three days and then

marched upon Emesa, and passing through that town he made enquiry

there and at every place where he rested. Thence he fared on by

way of Hamah and Aleppo and thence through Diyar Bakr and Maridin

and Mosul, still enquiring, till he arrived at Bassorah-city.

Here, as soon as he had secured a lodging, he presented himself

before the Sultan, who entreated him with high honour and the

respect due to his rank, and asked the cause of his coming. The

Wazir acquainted him with his history and told him that the

Minister Nur al-Din was his brother; whereupon the Sultan

exclaimed, "Allah have mercy upon him!" and added, "My good

Sahib!" [FN#461]; he was my Wazir for fifteen years and I loved

him exceedingly. Then he died leaving a son who abode only a

single month after his father's death; since which time he has

disappeared and we could gain no tidings of him.