Sargon listened as he lay there, without understanding a syllable. But when Istubar interpreted the words of the Egyptian viceroy, the ambassador felt such delight that he beat his head against the couch, repeating the names Ramses and Assar.
When he had calmed himself, and made excuses for the wretched state in which so worthy and famous a guest had found him, he added,
"Do not take it ill, O lord, that an earthworm and a support of the throne, as I am, show delight in a manner so unusual. But I am doubly pleased at thy coming; first, because such a super-terrestrial honor has come to me; second, because in my dull and worthless heart I thought that thou, O lord, wert the author of my misfortune. It seemed to me that among the sticks which fell on my shoulders I felt thine, which struck, indeed, vigorously."
The calm Istubar interpreted phrase after phrase to the prince. To this the heir, with genuine kingly dignity, answered,
"Thou wert mistaken, O Sargon. If Thou thyself hadst not confessed the error, I should command to count out fifty blows of a stick to thee, so that Thou shouldst remember that persons like me do not attack one man with a crowd, or in the night-time."
Before the serene Istubar could finish the interpretation of this speech, Sargon had crawled up to the prince and embraced his legs earnestly.
"A great lord! a great king!" cried he. "Glory to Egypt, that has such a ruler."
To this the prince answered,
"I will say more, Sargon. If an attack was made on thee yesterday, I assure thee that no one of my courtiers made it. For I judge that a man of such strength as Thou art must have broken more than one skull. But my attendants are unharmed, every man of them."
"He has told truth, and spoken wisely," whispered Sargon to Istubar.