The Sultan Alexander heard with pleasure the words of his wise counsellor.
Two qualities are essential to kings, generosity and magnanimity. When a minister remarks, in his king, sentiments unworthy of his rank, he should warn him of the fact, and should turn him from unworthy actions. They tell that a king, having made a gift of 500 dirhems, his minister said to him: "I have heard from the mouth of wise men that it is not permitted to kings to make a present of less than 1,000 dirhems!"
One day Haroun-er-Raschid made a gift of 500 tahil. His minister, named
Yahya, made by signs and by gestures every effort to prevent him from
doing this. When all those who had been present were gone, Haroun-er-
Raschid said:
"O Yahya! what were you trying to do with all your signs?"
The latter replied: "O prince of true believers! I was trying to say that kings should never let it be seen that they are capable of making presents of less than 1,000 dirhems."
One day King Mamoun-er-Raschid heard his minister, named Abbas, say to a servant, "Go to the bazaar and buy something with this half-tahil."
Mamoun-er-Raschid was angry with him and said: "You are capable of dividing a tahil in two! That is not proper in a minister; you are not worthy of the name," and he forthwith deposed him from office.
In the Kitab Sifat-el-Molouk it is related that the King Chabour, giving his last instructions to his son, said as follows: "O my son! whenever you make a present to anyone, do not bestow it with your own hands. Do not even examine or have brought into your own presence the gifts that you make. Whenever you give a present, see that it be at least the equivalent of the revenue of a town in value, so that it will enrich the recipients, and make them and their children and grandchildren free from adversity. Furthermore, my child, beware all your life of giving yourself up to operations of commerce in your kingdom. For this kind of affairs is unworthy a king who has greatness of character, prosperity, and birth."
King Harmuz received one day a letter from his minister in which he said: "Many merchants being in town with a great quantity of jewels, pearls, hyacinths, rubies, diamonds, and other precious stones, I bought all they had for your Majesty, paying 200,000 tahil. Immediately afterward there arrived some merchants from another country who wanted to buy these and offered me a profit of 200,000 tahil. If the King consents I will sell the jewels, and later buy others."
King Harmuz wrote to his minister the following response: "What are 200,000 tahil? What are 400,000 tahil, profit included? Is that worth talking about and making so much ado? If you are going into the operations of commerce who will look after the government? If you buy and sell, what will become of the merchants? It is evident that you would destroy thus our good renown, and that you are the enemy of the merchants of our kingdom, for your designs would ruin them. Your sentiments are unworthy a minister." And for this he removed him from office.