In short, the virtuous Noor ad Deen continued till the last aspiration of his breath to give good advice to his son; and when he was dead he was magnificently interred.
Noor ad Deen was buried with all the honours due to his rank. Buddir ad Deen Houssun of Bussorah, for so he was called, because born in that city, was with grief for the death of his father, that instead of a month's time to mourn, according to custom, he kept himself shut up in tears and solitude about two months, without seeing any body, or so much as going abroad to pay his duty to his sovereign. The sultan being displeased at his neglect, and looking upon it as a alight, suffered his passion to prevail, and in his anger, called for the new grand vizier, (for he had created another on the death of Noor ad Deen), commanded him to go to the house of the deceased, and seize upon it, with all his other houses, lands, and effects, without leaving any thing for Buddir ad Deen Houssun, and to confine his person.
The new grand vizier, accompanied by his officers, went immediately to execute his commission. But one of Buddir ad Deen Houssun's slaves happening accidentally to come into the crowd, no sooner understood the vizier's errand, than he ran before to give his master warning. He found him sitting in the vestibule of his house, as melancholy as if his father had been but newly dead. He fell down at his feet out of breath, and alter he had kissed the hem of his garment, cried out, "My lord, save yourself immediately." The unfortunate youth lifting up his head, exclaimed, "What news dost thou bring?" "My lord," said he, "there is no time to be lost; the sultan is incensed against you, has sent to confiscate your estates, and to seize your person."
The words of this faithful and affectionate slave occasioned Buddir ad Deen Houssun great alarm. "May not I have so much time," said he, "as to take some money and jewels along with me?" ``No, Sir," replied the slave, "the grand vizier, will be here this moment; be gone immediately, save yourself." The unhappy youth rose hastily from his sofa, put his feet in his sandals, and after he had covered his head with the skirt of his vest, that his face might not be known, fled, without knowing what way to go, to avoid the impending danger.
He ran without stopping till he came to the public burying- ground, and as it was growing dark, resolved to pass that night in his father's tomb. It was a large edifice, covered by a dome, which Noor ad Deen Ali, as is common with the Mussulmauns, had erected for his sepulture. On the way Buddir ad Deen met a Jew, who was a banker and merchant, and was returning from a place where his affairs had called him, to the city.
The Jew, knowing Buddir ad Deen, stopped, and saluted him very courteously.
Isaac the Jew, after he had paid his respects to Buddir ad Deen Houssun, by kissing his hand, said, "My lord, dare I be so bold as to ask whither you are going at this time of night alone, and so much troubled? Has any thing disquieted you?" "Yes," said Buddir ad Deen, "a while ago I was asleep, and my father appeared to me in a dream, looking very fiercely upon me, as if much displeased. I started out of my sleep in alarm, and came out immediately to go and pray upon his tomb."
"My lord," said the Jew (who did not know the true reason why Buddir ad Deen had left the town), "your father of happy memory, and my good lord, had store of merchandize in several vessels, which are yet at sea, and belong to you; I beg the favour of you to grant me the refusal of them before any other merchant. I am able to pay down ready money for all the goods that are in your ships: and to begin, if you will give me those that happen to come in the first that arrives in safety, I will pay you down in part of payment a thousand sequins," and drawing out a bag from under his vest, he shewed it him sealed up with one seal.
Buddir ad Deen Houssun being banished from home, and dispossessed of all that he had in the world, looked on this proposal of the Jew as a favour from heaven, and therefore accepted it with joy. "My lord," said the Jew, "then you sell me for a thousand sequins the lading of the first of your ships that shall arrive in port?" "Yes," answered Buddir ad Deen, "I sell it to you for a thousand sequins; it is done." Upon this the Jew delivered him the bag of a thousand sequins, and offered to count them, but Buddir ad Deen said he would trust his word. "Since it is so, my lord," said he, "be pleased to favour me with a small note of the bargain we have made." As he spoke, he pulled the inkhorn from his girdle, and taking a small reed out of it neatly cut for writing, presented it to him with a piece of paper. Buddir ad Deen Houssun wrote these words:
"This writing is to testify, that Buddir ad Deen Houssun of Bussorah, has sold to Isaac the Jew, for the sum of one thousand sequins, received in hand, the lading of the first of his ships that shall arrive in this port."