Till then Noureddin Ali had only sought to make him study, and had not brought him out into the world. He now took him to the palace, in order to have the honour of introducing him to the sultan, who received him very favourably. The people in the streets, who saw him as he went along, were so struck with his beauty, that they uttered a thousand benedictions and exclamations of surprise.
As his father wished to make him capable of being equal, one day, to fill the situation he himself held, he spared nothing to qualify him for it, and by making him enter into affairs of the most difficult nature, he prepared him early for that kind of employment. In short, he neglected nothing that could tend to the advancement of a son whom he tenderly loved; and he began to enjoy the fruits of his trouble, when he was suddenly attacked by a disease so violent, that he was sensible his end was approaching. He, therefore, did not flatter himself with hopes of recovery, but prepared to die like a good mussulman. In these precious moments, he did not forget his beloved son Bedreddin; he ordered him to be called to his bedside, and thus addressed him: “My son, you see that this world is perishable: that only, to which I am shortly going, is eternal. You must, from this moment, begin to adopt the sentiments I now feel, and prepare to take this journey without regret; your conscience acquitting you of having neglected any of the duties of a mussulman, or of an honest man. With regard to your religion, you have been sufficiently instructed in that by the masters you have had, as well as by what you have read. As to what relates to an honest man, I will now give you some advice, from which I hope you will endeavour to profit. As it is in the first place necessary to know yourself, and you cannot possibly have that knowledge without knowing who I am, I will now inform you.
“I was born in Egypt,” continued he; “my father was prime minister to the sultan of those dominions. I too had the honour of being one of the viziers of the same sultan, jointly with my brother, your uncle, who, I believe, is still alive, and is called Schemseddin Mohammed. I was under the necessity of separating from him, and I came into this country, where I reached the rank which I have till now enjoyed. But you will be made acquainted with a fuller detail of these circumstances by a packet, which I shall give you.”
Noureddin Ali then took out the packet, which he had written with his own hand, and which he always carried about him, and giving it to Bedreddin Hassan, “Take it,” said he, “you will read it at your leisure; you will find in it, among other things, the day of my marriage, and that of your birth. These are circumstances, which may be useful to you in the end, and you must, therefore, carefully preserve it.” Bedreddin Hassan, truly afflicted at seeing his father in such a state, and sensibly touched by this discourse, received the packet with tears in his eyes, promising never to let it go out of his possession.
At this instant Noureddin Ali was seized with a fainting fit, which, it was feared, would terminate his existence: he recovered, however, and continuing to address his son, “The first maxim I wish to impress on your mind,” said he, “is, not to hold intercourse with all kinds of persons. The way to live in safety is to be reserved, and not be too communicative.
“The second is, not to commit violence on any one; for were you to do so, all the world would revolt against you, and you must regard the world as a creditor, to whom you owe moderation, compassion, and toleration.
“The third, never to reply when you are spoken to in anger. ‘He is out of danger,’ says the proverb, ‘who remains silent.’ On such occasions, in particular, you should attend to this. You know also what one of our poets has written on this subject; ‘silence is the ornament and safeguard of life; we should not by speaking resemble the stormy rain, which spoils every thing.’ We never repent of having been silent, but often regret having spoken.
“The fourth is, not to drink wine, for it is the source of all vice.
“The fifth, to manage your fortune with economy; if you do not spend it extravagantly, you will have what is necessary to assist you in case of need. You must not, however, save too much, and become a miser. If you have only a little, and yet spend that with propriety, you will gain many friends; but if, on the contrary, you possess great riches, and do not make a good use of them, every one will despise and abandon you.”
Noureddin Ali continued giving this kind of advice to his son, till the last moments of his life; and when he died, he was interred with all the honours due to his rank and dignity. Bedreddin Hassan, of Balsora, for thus he was named, from his being born in that town, was inconsolable at the death of his father. Instead of one month, as is the custom, he passed two in his retreat, to give way to his sorrow; during which time, he would not see any one, nor even go out to pay his respects to the sultan, who being displeased with this neglect, which he considered as a mark of contempt towards him and his court, suffered his anger to rise to a great height. He summoned the new grand vizier, whom he had elected to supply the place of Noureddin Ali, and ordered him to go to the house of the deceased, and to confiscate it, together with all his other houses, grounds, and effects, without leaving any thing for Bedreddin Hassan, whose person also he desired to be seized.