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justice among his subjects, even as the owner of the garden careth for his trees and cutteth away the weeds that have no profit in them; and so it behoveth the king to look into the affairs of his subjects and fend off oppression from them. As for thee, O king,” continued Shehrzad, “it behoveth thee that thy vizier be virtuous and versed in the knowledge of the affairs of the folk and the common people; and indeed God the Most High hath named his name[1] in the history of Moses (on whom be peace!) whenas He saith, [Quoth Moses] ‘And make me a vizier of my people, Aaron [my brother].’[2] Could a vizier have been dispensed withal, Moses ben Imran had been worthier [than any of this dispensation].[3]
As for the vizier, the sultan discovereth unto him his affairs, private and public; and know, O king, that the similitude of thee with the people is that of the physician with the sick man; and the condition[4] of the vizier is that he be truthful in his sayings, trustworthy in all his relations, abounding in compassion for the folk and in tender solicitude over them. Indeed, it is said, O king, that good troops[5] are like the druggist;
