applied himself to put his affairs in order; and first of all to pay his debts. He made presents to his friends, gave liberal alms to the poor, set his slaves of both sexes at liberty, divided his property among his children, appointed guardians for such of them as were not of age; and after restoring to his wife all that was due to her by their marriage contract, he gave her in addition as much as the law would allow him. At last the year expired, and he was obliged to depart. He put his burial clothes in his wallet; but when he came to bid
every thing smiled upon me; I had all that I could wish; it is my own fault that I am brought to this miserable condition; and if I cannot contrive some way to get out of it, I am certainly undone.” As he spoke, his strength was so much exhausted that he fell down in his stall, as if he had been half dead. Here the grand vizier, himself to Scheherazade,