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aught for him I shall set my heart at rest, mine oath will not have been broken.

722. "'Let not my going anger or grieve your heart. Let that befall my head (self) whate'er God wills. May He grant you the victory, and send me your (servant) back to you; but if I return not may you still reign, may your foes be affrighted.'"

723. Yet again the sun-faced one says to the vizier: "I have shortened my speech. Now speak thus to the king till (others) come in (to inform him), pleasantly entreat for me my congee,^[1] summon up thy courage, and a hundred thousand red^[2] (pieces) shall be bestowed on thee as a bribe."

724. The vizier said with a smile: "Keep thy bribe for thyself; for me it is sufficient favour from thee that thou hast found the road hither. How can I dare tell the king what I have now heard from you!^[3] I know of a truth he will fill me (with favours), and gain is not disagreeable!^[4]

725. "By his head! he will slay me straightway; I doubt whether he will delay even a moment. Thy gold will remain with thee, but for me, luckless, there will be earth for a grave. Slay me!^[5] What is of equal value with life to a man! The thing cannot be said and I cannot say it, however much anyone should reproach me.^[6]

726. "A road cannot go over (beyond) itself.^[7] How can I, luckless, lay down my life for thee? He will despoil me or kill me. He will say: 'How dost thou speak these words? Why didst thou not inform me there and then? Why art thou such a madman?' Life is better than loot; this I even now learn.

727. "Even if the king permit thee to depart, why should

1. Or perhaps, "that I may get leave peacefully."
2. Tsitheli, ? golden ducats.
3. Note the characteristic mixture of singular and plural. Reading ra for ar ("When" for "How can") the sense is clearer.
4. He speaks ironically.
5. 550, 601.
6. Misagmaros; Ch. interprets, "pierce with a sword" (?).
7. Ch., "This thing I dare not do before my head (chief)"—t'havsa tsina—but the phrase is current, and means: "I cannot do what is beyond my power; you are asking an impossible thing."