Riyaz al-salatin 49.3

49.3

The king guessing from the manner of the wife said: "Speak out what thou hast to say." The wife said: "I would submit my prayer, if the king would take an oath to fulfil it and try his best to fulfil it." The king swore to fulfil it, and indulging in a bit of hyperbole said: "Unbosom the desire that thou hast, and make thy lip the mirror of the dust of thy heart." The shrewd queen said: "I am in great anxiety, in consequence of the conduct of Ghiasu-d-din. He is scheming to mount the throne, by killing the king and destroying my sons. Although he is in the position of a son to me, and I do not wish that he should be killed, yet as the safeguarding of the life of the king is incumbent, you should not let slip from the hand the rein of alertness, but provide previously against any mishap. The best course would be that you should imprison him, or blind his eyes." The king on hearing this became perturbed, and said, "What is this aim of thine which thou hast mingled with the liquid of my welfare?, and what is this fire of envy that thou hast mixed with solicitude for me? Thou feelest no shame that thou hast seventeen sons, whilst the other frail lady has only this one son. "What you do not like for yourself, do not desire unto others." The queen again anxiously said: "Envy and jealousy have nothing to do with my suggestion. The duty that I thought incumbent upon myself in the interests of thy well-being, I have discharged;