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A great warmth of friendship arose between the two kings, and they passed their time in amicable conversation, amidst which Malik Shah Bal, turning round to the Darweshes, said, "I had a great wish to have children, and had resolved, if God gave me a son or a daughter, to marry it to the offspring of some king of the human race.
The prince, according to custom, disappeared; and in the evening Azad Bakht was sitting with the Darweshes and conversing with them, when a folded paper fell near the king; he opened it and read it, and found that it was an answer to his note; these two lines were written in it: "Conceive me likewise anxious to see you; a throne goes for you; it is best that you should come now, that we may meet; all the preparations of enjoyment are ready; your majesty's place alone is empty."
The second day, when the two kings met, Shah Bal asked Azad Bakht the reason for bringing the Darweshes with him. Receiving these written orders, the divs were dispatched in all directions.
The messenger said to them, "Reverend sirs, the king has called you four personages; come along with me." The four Darweshes began to stare at each other, and said to the messenger, "Son, we are the monarchs of our own hearts; what have we to do with a king of this world?" The messenger answered, "Holy sirs, there is no harm in it, and it is better you should go."
It is the ordnary mode of sitting among the Turks. The dalk, or dilk, is a garment made of patches and shreds worn by darweshes; the epithet dolk-posh, "a dalk wearer," denotes a "darwesh," or "mendicant." Ispahan was once a fine city. In the time of the Chevalier Chardin, nearly two centuries ago, it was pronounced by that traveller to be the largest in the world.
This is, as the vulgate hath it, "coming it a little too strong;" but be it remembered that Oriental story-tellers do not mar the interest of their narrative by a slavish adherence to probability. Here the king Azad Bakht speaks in his own person, and addresses himself to the four darweshes. With regard to the essence of bed-mushk vide note 2, page 42.
Their vow is to desert wife, children, and all worldly connexions and human sympathies, and to wander about with shaven heads. The introduction of the hukka is an improvement of Mir Amman's; as that luxury was unknown in Europe and Asia at the time of Amir Khusru. The term Azad, "free, or independent," is applied to a class of Darweshes who shave the beard, eyelashes and eyebrows.
O Darweshes! I am come here to you, according to the advice of my heavenly Mentor; I firmly hope that each of us will gain the desires of his heart. These have been this pilgrim's adventures, which he hath related to you fully and entirely. The fourth Darwesh began with tears the relation of his adventures in the following manner:
The king ordered a new grand palace to be built and furnished with carpets, and kept the four Darweshes in it; when he was disengaged from the affairs of state, he used to go there, sit with them, and to provide everything for them and wait on them; but on the first Thursday night of every month the same cloud descended, and took away the prince, and after keeping him two days, it used to bring him back, with such rich toys and rarities of every country, and of every description, in his cradle, that on beholding them, the minds of the spectators were confounded with astonishment.
Azad Bakht gave them every confidence and encouragement, and having sent for refreshment, he made them breakfast before him. The Darweshes replied that, "whatever has happened to us, we have not the strength to relate, nor will any pleasure result to the king from hearing it; therefore pardon us."
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