LETTER LIII.

Exalted son, one day Pahár Amal, the secretary of the unfriendly brother,* produced a balance sheet before His Majesty (Sháh Jehán), and said, “Ten lacs of rupees, for the payment of the balance of the days in which we (i.e. Dárá and Pahár Amal) had accounts with each other, are to be paid from the royal treasury. Your Majesty should order the payment.” His Majesty handed over the balance sheet to Sa’ad Alláh Khán and said, “With a view to look­ing into details, examine the sheet and then speak to me.” The above-mentioned Khán said immediately, “Such a large sum of money should not be paid from the royal treasury. Next time the cash account will be settled for the payment of each other.” After the dispersal of the court, Dárá the Pompous uttered angry words to the prime minister (i.e. Sa’ad Alláh Khán). When the note sent by the officer of the ‘Ghosal Kháneh’* reached H. M., at once H. M. wrote a letter to the unfriendly brother and inserted the following couplet in it: (Couplet) “To quarrel with the good and the virtuous is to shew enmity to one­self; he who draws a dagger on a mirror draws it on him­self.” (H.M. further wrote in the letter) “It is a special qualification of princes to distinguish between right and wrong. Pahár Amal wants to economise for you while Sa’ad Alláh Khán does to preserve my property. If the balance sheet was verified from your account book, it was your duty to inquire whether it was possible or impossible for Sa’ad Alláh Khán to pay the sum. Otherwise it is very bad to afflict (the hearts of) the royal servants, especially Sa’ad Alláh Khán. It is good to win the hearts of these men.* Able and intelligent servants are the source of increase of property and of a good name to their masters.” In the evening His Majesty presented Sa’ad Alláh Khán some bundles of Mahmūdi* cloth embroidered in one colour and three thousand ‘dinárs’* in cash.