Now whilst their Highnesses Nasír-Addin-Sabaktagín and Sáif-Addoulat-Mahmúd were at Nishapúr, at the source of events, their opinion respecting the merit of Abdullah-Azír had become changed, and they began to suspect that he was disturbing their relations with Prince Núh, and that he was endeavouring to encroach upon their country and provinces. And the Prince Núh, on account of the awe which he entertained for his Vízír, and his dread of him, and his fear on account of injury which might happen to him from that quarter, removed, and went to the neighbourhood of Tús. And when Saíf-Addoulat became aware of this state of things, he went after him; and in order to conciliate his Excellency, and to obtain a propitious decree from the Royal Court, and to prove the fidelity of his intentions, he used his utmost endeavours in his professions of friendship and obedience; and the Prince Núh was much gratified with his arrival, and expressed great affection for him. Thus the immediate pressure of that untoward affair was removed, and Abd-Allah-Ibn-Azíz, dreading this alliance, retired and went to Merú, and the Prince Núh, after this event of the reconciliation of the two powers, and after the occurrence of their sincere friendship, went in the footsteps of the Vízír as far as Merú, and from thence proceeded to Bukhárá, and established him­self upon the throne of his kingdom, with con­fidence and prosperity. And the two Amirs Nasír-Addin and Saif-Addoulat spread forth at Nishapúr the carpet of justice, and of mercy, and of equity, and entirely abolished the system of innovations, and of blameable novelties, and the rules of tyranny. And all the subjects of the province and the people, were placed by them under the canopy of peace and tranquillity. And the principles of tyranny, and injustice, and vio­lence, and court-favour, which in weak times, and in the reign of the family of Simjúr, had been in­troduced, were abolished by them throughout the whole country of Khurasán, and such things were entirely removed, so that the confidence of the people revived, and the provinces became well inhabited again; and the caravans of the mer­chants, and the dealers in merchandize, began to attend to their affairs, and, in the room of misfor­tune and alarm, found the road of security, and prosperity and abundance appeared plentifully to the view.

And the Amír-Nasír-Addín took it into his head to go for a short time to Herát, and to renew the treaty respecting his stores, and possessions, domestics, and provinces. He proceeded to that district, and Amír-Saif-Addoulat-Mahmúd was established at Nishapúr upon the throne of govern­ment, and in the lieutenancy of the army.

Then Abú-Alí and Fáík wrote a despatch to Fakhr-Addoulat, and represented that he should send supplies from Ray, in order that they might defray their expenses incurred in the maintenance of their officers; and they pointed out that the revenues of Jurján, of which they had obtained possession, for the support of their rank, were insufficient for their dignity. Abu-Nasr, the Chamberlain, wrote a letter, in reply, thus: “I have submitted the writing which arrived to the consideration of Fakhr-Addoulat. He commands me to reply, that the treasuries of kings are like mighty rivers, whose overpowering torrents and abundant waters impress the eyes and astonish men; but a real body (of waters) and great pros­perity is denied them. Let them be careless in apportioning them, and they will know that they may be expended by means of many (small) streams, and that their currents may be swallowed up by people of necessity and persons of distress. Although we possess a wealthy province yet an amount equal to double its revenue stands against it, by reason of the support of the army, of various kinds of expenditures and different kinds of de­fences. If you would relinquish to us your ample resources and the outgoings (caused by the army of Khurasán we would accept that revenue to put in order our finance, and you can refer yourselves to your other possessions, whereby you may have strength equal to your circumstances. We have gone to the utmost. If further apology be (needed) on this point, let our apology appear on this ground.”

Abú-Alí and Fáík were struck and quite con­founded at this reply, and assembled their distin­guished officers, and, unfolding the circumstances, consulted them respecting the fit manner of acting in that contingency, and of arranging that affair. Every one gave a varying opinion: some said it would be necessary to take possession of Jurján, for the expenses, and to proclaim the title of the Prince Núh in that province, and for this service to request admission into his presence, and to send an envoy to express obedience and devotion, and to ask aid from his victorious Highness, and to represent that the preceding princes of the royal house of Sámán have been for long ages desirous to obtain these provinces, and for that object have expended immeasurably, and have sent numerous armies, in the hope of recovering this province by the sacrifice of lives and the risking of heads, and with all this they have not attained their desire; but through us this can be attained and be pro­cured, without trouble, vexation, or annoyance; and we know that it is very far from the act of a wise man to give ready money for credit, or to sell that which is present for that which is non-apparent. Faík drew back his head,* and said, “This is our position, that Sabaktagín hath departed from Nishapúr, and Mahmúd has not the power of resistance. He is a foreigner at Khurasán, and the army of an alien is like a torrent,* which, although it may appear terrible, yet the stream passes away, and from its precipitancy becomes reduced to nothing (Verse)

“I must go to Nishapúr, and expel Mahmúd from that province, and take possession thereof, and so sit down at rest and quietness, awaiting what the mercy of God may bring forth from the curtain of mystery and the day-book of occur­rences (Verse)

“And at this time it is the summer season, and the air of Jurján is infectious and unhealthy, and our army will be injured by the unwholesomeness of that air, and if they should meet with the enemy, it might become weak. When the bad air is dis­persed and the autumnal season has arrived, Karkán is in our hands.”

The majority of the army concurred with this opinion, and the love of home and their affection for their families and abodes prevailed, and they agreed to this resolution. And Abú-Alí was compelled to conform, of necessity, and to concur with their will. And, in the midst of these trans­actions, news arrived that Sáhib-Káfi, who was the lamp to illuminate the darkness of these matters, and the physician to heal this disease, had drawn near to the Giver of Mercy, and had approached the dominion of death. And Abú-Alí, for that reason, lost his wish to reside at Jurján, since his hope of support depended upon Sáhib-Káfi, who had directed his chief attention to the well-doing and guidance of His Excellency, and had stirred up Fakhr-Addoulat, by his zeal and attention in regulating affairs, and his skill in procuring the accomplishment of his wishes, in the way of retali­ation upon his enemies. And when Sáhib-Káfi died, the poets of that time made many verses in his praise. Abu-Mahmúd-Khazin thus says (Verse)

And Abú-Alí went from Jurján, by way of Juín, and sent to Fáík, to meet him, by the way of Isfarain; and they met on the confines of Nishapúr, and directed their course towards Nish­apúr. And when Saif-Addoulat received intelli­gence of this event, he caused messengers to run hastily to his father, and informed him of their arrival: and he came forth from the city with a squadron of troops which had remained with him, and pitched his camp outside the city, in order to observe (the movements) of the enemy’s army. And Abú-Alí and Fáík hastened forward, in order that they might engage him before news of their arrival had reached him. But Saif-Addoulat stood up against them with the troops which he had, and offered them battle; and he put numbers to the sword, and cast many under the feet of the ele­phants; and he very nearly won the victory. However Abú-Alí and Fáík made a circular movement, and divine destiny seconded their wishes. And Saif-Addoulat thought it not fit to make any longer delay, and saw that it would be useful and proper to proceed towards His High­ness, his father, trusting that by the magnifying glory and might of his star and happy fortune, victory would in the issue compensate him, and that in the end victory and prosperity would arrive, to establish his days (in glory) (Verse)

And the light and heavy-armed troops which remained away from Saif-Addoulat, and some yokes of elephants and some of the Indian troops, remained in the power of Abú-Alí. With these he was reinforced, and thus refitted* the breakings which had occurred to him in equipments and baggage. But another fire of tumult blazed forth, and his desire of exalting his condition and happily arranging his affair was restrained. For many of his chief officers and sections of his troops thought it expedient to follow the Amirs in the rear, and, before they could re-assemble their forces or compose their affairs, bring to perfection the disaster which had occurred, and to harass them from the province of Khurasán; but his scant fortune, his weak zeal, and his flattered power made him slothful in listening to these words or following this advice, so that he took up his abode at Nish­apúr, and then he applied himself to smooth over his past misfortunes, and betook himself to write letters to Bukhárá, and to seek the favour of the Prince Núh, and to ask impossibilities, until the torrent of misfortune came over his head, and he was caught in the snare of sorrow; and, in like manner, he sent a letter to the Amír Násir-Addín, and knocked at the door of excuse, and took to display his ingenuous conduct, and perfectly trans­ferred the blame of that proceeding and the crime of that effort from himself to a long-backed pack-ass, and he threw the burden of this error upon Fáík and the other chiefs, and he said, “If the reins of choice had been in my hand, and the other chiefs had not displayed so much zeal in seducing and beguiling the people, I should never have left Jurján and I should never have tampered with the province of Khurasán, and I never should have breathed one breath in opposition to the pleasure of His Highness Násir-Addín, and I never should have put one foot forward in the matter.”

In this way did he offer to make amends, and requested terms of accommodation, and employed the most coloured (feigned) proceedings in the way of asking pardon and indulgence, and intreating to be received into confidence. But by these lying excuses and disagreeable words he made the im­pression respecting himself and his followers more confirmed. And the Amír Násir-Addín sent let­ters to (all) quarters, and summoned the army back again; and he took with him, as speedily as possible, all the officers who had obtained leave of absence. And he sent Abu Nasr-Abí-Zaid to Sistan, to summon Khalaf-’bn-Ahmad, and he called Abub-Hareth-Fareghúní from Jurján; and he caused one to run to Prince Núh, in order that he might aid the matter, and expedite the proceed­ings. And they assembled an army so great that, from the trouble of the thick trees of their stan­dards, a bird could not fly into the field of the atmosphere, and the means of fighting, or of flying into the glens and drinking-places* of the earth were intercepted from the wild beasts and lions (Verse)