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commit ſuch impious Murders under thy Miniftry in my Capital City, and throw my Subjects into the Tigris, that they may cry for Vengeance againſt me at the Day of Judgment. If thou doſt not ſpeedily revenge the Murder of this Woman, by the Death of her Murderer, I ſwear by Heaven, That I will cauſe hang thee, and Forty more of thy Kindred. Commander of the Faithful, reply’d the Grand Vizier, I beg your Majeſty to grant me time to make Enquiry. I will allow thee no more, ſaid the Califf, than Three Days, therefore you muſt look to it.

The Vizier Giafar went home, in great Confuſion of Mind. Alas, ſaid he, how is it poſſible that in ſuch a vaſt and populous City as Bagdad, I ſhould be able to detect a Murderer, who undoubtedly committed the Crime without Witneſs, and perhaps may be already gone from hence. Any other but I would take ſome wretched Perſon out of Priſon, and cauſe him to die, to ſatisfy the Califf; but I will not burden my Conſcience with ſuch a barbarous Action, I will rather die than have my Life at that rate.

He order’d the Officers of the Palace and Juſtice to make a ſtrict Search tor the Criminal, they ſent their Servants about, and they themſelves were not idle, for they were no leſs concern’d in this Matter than the Vizier. But all their Endeavours turned to nothing, what Pains ſoever they took they could not find out the Murderer, fo that the Vizier concluded his Life to be gone, unleſs ſome remarkable Providence hindred it.

The Third Day being come, an Officer came to this unfortunate Miniſter with a Summons to follow him, which the Vizier obey’d. The Califf ask’d him for the Murderer, He anſwer’d with Tears in his Eyes, Commander of the Faithful, I have not found any Perſon that could give me the leaſt Account of him. The Califf full of Fury and Rage, gave him many reproachful Words, and ordered that he and Forty Barmecides^[1] more ſhould be all hanged up at the Gate of the Palace.