Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/73

My Son, ſays he, The Firſt Inſtruction I give you, is not to make your ſelf familiar with all ſorts of People. The way to live happy is to keep your Mind to your felf, and not to tell your Thoughts eaſily,

Secondly, Not to do Violence to any body whatever, for in that Caſe you will draw every Body’s Hatred upon you. You ought to conſider the World as a Creditor, to whom you owe Moderation, Compaſſion and Forbearance.

Thirdly, Not to ſay a Word when you are reproach’d; for as the Proverb fays, He that keeps Silence is out of Danger. And in this Caſe particularly you ought to practiſe it. You alſo know what one of our Poets fays upon this Subject, That Silence is the Ornament and Safe-guard of Life, that our Speech ought not to be like a Storm. of Rain that ſpoils all. Never did any Man yet repent of having ſpoke too little, whereas many have been ſorry that they ſpoke too much.

Fourthly, To drink no Wine, for that is the Source of all Vices.

Fifthly, To be frugal in your way of living; if you do not ſquander your Eſtate away, it will maintain you in time of Neceſlity. I do not mean you ſhould be either too liberal, or too niggardly; for tho’ you have never fo little, if you husband it well, and lay it out on proper Occaſions, you ſhall have many Friends; but if on the contrary you have great Riches, and make but a bad uſe of ’em, all the World will forſake you, and leave you to your ſelf.

In ſhort, Noureddin Ali continued till the laſt Momentof his Breath to give good Advice to his Son; and when he was dead he was magnificently interr’d.

Scheherazade ſtopt her Diſcourſe here, becauſe ſhe ſaw Day, and deferr’d the Reſidue of the Story till next Night.

THe Sultaneſs of the Indies being awak’d by her Sifter Dinarzade at the uſual Hour, the addrefs’d her felf to Schahriar. Sir, faid ſhe, the Califf was very well fatisfied to hear the Grand Vizier Giafar relate his Story, and he continu’d it thus.