THERE lived in the city of Shiraz a Jew, whose name was Raphael, and he was an exceeding cunning man, and gathered up money by all means, until, in process of time, he became very rich, and had gold and silver, and fine garments, and much possessions.

And Raphael said unto himself"Behold, I am rich and increased with goods, above all the children of my people; and I have gold and silver buried in the ground, and I can buy whatever is to be sold; and yet, though I am very rich, I am, as it were, one of the dishonored of the earth. Of what use is gold unless it can bring respect, and unless people bow down to me as I go forth? Cannot riches buy great ness? for if it is to be sold, I surely will buy it, and I will be no more accounted one of the mean men. I will also become great as well as rich; and then it shall come to pass, that men will forget both who I have been and what I have done; and neither my mean extraction, nor my mean acts shall be remembered, by reason of the greatness which I will buy with my gold; and I will leave a name unto my son that shall come after me; and it shall be that I shall not be forgotten when I die, neither shall my name perish. Yea, my former meanness shall be no more thought of-as, in the gardens of the king, men, when they see the golden oranges upon the tree, think not of the dung that is about its root." These things thought Raphael on his bed at night, and by reason of his thoughts his sleep went from him.

So in the morning he arose, and he went unto the elders of his city. Now, it was the custom in that city that each year they should appoint two men to be

thief-catchers for the city, and Raphael bethought himself that if he could be made thief-catcher he would be somebody, and that perchance he might find opportunity of coming before the king, if he should send any commands unto the thief-catchers of Shiraz, and that thus the King might make him a Caliph, which he coveted exceedingly. And he went unto the elders of his city, and he sought to be appointed thief-catcher. So the men of the city thought of the old proverb, and they saw that there was no man more fit to be thief-catcher for the city, and they chose him accordingly. And lo, Raphael rejoiced, and he was exceeding proud; and he thought within himself "Now surely when the king sendeth for me that I may catch thieves for him, I shall kneel before the king, and he will make me a Caliph, and all the city will honor me very much."

So Raphael was made thief-catcher for that year. But he was sore disappointed, because he did not kneel before the king, neither was he made a Caliph; and he was very much discomfited, and of a very heavy heart: and when his year had expired, so that he was thief-catcher no more, he went to his home sore distressed, and he would not be comforted; for he had given gold unto the servants of the king, and he made for them great feasts, to the end that they might speak unto their master on his behalf; and he lamented exceedingly the loss of his gold and of his sumptuous banquets; and he wept bitterly when he thought of what he had spent, and that he was not made a Caliph, neither was he thief-catcher any more.

But there came into the city of Shiraz a beggarman, and his name was Daniel. He was a man of illfavored countenance, and of an evil tongue, and he was fat and sturdy, and five-and-thirty ill-looking and ragged men followed him, of whom no one knew whence they came or how they had their living; but they were called in the city "the men who broke their oaths ;" and he seemed like as if he had a vow, and round his neck he had hanging a symbol like unto a death's head and cross-bones; and he went through the city, and he shook these at all men, until they became sore afraid of him and of his evil tongue; for he spared neither small or great, but he would abuse them exceedingly with every species of ill names, the like of which had never been heard of before; so that by reason of him the whole city was scandalized, and yet was sore afraid; and he had a wallet over his shoulder, and he did call out lustily for meat, and whoever would not put anything into the bag he reviled and slandered, so that many gave unto him for very fear.

Now this man came unto Raphael, and he said unto him-" Behold, now thou desirest to be great, and it is in my power to make thee so." And Raphael wondered; but he said nothing, for he feared the man; and he looked upon the death's head, and he was sore afraid.

Now, Daniel, the Big Beggarmanfor so had they called him by reason of his sturdy shape-was, as it hath been said, a man of a foul tongue; and when he chose to revile, he regarded neither virtue nor age; but yet was he at times a man of smooth words, and he could flatter men when it served his ends. So now he spoke softly unto Raphael, and he said unto him-"Wonder not at what I say; for, though I be a beggarman, think not that I am poor or powerless"--and he shook the cross-bones as he spoke-"I have not become a beggar from poverty, nor yet is it because I am greedy of

So Raphael hearkened unto his words; and his heart was glad within him as Daniel continued to speak.

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Thou knowest that the King doth hold a council, and that he has desired that certain places of his dominion should send men to be of his council, and to advise with him on what he may do for the good of his subjects in those places from which they come. Now behold he has sent unto a city, of which I know, to send him a man who is wise and prudent, who may tell unto the King the wants of those who dwell therein; and now, what wilt thou give me if I send thee to be the councillor unto the King."

So Raphael rejoiced exceedingly, and he said-"Ask me never so much and I will give it unto thee, if thou wilt make me councillor unto the King."

Then Daniel laughed, and he saidFirst, thou must fall down and worship me; yea, thou must lick the dust from off the soles of my feet."

So Raphael knelt down and worshipped Daniel; and he did lick the dust from off the soles of his feet, and behold it was exceeding nasty, and Raphael had well nigh to vomit; but he compelled himself, by reason of his desire to become councillor to the King, and also because he had been used to filthy things, even from his youth up.

Then said Daniel, "Thou hast done well. Now thou must give unto me two thousand pieces of gold, and then I will make thee councillor unto the King."

But Raphael's countenance fell when he heard of the two thousand pieces of gold, and he thought within himself that Daniel might be cheating him of his money; so he took courage, and he said unto Daniel-" How shall thy servant know that I shall indeed be councillor unto the King?"

Then Daniel was wroth, and he said "Dost thou doubt what I say unto thee? Hast thou not my word; and is not the security good for thy paltry gold, which I take not for mine own sake, but for the good of my country? But if thou wilt now give me one thousand pieces, and promise to give me one thousand other pieces when thou art made councillor, I will be content."

So Raphael was perplexed, and he went and he brought out a bag, and he told a thousand pieces of gold; and Daniel grinned when he saw the gold; but Raphael looked at it wistfully, and he was loth to part it, and he said

"Let not my lord be wroth; but how shall thy servant know that the men of the city of which thou speakest, which is far off, will indeed choose thy servant to speak for them unto the King? I am a stranger unto them, and I know not what they want, and peradventure they may find some wise man of their own city whom they may send."

Then Daniel explained unto him how it should be, and he said-"Fear not-the men of whom I speak are ignorant, and they know not their own interest, but will do as I say unto them; and if any wise man of their own city should desire to be sent, I will see that he be stoned with stones; so, therefore, thou shalt be sent to speak for them unto the King. Thou knowest also that there are sorcerers in the land that is far off, and that these men do lash the people with whips, so that they are afraid; and I will write unto the sorcerers, and they will compel the people to send thee; and they will make them afraid, so that they shall do as they are commanded; and besides, I will pay men who will come and stone with stones whoever shall say a word against the sorcerers: fear not, therefore, for thou shalt assuredly be sent."

Then Raphael took courage when

he heard of the sorcerers, for he had doings with them of old, and he knew that they were evil men who deceived the people, and his heart was glad; and he said again unto Daniel-" But, does not my lord the King know that the sorcerers are sworn against him to take away his crown from him, and why does he send unto their country for councillors?"

Then Daniel laughed exceedingly, and he said—" Behold, thou speakest as one of the simple ones; dost thou not know that now of a long time the King hath been deceived, and that all the power is given unto the sorcerers now ?" And Daniel laughed exceedingly again.

Then Raphael spoke once again— "But it may be that the men of the place may send a letter unto my lord the King, and may tell unto him of the stoning and the sorcerers, and then I may be turned away as one of the wicked men, and shame may come unto me more than honor?"

Now Daniel looked at the gold, and his teeth watered exceedingly to get it: and he said "Fear not; I will make a covenant with thee, and we will seal it. Give me the thousand pieces of gold and thou shalt be sent unto the King; and when thou art sent, thou shalt pay me yet another thousand; and I will bargain and engage that no writing shall come unto the King which I will not prove to be a lie, so that thou shalt be a councillor unto the King. I will do all, and thou needest not to trouble thyself at all.”

So they made the covenant between them twain, and they signed it and sealed it. And Raphael gave unto Daniel the thousand pieces; and Daniel put them in his wallet, and went out to beg in the streets; but Raphael sat him down to think upon the greatness he should have; and he was exceeding puffed up, and said within his heart, now indeed shall I be councillor unto the King.

Now it happened unto Raphael according as Daniel had said-for Daniel wrote unto the sorcerers whose

servant he was-and he told them that Raphael should be sent to be councillor unto the king; so the men

of the city came together to choose whom they would send-and the sorcerers came too : and the men of whom Daniel had spoken, who brought stones and staves, to the end that they might beat all those who should say aught against the sorcerers.

Then there arose up a man of that city, a rich man and a virtuous man, and who had done much for the men of the place, and he desired that his people might send him to speak for them unto the King; and he had lived among them from his youth up, and was known unto all the men of that place; and the men of the city hearkened unto him, and they said, "Behold now thou art a good and a wise man, and thou shalt go for us unto the King, and speak prudent words: why should a stranger whom we know not, speak for us unto the King?" But the sorcerers, when they heard this, were exceeding wroth, and they said that they would have no man but Raphael; and the sorcerers spoke most outrageously unto the people, and they said that if they did not do as they commanded them they would cause them to become goats, and they would burn them with fire, and they cursed them by their gods, so that the people were sore afraid by reason of the fierce words of the sorcerers; and

the men whom Daniel and the sorcerers

had hired came with stones, and they said whoever would say aught against Raphael should surely be stoned until he died; and there was an exceeding great commotion. But by reason of the men with stones and staves, the voice of the sorcerers prevailed; and the chief sorcerer sent a message unto one of the servants of the King, a man with whom he was in league, to the intent that Raphael should speak for the men of that city unto the King.

Then the King's servant went and told Daniel, and Daniel went unto Raphael, and told him the words of the message which he had heard, and Raphael was glad and rejoiced. And Daniel said unto him, "Pay me now the other thousand pieces of gold, for behold I have made thee surely councillor unto the King."

But Raphael thought within himself, and he spake yet again, for he feared VOL. VI.

that some of the men of that city would tell of these doings unto the King, and, therefore, he said unto Daniel, Behold, I am not yet surely councillor unto the King, for it may be that the men of that city will write unto the King, and if I be put away from being councillor, I am not to give thee the other thousand pieces of gold."

Then Daniel waxed wroth, and he cried aloud unto Raphael, “What hast thou to say why thou shouldst not pay me yet another thousand? Behold, I have made thee councillor unto the King, and thou must abide by thy covenant, and pay me what thou owest; think not that thou can'st deal with me as though I were of the simple ones." And Raphael began to tremble for his thousand pieces of gold. So they looked to the covenant, and behold, it was even as Raphael had said. But Daniel did not heed the writing; but he said that Raphael should pay yet another thousand; and he threatened Raphael, and Raphael feared him exceedingly; but he loved his money also, and altogether he was perplexed.

Then Daniel spoke softly, and he said yet again unto Raphael," Behold, now I also was bred unto the law, and I was practised in all the arts of the lawyers before I became a beggarman ; and it shall be that if any men of that city do write unto the King, and he then fear thou not, for the sorcerers make inquisition touching this thing, will send men who will swear falsely unto the King, and it shall be that the words of those who say against thee shall not be believed by reason of the

oaths of the men whom the sorcerers will send. I also will see that thy cause be pleaded by men who know how to pervert the right, and thou shalt be at no cost at all. Pay me, therefore, what thou owest, and thou shalt surely continue to be councillor unto the King."

Then Raphael hearkened unto his words, and he counted unto him yet another thousand pieces of gold; and he thought not of the money by reason of his great desire to be councillor unto the King. But Daniel put the money in his wallet, and he went on his way rejoicing.

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