 to his subjects
and what are the obligations of the lieges to their lord?”——“They shall
do whatso he ordereth them with pure intent and obey him in that which
pleaseth him and pleaseth Allah and the Apostle of Allah. And the lieges
can claim of the lord that he protect their possessions and guard their
women,[111] even as it is their duty to hearken unto him and obey him
and expend their lives freely in his defence and give him his lawful due
and praise him fairly for that which he bestoweth upon them of his
justice and bounty.” (¿) “Have his subjects any claim upon the King
other than that which thou hast said?”——“Yes: the rights of the subjects
from their Sovran are more binding than the liege lord’s claim upon his
lieges; for that the breach of his duty towards them is more harmful
than that of their duty towards him; because the ruin of the King and
the loss of his kingdom and fortune befal not save by the breach of his
devoir to his subjects: wherefore it behoveth him who is invested with
the kingship to be assiduous in furthering three things, to wit, the
fostering of the faith, the fostering of his subjects and the fostering
of government; for by the ensuing of these three things, his kingdom
shall endure.” (¿) “How doth it behove him to do for his subjects’
weal?”——“By giving them their due and maintaining their laws and
customs[112] and employing Olema and learned men to teach them and
justifying them, one of other, and sparing their blood and defending
their goods and lightening their loads and strengthening their hosts.”
(¿) “What is the Minister’s claim upon the Monarch?”——“None hath a more
imperative claim on the King than hath the Wazir, for three reasons:
firstly, because of that which shall befal him from his liege lord in
case of error in judgment, and because of the general advantage to King
and commons in case of sound judgment: secondly, that folk may know the
goodliness of the degree which the Wazir holdeth in the King’s esteem
and there