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, ,AL-MA'MUN'S MARRIAGE WITH PiiRA>r ''21
his care and protection, (\^) so that through that bolmty and
beneficence the people of Lamghan* h*ad reached^ their proper
'position and were able to dwell on. that border ; but that, since
their prosperity was sfill somewhat t shaken, they feared that,
should he demand th,e contribution on,their possessions that year,
some of them would be utterly ruined, and that, as a consequence*
of this, loss might accrue to' the royal coffers.
The minister, Ahmad-i-Hasan, therefore, extending his
favour, excused them the taxes of yet another year. During
these two years the people of Lamghan, grew rich, but this did
not suffice them, for in the third year their greed reasserted
T*elf, .nd, hoping again, to be excused, the same deputation
again appeared at Court and made a similar representation.
Then it became apparent to all the world that the people of
Lamghan were in the wrong. So the Prime Minister turned the
petition over and wrote on the back of it ; Al-khardju khurdjun,
add'tihu dawd'uhu "
"
that is to say, The tax is a running
sore 1 : its cure is its discharged And from the time of this great
statesman this saying has become proverbial, and has proved
useful in many cases. May the earth rest lightly on this great
man !
ANECDOTE VII.
^
.There arose great statesmen under the 'Abbasid dynasty, and
indeed the history of the Barmecides is well known and famous,
and 'to what extent and degree were their gifts and rewards.
HasaVi [ibn] Sahl, called Dhur-Riydsatayn* (" the lord of two
commands "), and his brother Fadl were exalted above the very
heavens, so much so that Ma'mun espoused Fadl's daughter ayd
asked her in marriage. Now she was a damsel peerless in beauty
and unrivalled in attainments ; and it was agreed that Ma'mun
should go to* the bride's house and remain there for'fl month, and
a/ter the lapse of this period should return home with his bride.
On the day fixed Jfor their departure he desired, as is customary,
to array himselPjn better clothes. Now Ma'mun always wore
black;* and people supposed that he wore it because black was
the distinctive colour of the 'AJbbasids till one ; day Yahya ibn
Aktham 3
is it that the Prince of Believers
Why
enquired of him, "
prefers black garments ? " "
Ma'mun replied to the judge, Black
garments are for men and for the living for no woman is married
;