Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-24
Sailor, the Roc's Egg, Aladdin and His Lamp and

principal sciences to Europe. 1t is hard
iy necessary to explain that algebra" is
an Arabic word and that We find import
ant traces of their terms and methods
IN many Of our sciences to-day.
Ha-un-alRaschid was the great ideal
Of the Oriental monarch one who is
perfectly just and personally administers
Justice TO all mis- people, even to the
poorest OF them II is said that there
was no man. even If he were peddlel.
or street sweeper. who could not
gain personal audience with this
Ca!iph with little patience This ideal
OF 4 monarch fingers among the people
OF me East to-day, although. OF course,
3 1t Is seldom realized. One of the diff.
cnlues which the English and other
Europeans find in governing Asiatic
colonies Is that their important officials
are not sufficiently accessible to the poor
people.
The Asiatics have a certain tendency
10 what Americans call democracy" but.
strange TO say, they expect to find il COM
oined with absolute despotism. Harun
al-Raschid appears to have been the best
example OF the democratic. just and
benevolent despot. In his passion for
Justice he wandered about the CITY in
dlSeulse, listening to what the people
were saying about him and his officials
and often risking his life by venturing
INTO strange places and rough company.
IN the days OF the Caliph Harunal.
Raschid-blessed be his memory-thera
lived in the city of Basdad-"
This is the commonest beginning NJ
the stories in The Arabian Nights"
more correctly termed, as in Sir Richard
bnrton's translation. THE Thousan5
Nights and Night" The beginning is
OF course, tribute to the great non,I'
MI,
stories we're gathered together. for they
had been current for many centuries in
various Asiatic countries.
mere, Tor instance, is the beginning Of
one story that tells Of the Caliph's wan.
behring's in Bagdad:
Ihe Caliph Harun.al -Rascchid one dav
commanded the Grand Vi3ier Jaaffjer IN
come TO his palace the night following
Hlzler,' said he, 4 will take walk round
the town. 10 inform myself what peonIc
say, and particularly how they are
pleased with my officers OF Justice n
therc DC any against whom they have
cause OF just complaint, we will turn them
OUT, ana put others in their stead who
snail officiate better II, on the contrary
mere be any that have gained their an.
piause, we will have that esteem for them
which they deserve The Grand Vizier
oeing come to the palace at the hour an.
pointed, the Caliph, he. and Mesrour, the
cliel OF the eunuchs. disguised them
selves so that they could not be known.
and went out all three together.
They passed through several places
ana by several markets. AS they entered
small street, they perceived by the light
OF the moon a tall man with white
beard."-and so on.
Perhaps the most entertaining view of
the Caliphs character is given in tho
story OF Aboulhassan, who sat on the
bridge and entertained strangers to Bag.
dad. The Caliph came along in disguise
Toasted and drank with Aboulhassan
ana then gave him a sleeping draught
While Aboulhassan was in this condition
the Caliph had him carried to the Palace
ana put to bed, so that he woke up in the
morning imagining he was Caliph and
thinking that the harem belonged to him
ana continued in that belief for several
days. One wonders if there are any
monarchs like Harun-al-Raschid to-day.
The Arabian Empire fell into decay
like other human institutions, and sue.
cess1Ve savage races from Northern Asia
overran it. Houlagou, grandson of the
terrible Mongol chief. lengths Khan.
captured and sacked Bagdad in 1862
Later it passed into the possession of the
koriouli Turks for period. Then it was
conquered by the ferocious Tartar,