text:  When Haroun al Raschid found himself in similar moments of suffering and despondency which he unquestionably brought on by too great attention to his pleasures"-- "Slave!" again interrupted the Caliph "dost thou mock us saying that our glorious ancestor exhausted himself with pleasures thus striving to make it appear that we do the same? Do we not each day perform nine times nine prostrations our face towards Mecca? Did we not no longer back than yesterday sign our name full twenty times to the death-warrants of those scurvy and unbelieving hounds who dared to blaspheme us the Prophet's vicegerent and to say in the Bezestein--What said the dogs? Have we not given orders to hang impale and exterminate like noisome vermin all those who dare in any way to think or have an opinion? Have we not made this order public to the great glorification of the Prophet and of our own name?" The Caliph paused for a moment