'Tis house of evils，'tis Perdition's net：
A house where whoso laughs this day shall weep
The next： then perish house of fume and fret！
Endless its frays and forays，and its thralls
Are ne'er redeemed，while endless risks beset.
How many gloried in its pomps and pride，
Till proud and pompous did all bounds forget，Then showing back of shield she made them swill[372]
Full draught，and claimed all her vengeance debt.
For know her strokes fall swift and sure，altho'
Long bide she and forslow the course of Fate：
So look thou to thy days lest life go by
Idly，and meet thou more than thou hast met；
And cut all chains of worldlove and desire
And save thy soul and rise to secrets higher.'
Now when As'ad made an end of these verses，he strained his brother Amjad in his arms，till they twain were one body，and the treasurer，drawing his sword，was about to strike them，when behold，his steed took fright at the wind of his upraised hand，and breaking its tether，fled into the desert. Now the horse had cost a thousand gold pieces and on its back was a splendid saddle worth much money；so the treasurer threw down his sword，and ran after his beast.And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twentythird Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when his horse ran away，the treasurer ran after it in huge concern，and ceased not running to catch the runaway till it entered a thicket. He followed it whilst it dashed through the wood，smiting the earth with its hoofs till it raised a dustcloud which towered high in air；and snorting and puffing and neighing and waxing fierce and furious. Now there happened to be in this thicket a lion of terrible might；hideous to sight，with eyes sparkling light： his look was grim and his aspect struck fright into man's sprite. Presentry the treasurer turned and saw the lion making towards him；but found no way of escape nor had he his sword with him. So he said in himself，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah，the Glorious，the Great！