Page 101 - Bulbul Hezar
P. 101

with his house at the entrance of the garden, and kept no
             country-house, he, upon their account, purchased a country-

             seat, at a small distance from the town, and laid out a great sum
             of money there, in arable lands, meadows and woods. As the
             house was not fine, nor large enough, he pulled it down, and
             spared no expence to make it magnificent. He went every day
             to hasten, by his presence, the great number of workmen he
             had at work; and as soon as one apartment was finished, and fit
             to receive him, he staid there for several days together, when his

             presence was not necessary at court; and by his diligence, the
             house was finished answerable to the magnificence of the
             edifice. Afterwards he made gardens, according to the plan he
             had drawn out, and the manner of the great lords in Persia, and
             took in a large compass of ground for a park, which he walled
             round and stocked with fallow-deer, that the princes and
             princess might divert themselves with hunting when they
             pleased.
             When the country-seat was finished, the intendant of the

             gardens went and cast himself at the sultan's feet, and after
             representing to him how long he had served him, and the
             infirmities he found growing upon him, he begged he might
             deliver up his charge and post, and retire. The sultan gave him
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