'History of the imâms and seyyids of 'Omân by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856; translated from the original Arabic, and edited with notes, appendices, and an introduction, continuing the history down to 1870, by George Percy Badger, F.R.G.S., late chaplain in the Presidency of Bombay.' [‎181] (342/612)

ahmed-bin-sa'id.
181
What excuse could I have found in the law of gratitude had
I remained at home, after all your past kindness to ine? By
Allah! the true friend is bound to visit his friends as well
when they are in adversity as in prosperity/ I then quoted
the words of the poet:
1 Visit those you love, though your abode be distant,
And clouds and darkness have arisen between you ;
For no obstacle ought to restrain a friend
From often visiting the friend he loves.' "
He went on to say: "I remained with them till the after
noon, and when I was coming away, Seif, the Imam^s son,
followed me, and taking hold of the handle of his dagger he
broke off six gold rings 1 therefrom, and presenting them to
me said, f Take these, Khamis; and forgive your friend's
shortcomings/ 1 rejoined: f Were it not that I might vex you
by so doing, I should certainly return these to you and then
take my leave, after saluting you; for it is hardly befitting
in a time like this, when every thing is in disorder and great
changes are taking place through the destruction of property,
that one should accept presents/ ' Say no more/ was his
reply, ' but go in peace/ I then went to their father and
detailed all that had occurred during m}'- visit; he remarked,
* Such are they who are ambitious for glory/ and quoted
these lines:—
4 The ambitious man inherits madness.
And vexation rankles in his breast:
lie looks in health and yet is sick ;
lie is in health and yet looks sick.' "
Jlespecting the war about el-Ghabby between the Imam
and Nasir-bin-Muhammad-bin-Nasir, el-Ghafiry, 2 I have to
remark that it occurred ten years before the war between
the Imam and his sons Seif and Sultan, at Maskat; that,
1 The hilts of the daggers worn by persons of rank in 'Oman arc
generally richly mounted with gold and jewelled rings.
2 In the sequel lie is sometimes styled Muhammad-bin-Nasir.