it is the right of the king when he speaks to direct the thoughts and minds of those present towards him. if he knows the speech that the king is speaking he listens to it as one who has never heard of it and does not know it and he shows pleasure in the kings benefit and good news about his speech. there are two things in that one is what appears from his good manners and the other is that he gives the king his right by listening well. if he does not know him the soul is more eager and desirable to benefit from kings and talk about them than to benefit from the common people and those like them.
ومن حق الملك، إذا حدث بحديث، أن يصرف من حضره فكره وذهنه نحوه، فإن كان يعرف الحديث الذي يحدث به الملك، استمعه استماع من لم يدر في حاسة سمعه قط ولم يعرفه، وأظهر السرور بفائدة الملك والاستبشار بحديثه، فإن في ذلك أمرين أحدهما ما يظهر من حسن أدبه، والآخر أنه يعطي الملك حقه بحسن الاستماع. وإن كان لم يعرفه، فالنفس إلى فوائد الملوك والحديث عنهم أقرم وأشهى منها إلى فوائد السوقة ومن أشبههم.