to the Throne seems to them so reasonable and of so great benefit that they never cease to laugh at the Great Mogul and the Grand Signior who have a long time omitted it For they say That Aurengzebe might have prevented the Revolts of his Children and Mahomet the Fourth his Deposition by his Mutinous Troops if the first had kept his Children close during his Life time and the last put out his Brother's Eyes as soon as he came to the Throne The Dispensers of the Mahometan Religion taking place at the Persian Court Mahometan Priests I shall take notice of 'em before the Officers of the Crown over whom they have always precedency in the Council Publick Feasts and Audiences which the King gives to Embassadors and Missionaries The greatest Priest in Persia is call'd Sadre Cassa Of the Sadre Cassa that is the Chief or Arch-Bishop He is Super Intendant over all the Spiritualities of the Empire but his business is only to govern the King's Conscience and Order the Court and City of Ispahan according to the Rules of the Alcoran He deputes the second Bishop of whom I shall speak by and by for the rest of the Kingdom He is the first Minister of State and has his Seat at the foot of the Sofa and Right-hand of the King These Priests are so much reverenc'd in Persia that Kings have taken their Daughters for their Wives And the last Sadre Marry'd the King's Sister but nevertheless his Dignity could not secure him from having his Children Strangled that were Males for this barbarous Custom is so undistinguishably practis'd that if the King's Sisters or Nieces should omit to call the Eunuch's of the Haram at the time of their Lying-in to strangle the Child if it were Male they would inevitably merit Death by their neglect and seldom any such Offenders have been known to obtain Mercy This Law seems to have been newly made for there was no such in use at the time of the famous Cha-Abbas who was Contemporary with Henry the Fourth They give to the Sadre the Title of Narab which is as much as to say Vice-Roy of the King and Mahomet And there is none but him the Sadre Elman Alek and the Etmadaulet on whom this Honour is bestow'd This Sadre has his Deputies in all Capital Cities of Provinces His Jurisdiction which are call'd Modarrés and are not much unlike to our Bishops The Governours cannot give a decisive Judgment without their Approbations which they call Felfa These Deputies Heads of Mosques Principals of Colleges Presidents of the Circumcisions Curates that Marry and Divorce by Bills of Repudiation In short all that have any Employments which relate to the Law of Mahomet take their Orders and Measures from this Sadre and which procures him a vast Revenue for here as every where else Preferments are Bought and Sold. The second Person in Spirituals is nam'd Sadre Elman Alek Of the Sadre Elman Alek he is properly as Coadjutor or Assistant to the Sadre Cassa He does throughout the whole Realm what the Chief Bishop does only in the King's Court and Precincts of Ispahan He is moreover a Lateral Judge with the Divan Begui who can give no Sentence without his consent inasmuch as all the difference that I could take notice of between these two Bishops was only that one is Supream Head of the Law His Functions and the other his Deputy and Head of the Civil Tribunal He is Assistant to the Divan Begui to see that he does Justice according to the Rules of the Alcoran and what we would call the Cannon-Law which has been explained to them long fince by the Imans whom the Persians as Apes of us Christians worship to the number of Twelve as we do our Twelve Apostles This Bishop has also a Power to Try and Condemn Criminals which shews That he is not only an Ecclesiastical but Civil Judge The Divan Begui pronounces Sentence according to his Decisions This Bishop as Vicar General in all the Courts of Justice of the Kingdom has the Title of Naib Sedaret and he has the same Power over the Governours as he had over the Divan Begui He has his place below the Sofa on the Left-hand of the King The third Bishop of Persia is call'd Akond or rather Chiek Alislam Of the Alislam which is as much as to say Wise by Experience or The Venerable Old Men of the Law of Mahomet This Judge is properly the first Lieutenant Civil who takes Cognizance of the Affairs of Minors Widdows Contracts and other Civil Matters The King gives him Fifty Thousand Livres Annual Pension that he may have no occasion to be Corrupted by taking Bribes This is the Judge that dispatches most business His Substitutes He is Chief of the Law-Colleges and constantly reads upon it his Subaltern Officers every Wednesday and Saturday He has also his Substitutes in all the Courts of Justice of the Realm who together with those that belong to the Second Sadre draw up all Contracts and Agreements He has his place at the foot of the Sofa next to the Great Sadre The fourth Bishop is the Kazi The fourth Bishop is also second Lieutenant Civil who is the second Lieutenant Civil He takes Cognizance of the same Causes does the same business and enjoys equal Prerogatives with the former He has like him his Seat below the Sofa next the second Sadre But not one of those may appear at the time of Publick Feasts because then the King drinks Wine The Kazi has two Substitutes in every Tribunal their business is to determine small differences in Coffee-Houses and the Governour always requires their Assistance to consult about matters of Importance Over and above these four Bishops The Great Almoner the King has a kind of Great Almoner call'd Piche Nahmaz He reads Prayers in the King's House performs Circumcisions Marriages Burials and all other Functions of Religion in presence of the four Chief Bishops He is as it were the Universal Divine of the whole Empire for he disputes and marshals all Conferences in Religion This Lord Almoner is of the King's Council and enjoys near as great Prerogatives as any of the other Bishops There are Six Great Ministers of State in Persia Six Ministers of State which are call'd Rohna Doulets that is to say the Pillars and Supports of the Empire The First is the Grand Vizier The Etmadaulet call'd Etmadaulet that is the Prop of Power He is the Great Chancellour of the Kingdom President of the Council and Superintendant of the Customs He takes care of all foreign Affairs and Commerce with other Nations No Pensions or Gratifications are paid without his Orders and in short he is even as the Vice-Roy of Persia He Authorizes the King's Mandates by endorsing 'em with these Words Bende derga Ali il Alia Etmadaulet that is By the Port is meant the Court. I that am the Prop of Power and
thought criminal in being the first occasion of displeasing so merciful a Prince But for the Superintendant of the Slaves he took only an innocent Liberty of interceeding for his Friend without acting any thing contrary to the Respect that was due to his Commands for that all his Predecessors had confirmed that Law which forbid any one to execute such Orders as this till they had been reiterated thrice and that knowing of what importance it was to oppose sometimes an humble Intercession to their Anger they have always allow'd of solliciting their Clemency in favour of the Accus'd Very well then says the King I pardon the Superintendant of the Slaves But you Divan Begui I command you thrice go execute my Orders go instantly and strike off that Traytors's Head Whereupon the Divan Begui though very unwillingly was forc'd to go and seize the Constable and to degrade him by snatching off his Turban and throwing it on the ground when dragging him out of the Hall he took off his Girdle and bound his Hands behind him The Constable all the while wishing Prosperity and long Life to the King without daring to murmur any Complaints against his Usage and to shew his entire Submission to his Master's Orders he often kiss'd the Divan Begui's Robe and conjur'd him to entreat his Majesty that he would be pleased to pay his Debts and not to extend his Wrath to the reft of his Family they being altogether innocent and he only guilty Then he desired the Alcoran to pray in and to know whether his last Hour were yet come hoping always the King's Anger would mitigate But the Divan Begui fearing by delay to incense the King farther against himself fix'd the last Minute of his Life by discharging a Stroke into his Neck which through Grief to see his Friend in that Condition was not strong enough to do his Business wherefore the Constable entreating by their ancient Friendship to dispatch him the Divan Begui not being farther able himself caus'd his Gentleman to come up who with three Blows of a Scymetar sever'd his Head from his Body Which done it was immediately carry'd to the King who looking upon it with a stern Countenance cried Very well Traytor Am I now asleep Am I now in a Lethargy as you sent word to my Enemies No no you find I am not Then ordering the Head to be taken from him he turn'd himself to the Lords of his Court and told 'em That that Head was but the First of Four that should fall Which surprizing Speech made every one tremble and look pale for fear it should be his own The Wedding that the King promised to the Princess his Aunt was by these means chang'd into a bloody and frightful Tragedy for he immediately order'd an Eunuch to carry her the Constable's Head and moreover to acquaint her from him that it belonged to the Husband he had made choice of for her and that it was certain she had yet made no attempt against his Person Nevertheless he should not be contented by punishing her only with Griefs to see her Lover's Head in a Platter he would also have her's for reparation Whilst these Executions were doing in the Palace the Great Master of the Houshold and Governour of Shiras were sealing of the Constable's House The King terminated these tragical Actions by giving the Government of Hamadan to Abdelksum-Kan who had been dispossest thereof Eight Years before by the Wiles of the Constable But the King tho' he restor'd him his Government yet kept his Goods which he had confiscated and united to his Demesns This so absolute Authority that makes the King of Persia Unaccountable at the same time renders his Subjects Miserable Chiek Sephi restorer of the Monarchy of Persia and who rais'd its Power to that height we see it in at present was without doubt an excellent Politician Original of the King 's Despotick Power He knew how to make use of the Advantages he had by being descended from Mahomet and whose Religion the greatest part of the Medians came in Crowds to embrace He had immediately a Reputation of being a Saint of that Law his Life being very regular and retir'd Upon which occasion he had leisure to invent a great many Improbable Revelations but which nevertheless he put off to the People for Oracles In short he knew so well how to manage their weakness with his Hypocrisy He is Head of his Religion that he made 'em acknowledge his Son Cha Ishmael for the Sovereign and Supream Head of their Religion Insomuch that the succeeding Kings have retain'd this Power and Advantage For the People ignorantly believe His Subjects believe him Infallible That being descended from Mahomet they are always faultless in their Manners and infallible in their Decisions In a manner that the Emperor of Persia holds in his Hands both the Reins of Spiritual and Temporal Authority which are the Two only Foundations that can support an Arbitrary Power The Persians are so pre-possess'd and bigotted with the Infallibility of their Prince that they receive his Commands and Ordinances as Oracles descended from Heaven Their respect to his Commands And however innocent a Person in disgrace is yet they look upon him as a Traytor and a Villain Being of Opinion That to incurr the displeasure of their Prince is one of the most enormous of Crimes 'T is therefore they always treat 'em like Cain with the terms of Traytor Ingrate and unworthy to see the Light it being not possible to enter into their Heads That the King can ever condemn any Body without just Cause This spiritual Power is to be remarked in all the Addresses and Discourses they have to and with him As Kourban Olim which is May I be sacrific'd for you Din Imanum Padicha My King my Saint my Law Bachanha Dunim May I turn about your Head This way of expressing themselves May I turn about your Head is not of modern Invention but was in use with the ancient Persian Kings and it is practised now in so particular and frequent a manner that it cannot well be past by For when the King bestows any charge he to whom it is given takes his Instalment by turning thrice about his Person and saying May I turn about your Head and afterwards by falling on his Knees and kissing his Majesty's Feet He protests by this Ceremony That he is ready to expose his Life for the safety of his Masters and acknowledges withal that his and his Family's dependance is altogether upon his Pleasure and 't is therefore they call their King Veli Nahmet that is The Master and Distributer of Favours All things are well order'd in the King's Privy-Council The King's Council His Counsellors of Religion the Sword and the Gown are of an equal number all chosen Men both of Wit and Experience They have a deep Penetration and a great deal of Vivacity They conceive things easily and always give every
which are allow'd or controll'd at his Pleasure The Kingdom of Persia is so very large A good Pulicy that the most distant Kans might very well disturb the State if they were allow'd to be altogether Masters of their Soldiers But this probable disorder has been prevented by placing in every Province a Vizier or Overseer which does the same thing in Persia as the Intendant in France except that they are not allow'd to pronounce Justice as they do but are only Assistants to the Kans who are always the proper Judges in their own Provinces These Viziers raise the Soldiers Pay upon the Demesns that the Kans might not have the power to engage 'em to a Revolt They have also care that the Peasants to avoid the hard Usages of the Kans and other Officers do not forsake their Labour The Kalentar or Provost of the Merchants has also authority to prevent the abusing of Merchants and other Tradesmen And the Deputies of the Sadre Chiek Alislam and the Kazi are as so many Spies to observe the Proceedings of the Kan and who can scarce do any thing without their Privity These are good Orders but ill observ'd for if the Kan have but cunning enough to manage the People he may do what he pleases without any Check or Restraint Tho' the People have the justest cause imaginable Petitions when presented yet they find it often very difficult to make their Complaints for they can never present any Petition to the King but when he goes on Horse-back and then the Kans have always so much Interest at Court as to prevent their Approaching him Sometimes they make the Great Astrologer their Friend who pretends to consult the Stars and that it is not a lucky Hour for his Majesty to receive Petitions in How prevented And sometimes the Great Marshal who goes just before the King and commands his Servants to keep the Suppliants off with tough Cudgels Morever the King always does the honour of Discoursing with him upon the way to some one of his Ministers who if he be engag'd will discourse of quite another thing than what is expos'd in the Petition And in a Word there is nothing easier than to corrupt the King's Footmen who always run to receive the Petitions and who can very well suppress some of them by the way Nevertheless Hazara to oppress his Subjects it is no common hazard to oppress any of this King's Subjects for he has so great a love for them that he severely punishes those Governours that do but offend 'em but yet he is not always rightly inform'd of their conduct The Lords of his Councel are all provided of some Government whose Lieutenants are also subject to the same hazards with their Governours and therefore these employ their Interests as strenuously for them as themselves for fear their Extortions being discover'd might prove a prejudice to their Grandeur and great Expences at Court which are altogether supply'd by these means So that providing there be no falling out between the Governours their Oppressions and Injustice can never be known A difference arising between the Chief Minister and the Constable in 1685 was the cause of a Brother of the latter's ruine For the Constable who ow'd his own Rise to this Minister insinuated himself so much farther into his Favour that he obtain'd the Government of Sembran for his Brother Mahmed Reza Kan But this new Governour who might have been one of the greatest Men in Persia had he had so much Goodness and Honesty as Wit began to exercise so many Inhumanities and Oppressions in that Province that the People came to Court in Crowds for redress They carried their Accusations first to the Chief Minister who sending for the Constable acquainted him with the many Complaints were made against his Brother and desir'd him to use means to prevent the like for the future for fear of the ill Consequences that would certainly ensue if they should come to the King's Ear. So great a kindness as this from a Person that had a power of distributing Justice himself one would have thought might have prevail'd upon this Constable but the favour he imagin'd he was in with the King over balanc'd all other Considerations and therefore blinded with Ambition he gave him such an Answer as was the utter ruine of his Brother and in a great measure of himself For he told this Minister That it was not so great a wonder if his Brother who was a young Man had ruin'd a Province when he that was so consummated a Politician had done the like for all Persia This Constable forgot all the while he ow'd his Preferment to this Man and who had as great a power to suppress his Pride as he had had to advance it In short the Etmadaulet inform'd the King of all and this Governour of Sembran was immediately degraded and his Estate confiscated to the People's use to make 'em amends for their loss He was forthwith sent to Hispahan and there laid in Irons He also receiv'd so many blows on the Feet as made his Nails jump off from 'em and he never had escap'd a shameful death if the Constable who was also out of favour upon this occasion had not found out some means to appease the angry Etmadaulet and moreover disburs'd Twenty Thousand Crowns to make the People full satisfaction He saved his Brother's Head by these means but he was never able to re-establish him in any Employ or the King's favour who would never so much as look upon him ever afterwards The People may also present Petitions against the Kans by way of the Etmadaulet or Divan-Begui Petitions presented how but these ways are full as chargeable and often of as great difficulty as the former For if the Kans Complained against are Friends either to one or other of these great Lords or if they be Persons of a better Reputation than ordinary they will be sure to have these Petitions secretly sent ' em And if not so the Suppliant must enter into a Recognizance to the King conformable to the importance of the matter to be instantly paid if he has falsly accus'd the Kan The Etmadaulet and Divan-Begui affix their Seals to this Recognizance and then it must be enter'd in Five several Registers where there are great Duties to be paid After that the Suppliant carries it to the Divan-Begui who grants out a Commission to some Lord of that Province to examine into the Affair and then he allows the Suppliant a Messenger of the Palace to do Execution and levy the Recognizance Afterwards he carries it to the Chancery where the Keeper of the Seals sends him into the Haram to get the King's Seal apply'd Then the Suppliant departs with his Messenger whose Charges he is oblig'd to defray 'till he has made good what he pretended 'T is easie to guess after this with what Impunity the Kans are suffer'd to Tyrannize over the People when they
Kingdom to that of the Ottoman's dissuaded 'em from their Pilgrimage to Mecca and inspir'd 'em with great Devotion for Iman Reza one of the Twelve Saints of Persia who has his Sepulchre at Masched He has made this Tomb Famous by a great many false Miracles he caus'd to be practis'd there for placing People there on purpose who should counterfeit themselves Blind they suddenly receiv'd their Sight at this Sepulchre and immediately cryed out A Miracle He procur'd so great a Veneration for this Tomb of Iman Reza that most of the greatest Lords in Persia have desired to be bury'd in his Mosque and to which they give great Legacies From thence arises the great Treasure it has in it and of which no doubt the Vsbegs are more desirous than of the Town it self They were so near to it about two Years ago that the King was oblig'd to send a puissant Army thither under the Conduct of Roustan Kan his Divan Begui and Favourite He omitted nothing to divide these Usbegs insomuch that his good Deeds prevail'd upon the Prince D' Organge to be detach'd from their side The good Intelligence the King of Persia always has with the Kalmoukes and Lezguis Good Intelligence with the other Tartars against the Muscovites serves for a Bulwark to defend him against the Muscovites on the North Nevertheless they might very much incommode Persia by Pyracies on the Caspian Sea For the Cossacks who live under their Obedience dayly encrease in strength there but yet they would not do wisely to make any descent for their Troops are not fitting to grapple with those of Persia especially such as live about Mount-Caucasus for they retain too much of the Courage of the Amazons from whom they descend ever to be overcome The Women also have a great deal of their Valour in them They are very Tall and very Fair and do not want for Chastity Their Men have also a great Meen and are very strong but are unreasonably Brutish and have little or no Neatness The Grand Signior is the most formidable Enemy the Persians have The Persians Politicks in regard of the Grand Signior His State confines with Persia from the Black Sea even to Balsora which comprehends both the West and the South The Christian Princes in League against the Grand Signior not being satisfied with the Answers they receiv'd byt their Ambassadors sent Solomon Skourki whom I have mention'd before once more to Sollicite the King of Persia with new Arguments in which they employ'd all the power of Politicks to engage him to advantage himself by the Confusion and Disorder the Grand Signior was in and moreover they endeavour'd to persuade him that he might now restore his Empire to that glorious condition it was in in the Reign of his Predecessor Ahasuerus who Govern'd 27 Provinces and of which the Grand Signior now enjoys Arabia Chaldaea Syria and the other Countries which are between Tygris and Aethiopia which confin'd the Empire of Ahasuerus But he was answered anew That the King of Persia would rather chuse to lose his Kingdom than to Conquer another contrary to Articles of Peace made betwixt him and the Grand Signior The Arabians who had possest themselves of Balsora two Years ago dispatcht away Couriers to the Governour of Laurestan to desire him to send thither a Garrison to take possession of that place for the King his Master whom the Governour sent away immediately to Court with other Couriers from him But the King did not think fit to accept of their Offer and they had the same Answer with the former The Persians His managing Alliances with his Neighbours against this Powerful Neighbour take care to manage their Alliance prudently with the Princes of Turcomania Curdistan and Arabia Deserta all which owe no Obedience to the Grand Signior They also carefully keep Correspondence with the Prince of the Arabians of Mascat to assist 'em against the Portuguese when they come with Sword in hand to demand their share of the Customs of Congo Bandarik and Baharin The King's Politicks are admirable in respect of the Georgians His Politicks with the Georgians who might give him a great deal of disturbance if they were once united against him But he knows how to keep 'em divided the better to correspond with his Interest He preferrs so advantageously all their greatest Lords that they forget both their Country and Religion to apply themselves wholly to his Service The greatest Trusts in the Empire are at present in their hands and they who have no Preferments yet have all their Places at Royal Feasts their Expences out of the Treasury and enjoy all other Privileges of the King's Guests and Tablers The care that Chiek-Sephi took to Establish a particular Sect which was so very different from the other Mahometans was an admirable Invention to prevent the People from Revolting through the Solicitations of either the Turks Tartars or Indians who are all their Neighbours for it has imprinted 'em with such an horrour of their belief that the Persians have a saying That if you should boil together a Sunni that is a Follower of Omar with Chiai who is a Follower of Ali their Substances would never Mix but keep their Antipathy and Opposition tho' they were both dissolv'd The Sunni's for their part and above all the Usbeg Tartars have so great an aversion for the Persians that a Soldier returning from the Campagne would be but ill received by his Wife if he should not bring her some of a Persian's Blood wherein she might indulge her Joy for his safe return The Persians have no other Codes The manner of administring Justice in Persia or Digests than the Interpretation of the Alcoran made by the Imans descended from Mortas Ali. They have three sorts of Tribunals 1. The Criminal which they call Ourf 2. The Civil called Cheher And 3. the Legal which has the name of Divan Ali that is The Soveraign Tribunal The Chief Justice of the Courts at Hispahan The sole Chief Justice of the Kingdom and all other Superiour Courts of the Kingdom is the Diven Begui He has a Derogat to execute his Sentences who also serves as Jaylor and sometimes as Judge to determine petty Criminal Causes The Kans are also Chief in their own Courts in their Provinces but there always lies an Appeal from them to the Divan Bigui The Divan Bigui has no cognizance of Treason for that is try'd in the inner part of the King's Palace without any relation had to the Council as I observed before But no Criminal whatever he be is Sentenc'd without the King's knowledge who must be fully acquainted with the Sadre's Decision who always determines the sort of Punishment according to the Laws prescribed by the Imans They proceed in these Courts much after the same manner with us of Europe viz. by Proofs Confronting of Witnesses and Tortures There are two sorts of Tortures in use in Persia as
the Priests pronounce 'em damn'd because having no more Eyes they cannot view the Sun The Funerals of these last are most lamented They have Saints which they worship Saints and how become so and they say that the way to become such is to work to purifie the Elements to till the Ground to cultivate the Gardens to purge the Water of Infects and to keep the Fire alight These are their daily Employments By the Principles of their Religion they are oblig'd to leave in their Wills a certain Summ to rid the Ponds of such a number of Frogs Toads Serpents and other Insects They also leave something for People to carry away the Carrion which the Mahometans let stink in the Streets To purifie the Air and to preserve the Towns from Contagion is a very pious Action amongst them Their most Venerable Saint was Zorouster a famous Astrologer who first taught Astronomy to the ancient Persian Magi and perhaps that 't is from him that they learn'd to worship the Sun But the Gavres nevertheless will tell you that they do not worship this Planet but only one God but Histories say the contrary we know that Armenia has been honour'd with a great many Martyrs that chose rather to die than adore the Sun How to reconcile this with the Gavres Profession I cannot well tell but I am apt to believe these People are asham'd to own their Idolatry Their Chief Feast is call'd Nau-Rous that is a New Day for 't is always the First Day of the Year They begin this Feast the very same minute the Sun enters into Aries it lasts Eight Days all which they spend in Dancing Sports and Jovialty in Honour of the Sun The modern Persians also retain this Feast The Gavres seem to me to differ less from the Christians than the modern Persians for their Manners are much purer they are brought up and nourish'd in the Bosom of Poverty and have a good Disposition to the Gospel if they could be but made more attentive FINIS ERRATA Page 112. line 13. for will read would p. 40. l. 7. for First r. Vpper p. 21. l. 15. for Quer-Koule r. Kouler A TABLE Of the most Remarkable CONTENTS A AB-Couran a large River in Persia 55 Address of the Persian Ladies 61. Their Employments in the Haram 62. Their Number ibid. A Koud or Chiek Alislam third Pontiff of Persia and Chief Lieutenant-Civil 15. His Substitutes 16 Alcoran what Book it is 146. The Persians and other Mahometans have each a different Interpretation of it ibid. Its Law not just 138. It is the sole Rule of the Belief of the Persians 146. Its Whimsies and Absurdities ibid. The People follow it exactly The Men of Letters only explain it 155. Men of good sense take but little notice of its Illusions ibid. Alla Kapi what it is 39 Amazons who are those that descended from 'em 125. The Characters of both the Men and Women 126 Ambassadours and Envoys in Persia how they are receiv'd 50. Their Stipend and Maintenance 51. How much the King values 'em ibid. How he behaves himself towards 'em during their stay ibid. Armies Naval the King of Persia has none 76 Artillery he also has little or none and wherefore 75 Asses belonging to the King of Persia richly accoutred 44 Answers judicious to the Envoys of Germany Poland and Muscovy 101 An Answer by way of Parable by the Etmadaulet 103 B. Beasts in Parade before the Hall of Audience at the time of the King's Feasts 43 Belief how different between the Persians and Mahometans Books of the Persians corrupted by Mahomet 146 Bridge upon the River Zendroud 56. It s description ibid. Bullodges and Agwanes what People they are and wherefore the Persians fear to be surpriz'd by 'em 118. What the Persians do to engage 'em to their Interests 119 C. Cassa the King's Wife 62 Cha Abbas what he did 177 67 120 Cha Hegber Third Son to the Mogul a Refugee in Persia 119. His Rebellion against his Father 120. A Stratagem of his Father 's that avoided his Designs ibid. Chamber of Great Days they have no such in Persia and the ill Consequences thereof 112 Chiek Sephi Restorer of the Persian Monarchy 97 Children that abuse their Fathers and Mothers how they are punish'd 135 Circumcision of the Persians 152 Climate its diversity in Persia 66 Colonies of Armenian Christians corrupted but how easily recover'd 119 Commerce the Kans and Viziers are not just in observing the Treaties and Privileges the King grants to Merchants which ruins Trade 113. Complaints of the Dutch on this account 114. They have had great Trade for silk with the Dutch and why it is decreas'd 113. Whence it happens that foreign Merchants do not much care to Trade there 115 Constable who was the cause of the Misfortune of a Governour falsly accus'd 80. His Treachery 83. His Malice incens'd the King 86. A Sultan discovers his Treason 87. How much he was in the King's Favour at that time 88. His Character ibid. His Wit ibid. He raises himself Enemies 89. Other Intrigues of his discover'd to the King ib. His tragical End 94 95. His Head carried to his Mistress by the King's Orders 96 Council of State of the King of Persia Qualities and Qualifications of them that compose it 99. Their manner of transacting Affairs Secrets there nicely observ'd 104 Court of Persia its Magnificence by the great number of Officers 33 Course of the King of Persia its description 53. Another Course 54. It s River ibid. A Courtesan victorious Commanding the King's Army 117 Courtiers easier to be converted than the Vulgar 156 Custom Houses and Customs see Douannes Custom House Officers on the Roads 70 D. Derviches or Abdals Religious Men in Persia 153 Derogat of the Deftar 19 Dgez Haitchis what they are near the King of Persia 102 Difference between the Chief Minister and the Constable and what was the Consequence 108 c. Discourse of the Etmadaulet to the King in favour of the Constable condemn'd to death 93 c. Disgrace of a Governour falsly accus'd 78. Afterwards found innocent 79 Divan Begui who he is 22 Doctrine of Jesus Christ very contrary to that of Mahomet 171 Douannes or Custom-Houses of Persia 69. Customs on Tobacco how much they amount to ibid. c. Drinking the Great Men drink Wine to excess at their Feasts 47. Why the King commands to do it 48 Dispute about the use of Wine and Polygamy condemn'd upon the Death and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ 157 c. And a Parable thereupon 160. About the Holy Scriptures 161 c. About the Divinity of Christ ibid. c. Daughters Prostitutes the Authority of their Parents and Relations to punish 'em as they please 132. A Story of one surpriz'd and stabb'd by her Brother in the act ibid. E. Eating the manner of the Persians 48 Echick Agasi Bachi who he is 23. His Office ibid. Emissaries of the King of Persia in the Mogul 's