he told me thus much that he was offended to see the Superiour Divertise the Company at a Festival with the same Hymns which he pretended were appointed for the Service of GOD in the Church Father Raphael also added That he took it very ill that the Viceroy had us'd his Authority so far to oblige the Superiour to play upon the Lute and sing at every turn to please his Humour only that their Security depended so much upon his Favour that they durst not deny him any thing About Midnight therefore as I told yee we left 'em after we had tak'n leave of the Prince with all due Reverence Nevertheless before he would let me go he ask'd me how his Kinsman the King of Spain did and drank his Health in a Bowl set with Pretious Stones and would needs have both the Capuchins and my self pledge the Health in the same Cup. Though I know not whether he did it out of Vain-glory or to honour the Superiour whom he knew to be a Subject of his most Catholick Majesty The 17th reflecting upon the Title of King of Spain which the Prince had assum'd to himself and finding that it was not incoherent with what several Authors alledge that the Spaniard Originally came out of Iberia I ask'd the Capuchins How the Prince claim'd Affinity with the King of Spain They answer'd That Clement the VIII having written to Taymuras and in his Letters call'd him Kinsman to Philip the Second and the Iberians and Spaniards Brothers his Successors ever since retain'd that Imaginary Kindred And upon that occasion they told me several Stories of the Pride and Vain-glory of the Georgians and of the Viceroy in particular and shew'd me the Copy of a Letter which he wrote about two Years since to the King of Poland Of which I have inserted the Translation in this Journal as being an Authentick Piece and proper to shew that the pride of the Georgians is not a little Extravagant and because the Crowd of Vain-glorious Titles with which it is stuff'd discovers plainly that the Fastern Nations beyond all compare surpass all others in the World in Vanity PRaise Glory and Adoration are to be given to GOD most Omnipotent who has Created and Preserves all Things who was neither Produc'd nor Engender'd Exempt from all Evils Ineffable Merciful to all as well the Dead as the Living who Commands with absolute Power both Great and Mean and Governs 'em with Clemency The most High the most Puissant Prince the King of the Georgians Lictimenians Litians Mesiulctians Shevians Sheviultians Suans Ossi Bualtians Circassians Tuscians Psianetians Tidisiceans Jalibusians the People both on this side and beyond the High Mountains and of all the places there inhabited Lord of the three Grand Tribes the Georgian term is Eristava Eris signifiing People and Tava Chieftain or Prince and of the Holy Seat of Schette Capital City of all the Provinces which God through his favour has given us in Heritage King of Iberia and Mucrania Sabatian Trialet Taschire Sometta Chianchia and Schianvanda and of several other Kingdoms which he possesses with settl'd and absolute Authority and over which he has full Power who is descended from Jesse David Solomon and who by the Grace and Power of GOD is loaden with Prosperity the Vanquisher of Vanquishers the Invincible King of Kings the most High Lord Shanavas-Can To you John Casimir who are laden with Honour and can replenish Men with it who are Famous in Peace and well edifi'd in Virtue who by the Mercy and Power of GOD are August Happy Born under a favourable Constellation most great in Magnificence who are always a doer of Good Who for your rare merit are most worthy of a Throne and a Crown most Potent Soveraign Victor over Victors Victorious over Enemies Celebrated Exterminator of Rebels Prince born a Christian and bred up in the Christian Religion Renown'd for feats of Arms Hereditary King of Poland Gothia Vandalia Lithuania Russia Prussia Livonia Mazovia Samotia Chiovia Ciarnacovia and several other Kingdoms and Provinces most Serene Lord whose renown is expanded over all and Reaches to the Sun To you I say Great King of Poland without Compare profound in Wisdom and all manner of Knowledge and Most Illustrious through all those just Elogies which are given you for having understood all the most noble Languages We salute yee withal our Affection and with as much ardour as the Obligation of our Hearty good will desires it we wish you perfect Content long Peace and multipli'd Prosperities We render infinite Thanks to God for having learnt the Estate of your Health by Letters brought us from the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lord John Lesezunshi Count of Lersno Great Chancellor in your Kingdom and Lieutenant General in upper Poland We humbly beseech his Divine Goodness that we may understand from time to time the continuance of your Health in its perfection that you tast without Molestation the Fruits of a Happy Peace and that you enjoy a perfect Felicity Your good Servant Burgibug-Danbec Officer of your Kingdom a Gentleman no less Illustrious for his Fidelity then Nobility is come hither in Quality of an Envoy from your Royal Majesty to renew the Peace and Ratifie the Friendship and good Correspondence between the happy King Sultan Soliman whose Grandeur is advanc'd to the Heavens and Establish'd over all the Earth a Prince most High Supream Incomparable Infinite in Power accustom'd to make himself by force ador'd by his most formidable Enemies who enriches the Universe no less then the Sea and who is worthy more Praises then it is possible for Men to give him Monarch of Persia Media Parthia Hircania the Persian Golph and the Islands therein contain'd Caramania Aracosia Margiana and other Innumerable Principalities and Lordships Your Agent has pass'd through our Territories without having suffer'd the least Inconvenience or receiv'd the least Molestation He has now taken his leave to depart by the Assistance of God toward your Royal Majesty I beseech you through the hearty good will and Friendship which we mutually bear one to the other that this good Subject and my Domestick may be as welcom to your self as he had been to your Predecessor At the Royal Palace of Tefflis March 26. 1671. of the Birth of Jesus Messia The Twentieth I desir'd the Prefect or Superiour of the Theatins and Father Raphael to return Thanks to the Prince for the Favours and Honours he had done me and to pray him that I might have an Officer to conduct me to Irivan the chief City of Armenia the Greater To which the Prince satisfi'd with the Complement and no less ready to grant me my request Commanded the Capuchins to tell me That he had a great Kindness for the Europeans and would have wish'd I could have stay'd longer at Tefflis to the end he might have made it more clear to me what he profess'd but that he would not presume neither had he any desire to stop me
the Bodies of St. Andrew and St. Matthew were found there and that the Scull of the Evangelist is still preserv'd in the Church belonging to the Monastery When I came to Erivan I alighted at the House of an Armenian of my Acquaintance whose Name was Azarias He was a Person extreamly persecuted by those of his own Nation because he had been at Rome to turn Roman Catholick and Disciple to the Colledge for the Propagation of the Faith and for endeavouring to settle the Capuchins at Erivan I found him indispos'd and in Bed However he rose to give Notice of my Arrival fearing to come into trouble if he deferr'd it till the next Morning To which purpose he went to Court but could not see the Governor who was retir'd into the Apartment of the Princess his Wife Nevertheless an Eunuch did his Message The Eighth the Governor sent a Person to give me a Visit and to tell me I was Welcom Whereupon Mr. Azarias undertook to go in my behalf and return him my humble Thanks and withal to let him know who I was Upon which the Governor shew'd an earnest desire to see me as soon as I could and some part of the Jewels I had brought along with me Afterwards he ask'd how many Servants I had and order'd Mr. Azarias to inform him whether I had rather Lodge in the Fortress or in the Inn which he had built and to bring him word speedily For my part I made choice of the Inn as well for the Security of the Place as for that a Man shall never there want Company because of the great resort of Merchants thither besides that Travellers alighted there every day Thereupon the Governor order'd me one of the best Apartments The Ninth I went thither betimes in the Morning and spent all that day in setling my self in my Lodging About Noon one of the Governors Officers brought me an Order from the Steward to send for from the Office Bread Wine Meat Trouts Fruit Rice Butter Wood and other Necessary Provisions as much as would suffice six Persons The Quantity of every thing is regulated never augmented nor abated but the Proportion allow'd for one Person is so large that two may well be satisfy'd with it The 10th the Governor sent so earnestly for me to come to him and bring him part of my Jewels that I could no longer defer it I found him in a very large Cabinet or Study very Decent and very Light There was also with him the Head Surveyor of all the Mints of Persia who at that time was come to Erivan and four other Lords He receiv'd me with an Extraordinary Civility three times told me I was welcome and set before me Sweet Meats and Aqua Vitae of Moscovy Presently I presented him with the Kings Patent and that of the Grand Master already mention'd Of both which he made great accompt and spent an Hour in Enquiries after European News as well concerning the late Wars and the present Estate of Christendom as about Arts and Sciences and what new Discoveries had been made therein Another Hour he spent in considering and viewing the Pretious Stones and Jewels which I shew'd him He gave me to understand that among the Persian Poets Emraulds of the old Rock were call'd Emraulds of Egypt of which they believ'd there had been a Mine in Egypt which was now lost and at length after he had lay'd by what he lik'd himself and what he thought would please the Princess his Wife he stay'd me to dine with him Dinner being ended he honour'd me the other half Hour with his Company and then dismiss'd me commanding an Officer in my hearing to go to the Caravanserai and charge the Inn-Keeper to be careful as well for my security as to give me all Content And he was moreover so kind as to tell the Officer farther that he made him my Memander who is as it were a Gentleman-Waiter and such as are appointed to attend upon all Persons of Quality to take care of their Persons and the same Evening he sent me besides a Present of Moscovy Aqua Vitae This Governor bears the Title of Becler-Beg or Lord of Lords For so they call the Deputy Lieutenants of large Governments to distinguish 'em from those meaner Governours whom they call Can's He has also the Title of Serdar or General of the Army So that he is one of the Principal Lords of Persia and one of the most Judicious and most refin'd Politicians in the Kingdom He is call'd by the Name of Sephi-Couli-Can or the Duke the Slave of Sephi He enjoy'd one of the most Noble Governments of the Empire in the Reign of the Deceas'd King but through some Intreague among the Women he fell into disgrace three Years before the Death of that Prince The Wife which he has Marry'd is of the Blood Royal by the Mothers side And this Princess it was who at the beginning of the present Kings Reign restor'd her Husband to his Majesties Favour from whom in a little time he obtain'd the Government of Erivan the most considerable in the Kingdom and which yields him the fairest Revenue no less then Two and Thirty Thousand Tomans a Year which are above a Hundred and Twelve Thousand Pounds Sterling The Fines Presents and indirect ways to enrich himself are worth him Fifty Thousand Pounds more And doubtless this Lord is the most wealthy and most Fortunate of all the Kingdom The King loves him the Court has a Veneration for him and his two Sons are the Kings only Favourites the People under his Government Love and respect him because of his Popularity his doing Justice and for that he is not so oppressive and given to extortion as others So that he deserves the good Fortune he enjoys for besides these good Qualities he is Learned and a great Lover of Arts and Sciences The 11th this Lord sent to invite me to the Nuptials of his Stewards Brother where he was I found him pleasant and in a very good Humour For he had receiv'd at the opening of the Gate an order from the King by a Coolom-Sha who came from Ispahan in Thirteen Days This Order related to an affair of great Importance For several Sultans who are Lords of Countrys and Governours of strong Holds having refus'd to obey his Orders and having made great complaints against him to the King and his Ministers He on the other side had justifi'd his own Rights and Prerogatives upon which his Majesty had given Sentence in his behalf and had sent him an order to Command Obedience Which Order the Coolom-Sha was to see Executed and to cause Satisfaction to be giv'n to the Governour Coolom-Sha signifies the Kings Slave Not but that they who bear this Title are as free as other the Kings Natural Subjects but they take it as a Mark of their perfect Devotion to their Soveraign as being that to which they were bred up altogether in their Infancy For the Imployment of
Revenue is employ'd to keep the Places clean and neat to repair the Decays of time in the Building and Moveables for the buying of Lights and maintaining several Churchmen and a great number of Regents and Governors of Students and poor People They distribute Victuals every day to all that come and to people that are hir'd And of all these Legacies and Revenues three Great Lords of Persia have the Superintendency every one being appointed his Chappel He that at present takes Care of the she-Saints Chappel is an illustrious Ancient Person who has been Courtshi Bashi or Collonel of the Courtches which is a great Body of the Militia consisting of thirty Thousand Men. And the same Person is also Governor of Com. This City contains also several other Edifices very beautiful and sumptuous It is a very pleasant Place but for the Heat which is very excessive In the Summer the River that passes by it is no bigger then a small Rivulet but the Winter Thaws swell it to that degree with the Water that falls from the Mountains that it not only fills its own Channel which is as broad as the Seine at Paris but overflows a great part of the City They call it generally the River of Com but the true Name of it is Joubad-gan This City lies in 85. deg 48. min. of Longitude and 34. deg 30. min. of Latitude The Air is wholsom but extremely hot as I said before for it scalds in the Summer there being no place in all Persia where the Sun scorches more violently It abounds in all manner of Victuals and Fruits particularly in Pistachios The people also are very courteous and civil The most part of Topographers will have Com to be the same place which Ptolomy calls Gauna or Guriana And his Translator asserts it to be the same with Choama tho others will have it to be Arbacte or Hecatompyle Several Histories of Persia likewise relate this City to be very Ancient and that it was built by Tahmas when the Sun entred into Gemini that it was twelve thousand Cubits in compass and as big as Babylon I must confess there is no doubt but it was very large for there are many Ruins and Footsteps of Habitations to be seen round about it but it is much to be question'd whether it were so Ancient as the Reign of Tahmas Other Persian Histories deduce its Original from the first Age of Mahumetism and affirm that in the time of Mahomet there were in that place seven large Villages and that in the 83 Year of the Hegyra Abdalla Saydon Califfe coming into that Country with an Army joyn'd those seven Villages together with new Buildings enclos'd 'em with a Wall and made 'em one City and that afterwards this City encreas'd to that degree that it became twice as large as Constantinople For Mousa the Son of that Abdalla came from Basra to Com and brought with him the Opinions of Haly which they call the Religion of Shia or Imamism which was always profess'd in that place even to Martyrdom nor would the People suffer any other and therefore Temur-leng being of a contrary Belief utterly destroy'd the City Nevertheless by degrees they repair'd one part of it again but it did not begin to reflourish until this last Age and since that Sephy was there interr'd Abas the Second his Son and Successor banish'd thither such Persons as were fallen from his Favour to the end they might pray to God for his person and give thanks to heaven for their Lives which he had spar'd ' em Soliman at present reigning had made use of it to the same purpose sending thither all those whom he thought convenient to punish with Exile and the great number of exil'd persons of Quality it was that has restor'd the City to that Splendor wherein now it stands In the Year 1634. an Inundation of Waters ruin'd a thousand Houses and it is but three Years since that an Accident of the same nature had like to have ruin'd it all together For two thousand Houses and all the Ancient Houses were laid level with the Earth The Name is pronounc'd with a double m as if we should write the word Komm It is also call'd Darel mouveheldin that is to say The Habitation of pious People The Governor bears the Title of Darogué or Mayor Kachan Kachan The 17. we travell'd five Leagues cross the Plain We found it all the way cover'd with a moving Sand dry without either Villages or Water We lodg'd in a place call'd Abshirin or Sweet Water because there is in that place a Fountain of fair Water and Cisterns in the midst of six Carevanserais The 18. our Journey reach'd to Cashan where we arriv'd after we had travell'd seven Leagues steering toward the South over the Plain already mention'd and at the end of two Leagues we found the Soyl delightful and fertile stor'd with large Villages We pass'd through several and about half the way left upon the left hand at a near distance a little City call'd Sarou seated at the foot of a Mountain The City of Cashan is seated in a large Plain near a high Mountain It is a League in length and a quarter of a League in breadth extending it self in length from East to West When you see it afar off it resembles a half Moon the Corners of which look toward both those Parts of the Heavens The Draught is no true Representation either of the Bigness or the Figure as having been taken without a true Prospect And the reason was the Indisposition of my Painter who being extremely tir'd with the former days Travel was not able to stir out of the Inn where we lay All that he could do was to get upon the Terrass and take the Draught from thence There is no River that runs by the City only several Canals convey'd under Ground with many deep Springs and Cisterns as there are at Com. It is encompass'd with a double Wall flank'd with round Towers after the Ancient Fashion to which there belong five Gates One to the East call'd the Royal Gate as being near the Royal Palace that stands without the Walls Another call'd the Gate of Fieu because it leads directly to a great Village which bears that name Another between the West and North call'd the Gate of the House of Melic as being near to a Garden of Pleasure which was planted by a Lord of that Name The two other Gates are opposite to the South-East and North-East The one call'd Com Gate and the other Ispahan Gate be cause they lead to those Cities The City and the Suburbs which are more beautiful then the City contain six thousand five hundred Houses as the People assure us forty Mosques three Colleges and about two hundred Sepulchres of the Descendants of Aly. The Principal Mosque stands right against the great Market Place having one Tower that serves for a Steeple built of Free Stone Both the Mosque and the Tower are the
which they did but to no purpose For quite contrary to his expectation the insolent Multitude perceiving nothing but fire and smoke were the more confirm'd in their Opinion that the Grand Provost was only come there to shew himself in discharge of his Office and that he did not desire they should part in good earnest In the mean time two Horsemen came from the King to see if the Tumult were appeas'd at what time the Provost gall'd to the heart that they should observe the little Authority he had over the Rabble who had put him to a Retreat with their Stones commanded about twenty of his Soldiers to fire with Bullets Of which Volley there was not a shot that miss'd So that Nine of the Multitude were kill'd upon the place and others were dangerously wounded The rest finding now that the Provost was not in jest fled with all the hast they could leaving their dead and wounded behind When word was carri'd to the King what had happen'd some of the Grand Provosts private Enemies which the great Lords are never without and who unfortunately for him were then at his Majesties elbow laying hold of the opportunity How comes it to pass Sir said they that a private Person and a Slave dares thus abuse the Inhabitants of your Capital City Has he nothing to do but thus to destroy your truly Loyal Subjects Cannot a Grand Provost prevent these disorders 'T is not well done to make such a slaughter of innocent and disarmed people This will cause a contempt of the Authority which your Majesty has over your Subjects and to lose the Respect and Reverence which they ought to bear your Majesty over all your Empire when they find such terrible extremities used under pretence of keeping 'em to obedience Upon this the King who of himself was already troubl'd at the Accident was far more incens'd by these exasperations Wherefore he immediately dismiss'd the Lord from his employment and sent him Prisoner to a House from whence he was releas'd some few days after at the earnest suit of the Queen Mother and some other persons that were concern'd at his Misfortune For indeed he was a man of courage eminent for his vertue and one that shew'd in all his Actions the Nobility of his Extraction for he was descended from the Bloud Royal of Georgia the last Sovereign Prince of that Country being his Grandfather whose name was Hemirè-Hamzeh-Mirza We shall speak more of him in the Progress of his Story fortune calling him again upon the Stage to act a part of more importance and of greater Authority The charge of Grand Provost was again suppli'd the next day and conferr'd upon a very worthy person the Son of Mir-Kassem-bek or Lord Prince Robust This same Mir-Kassem-bek had been Grand Provost before the last that was so lately put out and in the time of Habas II. by the craft of the Prime Minister had his Head cut off in the Royal Piazza of Ispahan His Son who was call'd Kelk-Hali-Bek or the Lord the Dogg of Haly during the little time that he enjoy'd this Employment most worthily behav'd himself in it and we must needs say that rais'd his Father made himself eminent again by driving out all the Thieves Pick-pockets and Rabble which infected that great City This happen'd at the latter end of the Year 1077. according to the Mahumetan account which answers to the beginning of our Year 1667. For their Year 1078. began with the Vernal Equinox which his Majesty made a great day of publick rejoycing according to the Custom of the Persians But this Year that began with so much rejoycing and with such lucky Omens was not so fortunate however in the Conclusion Scarcity War and Epidemick distempers afflicted the most part of the Provinces during the whole course of it The Court was turmoyl'd with several disorders which cost some persons many a troublesom Hour And through the negligence and remissness of the Sovereign the Grandees erected so many petty Tyrannies which trampl'd under foot and pillag'd the poor people as they pleas'd themselves So that there was not any person but was sensible of the miseries which ill Government occasions when the Prince only minds his pleasures and to content his Passions and the great ones following his example give themselves the liberty to follow the swinge of their own Arbitrary Wills The first thing remarkable at the beginning of the Year was the death of Mahammed-Kouli-Kaan-Divan-Beki or Lord Chief Justice He neither lay long sick nor was it long before his Place was suppli'd being conferr'd upon him that was Mirraab or Prince of the Waters or Steward of the Waters For in regard that water is very scarce in that Country this same Overseer of the Waters is a very considerable Employment However it was not thought that he would be the Person made choice of to succeed the Chief Justice but rather that he who had formerly executed the Place and had been banish'd by the deceased King to Metshed for his ill Government would be restor'd to the Kings favour and to his former Post Nor was the Conjuncture without great Probability in regard that Hali-Kouli-Kaan General of all the Kings Forces was then very powerful and that the other was his Nephew the Son of Rustan-Kaan his Brother However he was deceiv'd and the General quite contrary to his Expectation hinder'd all people to sollicite in his behalf out of the care he took of his own Reputation which he had sulli'd in a high degree had he been instrumental to restore a Person that was hated by all the world besides that his private enmity against him prevail'd beyond all the Considerations of Bloud and Consanguinity For which the Christians had reason to bless God because there was no man more their enrag'd and bitter Enemy then he And it was well for 'em during the time he held his Employment that Habas was not a young man and that he undertook their Protection For it is reported of him that when any Christian was Cited before his Tribunal by any Mahumetan he presently condemn'd him before he heard him and that he was wont to say It was Crime enough for an Armenian to have a suit with a Mahumetan for him to cause his head to be broken Why should he not suffer the Injuries that are done him Dog as he is that does not know that the Christian Religion is inferiour to the Mahumetan In the mean time the King held on his debaucheries every day at the same rate But his health did not keep at the same stay while he grew every day worse then other For the young Prince having plundg'd himself into the excesses of Wine and Women it was impossible he should hold out without some alteration So that during the whole course of this Year he was always ill what Physick soever his Physicians could prescribe him for he took little care of himself If he sometimes refrain'd Wine by their advice it was
and Ministers of the Port. But their Money was Dross the Divan not being to be brib'd in that case By the way I shall say this farther in reference to those Religious Fathers that their making such large Offers was not a thing to be wonder'd at For they have assur'd me that the Devotion which Spaniards have toward those Sanctifi'd Places is so great that they themselves would expend whole Treasures for Liberty to enjoy 'em again They affirm'd to me moreover That the Money expended in the Holy Land amounts to Eight Thousand Pounds Sterling a Year of which a third part goes in Presents to the Turks and that the Guardian who is Triennial expends in Presents at his Arrival no less then Two Thousand Five Hunderd Pounds The Third of June which was the Day appointed for the Signior's departure for Poland the Ambassador went betimes in the Morning to the Camp to the Quarters of the Grand Vizier with a design to oblige the Haughty Minister to grant him that Audience which he had refus'd him ever since his Arrival and to receive the Letter from Monsieur de Lyonne He carry'd with him also M. d'Hervieu to the end that as he was the Person that brought it he should deliver it into his Hands But the Vizier was not then in the Camp being gone to Convoy the Sultaness Mother to the Grand Signior to her first Lodging Which constrain'd the Ambassador to go to the Chancellor's Quarters where he waited seven compleat Hours sometimes in one Tent sometimes in another because the Camp was then just upon Dislodging At length a little after High Noon the News came that the Grand Vizier was come to the City Whither the Chancellor went to him and told him That the Ambassador of France staid in the Camp to Kiss his Hands and to know his last Commands The Vizier order'd him to tell his Excellency That he needed not to give himself the trouble of waiting for that he was then taking leave of his Wife his Mother and his Family and should not return to the Camp till Night and therefore that it would be sufficient for him to leave only one of his Interpreters to whom he would give his Answer Which was That he would impart the Ambassador's Demands to the Grand Signior and the Divan but that he could not do it so soon as he might expect by reason that the Army was upon its March That in the mean time his Excellency might return to Constantinople and there await the Grand Signior 's Resolution That he would in the mean time write to the Caimacan to grant a Pass for the King's Ship in the Harbour and for what remain'd had it not been but that he confided in the Faith and Honour of the Ambassador he would have stopp'd him at Adrianople to have prevented his departure without leave At the same time the Interpreter had also Orders to know the Vizier's Commands touching certain particular Affairs relating to Trade in several places of the Levant Which he order'd to be dispatch'd the next Morning in manner and form as the Interpreter desir'd And this was the Success of Nointel's second Journey to the Port upon which both Parties made different Reflections For the Turks with great assurance lay the blame of this Rupture upon the French Affirming that the Abatement of the Customs was not a thing to which the French could justly pretend For that if other Nations paid not so much as the English Hollanders and Genoeses yet there were some Nations that paid more as the Germans and Venetians Or if the first who paid but Three per Cent. had formerly paid Five then the French had had some reason to have demanded an Abatement Nevertheless that the Port who is Free to bestow his Favours where he pleas'd having Treated upon their Arrival with the last Comers upon Terms more advantageous then those which he granted to his first Allies he was not oblig'd to alter the Conditions of Commerce that had been for so long time concluded Then for the rest of the Kings Demands they said That they were Favours which could not be in Conscience demanded as being such which the French were so far from having deserv'd from the Port that they had always oppos'd him in all his Enterprises To which they added That the French had made their Demands as if they had had the Market in their own Hands threatning and acting like Lords and Masters while the French that were in the Levant did nothing but talk of Burning Constantinople making War upon the Grand Signior and Sacking his Islands and his Sea-Ports That the Men of War that brought M. de Nointel to Constantinople openly protected the escape of a great number of Slaves of several sorts of Nations that put themselves aboard And that the French Ambassadors in all the Visits which they made to the Great Personages discours'd of nothing but his Majesties Conquests and the Puissance of his Arms. This Defence the Turks made for themselves With whom other Nations also sided alledging That the Turks were not too blame as having shew'd themselves upon this Occasion less Barbarous then they were said to be not having manifested any thing of violent Resentment either against the French in the Levant or his Majesties Ambassador of the numerous and powerful Succours which they had many times giv'n their Enemies of the War which they carry'd on even in Countries under the Turks Protection or of their Affronts and Menaces not forborn ev'n in the Court it self Nor could these things be otherwise spok'n then out of an Ardent Desire to see some Unlucky Accident happ'n which might engage France to imploy against the Turks those mighty Preparations of War which the greatest part of her Neighbors dreaded And now having thus giv'n an Accompt of the whole Progress of Nointel's Negotiation at the Port I shall add something in short in reference to the Negotiations of M. Witzosky the Polish Agent and Signor Quirini Procurator of Venice of which two the one happen'd to depart as soon as I arriv'd there but the other remain'd at the Court all the while I staid The Grand Vizier order'd 1700 Crowns to be giv'n to the Polish Agent at his departure for the discharge of his Debts and his Expences upon the Way allowing him besides seven Wagons and a Chiaus The Basha of Silistria also had Orders to cause him to be Conducted through the Frontiers of Tartary and to Command the Tartars to detain him till they understood that the Turkish Envoy who was in Poland had pass'd the Frontiers and was enter'd into Turkey The Divan did all they could to compose all Differences with this Agent and to prevent a War with his Master For the Port had some Designs upon Persia and the Red-Sea so that it was only by constraint if they turn'd their Arms against Poland On the other side the Polander could not brook the Protection which the Grand Signior had given to the
sort of Policy having neither Art nor Principles was as it were unapproachable insomuch that he seriously acknowledg'd That the Conduct of a Vizier was to him an Abyss of which he could not Fadom the Judgment the Foresight the Perspicacy the Secrecy the Cunning with all its Windings and Labyrinths He assur'd me That if had a Son he would send him to no other School then to the Ottoman Court where he could not too highly admire the Vizier who without speaking writing or so much as moving himself Govern'd one of the most Potent Empires of the World and had extended the Limits of it in several places During my stay at Adrianople I had the Honour several times to converse with this Venetian Ambassador and because that then our most general discourse was concerning the War of Candy I learnt from him and several other Eminent Personages of the Court divers Particulars worthy Observation of which I shall here set down the most Memorable One of the Principal Performances which the Law of Mahomet enjoyns is the Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina There is nothing that can legally dispence with it but an extream Poverty and it further lays a strict Injunction upon those whom either Sickness or Imployment or other Occasions will not permit to go in Person to make their Pilgrimage by Proxy that is to send to those Places of Devotion a Person on purpose to perform all those Duties which he himself ought to have done could he have gone thither himself The Ottoman Emperors are very punctual in the Discharge of this Duty as well for themselves as for their whole Families They send every year Considerable Presents to those Cities of which they esteem it a High Honour to call themselves the Lords and Protectors and these Presents are sent sometimes by Land and sometimes by Sea In the year 1644. they were put aboard a great Gallion which was to carry 'em to Cairo Several Eunuchs and Women of the Serraglio were embark'd in the same Vessel together with the Signior's Delegates and a great Number of Passengers and Souldiers This Vessel putting to Sea from Constantinople with several other Vessels under her Convoy was set upon not far from Rhodes by the Galleys of Malta and after a fierce Engagement taken Nevertheless the Galleys could not carry her off to Malta by reason that she leak'd in several places as having receiv'd several Shot in the Fight so that they were forc'd to carry her into a Port of the Island of Candy Where they stopp'd her Leaks the best they could and took all the care imaginable to have carry'd her Home but all to no purpose for she sunk by the way However the Cargo which they unladed into their Galleys was valu'd at a Million of Money The News of the taking this Gallion put the Grand Signior into a Rage insomuch that he threaten'd to exterminate all the Christians that were in Constantinople as well Ambassadors and Foreign Ministers as others And he thus menac'd all sorts of Nations because said he the Galleys of Malta were Mann'd with Christians and Souldiers from all parts of Christendom M. Soranzo the Venetian Ambassador at the Ottoman Court presently address'd himself to the Ministers of the Divan For he was in great hopes to divert the Storm from falling upon his Head and to appease the Grand Signior by giving him to understand that there was not any one Subject of the Republick who was a Knight of Malta The Ambassadors of England and Holland made the same Remonstrances So that in all probability the Tempest was like to fall upon M. de la Haye the Father then Ambassador of France And questionless he had severely felt the Barbarousness of the Turks and the Fury of the Grand Signior if Givan Capigi Bachi the Grand Vizier had not Warded off the Blow Who being a Person of great Wit of singular Worth and Illustrious for his Descent in Turkey as being descended from a Family famous for Six Grand Viziers took upon him to secure the Ambassador of France the French and all the Christians that were at Constantinople except the Venetians He gave his Highness to understand that the Venetians were the most guilty for having permitted the Galleys of Malta to bring in the Gallion into their Harbours and not securing it By which means he turn'd all the Signior's Wrath upon Candy who thereupon determin'd to make that the Seat of his War But this Resolution of his was privately carry'd and the better to conceal his Design he display'd his intended Revenge only against Malta To which purpose he proclaim'd open War against that little Island and order'd all his Forces to be in a readiness by the end of March 1645. The Ambassador of Venice spar'd neither Industry nor Presents to penetrate the Truth of this Design whether it were real or only a Trick to cover some Enterprize against the Republick On the other side the Ambassador of France assur'd him that it was only a dissembl'd Pretence and that the true Design was upon Candy But he gave no heed to his Intelligence suffering himself to be deluded by the Assurances which the Grand Vizier gave him from time to time to the contrary But toward the end of April the Ottoman Fleet consisting of Fourscore Ships and as many Galleys under the Command of Issouf Captain Basha putting to Sea from Constantinople Landed in Candy and in Ten Days took Canea They who were acquainted with that same General affirm'd him to be a great Commander and that he would have Conquer'd the Island in a small time had he not been depriv'd of his Life and the Conduct of the War For the Grand Signior being put i' th' Head that Issouf had Vast Treasures and that he could Conquer the rest of Candy without his Assistance caus'd him to be strangl'd at Constantinople some few days after his return However his Highness had not only a great loss by his Death but miss'd of the Treasures which he expected In the following Years he sent other Armies into Candy under different Generals and for the Success which they had it is too well known to speak more of it in this place For it was neither to the Strength of the Island nor the Weakness of the Turks that we are to ascribe the length of that War which lasted Four and Twenty Years but to the strange Revolutions that happen'd in the Ottoman Court almost at the beginning of that Enterprize and to the Wars of Transylvania and Hungary that lasted till the Year 1665. But the Prince who undertook the Conquest of Candy was Ibrahim then about Two and Thirty Years of Age who was advanc'd to the Empire Four Years before contrary to his own and the Expectation of all the World For he had been kept in a close Imprisonment during the Raign of Osman and Murat his Brothers the latter of which after he had caus'd his two younger Brothers to be strangl'd when he saw himself
the Bread they have nor have they any other and indeed they are so accustom'd to it that they prefer it before Bread made of Wheat as I have observ'd in most parts of those Countries which I have seen Nor do I wonder at it for when Necessity constrain'd me to make it my Food I found it so acceptable to my Palate that I could hardly leave it when I came where I met with our usual Bread Besides I found my self very well and my Body in a better Condition of Health then before In Armenia and Georgia I saw a great many of the Turkish and Georgian Lords and among the rest the Prince of Tiftles and the Basha of Akalzike who sent for this Grain and eat it for a Delicacy but it requires good store of Wine to wash it down to correct and temper its cold and laxative Quality Besides this Gom they have in Mingrelia great plenty of Millet some Rice with Wheat and Barley but very scarce The People of Quality many times eat Wheaten Bread for a Dainty but the meaner sort never so much as taste of it The ordinary Food of the Country is Beef and Pig of which latter they have an extraordinary plenty and that so good that the World does not afford better There is also Goats Flesh but very lean neither is it well tasted Their Wild-Fowl is very good but very scarce While I was there there was hardly any to be got by reason that the Wars had harass'd all the Country For Fish there is none but Salt-Fish which is brought from Turkey Tunny Fish and some few small Quantities of other Fish at certain seasons of the Year Their Venizon in Mingrelia is the Wild Boar the Hart the Stag the Fallow Deer and Hare which is so excellent that there cannot be better Food Partridge they have also Pheasants and Quails in abundance some River-Fowl and Wild Pigeons which are very good Meat and as big as our Cramm'd Chicken The Mingrelians catch these Pigeons with Nets and take great Numbers of 'em in Autumn for in the Winter they return to the Mountains of Caucasus The Nobility of Mingrelia spend their whole time in the Field and their chiefest delight is in Birds of Prey which they tame and afterwards make use of for their sport And indeed it may be truly said that these Birds of Prey are no where in the World in greater Numbers then in Mingrelia as Lanner-Hawks Gos-Hawks Hobbies and others which build and breed in Mount Caucasus The young Ones as soon as they are fledge resort to the Forests round about where they take great Numbers and reclaim 'em in five or six days But of all their Flights that which yields the most delightful Pastime is that of the Faulcon at the Heron. For River-Fowl and Pheasants they only make use of their Sparrow-Hawks To which purpose as they do in Persia and Turkey they carry a little Drum at the Pummel of their Saddles to put up the Wild-Fowl with the Noise and then let fly their Hawks at the Game When they take any Herons they only cut off the Feathers upon their Heads to make Heron Tufts for Bonnets and then let 'em go again for the People of the Country affirm that the Feathers grow again as fair and as beautiful as they were at first Besides the Fowl already nam'd and which are to be found in Mingrelia there are other strange Fowl as well for their Shape as Feathers altogether unknown in our parts and not only those but a great Number of Eagles and Pelicans All which Caucasus produces besides a great Number of Wild Beasts as Tigres Leopards Lyons VVolves and Chacalls which are Creatures much resembling Foxes only that they are much bigger and their Hair is much more thick and shaggy and some will have this Chacal to be the Hyaena of the Ancients For it digs up dead Bodies and devours both living Creatures and Carrion They bury their Dead in the Eastern Country without Coffins only in their VVinding-Sheets And therefore I have seen 'em in some parts rowl great Stones over the Graves of the Deceas'd only for fear of these Beasts to prevent 'em from digging up the Graves and devouring the dead Bodies For Mingrelia is full of these Chacalls and VVolves insomuch that they beset the very Houses themselves where they make a most dreadful howling Noise The worst is they make most terrible Havock among their Cattel and Horses The Superiour of the Theatins assur'd me that in one VVeek the VVolves eat him up three Horses and a Colt close by the House There are a great Number of Horses and very good ones too in Mingrelia of which every Man has a great many in regard they cost 'em little or nothing to keep For as soon as they alight they take off their Bridles and Saddles and turn 'em a Field Nor do they ever Shooe 'em or give 'em any other Food or Provender then what they graze of themselves In Mingrelia are neither Cities nor Towns only two Villages by the Sea-side But all the Houses are scatter'd so thick up and down in the Country that you shall hardly travel a Mile but you shall meet with Three or Four together There are also Nine or Ten Castles of which the chiefest is call'd Rucs where the Prince of Mingrelia keeps his Court. This Castle is surrounded with a Stone-Wall but so ill built and so thin that the least Field-Piece will make its way through it however there are some few Cannon within it but the rest of the Castles have none at all being all built after this manner In some level and open place in a Wood they erect a Stone-Tower about Thirty or Forty Foot High sufficient to contain Fifty or Sixty Persons This is the strongest part of the Tower where they secure all the Treasure of the Lord and of those that desire his Protection Close by this stand Five or Six other Towers built of Wood much lower then the middlemost which are the Store-Houses for their Provision and where they put their Wives and Children when they happen at any time to be assaulted Beside which there are within the compass of the open place several Hutts made of Carpenters Work others with Boughs of Trees others of Canes and Reeds The space is enclos'd with a very thick Hedge and with the Wood it self which is so thick that it is impossible to come near those retirements but by the way which is cut open on purpose Which passage when they are afraid of an Enemy they dig up and cover with Trees that 't is impossible to be forc'd Nor do the Colchians ever retire to these Castles but when they are in fear of an Enemy for when the danger is past they return to their Houses The Houses in Mingrelia are all of Carpenters Work and Building is very cheap by reason of the great Plenty of Wood. Of these Houses the Poorer sort contain but one Story nor
Father's bring 'em up to Thievery and their Mothers to Obscenity Mingrelia is at present very much dispeopl'd there not being in it above Twenty Thousand Inhabitants Though it is not above Thirty Years ago that there was no less then Fourscore Thousand The cause of which Decrease proceeds from their VVars with their Neighbours and the vast number of People of both Sexes which the Nobility have sold of late Years For a long time there has been drain'd out of Mingrelia every Year either by Purchase or Barter above Twelve Thousand Persons all which are sold to the Mahometans Persians and Turks there being none but they that deal in that sort of Traffic in those parts They carry Three Thousand every Year directly to Constantinople which they have in Exchange for Cloth Arms and other things which they carry as I have said into Mingrelia To which purpose there came every Year Twelve Sail of Ships from Constantinople and Caffa and above Sixty Feluques from Gorica Trissa and Trebisond The Commodities which they export from Mingrelia besides Slaves are Silk Linnen Thread and Wov'n Linseed Hides Martins Beavers Box VVax and Honey The Honey of Mingrelia is very Good and there are two sorts of it the one Red the other White the White is not so plentiful as the other but it is much better and more Sweet Sweeter indeed then refin'd Sugar very delicious to the Tast and Crumples between the Teeth Besides their Garden Honey there is another sort is found in the Trunks and Clefts of Hollow-Trees in great abundance which the Vessels from Caffa carry into Tartary where they make a very strong Liquor of it mix'd with Barley The Turks make great profit of their Mingrelion Trade selling for Four what they buy for one Crown but their greatest advantage is by their Slaves Certainly the Inhumanity of these Mingrelians their unnatural Cruelty toward their own Country Men and particularly of some of 'em toward their own Flesh and Blood are things hardly to be Credited They Study Opportunities to fall out with their own Vassals meerly to find a Pretence to Sell 'em with their Wives and Children They force away their Neighbours Children from the Embraces of their Parents to the same end and sometimes they will sell their own Children Wives and Mothers And I have been shew'd several Gentlemen who have been so Prodigiously Unnatural One of those Gentlemen sold Twelve Priests in one Day In which Piece of Impiety there is one particular passage so strange that it deserves to be related as an Example not to be Parallell'd This Gentleman fell in Love with a Lady whom he resolv'd to Marry tho he had a Wife already To which purpose he Courted the Lady and obtain'd her Good VVill. Now it is the Custom in Mingrelia to purchase their Wives and they Buy 'em according to their Quality their Age and their Beauty Thereupon the Gentleman not knowing where to raise the Sum which he had promis'd for the Enjoyment of his Mistress nor to defray the Expences of his Wedding but by selling of Slaves and for that reason reduc'd to Despair bethought himself of a Piece of Treachery the most Infamous and VVicked that could be To that purpose he invited Twelve Priests to his House to hear a Solemn Mass and offer a kind of Sacrifice upon which the Priests went very Chearfully never Dreaming that he intended to have sold 'em to the Turks the like Practice having never been heard of before in Mingrelia The Gentleman on the other side receiv'd 'em very Courteously caus'd 'em to say Mass and to offer an Ox and afterwards gave 'em an Entertainment But after he had made 'em to take a Hearty Cup he caus'd his Servants to seize 'em Bind 'em Shave their Heads and their Beards and the Night following carry'd 'em to a Turkish Vessel where he sold 'em for Houshold Goods and other Necessaries but finding he had not yet enough to pay for his Mistress and his Nuptials this Tyger went and fetch'd his own VVife and sold her to the same Vessel All the Trade in Mingrelia is driv'n by way of Barter for there is no set price of Money among the People the currant Money are the Piasters Dutch Crowns and Abasse's which are Pieces made in Georgia and Stamp'd with the Persian Stamp to the value of Eighteen Pence every Piece 'T is true that the Prince of Mingrelia who died about Twenty Years ago began to Coyn Money of his own But the Mint did not work long in regard there was but little Silver brought into the Country and for that the Country produces none at all no more then it does Gold or any other Metal I know not what is become of that Gold-Gravel and Golden-Sand which the People spong'd out of the VVater with their Sheep-Skins according to the Ancient Stories and which gave occasion to the Fable of the Golden Fleece There is no such thing in Colchis nor in the Mountains or Rivers adjoyning So that which way soever ye go there is no possibility of Reconciling Antiquity with the present Times Mingrelia of it self is not able to raise above Four Thousand Men fit to bear Arms which are also all Cavalry for the most part there not being above Three Hundred Foot to joyn with these Horsemen Nor are the Souldiers Marshall'd into Regiments and Companies But every Lord and every Gentleman leads his own People to the Fight without Order without Ranks without Officers and they follow their Leader whether it be in Flight or to the Charge The VVars of the Mingrelians and their Neighbours are indeed but meer Incursions and Boots-Halings and when they make their Inroads into the Enemies Country they fall on with an Extraordinary Fury for they want neither Courage nor Resolution VVhen they have put the Enemy to Flight they vigorously follow the pursuit and over-run all the Country Burn and Plunder all before 'em carry away Prisoners of all Sexes and Degrees and then retreat with the same Impetuosity They take as many Prisoners as they can so that when they have Dismounted any one presently they leap from their Horses bind the Person Vanquish'd with the Cords which they carry at their Girdles as I have said and deliver 'em to the Custody of their Servants He that has taken a Prisoner has Power over him of Life and Death he may dispose of him as he pleases but generally they make 'em their Slaves and sell 'em to the Turks On the other side when these People are invaded they shew themselves at the Ford of some River where they lay their Musketeers in Ambuscado endeavouring to prevent the Enemies Passage At what time if the Enemy forces his way they fly to the VVoods leaving the Country to their Mercy So that the VVars with these People never last long In less then Fifteen Days the VVar is at an end and the Enemy retreats after he has ravag'd and ransackt all the Country The Revenues of the
never says Mass for the Dead under Eight Hunderd nor any other Masses under a Hunderd Crowns a Piece Not long since the Prince of Mingrelia's Vizier being sick made his Confession to him and gave him Fifty Crowns Which the Catholicos took for so small a Remuneration that upon the Vizier's falling sick again and sending for him to make a new Confession he sent him word that he should pay for his first Confession and then he would come and hear what he had to say There are Six Bishops in Mingrelia but those Prelates take no care of the Souls of their Flocks nor do they ever visit their Churches or their Diocesses They suffer the Priests to live in all manner of Errours and the People to prostitute themselves to all manner of Vices they understand not the Form of Baptism they let Polygamy Raign and permit the Mothers to Bury their new Born Childern alive And tho they have been often reprov'd for so much Cruelty more then Barbarous Remonstrances operate nothing upon 'em this Inhumanity being become a Custom The Clergy tolerates it and the Prince near Prohibits any one that pleases from putting it in practise The chief Imployments of the Bishops is continual Feasting and Banqueting where they are Drunk almost every Day they are Rich and go Sumptuousl-y Habited their Principal Revenue arising from what they Spunge from their Vassals and the price of the Women and Children which they sell to the Turks They abstain from Flesh after the manner of the Greek Bishops and include the whole Christian Religion within the practise of Fasting They do not believe themselves oblig'd to any other Duty but believe themselves acquitted of all the Precepts of Christianity by Fasting Their Cathedral Church is indifferent neatly kept and well adorn'd with Images after the Grecian manner dress'd up and finifi'd with Gold and Jewels They believe that in Beautifying their Images they satisfie the Justice of God and that the offering of a Jewel to an Image wipes away all their Sins And this is the way which they take when they have offended themselves Their Apparel is very Magnificent considering the Country being of Scarlet and Velvet It differs little from the secular Habit. That which makes the peculiar distinction between 'em is the long Beard which they wear with a black Bonnet Round and High made after the Fashion of the Greek Monks They wear Chains of Gold about their Necks go a Hunting and many times to the Warrs where they Fight no less Couragiously at the Head of their Slaves then the Gentry and Noble-Men There are some of 'em that are never Consecrated which nevertheless does not hinder 'em from bestowing Orders as if they were Consecrated There are in Mingrelia certain Monks of the Order of St. Basil which they call Berres who wear the same Habit as the Greek Monks and observe the same manner of living And a Child may be made one of these Monks by his Father and Mother only They Consecrate him in his Infancy by putting a black Bonnet upon his Head suffering his Hair to grow hindering him from eating Flesh and telling him upon all occasions that he is a Berre All this while the Infant understands nothing more what belongs to his Condition and all his Life long never minds any thing else but to observe his Fasts as others that bear the same Title with himself There are also Nuns of the same Order who observe Fasting Days and wear a black Vail but they have neither Nunneries neither are they under any Vows or Subordination They that have taken upon 'em to wear the Vail of Sanctity and to observe Fasting when they are weary of well-doing quit their Habit and their Temperance when they please themselves For that same manner of living is wholly at their own discretions whether they be Maids Wives or VVidows whether Divorc'd whether Free or Slaves no Condition is exempted from that Liberty The Priests of Mingrelia are very numerous and a sort of miserable Creatures that live upon whatever they can get and marry again as often as they please themselves There needs no more then to be able to read and say a Mass by Heart to be admitted into the Priesthood For the Bishop never examines those that he admits into Orders being many times more ignorant then they especially if the Priest that desires to be admitted gives him the Value of a Horse for his Ordination God alone knows the lamentable Condition of those Miserable Priests and the Validity of their Priesthood for many times it is a great Question whether they are Baptiz'd and whether the Bishops that Ordain 'em were ever Baptiz'd or Consecrated themselves Nor is it to be imagin'd how these Priests are contemn'd and scorn'd They Till their own and the Lands of their Lords being no less Slaves then the Seculars they follow 'em to the Wars and carry their Baggage Now that which causes this Contempt is their Ignorance their Gluttony and their Poverty Their Poverty is so great that they go Barefoot and all in Tattars that hardly cover their Tails So that there is no respect giv'n 'em but when they are sate down at Table for then they are the first to whom they offer Drink and they desire 'em to bless the Wine and the Food when they say Mass and at another time when they are sent for to visit the Sick and turn over their Books to know what Image the sick Party has offended and what Present will appease him They are only distinguish'd from the Seculars by their Beards which they let grow very long for the Seculars wear hardly any at all There are but few of their Churches which have any Bells but they call the people together by knocking with a good big Stick upon a Board The Images in the Cathedrals are very well dress'd being encircl'd by the Offerings of the people such as are Harts Horns Boars Jaws and Tusks Pheasants Wings and Weapons to the end the Image should prosper 'em in their Hunting and Wars The Parish-Churches are more Nasty then Stables the Images mangl'd and brok'n and cover'd over with Dust and Spiders Their Sanctum Sanctorum is so Nasty that I am asham'd to speak it The Ornaments of the Altar are nothing but a few Nasty Tatter'd Clouts torn and stain'd with Wine Their Cup or Chalice is a Goblet of Wood as Nasty as may well be imagin'd and the Cover of the Chalice is a Woodden Plate as Nasty and as Greasie as the Chalice When they have occasion they wipe it with the Curtain of the Sanctum Sanctorum which is yet more Nasty then all that has been said and I say the less because I would not offend the Reader But the Cathedrals are very clean and well adorn'd And I could wish that every Bishop had as much care of the Education and Instruction of his Flock as he has of the Cleansing and Adorning his Church The Worship which they pay to their
Rustan-Can having reconquer'd Georgia built the Fortress of Gery as is reported He restor'd Peace and good order to the Country and Govern'd with an exemplary mildness and Justice He Marry'd the Sister of Levan Dadian Prince of Mingrelia though she were a Christian and Marry'd already Her Husband being Prince of Guriel whom Levan had depriv'd both of his Principality and his Eyes for being in a Conspiracy against him and taking his Wife away from him Marry'd her to Rustan-Can neither the Ecclesiasticks of Mingrelia nor Georgia opposing that Monstrous Conjunction if I may presume to call it so The Name of this Princess was Mary of whom we have already spoken in our Recital of the last Revolutions of Imiretta She is now the Wife of Shanavas-Can Governor of Georgia Rustan-Can Dy'd in the Year 1640. and his Body was carry'd to Com where it was enterr'd At what time Taimuras's Kinsman was Governor and Grand Provost of Ispahan Him Rustan-Can having no Children adopted and sent him to the Court beseeching the King to look upon him as his Son and to ratifie the Adoption His Majesty approv'd his Choice caus'd the Young Prince to be Circumciz'd and bestow'd upon him the Government of the City and this is he who is at Present Viceroy of Georgia being Fourscore Years of Age yet very Strong and Lusty So soon as Rustan-Can was Dead the Princess Mary his Wife had private Intelligence that upon the advantageous reports of her Beauty that had been made to the King of Persia he had commanded her to be sent to Court Thereupon she was adviz'd to fly into Mingrelia or to hide her self But she took a quite contrary course for being well assur'd that there was no place within the Empire of Persia where the King would not discover her she went and lockt her self up for Three Days together in the Fortress of Tefflis which was indeed to deliver her self up to the Mercy of him that sought her All which time she shew'd her self every Day to the Commander's Wives and then sending for him to her Apartiment she told him that upon the credit of his Wives that had seen her he might write to the King that she was no such Amiable Beauty to be so ardently desir'd that she was far gone in Years and besides that she was a little misshapen and therefore that she conjur'd his Majesty to let her end her Days in her own Country At the same time she sent the King a Magnificent Present of Gold and Silver and Four Young Damsels of an Extraordinary Beauty And so soon as she had sent her present she retir'd from the World not suffering her self to be seen by any Body she betook her self wholly to her Devotions giving great Alms to the Poor to the end they might Pray to GOD for her Souls Health But at the end of Three Months there came an order from the King for Shanavas-Can to Marry her Who was over joy'd at the receipt of the Order for Mary was Rich so that he Marry'd her though he had then another Wife of his own and he has a very great Value for her by reason of her great Estate Her first Husband the Prince of Guriel is still alive residing in Georgia but very Old and very Decrepit Nevertheless the Princess was so kind to send him one of her Damsels to comfort him for his loss of her and she allows him wherewithal to maintain himself but at a very sorry rate However she seems still to have some kind of Affection for him insomuch that being upon the Frontiers of Imiretta some Years since she sent for him and kept him with her eight Days At which when Shanavas-Can seem'd to be Jealous the Princess fell a laughing at him and ask'd Whether he were not asham'd to be Jealous of a poor old blind miserable Creature and altogether as impotent as himself The greatest part of the Georgian Lords are outwardly Mahometans some professing that Religion to obtain Preferment at Court and Pensions of State Others that they may have the Honour to Marry their Daughters to the King and sometimes meerly to get 'em in to wait upon the Kings Wives For which the usual Recompence is a Pension or an Imployment As a forerunner to which the Mahometan Religion is always first of all embrac'd The Pension is according to the Quality of the Persons but most commonly not above Two Thousand Crowns Upon which account there fell out a very lamentable Accident while I staid at Tefflis A Georgian Lord had giv'n the King to understand that he had a Niece of an extraordinary Beauty His Majesty commanded her to be brought to his Palace And who should be so wicked and base as to carry the Order and serve it but the Lord himself Thereupon he came to his Sister who was a Widow and told her That the King of Persia had a desire to Marry her Daughter and that therefore she must perswade her to give her consent Thereupon the Mother having made known to the Young Virgin the force that was upon her she was almost at her Wits end For she had rather have had a Young Lord that was her Neighbor by a Person whom she was extreamly belov'd Thereupon they took a Resolution to make him a Sharer in their Misfortune and to that purpose sent him the News by one of their Domestick Servants Away comes the Lord Post and arriving at Midnight found the Mother and the Daughter with mutual Tears and a condolling Grief bewailing their hard Fortune Presently the Lord threw himself at their Feet and told 'em That for his part he fear'd nothing so much as the loss of his Mistress and that all the Anger of the King of Persia was nothing to him in respect of such a fatal Calamity That there was but one way for him to disingage himself out of this Noose which was to be Marry'd immediately and the next Day to tell her Perfidious Uncle That the Lady by him demanded was no Virgin This was agreed upon and the Mother being retir'd the Marriage was Consummated in a Trice But the Uncle discovering the Plot gave notice of it to the King At which the King was so enrag'd that he gave Order to send for the Mother the Daughter and the Husband who thereupon hid themselves and skulk'd up and down for some Months But at length finding themselves too hotly pursu'd beyond all likelyhood of escaping they fled to Akalzikè the Basha of which place has tak'n 'em into his Protection The fear which they have in Georgia of Accidents of the like Nature obliges those that have handsom Daughters to Marry 'em as soon as they can and sometimes in their Infancy The poor People Marry theirs betimes and sometimes in the very Cradle To the end the Lords whose Vassals they are should not take 'em away by force either to sell 'em or make 'em their Concubines For certain it is they have a very great respect for Marry'd Persons
Translated In the Name of GOD Soveraignly-Merciful And indeed the Arabian word Rahmen which signifies Merciful is an Incommunicable Attribute of GOD and which they never make use of but in speaking of the Divine Clemency All the Mahometans believe that this Invocation conceals great Mysteries and encloses an infinite number of Vertues For they have it always in their Mouths rising sitting taking a Book or an Instrument in their Hands or a Pen. In a word they believe they shall not prosper in any thing which they undertake if they do not begin with this Invocation They assure themselves that Adam and Eve spoke it before they went about any Business It is set at the beginning of every Chapter in the Alcoran And it is evident that it is in Imitation of the usual Sayings of the Jews and Christians the one always beginning thus Our Aid be in the Name of GOD who Created Heaven and Earth and the other with these words In the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost I shall speak in another place of the Seal which is fix'd to this Patent and of what is grav'd within The Figure under it is call'd Nishan that is the Signal and also the Flourish beneath the Subscription It is here drawn with a Ruler but in the Original it is made of the Tails of Letters The Secretary who is us'd to write this Subscription draws those Tails so streight and so equal that you would take 'em for Lines drawn by Rule and Compass The whole Subscription is in Colour'd Letters except the word which signifies Lord of the World and those which I have Translated Absolutely Commands which are in Letters of Gold The words Zels Ziouzoumis are ancient Turkish still in use in the Lesser Tartary They signifie properly My Words or I speak And Tamberlain being the first that made use of those words in his Patents the Kings of Persia have still retain'd the Custom The twelve Names which are in the middle of the Flourish beneath the Subscription are the Names of the twelve Pontiffs real and lawful Successors of Mahomet according to the Persian Belief 5. The Governours in Persia are distinguish'd into Great and Petty Media and Georgia for Example are great Governments Caramania and Gedrosia petty Governments Therefore they call Beglerbeg which signifies Lord of Lords the Governour of a Great Government and the Viceroy of a Petty Government they call a Kan 6. Deston Tahem-ten-ten and Feribours are the Names of the ancient Persian Heroes or if you please of the Old Giants which deriv'd their Being from the ancient Fables These are the Alcides's and the Theseus's of the Persians and as the Grecian Alcides had several Names so likewise has the Persian but the most common Name which they have alway in their Mouths is that of Rustem 7. Ardevon is the Name of an Ancient Giant or Hero who as the Persians say conquer'd all Asia and setl'd the Seat of his Empire in Persia Their Histories have not preserv'd the Memory of any of his Atchievements but their Romances feign an infinite Number which are altogether fabulous 8. In the Original it is Who unloose all sorts of Knots 9. There is no People in the World more sottishly devoted to Judicial Astrology then the Persians Of which being to speak in another place I shall say no more here but that the Persians rank all Penmen Books and Writings under Mercury whom they call Attared and hold all People born under that Planet to be endu'd with a refin'd penetrating clear-sighted and fubtil Wit 10. Caagon is the Name of an Ancient King of China Nor is there any one over the whole East whose Memory is more Venerable It seems by what they report that he was more particularly Illustrious in his Country for his Government in Peace and Administration of Justice then for his Feats of Arms. Therefore the Eastern Monarchs assume his Name to themselves as the Roman Emperors call'd themselves Caesars Moreover it has the same signification in Persia as August in English so that when the Persians would express any thing that is Great and Royal they say Caagoniè Thus I have explain'd the truth of this little Figure and I believe we shall be as little troubl'd to understand the whole Language of this Patent though Metaphor and Hyperbole are therein most furiously injur'd 11. The Term which I have Translated Flowre of Merchants signifies Exquisite Choice Elected or most Excellent The Persians use it commonly as an Epithet for all sorts and Conditions of Men Great Lords Foreign Ministers Merchants and bring it down even to Tradesmen 12. It is in the Persian Nor by Importunate Flatteries nor by Hanghty Demands 13. The word which I have Translated To Incourage signifies properly To Water 14. These words In Dignity and Virtue are not in the Patent only I have put 'em in the place of those that are which signifies the Seal of great Quality resembling the Sun 15. These words are to be referr'd to the words Absolutely Commands which are under the Flourish beneath the Subscription They are call'd here The Decree of the Lord of the World Tamberlain was the first that made use of these lofty Expressions Now the Grand Signior and the Indian Monarch make use of 'em as well as the King of Persia while every one maintains that it belongs to him only and assumes it as his most Glorious Title In the Persian Language it is Saheb-Cerani It may be also interpreted Master of the Age but the other Translation is more clear and intelligible and discovers more plainly the sottish pride that is contein'd in it 16. We shall speak more particularly in another place of the Marks by which the Persians distinguish Times and Seasons Here therefore I shall say no more then for the understanding of the Date that the Month Shavel is the tenth and that the Arabians have given Epithets to all the Months as for Example to the First the Epithet of Sacred to the Seventh that of Praise-worthy to the Ninth that of Blessed and to this here mention'd the Stile of Honourable The word Hegyra which is Translated Flight proceeds from a Verb which signifies to fly as also to retire So that the Hegyra of the Mahometans is the same thing with the Exodus of the Hebrews And without doubt Omar had that same Exodus in his Mind when he setl'd the Mahometan Epact from the time of Mahomet's departure from Mecca which was the place in Arabia where Idols and Idolatry were most in Esteem 17. In the Original it is Hamhager that is Flying together 18. As the Arabians as we have said gave Epithets to the Months the Persians also have given Epithets to the Principal Cities of their Empire Ispahan and Casbin are call'd The Seat of Monarchy Canhadar A Secure Retreat Asherif was call'd The Ennobl'd because Abas the Great built a Spacious and Sumptuous Palace and usually kept his Court there when he was in the
Master of 2 Fortune and is now in 3 Heaven gave to Mr. Chardin and Mr. Raisin 4 French Europeans by Vertue of which the 5 Judges of Places Provosts of Highways Receivers of Tolls and all sorts of Officers of the Empire are oblig'd to Honour 'em and to take care that no Duty be exacted from ' em The said Emin-Aga shall make it his Business to conduct 'em safe to the Blessed City of Erivan without receiving any Damage or Molestation by the way that nothing may hinder 'em from arriving well satisfi'd at the Palace of the 6 Support of Human kind And all Persons to whom this Letter shall be shewn shall take care not to Contradict or Transgress it in any manner Given in the Month of Zialcadè the Sacred in the Year of the Hegyra 4083. 1. Emin has the same Signification as Mir and is all one They signifie Lord Noble Valiant Chief of a Family or Tribe We find Deut. 2. v. 10. That the Word Emim is very Ancient in some of these Significations Though properly in Hebrew Aim signifies Terrible and thence Haemim Gyants or Men of great Valour 2. To render it Word for Word it signifies Master of the Conjunction For the Persians doating as they do upon Judicial Astrology believe that Victory and all good Fortune proceed from the Conjunction of two Stars and therefore it is that they say a Man is Master of the Conjunctions when nothing but Prosperity and Happiness attends him 3. It is in the Persian Whose Nest is in Heaven For the Followers of Ali hold the Kings of Persia for Saints in the Quality of Mahomet's Successors and Lieutenants of GOD. And it is an Article of their Faith That their Kings go to Heaven by a Destiny as Uncontroulable and as Natural as the Birds fly to their Nests 4. The word which I Translated Europeans is Frangui for the Orientals call by that Name all that are born in the Christian Dominions of Europe except those of Moscovy Frangui is most certainly deriv'd from François the Turks having assuredly given that Name to all the Europeans because the French were the first among 'em with whom they had Commerce and Alliance 5. Homal which I have Translated Judges is as much as Petty Regents or Inferiour Officers Under which Names are comprehended the Daroga or Judge of Criminal Causes the Mustauf or Controller of the Exchequer The Sheic-el-Islam or Lieutenant Civil The Vasier or Receiver-General and the Kelonter or Provost of the Merchants 6. One of the most Ordinary Titles which the Persians give their King is Alempenha or the Support and Basis of the World 7. This is the Eleventh Month of the Year I gave the Chancellor's Secretary a Guinea as his Fee for Dispatches of this Nature Though there be no certain Rule for such Fees but only every one gives according to the Advantage which he receives by his Dispatch and according to his Quality and Condition Presently my Guide gave me to understand That he wanted a Horse which was as much as to say that he wanted four Guinea's to buy one Which I immediately knew to be a Trick to get Advance-Money out of me fearing lest when I came to Erivan that I should be so dishonest as to recompence him only with a Trifle or perhaps give him nothing at all For the Persians are not very prone to make Acknowledgments and for the Georgians they are ingrateful above measure The greatest Kindnesses make no Impression upon their Minds for they forget 'em and repay with shrewd Turns those to whom they owe their Advancement with as little Check of Conscience as if they were altogether Strangers For which reason it is that they desire payment before-hand standing very little upon the Nicety of a little Impudence but demanding a Reward for the smallest Service which they do The 28th I set forth from Tefflis about Eleven a Clock in the Forenoon the Polish Surgeon and some Georgians with whom I had made an Acquaintance accompanying me some part of my way My Guide rode before to prevent the Toll-gatherers or Receivers of certain small Duties which are taken upon all Horses that go loaden out of the City from demanding any thing of my Servants Which sort of Guides are call'd Mehemander a word which fignifies He who has care of a Guest and are granted to all Envoys Ambassadors and Strangers of Quality Their Duty is to provide Lodging Vittles and Carriage-Horses for the Persons whom they Conduct and in a word to discharge 'em from all the care of a Traveller They are like Stewards or Purveyors for those Persons to whom they are appointed for Guides For they make use of their Service in every thing send 'em upon Errands and to carry Messages to those Persons to whom a Man would not be troubl'd to go himself These Guides are well paid for their Service so that it is a Kindness to be recommended to such an Imployment The Villages where they pass make 'em Presents to be the more sparing in what Money they raise to defray the Expences of Travellers which they have in charge and to prevent their being too wastful and lavish They take into their protection such Merchants as are desirous to Travel along with 'em and besides that they secure 'em from Robbing and exempt 'em from paying several Tolls and Duties Which is worth 'em something more But their greatest Gain is the Present which must be made 'em when they are sent back I was very glad to see my self got safe out of Tefflis For I was afraid I should there be put to some kind of trouble for two Reasons The first was For that the Prince having sent to me two or three times to tell me that he had a great desire to see what I carry'd to the King I constantly refus'd to shew him alledging for my excuse that I had Orders from his Majesty not to expose 'em to any but himself Moreover I observ'd that this Prince is not altogether so much a Subject to the King of Persia nor so submissive to his Orders as the other Viceroys and Governours of his Empire besides that the Georgians are very perfidious and covetous of other Mens Goods I was therefore fearful lest if I should shew the high-priz'd Jewels which I had their Beauty and their Value might tempt him to take 'em from me or that other people might Murder me for the Lucre of such a Booty And this was one Consideration that prevented me from shewing ' em The Second Cause of my Distruct was this That the Capuchins to do me the more Honour out of a design to bring a greater Reputation to themselves had set me out for a Person that was very Rich and Powerful so that there ran a Report over all the City that I had immense Sums Which made the Customer look about me so that he demanded great Duties from me But those Duties were not the thing that disturb'd me for by the Kings
since at this City and is now going in all hast to the Palace which is the a Refuge of the Universe You must of necessity fully and exactly b inform your self of his designs and what Petitions he has to make to the most High Court and when you rightly understand ' em see that you use your best Endeavour that they may be favourably answer'd We shall be very desirous to know what Effect and Success our Recommendation shall have and after what Manner this Hlustrious Friend shall be receiv'd and entertain'd We also desire you to send us the good Tydings of his Health We pray to God that he may have the favour and the happiness to be well receiv'd of our Great King To whom I wish that c all the World may pay Homage and that he may prosper in all his Undertakings The Eternal God grant ye long life a The Persian word which I have translated the Refuge of the World is Alempenha Alem signifies the whole entire World or Universal Nature Penha a Retreat a Haven a Place of Security and to which a Man may have recourse b In the Original it is that they inform themselves For the Eastern People addressing themselves to Persons of Quality to denote the Person make use of the Third Person Plural and when they mean themselves speak in the Third Person Singular Which is also the Proper Idiom of the Holy Language c In the Persian it is That all Souls may serve his Name his Name Repetition is a Figure very frequent in the Oriental Languages and questionless borrow'd from the Sacred Language Of which there are a Thousand Examples in the Original Bibles as in the 68. Psalm v. 13. They are fled they are fled That is They are absolutely fled And Psalm 8. 7. v5 The man the man That is the Perfect Man Afterwards I went and took leave of the Principal Lords of the Court and among the Rest of the General of the Mint This Lord who was call'd Mahamed Shefi perswaded me to go to Ispahan by the way of Ardevil assuring me that I should not fail to sell in that City Thereupon I promis'd him so to do and took along with me a Letter of Recommendation to the Governor of that City who was his near Kinsman Which I thus Translated into French GOD Thrice High and Potent Lord Glorious Majesty worthy to be call'd Celestial Elect of the Governors Deputy Lieutenants and Happy Men Fountain of Grace Honour and Civility Exemplar of Purity Model of Generosity and Manificence Heart Sincere Real and Faithful Protector of his Intimate Friends and Kindred My most Excellent Lord and Master I beseech the most High God to preserve your Health and prolong your Life Having paid you my due Respects and Homage These are to let you understand Great Sir whose Wit is Clear and Glistering like the Sun That Mr. Chardin the Flower of European Merchants intending to go through Casbin to the Magnificent Palace which is the Refuge of the Universe I who am your Real Friend perswaded him out of a desire to serve you to go through the Sacred Ardevil He carries with him certain Commodities of an Extraordinary value which he will shew in the presence of your thrice a Noble Person I am certain you will buy if you meet with any thing that is worth your having and I am assur'd your Highness will command your People to take care of this Noble Stranger I am preparing to go for Tifflis with God's Assistance toward the end of the next Month Zilhage If I can serve your Excellency in that Country you will do me a great Honour to let me know it I beseech ye to believe that a richer Present cannot be made me then to bring me Tydings of your good Health God through his favour preserve your Illustrious Person till the Day of Judgement I am the true Friend of the Thrice High and Thrice Illustrious Lords Geonbec Hiaiabec and Mahamed-bec I am apt to believe for my own Repose the Continuation of their Health The Seal contain'd a Verse or Sentence of which this was the Meaning I have wholly left my Destiny to God I Mahamed Shefi his Creature Upon the outside of the Letter at one Corner was written in a small Character God preserve the happy Condition of my Friend While I stay'd at the Camp there arriv'd a Courier from the King who brought his Majesties Answer touching the Patriarch's Business And I understood at the Governours that the Contents were That the Chief Ministers were of Opinion that the Treasure at Ecsmiazin should be sold with all the Ornaments and all the Wealth belonging to the Church and Convent and that the Money that was made of it should go to the payment of the Patriarch's Debts And that this Resolution had been taken except Opposition had been made by the Armenians by representing that all that Money would nothing near satisfie the Patriarch's Concerns and that if they took away from Ecsmiazin its Treasure and its Ornaments they would ruine a place that drew a world of Company into Persia and which yearly paid a very great Rent occasion'd by the Devotion and Concourse of the Eastern Christians That upon that the King had decreed That the Money should be levy'd in Armenia upon all the Christian Villages to satisfie the Customer of Constantinople whom there was a necessity to see paid The Patriarch was over-joy'd at the News and made a Present to him that brought it but it displeas'd all the honest People in the City who were vex'd to the Souls to see the Prelate so insensible of the Violence they were going to offer to thousands of Poor Christians to pay for the Expences of his irregular Ambition The 8. an hour before day I parted from Erivan and travell'd four Leagues over the little Hills and through Valleys the Country which I cross'd being full of Villages In one of which that was a very fair and large one I lodg'd call'd by the name of Daivin The 9. we travell'd five Leagues through a Country that was very level and fertile That which they call the Mountain of Noah lying upon the Right Hand We directed our Course South-West and lay at a Village call'd Kainer The 10. we continu'd the same Road and travell'd eight Leagues Upon the left hand after we got half the way we left a great Town call'd Sederec Which is as it were the Capital of the Province of Armenia call'd Charour The Sultan of which Province resides in that Town That Night we had but a very bad Lodging in an old ruin'd Inn near to a Village call'd Nouratchin The 11. We travell'd four Leagues upon the same Road and through a very fair Country but not so level nor smooth as being stony and full of little Hills We also ferry'd over a River call'd Harpasony that waters all the Neighbouring Lands It separates the Government of that part of Armenia of which Erivan is the Capital from that
more easie to the Pursuers But if this were so observable that which I am going to say is no less remarkable which is That they assur'd me that in the parts adjoyning to Tauris there grow no less then threescore sorts of Grapes Not far from the City in the neighbouring Parts are to be seen great Quarries of white Marble of which there is a sort that is transparent The People of the Country affirm it to be the water of a Mineral Fountain congeal'd and hardne'd by degrees and indeed there are not far from it two considerable Mines the one of Gold and the other of Salt But there has been no working in the Gold Mine for this long time because they always found that the Profit never defray'd the Expences of the Labour There are also several mineral Waters Of which the most frequented are those of Baringe half a League from Tauris and those of Seid-Kent another Village which is six Leagues from the City These Waters are sulphureous but there are others that are cold others boyling hot I do not know whether there be any City in the World concerning the Original and first Name of which there is a greater Dispute among Modern Authors We shall produce the Opinion of the most celebrated only it will not be amiss in the first place to take notice that the Persians call the City Tebris and that when we call it Tauris as the People of Europe generally do it is only in compliance with the common Custom and to the end I may be the better understood Teixera Olearius and some other Authors maintain that Tauris is that City which Ptolomy in the fifth Table of Asia calls Gabris the G. being put in the stead of T. an Alteration frequent in the Greek Language as they assert Leonclavius Jovius and Aython will have it to be that City which the same Ancient Geographer calls Terva instead of Tevra by a transposition of the Letters of the word But Terva being plac'd in Armenia and it being certain that Tauris is seated in Media those two Names can never be appropriated to the same City So that without doubt the Resemblance of the word deceiv'd those Authors Tebris is a Persian word and was given to the City in the year 165. of the Hegyra as we shall declare more at large And therefore in regard it was several years ago since Ptolomy wrote we must believe that Terva and Gabris are both very different from Tauris Niger asserts it to be Tigranoama other Authors take it to be Tigranocerta Some there are of Opinion that it is the Susa of Media so famous in Scripture tho others believe it to be the City which in the Book of Esdras is call'd Acmatha or Amatha Some place it in Assyria as Ptolomy and his Interpreter Others in Armenia as Niger Cedrenus Aython and Jovius Marcus Paulus Venetus places it in the Country of the Parthians Calchondylas removes it a little farther that is to say into the Province of which Persepolis was formerly the Metropolis In short there is a strange Confusion in the Variety of Opinions upon this Subject But the most rational in my Opinion is that of Molets who has translated and commented upon Ptolomy of Ananias Ortelius Golnits Teixera de la Vall Atlas and almost all the modern Geographers that Tauris is the Ancient and Celebrated Ecbatana so frequently mention'd in Holy Writ and in the Ancient Sories of Asia Minadoi an Italian Author if I am not deceiv'd has set forth a Treatise to prove it However give me leave to add this that there are no Remainders to be seen at Tauris either of the Magnificent Palace of Ecbatana where the Monarchs of Asia kept their Courts in Summer nor of that of Daniel which was afterwards the Mausoleum for the Kings of Media of which Josephus speaks in his tenth Book and which he assures us stood entire in his time If then these stately and magnificent Palaces were standing not above sixteen Ages ago in the Place where Tauris now stands the very Ruins themselves are now not to found For among all those that are to be seen within the Circuit of that City there are none but what are of Earth Brick or Flint which were not Materials anciently made use of in Media for the building of sumptuous Palaces The Persian Historians unanimously agree the Time when the Foundations of Tauris were laid to be in the year 165. of the Hegyra but they do not concur in other particulars Some ascribe the Foundation of it to the Wife of Haron-Reshid Califf of Bagdad call'd Zebd-el-Caton which signifies the Flower of Ladies They report that she being desperately sick a Median Physitian cur'd her in a short time For which the Princess not knowing what Reward to give him bid him make choice of his Recompence where upon the Physitian desir'd that she would build a City in his Country to the Honor of his Memory Which after she had perform'd with great Care and Diligence he call'd the City Tebris as a Memorial that it ow'd its Original to Physick For that Teb signifies Physic and Ris is the Participle of Ricten to power forth scatter abroad or give a Largess This is what some relate to which there are others that tell a Story not much unlike For they say that Halacoucan General to Haron Reshid having been two years sick of a Tertian Ague of which he never expected to be cur'd was strangely deliver'd from his Distemper by an Herb which he found in the same place where Tauris now stands And that to perpetuate the Memory of such a fortunate Cure he built this City and call'd it Tebrift the Ague is gone For Teb signifies also an Ague and rift comes from the Verb Reften to go away But that afterwards either by Corruption or because it runs smoother upon the Tongue it was call'd Tebris instead of Tebrift Mirzathaer one of the most Learned Persons of Quality that are in Persia the Son of Mirza Ibrahim Treasurer of the Province gave me another Reason of the Etymology that is to say that at the Time when this City was built the Air was extremely wholesom and preservative against Agues Which extraordinary Quality drew a world of People to it and that therefore it was call'd Tebris as if man should say the Expeller of Agues The same Lord also further assur'd me that there are in the Kings Treasury at Ispahan certain Medals with the Inscription of that Zebd-el-Caton which were found at Marant a city near to Tauris with a great number of others both of Gold and Silver being the Coyns of the Ancient Kings of Media And that he had observ'd others with Greek Figures and Inscriptions wherein he remembred the word Dakianous And then he ask'd me if I knew who that Dakianous was To which I answer'd that I did not understand the name but that it might be very probably the Name of Darius In the 69. year after the
Foundation of Tauris the City was almost ruin'd by an Earth-quake But Montevekel Califf of Bagdad of the Race of the Abas's who then Reigned not only repair'd but enlarg'd it A hundred fourscore and ten years after that the 14 of the Month Sefer another Earthquake more violent than the former utterly ruin'd it in one night The Persian Geography relates how that at the same time there resided in the City a Learned Astrologer of Shiras call'd Aboutaher or Just Father who foretold that the said Earth-quake should happen upon the Sun's entrance into Scorpio in the year 235. of the Hegyra which answers to the year 849. of the Christian Epoche and should overthrow the whole City To which when he found the People would give no Credit he went and was importunat with the Governor to force the People out of the City The Governor who was also the Califfs Lieutenant over all the Province being always a great Admirer of judicial Astrology gave way to his Importunity and did all the could to send away the People into the Country But finding that they still lookt upon the Prediction of the Earth-quake to be a meer Chimera and suspected some mischievous Design in the Governor he could not perswade above one half of the People to stir which fell out to their Destruction For the Earth-quake happ'ned exactly at the Hour mention'd in the Prediction to the overwhelming of forty thousand Persons The next year Emir Diueveron the Son of Mahamed-Rondain-Aredi Vice-Roy of Persia receiv'd Orders from the Calif to rebuild it larger and fairer than it was before and to know of that famous Astrologer Aboutaker under what Ascendant he should begin to work Who bid 'em begin when the Sun was in Scorpio and assur'd 'em the new City should never be troubled more with any Earth-quakes but that it was threatned with great Inundations of Water To which the History adds that the Event has in all respects verifi'd the Truth of the Prediction After this new Restoration Tauris came to be wonderfully enlarg'd famous and flourishing They assure us that in the Reign of Sultan Cazan which is about 400 years ago it extended in breadth North and South from the little Mountain of Ain Ali to the opposite Mountain call'd Tchurandog and in length from the River Agi to the Village Baninge which is two Leagues beyond the City The same History also observes for a Proof of the multitude of the Inhabitants where-with that City was peopl'd that the Pestilence happening among 'em there dy'd 40 thousand in one quarter before they were miss'd In the year 896. of the Hegira and 1490. of Christ the Princes of the Race of Sheith-Sephi having invaded Persia remov'd the Seat of the Empire from Ardevil which was their own Country to this City In the year 1514. Selim took it upon Composition two years after the King of Persia who thought himself not safe there retir'd from thence and seated himself at Casbin Selim stay'd not long at Tauris but he carry'd away with him a wealthy Booty and three thousand Families of Artificers the most part Armenians whom he settled in Constantinople Soon after his Departure the Inhabitants of Tauris rebell'd and falling unexpectedly upon the Turks made a most famous havock of the Enemy and became Masters of the City But Ibraim Basha General to Soliman the Magnificent severely reveng'd this Rebellion in the Year 955. of the Hegyra and Year of our Lord 1548. For he took the City by Assault and gave the Plunder of it to his Army who committed therein all manner of Inhumanity even to an Excess unheard of before In a word all that could be call'd Cruelty Fire and Sword was there put in Execution The Palace of King Tahmas and all the most considerable Structures were destroy'd and levell'd with the Earth Yet notwithstanding all these Calamities the City lifted up her head again at the beginning of Amuraths Reign and with the Assistance of some few Persian Troops put to the Sword all the Turkish Garrison consisting of Ten thousand men Amurath dismay'd at the Courage of the Taurisians sent a powerful Army under the leading of Osman his Grand Visir utterly to destroy and wholly to subdue the Inhabitants This Army enter'd the City and pillag'd it in the Year 994. by the Mahometan Accompt and the Year of our Lord 1585. at what time the Visir caus'd all the Fortifications which the Turks had raised before to be repair'd But eighteen years after this Expedition in the Year 1603. Abas the Great retook Tauris from the Turks with a small Force but with that Policy Diligence and Bravery which is hardly to be credited He divided the stoutest of his Soldiers into several small Bodies who surpriz'd the Corps du Guard and cut their Throats in such a moment of time that they had no notice of it in the Town These Troops were follow'd by a Body of five hundred Men disguiz'd like Merchants who enter'd the City with a plausible Story that they had left the Caravan a days journey behind Which the Turks readily believ'd because it is the Custom of the Caravans that upon their Approach near to Great Cities the Merchants go before besides that the Turks never dreamt but that they had been examin'd by the Corps du Guard Abas follow'd close and seeing his men were enter'd flew into the City at the head of six thousand Men while two of his Generals did the same on two other sides of the Town So that the Turks finding themselves surpris'd surrender'd only upon condition of sparing their Lives And the History farther observes that in this Expedition it was that that same Potent Prince first order'd one Brigade of his Army to carry Musquets and finding the good Effect of 'em order'd a mixture of fire-Arms among all his Forces Whereas before the Persians never made use of Guns in any of their Wars Now that we may not omit any thing in the History of Tauris that is worthy Observation it behoves us also to let ye know what the Armenian Authors have wrote concerning it They report that this City is one of the most Ancient in all Asia and that it was formerly call'd Sha-Hasten or the Royal Place for that the Persian Monarchs there kept their Court and that afterwards a King of Armenia who was call'd Cosroes chang'd the Name of it from Sha-Hasten into Tauris which in the Armenian Language signifies a Place of Revenge for that he there defeated the King of Persia who had murder'd his Brother The Government of the Province of Tauris is the Chiefest in all the Empire and annext to the Dignity of the Captain General-ship It brings him in thirty thousand Tomans Yearly which amount to much above a Million sterling besides Casualties which are very considerable in the Asiatic Governments The Governor bears the Title of Beclerbec He maintains three thousand Horse and has under him the Governors or Kan's of Cars Oroumi Maraga Ardevil and
Twenty Sultans who altogether maintain eleven Thousand Horse more I lodg'd at the Capuchins Inn who were arriv'd before me They were no more then two whom I desir'd to keep my Arrival private for about fifteen days Which I did to put my self into an Equipage and my Things in the same Order as they were before my misfortunes in Mingrelia as also to methodize those things which I had brought for the King to the end I might shew 'em to the best advantage at Court But my arrival could not be concealed For Mirzathaer Son of the Treasurer and Receiver-General of the Province and admitted by way of Survivor-ship understood that there were Strangers at the Capuchins Inn. And therefore he sent the 22d to tell the Superior that he wonder'd at his neglect in not coming to give him notice of the Arrival and Quality of the Europeans which he entertain'd in his House To whom the Father excus'd himself and farther told the Messenger that for my part I had not fail'd to wait upon him had I not been ill disposed but in a few days I would attend and pay him my Respects The 23. the same Lord whom I had the honour to know in my first Travels made me a Visit together with the Son of the Can of Guenjé and shew'd me great Civilities He sate two hours in my Chamber while I gave him an account of the affairs of Europe particularly concerning Arts and Sciences After which he was so kind as to tell me the good fortune that had befall'n his Family and his Brothers Employments He was the eldest of three young Lords all in good Credit and advanc'd to Places both of Honour and Profit His Father is Treasurer as I said before and Receiver-General of all the Kings Demeans over all the Province of Azerbeyan This is that Mirza Ibrahim of whom so many Accidents are related in the Story of Soleiman's Coronation He was not then at Tauris in regard his Employments kept him at Shirvan a City near the Caspian Sea whose place this Mirzathaer suppli'd in his absence He is very well read in the Arabick Persian and Turkish Languages and besides a Capuchin taught him for several years the Philosophy of the Schools and all our Sciences He is a very Learned Personage a Man of ripe Wit and extreamly civil After two hours discourse he press'd me to shew him some Jewels and Watches To which I had no desire as not being then in a Condition for the Reasons already mention'd But he importun'd me so earnestly and with an assability so becoming that I could not refuse him So that I shew'd him several Jewels which I had of a low value of which he carry'd away several along with him In the Evening Tahmas-Bec who supplyes the place of Governor of Azerbeyan in the stead of Mansour Can his Father who is always at Court sent his Goldsmith to me to tell me I should oblige him by coming to him the next Morning and bringing along with me some Jewels and Rarities of small value To which I answer'd that I would not fail him and accordingly I went the same day and to Mirzathaer also The 25. we heard while we stay'd with those Lords the Confirmation and full Relation of a Robbery reported a month before and committed the December preceding upon the Great Caravan that goes from Ispahan to the Indies by land This Caravan sets out once a Year in August and goes through Candabar which is in Bactriana The Robbery was very considerable as well for the Number of Persons for the vast wealth that was in the Caravan as also for the Consequences that ensu'd It was committed three days journey from the Frontiers of India by the Agvan a sort of People much like the Tartars but tributary to the Persian They had intelligence which way the Caravan march'd and surpriz'd it in a very advantageous place for such a design They were in all five hundred Men all well Mounted and well Resolv'd The Caravan had a Convoy of about two hunderd and consisted of about two thousand Persons for the most part Indians The Convoy made no Resistance but betook themselves to Flight and the most part of the Caravan following the Example of those that should have defended 'em shifted every one for themselves So that there were but eleven kill'd so small was the Resistence made Nor was it a thing to be wonder'd at For the Caravan's and particularly those of the Indians are compos'd of Armenians and Indians people that for the most part will be Scar'd with a stick And they that had any Courage were left alone and abandon'd by those that should have assisted 'em So that every Man strove to save one and happy he that could shift for himself The Robbery was valu'd at several hundred thousands of Pounds but the true and just account could never be known the Merchants upon such occasions usually disguising the Truth some because they are afraid of loosing their Credit others for fear it should be discover'd that they conceal a part of what they send to save Customs and Toll The Inventory which was given into the King sign'd by above sixty Persons concern'd amounted to no less then three hundred thousand Toman's or a million four hundred thousand Pound sterling yet we were assur'd it was but the half of the Loss The Governor of Candabar was accus'd to have been accessory to the Robbery The King therefore sent for to have him apprehended and brought to Ispahan upon a Camel chain'd about the Neck with one Servant which he had the Liberty to make choice of It was affirm'd that they who comitted the Robbery themselves were a sort of People so ignorant that they understood not what belong'd either to Gold or Precious Stones They divided the Coyn'd Money one among another Gold and Silver intermix'd together by weight without any distinction of Mettal and jumbled the true Pearls with the false ones without making any Difference I must confess I could hardly believe this nor had I reported it if it had not been universally and constantly avow'd by all the People I discours'd with upon this occasion The first of May the Deputy-Governor sent to the Superior of the Capuchins to know if he had no news of the Arrival of the Patriarch of Armenia and where he had conceal'd himself 'T is true we all knew well enough but we had no mind to tell knowing wherefore they sought for him which was for no other reason then to apprehend him and carry him Prisoner to Erivan He had made his escape six days before vex'd to the very Soul to find that while the Governor pretended to take so much care to pay his debts he minded nothing more then how to squeeze a good Sum of Money for himself For the Governor according to the foremention'd Order from the Court had sent to several Persons about Irivan to Levy the money for payment of the Patriarch's debts upon the Armenian
are the best Pasture-Grounds in Media if I may not presume to say in the world The Choicest Horses in the whole Province are there put to Grass to the number of about three thousand For it is the custom in Persia to put their Horses to grass for thirty five or forty days together from April to June Which both purges and refreshes fattens and strengthens 'em And they feed 'em thus with Grass as well in the Stable as in the Field but all the rest of the Summer they mingle Straw cut very small with the Grass When I beheld those lovely Pasturages I ask'd the young Lord with whom I travel'd whether there were any better in Media or whither any other Plains so large and so delightful Who answered me that he had seen as rich plains as those towards Derbent which is Media Atropatiena but none so large and spacious So that we may with good grounds believe that those Plains are the Hypopothon of which the Ancient Authors write and of which they say that the Kings of Media kept there in a Breed of fifty thousand Horses and here it is that we must search for the Plains of Nysa so famous for the Nysain Horses And Stephen the Geographer asserts that Nysa was in Media By the way I told the Gentleman my fellow Traveller what Histories related concerning these Horses and particularly what Favorinus reports that all the Nysain Horses were Isabella colour'd who answer'd that it was more then he ever read or heard of I made the same Enquiry all along as I travell'd of severall persons both of Learning and Quality but never could learn that there was any part in Media nor in all Persia where all the Horses were foal'd of an Isabella colour The 30. we travell'd a Road that was even enough but winding among Hills After two hours travel we pass'd by the Ruins of a great City which they said had flourish'd there in former times but being almost ruin'd was utterly destroy'd by Abas Upon the left hand of the Road are to be seen large Circles of Hew'n Stone which the Persians affirm to be a great sign that the Caous making war in Media held a Counsel in that place it being the Custom of those People that every Officer that came to the Council brought with him a Stone to serve him instead of a Chair And these Caous were a sort of Gyants Herodotus also reports somthing like to this of a Persian Army that went against the Scythians for he tells you that the Army being in Thrace Darius shew'd 'em a place and commanded that every one should lay a Stone therein as he pass'd along But that which is most to be admir'd after observation of these Stones is this that they are so big that eight Men can hardly move one and yet there is no place from whence they can be imagin'd to have been fetch'd but from the next Mountains that are six Leagues off We met upon the Road with three large and fair Inns and lodg'd at a Village call'd Caratchiman seated at the Foot of a little Hill it was not so big as Vaspinge but altogether as pleasant The 31. we travel'd four Leagues over Hills and Dales all fertil and delightful to admiration In the mid-way we pass'd through a Village full of Popler Groves and Gardens and well water'd It was call'd Turcman because that in the Fields that environ it there are a great number of Shepherds with their Flocks that are call'd by that Name We stopp'd at Pervaré another Village as handsome and as large as Turcman seated also in a bottom at the foot of a Hill all along by the Banks of a little River The 1. of June We travell'd two Leagues in a level Country as even as that we had cross'd the day before and four Leagues among the Mountains where the way was rugged and very uneasie A little River but very rapid passes through the Midst of it and by reason of it's winding course oblig'd us to pass it several times to shorten our way We alighted at Miana This is a Town seated in the middle of a fair and large Plain encompassed with Mountains which upon that Road separates Media from the Countrey of the Parthians Which is the reason that the Village carrys that Name for that Miane properly signifies the parting of several Countries To this Town there belongs a kind of Custom-House where the Officers are said to be very tyrannical in their exactions upon the meaner sort of People that travel that way But they understood who the Gentleman was who travel'd with me and who I was So that they durst not so much as shew themselves for there is that good order tak'n in Persia and almost all over the East that the Receivers of all Sorts of Tolls and Duties have no permission or Authority to demand any thing of any eminent Person of any Officer of the Kings how inconsiderable soever his office may be nor of any Stranger of Quality For should they be so bold as to examin what they carry'd the offence would be punish'd with Bastinados The 2. we spent so much time in fording the River of Miana and found the Mountain beyond it that we were to cross to be so rugged that we could not travel above three Leagues We were two hours before we could find the Ford and get our Sumpters over which at length we got over safe without any Damage thanks be to God and five hours crossing the Mountain which was very high and very steep being the Bounds between Media and Parthia These two spacious Provinces are parted by a Ridge of Mountains which are a Branch of Mount Taurus that extends it self from Europe to China crossing as has been said Circassia Mingrelia Georgia the Country of the Parthians Bactriana the Province of Candabar and the Indies At the top of the Mountain upon the point of a Rock we spy'd a large ruin'd Castle which the Persians call the Virgins Castle alledging that Artaxerxes caus'd it to be built to imprison therein a Princess of the Blood But Abas the Great caus'd it to be utterly demolished as serving only for a Retreat to a number of Robbers that made themselves as it were soveraign Lords of the Mountain On both sides of the Mountain are large Causeys which that great Prince caus'd to be made for the ease of Travellers in the Winter Towards the end of our journey we pass'd a large River call'd Kesil-beusè over a fair Bridge and lay at Semelé Which is an Inn or Caravanseray built near the Bridge to lodge Travellers that can reach no farther The River Kesil-beuzé is much larger and more rapid than that of Miana and serves to bound Media from the Country of the Parthians And now no sooner have you pass'd this River but you may easily perceive the change of the Air. For whereas the Temperature of Media is somewhat moyst and cloudy which is the reason of high Winds and
Earth and I do my Endeavour to break the Yoke of Hell Vouchsafe me thy Intercession O most Holy Virgin at the Day when the Good shall be separated from the Wicked Be then a propitiation in my behalf for thou art descended from a Race and Genealogy of Parents that will not suffer those that love 'em to fall into Misfortune that never refuse any thing to whoever they be that call upon 'em in Prayer who divert all evil from those that tenderly cherish 'em but whose Enemies on the other side shall never prosper O God most High the Holy Doctors of the Race of the Prophet upon all whom be eternal Mercy thy Peace and thy Salvation have truly declar'd and taught that whoever shall devoutly visit Fatima of Com shall have Paradise for his Portion I am the Man O my God who come to visit her in this manner perswaded and convinc'd as I am of her Grandeur and her Excellency and of that of her glorious Ancestors pure and clean from all Sin upon all whom be Mercy and Peace O God be favourable to Mahamed and the Family of Mahamed Render profitable to my Salvation the Visit which I make to this Holy Virgin and confirm me in the favor of her Love Suffer me not to be depriv'd of the favor of her Intercession and crown me with the Glory of Paradise as thou hast promis'd to do for that in thee is Sovereign Power I visit my Lady and Mistress Fatima the Daughter of Mousa the Son of Dgafar Peace be upon 'em and let it be wish'd 'em eternally by all the Faithful Believers whose Devotion enclines 'em to approach to God by her Intercession In the Name of God Clement and Merciful Peace be upon Adam the Elect of God Salvation be upon Noah the Prophet of God Salvation be vpon Abraham the intimate Friend of God Salvation upon Moses the mouth of God Salvation upon thee Mahomet the seal and last of the Prophets Salvation upon thee the Prince and Director of the Faithful Aly the Son of Abitaleb Vicar of the Apostles of the Lord of human Creatures Salvation upon thee Fatima the Lady of the Women of the world Salvation upon both you the Graud Children of the Prophet of Mercy and Lord of the young men that inhabit Paradise Salvation be upon thee Ali the Son of Heusein the Lord of pious Men and Joy of the Eyes of the glorifi'd Saints Salvation upon thee Dgafar the Son of Mahomed the Just Salvation upon thee Mousa the Son of Dgafar the Pure Salvation upon thee Ali the Son of Mousa whom we all agree to Salvation upon thee Mahomet the Son of Ali the tenderly cherish'd Salvation upon thee Ali the Son of Mahomet the Faithful Counseller Salvation upon thee Hasan the Son of Hali. Salvation upon thee the Light and Sun of the World the last Apostle and upon the Friend of thy Friends and upon the Vicar of thy Vicars Salvation upon thee the Daughter of the Apostle of God Salvation upon thee the Daughter of Fatima and of Khadidgeh Salvation upon thee the Daughter of the Director of the Faithful and the Friend of God Salvation upon thee the Daughter of the Race of Hassan and Heusein Salvation upon thee the Daughter of the Friend of God Salvation be to thee the Aunt of the Friend of God Salvation be to thee the Daughter of Mousa the Son of Dgafar The Mercy of God his Benedictions and his Salvation be upon ye all God grant that ye may all know one another in Paradise God grant that we may be assembled together in your Company that we may drink out of our Prophets Fountain and that you may drink out of the Cup of your Grandfather from the hand of Hali the Son of Abitaleb The Blessings of God be upon all us I pray to God that he may fill us with Gladness and Joy that he may assemble us into the company of your Grandfather Mahomet upon whom be the Mercy and Peace of God and may be never deprive us of your Knowledge for he is a most Powerful Protector I approach to God under the shadow of your Favor detesting your Enemies I make him the Offering of my self devoting my self for a victim without Ignominy or Pride and I confess with all my heart that whatever Mahomet preach'd is Truth and I submit thereto Therefore it is that we implore thy Assistance O Lord our God thy Compassion and the glory of the day of Judgment O Fatima intercede for me for thou art in high Esteem with God and thou hast power in Heaven O God I pray thee that thou wilt grant me to make a happy end nor take away from me any thing that I enjoy There is most certainly neither power nor strength but by the Favor of the most puissant and great God Hear me O God and accept my Pilgrimage through thy Liberality thy Favor thy Mercy and thy Clemency Be favourable to Mahamed and his Family and grant 'em Salvation and Peace O sovereignly-merciful Being To conclude this Fathma's Tomb was rebuilt three times Her Father carry'd her to Com by reason of the great Persecution wherewith the Califfs of Bagdat molested his Family and all those that took Aly's part and held him and his Off-spring for the true Successors of Mahomet She erected several fair Structures in that City and there at last ended her days The People believe that God carry'd her to Heaven and that there is nothing in the Temple but only a Representation of her Body â—EPULCHRE DE ABAS SECOND â—EPULCHRE DE SIFY PREMIER Round the Gallery of Abas's Tomb runs a Frize divided equally into Cartridges of Azure wherein are written in large Characters of Gold the Elegies of the Famous Haly the Great Saint and Idol of the Persians made by the Learned Hasan-Caza Of which I shall insert the Translation as being a Piece of Eloquence wherein may be seen not only the Genius of the Persian Poetry but the Transports of Mahumetan Devotion The whole is divided into seven Songs in Distichs of which the first runs all upon Mahomet and the other six all upon Haly. The first Song I Salute the glorious Creaturê of whom the Sun is but the shadow Master-piece of the Lord of Human Creatures Great Star of Justice and Religion Infallible Expounder of the four Books Conductor of the eight Mobiles Governor of the seven Parts Chief of the Faithful Doctor of that Knowledge which is infus'd into the Prophets Royal Hero celebrated by twelve Successors though the Veil should be taken away yet would not my Belief be encreas'd Light of God Illuminating Soul of Prophesie Guide of true Believers The first Object of God when he bethought himself of sending his Orders to Earth and Embassador Center of divine Secrets concerning what is past and to come who has caus'd the Acknowledgment of God to shine forth out of the darkness of Errors as the Morning goes before the Sun
to cast forth those loud sighs which betrayed the Truth to the Ladies so that they had presently alarm'd the whole Camp with their Piercing Cries and Lamentations had not the Eunuchs besought them to forbear but for a while at a time when the welfare of the Empire lay at Stake To which the disconsolate Princesses submitted as much as the Importunity of their Grief would give them leave And here we are to observe by the way that the Reason why the Women upon such occasions are so deeply afflicted is not only for the loss of the King their Husband but for the loss of that shadow of Liberty which they enjoyed during his Life For no sooner is the Prince laid in his Tomb but they are all shut up in particular Houses pleasant enough t is true for their Situation and where they want for nothing but what is all in all to them their only happiness in this World Conversation with Men. Which is a Satisfaction so severely debarred them that they are not allowed so much as the sight of a Man The Eunuchs therefore having consulted among themselves in the midst of their fears lest the Croud of over-hasty Visitants pressing in at unseasonable hours should awaken suspicious Curiosity resolved to stay till the Sun was up and then to give Notice of the Kings Death to the two Chief Ministers of State who were two Illustrious Personages that had had the Management of Affairs under the deceased King with an Authority almost equal to his own To which purpose they deputed two of their Society the Mehter whose Office in the Persian Court answers to that of our High-Chamberlain according to the meaning of the Arabian word which signifies the Highest The other deputed Eunuch was called the Aga-Kafour a Person already well in years and the chiefest of those that had the Custody of the Kings Treasury as to whom the Prince had more particularly entrusted all his Jewels These two came to the chief Ministers Lodgings as if they had been sent by his Majesty caused them to put forth all the Women out of the Room and then informed them of the Death of Habas the Second giving them an exact and punctual Account which was That the day before toward the Evening after those Ministers were retired from the Kings Presence the Prince had eaten heartily certain Sweet-Meats which his Wives had provided after which he seemed to be much better than he had been for some time before till about Nine of the Clock at Night at what time of a sudden he fell into a Swoon whereupon they ran to him and laid him upon his Bed That about Eleven of the Clock he came again to himself not without some disturbance of his Senses That after that his Pains augmented not having received any Benefit from two Medicins that he had taken by the Direction of his Physicians That about Two of the Clock in the Morning the Violence of his Distemper slackned but returning about Three put him into a Delirium that lasted about half an Hour but the next half hour he took some Rest But toward four in the Morning his Eyes then faintly rolling in his Head gave evident signs of Deaths Approach so that at the same instant he expired without any other Motion that they could say they perceived him die Nor indeed had he testified during the whole Course of his Sickness that he had the least Apprehension or Fear of Death Insomuch that he had left no Orders either as to the Disposal of his Body nor as touching his Family nor Successor only in the height of his last Fit turning his Head toward the Publick Apartment he utter'd with some kind of Fury these words I know that you have poysoned me but you shall drink a good share of the Poyson for I leave behind me a Son who after my Death shall devour your very Hearts This News did not a little surprise the two Ministers who did not believe the Kings Sickness had been so mortal or at least that it would have killed him so soon and they had just reason both to bewail their loss but the second displayed more visible signs of his Grief as losing infinitely much more than his Companion For Habas observing a Piece of Policy not usual among the Persians resolved to counter-balance the Power of his Prime Minister believing it would be of advantage to the Government that Emulation should render his Ministers more intent upon their Duty Which was the reason that he advanced this second Person to that Degree that he was nothing inferior in Authority to the first and put into his Hands the most important Affairs of the Kingdom It was very probable that Habas's Successor would not be of his Fathers judgment but that all things would return to their first Method Which most sensibly touched the second Minister who saw himself tumbling into a more Private Condition and that there was no higher Employment to be expected for him unless it were the Superintendency of the Kings Houshold which was nothing comparable to the present Offices which he enjoyed So that he could not forbear at first from manifesting the Excess of his Grief but the Persian Lords being accustomed to dissemble he soon composed his Countenance and moderated his Sorrows Which having done he told the Eunuch that the Grandees of the Empire should be privately called together and that he would forthwith appoint both Time and Place for their Meeting which was the Answer also of the first Minister to the High Chamberlain In the mean time the two chief Physicians Mirza-Sahid and Mirza-Koudchek his Brother considerable Lords in the Persian Court for in the Eastern Countries Physicians are much more highly esteemed and advanced than in Europe these Lords I say coming to the Door of the Royal Apartment for the Women presently after the two great Eunuchs were gone there had notice of the Kings Death and consequently of their own Ruin For that according to the Custom of that Empire the Life of the two chief Physicians or at least their Fortune and Estates depend upon the Life of the Prince whom they attended in his Sickness For the same Week that the King died they are exiled to some remote and prefixed Place whither they are not suffered to carry any more of their Estates along with them than will suffice for a bare Maintenance the rest is Confiscated Which was also their lot as shall be said in due place But neither the loss of their Master nor of their Liberty had so disordered their judgments as to hinder them from consulting their own preservation at such a ticklish Conjuncture Only one thing disturbed them more than all the rest and that was the Report of the Kings last words when he complained of being Poysoned For there was enough in those words to condemn them to the severest of Torments if the succeeding Prince should give credit to those last Speeches of a Dying Monarch To
very real At length the greatest part entertained a Proposal so acceptable to their wishes with great Joy and they who only had in their view their own particular Establishment were no less willing in pursuance of the Prime Ministers Counsel to be thought as well affected to the publick Welfare when indeed they minded nothing but their own Grandeur For the same Considerations that had sway'd the Prime Minister and the Chief Superintendant as we have said already had got possession of their Minds likewise and infused into them an Apprehension of the uncertainty of their Conditions if Sephie-Mirza were advanced to the Throne For that the Young Prince were it only to shew his Absolute Power would Rule according to his own Fancy and change his Officers as he pleased himself Nor could they think otherwise but that some secret Instigations of Revenge would govern his Proceedings against them as being perswaded that their Complacency had contributed to his Misfortunes and that they were so far from pacifying the displeasure and complaints which the deceased King his Father made against him that they had applauded and flattered his Indignation On the other side if the report were true of Habas's being poysoned by the Conspiracy of some of his Lords it was easie to conjecture how they that were guilty could not choose but feel a Remorse of Conscience and with what Terror they look'd upon a Successor who being naturally enclined to violence would readily lay hold upon a Pretence so plausible to revenge his Father's Death But from the Election of the Younger Son there was no such Apprehension of danger in regard all things would move in their usual Course and for that his Minority would give them leisure to provide for themselves and to make the best advantage of the Employments which they enjoyed Thereupon they weighed in the same Balance the Probabilities which the Prime Minister had set forth of the Death of the Eldest of the two Princes and the hazards which the Monarchy would run through a tedious Expectation And therefore they all with one Voice concluded upon the Election of Hamzeh-Mirza But among all the Grandees there was not any one that testified so violent a Passion for the Election of the Youngest Son as the Superintedant General nor indeed was there any one whose particular Interest had more reason to urge him to it as having more cause to fear the advancement of the Elder than anyof the rest And moreover he made no question that he would lay it to his Charge that he had not the Furniture the rich Cloaths and other things that he desired all which things by virtue of his Office of Superintendant were at his disposal On the other side he had done several kindnesses for the Mother of the Younger Son whose Officer he was in the outward Palace and then by the Assistance of the Eunuchs that attended her in the Womens Apartment he was in hopes to work himself so effectually into the Favour both of the Princess and her Son that he might be in a Condition to continue himself for a longer time in that high Credit wherein he had lived during the Reign of the Father To which purpose when it came to his turn in Rank and Dignity which was the third Place of Honour to give his Opinion it was with less indifference than those that preceded him had done He confirmed all that had been said by the Support of the Empire or the Prime Minister He added moreover that he could not precisely tell in what Condition Sephie-Mirza was at that time however that it could not be but very bad or rather so deplorable that it would not suffer either Himself or any others in his behalf to dream of the Empire That for the past Years of 1075. and 1076. after his Father had shut him up under a close Restraint He had been kept very private That for him that spoke he made no question but that Habas had caused the Eyes of the Prince to be put out as not believing him fit to Govern Of which there was nothing gave him greater Assurances than that there had been no mention made of the Prince since the Kings last Progress to Mazendaran at what time the deceased King being upon the Road not above eight Leagues distant from the Capital City brush'd of a sudden back again in great hast no man knowing either the Issue of his Return nor why he went And therefore there was no farther reason to doubt but that he did it at length with a full determination to rid the world of that Young Prince Nor did there need any other convincing Proof of what he said than the Eunuch who not long since had been dispatched with private Orders which could only relate to that Prince And therefore it was an irrational thing to deliberate to which of the two Sons they should offer the Crown since only Hamzeh-Mirza was by Heaven preserved to be their Prince Thus was this Royal Infant about to have been advanced to the Throne to the Exclusion of his Elder Brother All the Grandees gave their Consents for this Election nor had one of these who had right to speak denied him his voice There were only two Eunuchs that had not spoke a word And who would have thought they durst have presumed to have spoken a word especially the least in Credit of the two seeing that neither the one or the other having neither Right Title or Authority to speak could any one have imagined that they should have been so bold to entertain Sentiments contrary to all the rest of that Illustrious Family Or if they should have been so daring was there any likelyhood they should have the Confidence to declare them and to carry it against so many Voices Nevertheless it so came to pass in a Manner that may be thought to be almost Miraculous as well by reason of the Circumstances already observed as for those which we are going about to observe Which assures us that there is a Superior Providence which concerns it self in the Management of all human Affairs commands all Events and frequently brings things to pass contrary to all our Expectations as here it hapned where Sephie was Elected notwithstanding the confederacy of persons interessed and the favourable opportunities to advance their Designs Now this same Eunuch that broke all the Measures which these Lords had taken was Aga-Mubarek in great Credit at Court as we have already observed as being the person to whom the King had committed the Tuition of his second Son He I say was Tutor to Hamzeh-Mirza whom the Grandees all endeavored to advance to the Throne and whom it therefore behoved rather than any other to support and encourage their Suffrages since that in all likelyhood the Grandeur of his Illustrious Pupil would be a means infinitely to advance his Reputation and present him a Fortune the most glorious that a person of his Condition could hope for Nevertheless the
fostered his lovely Pupil Much less by Fear since he could expect nothing but a soft Indulgence in respect of himself from the Person that had been bred up in his Arms. Nor could he hope for any of those advantages from the Eldest whose disposition he was not well acquainted with for tho he might have a kindness for him it could never be so great as that of the younger Brother who had suck'd it in with his Milk Therefore they all found that he spoke against his own Interests and that it could be nothing else but his zeal for Justice and the Welfare of the Empire his desire to satisfie the People and his Loyalty toward his deceased Master that caused him to act in that manner However it encreased their respect for him and obliged them to admire his Sentiments so generous tho contrary to their Intentions and such as altogether disapproved their Conduct It was about half a quarter of an Hour before any one of the Assembly durst so much as open their Lips but still they sate looking one upon another without speaking a word perplexed between the shame of recanting and the fear of the danger which they ran should they adventure obstinately to defend their first Resolutions At length the chief Minister whether it were that he was more a friend to Justice than the rest as there was reason to conjecture from his wonted noble and unbyassed manner of proceeding or whether he feared lest any other should speak before him which had rendered him guilty in regard it was his Place to speak first as he had already done when he argued so stifly against Sephie Mirza However it were the Prime Minister first breaking silence thus began That true it was that if the Assembly were infallibly assured that the Eldest Son of Habas II. was no longer in a condition to receive the Crown they might justifie the Election of the second Son but since Aga Mubarek so confidently asserted that Sephie Mirza had neither lost his life nor his sight they ought to choose him without any further deliberation And therefore from the bottom of his heart he gave him both his Voice and all his choicest Wishes protesting that it was their duty forthwith to go and offer him the Diadem and the Empire Upon those words all the rest of the Lords grew faint-hearted and had no longer power to defend the Injustice which they had began For the condition of these Lords renders them naturally fearful who as illustrious and as great Princes as they seem to be are in effect but so many Slaves their Lives their Liberty their Honour their Estates absolutely depending upon the Pleasure of the Sovereign So that they were so far from persisting in their first Opinions that they strove which should be the first that should renounce what they had done and dissembling their Discontents they all unanimously decreed That since the Eldest Son was in a condition to enjoy the Crown which legally appertained to him that it was their duty without delay to fetch him from the Palace of Grandeur and accompany him to the Throne And thus was Sephie-Mirza elected Monarch of the Persians contrary to the Intention of those themselves that gave their Voices for him The Prime Minister added that after so unfortunate an Election of the King they were immediately to proceed to a second which was the Nomination of a Person among the great Lords of the Kingdom who was to post with all speed to Ispahan to fetch the Prince out of the Palace where he was enclosed and seat him in his Throne with all the accustomed Ceremonies and to cause him to be acknowledged Sovereign Lord of the Persian Empire Now though this Election were not of equal Importance with the Election of the Prince yet did it not occasion a little trouble among the Lords who had no sincere and real Amity one for another after the manner of Courtiers for every one had their particular designs and had an eye upon his Companion However the Person to be nominated was to be taken out of their Number because there was not any of higher Quality than they were then at Court and they that were of Inferiour Rank could not pretend to that Honour But then again believing that the Person who should happen to be entrusted with such a weighty Errand would in all probability gain a great Ascendant over the young Monarch's favour who to recompence the welcome Tidings of such a Messenger would afford him a large share of his Affections their business was to cast their Eyes upon some One whose good nature and generous temper they might best dispence with if they could not find out one of absolute Probity and Sincerity For what will not Vice attempt when furnished with such great advantages Or what Impressions will not an evil person stamp upon a Soul if I may so say altogether rare or on a Prince whose tender Years will not permit him a due experience in the Affairs of the World So that every one of the Lords took care to nominate out of their number such a one as they thought would do least mischief who if he had not a Will to do them good should have as little desire to do them harm As for the Prime Minister and the Superintendant who for their high Dignity had most right to the honour of such an important Deputation could not be spared because at that juncture of time their Presence was absolutely necessary at Court The Prime Minister was to stay for the dispatch of Business and to give Audiences upon Affairs of State and by his Presence to prevent any Disturbance that might arise upon the news of Habas's Death if by any Accident it should happen to be divulged before the time which would soon have come to light by the absence of the Prime Minister who never stirs from the Prince's Elbow if the King be alive Nor was it more possible for the Superintendant to stir as well for the same reason as for that He having the sole ordering of all the rich Furniture and Treasures of the King's House and of all the Convoys and Waggons every day going and coming to the Court with Provisions and other Necessaries cannot leave his Employment for fear any Disorder or Confusion should happen Then again because it was still convenient that the People should know no more but that the King was sick that was it which prevented the Grand Master of the Houshold from being sent in regard his Office like those of the two former obliges him to be always near the King The chief Astrologer and the chief Physician were not of Quality sufficient to aspire to that Honour and much less the Two Eunuchs Indeed the Dignity of the Grand Esquire and Grand Huntsman might in some measure have claimed it But in regard they are not properly Officers of the Kingdom but rather the Kings Officers they began to cast their lies upon the Generals
of the Army the General of the Slaves and the General of the Musquetteers chiefly because they are superiour in Dignity to the two latter and for that their Employments do not tye them to be at Court True it is they were not very grateful to the Lords but for once as before there was a necessity that Inclination and Affection must give way to Duty Of these two Competitors the General of the Slaves expected the Precedency as his due in regard his Employment gave him the Preheminency which he could not dissemble but displayed his hopes and expectations in his very Countenance However he missed of his reckoning for he had not one Friend in the whole Assembly they knew him too well to be a crafty Knave of a turbulent spirit and of a mischievous humour and therefore they were all afraid if he spake first to the new King he would not forget his old tricks but would form such Contrivances at least against the greatest part of them that they should not easily disintangle themselves Upon which considerations they gave their Voices unanimously for the General of the Musquetteers Not but that they had some apprehensions of him likewise as not having altogetheer the Reputation of a sincere man only he was a Saint in comparison of the other For his Cunning did not carry him to the full extent of Malice Besides that he was looked upon as a Person of great Parts and one that understood the Court and the Interests of the Neighbouring Princes For which Reason he had been sent for some Years before in the Quality of an Embassadour to the present King of the Indies Aurang-Zeb to congratulate his coming to the Crown and had behaved himself with so much Grandeur in the Embassie that his Master gave him signal Testimonies of his Satisfaction And indeed his Rodomantadoes in that Court are strangely remarkable such as the Reader will hardly credit when I shall publish what I have collected in reference to that Embassie This Lord then being thus deputed the Assembly gave order about some other things that concerned his journey and how they should manage Affairs at Court in expectation of the New King First It was ordered that Eleven Persons should accompany the Commissioner to Ispahan that is to say two Astrologers the Munchiziim-Bachi or the Chief of those that profess that Science who was called Mirza-Baker and with him another Astrologer one of the most noted in the Kingdom whose Name was Mahamed-Saleh They were to be present at the Coronation with an Astrolabe in their hands to take the fortunate hour as they term it in the Persian Language and observe the lucky Moments that a happy Constellation should point out for Proceedings of that Importance To these they added four of the Principal Officers employed in the custody of the Treasure to carry and take care of what Jewels should be requisite for the Ceremony The other five were not then nominated in regard that every one of the Principal Officers of State had a right to appoint his own Deputy upon that Occasion Those five Commissioners who are always Persons of Quality were in their Masters names to throw themselves at the feet of the new Monarch so soon as he should be brought forth of the private Apartment of the Palace and at the Ceremony of the Coronation to represent the Person by whom they were deputed Of which the one was the Prime Minister the other the Grand Superintendant the third the General of the Slaves the fourth the Lord Chief Justice and the fifth the Principal Secretary of State In the second place it was ordered by the Lords that the General of the Musquetteers with his Eleven Attendants should set forward the next Morning before day unless the Grand Astrologer should find the Constitution of the Heavens and the Aspects of the Planets not to be favourable whereupon they should forbear till a more lucky season That then every one should depart and stay at a New Caravan-Seray which is four Leagues from Demagaan till the Twelve Persons being all arrived they might proceed altogether in their Journey And that for fear lest if they should depart in Company from the Camp Royal they should create too great a jealousie of the cause of their Journey In the third place the Lords ordained that the General of the Musquetteers should carry a Letter to his Majesty in the name of the whole Assembly which should be read in their hearing before it was put into his hands that nothing might be inserted but what was approved by all In the fourth place they unanimously agreed for the better concealing the Kings Death that every one should Officiate in their several Stations as they did before the doleful Accident hapned and pay their accustomed Attendance about the Palace That in the mean time they should amuse the People with a belief that the King was only sick and in a fair way of recovery That the Eunuchs there present and others concerned should endeavour to keep all things private in the Womens Palace and use their utmost diligence to chear and comfort up the Women for fear their loud Complaints and Moans should be heard by those without In the fifth place it was ordered that the Eunuchs with the chief Physicians should take care to embalm the Body of the deceased King to the end he might afterwards be put into a Leaden Coffin according to Custom Lastly The same Lords ordained that at the end of Eight Days all the Court should depart from the Village of Kosroes-Abaad where then it was and in regard it was impossible in so great a Hurry to travel far in a day that they would make short Journeys to Kachaan that they should order their March according to the Season and as they thought most proper to prevent all occasions that might give the People any reason too curiously to pry into the condition of the Kings Person Toward Evening the Letter which was to be presented to the New Monarch was delivered to the General of the Slaves It was put up in a Purse of Cloth of Gold drawn together with strings of twisted Gold and Silk with Tassels of the same and so knit into a Knot It was sealed with soft Wax upon which the Chief Minister put his own Seal Nor was any omitted of all those Knacks and Curiosities which the Oriental People make use of in making up their Epistles By this Letter of which I was very careful to get a Copy drawn from the Original the Lords gave His most Excellent Majesty to understand How the Great Potentate and Ruler whose place is in Paradise King Habas II. whose bright-shining Glory God increase departed this Life the twenty sixth of the Moon called Rabeya-el-esany at the beginning of the Return that is of the Return of her Light without having made any Will or given any Order touching his Successour or nominated any Person to Govern the Kingdom That as soon as they had
notice of the Dismal Accident they assembled together to consider who the Person was whom Heaven had Elected to succeed the King Whereupon with an unanimous consent they had as soon named Him and caused his most Excellent Person to be acknowledged Lord of Kingdoms of vast Extent and only capable to supply the Throne of the Immortal Succession of Prince of the World Upon which they had put up their most ardent Prayers that God would be pleased to surround him with Glory and to prepare for him Triumphs worthy the high Honour to which he had called him Protesting at his Feet that they were his most humble and most obedient Slaves That to establish his most Magnificent and most Glorious Person in the Throne which resembled the Celestial they had deputed one of their Members the General of the Musquetteers to deliver him their most humble and miserable Letter who was accompanied with several other Persons elected to express by word of mouth in the name of the whole Assembly their Submissions and Vassalage and then to supply the places of the most humble Slaves of the Throne which is the true Seat of the Kalibat or Pontificate in the great Solemnity of his Coronation to be performed by the Imposition of the Sacred Imamic Tiara or Prophetick Tiara That the Body of his thrice Illustrious Father whose place is in Paradise whose bright shining Glory God encrease should be conducted to the City of Kachaan and that with the rest of the Court they who had taken the boldness to write these Presents would expect the most firm Orders which his Majesty would be pleased to send them as well for the Place of his Burial and for such other Duties to which their Vassalage of indispensable necessity engaged them This was the substance of the Persian Letter of which we have expressed the Stile and imitated the Strain as near as our Language would permit Moreover upon the Back and the lowermost Fold was set the Seal of the Prime Minister according to Custom The next day the General of the Musquetteers and the other Eleven Persons departed and made all the hast that possibly they could Yet not so fast as they could have desired or as Occasions of that nature required For considering the vast number that rode Post altogether it was not to be expected they should meet with change of Horses beside the danger of breaking or endamaging the Jewels by a violent Motion was a thing which the Officers of the Treasury were much affraid of Thus they travel the hundred and twelve Persian Leagues which make a hundred and forty French between Kosroesabaad and Ispahan where they arrived the seventh day after they set out upon a Saturday Which was the third of the Moon called Gumadi-el-avel which answers to our second of October according to the Computation known among us about seven of the Clock in the Evening at what time the Merchants and Tradesmen in the Bazars and Piazzas shut up their Shops and every body goes to his own home Some persons of Quality observing this numerous Troop that came Post and knowing the general of the Slaves at the head of them and the rest of the Commons which they had seen at Court believed that they rode before and were come to prepare all things ready in the Kings Palace by his Order for the Reception of his Majesty whose Return that City had long expected with great impatience Thereupon they enquired of the General as he passed by and of several others that followed him who made answer that his Majesty was at hand and in a little time would appear in the City Which equivocation was true and yet concealed the Secret which he had in Charge This numerous Train of Lords being arrived in the great Square before the Royal Palace alighted with all their Retinue at the principal Gate of that Magnificent Pile which they call Hali-Kapi or Haly's Gate or by another interpretation the High-Gate There they all Stopped except the General of the Slaves and the Prime Ministers Deputy For they too as soon as they were alighted went directly to the second Gate opposite in a direct line at some distance to the other as we shall shew in our Discription of Ispahan which second Gate is the Principal Gate of the Womens Apartment and is called the Sacred Gate Through that Gate it was that those two Lords went to the first Apartment without appointed for the White Eunuchs Eunuchs which in truth are posted there to Guard the Place where the Women are inclosed but never enter into it but upon some extraordinary and urgent Occasion There the general of the Musquetteers made known his Quality to the White Eunuch who came to receive him and desired to go and desire the Aga Nazir that he would be pleased to come forth with speed for his business would admit of no delay We have already observed that this Aga-Nazir had been entrusted by the Deceased King in his Life time with the Guardianship of Sephie-Mirza afterwards Elected Monarch and with the general Oversight of the Womens Palace which obliged him to take all the care imaginable of this Apartment which is as it were a Corps du Guard where the White Eunuchs are lodged that watch the entrance into the Womens Apartment However he hath a Magnificent Palace in the City but then he hapned to be attending on his Duty in the Palace He therefore understanding that a Lord of that high Quality desired to speak with him presently went forth to know what Commands he brought So soon as he appeared the General Musquetteers advanced alone to meet him while the Prime Ministers Deputy out of respect kept a distance behind The General having drawn the Eunuch aside whispered some words in his Ear which were never known what they were or at least I could never certainly learn what they were Some affirm that he discovered to him the Death of Habas and the Election of the Eldest Son of that Monarch whose Governour that Eunuch was Which he was forced to do because he had no Orders in writing from the King nor could have in regard he was Dead And yet this is always observed when any Grandee dispatched from the Court demands any person within to be let out he shews his Command to the Governour of the Place Others alledge that he said nothing to him of that weighty Affair for that it would have cost him his Head had he declared it to any other before he had declared it to the King However it were if he did make any discovery it was in few words For immediately those two Lords the General of the Musquetteers and the Seeing Eunuch went forward to the other more remote Apartment which joyns immediately to the last Entrance into the Apartment When they came to that Apartment where lie the Black Eunuchs who have Liberty to go up and down the inner House where the Women are lodged one of the Chief among them
which some Europeans in Ispahan valued one single Diamond in the middle at eighteen and the rest at four and twenty thousand pound sterling If the Royal Diadem had any more than one Heron-Tuft of that Value or if that Ruby were upon it which by the express Command of the deceased King the Eunuch that had the charge of the Treasury shewed me at Mazanderan which be of an Oval form weighed as the said Eunuch told me a hundred and sixty Caratts the Chains or Strings with the Sword and Dagger being proportionable in value the three Pieces might well amount to a hundred thousand Tomans But notwithstanding all this to tell you my opinion sincerely I could never judge them to be worth above three parts of the money These three Pieces were laid near the Stool and covered with a rich Toilet Presently his Majesty appeared coming out of the Bath and arrayed himself in his usual Habit tho more sumptuous than he was wont to wear after that being entered into the Room of State he sate down in the Place that was prepared for him and at the same time they who were appointed to assist at the Coronation ascended the Talaar and ranged themselves in this Order Upon the Right side of his Majesty at a little distance behind him stood the Aga-Nazir Eunuch who at that Ceremony performed the Office of High Chamberlain carrying to that purpose at his Girdle a little Box of Gold glittering with Precious Stones wherein were a good Number of Handkerchiefs and Perfumes for his Majesties service when he had a mind to make use of them A little behind him appeared six Georgian Children from fifteen to sixteen years of Age who had been made Eunuchs extremely beautiful as are most of the young Children of that Country They were so placed as to make a half Circle about the King standing upright without so much as stirring their hands which they held across upon their Breasts being sumptuously habited in Linnen whose ground was Silver heightned with Gold in the same Order and as far behind the Children as they stood behind the King appeared a great number of old black Eunuchs every one holding a long Musquet in his hand of which the Stock was garnished with Gold and Precious Stones Upon the Left hand of the King which is esteemed the most Honourable among the Persians sate first the Commissioner that represented Dlahammed-Mehdi the Prime Minister Next to him the second Commissioner that represented Gemchid-Kaan General of a Body of the Army Next to him the Person that supplied the Place of Mazsoud-Bek Superintendant General of the Kings Demeans In the fourth Seat the Person Commissioned by Mirza-sedreel-din Principal Secretary of the Empire Hemireh-Hamzeh-Mirzah-Daroga Grand Provost of Ispahan and its Dependencies took the fifth place And Mirza-Refiè esteemed one of the most Learned among the Persians took the next Upon his Majesties Right Hand in the second Place for the first was left void in honour of Boadaak-Sultan General of the Musquetteers who was present but standing upright near the Prince sate the Person deputed by Mahammed-Kouli-Kaan Lord Chief Justice Below him two Places were left void for the chief Astrologer and his Colleague who were retired to observe the Lucky Hour The fifth Place was filled by the most learned and wittiest person that was in all that great Kingdom by the judgment of all men being the Brother of the Prime Minister and great Uncle to the new Monarch by his Wife His name was Mirza-Hali-Riza and his Title Cheik-el-Islaam or Ancient of the Law For by the word Islaam which properly signifies the Reverence which we pay to the divine Commands by the submission of our Mind and Will they mean Religion which they call the Law by way of Excellence For at this day as formerly among the Hebrews all their Politicks depend upon Religion and it is the Ancient of the Law who holds the Ballance of Affairs in his Hand which cannot be determined without his Approbation In the sixth Place sate Mirza-Moumen-Vazier or Receiver General for his Majesty in Ispahan and its Dependencies I could never hear of any other Grandees but these that sate True it is that the Halls on both sides were full of Officers that stood some to authorize the Solemnity of the Coronation some to be ready to execute the King's Commands as they should receive them from the General of the Musquetteers who for that day supplied the Place of Lord High Steward of the Houshold carrying in his hand as a Badge of his Office a large Truncheon of Gold all set with Precious Stones and a round Ball at one End and standing at the left hand of the King from whom he received Orders or to say better to whom he gave directions For the new King who had never seen any such sight before neither did nor said any thing but what was dictated to him About ten a clock at night the Chief of the Astrologers and his Companion having been long observing the Position of the Stars and Conjunctions of the Planets returned at length to give notice that the Fortunate Hour for the Coronation of the King would be within twenty Minutes Thereupon his Majesty ordered the General as he had been taught before to lead them both to their Places In the mean time he whispered with the General who gave him Instructions how to behave himself upon all the several changes of the Solemnity which the young Prince failed not to follow exactly for fear of committing any Irregularity for want of experience in an Action of so publick and weighty a Concernment When the twenty Minutes were almost expired the Grand Astrologer having winked upon the General to let him know that he might proceed he told the King who thereupon immediately according to his Instructions rose up and then all the rest rose up likewise At what time the General threw himself at his Majesties Feet bowing to the very Ground then rising upon his Knees he drew out of the Bosom of his Garment the Bag wherein was the Letter which the Assembly had sent to the New Monarch Presently he opened the Bag took out the Letter kissed it laid it to his Forehead presented it to his Majesty and then rose up The Prince having received it returned it to him again and commanded him to break it open and read it which he did aloud very distinctly and leisurely to the end that all who were present at the Ceremony might hear the Contents and understand that the Grandees of the Kingdom had unanimously elected the present Prince for King of Persia that they acknowledged him for such and were ready to attest it if there were occasion When he had done reading the King commanded him to send for the Ancient of the Law which he did at what time the Lord Ancient approaching his Majesty threw himself at his Feet and after the usual Prostrations he rose up again took the Letter out of the Generals hand to
afterwards he received the accustomed Presents of the Nobility as also of the Agents of England France and Holland They add that several days were spent in feasting and rejoycing by publick Proclamation with a more than ordinary Magnificence as being a thing which they saw pleased the humour of the Prince who they say is more addicted to Expences than his Father and that he having given Audience to the same Agents he had promised a Confirmation of the Priviledges which his Predecessors had granted them and also to enlarge them as he should see occasion Had the Author of this News studied to frame a false story he could not have contrived it better for that he speaks nothing of truth This Express which they assure us to have been dispatched from Ispahan to Legorn is a meer Fantome Not one of the English ever dispatched any person in all that time nor at any other time I do not know that indeed they ever dispatched directly any Person from the Capital City of Persia to that Port of Italy Nor did ever that Monarch of the Persians whom they so confidently call Sophy ever go by that name in his own Country nor any other like it Whereas he says that the King fell sick of a debauch and died four days after it is of the same stamp with the rest He did not fall sick of a debauch neither did his distemper carry him off in four days for he lay in a languishing condition four Months and more The place which the Relation calls Khur where he says the King died is a perfect Chimera I have examined all my Persian Geography and can find no such place either great or small that is called by that name As little of truth there is in what he farther adds that it was in the Kings return from Casbin that he died For the King had not been at Casbin in eight years before but it was from the Caspian Sea that he was then coming back as has been already related in the Life of that great Monarch The Author of the Relation passing forward to the Election of his Successour goes on with the same sincerity as before For the news of the deceased Kings death was not known in Ispahan before the Coronation of his Successour unless it were to some few persons of the highest Quality nor was the Successour proclaimed in that City by the Prime Minister nor any other of the Prime Ministers of State who were a hundred and forty Leagues off at that time There are no publick Proclamations in that Country as among us Nor was he proclaimed as his Grandfather is pretended to have been under the name of Sha-Sophi since neither the one nor the other ever bore that Name That which follows after That the Governour of Ispahan and the principal Lords of the Court who accompanied the Corps of the deceased being arrived there and having paid their accustomed Homage he shew'd himself in publick to his Subjects who testified their joy by their loud and extraordinary Acclamations This whole Period I say contains as many impertinencies as there are words The Governour of Ispahan never left the City so that he could not then be said to return the next Morning nor was the Body of the deceased King ever brought thither as being a thing that was never intended Then for the Lords that accompanied the Corps the first that came to the Court did not come till within twenty days after others not till thirty or forty And as for the Acclamations of joy which he mentions I heard none but those of which I have already given an account and yet I was present at the whole Ceremony so that no body could be a better Witness than my self Nor did the Intelligencer know any better which of the Agents whether the English French or Holland Agent had his first Audience of the New King or what Presents they made him of which we shall give an account in the series of our Discourse Let the Reader now judge what credit there is to be given to Relations which are supposed to have been sent to that Country which are only grounded upon uncertain Reports and Letters of Merchants and Travellers written without judgment who upon occasion speaking of other Affairs touch upon something that was transacted in that Country But now to return to our business After the Young King and those that stood of each side were returned to their Places the General of the Musquetteers having whispered some few Minutes in the Kings Ear among several other things of lesser Importance gave out these four principal Commands in his Majesties name First That both the soft and loud Musick should play in the two Balconies upon the top of the great Building which stands at one end of the Palace Royal called the Kaisariè or Imperial Place No Nation was dispensed with whether Persians Indians Turks Muscovites Europeans or others which was immediately done And this same Tintamarr or Confusion of Instruments which sounded more like the noise of War than Musick lasted twenty days together without intermission or the interruption of Night Which number of twenty days was observed to answer the number of the Young Monarch's years who was then twenty years of Age. The second was that the Palace should be furnished with usual Guards to the same Number and in the usual Places as in the time of the deceased Monarch The third was that they should go and deface the Name of Habas out of all the Seals and Signets of State which are all of Precious Stones which were brought from Court in a Purse sealed up with the Prime Ministers Seal and that the Name of Sephiè should be engraved in the room of the other That if in any of the Seals the Name of Habas could not be conveniently Erased that the engraving should be entirely taken away to make room for another Sculpture-upon a new Superficies or if the Pieces were so delicate that they could not endure defacing that they should be broken to pieces and new stones be engraved The fourth That all the old Coins and Stamps should be broken and other new Money made with the Name of the present Prince upon it And that care should be taken to coin with all speed against the next day between sixscore and a hundred and forty Tomans which amount to between five or six hundred pounds sterling of our Money This was done with that speed that the Sum was ready the next day in great Pieces as is usual to the value of eighteen pence for the King to bestow as he pleased himself The same day one of these Pieces came to my hands and the Person from whom I had it assured me that there had been some of the same bigness coined in Gold which I am apt to believe tho I never saw any Round about the Edge were engraved the twelve names of Mahomet's Successours with these words in the middle Bende Shae-din-Safiè-est The Sovereign
of his advancement to the Throne That thereupon he had resolved not to leave the Kingdom before he had had the honour to kiss his Majesties Feet and to appear before him with that humility which became him And that he had not any Presents worthy his acceptance because he had made an offering of all that he brought along with him to the deceased King of glorious Memory to whom his most Illustrious Majesty was now Successour and his Prime Ministers of State and therefore he hoped his Majesty would be so indulgent as to excuse him and permit him the honour which he with all humility requested Lastly That he should beseech the General of the Musquetteers to use his Interest to obtain leave for him with the soonest that he could to the end he might present himself at the feet of the new Monarch and be favoured with a quick dispatch In regard the death of the Director his Predecessour and several other weighty Affairs called him away in haste to the Port of Habas That if he would give himself the trouble to procure that Audience the next day he would promise him a becoming Acknowledgment assuring him that the Company would always be ready to remunerate his favour and be for ever obliged to his kindness With these Instructions the Interpreter went to the General of the Musquetteers and having the opportunity to speak to him in private by himself laid before him all his specious Arguments according to his directions But while he had no other discourse but plausible pretences and excuses they made no Impression upon the covetous Warriour who pretending ignorance or perhaps because he was really ignorant of those affairs made answer that he could determine nothing positive in those matters and therefore he must be content to stay till the Court returned to Ispahan But when the Interpreter began to add to his Reasons the Promise of a becoming Acknowledgment the Lustre of Gold cast such a powerful reflection upon his Lordly senses that he presently found himself inspired with a new access of knowledge and understanding so that there was not any one scruple that interrupted his performance He condescended to the Embassadours Request and knew so well how to manage his business that in the Evening he sent for the same Interpreter and gave him Order to promise his Master in his Majesties Name that he should be admitted to morrow about ten in the Morning to kiss his Majesties Feet The same day at the time appointed the Dutch Embassadour with two more of the Company the chief Factor of Ispahan and the Secretary of the Embassie together with the Interpreter attended at the Palace in an Apartment next to that where the King was Crowned Where he had staid but a few Minutes before he had notice to advance forward to the Place where the King tarried whither so soon as he was come with all his Train the General of the Musquetteers who supplied the Office of Grand Porter or Master of the Ceremonies conducted him from the Door of the great Hall before his Majesty at the distance of two Paces from whom the Embassadour and the two other Persons with him made their Obeysances according to the Custom of the Persians which is to kiss the ground three times before his Majesties Feet When they had made their Reverence and were permitted to sit the Embassadour by his Interpreter began with the Prayers and Wishes of Governour General of Batavia for the honour and prosperity of his Majesty upon his happy coming to the Crown For which the King returned him Thanks and added at the Conclusion My Lord Embassadour is welcome and if he have any favour to request let him only make it known Thereupon the Dutch Embassadour took an occasion to proceed and gave the King to understand in few words the Priviledges which his Ancestors had all along granted to the Company from the first time that they came to reside in Persia till that day requesting the same Protection from his Majesty an Authentick Confirmation of all the Agreements and Decrees already made in favour of the Company and a continuation of the same Kindnesses His Majesty replied My Lord Embassadour I take you for my Guest and Friend as also all of your Nation and I will redouble the favours and kindnesses which my Ancestors of glorious memory have done your Company Upon which the Dutch Embassadour made a profound Reverence as did also the other two that accompanied him and replied to the King 's obliging words in this manner We will no farther doubt it than from the Grace and Generosity of so great a Prince On the other side if We or the Company may be any way serviceable to serve your Majesty your Majesty shall no sooner Command but be obeyed In the mean time we humbly beg of Your Majesty that we may have leave to retire to the Port of Habas there to look after our Affairs to which Importunate Necessity calls Us. Thereupon the General of the Musquetteers declaring the Kings pleasure for he performs the same Office in Grandeur near his Majesty which the Embassadours Interpreter supplies out of necessity His Majesty said he desires to know wherefore my Lord Embassadour discovers so much eagerness to be gone He would have him to stay till all the Lords of the Court are come to Town for that then he intends to receive him with greater Pomp and give him more signal Marks of his Esteem To which the Dutch replied as they had done already bowing their Heads and their Bodies with a profound Humility and returning his Majesty their most hearty Thanks beseeching him withal to have the same gracious Opinion as before but that for the present the greatest Favour he could receive at their hands was his Royal License to return to their principal Factory whither Affairs of Concernment called them The King thereupon with a Nod of his Head condescended to their Request and withal ordered this farther Complement to be put upon them That he would not stay them any longer but that they might go in the Name of God desiring to assure the Company of his Affection and that whatever they had for the future to demand they should but ask and have Those last words included his last leave which they also took with most submissive Obeysances after the European manner the most respectful that could be imagined And thus they retired after an Audience of three quarters of an Hour About Four in the Afternoon they sent their Interpreter to the General of the Musquetteers to return him Thanks for the Trouble he had given himself in procuring them so favourable an Audience and for the continuance of his kindness they besought him to accept as a pledge of their farther acknowledgment a Silver Watch and fifty Ducats of Gold The English Agent in Persia Sir Stephen Flowre understanding that the Dutch had had Audience of his Majesty was not a little surprised but much more vexed
together as old as he was suffer'd horrible totrure stedfast in his resolutions not to make any discovery His Estate being confiscated amounted to twenty five thousand Tomans which make about four hundred thousand Crowns In the mean time at Ispahan there was nothing but publick Rejoycing Feasting Horse-racing with other Sports and Pastimes of the same nature And when day was shut in an infinite number of Lights which they call in that Country Chiragan were hung out all along the Streets round about the Houses and in the great Squares after a most pompous manner insomuch that the night it self might truly be call'd an Artificial day The Young King no less greedily tasted all the pleasures and delight which the full swinge of Liberty unknown what it meant till then gave him opportunity to enjoy Every day he walk'd abroad with his Wives into the parts adjoyning to the City commanding the Kourouk through all the Villages and Towns adjoyning Kourouk signifies a Prohibition to all Men and Boys above seven years of Age upon forfeiture of Life to be seen in any place where the Kings Wives were to pass if he were in their Company All the ways are hung on both sides with such stuff of which they make their Tents to prevent the Women from being seen And notice is given to all the Men to retire home at such an Hour besides that the Guards at two Leagues distance round about were ready to prevent any one from coming near the Places so canvast in Such is their fear lest the Wives should be seen by the Men. For they never hinder the Women from seeing as much as they please It is said that during the five Months from the Coronation of the King till the year 1078. of the Hegira which answers the Spring of our 1667. the King commanded no less then sixty two Kourouks going abroad with his Wives every time and visiting the Places round about Ispahan especially Gioulfa a Town belonging to the Armenians separated from the City only by a River over which he made several large and magnificent Bridges Which shews what power the Women had over the Young Prince that they could cause him to make so many Prohibitions for their sakes only that they might have the pleasure of hunting and walking and breathing in a more sweet and spacious Air then that of their Confinement While the Young King deni'd nothing to his Wives nor his Pleasures he neither refus'd any thing to his Favourites nor to those that begg'd any thing of him insomuch that many persons that were laid aside were taken again into Favour So that the beginning of the New Prince's Reign was like a year of Jubilee that sets open the Prison Doors They that had never so few friends at Court might easily be admitted provided none of the Grandees oppos'd their entrance Mirza-Rezi or the submissive Prince was one of those persons out of favour and Prisoners of whom we have made mention The deceased King had confin'd him to his Palace and had confiscated all his Estate to the value of twelve thousand pounds yearly revenue and this because that although he was blind he would assume to himself the disposal and management of a Legacy of six thousand Crowns a year which one of his Ancestors had left to the Mosquees For the Testator having order'd in his Will that this Revenue should be at the disposal of him that was in the Family to manage it the person to whom the Administration belong'd being dead this blind Lord thought no person more capable then himself and because he was very potent and of the Bloud Royal by the Mothers side who was the Daughter of Habas the Great which was also the reason that they put out his Eyes he resolv'd to get this Administration by force under pretence that he was going out of the World and concern'd himself only about Ecclesiastical Affairs and besides had more wit then all his Family But his Kindred coming to Habas II. and informing him that Mirza-Rezi having had his Eyes put out by the Command of the deceased King his Father on purpose to render him incapable of the Affairs of this World nevertheless went about by force and contrary to Law to meddle in Civil matters The Monarch hearing this grew impatient at his arrogance and after he had given some signs of admiration that a blind man should think himself capable to manage such a a design sent to confiscate all his Estate and commanded him to keep himself confin'd to one single Quarter of his Palace But Sefiè the Second upon his coming to the Crown restor'd him to his favour and return'd him all his Estate without the least diminution But the most considerable who in these Halcyon days of the King 's early Government were releas'd out of Prison and admitted to return to Court was Hali-Kouli-Kaan who had been a Prisoner at Kasbin and who with a boldness altogether surprizing having made his escape from his Guards came and threw himself at the King's Feet The story was this So soon as he understood the News of Habas's decease he conceiv'd great hopes of recovering his Liberty To which purpose he consider'd with himself by what means he might make his escape and get to Ispahan He was resolv'd to beg the King's favour himself believing that not any of the Grandees at Court ow'd him so much kindness as to speak in his behalf only one friend he had and that was the General of the Slaves He not forgetful of the ancient and strict Friendship that had been between them ventur'd three or four times in that privacy which the King allow'd him to represent to his Majesty the misfortune of Hali-Kouli-Kaan but when he saw thatt the Prince return'd him no Answer he sent to the Lord an account of the state of Affairs and advis'd him to come in person and throw himself at the King's Feet for that considering the mildness and sweetness of the new Conjuncture he could run no great Risco These Letters confirm'd Hali-Kouli-Kaan so much the more in the Resolution he had taken because he found himself supported beyond his expectation Thereupon he wrote back to the General of the Slaves return'd him thanks for his kindness toward him besought him to continue it and to take care that he might have Horses laid to be ready at such places and times And when all things were ready he desir'd leave of the Captain of the Guard to let him go a hunting This being a favour which the Captain had granted him several times before he did not then deny him Thereupon he rode forth attended only with four of his most intimate Confidents well mounted and well arm'd Being got into the field he still beat toward Ispahan pretending to hunt but little minding whether he put up any Game or no. But at length having drawn off his Guards a good way from the Town and finding their Horses tir'd toward the close of the Evening
even they who had been instrumental to his Advancement For they could not imagine he should arrive in so short a time to that Pinacle of Honour where they beheld him And indeed they had reason to be jealous of him For his Authority made him Master of their Estates and besides they knew him to be ill-natur'd and mischievously bent and as bold and daring as a Lion more then all this Cholerick without respect or consideration and resolute to enterprize whatever might satisfie his Fury or advance his Interests From this time forward till his death which hapned not long after as will appear in the Series of this Story he was always in great credit with the King who had a particular esteem for him so that there was hardly any thing which he refus'd him At the same time that Haly-Kouli-Kaan was under restraint the Princess Pehri-Rocksar-Begum the present King's Aunt was also restor'd to Favour For as it has been said in the Life of the deceased Prince whose Sister she was the King to punish her for having been too busie in some Intrigue which I know not what it was only that it was such a one as had highly offended him had married her to a Mulla Doctor of the Law who at that time liv'd at Ispahan the Son of Moute-Veli or the Steward of the great Mosque at Mitshed By him during the Life of Habas she had two Children to whom the Prince forbad her to give suck which is the manner of putting to death the Children of the Bloud Royal when the King resolves they shall not live But now this Lady understanding the death of the King went and threw her self at the feet of the New Monarch who receiv'd her kindly and assur'd her he would advance her Husband to some considerable Employment wherein he was as good as his word for some Months after he made her Husband Sedre-Kaassoh that is peculiar Poutiff being a very considerable Employment as he that is as it were the Kings Almoner or he that has the disposal of all the Gifts bequeath'd by the Kings of Persia to the Mosques which Employment was worth to him about fifteen thousand pounds yearly There remain'd another Sister of Habas II. in the Womens Palace who in the Kings absence was as it were Sovereigness of the Place for which reason they give her a Name that signifies the white Locks of the Sacred Place which is a figurative sort of Speech to denote the dignity of the person and the particular respect which is due to her This Lady being desirous to taste the Sweets of Wedlock as well as her Sister importunately besought the New Monarch that she might marry the Brother of her Sisters Husband a Molla or Doctor of the Law as he was For which reason the King made him Sedre-Mokoufaat or Pontiff of the Kingdoms which is a preferment almost like the other and very near equal to it in Revenue as he that has the disposal of the Legacies which are given to the Mosques by private Persons Which two Preferments for above two hundred years were both in one But the King for the satisfaction and advantage of his two Aunts divided them for the benefit of their Husbands who are persons of no merit and of very mean Capacities Nor is it likely the King will suffer them to hold their Places of too great Importance for their management And now his Majesty having supplied these two Pontifical preferments which were vacant during the late Kings Reign took care to fill up other vacancies also which he bestow'd upon persons of credit that were next about him or their Friends That of Kourtchi Bachi or General of the Kourtches one of the three Bodies of the Persian Militia and one of the highest Trusts in the Empire was conferr'd upon Hustein-Kouli-Kaan All the Kaanas or Governments of Persia were likewise bestow'd upon persons of worth In a word there was not a vacant place but what was fill'd up For the deceased King let them lie vacant for a secret reason which his Son understood not which was to reap the profit of their Revenues So great that it is reported the Employments which he supply'd and of which the King his Father had all the benefit brought into the Chequer a Million sterling Yearly However I do not report this for truth but as having heard it affirm'd by persons of great knowledge in Affairs and who could have giv'n a just account had they so pleas'd which they will not always do These were the Favours and Bounties of the Young Monarch during the Festivals of his Coronation Of which the mirth and jollity was not a little disturb'd by a sad accident that occasion'd the downfal of the Grand Provost In the description of Ispahan we have observed that for a long time that City has been divided into two Factions which are always quarrelling and fighting for Precedency and Antiquity And upon Festival Times there is always a great Concourse of the Rabble of both Factions in the old Maydan or Publick Place of the City where the two different Factions ranging themselves the one upon the South the other upon the North side batter one another with Stones and Clubs at a strange rate The Grand Provost all this while makes a shew of parting 'em but he does it so remissly that both Parties see well enough that it is only a Copy of his Countenance which makes 'em bolder and more violent in their mischief For the Grand Provost is not at all troubl'd at it by reason of the great Fines which afterwards he milks into his own Pocket Upon one of these fore-mention'd Festival days his Majesty being in the spacious and magnificent Hall which is built over the great Portal of his Palace that looks out into the Royal Square where he sate to behold a horse Race and several of his Lords shooting at a Golden Ball an Exercise much us'd among the Persian Archers news was brought that about two thousand of the Rabble were fighting in the Maydan or Publick Market place with that implacable animosity that there was like to be a great deal of mischief done Upon which his Majesty sent for the Daroga or Grand Provost of Ispahan and order'd him to take along with him a Guard of Sixty Musquetteers if he thought fit and go and disperse the furious Combatants Which was a Command too express to be dally'd withal But the Grand Provost could never accomplish it However away he flew at the Head of above two hundred Soldiers and commanded the Mutineers to part and disperse themselves But they believing the Provost did but only make a shew as he was wont to do fell a shouting at him and palting him with stones He would fain have giv'n 'em to understand he was then in earnest but because the Tumult and noise was so great that he could not otherwise be heard then by the thunder of his Musquets he order'd the Soldiers to fire without Bullets
divulging a secret that would have been the ruine of his own and his Uncle's Family At length the General of the Slaves asham'd of having put off the young Lord so many times and now being run to the end of his Rope as one that had no more Excuses to make he resolv'd to break off at once with the Vazier that he might deliver himself from his importunate Sollicitor To this purpose one Evening at the time that he was ready to go to his Prayers and from thence to Court for 't is the Custom of the Mahumetans to say their Prayers in Publick perceiving the young Lord at a distance advancing toward him he took that opportunity when there was a great number of People and several persons of Quality to hear him at what time as soon as the young Lord came near him fetching a deep sigh and lifting up his Eyes and Arms to Heaven Good God said he what shall I do with this man he pursues me every where like a Criminal he will not give me time to say my Prayers he haunts me going into my Haram among my Women I find him at my heels whereever I go prithee Friend what wouldst have me do to satisfie thee Am I King of Persia to create thy Uncle Prime Minister of State Prethee go to his Majesty the business does not lie in my Power You may easily judge what a Thunder Clap this was to the young Lord he would not for ten times the Sum that he had provok'd those Expressions from a man so ill principl'd he repented with all his heart that he had press'd him so close but 't was too late for Ibrahim's Plot was thereby discover'd and all the Court that knew him rightly believ'd 't would cost his Ambition sauce as indeed it fell out By a Quirk of the same nature the General of the Slaves had already formerly hook'd out of the Nazir or Lord Treasurer's Pocket three hundred Tomans which make a thousand pound at the time that the Court return'd to Ispahan To which purpose the cunning Fox went to him at his house all in a heat and after he had drawn him aside Sir said he I come to assure you that your Head which the practice of your Enemies had endanger'd is now secure The King at first began to listen to their Calumnies so that had not I interpos'd for your safety the King was resolv'd neither to have sent you the Habit nor the Patent Royal. The General of the Musquetteers was he that did you the most prejudice which caus'd a Quarrel between us I suppose you will acknowledge the kindness we have done you The same Prank he plaid Mirza Moumen that is Lord without Blot the Nazir or Superintendant of the Stables who was drawn in by him for about nine thousand pounds by making him believe that he had protected him against Potent Accusers who sought to bring him under his Majesties displeasure But that was not all for that he was resolv'd to imploy his Credit with his Master as to raise him from being Treasurer of the Stables to be Treasurer of the Kings Demeans in the room of Mac-Soud-Bec who undeservedly enjoy'd the Employment and whose head already totter'd upon his shoulders for that the King was resolv'd that none of those should live who had oppos'd his Advancement to the Throne Upon his Departure also that he might leave some marks behind him of his malicious Cunning he resolv'd to set the King 's two Chief Eunuchs who are petty Kings in the Palace together by the ears to the mutual perdition of each other that is the Mehther or Lord Chamberlain and the Aga Moubarek or Overseer of the Queen Mothers Houshold To that purpose he went to the High Chamberlain to tell him as a secret of great Importance and which the Friendship he had for him oblig'd him to reveal that Aga Moubarek took all opportunities to slander and accuse him to the King but that his wickedness fell upon his own head for that he had often heard his Majesty say that he could no longer endure the Backbiting Tongue and Malignity of that person that he was resolv'd to have put him to death and had done it already had it not been for some remainder of kindness he has for him for the service he did him at his Fathers death stopt his displeasure At the same time he went to Aga Moubarek and told him also the very same Story of the Chamberlains Inveteracy against him So that the two Eunuchs foster'd for some time a secret and implacable hatred one against the other both expecting when the effects of the Princes Anger would break out to the ruine of his Enemy according as the General of the Slaves had fed their hopes But the time being elaps'd and nothing hapning of what they were made believe they began to doubt the truth of what he had inform'd ' em And therefore knowing the Author of the Story to be a great forger of Lies they resolv'd to find out the truth The Mehther or High Chamberlain was the first that discover'd it For being saluted one day with the usual Complements the Great Chamberlain coldly repli'd There 's a Tongue that coldly salutes my Ears but stabs me to the heart and then drawing him aside What unkindness said he have I done you that you should go about to procure my death by rendring me odious to the Prince as you do every day all my comfort is you will not be so successful in your enterprize as you think for Aga Moubarek finding thereby a Gate opened for discovery 'T is not for you said he but for me to complain For is it not you that have been continually pealing in the Kings Ears such and such stories concerning me which had been enough to have taken away my life had his Majesty given credit to your Tales but thanks be to God they were not believ'd The two Eunuchs were so strangely surpriz'd to find themselves upbraided with the same unkindnesses that they began to compare their accusations of each other with which they were charg'd and that Examination at last discover'd that it was but a Romance tho a pernicious Romance which the General of the Slaves had compos'd to set those two Lords together by the Ears and to make his advantage of their quarrelling Nevertheless seeing the dark contrivance had not succeeded altogether they dissembl'd their resentment at present and said nothing resolving to wait for an opportunity of Revenge which they vow'd should never escape 'em whenever it offer'd it self These Eunuchs are very ready at these kind of dark Contrivances there being no people in the World that know how to carry on a private Revenge by close and covert means and then give fire to the Mine of a sudden so well as they do nor did they fail to pay this crafty Deceiver in his own Coin For it is thought that they were the persons who mainly contributed to his disgrace and death
mortally and so openly hated him that he would neither accept of his Visits nor his Presents The reason of which animosity was because that in the Reign of Habas II. about twelve years before his death when the General of the Army being then in his Government of Tauris fell a second time under the displeasure of his Prince for the reasons already related and after a Confiscation of all his Goods was sent a Prisoner to Casbin Mirza-Sadek Brother of this Mirza-Ibrahim being at that time Farmer Royal of the same City and Province was appointed Commissioner by his Majesty for the sale of those Confiscated Goods At what time he carri'd himself so rigorously that he took away the very Tombans or Linnen Drawers belonging to his Wives and sold 'em in open Market for in regard the disgrac'd Lord had several Wives and for that the Persian Ladies are all sumptuously habited there are some of these under-Drawers that are worth thirty or forty Crowns so that a good number might come to a great deal of Money This Affront touch'd the General to the Quick and enrag'd him to that excess against the whole Family that he gave it its full swinge first against the Vazier himself who had given him the Affront For after he was restor'd and found he had power to do what he pleas'd he sent for him and not so much as vouchsafing to see him when he arrived he caus'd him to be shut up in his Stables where to do him the greatest Injury that could be done him in Persia he expos'd him to the beastly Passion of six lusty Grooms Mirza Ibrahim was not ignorant of all this and knew how far the Transports of his Pride and Cruelty was able to carry him he saw him newly restor'd and advanc'd to the third dignity in the Kingdom and that which was of more importance that he was the Chief in favour and that the King listen'd to him as his Governour For those reasons he conjectur'd rightly that among those that sought his ruine there was not any one who had more Power or a greater good Will Therefore he resolv'd to purchase his favour whatever it cost him or if he could not oblige him to do him a kindness at least that he would be pleas'd to hold his tongue To which purpose he went to give him a Visit desiring he might be admitted to pay him Reverence At first when the Vazier enter'd the General of the Army pretended not to see him but feigning as if his head ak'd call'd for a Couch to lie down where after he had lain about two hours he retir'd into his Palace leaving a great throng of People that waited without to come another time and among the rest Mirza Ibrahim However Mirza Ibrahim would not take this for a denial but return'd the next day To whom the General taking no notice that he had demanded leave to be admitted to make his salutation in the great Hall where he dispatch'd all Comers and Goers gave him no Answer so that the poor Lord was forc'd to stand three hours together among the Officers and Common Persons and after that he pass'd by him without so much as looking upon him and so took horse before his Palace Gate Mirza Ibrahim follow'd him and keeping close to him ever now and then gave him the usual Salute of My Lord peace be with yee and that so loud that he might easily be heard At first the General of the Army said nothing to him but finding the other still pursue him tir'd with his importunate Complements turning about Gidi segh Cursed Dog said he what have I to do with thee or thou with me Go to the Devil and let me never see thee more And having so said he caus'd his Servants to thrust him away Poor Mirza Ibrahim seeing himself so coursely us'd made trial of Presents the great Spring that moves the whole Court of Persia To that purpose he sent the General two thousand Tomans which the General refus'd the other believing 't was too little sent again two thousand five hundred which were sent back as before then he sent three thousand which had no better acceptance after that four thousand which still could make no impression in the haughty Spirit of the Exasperated Lord So that at length he sent five thousand Tomans which comes to twenty thousand pounds And then somewhat suppl'd he invited Mirza Ibrahim two days after to his Megeles or Publick Feast nevertheless he shew'd him no particular Civility nor said any thing to him more then what is usually spoken to all the Guests Kochs-Geldi Y' are welcome I question'd the truth of this Present of twenty thousand pounds when I heard it related the first time not believing that any person would purchase any mans favour at so dear a Rate but afterwards upon farther examination I found it to be really true And I the rather give this Advertisement to the Reader that he may not mistrust the fidelity of my Relations or think that I speak by Hearsay and not upon any exact information All this while the Kings distemper increas'd upon him that he could ride no longer so that he never went abroad with his Wives but in a Kagia veh which are little wooden sheds carri'd by gread Camels wherein they usually put their Women when they go to take the Air. In this Condition he continued a month tho all the while he would not forbear his usual recreations with his Wives The Kourrourks continu'd in all the parts round about Ispahan where the Prince caus'd all the handsom women to be taken up and brought to his Haram One day the Queen Mother had a desire to see the Fortress of the City where are kept all the Curiosities and rarities belonging to the present Monarch and his Ancestors whether Presents or Purchas'd or Trophies of their Conquests To which purpose she persuaded her Son to carry her thither so that there was a Kourrouk proclaim'd all over one part of the City which was never known or at least never remembred by any body then alive Now it haepn'd that one time as the King was thus sporting himself abroad with his Wives an Accident fell out that render'd 'em still more unsupportable to the People His Majesty at that time lay in the Fields without Ispahan under Tents in Harvest time when the sheaves lay heap'd up one upon another in the Grounds and as he was one that greatly delighted in Fireworks some flying Rockets were presented him one Evening of an extraordinary weight for there are some that weigh forty pounds of which he order'd a trial to be made But their extraordinary weight hindering the Massie Squib from mounting directly upwards as it should have done and so not flying very high they made a kind of a Semicircle at a distance which carri'd 'em a great way into the Fields where they set the Sheaves on fire and burnt the Corn together with some houses that stood not
far off So that the loss was valu'd at sixteen thousand pounds and the misery was that this accident happen'd when there was great scarcity of Corn. Here I cannot omit a small Circumstance which has some affinity with what I have already spoken concerning that spacious place full of Trees and Alleys that compose the Avenues to the Palace through one of which call'd the Royal Alley the King and his Train went always in and out to avoid passing through the City The other great Alleys were adorn'd with Beds and Borders planted with Flowers and sweet smelling herbs which together with the Fountains and Rows of Trees caus'd a very pleasant prospect In the mean time came certain intelligence that the Yusbecks were enter'd into the Province of Corason or Bactriana The Governour of the Province sent Courrier after Courrier to the King for Orders for that the Enemy was already enter'd the Kingdom burning and spoiling all before 'em and that unless speedily oppos'd the Province would be in danger to be lost The Yusbecks are a People that inhabit to the North of Persia Possessing all that Country between the Caspian Sea and the Indies under several petty Sultans or Princes absolute within themselves They are called Yusbecks at least if the Persian Etymology be true by reason of the great number of Sovereign Princes by which the Tartars are Govern'd for Yus as well in the Language of the Tartars as Turks which is but a Dialect of it signifies a hundred and Bek Lords to shew the great number of Masters by which they are Rul'd But those People reject that Etymology which they say is both false and injurious to 'em That the true Etymolgy is Yusi which signifies He in both Languages tho pronounc'd Yus by cutting off the last Vowel and Bek Lord. So that when they say Yusbek 't is as much as to say He the Lord or He is the Lord as if these People were the only People upon the Earth that are truly Lords Such is the pride of this Nation and the high conceit they have of their own merits One of the principal Lords of the Persian Court when he told me this he gave me an account of a certain petty King that Reign'd in the Molucca's in the time of Habas the Great who nevertheless assum'd to himself a Grandeur almost equal to his For he look'd upon himself to be the only lawful Lord of the East and assum'd to himself the Title of sole Monarch of it Saying withal that he knew not whether there were any other in the West but that he was well assur'd that He himself was Master of that part of the World where he inhabited For which reason he caus'd his Dominions to be call'd by way of Excellency Moulouk that is to say the true Kingdoms for tho we pronounce the word Molucca's after our Manner over all Asia they write and pronounce it Moulouk But among all those petty Princes that Govern Tartary the less there are three who are accounted the Principal That is to say the Prince of Bokora the Prince of Balke and the Prince of Carechme or Orquenge upon which the rest in some manner or other have have their dependence In the Reign of Sephi the Second which the Persians for distinction sake call Mazi the pass'd Reign he being Grandfather to the present King these Yuzbecks overrunning the Territories of Corasson or Bactriana and Margiana were pursu'd by the Persians who made a dismal slaughter among 'em after they had gain'd a most signal Victory over the Enemy killing twelve of eighteen Thousand of which their Body consisted and taking the rest Prisoners Among these Captives there was a young Prince one of the Cheiftaines of the Tartars descended from the Royal Line of Karechme or Orquenge who was call'd Abouel-Kazi or the Father-Arbiter This Prisoner being known to be what he was among the rest of the Prisoners was carry'd to Ispahan but his usage was quite different For Sephi did not look upon him as a Robber but as a Prince who was only a Prisoner of War and paid him all those Honours and Civilities due to a Personage of Royal Birth assign'd him a Revenue of fifteen hundred Tomans which amounts to six thousand pounds gave him a stately Palace furnish'd accordingly a number of Officers and a suitable Train to attend him And it was his Pleasure that the Vazier or Treasurer to the Governor of Ispahan should take care of his Person and perform the Office of a Mehmandaar who is the Person as we may say that takes care of the Guests and is the Master of the Entertainment This Mehmandaar for ten years together paid this Tartar-Prince by his Majesties Order all the Respect and Service which the rights of a most tender Hospitality could reasonably claim and such as there could not be any thing shew'd him more obliging in our best civiliz'd Provinces On the other side the Prince understood so well how to disguise the natural Savageness and Barbarity of the Tartars that you would have taken him for a Persian he behav'd himself with such a Grace and so much affability in all things So that his Majesty observing him endow'd with so many rare Qualities strain'd his affection for him so high that he admitted him into his Megeles or Royal Assemblies where he rank'd him equal with the Grandees of his Kingdom and for his maintainance assign'd him Pensions that were no way inconsiderable During his abode at Ispahan where he had liberty to go and come as he pleas'd only attended by his Mehmendaar and the Guards that were assign'd him more in honour to his Person then for a Watch on his Freedom he had still in his mind a natural hankering after his own Country his Kindred and that Sovereignty to which he was lawful Heir The Magnificence the Mildness the Beauty and delights of Persia could not eradicate out of his Breast this violent affection for the place of his Nativity For tho it were true that nothing but Barrenness and a hideous prospect overspread the Country for which he had such a lingring desire however it was the place where he was born and where he was to change the condition of a Slave for that of a Master Importun'd therefore by his own ardent desires he wrote privately to the King of Orquenge his Father and besought him to endeavour his Liberty Who having consulted what course to take pretends an occasion to send an Embassador into Persia who brought to the Prince the King his Fathers answer And at length the Prince and the Embassador agreed upon the manner of his escape And then the Embassador after a stay of six Months took his leave of the Court But then it was that the Prince when he thought the Embassador was got beyond the Bounds of Persia and that it was seasonable for him to make his escape laid his Plot in this manner He feign'd himself one day to be very ill and gave notice
according to our account he undertook his Progress into Mazenderan and march'd against ' em The Yusbecks perceiving the King of Persia at hand and apprehensive of his Power fail'd in the great Courage which they pretended at the beginning and thought it their better course to submit So that the next year 1666. they sent every one their Embassadors to beg a Peace and by that means in some measure asswag'd the Indignation of that Prince and suspended those designs which he had contriv'd in his thoughts and which by his death not long after happening prov'd altogether abortive After his unfortunate death the Tartars took heart again Besides the weak Government of a young Prince whose age and want of experience render'd him uncapable to oppose their designs was such a favourable Opportunity that they could not forbear to take the advantage of it And therefore the Prince of Orquenge like a hungry Lion in the year 1667. enter'd Merve Sava and the Country round about where finding no resistance he made strange Havock and carry'd away whatever he found to be of value not one Persian Governour daring to oppose him Nor indeed could the Governours prevent it for these Tartars are like Birds of Prey flying from the Place they have plunder'd with that swiftness before a man can suspect 'em to have been there besides that they had not a sufficient force to oppose a furious Multitude whom Revenge and hope of Booty had flesh'd and animated beyond the sense of fear or danger The Court having intelligence of these disorders took a resolution to apply Remedies but it was so remissly and slowly executed that they who had an insight into things foresaw it would come to nothing as indeed it came to pass The Council of Persia under the Kings name made choice of two Lords esteem'd to be Personages of the greatest Experience in the Kingdom the one called Clichs-Kaan and the other Sheik-Hali-Kaan both the one and the other already provided of two of the best Governments in the Empire the first of the Province of Kirmaan or Caramania the other of Kirmoon Sha which is Caldea These Lords were sent for from their Government which were dispos'd of the one to the Brother the other to the Son of those Lords and they themselves were sent against the Yusbeck with the Title of Generals of the Army They march'd with four thousand men from Ispahan to joyn the Army that lay ready in the Province of Corasson and in regard there was no more talk of the Indian War the Governour of Candaar had order to supply the Generals with what Recruits they should think necessary Six weeks after the departure of these Lords with their small Body of four thousand men several Sums of Money were sent to Corasson to pay both the Armies as well that belonging to the Province as the Indian Recruits This Treasure was convoy'd only by two hundred Men in regard there was no appearance of any danger upon the Road and yet however it came to pass the Yusbecks had intelligence of it Thereupon they sent out a Party to observe the motion of the Convoy and took their opportunity so well that with three thousand of their own People they carri'd off the Booty notwithstanding all the speed that was made to overtake ' em During these Troubles Hali-Kouli-Kaan departed this Life of a stoppage in his Breast for which no remedy could be found after he had kept his Bed four days In the Story of Persia which we intend one day for the Press we have given an account of his Birth and his Misfortunes for it was a wonderful thing that whatever faults he were guilty of and he committed a great many Habas II. still pardon'd him he never would reduce him to utmost misery much less put him to death because of the good tydings of which he had been the Messenger to him For this same Lord it was whom Sephi I. the Father of Habas perceiving his Distemper grow upon him sent to fetch the young Prince out of the Womens Palace to the end he might have him ready near his person out of a design which he had to present him to the Lords for his Successour Never had any man run through so many strange adventures in fifty years that he belong'd to the Court and seventy of his Life nor did ever any man experience the fickleness of Fantastick Fortune in her sports of Prosperity and Adversity so much as he did At the time of his Decease he was advanc'd to the highest Pinacle that ever his good fortune could raise him He was in the entire possession of the affection and favours of his Master who refus'd him nothing His Majesty was never weary of his Bounty toward him and six weeks before his death had presented him with a Sword a Dagger and three Heron Tufts valu'd in all at fifty thousand Crowns But these outward Marks of Favour were of little value to the high-priz'd Power which he had over the thoughts and actions of the Prince who dispatch'd no business of Importance before he had taken his Advice So that it might be said that the General was the true Monarch of the Persians while he that carri'd the Title was but the shadow of the Sovereign And therefore it was that he liv'd like a Monarch there being nothing that appear'd about him that betray'd the least discovery of a private Fortune for he entertain'd fifteen hundred men about his Person besides Officers and Eunuchs of which three hundred at a time mounted his Guards He got by his Government of Tauris and his Fees as Generalissimo thirty thousand Tomans or one hundred and twenty thousand pounds of which he laid aside the one half for the payment of his fifteen hundred men whom he always took care to have in good Equipage the rest went to defray the charges of his House-keeping He had also set up for his own use in his Palace several Kaar-Kaanè or Work-houses for all sorts of Manufactures where he had muster'd together Workmen and Artificers in all manner of Trades Goldsmiths Tailors Sadlers Armourers Burnishers c. besides Riders for his Horses and Masters to teach his men how to handle their Arms. In a word his Palace was altogether Royal. And in this manner was he at continual Expences insomuch that notwithstanding his large Revenue he always was poor and in debt For besides that he was of a prodigal humour having neither Wives nor Children to provide for he never spar'd for Lustre and Pomp upon all occasions that requir'd it Nor will it be amiss considering the high degree that he held in Persia and the Fantastick Traverses as well in his Fortune as in the Consequences of his Conduct to give the Reader a Portraiture of his Person He was of a middle stature rather enclining to be tall then low his Aspect grim and terrible yet without any deformity He wore his Monstachios very thick and about three quarters of
is the same with Sadoc among the Hebrews He was Brother to Mirza-Ibraim already mention'd and worse then he Vazier or Farmer-Royal of Fars or the ancient Persia The Complaints of Shiras at length threw him out of this Employment The People had for several years with hearty prayers to Heaven implor'd his Ruin but could never obtain it they clamour'd against his Robberies and Violences whole crouds of Petitioners throng'd to Court with complaints against him but his Presents and his specious Letters frustrated all their Attempts Nay one of the principal Occasions of the Dutch Embassie in the year 1666. was to complain of his Vexations and the stop which he gave to their Trade All the World thought that such a blow as that would have fetch'd his Head from his Shoulders but he fended it off by the help of a Sister which he had in the Womens Palace So that he was discharg'd with only a severe Reprimand which was sent him in a Patent of which the Dutch themselves were the Messengers At length this very year so many fresh complaints came against him that he could find no more Evasions neither would his pretences avail any longer though he ply'd the Court still to the value of about thirty thousand pound which they took but spar'd him never a whit the more He was expell'd from his Employment and all his Goods Confiscated It was believ'd at Court that his Estate would have amounted to several hundred thousand pounds but they were amaz'd when they found that the Account rose to no more then 80200 l. Sterling in Gold and Silver which he had at home in his Coffers six thousand four hundred pound in Goods Moveables Horses Stuffs Merchandize and such other like Furniture which was not for ordinary use In his Treasurers Coffers was found seven thousand pound in Silver Money and eight hundred seventy five pound in Duckats of Gold This crafty Lord long foresaw what then befel him and therefore he had convey'd away his Jewels and what he had of most costly value and the greatest part of his ready Money and had only left those Sums at home to dazle the Eye and make the Court believe it was his whole Estate But no body could imagine it and his Majesty sent into all Places belonging to his Jurisdiction an express Order to make diligent search for all Goods and Money or whatever else might be thought to belong to the Offender and put forth a Proclamation for all to discover what they knew The same was done at Ispahan but notwithstanding all that extraordinary diligence there was no more discover'd then about sixty thousand Crowns besides Goods that were not moveable The King left him all the Furniture of his Palace nor did he meddle with his Wardrobe nor with any thing that belong'd to his Women nor with any thing that was for common use in his Offices and Stables Beside he gave him liberty to enjoy a yearly Revenue of four thousand pound Sterling to maintain him shut up in a Palace a little way distant from Shiras whence he was not to stir himself but might receive the Visits of his Friends His Children also were at the same time put out of Favour and lost their Employments After his Fall the King would not confer his Place upon any Lord as being one of the most gainful Employments in Persia but sent to a certain Persian Lord of an ancient Family who resided at Shiras whose name was Sefie-Kouli-Sultaan a short Commission under the Title of Governor pro tempore of the Province till he should think fit to supply the Place other ways We have told ye how the greatest part of those that fell into disgrace in the Reign of Habas II. return'd from their Exile and were restor'd to favor at the beginning of the new Reign In the number of these was Mirza Hadi one of the most Learned Lords of Persia able to instruct whoever would be desirous to know whatever is of choicest Secrecy in that Empire whether as to the Situation of Places as to History or Politicks and therefore it was that I endeavour'd to benefit by his friendship and discourse The Chief Minister to the deceas'd King made out the Process against him and had confin'd him to his Palace in Ispahan whence he never stirr'd till after the death of that Monarch And in regard he often frequented the Court and was in great Reputation there he was advanc'd to the Employment of Farmer-Royal of Kirmaan or Caramania There was also living in Ispahan some three years since an ancient Indian Princess who was there detain'd a Prisoner She was Sister to the last King of Decan and was call'd by the name of Saheb-Koud-shek that is to say in the Persian of the Indies the Little Lady to denote a second Princess that has another above her This Lady was retir'd to Vijapour and toward the end of her days was desirous to make a Pilgrimage to Mecca carrying along with her an immense Treasure In pursuance of this Pilgrimage she passed through Persia But Habas II. for reasons that never were yet well understood having her in his Power would not permit her to go any farther nor to return out of his Dominions tho she offer'd several times considerable Presents to obtain that favour The new Prince and that year the New Soleimaan did not shew himself so insensible of the Ladies Presents as his Father had done but condescended to what she desir'd and receiv'd from her a Treasure of Jewels of an inestimable value For she took her time one day that the King pass'd by the House where she had been lodg'd and went forth her self with her Presents and her Petition She had also prepar'd a sumptuous Banquet to be made ready in the Court that belong'd to the House and caus'd the Street to be spread with Cloth of Gold for the King to ride over and as he rode along her Officers came and threw under his Horses feet whole handfuls of money both Gold and Silver to the value of two thousand Crowns Which is a piece of Pomp and Grandeur practis'd in Persia when any one would honour the Prince after a more splendid and obliging manner Toward the end of the year 1668. arriv'd in Persia a new Mission of Italian Capuchins sent by the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith for Georgia They were six attended by two Lay Brothers their Superiour being call'd Father Steven d' Ameria They also brought a Letter from the Pope to the King of Persia of which I took a Copy in these words To the most Illustrious and most Potent King of the Persians CLEMENT IX Pope ILlustrious and most Potent King we wish you Health and the Light of Divine Grace Such is the Charity of the Roman Pontiff whom God the Sovereign Creator of all men has bestow'd upon 'em that he does not believe there is any Society upon Earth estrang'd from himself or his most tender cares On the
defence This was that which the Persians desir'd for as soon as they understood they were fortifi'd in that place the same year notwithstanding the Winter season they attack'd 'em and being stronger by Land than the Cosaques they beat 'em retook all their Prisoners and constrain'd the Enemy to betake themselves to their Vessels with which after they had roam'd about the whole Peninsula on every side they found at the farthest end a more advantageous Post as being defended by a Marsh where they stopp'd with their Booty and their little Barks at which time I came away for Europe FINIS THE TABLE A A Bouel-Kazi a Tartarian Prince taken by the Persians Pag. 115. their civil usage of him 116. makes his escape into his own Country 117. his gratitude 118. Aga-Mubarek Tutor to Hamzeh-Mirza second Son to Habas II. 8. but much against his advancement to the Throne 19. his Speech upon the debate 20 21. a great Favourite of Sefie II. 57. an animosity between him and the High Chamberlain 108. Ali see Hali. Ambassador see Envoy and Embassador Ardevil a Persian City of more than ordinary Sanctity 69. Armenians hated by the Persian Lord Chief Justice 87. suffer great injustice fron Hali-Kouli-Kaan 92 93 94. Astrologers of great esteem in Persia 13. 25. 43. 131 132. Athemad-doulet chief Minister of Persia 13. his Speech upon the choice of a new Emperor 14 15. Audience of the Dutch Envoy 65. of the English 66. of the French 72. Audit of Address the Author of it grosly mistaken 49. Aureng-Zebe King of India keeps Spies in the Persian Court 98. his Embassador affronted at the Court of Persia 102. upon what motives diverted from a War 110. B Balke a petty Principality of Tartary 115. Basra corruptly Balzura the policy of the Basha there to preserve himself 125. offers to become tributary to the Grand Seignior 126. which will not be accepted 145. Bastinadoes bestow'd upon a Persian Nobleman 140. what followed thereupon 141. Bisin-Allah a Persian Acclamation 15. Bokora a petty Principality of Tartary 115. Bolluki a people bordering on Persia 136. abused by the Governor of Kandaar 137. their King slain ibid. C Calates or Vests presented by the King to his Noblemen 70. Camp of the Persian King the manner of it 12. Capuchin Friers a Mission of them to Georgia 151. Carechme a petty Principality of Tartary 115. Character of Habas the Second 1. of Sefie Mirza 6 7. of Hamzeh Mirza 8. of Koelar Agasia 25 of Hali-Kouli-Kaan 121 122. Cheik-Sefie the first of the Royal bloud of Persia 69. Chemchir or a Persian Sword the description 41. Christians kindly used by Habas II. 1. 58. Cities of the Persians of a peculiar Sanctity 69. Pope Clement his Letter to the Emperour of Persia 15. Clichs-Kaan one of the Persian Generals against the Yusbecks 120. Coffins several made alike at the death of the Persian Emp. 68. Coin of the Persian Emperour its Inscription 52. Comet its appearance 134. the Astrologers opinion of it 135. Conspiracy of the two chief Physicians of Persia to prefer the younger Son of the Persian Emperour 9. in which the Prime Ministers joyn 10. Speeches thereupon 15. Coronation of the Persian Emperour the Ceremonies thereof 42 to 48. resolv'd to be perform'd again 132. Cosroes a Prince of Persia his fall 2. Cossaks invade Persia 141. the occasion 143. their Embassadours how receiv'd 144. plunder Ferhabaad 153. are defeated by the Persians 154. Council holden for election of a Successor to Habas II. 12 c. another of the Noblemen with the Emperour 71 another where the French Envoy has his Audience 72. Convoy of the Persians surpris'd by the Yusbecks 121. D Dearth in Persia and especially at Ispahan 88. Death of Habas II. related by the Eunuchs to the chief Ministers 4. Dervicks a sort of Mahometan Mendicant 99. concern'd with the Indian Spies 100. punish'd 101. Description of the Emperors Apartment for Audience 37. of the Imperial Throne 39. of his Crown 40. of his Sword 41. of his Dagger ibid. of his Personage 57. Dhulbandt erroniously Turbant a description of that of the Persian Emperor 40. Divaan Beki Lord of the Council of Justice 13. Dutch Envoy obtains audience at the Persian Court 65. E Earthquake in Georgia overturns great part of the City Tefflis 126. another destroys Shama-Ki 127. Election of Sephie-Mirza Emperor of Persia from 12 to 23. of a Messenger to carry him the tydings 23 24 25. Embassador from India affronted at the Persian Court 102. those from Muscovy their sneaking carriage 142. slighted thereupon ib. which gives occasion to an Invasion from the Cossaks 143. English Envoy his Audience at the Persian Court 66. Enouch-Kaan King of Orquenge wars upon Persia 119. submits ibid. invades the Persian borders 120. Envoy from the Hollanders hath Audience of the Emperour 64. the English hath the same 66. the French likewise 72. F Ferhabaad the Capital City of Mezenderaan plunder'd by the Cosaques 153. Sir Stephen Flower the English Envoy at the Persian Court 66. hath Audience ibid. and 67. French Envoy hath Audience at the Persian Court 72. G Gangher or a Persian Dagger its description 41. Gemshed-Kaan Koular a perfidious Nobleman 103. his Character 104. Instances of his roguery 106. he is made Governor of Candaar 109. his Insolences there 136. shamefully put to death 140. his Personage ibid. Georgia the last King thereof how made a Feudatary of Persia 101. the Eldest Son of the Prince of it always grand Provost of Ispahan 101. Giulfa the place of habitation for the Armenians in Persia 97. Guebres or Persian Fire Worshippers 98. H Habas II. his Virtues and Character 1. his death 3. his last words 4. his cruelty 11. kind to the Christians 58 59 60. Habit of the Persian Emperour when he first appear'd in publick 57. Hakiem Bachi the chief of the Physicians 13. Hali-Kouli-Kaan escapes out of custostody 77. his reception at Court 77. highly advanc'd 82. his method of easing the People in the time of dearth 89. his injustice to the Armenians 93 94 c. his ill usage of Mirza Ibrahim 112. his death 121. his Character and Personage 122. Hamzeh-Mirza Son to Habas II. 8. his Character ibid. proposed for Emperour upon his Fathers death 15. begs heartily that his eyes may not be put out 67. Hossein Basha petty Sovereign of Basra 126. offers to become tributary to the Grand Seignior ibid. which is not accepted 145. I Ichigakasia-Bachi chief of the Masters of the Footstool to the Throne 14. Imaan a Persian Priest 69. Imaan-Reza a Persian Saint 69. Inscription on the Coins of the new Emperour 52. Instructions of the Dutch Envoy for his Negotiation at the Persian Court 63. K. Kachan a City of reputation for Sanctity 69. Kalmachs a Tartarian people invade Persia 123. Kand-dar the Province subdu'd by Habas II. 1. Koelar-Agasia Lord of the Slaves 13. his Character 25. Kom the Burial-place of Habas II. 68. reputed among the holy Cities 69. Kotbé or
Persian Prayer 45. Kafer the name given by the Persians to Idolaters and Christians 135. L M. de Lalain French Envoy his Audience 72. Hubert de Laresse Envoy from the Hollanders to the Emperour 56. his negotiation at the Persian Court under Habas II. 61 62. and under Sefie II. 64. his Audience 65. Letter of the Persian Lords to Sefie-Mirza upon having Elected him Emperour 27 28. of the Spies in the Persian Court to the King of India 98. Letters of Credence of the Cosaque Embassadors not to be uncypher'd 144. of the Great Duke of Muscovy to the King of Persia 145. of the Pope to the same 151. M Mahamed-Kouli-Kaan a great Enemy to the Christians 87. Bastinado'd 140. made Governor of Candaar 141. Mahamed Saleh a famous Astrologer 25. Meihter or High Chamberlain of Persia 3-14 Message of the Persian Noblemen to the Emperour 67. his Answer 68. Mer-Atever-Bachi Grand Esquire to the Emperor 13. Metched an extraordinary holy City among the Persians 69. Mir-tchekar-Bachi Prince of the Chase 13. Mirza the signification of it 8. Mirza-Baker Chief of the Astrologers 25. Mirza-Hali-Riza a learned Persian Nobleman 43. imprison'd by Habas II. and releas'd by Sefié II. 78. Mirza Hachem a foul-tongu'd person 74. out of the Kings favour 76. his death 77. Mirza-Koudchek Physician to Habas II. 5. confin'd and his Estate confiscated 70. Mirza-Ibrahim Vazier of Media 104. how cheated by the General of the Slaves 106. his usage at his arrival at Ispahan 112 113. when almost ruin'd he gets leave to retire 127. Mirza-Refié a learned Persian 42. his Oration at the Coronation 45. Mirza-Sadek his fall 149. Mirza-Sahid Physician to Habas II. 5. confin'd and his Estate confiscated 70. Mission of Capuchins to Georgia 151. Moubarek-Bached a Persian Complement 70. Moulouk the meaning of the word 115. Multani a sort of Banians 98. the principal of them apprehended 100. Munckiziim-Bachi the Lord of the Astrologers 13. order'd to accompany the tydings of his Election to Sefie-Mirza 25. Muscovite Embassadours slighted at the Persian Court 142. the Great Dukes Letter to the King 145. N Nazir Eunuch see Aga Mubarek Nazir the signification of the word 8. Nazir or Seer the Superintendant General of the Royal Revevenues 13. Passionate for the preferment of Hamzeh-Mirza to the Throne 17. not honour'd as other Noblemen 17. his abject Submission ibid. gains his pardon 72. cheated by the General of the Slaves 107. Nekaat-Kanum the first Wife of Habas II. 6. her extreme passion upon the Message from the Lords to her Son 31 32. Niazouk the Comet so call'd Noblemen of Persia assemble to choose a new Emperour 12 c. their Message to him 67. their Arrival and Reception at Court 70 71. Nour-Nissa-Kanum the second Wife of Habas II. 8. O Orders for the Commissioners who carri'd to Sephiè Mirza the News of his being elected Emperour 26 c. Orquenge a petty Principality of Tartary 115. a Prince of that Country taken Prisoner by the Persians ibid. and his usage among them 116. P Pehri Rocksar Begum restor'd to favour and her Husband preferr'd 83. Physicians to the Emperour of Persia their case upon the death of their Master 5. they complot to raise the younger Son to the Throne 9. they are confin'd and their Estates confiscated 70. Popes Letter to the Persian Emperour 151. Portraitures of the Emperour and great Officers taken by the Indian Spies 98. Prayer or Speech at the Coronation of the Emperour 45. Present of the Dutch Envoy to the General of the Musquetteers 66. of the English to the Emperour ibid. and to the General of the Musquetteers 67. of the French to the Emperour 72. of Mirza Ibrahim to Hali-Kouli-Kaan 113. of the Indian Lady Sakeb-Koudshek to Solyman III. 151. R Religion of Mahomet divided into the Shia and the Sunni Factions 119. Revenues of Persia decrease under the management of the young K. 128. Sepher-Kouli-Kaan the Princely Slave of the Armies 101. Sephie the signification of the word 48. Shama Ki a City almost Ruin'd by an Earthquake 127. Sha-Naavaz Kaan Prince Governor of Gorgia 101. Sheik-Hali-Kaan one of the Persian Generals against the Tusbeks 120. advanc'd to be General of the Musquetteers 148. Shia the name of that Sect of Mahometans of which are the Persians 119. Soliman the new name of the Persian Emperor 134. the original and meaning of it 133. Sophy a word used by Historians c by mistake 49. Speech of the prime Minister for the promotion of Hamzeh-Mirza to the Throne 14 15. of Aga-Mubarek against it 20 21. of the Messenger who brought the news to Sephie-Mirza of his being Elected Emperor 34. of Mirza-Refia at the Coronation 45. of the Emperour of Persia and the Dutch Envoy at his Audience 65. of the Emp. and the English 66 67. of the same and the French 72 73. of the Emperor and Hali-Kouli-Kaan upon his Arrival 80. of the same Lord upon another occasion 129. of the prime Minister to the Cossque Embassadors Spies in the Persian Court from the King of India 98. Stephen d' Ameria Superior of a Mission of Capuchins to Georgia 151. Sunni the name of that Mahometan Sect of which the Yusbecks and Turks are 119 135. T. Taag the Diadem or Crown of the Persian Emperor 40. Talaar Tavieleh the Emperours Apartment for Audience 36. the description of it 37. Tefflis the Capital City of Georgia a good part of it overturn'd by an Earthquake 126. Temuraz-Kaan the last King of Georgia 101. Terviet-Kaan Embassador from the King of India 102 Toefenktchi the Lord of the Musquetteers 13. chosen to carry the tidings to Sefi-Mirza of his being Elected Emperour 25. and his Character ibid. a great Favourite of the Emperour 57. 73. loses his Love and retires 148. Tshehel Setoon or the Hall with forty Pillars 132. Tumult in Ispahan 84 85. Turbant see Dhulbandt Turks or Turkmans whence they came 124. V. Valié-Neamet its signification 34. Vateaa-Noviez the Notary of occurrences 13. Vazier the meaning of the Word 73. Vazier of Mazenderan see Mirza-Hachem Vests given by the Persian Emperor to his Noblemen 70 71. W Wine prohibited to be sold 130. Wives the choice of them by the Kings of Persia 130. Women why extremely afflicted upon the death of the Emperour 3. the constant Companions of Sephie 130. Y Yus and Yusi the meaning of the words 115. Yusbecks a People of Tartary invade the Persian Territories 114. an account of them 115. a great defeat of them ibid. they submit to Habas II. 119. make an irruption into Bactria 120. surprize a Persian Convoy 121. Z Zachara an Armenian Merchant 91. FINIS * On taille la vigne tous les quatre Anns une fois †As if I had said On taille la vigne quatre fois en un An. Abas the Second Victorious King Lord of the World Thrice Valliant Prince descended from Shaik Sephi from Moussa from Hassein The Word signifies desire (1) The Pentateuch the Psalter the Gospel and the Alcoran The Mahometans believing that these Books ever were and always shall be the Rule of their Faith (2) The Heavens of the Planets of the Primum Mobile (3) The seven Climates which was the Ancient Division of the Earth (4) It is in the Original Doctor in the Knowledge of the Prophets who knew not their A B C. For the Mahumetans affirm that Mahomet was so ignorant in human Learning that he could not read To the end they might the better from thence conclude that his Knowledge was supernatural (5) The twelve Heirs and Successors of Mahomet the last of which was carry'd to Heaven and shall return to confound the Reign of the unfaithful (a) Let it be so and it was so Gen. 1. The Mahometans hold that every man has two inspecting Angels the one who writes down the good the other the evil which he does (7) The Persians affirm that Aly was the handsomest Person that ever was and that his Beauty was unconceivable For which reason the Painters usually cover his Face with a Veil and will not let it be seen But what the Poet here speaks of Haly signifies that the Blessed in Heaven account it their chiefest felicity to be belov'd by him (8) Or Fortune The sence is thou knowest how to turn the world at thy pleasure as a Mule turns the little Bell that hangs at his neck (9) Renown or Fame (10) Sulphagar is the name of Haly's sword which the Mahometans say divides it self at the end with two points (11) Stones of Divination The Mahumetans say that when Jesus Christ was living Physick flourish'd in its highest degree of Excellency and that God gave him so many secrets of that Art that he rais'd the Dead and penetrated the very thoughts of Men. (12) That is to say the greatest Prophet (13) A figure taken from the Custom of the Persians to seal their Mines with the King's Seal and of his Officers because all Mines belong to the King (14) The Heaven 17 The place toward which they are obliged to turn when they say their Prayers Thus Jerusalem was the Kebleh of the Jews and Mecca of the Mahometans (17) An allusion to the Kiss which the Mahumetans say that Mahomet gave Haly when he publickly appointed him his Heir and Successor and is a prophane imitation of the manner of Christs giving his Holy Spirit to his Apostles (18) In the Elogy of the Mahumetans it is said that God created the World by the Ministry of Angels which is drawn from the Theology of the Jews (19) Abraham's Wells of which mention is made in Genesis and with whose Water the Pilgrims of Mecca are oblig'd to purify themselves a certain number of times (20) The house of Abraham to which the Alcoran commands Pilgrimage once in a man's life (21) The ancient Kings of Persia of the first Race and Monarchs of the East