rt-_w-_^
 
 THE MIRZA. 
 
 BY 
 
 JAMES MORIER, ESQ. 
 
 AUTHOR OF " HAJJI BABA," " ZOHRAB," " AYESHA," &c. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUxMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 UCHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 
 
 1841.
 
 i.q.vDON: 
 
 rRINTKD By SCHL'LZE AX» CO. 13, FOLAN'D STREET.
 
 
 THE M I R Z A. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Although the Persians cannot be compli- 
 mented upon their morality, as a nation, yet 
 no one can deny that they abound in a lively 
 wit, a social disposition, and in qualities 
 which fit them to be agreeable companions. 
 The Englishman, bred up in reverence of 
 truth, in love of justice, and in admiration of 
 every thing that constitutes good government, 
 with a strict sense of honour, and a quick im- 
 pulse to upliold his rights as an independant 
 man, remains perfectly astonished and incre- 
 dulous at all he sees and hears, when first he 
 finds himself an inhabitant of an Asiatic state. 
 In Persia particularly, where truth and false- 
 hood are upon equal tertas^ where a man to 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 THE MIRZA. 
 
 live, must practice deceit, where the mean- 
 ing of the word honour is not to be defined, 
 and where there is no government but 
 such as emanates from caprice or despotism, 
 there his astonishment and disgust are 
 complete, although, at the same time, should 
 he have any turn for humour, he cannot help 
 being amused at the ingenuity of the wiles 
 exercised, at the light-hearted levity, and ap- 
 parent clown and pantaloon philosophy Avith 
 which evils, such as the Englishman would call 
 great, are supported. 
 
 During my stay in that country, which took 
 place during the reign of the late King, Fatteh 
 Ali Shah, I became acquainted with many 
 Persians of various ranks and denominations, 
 from the King on the throne, to the lowest 
 tent-pitcher and muleteer. At first, I felt as 
 any other of my countrymen would feel ; I was 
 startled by their unceasing adulation, and 
 petrified by their unblushing falsehoods, how- 
 ever pleased I might be with their winning 
 manners ; but as I became more acquainted 
 with the genius and character of the nation, 
 I learnt to place a more proper value upon
 
 THE MIRZA. 3 
 
 their professions, and to give a truer interpre- 
 tation to their assertions, for I found much of 
 the disgust which I had at first felt, proceeded 
 from their forms of speech, which I can com- 
 pare to nothing better than to a redundant 
 paper currency, which begins by being of 
 doubtful value, and ends by being worth no- 
 thing at all. How would it surprise Mr. A if 
 riding with Mr. B. in the park, Mr. A. praising 
 the beauty of his companion's horse, Mr. B. 
 were immediately to say — "You do me honour 
 — it is a present to you — it belongs to you 
 forthwith — I will send it to you." And if, in 
 utter confusion, Mr. A. felt himself bound to 
 accept it, how much more surprized would he 
 be to hear Mr. B. turn round and make 
 the same present and the same speech to the 
 next person who should happen equally to 
 praise his horse ! So it is in Persia. This sort 
 of intercourse takes place on every common 
 occurrence, and it would be deemed ill breed- 
 ing, and a want of knowledge of life, if the 
 language of falsehood, flattery and hyperbole, 
 were not used the more abundantly, the more 
 in consonance with the character of the people. 
 
 B 2
 
 THE MIRZA. 
 
 The Persians have aptly been called the 
 Frenchmen of the East ; vanity is, in truth, 
 their besetting sin, and that circumstance 
 alone may, perhaps, account for the lust for 
 compliment and adulation which exists in 
 both nations. 
 
 Among those who formed part of the Shah's 
 court, I became intimately acquainted with a 
 Mirza, one eminently ingenious, who, had he 
 possessed the advantage of an enhghtened edu- 
 cation, in addition to his natural acquirements, 
 w^ould not have failed to distinguish himself in 
 the world. He was in person, tall and un- 
 gainly, with no regularity of features, and pos- 
 sessing, what in a Persian's estimation is ab- 
 solute deformity — a scanty beard. But he 
 had a thoughtful cast of countenance, a large 
 and full eye, with much sweetness of expres- 
 sion, liis good sense becoming an antidote to 
 the poison of an Asiatic education, made him 
 see and deplore the great defects of his coun- 
 trymen, and he frequently entered into very 
 confidential confessions, respecting the acts 
 and proceedings of some of the higher powers 
 of the state. I make no doubt, had he lived
 
 *»»-•% 
 
 THE MIRZA. 5 
 
 in England, he would have become an excellent 
 reformer, so quick was he in discovering an 
 abuse. I strongly believe he was but a sceptical 
 Mahommedan; but whatever might be the case 
 in that respect, he freely owned that there 
 could be no hope for his nation, but in a total 
 and subverting change. Notwithstanding this, 
 he was in the enjoyment, if not of a very lucra- 
 tive, at least, of a very exclusive situation at 
 the court of the Shah, for he was the Poet 
 Royal, with the title of Melek al Shohera, or 
 Prince of Poets, a distinction acquired princi- 
 pally by his exquisite talent of lauding the 
 King. His facility in the act of versification 
 was great, and the fertility of his invention 
 unbounded. One of his most successful feats 
 in applying the powers of his flattery, was the 
 composition of an historical poem, descriptive 
 of the reign of his Royal patron, which he 
 called the History of the King of Kings, we 
 must suppose as a tacit triumph over the cele- 
 brated Shah Nameh, or the History of Kings, 
 by FerdCisi. 
 
 In proportion as our intimacy increased, I 
 discovered how great were his powers of in-
 
 6 THE MIRZA. 
 
 vention, which in addition to the composition 
 of poetry, I found to consist in the faculty of 
 relating extemporaneous stories. 
 
 He informed me, that during the journeys 
 which the Shah made on horseback, either on 
 military or hunting expeditions, he was fre- 
 quently called upon, in order to beguile the 
 tedium of the road, to entertain him with 
 stories, which he invented and related on the 
 spot, adapting their nature and tendency to 
 the exigency of the moment. I was much 
 struck with this circumstance, as being highly 
 characteristic of oriental life, and of the power 
 of an Eastern King, who orders a story to be 
 related as he would order a palace to be built ; 
 it also threw a light upon what might possibly 
 be the originating cause of that succession of 
 stories so much prized even in Europe, namely, 
 the Arabian Night's Entertainments, and, con- 
 sequently, I became extremely desirous to hear 
 stories so fabricated. I did not hesitate to 
 make my wishes known to my friend, who with 
 that amiability of character for which he was 
 conspicuous, assured me that he would be 
 happy to indulge my curiosity at the very
 
 i*^-*"v^^ 
 
 THE MIRZA. 
 
 first opportunity. Indeed, forgetting for a 
 moment all that we had been agreed upon as 
 to the vice of hyperbole, and the deceitfulness 
 of words, he said — " May your shadow never 
 be less! — You do me honour! — I am your slave! 
 Let me be less than the least before you. 
 Whatever httle wit exists in your slave's un- 
 derstanding, it shall be exercised at your 
 bidding ! Bismillah, in the name of Allah, 
 come — my house is your house, and my wit is 
 your •wit." 
 
 I M^as not slow in taking advantage of his 
 invitation. It was agreed that I should first 
 visit him at his own house, and that then we 
 should meet as opportunities might offer. It 
 was necessary that times and places should be 
 studied, for as he was supposed to be always 
 ready at the command of his Majesty, with 
 his wit in full vigour, so he was obliged to 
 apologise that he could not make a posi- 
 tive engagement, without inserting a clause 
 to that effect. Indeed, as we continued to 
 discuss this scheme, he appeared much charm- 
 ed at the prospects of pleasure and advan- 
 tage Mhich it ^vas likely to alford to him
 
 8 THE MIRZA. 
 
 personally. He said, that he had long felt 
 the Avant of a rehearsal to a story ; that such 
 an exercise before he went to the Shah would 
 be of the greatest advantage to him ; that 
 thus he might acquire a stock of stories, 
 which he could draw upon at will, and being 
 fore-armed, would never be at a loss — " For, 
 alas !'* added he, " wit is treacherous ; my brain 
 is sometimes as dry as an exhausted water me- 
 lon, and nothing is left therein but some mi- 
 serable seeds, which will never sprout, water 
 them as I may." 
 
 Then, in his discourse, he would for ever in- 
 termingle effusions of poetry and poetic allu- 
 sions, making large quotations, and this he 
 frequently did from his own works, prefacing 
 such quotations, by saying — " See how well 
 I expressed myself ! bah bah bah ! how beau- 
 tifully I have written !" 
 
 I determined to avail myself of these oppor- 
 tunities, in order to obtain a more perfect 
 insight into the manners and modes of thinking 
 of the people among whom I was living, en- 
 deavouring to preserve the spirit, if not the 
 letter, of such stories as I might hear from the
 
 *^ -"^i 
 
 THE MIRZA. 9 
 
 lips of ray friend. To render them agreeable 
 to European readers, I felt would require much 
 emendation, for Easterns are prolix, and my 
 friend the Mirza was not the reverse. I 
 found, that in common conversation, ideas 
 flowed so quick in succession, that he had 
 no sooner given birth to one, than another 
 arose, of which he could not refrain giving 
 me the full benefit. Therefore shunning the 
 rock he was apt to split upon, I determined 
 to adopt him as my beacon, and steer my way 
 as clear from the shoals of prolixity as pos- 
 sible.' 
 
 B 3
 
 10 THE MIRZA. 
 
 VISIT I. 
 
 It having been determined that my first visit 
 should take place on a Wednesday, that being, 
 according to Persian superstition, a fortunate 
 day, a rux:i sefid, or a vv'hite day ; accordingly, ac- 
 companied by my pipe-bearer, who carried my 
 kalian, I proceeded to the house of my friend 
 to keep my appointment. It was situated in a 
 cheerful part of the city, enjoying the shade of a 
 chenar tree, at the foot of which flowed a 
 running stream, a gift so much prized by Per- 
 sians in general, and by my Mirza, in particular, 
 that he did not cease giving me hints shew- 
 ing forth his delight at the neighbourhood of 
 the tree and the rivulet, and thus persuading 
 me of his felicity. 
 
 I found his house as small as poets' habitations 
 frequently are; and judging from the smallness 
 of his establishment, concluded that his means 
 were on a similar scale. However, it is true in
 
 THE MIRZA. 11 
 
 tills, as in other cases, that no compensation can 
 be greater for poverty of circumstances than 
 richness of intellect, and I felt, during the 
 time I passed in my friend's company, that 
 this truth was exemplified, for he led me 
 to understand that he was a contented man, 
 which explained why he was a cheerful one. 
 He made the most of the few comforts he had 
 about him. The room in which we sat, opened 
 to the air with a broad sash, looking into a 
 small court, where a fountain in miniature threw 
 up its waters was, he assured me a perfect room, 
 and that it faced the true Kebleh. His car- 
 pets, which appeared to be common felts, much 
 worn, he asserted had once belonged to Shah 
 Abbas's poet, therefore sitting upon them 
 ought to engender poetry ; and when we drank 
 coffee, there was something curious in the cof- 
 fee itself, as well as somethin": worth remarkinjr 
 in the cups. His tobacco, he affirmed, was 
 true Shiraz ; the enamelled portrait of the 
 houri on his pipe heads, he hinted, had been 
 made from his own designs, and the cou- 
 plets, in which allusion was made to smoke 
 as an emblem of the vanity of life, he pointed
 
 12 THF, MIRZA. 
 
 out as one of his happiest efforts at an epi- 
 gram. Then he exhibited choice bits of pen- 
 manship, a whole ode of Haiiz, written by 
 the hand of Shireen Kalem, the first artist 
 of his day, and part of the Guhstan of Sadi, writ- 
 ten by one who he asserted had been often paid 
 a miscal of gold for every line he transcribed. 
 
 My friend was, indeed, so full of the bless- 
 ings he possessed, both mental and physical, 
 that I was obliged gradually to wean him from 
 the pleasure he evidently enjoyed in describing 
 them, and urged him to begin that story which 
 it had been the object of my visit to hear. I 
 was obliged, however, still to have patience, 
 for he started when he heard the voice of the 
 Muezzin from the summit of a neighhouring 
 mosque, calling the faithful to prayers ; and 
 being, in the forms at least, a good mussul- 
 man, he retired to his praying carpet spread 
 for him in a corner, leaving me to exercise as 
 much patience as I could, until the ceremony 
 was over ; when, refreshed by the exercise, my 
 friend agfiin seated himself, and exclaiming, 
 " Bismillah, in the name of Allah," he at 
 once began as follows :
 
 THE MIRZA. IS 
 
 SHAH ABBAS, HIS JESTER AND THE MAN 
 WITH ONE THUMB. 
 
 In the reign of Shah Abbas the great, Persia 
 was indeed a kingdom ; and why ? because it 
 really possessed a king. He was not like one 
 of those miserable sovereigns we see now a 
 days with little power, less importance, and no 
 dignity, who live only to amass treasure for 
 themselves, keeping their subjects in abject 
 poverty. No — he was liberal and magnificent in 
 his projects as well as in his actions. His en- 
 joyment consisted in seeing his people prospe- 
 rous and happy, and he watched over their 
 safety as a father does over his family, or as 
 the elder of a tribe over his encampment. His 
 name is still in the mouth of every Persian, from 
 the first khan to the lowest muleteer : the 
 stranger can scarcely travel a step without 
 being shewn some mosque erected by his 
 piety, some caravanserai built for the pur- 
 poses of hospitality, or some aqueduct planned 
 for the public good. 
 
 With all this, he had one great fault : — he was 
 extremely suspicious and consequently jealous.
 
 l'^ THE MIRZA. 
 
 He was only great in the eyes of the world, 
 for in truth he was often a i)rey to petty 
 passions M'hich led to the most nefarious 
 acts. 
 
 It was during one of those fits of suspicion 
 that he put to death his eldest son the heir 
 to his throne, Sefi Mirza, an act which he 
 never ceased to deplore, and which so embit- 
 tered every moment of his existence, that he 
 became a prey to melancholy. His courtiers 
 scarcely ventured to approach him — his temper, 
 which before this act had always been suffi- 
 ciently open and affable, now became sour and 
 morose, and like the beast of prey, which hav- 
 ing once tasted blood longs for more, so after 
 having been guilty of this one great crime, he 
 became cruel and blood-thirsty, and perpetrated 
 many others of similar character. 
 
 The grand vizier of the time, a m.an of 
 wisdom, was not slow in foreseeing the mi- 
 sery which this fatal propensity in his 
 royal master would bring upon the country, 
 and he did not cease night and day thinking 
 how he might avert the impending evil. He 
 felt that he himself, as well as the principal 
 
 I
 
 THE MIRZA. 15 
 
 omrahs and officers of the court, were in 
 clanger of becoming victims to the Shah^s sus- 
 picions, and he determined to confer with 
 them in secret upon the best method of 
 arresting the calamity. 
 
 He was persuaded that the foundation of his 
 majesty's character was benevolent, and, there- 
 fore, did not despair of giving it anew bias. He 
 had known him social, open to the charms of 
 wit and humour, and easily fascinated by the 
 sallies of buffoonery. 
 
 Having; called a secret meeting of the most 
 influential men, and having collected them in 
 one of the private apartments of his palace, he 
 addressed them as follows : 
 
 " Something must be done, otherwise our 
 lives are not safe, even for an hour. There is not 
 one of us, who upon the least suspicion, 
 may not receive the bastinado upon the 
 soles of his feet. Our livers have been suffi- 
 ciently dried up with apprehension, and our 
 souls have been made to drink the waters of bit- 
 terness. Let us engender one vigorous thought, 
 and be agreed upon what we had best do." 
 It was not necessary to make such an appeal
 
 16 THE MIRZA. 
 
 to men already sufficiently alive to the dangers 
 which awaited them, and upon hearing the vi- 
 zier's words they were unanimously applauded* 
 and like hirds apprehending a storm, seek 
 shelter near the land, so they all looked up 
 to the superior sagacity of the minister as their 
 best security. 
 
 " In truth,'' said one, " this Shah is not the 
 kinc: we once knew him. The Shah of former 
 days was full of mirth and good nature — now 
 he is become a lion." 
 
 " What say you ?" said another, " a lion ? — a 
 lion has feeUng, a Hon has the thought of a man 
 — this is an animal that has not his equal in 
 ferocity." 
 
 " Bah ! hall ! bah .'" exclaimed a third 
 shaking his head, " a wonderful youth was he 
 when first he came to the throne ! nothing like 
 him had ever been seen: he had a heart then, and 
 never would take away life except from neces- 
 cessity ; he was then too good for a King of Per- 
 sia — now he is too bad for a King of Jehanum." 
 
 " What shall we do then ?" said a serious 
 looking courtier, " the business is difficult ; if 
 Allah does not come to our aid, we shall be left
 
 -^-^^ 
 
 THE MIRZA. 17 
 
 walking round our little fingers to the end 
 of eternity." Then addressing himself to 
 the grand vizier he said with a beseeching 
 voice, " For God's sake, you who are the anchor 
 of the state, and who are wise as Aflatoon, and 
 who are the grand-father of Lokman, speak, and 
 give freedom to our souls !" 
 
 " What can I say ?" said the minister who all 
 the while had been playing with his beads, and 
 twisting the end of his beard with his fingers ; 
 " let us do something, for mercy's sake ! 1 have 
 been making a thought, Allah best knows 
 whether it be good or bad ; v/e, poor benighted 
 mortals as we are, anxiously bestir ourselves 
 to act according to our Hmited views, when 
 destiny is, perhaps, ready to meet us face to 
 face with something quite the reverse 1" 
 
 " What is your thought ? for the sake of 
 Allah, speak !" exclaimed the assembly with one 
 
 voice. 
 
 " My opinion is this," said the grand vizier, 
 " that some attempt should be made to divert 
 the Shah's mind from its present melancholy 
 mood, and to turn it again into that channel 
 which is its natural bent— I mean mirth and
 
 18 THE MIRZA. 
 
 humour. I have in my eye a burnt father of a 
 jack-pudding, who woukl make even the blessed 
 Hussein laugh, so thorough a master is he at 
 the ridicule of the beard." 
 
 " You have opened my eyes," said one ; 
 " you mean Kaka Pembeh." 
 
 " You have said right," exclaimed a second, 
 " oh the bankrupt dog !'' 
 
 " There is not his equal," said a third ; 
 " such a mad fellow as he does not 
 exist." 
 
 " I die of his jokes daily," roared another, 
 " I faiut when I see him." 
 
 " He is the man,^' said the vizier ; "you have 
 decided truly; your humble servant has thought 
 that if we can throw this fellow into the Shah's 
 path, without any appearance of design, that 
 he will not fail to attract his majesty's atten- 
 tion, and should he once succeed in making him 
 laugh, we shall again be enabled to put our 
 caps on one side, and our mental agonies will 
 be at an end." 
 
 " You have judged right," exclaimed the 
 assembly, " wonderful thought has he made ! 
 marvellous vizier ! Persian statesmen after
 
 THE MIRZA. 19 
 
 all ! what is equal to them ! such a lord of re- 
 flection has never before been seen !" 
 
 These and such like exclamations escaped from 
 the lips of the assembled courtiers upon hearing 
 the grand vizier's proposal ; and they imme- 
 diately agreed to place the whole conduct of the 
 affair into his hands, with an expression of their 
 readiness to further the scheme to the utmost 
 of their power. 
 
 It was not Ions: after this conference that 
 the vizier sent for the individual in question, 
 and with his usual abihty proceeded, first to pre- 
 pare his mind for the part he was to act, and 
 then by a promise of proper rewards to secure 
 him in his interest. 
 
 Kaka Penibeh, or Brother Cottonwool was a 
 sobriquet given to him in consequence of his 
 havino negro blood in his veins, which exhibited 
 itself prominently in the woolly nature of his 
 hair and beard. Negroes are generally styled 
 Kaka or brother, an appellation springing from 
 a religious and charitable motive, but in this 
 instance arising from a desire to make the 
 buffoon more conspicuous, for in trutli his 
 name was Mahomed Ali, and his father was 
 an Arab of Abusheher in the Persian gulf, l)ut
 
 20 THE MIRZA. 
 
 it seems the mother's blood predominated, 
 and hence his name. He was by nature 
 cast into the mould of a buffoon and rnerry- 
 andrew, his features denoted broad humour, 
 and, consequently, his commonest speech pro- 
 duced a laugh. He was a man without 
 malice, although nothing would arrest him 
 were he deeply set upon a jest, and as it 
 was the fashion to exercise practical jokes 
 upon his person, so upon occasions he would 
 return the compliment with interest. His 
 early youth had been full of adventure, he 
 having travelled far and wide through many 
 parts of Asia. 
 
 He had been residing now some time at Ispa- 
 han a sort of hanger-on upon the houses of the 
 great Khans about the court, of whose nightly 
 assemblies he formed the principal charm, when 
 he was fixed upon by the grand vizier to fulfil 
 the part we have before mentioned. In his 
 person he was short, having a large head, long 
 hands and arms, bandy-legs, and broad feet ; 
 his nose was large and aquiline, his eyes were 
 uncommonly brilliant, his beard scauty, and 
 his ears enormous. His voice was loud and 
 full of comic intonations, his laugh was pec-
 
 THE MIRZA. 21 
 
 toral, and his pathos came from the nose. 
 Altogether, no one who was not decidedly a 
 churl, could refrain from merriment the 
 moment he opened his mouth to speak, al- 
 though in truth he often said things which 
 any one else might say without being re- 
 marked. 
 
 In an incredible short space of time, it is 
 said, that the vizier's scheme succeeded ; 
 Kaka Pembeh had become as necessary to 
 Shah Abbas as the air he breathed. The de- 
 light which his majesty found in having them.e- 
 lancholy of his thoughts diverted into a chan- 
 nel of mirth was so great, that his character 
 appeared to be changed. The court, the city, 
 the nation, in short, everything animate and in- 
 animate throughout Persia, became directly or 
 indirectly influenced by this alteration in the 
 King's humour, and tlie buffoon was wor- 
 shipped with almost divine honours. Under 
 the sage guidance of the vizier, he led 
 his royal master on by well-timed flattery, by 
 familiarity tempered by servility, by broad 
 humour Mirected by design, to do precisely 
 what the minister desired, a circumstance which
 
 22 THE MIRZA. 
 
 mainly tended to draw off his Majesty's mind 
 from affairs of state to occupy it Avith matters 
 of minor importance. 
 
 Shah Abbas had been brought up in the behef 
 common to Mahommedans, that madn'ien are 
 influenced by a divine spirit, and as Kaka 
 Pembch was looked upon as one tinged with 
 insanity, the King was ready to allow him the 
 privileges due to his character. The Kaka had 
 ingeniously made his majesty believe that the 
 Shah in Persia was Avhat Caliph Haroun al 
 Raschid had been in Arabia, and thus led him on 
 to interest himself in the same pursuits. Open- 
 ing his heart one day, the King avowed that 
 excitement and occupation were necessary in 
 order to dispel that melanclioly which was 
 apt to prey upon his spirits, and, therefore, he 
 desired him to go into the highways and bye- 
 ways of his capital, and among his subjects search 
 out objects whose histories might afford him 
 atnusement, and perchance call for his interfer- 
 ence and protection. 
 
 The Kaka was overjoyed at this communi- 
 cation, for it was precisely the object to which 
 the grand vizier had directed his views, and.
 
 m '^. 
 
 THE MIRZA. 23 
 
 on that very day, he betook himself to the great 
 high-road leading from the north of Persia to the 
 cai^ital, M-here he posted himself near the foun- 
 tain which stands at the entrance of the city, by 
 which caravans and travellers were wont to 
 pass. Accompanied by a servant, he seated 
 himself at about tlie hour of sunset amonsr a 
 group of others, who were come to await the 
 arrival of their friends, and smoked his kalian 
 to wile away the time. He had not sat long 
 ere he heard distant bells announcing the ap- 
 proach of a caravan, and soon after it appear- 
 ed accompanied by the usual travellers, and 
 its mule and camel drivers ; but he perceived no 
 one with whom he might conveniently enter 
 into conversation, until at the very tail of the 
 procession, he discovered a way-worn, care- 
 stricken individual dressed as a Mollah, whose 
 dusty garments announced him fresli from a 
 long journey, and who turned the tired beast 
 which he bestrode to the fountain, where 
 they both refreshed themselves by a draught. 
 of which they appeared to be much in need. 
 
 Kaka Pembeh immediately approached 
 and gave him the usual salutation of peace.
 
 24 THE MIRZA. 
 
 whicli the unhappy looking traveller answered 
 with alacrity, as if charmed to have found any 
 one who would take an interest in him. 
 
 " Whence come you ?" said the Kaka. 
 
 " As Allah is great/' said the traveller, with 
 a sigh, " I come from afar. I come from Arde- 
 bil, and my soul is bitter.^' 
 
 " How is this," said the Kaka, looking at 
 his Mollah's turban, " a servant of the blessed 
 Prophet with a bitter soul I what news may 
 this be ?'' 
 
 " So it is," said the traveller, " and what 
 more can I say ? The apple may look green 
 on the tree, but if it be rotten inside it be- 
 comes unwholesome. The day was unlucky 
 when I left Ardebil." 
 
 "What words are these," said the Kaka, 
 with a look of surprise — " sit down for God's 
 sake, and tell me your story — recollect this is 
 the seat of government — here is a King, here 
 justice is to be had. Men do not go about 
 eating dirt at this rate, when a despotic Shah 
 is at hand, ready to redress the wrongs of his 
 subjects." 
 
 Upon which handing him his kalian, which
 
 THE MIRZA. 25 
 
 his servant had freshly prepared, the me- 
 lancholy man first inhaling a long and wel- 
 come stream of smoke which seemed at once 
 to soften his care, began as follows : 
 
 " I am a mollah of Ardebil — my name is 
 Ahmed, and Mollah Ahmed is well known as 
 one of the most zealous attendants at the 
 tomb of the ever renowned Sheikh Sefi, upon 
 whom be Ijlessings. Your slave is the father 
 of a daughter, and for his sins, of the most 
 beautiful virgin that ever was created — a pearl, 
 a rose, an angel, an houri of paradise — in short 
 so perfect a creature was never before known — 
 for his misfortune he became acquainted with 
 one who called himself a man of God, but who 
 in truth is a child of the devil. A wretch, who 
 clothing himself as a priest, was in truth an 
 impostor, and a brother of Satan, and who after 
 exercising wiles and incantations, such only as 
 a demon could practice, succeeded in deceiving 
 my treasure of a daughter and running away 
 with her. I hear he fled hitherwards, and I 
 come to seek her. That is my story — what 
 more can I say !" 
 
 " Allah ! Allah !" exclaimed the Kaka, " this 
 
 VOL.. I. C
 
 26 THE MIRZA. 
 
 is a bad business, Ispahan is a large city, 
 and rogues abound. How are you to find your 
 daughter ?^' 
 
 " What can I say," said the Mollah ; " if my 
 luck is good I may find her, if not, the world 
 has turned its back upon me, and my soul 
 will dry up." 
 
 " Have you any means of discovering the 
 thief," said the Kaka musing. " Has he 
 any particular mark by which he may be 
 known ?" 
 
 " He is not different from other men in the 
 face," said the traveller, "excepting that he 
 looks like the most artful of villains ; he 
 dresses like a man of the law, and is called the 
 Mollah Kemgoo — his principal mark is that 
 he has no thumb on his right hand, but he 
 takes good care to keep that well concealed." 
 
 " God is great !" said the Kaka, " and what 
 is more, merciful! let us trust in Him. Tell me 
 where you are to be found, and who knows ! 
 destiny may have much good in store for you." 
 
 '^ I have been recommended to go to the 
 caravanserai, the resort of the Tabriz mer- 
 chants, and thither by the blessing of Allah I
 
 THE MIRZA. 27 
 
 will bend my steps, and if you can render me 
 any assistance I am sure you are too good a 
 Mussulman to refuse performing so praise- 
 worthy an act." 
 
 " Upon my eyes be it," said Kaka Pembeh, 
 as he rose and walked away, fully determined 
 not to let so good an opportunity escape of 
 interesting his royal master in the fate of an 
 ill-used man, and inducing him to bring an of- 
 fender to justice. 
 
 As soon as he appeared before Shah Abbas 
 kneehng down and kissing the ground, he 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " Your slave is an humble sacrifice to the 
 Centre of the Universe — his luck is on the rise 
 — he has met with a most fortunate misfor- 
 tune, and his majesty may now defile the grave 
 of a rogue's father to his heart's content." 
 
 " How is this, O little man !" exclaimed the 
 Shah, " where have you been all this while- 
 are your ears wooing the knife, or your feet 
 the stick that you have kept the Shah waiting." 
 
 " By the soul of the King !" exclaimed the 
 Kaka, " if the royal in)patience is thirsting for 
 blows, it may soon be requited by beating real 
 
 c 2
 
 28 THE MIRZA. 
 
 flesh and blood, instead of humble Cotton- 
 wool." Upon which he gave a faithful account 
 of his meeting with the poor MoUah from 
 Ardcbil. 
 
 The Shah reflected for a while, and said, 
 " Well ! burnt father ! what is to be done ?^' 
 " As I am your sacrifice," exclaimed the 
 Kaka, "altliough by the blessing of Allah, 
 thumbs are plentiful in Ispahan, still through 
 your royal condescension, wit is not less so ; 
 a man cannot bury his right hand in a dish 
 of rice without showing whether he has a 
 thumb or not." 
 
 ^' How is this ?" said the King, " among the 
 twenty score of hands which exist at the foot 
 of my throne, where will you find the deficient 
 thumb you seek r" 
 
 The Kaka then explained a variety of schemes 
 he had formed for the discovery of the cul- 
 prit; among others he recommended one as 
 the most eligible — that of inviting all the 
 men of the law in Ispahan to an entertain- 
 ment, when he might, at leisure, make a scru- 
 tiny of each man's right hand, as he handled 
 the food before him. 
 
 ^' As I hope for your majesty's favour," said
 
 THE MIRZA. 29 
 
 he, " it is plain that all Mollahs seek the royal 
 countenance ; they all love eating, and let it 
 not be denied, they do not dislike drinking, 
 therefore, every one with the turban and the 
 cross-breasted coat will be sure to attend ; 
 thus the culprit may be detected. The good 
 destiny of the Shah will not fail to bring this act 
 of royal condescension to a happy conclusion." 
 The Shah, though not quite convinced of the 
 efficacy of this scheme, still acceded to it. He 
 felt that by such doings his melancholy was 
 dissipated ; he thus found himself freed from 
 the trammels that usually beset royalty, and 
 by becoming more mixed up with his subjects, 
 knowing their wants, and being informed of 
 their modes of life, his heart expanded into 
 yearnings of benevolence to which it had 
 long been a stranger. At the same time, 
 he did not allow him.self to relax from 
 those feelings which despotism and unlimited 
 authority engender, and whilst he granted 
 the Kaka more familiarity than he did to 
 others who were permitted to approacli his 
 person, still he ever held over him the rod of 
 his authority. lie said to him,
 
 30 THE MIRZA. 
 
 " Well ! so be it— invite all the Mollalis, 
 beginning from the Sheikh al Islam and the 
 Cazi to the lowest scribe of the law j — it is 
 probable that the rogue from Ardcbil will be 
 among them, so we may seize him and admi- 
 nister justice; — but should he not be Hiere and 
 your scheme fail, then put your trust in Allah, 
 for the Shah's beard is not to be laughed 
 at !" 
 
 The Kaka immediately made his prostration, 
 and taking his own beard into his hand, said 
 to himself, " Now open well your eyes, O man! 
 let this beard shew its wisdom ! the eyes of 
 the world as well as those of the Shah are upon 
 you, and should you not succeed, you will be 
 called dog's father, and cur's whelp — as Allah 
 is Allah — if the Shah laughs not, the Kaka 
 cries, that is certain !" 
 
 A great entertainment was forthwith prej)ared 
 in the Saloon of Forty Pillars, and every priest, 
 scribe, muezzin and mollah, from the Sheikh al 
 Islam to the lowest scribe, were ordered to ap- 
 pear on a given day to partake of the royal 
 hospitality. The fountains in the great court 
 were set to play, the marble basins were filled
 
 THE MIRZA. 31 
 
 to the brim, and carpets were spread for the 
 reception of the guests. 
 
 The Shah took post in a small apartment 
 which looked into the saloon, thus seeing all that 
 was going on without being himself visible, 
 whilst Kaka Pembeh was employed in or- 
 dering the disposition of the feast, and su- 
 perintending the accommodation of the com- 
 pany. 
 
 The guests came in succession, and were 
 seated according to their respective ranks ; — 
 the feast was served by the royal servants, and 
 consisted principally of those plentiful dishes of 
 rice, those highly spiced and perfumed pillaus, 
 for which the reign of Shah Abbas was famous. 
 At the bismillah or grace, which was au- 
 dibly pronounced by the Cazi in chief, every 
 man's right hand was straightway plunged 
 into the smoking rice — a moment eagerly 
 expected by the Kaka, who beginning at 
 the uppermost seats and proceeding regularly 
 down the line, began a severe scrutiny upon 
 thumbs. lie gazed with secret, though intense 
 interest, when to his utmost surprize he per- 
 ceived, at the first glance, on looking at the
 
 32 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Cazi of Ispahan, one only second in dignity 
 to the Sheikh al Islam, that his right hand was 
 without a thuml). 
 
 " How is this," said Cottonwool, "no thumb 
 to the Cazi — this cannot be." Still he looked, 
 and still he was sure that he was not mistaken. 
 He perceived the holy man with his hand up 
 to his very wrist in rice, and remarked 
 at every handful which he drew out, in order 
 to make a ball fitted to the orifice of his 
 mouth, that the thumb so useful in giving 
 that ball an impetus inwards, was wanting. In 
 utter astonishment he proceeded to look down 
 the line, and after having made a close inspection 
 of every man's right hand, he found that the 
 Cazi was the only one present who wanted a 
 thumb. This functionary was a small decrepit 
 man, old and withered, and apparently so weak, 
 that it was quite evident he never could 
 have run away with any man's daughter — still 
 the Kaka thought it right to make inquiries, 
 and it appeared that in fact he had* arrived 
 only a few days previously from the very Ardebil 
 in question. Brother Cottonwool was at his 
 wit's end, being thrown into a state of great in-
 
 THE MIRZA. 33 
 
 decision how to proceed. His bufFoonerj^, how- 
 ever, came to his aid, and as it was his ol)ject 
 at once to amuse his royal master and to save 
 himself from disgrace, he quickly stole from the 
 assembly, and throwing himself at the feet of 
 the Shah, with mock despair in his countenance, 
 announced that in his chief justice, his ma- 
 jesty possessed an undoubted abductor. 
 
 The King was so much amused by this an- 
 nouncement, that he fairly fell back on his seat 
 from excess of laughter, and when he turned 
 his eyes towards the Cazi, who unconscious 
 of having given offence, was filling him- 
 self with rice and other good things, ob- 
 serving his little puckered up person, scarcely 
 robust enough to sustain the large turban with 
 which his head was encumbered, his paroxysms 
 returned with redoubled force. 
 
 " Ill-favoured wretch!" said he to his buiFoon, 
 " what intelligence is this ? Am I to believe 
 that that man yonder, no stronger than the 
 reed of tlie desert has borne away a daughter 
 ofthe faithful by force?" 
 
 " As I am your sacrifice," exclaimed tlie 
 Kaka, " your slave is also bcwilderccl — l)ut what 
 can I say ? he has but just arrived from
 
 34 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Arrlebil, and lie has only one thumb ! It is 
 plain this must be the culprit.'^ 
 
 " Go and ascertain," said the Shah, " let the 
 object of this entertainment be proclaimed; and 
 if the most venerable the Cazi ])e the culprit, 
 let him abide by the punishment due unto his 
 crime." 
 
 The Kaka soon returned to the assembly, 
 and as the eating had now subsided, and 
 men's appetites were satisfied, he with a loud 
 voice proclaimed the commands of the King, 
 and explained the object of the meeting. No 
 sooner had the explanation been made, than it 
 was pleasant to remark the universal inspection 
 which each man made of his own proper hands, 
 as if he required some new light to assure him, 
 that they were whole and unmutilated. 
 
 The Cazi alone appeared blank and woe- strick- 
 en ; he glared at his thumbless hand with dire 
 anticipation of what was about to happen ; he ||| 
 felt, that however innocent he might be, yet he 
 knew that suspicion, once awakened in the 
 breast of a wilful and despotic monarch, was sure 
 to bring mischief in its train, and already he 
 trembled. 
 
 A general shew of hands having been made,
 
 THE MIRZA. 35 
 
 and the Cazi being the only one present who 
 came under the description of the culprit, 
 the Kaka desired him to arise and follow ; 
 which the grave judge immediately did amid the 
 suppressed titters of the assembly, accom- 
 panied by the stroking down of beards to 
 prevent an utter explosion of laughter. 
 
 When the Cazi appeared before the King, he 
 knelt down; then having kissed the ground, arose 
 and stood before him. " How is this/' said 
 Shah Abbas, " what words are these which are 
 come to the King's ears ? A Mollah with one 
 thumb, has fled from Ardebil with a true be- 
 liever's daughter. We hear that thou art just 
 arrived from that city, and of all the Mollahs 
 of Ispahan, thou alone hast only one thumb : 
 can this be true V 
 
 " Astafaralluh ! God forbid," exclaimed the 
 Cazi, " what words are these ? As this less 
 than the least is the humblest of your slaves, 
 and as he takes the holy prophet to witness, 
 he declares that there is no truth in the accusa- 
 tion — how can it be ? look at my poor weak 
 body and tottering limbs, do they speak the 
 bold seducer ? besides is it not well known, 
 that from a child I have been a cripple ; was
 
 36 THE MIUZA. 
 
 it not said, when your slave was appointed to 
 be the Cazi of Ispahan, that I was not eligible 
 for the situation, because it was asked how can 
 even-handed justice be expected from a man 
 who has not his full complement of fingers ? 
 Such calumnies as these ought not to be al- 
 lowed to pass current in your majesty's blessed 
 reign." 
 
 The Shah, who could scarcely contain his 
 laughter at the awful plight in which he beheld 
 his judge, would very probably have dismissed 
 him without further words, but the Kaka fore- 
 seeins: that if such were the termination of 
 this day's ceremonial, it was possible that the 
 Shah's displeasure would fall upon himself, 
 with great humility stepped forward, and re- 
 marked, that since his reverence the Cazi had ; 
 pleaded feebleness as proof of his inability to 
 commit the alleged crime, it became advisable 
 that before the Shah, and in the face of the 
 whole assembly, he should exhibit some proof 
 of that feebleness, and thus convince the world 
 that he was innocent. 
 
 " Upon my eyes be it," said the Cazi, over- 
 joyed at having this opportunity afforded him 
 of proving his innocence.
 
 THE MIRZA. 37 
 
 " So be it/' said the King, 
 Upon which the Kaka, having already 
 planned in his mind a trick which he \vas sure 
 would prove palatable to the humour of his 
 master reconducted the Cazi to his place in the 
 assembly, and then with great gaiety of pur- 
 pose, announced that it was the command of 
 the Shah, in order to give the Cazi a fair chance 
 of exculpating himself from the odium of an im- 
 puted crime, that he should exhibit before the 
 assembly such undoubted proofs of the weak- 
 ness of his person, that no one should go away 
 without being satisfied of the falseness of the 
 accusation. To that effect, it was ordained 
 that he should take upon his back the very 
 reverend the Sheikh al Islam, and proceed with 
 him once up and once down the great walk in 
 the court ; should he succeed in performing 
 this feat, the trial for the imputed crime 
 would proceed. Should he fail, he would 
 be pronounced irmoccnt. 
 
 It may well be imagined how great was the 
 sensation produced both upon the Shah himself, 
 and upon the assembled dignitaries when the 
 Kaka had proclaimed this unexpected command.
 
 ^S Tllli. MIRZA. 
 
 Tlie Slieikli al Islam was a very stout man, a 
 remarkaljly fat and heavy man, who wore upon 
 his head one of the largest of turbans, and 
 who was as great a contrast to the spare di- 
 minutive Cazi as one man can be to another. 
 He became suddenly inflated with anger at this 
 attack upon his dignity, but fearing to show his 
 feelings, observed as he knew himself to be by 
 the Shah in person, he smothered them in the 
 best manner he was able, and clothed his face 
 with as many smiles as he could command, 
 looking stern and indignant when he eyed the 
 jester, but pleased and approving when his 
 face was in such a position as to be seen 
 by the King. Both the personages came for- 
 ward, mortified by the merriment of the assem- 
 bly, which was greatly increased by the counte- 
 nance and words of the buffoon. The Kaka 
 helped the greater man to mount the lesser, 
 whose knees bending under his burthen, could 
 scarcely sustain the shock of reception. Tot- 
 tering onward a few steps, amidst the half sup- 
 pressed acclamations, jeers and laughter of 
 the spectators, for they were aware of the im- 
 mediate presence of the Shah, the Cazi v,'as
 
 THE MIRZA. 39 
 
 gradually edged on by the Kaka to the margin 
 of the fountain, whose waters ran in a deep 
 marble basin, and there he fairly broke down, 
 whilst his burthen was carefully tilted into the 
 stream. 
 
 The heavy man disappeared beneath the foam 
 of an immense splash, and commenced a series 
 of flounderings and evolutions, such as had 
 never before been seen performed by either lish 
 or flesh since Persia was a kingdom. 
 
 The effect which this scene had upon the 
 Shah was precisely that which the Kaka had 
 intended to produce — his majesty was convulsed 
 with laughter. When he perceived his chief of 
 the law performing his gambols in the water, he 
 fairly rolled back in ecstasy, extending his 
 hands and crying out buss, buss, enough, enough ! 
 as a signal to his attendants- that the sport 
 should cease. When a little come to himself, 
 he ordered the Kaka to stand before him, and 
 as soon as he appeared, exclaimed : 
 
 " Burnt father ! would you kill the Shah, 
 what have you done ? ill-favoured being ! do we 
 appoint dignitaries of the law that you should 
 drown them ? go, dismiss the assembly, send the
 
 40 THE MIUZA. 
 
 Cazi to his post— you have made your face 
 white for to-day ; but open well your eyes, you 
 have not caught the culprit yet, and justice is 
 still to 1)6 executed — go, and do the Shah's 
 bidding." 
 
 The assembly soon dispersed, and the 
 jester immediately retreated to give an account 
 of the morning's adventures to the grand 
 vizier ; l)ut although pleased at the success 
 which had attended his endeavours to excite 
 the Shah's mirth, still he was perplexed lest 
 he should not after all succeed in discovering 
 the real man with one thumb. 
 
 On his road thither, he met one of his 
 acquaintance, a broker with whom he former- 
 ly had had deahngs, who stopping him 
 seized him by the sleeve and said, " My aga !" 
 (for he was so called since he had acquired in- 
 fluence at court,) " your slave begs leave to lay 
 before you a circumstance which will require 
 vour consideration." 
 
 " How is this !" said Cottonwool looking 
 correspondingly dignified, " what goods have 
 vou on hand ?" 
 
 " Goods ! goods indeed 1" exclaimed the
 
 THE MIRZA. 41 
 
 other, " such a commodity has never been seen 
 at the market of Ispahan since the days of 
 Leilah or Shireen ; your Lordship must come 
 and inspect it." 
 
 " Speak, man !" exclaimed the Kaka, " speak 
 out clear and without writhing; — what would 
 you say ?" 
 
 " The truth is,'' said the broker, " a mer- 
 chant from Georgia has arrived with a maiden 
 for sale — so beautiful, so accomplished, so heart- 
 enslaving, that since the world began, nothing 
 like her was ever seen. She would be 
 fit for the holy prophet himself, but that 
 cannot be, she must belong to the Shah — 
 she can and must be possessed by none else." 
 
 The Kaka was immediately convinced that 
 this might prove a fortunate discovery ; for 
 if the maiden were really so perfect as the 
 broker represented, then he might hope that 
 this new circumstance might draw off the 
 Shah's mind from the recollection of the in- 
 jured Mollah of Ardebil, and he himself be 
 extricated from an unpleasant dilemma. 
 
 " Where is she to be seen ?" said the 
 Kaka.
 
 12 THE MIRZA. 
 
 (( 
 
 Here, hard by,'^ replied the other ; " the 
 merchant Uves in a miserable den among 
 the ruins ; he fears lest his prize should be 
 wrested from him, and his head goes round and 
 round with apprehension. We must approach 
 with caution ; he himself is a misfortune^ for he 
 does not allow his left eye to know what his 
 right is looking at, so cunning is he." 
 
 " Let us go, let us see," said the Kaka with 
 impatience ; " if all you tell me be a lie, 
 by the beard of the King, your heart shall 
 jump out of your mouth. I have said it.'^ 
 
 Upon this, after making many devious 
 windings through streets of ruins, situated 
 on the borders of the Zainderood, they stopped 
 at a low door, at which the broker rapped. 
 
 " In the name of Allah, who is there ?" said a 
 voice from within, 
 
 " I am here,'^ said the broker. 
 
 '' Bismillah, come in," said the voice ; upon 
 which, unbarring the gate, it was speedily open- 
 ed, and the Kaka and the broker bending their 
 heads under the low arch, entered and stood 
 in the presence of a middle-sized sharp-looking 
 man, with black tufted beard and eye brows,
 
 THE MIRZA. 43 
 
 dressed as a Georgian, having the characteristic 
 dagger hanging on his thigh, and his white sash 
 tied with pendant ends before ; but he wore 
 over all a large Persian cloak or bardni. 
 
 " You are welcome," said the Georgian eye- 
 ing Kaka Pembeh from head to foot, " may 
 your shadow never be less,^' this done, he k 
 invited his visitors to be seated, which injunc- 
 tion they obeyed upon very indifferent carpets, 
 spread in a still more indifferent apartment. 
 
 After the usual salutations, the broker whis- 
 pering the Georgian, informed him of the name 
 of his visitor, and the object of his visit, 
 dwelling much u]3on the influence which 
 he had acquired over the Shah, and the 
 importance of securing his good graces. The 
 merchant upon this became very obsequious 
 and attentive to the Kaka, and flattered 
 him with so much perseverance, that it was 
 evident he had received his education in Per- 
 sia, although he called himself a Georgian. In 
 the mean while, Cottonwool who never ac- 
 costed a man without first observing whether he 
 had a thumb on his right hand, became very
 
 44 THE MIRZA. 
 
 observant of the merchant. He did not suc- 
 ceed at first in acquiring any information, for, 
 wliether by accident or precaution, it so happen- 
 ed that tlic Georgian always managed to keep his 
 right liand covered with the sleeve of his clbak. 
 During the whole time they sat and talked, 
 he could not see his hand ; when they smoked, 
 the Georgian managed to keep it still covered, 
 and every gesture was invariably executed 
 with his left hand. 
 
 At length they conversed upon the subject 
 of the maiden, and owing to the description 
 which the merchant gave of her perfections, 
 the Kaka became extremely anxious to see her, 
 the more so as his suspicions were roused 
 by the now evident desire with which the 
 Georgian concealed his hand. He had not 
 forgotten the story he had heard from 
 the v.-eary traveller of the caravan, and 
 began to hope that he was now about to make 
 an important discovery. 
 
 He was conducted into an inner room, where 
 he found a woman veiled from head to foot 
 who, from the attitude she had assumed,
 
 THE MIRZA. 45 
 
 seemed desirous of remaining concealed. 
 The Georgian merchant approached her with 
 respect, and requested her to unveil her 
 face, informing her that the Shah's own 
 agent and confidential servant had come 
 to visit her on the part of his majesty. To 
 this she deigned to give no answer, but only 
 drew her veil the tighter over her face. He 
 then adopted other language, and proceeded to 
 command and insist ; a conduct which seemed 
 to excite her utmost indignation, and she at 
 length exclaimed, 
 
 " I am no man's slave, neither yours nor the 
 Shah's. I have been stolen from my home 
 under false pretences, and if the King be just, 
 he will protect me/' 
 
 Upon this the Kakaj approaching the Geor- 
 gian, suddenly seized the pendant sleeve of 
 his cloak, and said, 
 
 " Withdraw the veil from her face, thus," 
 he at the same time pulling the sleeve from 
 off his wrist, discovered that in fact he 
 had no thuml) on his right hand. The Geor- 
 gian was at first astounded, but as the Kaka 
 made the discovery in a n;anner calculated ta
 
 46 THE MIUZA.. 
 
 excite no lasting suspicion, he continued to 
 insist upon the removal of the veil, and 
 was about to use force, when the Kaka ex- 
 claimed, 
 
 " Enough ! enough ! we will report what 
 we have seen to the Shah, and then await to 
 ascertain what his authority, when exercised, 
 may produce !" Upon this, accompanied by the 
 broker, he quitted the house, mounted his mule, 
 and straightway took his departure. 
 
 Perfectly overjoyed at the discovery he had 
 made, his first care was to proceed to the royal 
 palace and procure a band of the King's na- 
 sakchies or executioners, who accompanied him 
 forthwith to the caravanserai of the Tabriz 
 merchants ; there he found the Ardebil Mol- 
 lah, who had almost given up in despair, the 
 hope of evermore finding his daughter. Order- 
 ing a mule to be provided for him, the jester 
 made the poor man mount, and without say- 
 ing a word of his discovery, or of the object 
 he had in view, proceeded to the house of 
 the Georgian merchant. He there dis- 
 mounted, and stationing the executioners 
 around the house, ordered their officer to
 
 THE MIRZA. 47 
 
 knock at the door, which "was done with a 
 tone of so much authority, as to make the 
 merchant within tremble with apprehension. 
 
 " Vv hat has happened ?" said he, keeping 
 the door closed. 
 
 " On the part of the Shah open," said the 
 officer. 
 
 As soon as the door was opened, the Kaka 
 ordered the Ardebil priest to advance, and 
 placing him face to face with the merchant, 
 said, 
 
 " In the name of Allah, is that the seducer 
 of your daughter ?" 
 
 The recognition which took place between 
 the parties immediately explained ail. 
 
 '^By the beard of Ali," said the Mollah, 
 "that is the rogue who stole away my daughter.^' 
 
 " How is this ?" exclaimed the Georgian, 
 attempting to maintain his imposture, " who 
 are vou that come here and attack a poor man 
 in his own house ?" 
 
 " Seize liim," said the Kaka to the execution- 
 ers, " bind him, and strike him on the mouth, 
 should he speak again." Then heedless of further
 
 48 THE MIRZA. 
 
 interruption, followed by the Ardebll MoUah, he 
 entered the room where the maiden was con- 
 fined 5 — she at first retreated to the farthest 
 corner of the apartment, but when she perceived 
 the Mollah, she ran, and seizing the skirt of his 
 coat, kissed it, and exclaimed, 
 
 " Oh my father, my father ! thanks be to 
 Allah, my destiny has changed." 
 
 After the first greetings between father and 
 child had subsided, the Kaka ordered the 
 whole party to be instantly conducted to the 
 palace, with injunctions that the Georgian 
 merchant should be strictly watched, lest he 
 should attempt to escape. 
 
 As soon as tney had reached the palace, 
 Cottonwool who had always a ready admittance 
 to the presence of the Shah, went in to liim 
 and prostrating himself, exclaimed, as he 
 clothed his face with a look of uncommon 
 archness, 
 
 " Kebleh of the world ! as I am vour sacri- 
 fice, your slave has found him — a burnt father 
 with one thumb is in readiness without," 
 
 " What news is this," said the Shah, " do
 
 THE MIRZA. 49 
 
 you laugh at our beard, or has truth for once 
 \dsited your Mps." 
 
 " By the King's jikeh !* by the salt which I 
 eat, by the sovil of the Prophet, your less 
 than the least speaks truth." Upon which he 
 related the whole circumstance of the fortu- 
 nate discovery he had made, and expatiated 
 largely upon the charms and virtues of the 
 maiden. 
 
 " Bring them before us," said his majesty, 
 and drawing himself up on his seat, awaited the 
 .appearance of the culprit and his accuser. 
 
 When the Georgian entered, he eyed every 
 thing around with a stealthy look, but at the 
 same time clothed his face with a look of the 
 most abject humility. The Mollah walked in 
 with confidence and respect, whilst his daughter 
 remained in the back ground, entirely veiled. 
 
 " Whence come you, O little man !" exclaim- 
 ed the Shah to the Georgian ; " what is your 
 native place ?" 
 
 " Your slave is from Georgia," answered the 
 other, " he does not lie.'' 
 
 * The jewelled ornament on the royal head dress. 
 VOL. I. D
 
 50 THE MTRZA. 
 
 ei 
 
 Bring hither the J'elek,"* exclaimed the 
 Shah, who had a quick perception of any 
 provincial or national peculiarity, " we shall 
 soon see whether you be a Georgian or no." 
 
 The self-called Georgian taking fright, fell 
 abjectly upon his knees and exclaimed, 
 
 " Pardon, pardon, your slave is from Shiraz 
 — he has eaten dirt, and claims forgive- 
 
 ness/' 
 
 " Well !'* said the Shah, " and so you are 
 a child of Shiraz, O dog without a saint. 
 Is it thus you lie in the presence of the Shah ? 
 Tell me, wherefore did you run away with this 
 man's daughter?" 
 
 Upon this the accused entered into a 
 long explanation, evidently invented for the 
 occasion, until the Shah, whose object 
 was to be amused, as well as to administer 
 justice, stopped him, and said : 
 
 " Now, man, open well your eyes — this is no 
 child's play — you are evidently a rogue without 
 compare ; but, speak the truth for once — we will 
 
 * The felek is a pole with a noose in the middle, thiongh 
 which the culprit's feet are passed when bastinadoed.
 
 THE MIRZA. 51 
 
 listen to your whole history— if you lie, do 
 you see that (pointing to the felek) we beat 
 till day and night will be all one to you — speak 
 the truth, and you will enjoy the Shah's con- 
 descension. I wish particularly to be informed 
 M'herefore you have only one thumb," 
 
 " By my eyes," said the rogue, " whatever 
 the King commands, so will I obey/' Thus say- 
 ing, he began his story in the following words. 
 
 STORY RELATED BY ALI MURAD, THE 
 MAN- STEALER. 
 
 " May it please the Kebleh of the world ! I 
 was born in Shiraz — my father was purveyor 
 to the governor of that city, when your ma- 
 jesty first ascended the throne — my mother 
 was a Georgian slave. Although my father had 
 one wife, yet I was allowed to be brought up 
 in tlic house, and was educated as his heir, 
 for lie had no other children. I went to 
 school at the mosque in our ncigbourhood, 
 and was well advancing in my learning, M'hen 
 
 D 2
 
 52 THE MIRZA. 
 
 my father, who had acquired considerable 
 wealth l)y his purveyorship, in an ill-fated 
 hour for my happiness^ married a second 
 wife — the widow of a Khan of some cele- 
 brity. Being young and handsome, she gave 
 herself great airs, and finding that I was 
 only the son of a slave, she expressed herself 
 shocked at my presence, and in a storm of 
 virtuous indignation, insisted upon my imme- 
 diate removal. My father, who was rather a 
 weak man, fearing lest some misfortune should 
 happen to his new wife, who to his joy soon 
 promised him a second child, acceded to her 
 request, and I was expelled the house, with- 
 out any further provision than fifty tomauns 
 in my purse, good clothes to my back, a mule 
 to ride upon, and a letter of recommendation 
 to my father's brother, who Avas established at 
 Bagdad as a druggist. I was then not more 
 than seventeen years old, and being heedless of 
 the future, was not sorry to travel and see the 
 world. I will not say that I was a model of 
 good conduct, for in truth, Kebleh of the world ! 
 I had fallen into bad company even at that early 
 age. My companions, who were a set of ill-
 
 THE MIRZA. 53 
 
 conducted youths, taught me to laugh at sacred 
 things. We played tricks upon priests, ran 
 away with their slippers and lanterns, and gave 
 great offence hy worrying dumb animals. In 
 short, under their tuition I became a complete 
 scape-grace, and was looked up to as the prin- 
 cipal authority in all matters of licentious- 
 ness. When I left Shiraz, my father, 
 a quiet easy man, was glad to get rid of 
 me, and, therefore, did not confer the dis- 
 tinction of accompanying me out of the town ; 
 that ceremony was performed by my as- 
 sociates, w^io took their leave after we 
 had finished a whole skin of wine, much 
 to the annoyance of some of the soberer part 
 of the caravan. Having reached Bagdad, 
 I immediately conveyed myself and baggage to 
 the house of my uncle, who received me with 
 kindness, and gave me a corner in his house 
 to sleep in ; but I brought nothing to him, 
 excepting my own precious person, for what 
 money I possessed, was dissipated by the road- 
 side, long before I reached my destination. He 
 would have been willing to bring me up to his
 
 54 THE MIRZA. 
 
 business, and offered me a share in his shop, but 
 although I should have rejoiced in the profits, 
 yet I could not prevail upon myself to undertake 
 the drudgery also. I had no turn for weigli- 
 ing out pepper, ciimamon and drugs, and cared 
 neither for red or blue dyes. However, I lived ' 
 at my uncle's expence, and passed my time in 
 coffee-houses and in pleasure parties on the river, 
 which so little suited his pocket or his habits of 
 business, that one day he told me fairly, either 
 that I must make myself useful to him, or leave 
 his house. I preferred the latter alternative, and 
 accordingly wuth a more plentiful supply of 
 money than I was entitled to, (for my uncle was 
 a hberal man) 1 left Bagdad with a caravan for 
 Mosoul, intending to m.ake my way to Con- 
 stantinople, which I knew to be the head- 
 quarters for men of idleness, pleasure and in- 
 genuity like myself. I found no one among 
 the travellers of the caravan who suited my 
 humour, for they were all merchants whose 
 minds were absorbed in their calculations, 
 and hopes of gain, but at Mosoul, we were 
 joined by a wild character, in dress and habits
 
 THE MIRZA. 55 
 
 a wandering dervish, as rare a hypocrite as ever 
 washed himself five times a day and counted his 
 beads for the inspection of the public. 
 
 " My youth and good-for-nothing appearance 
 doubtless attracted his attention, and before 
 ' many days had elapsed, he made me his confi- 
 dant and invited me to become his companion. 
 Ke assured me that he lived a merry life, full 
 of variety and adventure, and that his principal 
 resource lay in the credulity and weakness of 
 mankind. He worked principally upon their 
 fears and religious apprehensions, and asserted 
 that there was scarcely a town or village 
 which, if well begged, did not yield a hand- 
 some livelihood at least for one week, and 
 that too without risk of blows or fractured 
 limbs. When we reached Diarbekr, we took 
 leave of the caravan, and quitting the high 
 road, visited small towns and little frequented 
 habitations. My companion having observed a 
 villaLce that owned two minarets and a bath, he 
 there determined to make an essay upon the cre- 
 dulity of the natives. He approached it after the 
 usual manner of dervishes by winding his horn, 
 an accomplishment which, as we sat by the way-
 
 56 THE MIRZA. 
 
 side, lie imparted to me, and then raised the 
 cry of Hoo ! and Allah ho Akbar ! and Allah, 
 Allah ! Spreading his skin upon the ground 
 near the mosque, we there established our- 
 selves. The inhabitants, particularly the women, 
 came to see us, and brought us presents of 
 bread, milk and honey — these were, however, 
 but little suited to the taste of the dervish, who 
 required more substantial food. He exclaimed 
 with a proud toss of the head, shaking his 
 hand horizontally at the same time, ' I will 
 sell their fathers and mothers, before two days 
 are over, should they not supply us better than 
 this.' He then gradually began to make his 
 M^ants known. He first asked for eggs, sour milk, 
 and coffee, after which his demands increased 
 to rice, fowls and lamb. A few eggs were 
 brought, of which we made a good meal, and 
 we also received coffee — but no rice, fowls, or 
 lamb. My companion in consequence turned 
 his eyes towards the small terrace on the 
 mosque, and having selected a firm portion 
 of the parapet for the performance of his in- 
 tended trick, he said to me : 
 
 " ' Now you shall see,' upon that he began to
 
 THE MIRZA. 57 
 
 cry out in his very loudest voice, ' Allah, 
 Allah! come, come, come to my assistance, I am 
 poor, I am miserable — I am a dervish — I want 
 rice — I want fowls — I want mutton/ Many 
 persons were collected, but they did not seem 
 much inclined to listen to his call, when project- 
 ing his body over the parapet, he made an 
 apparent effort to throw himself over, bawling 
 all the while, * I want rice— I want meat — 
 I want sour milk !' This frightened the cre- 
 dulous peasants, who between their fear of 
 having the blood of a dead man to answer 
 for, and that of not fulfilling the well known 
 duties of hospitality to a stranger, came 
 running towards us with the provisions we 
 required, and thus before many minutes had 
 elapsed we were provided with luxuries, even 
 more than we could well consume. 
 
 " We lived happily for some time at this village, 
 and having exhausted the good will of the 
 inhabitants, proceeded to an adjacent town, 
 which we had previously visited, and which could 
 boast of five respectable minarets, a handsome 
 aga's house, two baths and a bazaar well supplied 
 with merchandize. Here we expected to reap a 
 
 D 3
 
 58 THE MIRZA. 
 
 considerable harvest, for the place had not been 
 lately visited by dervishes, and every thing pro- 
 mised well. However, my companion was mis- 
 taken ; — in vain did he make his wants known ; 
 in vain did he cry, howl, and invoke, few were 
 the presents we received. At length, swearing 
 in great wrath at the town, its inhabitants, their 
 fathers, grandfathers, and all their relations, he 
 took a great oath, that he would defile their 
 fowls, lambs, rice, sugar and coffee if he were 
 not supplied before the day was over. Accord- 
 ingly he informed me that he would pretend 
 to throw himself from off the roof of the prin- 
 cipal mosque, and to that effect requested me 
 to stand behind, hold him fast by the leg 
 when he should be leaning forward to his 
 utmost, and thus jirevent him from a real 
 act of self-destruction ; adding, ' You will see 
 what will follow.' 
 
 " I had imbibed no great affection for my 
 companion — he was in fact, a churlish, vulgar 
 fellow, who only made use of me for his 
 own advantage, and who having discovered how 
 unsuccessful his own endeavours were without 
 an accomplice, had secured me for that purpose,
 
 THE MIRZA. 59 
 
 and this was an occasion when my services 
 were pecuHarly wanted. Having by many pre- 
 hminary exclamations and threats surrounded 
 himself by a large crowd, he ascended, and 
 then accosted them thus, 
 
 " ' Miserable man that I am ! poor, wretched, 
 and a wandering dervish ! hospitality is en- 
 joined to all good mussulmans — no hospitality 
 to me — oh ye men ! oh ye mussulmans ! I want 
 rice, I want fowls, I want mutton — if you 
 delay I'll throw myself off! I will die ! my 
 blood be upon yourselves, your wives and 
 children, your fathers, mothers and descendants 
 — bring me rice — bring me mutton.' 
 
 " Upon which, throwing himself forward, he 
 seemed to hang to the parapet by one foot only, 
 which as I stood behind I held with my 
 utmost grasp. Tiie crowd, however, remained 
 unmoved. 
 
 " At this moment, a thought rushed through 
 my brain like lightning, I was excited to the 
 utmost, I longed to make an impression on the 
 mob, I suddenly let go the dervish's foot, audgiv- 
 inghim a slight push, over he went, still howling 
 out rice, fowls and mutton, and down he fell on
 
 60 THE MIRZA. 
 
 the stones beneath. He lit upon his head, 
 broke his neck, and became a breathless corpse. 
 
 " Kebleh of the world ! you ought to have seen 
 the sensation this event produced ; in an instant 
 hundreds ran together, and before a quarter of 
 an hour had elapsed, the whole place was 
 strewn with rice, fowls and provisions. I acted 
 my part to perfection. I cried — I invoked — I 
 tore my clothes and plucked my hair. Then 
 taking possession of the dead body of the der- 
 vish, I treated it with all the consideration due 
 to a saint and a martyr. 
 
 " The sympathies of the whole town 
 were turned in my favour, and Ijefore 
 the day closed I found that it only de- 
 pended upon myself to live for the rest of 
 my days upon the celebrity of this act, and 
 be supported by the bounty of its inhabi- 
 tants. I did not lose the advantages I had 
 acquired. It was not necessary for me to 
 cry out ' fowls, rice and mutton,' these things 
 came to me in greater abundance than I 
 could require — all I had to do was to remain a 
 faithful hypocrite, and to act the part of one 
 who had abandoned the world. I adopted the
 
 THE MIRZA. 61 
 
 character of the defunct, I wore his clothes, co- 
 vered my head with his cap, and, impressed my 
 features with his sanctimonious look. But, al- 
 though at first overjoyed at my success yet I 
 soon grew weary of this mode of life. I had 
 become heartily tired of the inhabitants and 
 the inhabitants of me, therefore, one finemorn- 
 insc before the cock crew, I shouldered my staff 
 and blowing my horn, took my departure with- 
 out saying a word to any one ; a disregard to 
 form being one of the expected qualities of a 
 good wandering dervish. 
 
 " On leaving this place, I adopted a new 
 line of road, and having howled and begged 
 my way through several towns and villages, 
 at length found myself at Arzroum, a large 
 city, the seat of a Pasha, and the great 
 frontier town between Turkey and my native 
 country. Here I found merchants both tra- 
 veiling and resident from all parts of Ana- 
 doli, and caravans passing to and fro almost 
 daily from Constantinople and Smyrna to Per- 
 sia, Georgia and even to Astrakan. Being 
 tired of my vagabond life, I now deter- 
 mined to abandon the character of a dervish
 
 62 THE MIUZA. 
 
 and to appear as an honest man. Accordingly 
 I exchanged niv dress in the bazaar for that 
 of a common person, and thus accoutred, I fre- 
 quented the caravanserais, and endeavoured 
 to make acquaintance with the merchants, 
 hoping to strike into adventures more hkely 
 to lead to substantial fortune than the wild 
 existence I had just abandoned. 
 
 " The merchants were cautious men, and 
 did not like to associate with one whom 
 nobody knew. The only account I could, with 
 prudence, give of myself was to announce my- 
 self as nephew to a great druggist at Bagdad, 
 but no one seemed to give heed to my 
 tale. There vv^as one merchant, however, whose 
 trade and pursuits I could not at first ascer- 
 tain, who frequently came to the coffee- 
 house Avhich I most frequented, and always 
 inquired, ' what news from Georgia?' with him 
 I at length became well acquainted. 
 
 " It was some time before I could discover 
 the drift of his hints and observations, for he 
 made many, but having heard that he was a great 
 dealer and speculator in slaves, I began to divine 
 his intentions ; his object in truth was to secure
 
 THE MIRZA. 63 
 
 my services, as one of a gang who plied on the 
 frontiers for slaves ; in short to make me a kid- 
 napper. 
 
 " He offered me a share in the profits of his 
 trade, which were considerable, and which, in- 
 deed, needed to be such, since I found that the 
 enterprises in which I should necessarily be 
 involved were frequently accompanied by much 
 danger. I hesitated for some time, for I did not 
 like danger in any shape, but at length impelled 
 by fate and necessity, I ai,reed to his terms. 
 
 " The head-quarters of his operations was 
 Akalzike, a small town situated on the Turkish 
 frontiers of Georgia and Circassia, and thither it 
 was proposed that I should join others in his 
 pay acting under a sub-agent, who forwarded 
 the slaves to him as fast as they v/ere secured, 
 to be assorted, some for the markets of the 
 interior of Asia, others for Trebizond, thence 
 to be forwarded by sea to Constantinople. 
 
 " Having been provided with the proper cloth- 
 ing and arms, 1 left the merchant and proceeded 
 v/ith a small caravan to the place of my destina- 
 tion, which 1 reached without difiiculty, although
 
 64 THE MIRZA. 
 
 I traversed ontheway some of the wildest moun- 
 tainous tracts that the imagination can conceive, 
 and occasionally saw inhabitants whose fierce 
 looks made me tremble with apprehension at the 
 prospect of being invited to carry such person- 
 ages away by force. I made myself known to the 
 sub-agent, who soon introduced me to my future 
 associates, all crimps by profession. They 
 were a gang of ruffians, each one looking more 
 a desperado than the other, whose only talk 
 was of seizing, binding, striking and slaying. 
 Every one had some act of violence to boast 
 of, the mildestof which amounted to abduction. 
 One boasted that he had bought a daughter and 
 two sons from their father, who having tried to 
 steal them back again, he had been obliged to 
 slay. Another, having bought a wife from her 
 husband asserted, that he had defeated the affec- 
 tionate consort's scheme of separation by stealing 
 him also, and thus rejoined the couple. Others 
 vaunted their dexterity in entering houses, dig- 
 ging holes beneath the wall and carrying away 
 every living soul they found within. 
 
 " I inquired, with much anxiety, if violence
 
 THE MIRZA. 65 
 
 were always necessarj-, seeing that fighting had 
 never been my profession; when to my great joy, 
 I found such was by no means the case, for the 
 inhabitants of Georgia, Circassia, and Mingreha, 
 particularly the latter, were so base and so 
 utterly lost to all natural feeling, that they 
 only reared famihes of children in the hope and 
 with the intention of selling them to the Turks. 
 
 " My associates were each equipped with a 
 long rope, twisted round their person by way 
 of girdle, for the purpose of securing such 
 slaves as they might either steal or buy ; and 
 having acquired this badge of my trade, I was 
 not long in being appointed to perform a piece 
 of service on the Mingrelian frontier. 
 
 " The sub-agent it seems had been in nego- 
 ciation with a Mingrelian chief, who by a certain 
 day was to deliver over a number of slaves for 
 a stipulated sum^ and I with others was ap- 
 pointed to proceed to a station among the 
 mountains, and there remain concealed until we 
 should hear from the Mingrelian that his 
 victims were ready for seizure. 
 
 " We were enjoined to be well on our guard ; 
 because this man was a notoriously licentious
 
 66 THE MIRZA. 
 
 character, the object of his present scheme 
 being to raise a sum of money in order that 
 he might have the means of entertaining a 
 new mistress, whom in spite of every oppo- 
 sition, he was determined to instal in his house. 
 "The time being come, we took post in the 
 thickest part of the forest, near the Mingre- 
 han frontier. We were all well armed, well fur- 
 nished with ropes, and kept our courage up by 
 drinking ardent spirits. At length, on the second 
 day after our arrival, as the shades of night 
 approached, we heard a long shrill whistle 
 at a distance, which my companions recognized 
 as the signal agreed upon, and immediately pro- 
 ceeded in the direction whence it came. We were 
 soon met by the chief in person, who assured 
 us that the slaves were at hand, and presently 
 after we perceived them coming down an 
 adjacent slope in a confused and disorderly 
 manner. They were twelve in number, and ap- 
 peared to be in the last stage of drunkenness. 
 To our astonishment, we discovered that they 
 were priests, men of all ages, and all sizes, 
 and these were transferred to us as our pro- 
 perty.
 
 THE MIRZA. 67 
 
 " Upon inspection they were found in 
 no wise to answer our purpose. Some 
 were old and grey-beardedj others short 
 and crooked, and totally useless for the 
 purposes of merchandize. Upon this, we 
 flatly refused to receive them, or to pay 
 the money — a denial which we expected 
 would immediately lead to acts of violence ; 
 but the Mingrelian was too intent upon his 
 object to be easily disconcerted, and he desired 
 us to wait for a short time when he would return 
 with that which would satisfy us. 
 
 " We waited accordingly whilst our wretched 
 victims lay groaning under the trees, and in the 
 course of a short time, had the pleasure to see 
 him return accompanied by a woman. " Ilere,'^ 
 he said, " this will complete our bargain, 
 you can have no hesitation now to give me 
 the money.'' We inspected the woman and 
 found her to be really handsome, notwithstand- 
 ing the state of excitement, anger and misery in 
 which she was plunged, vociferating execrations 
 with all the fury of a mad woman at her ab- 
 ductor, and imploring our compassion, entreat- 
 ing us not to tear her away from her children.
 
 C8 THE MIRZA. 
 
 family and country. However, pity did not 
 belong to our profession, and, therefore, 
 without heeding her, we added her to the other 
 twelve, and the money was forthwith paid. 
 
 "The truth of the story was as follows : 
 — The Mingrelian having found great difficulty 
 in completing tlie requisite number of slaves, 
 had resorted to the expedient of inviting 
 twelve priests to his house under the pre- 
 text of making them officiate on a saint^s 
 day, which having done, he gave them an 
 entertainment, where he made them drunk, 
 and disposed of them as already related. 
 By means of his servants, he conveyed them 
 to us, but when he found us determined not 
 to receive them, immediately returned to his 
 house, and through some false pretext, entic- 
 ing his wife to follow him, forthwith de- 
 livered her to us, as a make-weight to his 
 deficiency. 
 
 " In cool blood we might have been struck by 
 the extreme abomination of his conduct, 
 but the hearts of my companions were 
 perfectly hardened ; and mine, through weak- 
 ness of character, and force of example,
 
 THE MIRZA. CO 
 
 was hardened also. I would fain have helped 
 her, but what could I do ? 
 
 " It was on this occasion," continued Ali 
 Murad, " that I had the misfortune to lose 
 my thumb. I was appointed to take charge 
 of one of the prisoners, a stout priest, 
 who at first behaved himself with exem- 
 plary resignation, when, to my horror, as 
 I clutched his long beard, the better to 
 bind his person, he seized upon my thumb 
 with his teeth, and biting it with the fero- 
 city of a dog, retained his hold until he had 
 nearly bitten through the bone. No blows 
 could destroy the tenacity of his jaws, and 
 he kept grinding with unruffled composure, 
 until, at length, the sharp blade of a dagger, 
 thrust into his mouth, forced him to loose his 
 hold. 
 
 " He, however, had succeeded in depriving me 
 of the use of my thumb for ever, for one of our 
 party was obliged to cut it off for me, and stopt 
 the flow of blood by plunging tlic stump into 
 boiling oil. After undergoing a long prol^ation 
 of pain, at length it healed, and I was ojice 
 again restored to the duties of my profession.
 
 70 THE MIRZA. 
 
 I proceeded in it step hy step until I became 
 as Lard-hearted as the rest, and having realized 
 some money? stole on my own accoimt, oc- 
 casionally securing a child for private specula- 
 tion, until I could manage to make ventures in 
 maids and wIa^cs. 
 " After a time, I quitted the stealing department 
 and became a dealer. The fraud which I late- 
 ly practised in enticing this old man's daugh- 
 ter from his roof in Ardebil, is now before you, 
 and I throw myself upon your majesty's mercy. 
 I have concealed nothing — I acknowledge my 
 fault — place me in any situation in which I 
 can show zeal for your majesty's service, and 
 you will find in Ali Murad one who will prove 
 what intelligence, activity and fidelity can ac- 
 complish ; — but, should your majesty deem me 
 worthy of punishment, here is mv neck and 
 here are my feet — your humble slave submits, 
 without a murmur, to whatever may be awarded 
 
 to him." 
 
 The Shah had listened with much attention 
 to Ali Murad's narrative, and although he was 
 incensed at the cruelties he had committed 
 as a man- stealer, yet he was diverted by
 
 THE MIRZA. 7I- 
 
 his adventures as a dervish, and softened 
 by the fearless manner with which he had 
 spoken the truth. 
 
 Having sat and cogitated for some time, 
 the assembled group standing before him 
 in silent expectation of the judgment he was 
 about to pass, his majesty at length open- 
 ed his lips and said, addressing himself to the 
 old Mollah of Ardebil : 
 
 " Come forward, old man, your fortune is on 
 the rise ; you have recovered possession of 
 your daughter, and you have seen the King : 
 thank Allah for this. You shall also enjoy full 
 benefit of the law of our sacred prophet, (upon 
 whom be blessings !) and shall overcome your 
 enemy. Here, Cottonwool !" addressing him- 
 self to the jester, " go, take the ear of that Ijurnt 
 father (pointing to Ali Murad) in your hands, 
 place it in the hand of that injured true believer. 
 Now, old man, do with the olfender what 
 seemeth best to you ; the Shah has said it." 
 
 The Sliah's decree was immediately car- 
 ried into execution. The man-stealer 
 was marched away slave of the man he 
 had injured, and the city was made to
 
 72 THE MIRZA. 
 
 ring of the equity of the Shah's judg- 
 ment. 
 
 We will not stop to inquire what became of 
 Ali Murad, but this we must say, that the Mol- 
 lah^s beautiful daughter became one of the prin- 
 cipal favourites of the royal harem, and reigned 
 supreme in the affections of the enamoured 
 Shah. Her influence was so great, that she 
 was said to carry about the Shah's beard in her 
 hand, and it very soon evinced itself by an 
 event which became the talk and astonish- 
 ment of the whole city. 
 
 The old and infirm Cazi, in consequence of 
 the fright and excitement produced by the 
 treatment which he had received on the day of 
 the great feast, fell sick, and not long after 
 the scene just described, died. 
 
 To the astonishment of every one, and to the 
 disgust of the whole body of the Ulemah, the 
 Mollah of Ardebil was appointed to be Cazi 
 
 in his stead. 
 
 " Who is this ?" said one man of the law, 
 staggering under the weight of his turban, 
 " who comes here and takes his place over all 
 our heads ? over mine which carries about more
 
 THE MIRZA. 73 
 
 law in the tip of one of the hairs of its beard, 
 than he, his grand-father, his great grand-father, 
 or all his ancestry ever did in their whole 
 persons !" 
 
 " May his house be ruined," exclaimed a 
 second. " Cazi, indeed, there is that for such a 
 Cazi,'^ throwing his five fingers into the air. 
 " There is not a cur in the bazaar, that will not 
 come and laugh at his beard as he sits in his 
 place at the four waters*." 
 
 " Where have we got to now ?" asked a 
 third, " that a cow from Ardebil, who has done 
 nothing all his life but sit upon his carpet, and 
 wag his head to and fro near the sheik's tomb, 
 should come and administer justice at the 
 King's gate, to the people of the imperial 
 city.'" 
 
 To all these questions and remarks, there was 
 only one answer to make, which was, he is the 
 father of the beautiful Dilferib. The poor 
 old MoUah who was, indeed, little fitted, either 
 
 • Chnhnr su or Four Waters is a conspicuous spot in an 
 Eastern bazaar, where four canals of running water usually 
 concentrate, where the Casci sits to admini:>ter justice. 
 
 VOL. I. E!
 
 74 THE MIRZA. 
 
 by character or attainments, to fill the impor- 
 tant situation of Cazi in so large and populous a 
 city as Ispahan, although highly flattered at the 
 distinction conferred upon him, became very 
 much perplexed whenever a question of any 
 difficulty was brought before him to decide. 
 At his first appointment, he did nothing but 
 exclaim, " Allah ! there is but one Allah!" at 
 the greatness of his good fortune, and, seeing 
 that all things prospered, he concluded that 
 the same good luck would favour him in his 
 future career. 
 
 lie had tried many causes, and by the help 
 of destiny, had managed to pronounce tolerably 
 good judgments, but one day there came be- 
 fore him a case, which so comjiletely puzzled 
 him, that he was fain to cry " Aman ! Aman ! 
 Pity ! oh pity,'^ It M'as as follows. 
 
 THE STORY OF BABADUL, AND A VENDER 
 OF SWEETMEATS. 
 
 A muleteer of the name of Babadul, was 
 wont to make journies into the most distant
 
 THE MIRZA. 75 
 
 parts of Persia, and even into Turkey and 
 Arabia, according as he found the best price 
 for the hire of his cattle. 
 
 His principal possession was a fine string 
 of mules, the pride of the caravans, to 
 Avhich he added a very handsome, though 
 silly, wife, who remained at home during his 
 absence. He was a good man, worked hard, 
 and had acquired so much celebrity for honest 
 dealing, that his beasts never remained idle to 
 eat unprofitable corn and straw, and the conse- 
 quence was, that he had amassed a large sum 
 of money. 
 
 Although honest, yet he was occasionally 
 warm in his temper and addicted to anger, 
 by which means he made enemies of those 
 who would not overlook affronts in favour 
 of his real worth. 
 
 There lived in his neighbourhood, a hahvaji, 
 a vender of coarse sweetmeats, which he 
 hawked about the town for sale. His name 
 was Sari Mehmet, or Yellow Mahommed, so 
 called because his beard was said to be of 
 the same colour as his Avare, and this man 
 often excited Babadul's wrath, because he 
 
 E 2
 
 76 THE MIRZA. 
 
 possessed the art of teazing in an eminent 
 degree, and would, at the most inconvenient 
 moments, when the mule driver was prepar- 
 ing his mules for a journey, assorting the 
 packages to the strength of each animal, and 
 mending his tackle, hover about him and cry- 
 out, " lialwa ■' halvm /'' with the most pertina- 
 cious obstinacy, although he saw no one who 
 wanted sweetmeats, and was aware that his ab- 
 sence would be much more agreeable than his 
 presence. 
 
 It was early in the morning when Babadul 
 was busy preparing his mules for a long 
 journey into Khorassan, that Sari Mehmet 
 appeared crying out halwa as usual, with 
 the utmost vehemence, and took his post 
 at the corner of the open space where the 
 mules and packages were collected, break- 
 ing the stillness of the morning by his eternal 
 cry. The muleteer, vexed at finding that 
 one of his best mules had fallen lame, and 
 perplexed what to do, (for the caravan was then 
 collecting at the city gate,) was so much an- 
 noyed by the ill-timed intrusion of the hal- 
 waji, that losing all patience, he exclaimed, 
 " In the name of Allah, why. do you stand there
 
 THE MIRZA. 77 
 
 braying like an ass ; don't you see that we are 
 all mules and mule drivers here, and that we 
 want none of your sweetmeats. You have dried 
 up my liver, with your noise !'' 
 
 " Beheh !" exclaimed Sari Mehmet, " what 
 words are these ? if you do not eat halwa, 
 others do ; why am I a halwaji ?" 
 
 Upon which he cried sweetmeats with re- 
 doubled vigour. Babadul's rage rose in pro- 
 portion as the other's power of annoyance 
 increased, until at length, unable to contain 
 himself longer, he took up a staff that 
 was at hand and threw it so exactly to the 
 mark, that it struck the oflfender on the head 
 and overthrew the large wooden platter^ con- 
 taining his sweetmeats, on the ground. 
 
 *' Curses on your throat !" exclaimed Baba- 
 dul. 
 
 " Well done !" exclaimed his man. 
 
 " I'll burn your father for this !" roared the 
 sweetmeat-man. " I'll destroy your house, 
 oh you man without a saint." 
 
 " Go to Jehanum," exclaimed Babadul ; and 
 thus the war raged in words, until the one de- 
 parted with his mules, and the other had 
 gathered together his scattered sweetmeats.
 
 7s THE MIRZA. 
 
 It was not until two years after this event, 
 that Babadul returned home : upon his depar- 
 ture, he had confided as usual his money, the 
 whole amount of his savings and industry to his 
 wife, which she put away, sealed up in a leath- 
 ern bag, into a place of safety ; but she was 
 too foohsh to keep her own counsel, and it was 
 well known in the world that Babadul was rich. 
 
 On reaching his house he found his wife, 
 but not his money, and it was in order to 
 recover it, that he now applied to the proper au- 
 thorities. He had learnt the manner in which 
 the loss had occurred, and when he appeared 
 before the Cazi, stated his case in the fol- 
 lowing words : 
 
 " Your slave begs leave to state, that when 
 last he set oiF for Khorassan, he left five 
 hundred tomans in gold, and one hundred and 
 fifty silver abassis in a bag, to the care of his 
 wife ; — perhaps your slave did right, perhaps he 
 did wrong ; — she is a weak one; and her sense is 
 small, but what can be done in opj)osition to fate? 
 Some twelve months after your slave had left 
 his home, the poor weak one heard a strange 
 cry in the streets ; it was the voice of Sari 
 Mehmet, the sweetmeat seller — but instead of
 
 THE MIRZA. 79 
 
 crj-ing out halwa! like a good Mussulman, what 
 did he cry, but " Babadul is dead !" to this 
 the weak one will swear. During many days 
 when he passed the house, he cried, Babadul 
 murdeh ! Babadul nmrdeh ! instead of halwa, 
 khoob halwa, as he was wont to do. What can 
 your slave say more ? — This burnt father was 
 evidently in league with another burnt father, 
 and before a second month was over, they 
 persuaded the weak one that your slave was 
 dead, and she agreed to marry the rascal in 
 league with the sweetmeat seller. He very soon 
 found out where my money was secreted, and, 
 having got possession of it, did not insist 
 upon marriage, but took his departure, and 
 left us both without a cap to our heads. This 
 is my story ; your slave requires justice at the 
 hands of Sari Mehmet who is the origin of all 
 this mischief. What more can I say ?" 
 
 The Cazi as usual ordered Sari Mehmet to 
 appear, and inquired what he had to say in 
 his defence. The sweetmeat seller, who was a 
 voluble speaker, appeared supported by several 
 witnesses, and very soon puzzled the Cazi by 
 a multiplicity of words. He stoutly denied
 
 80 THE MIRZA. 
 
 having uttered any false cry, announcing the 
 death of his opponent, and hinted that it was 
 evident the woman was wishing the occurrence 
 of such an event, when she could mistake his 
 well known cry of halwa khoob halwa, for 
 Babadul murdeh. Besides, he argued, what 
 had his cry to do with the loss of the muleteer's 
 money? if she were foolish enough to tell another 
 where the money was concealed what had he 
 to do Avith it ? He swore, and protested his 
 innocence, called so many witnesses to prove that 
 he had never uttered any other cry, than his usual 
 one, and so confused the brains of the Cazi, that 
 in despair, the latter deferred giving judg- 
 ment, until he should have conferred with his 
 friend the Brother Cottonwool to whom he 
 always had recourse in cases of emergency. 
 The Kaka, when he heard his statement, imme- 
 diately settled it in his own mind, that the story 
 would afford amusement to his royal master and 
 straightway he made it known to him. 
 
 Now the monarch being, according to the Ma- 
 hommedan law the last tribunal of appeal. Shah 
 Abbas determined to hear the cause himself, 
 and forthwith ordered the parties to appear.
 
 THE MIRZA. 81 
 
 They were introduced by the Kaka and the 
 Cazi, and stood without, near the brink of the 
 marble basin, in fear and trembUng. 
 
 " Where is your wife ?" said the Shah to 
 Babadul, " she is the principal witness ; — 
 have you examined her ?^' said he to the Cazi. 
 
 The Cazi said he had not, because her hus- 
 band had acted for her. As soon as she 
 appeared, the Shah said, " Now, good woman, 
 what witness have you that Sari Mehmet, in- 
 stead of his usual cry, said " Babadul murdeh," 
 did anybody hear him besides yourself?'^ 
 
 " If the cat could speak,'^ said the woman, 
 " she would bear witness; but no other living 
 thins: that I know of." 
 
 " Think again,'* said the Shah, " much de- 
 pends upon your words." 
 
 " Oh !" said the woman, as if awaking from 
 a dream, " O yes, yes, there is our neighbour, 
 who lives opposite to us, and his wife keeps 
 a parrot, and the parrot is daily saying Babadul 
 murdeh \" 
 
 " Ah is it so/' said the Shah, " bring hither 
 the parrot.'* 
 
 E 3
 
 82 THE MIRZA. 
 
 As soon as the parrot appeared, the Shah 
 ordered Sari Mchmet to make his usual cry, 
 ■when, to the astonishment of every one present, 
 the bird exclaimed, " Buhadul murdeh /" 
 
 " You cannot have a better witness than 
 that,^' exclaimed the Shah ; " he will speak the 
 truth, when every one else will lie ; wc cannot 
 be deceived here." Then addressing the cul- 
 prit, he said, " If man were to check the first 
 impulse of, evil in his thoughts there would 
 be no crime ; the origin of Babadul's loss was 
 your acting upon a malicious intent ; had you 
 restrained yourself, no mischief would have ac- 
 crued ; as it is, your punishment is inevitable." 
 
 Upon that he was ordered a proportionate 
 bastinado on the soles of his feet, and was 
 delivered over to his opponent, who exhibited 
 such generosity of conduct, that the Shah, in ad- 
 miration of his liberality, and in consideration of 
 his general good conduct appointed him his 
 mulcteer-in-chicf, with well understood oppor- 
 tunities to enrich himself by certain perquisites 
 of office.
 
 THE MIRZA. 83 
 
 As soon as my friend had ceased to speak, I 
 did not fciil to make my acknowledgments with 
 rs many mashallahs and barikallahs as he 
 could desire. 
 
 Did I say well or ill ?" he inquired with 
 
 n 
 
 great earnestness. 
 
 Ao^ain I exclaimed " mashallah," and he seemed 
 satisfied. " But," said I, " can you venture to 
 talk of Kings to your Shah, in the manner you 
 have done to me ? the opinion I have formed 
 of your Shah is this, that unless his subjects 
 continually tickle his ear, he has an ugly pro- 
 pensity to tickle their feet ; how is this ?'' 
 
 " As Allah is true," answered the poet, " you 
 do not say ill — but give ear — Kings like to 
 hear of other Kings, it is a theme of which 
 they are never tired, provided, directly or in • 
 directly, you make them feel that the compa- 
 rison is all in their own favour ; do not believe 
 that when I related this story to His Majesty, I 
 used the same terms to him that I have to you. 
 Astafarallali ! heaven forlnd ! I am not so e)i- 
 tirely an ass as that. I did not fail to make 
 him understand it was taken for granted, that 
 Shah Abbas was less than a dog when compared
 
 84 THE MIRZA. 
 
 to himself; that the race of Sefi were so many 
 unclean beasts compared to the Kajars ; that 
 the ark* of Tehran was a paradise, whilst the 
 Palace of forty pillars at Ispalian was a sta- 
 ble ; and, in short, that Persia, at the present 
 day — although," added he, " I need not say how 
 falsely I spoke — is a nation more flourishing than 
 any nation in Asia, when brought into compe- 
 tition with Persia in the time of the Sefies." 
 
 " But," said I, " I expected that you would 
 have adopted romance in your narrative instead 
 of history and matter of fact ; much may be 
 inculcated through the insinuations of fiction, 
 which cannot be openly spoken. In your present 
 style of story, you must keep to probabilities, 
 and be consistent with something like truth, 
 whereas when you bring fable and fabulous 
 personages to your aid, you can allow imagi- 
 nation to run wild, and may make a story extend 
 from Ispahan to the furthermost Hind." 
 
 " You have not decided ilV remarked the 
 Mirza, " and so I do on ordinary occasions, 
 when the road is long, and my wits are not 
 very bright ; but in this story, I had an ol^ject 
 
 * The Shah's palace is called Ark.
 
 ^-'^\ 
 
 THE MIRZA. 85 
 
 in view. We have remarked at court, and it is 
 quite agreed among the viziers and courtiers of 
 the King's gate, that the Shah has taken too 
 serious a turn — the Mollahs have too much 
 influence ; — long faces, large turbans, and cross 
 breasted coats have given a tinge of false sanc- 
 tity to the Shah and the princes which is begin- 
 ning to oppress the nation. The natural Persian 
 is a lively animal, and we begin to feel that the 
 national character is altering for the worse, 
 therefore I devised this story — I wished to 
 insinuate how much good a little mirth would 
 do, and, perhaps, bring buffoons and merry 
 andrews into fashion." 
 
 " And how did His Majesty approve of your 
 story ?" said I. 
 
 " By your soul," said the Mirza, " he fainted 
 with delight ; he sent me a partridge next day, 
 which he had killed with his own fortunate 
 hand." 
 
 " What did he say to the man-stealer — do 
 such things exist now r" 
 
 *' In the days of Shah Abbas," said my 
 friend, " such was the case ; since these bank- 
 rupt Russians have taken possession of the 
 countries of the Caucasus, slaves are not so
 
 86 THE MIRZA. 
 
 plentiful ; it is only in time of war that the 
 markets are well furnished — Persia is out of 
 patience for want of slaves." 
 
 Thus did we converse, until I rose to take 
 my leave, exacting at the same time from him 
 a promise, that this visit should be succeeded 
 by others when he would narrate to me such 
 stories as he either might have commu- 
 nicated to the King, or have prepared for the 
 purpose of communicating. To this he freely 
 consented, for I had touched his vanity, and 
 I already could perceive, curling up at the 
 corner of his mouth, and in the expansion of 
 his twinkling eyes, symptoms of that prolific 
 invention, parent of the following family of 
 stories. 
 
 In order to adapt the foregoing tale to 
 the taste of European readers, I have weeded 
 it of the very lengthy details, and never 
 ending digressions in which my friend in- 
 dulged. I have also suppressed the whole of 
 the poetry, and opposed myself to that 
 abundance of epithets, which are ever to be 
 found in Oriental writing. I think I have en- 
 tered sufficiently into the spirit of Ms narrative 
 to give a tolerable idea of his manner. Had the
 
 THE MIRZA. 8/ 
 
 Arabian Nights' Entertainments, with all their 
 singular fertility of invention and never 
 ending variety, appeared as a new book in 
 the present day, translated literally, and not 
 adapted to European taste in the manner 
 attempted in M. Galland's translation, I doubt 
 whether they would have been tolerated, cer- 
 tainly not read witli the avidity they are, 
 even in the dress with which he has clothed 
 them, however imperfect that dress may be. 
 Still, so capricious is public taste, that the stories 
 here presented to the public may, perhaps, be 
 considered as too much divested of ornament, 
 and not sufficiently abundant in repetition and 
 orientality. Would that it were possible to 
 infuse into our language the happy peculiarities 
 of oriental expressions ; then indeed a greater 
 de^^ation from received idioms might have 
 been indulged in, but, as it is, I have endea- 
 voured to confine myself to a task which may 
 seem easy, but is often most difficult, name- 
 ly tlie making oneself intelligible, and if in 
 so doing, I have superadded amusement, I shall 
 esteem myself to have achieved a work of no 
 little importance.
 
 88 THE MIRZA. 
 
 VISIT II. 
 
 In the middle of the summer when bu::iiness 
 induced our embassy to visit the Shah in his 
 pahice, on the plains of Ojan^, I again had the 
 pleasure of seeing my friend the Mirza. I im- 
 mediately called upon him in his tent, and he 
 received me with open arms. 
 
 " You are welcome," he exclaimed as soon 
 as he saw me, " your place has long been 
 empty. I have things to say to you." 
 
 He then entered upon a narrative of his own 
 doings since last we had met; he informed 
 me that on the second night after the King^s 
 departure from Tehran, the weather being 
 very sultry, he was suddenly called upon 
 to the King's stirrup ; he added that he was 
 extremely sleepy at the time, and that his 
 eyes were scarcely opened ere the Shah 
 ordered him to relate a story. The sudden- 
 ness of the call was such, that it entirely put 
 out of his head a story which he had invented
 
 THE MIRZA. 
 
 89 
 
 in the morning, and, " By your soul," said he, 
 " I was so surprised that my heart came into 
 my mouth with fear ; but putting as good a 
 face upon it as I was able, I said to the Shah, 
 "I am your sacrifice, and upon my eyes be it 1" 
 Upon which I began, in the usual way, to des- 
 cribe a King who only wanted a son to make 
 him happy and— would you believe it ? — my 
 luck was so great, that I related one of the best 
 stories ever invented, and for which the Shah 
 said, ' Barikallah V and when he had reached 
 his tent, ordered that a dish of rice which had 
 been served up to his own table should be sent 
 to me. I will relate it,'^ he said ; upon 
 which, calling for our kalians and placing our- 
 selves in proper attitudes, he began as follows. 
 
 STORY OF HEZZAR MUSHKIL, PRINCE OF 
 BUKHARA. 
 
 In ancient times, there was a kingdom of 
 great power and extent in Bukhara, bordering
 
 90 THE MIRZA. 
 
 both upon China and Persia, which was 
 governed l)y a monarch, who possessed every 
 thing that couhl make him happy. The 
 country he reigned over was situated in an 
 agreeable climate, neither oppressed by over- 
 powering heats in summer, nor chilled by re- 
 lentless cold in winter. 
 
 It abounded in the choicest fruits, its soil 
 yielded abundantly to the cultivator, and famine 
 had never reared its squalid front among its inha- 
 bitants. The people were contented to live under 
 the monarch's lenient rule, and he was at peace 
 with his neighbours. He enjoyed the advantage 
 of possessing a wise vizier, whose experience 
 was fostered by sage councillors, and he was not 
 deficient in well-tried generals, and in bodies 
 of valiant soldiers. There was only one thing 
 wanting to complete his happiness, and that 
 was a son — he ha4 no male heir to his throne. 
 In vain he ordered prayers to be put up at the 
 mosques — in vain he commanded his holy men 
 to fast — in vain he fasted himself, and imposed 
 several mortifications upon himself and his 
 court, his wishes were never granted, for his
 
 THR MIRZA. 91 
 
 mves only brought forth daughters. Not a 
 year, scarcely a month, passed, that in despair 
 he did not take to himself a new wife, and still 
 daughters were born to him ; he sent discreet 
 emissaries throughout all parts of his kingdom 
 to discover the families whose daughters might 
 be famous for the procreation of the male 
 species, but still when such were sent to him, 
 his evil destiny only added to his female 
 stock. His daughters, in the meanwhile, were 
 growing up to be a formidable body in the state, 
 although, according to prescribed rules, they 
 did not appear in public, but were strictly 
 confined to the harem. 
 
 Still there were not wanting busy bodies and 
 agitators, who made them believe that as it was 
 evidently the intention of inevitable destiny to 
 deprive the kingdom of a male heir, so it was 
 plain that, in accordance with the customs of 
 other countries, females were henceforth to fill 
 that post. 
 
 In consequence of the spreading of such a 
 doctrine, the harem became the seat of. the 
 most extravagant expectations, and the Shah
 
 92 THE MIRZA. 
 
 became daily more and more anxious to set 
 tlie question at rest l)y the birtli of a son. At 
 length, in utter despair, he determined to make 
 a pilgrimage to a holy man, who lived upon 
 one of the highest pinnacles of the mountain 
 Alborj, and who was said to know all things, 
 being enabled by his science to make even 
 destiny occasionally bend to his desire. 
 
 To effect this, the Shah had recourse to his 
 own astrologers, who, having consulted the 
 stars, announced, with terror in their looks, 
 that throughout the whole range of their ob- 
 servations they could not discover any con- 
 junction of the planets favourable to such an 
 undertaking. 
 
 The King, who was seldom angry, upon this 
 occasion grew violent with rage, and declared 
 that he would first discard his own wise men, 
 and then go to a neighbouring kingdom, and 
 there seek the aid of other astrologers who 
 would, he made no doubt, afford him the 
 information he wanted. Having set his 
 mind upon this expedition, he ordered the 
 ceremonial thereof as follows :
 
 THE MIRZA. 93 
 
 Every one was enjoined to array himself in 
 mourning, wearing the coarsest clothes, ab- 
 staining from dyeing either Ijeard, eye-brows 
 or nails, but to make use of a dark-coloured 
 turban. No one was to smoke tobacco or to 
 drink wine ; and the bitterest coffee was to be 
 generally administered. 
 
 As the procession made its way, the heralds, 
 appointed for the purpose, were, at stated inter- 
 vals, to stoop down to the earth, and gathering 
 up dust throw it into the air, crying Hak, 
 Hak, Hak, dust ! dust ! dust ! 
 
 Tlie day before they reached the holy man, 
 ever)-body was to make a rent in the seam of his 
 garment at least two spans long, and this was 
 not to be sown up again until it should be 
 known whether or not the Shah's petition for 
 a son had been heard. With these and such 
 like regulations, the procession was ordered on 
 a certain dav to hold itself in readiness to 
 depart, the King in tlie meanwhile, pre- 
 paring himself by constant prayer, unceasing 
 ablutions, and great abstinence from everything 
 agreeable.
 
 9i THE MIR.ZA. 
 
 The exit from the city was through a long 
 street, at the extremity of which stood abridge. 
 Near this bridge in a miseral)le den, barely 
 weather proof, lived a wretched being, a woman, 
 with scarcely a rag to cover her nakedness, 
 whose history was a mystery, and who had resid- 
 ed there for many years. There was a degree of 
 masculine fierceness in her aspect, which ren- 
 dered her the terror of timid persons, and an 
 object of curiosity to others. 
 
 She would associate with no one ; her food 
 was of the coarsest kind, often of carrion, 
 and she was so proud that she never would 
 accept of anything better, unless driven to the 
 greatest straits. 
 
 The principal peculiarity in her person 
 was the want of the right breast, which 
 appeared to have been crushed or seai^ed off : 
 but this she was careful to keep concealed from 
 the public gaze. She was usually called the Mad 
 One, but those who pretended to be well 
 acquainted with her history whispered that she 
 was a Hemezen, one of that strange nation 
 composed entirely of Avomen.
 
 THE MIRZA. 95 
 
 On the day of the Shah's departure, it was 
 remarked that she appeared more than 
 usually excited, having taken post upon the 
 roof of her miserable cot — her eyes con- 
 stantly turned in the direction of the city 
 gate. 
 
 As soon as she perceived the head of the 
 procession appear, arming herself with a long 
 staff, and contrary to her custom, she 
 bared her right breast, whilst at the same time 
 disposing of her tattered garments in folds 
 over her person, she stood in a prominent 
 attitude, her long black hair streaming in 
 the wind. She waited with apparent impa- 
 tience, muttering to herself, until the Shah 
 himself appeared, when suddenly with aloud 
 voice, to the astonishment of all present, she 
 broke out into the following words : 
 
 " Stop oh King ! whither art thou going ? 
 art thou mad to go thus, seeking a son from an 
 old man. Come to me and i will tell thee whither 
 to go ; — go to the country of women, go where 
 man is hated and proscribed — there thou wilt 
 find one who will give thee a son — curses will
 
 96 THE MIRZA. 
 
 fall upon thy country sliouldst thou not heed 
 my words !" 
 
 These words rung upon the cars of the Shah, 
 his vizier and his courtiers, as the warnings 
 of fate. Every one, their faces uplifted, eyed 
 , the extraordinary being before them with looks 
 of astonishment. The procession paused — the 
 King himself, who had set off with a heart 
 broken by ill-boding and apprehension, un- 
 supported by his astrologers, and uncheered by 
 good omens, and who, moreover, had felt 
 his horse stumble at the threshold of the city 
 gate, paused uncertain what to do— whether 
 to return or to proceed. 
 
 His grand vizier, who never had been the 
 advocate of the present undertaking, on per- 
 ceiving the indecision of his royal master, ap- 
 proached him with every demonstration of the 
 greatest respect, and first touching the ground 
 with his hand, lifted it to his head and 
 said : 
 
 " I am your sacrifice — oh Centre of the Uni- 
 verse ! this mad woman^s words are wonderful 
 words ! — may the King live for ever ! — perhaps
 
 THE MIRZA. 97 
 
 wisdom may come from insanity; and light 
 shine from darkness, and if so, why should we 
 not court destiny after this manner, rather 
 than by the dangers of a long journey." 
 
 *' True you have said," answered the King, 
 " let us return — order the woman to our private 
 hall of audience, and whatever shall be, so be 
 it/' 
 
 Upon this the whole procession returned 
 whence it came, whilst the woman was straight- 
 way mounted upon a horse, and so conducted 
 to the royal palace. 
 
 Having been brought before the King, she 
 was closely questioned, and her answers hav- 
 ing excited much curiosity, she was com- 
 manded to recite her whole story, which with 
 much mildness of look but with an air of inde- 
 pendence she did as follows. 
 
 STORY OF A HEMEZEN OR AMAZON. 
 
 " What would you know from a poor out- 
 cast like me ? what can I say, but that I am 
 become mad from excess of misery — still, such 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 98 THE MIRZA. 
 
 as I am, your country has protected me. I have 
 eaten its salt, and of such advantages I must 
 not be unmindful, therefore whatever return I 
 can make, upon my head and eyes be it ! Give 
 ear to me, oh Shah ! for, wretched as I am, I 
 may lead you to know things of which you are 
 ignorant, and which may change your destinies, 
 and that of your whole race. 
 
 " I am a Hemezen ; — every one knows that 
 we profess to be man-haters ; in our coun- 
 try no male is allowed to reside. My 
 mother was one of our chiefs, and only 
 consented to bring a child into the world 
 from a sense of public duty. Who my 
 father was I know not, nor does it much 
 signify, for he was driven from -among us 
 at the appointed time, according to the laws 
 of our community. I grew up one of the 
 straightest and strongest of my sex, and, al- 
 though what is called beauty is despised 
 among us as unworthy the ambition of a 
 rational being, still I was not ignorant that 
 I was handsome. As I approached to woman- 
 hood, steps were taken to fit me for becoming a 
 warrior, and, being robust, it was ordained that
 
 ee*--~i 
 
 THE MIRZA. 1)9 
 
 I should wield the spear and the bow, in pre- 
 ference to the shield ; in consequence my right 
 breast was withered ; I was taught to perform 
 all the exercises ; before I was fifteen, I could 
 manage the wildest horse, hit the small- 
 est mark with an arrow, and had learnt the 
 art of throwing the noose, nor was it long 
 before my courage was brought to the test. 
 Our nation was at war with a band of moun- 
 taineers — men who had ventured to profane 
 our territory with their presence ;— we attacked 
 them, and conquered; — we drove the mis- 
 creants from before us, and, let me say the 
 truth, I proved myself a true Hemezen— but 
 for the misery of my future life, it was my des- 
 tiny to wound one youth in so desperate a man- 
 ner, that he fell a prisoner into our hands. He 
 would have been slain on the spot had I not in- 
 terfered ; he was fatally handsome, and alas ! 
 after all I am but a woman. He was taken 
 to my maternal home, and there tended with 
 care, but, need I say it? I committed the 
 crime of loving him ; a mutual affection grew up 
 between us, and when he was well enough to 
 
 f2
 
 100 THE MIRZA. 
 
 take Ins departure, I could not bear the thought 
 of seeing him leave us, I yielded to his persua- 
 sions and followed him. Oh me ! need I say 
 how much I have since deplored such a step ; 
 he proved totally unworthy of my love. 
 
 " After wandering some time with him in the 
 Persian dominions, we took up our residence in 
 one of the great towns, where I soon discovered 
 that his love had ceased to exist — ceased 
 did I say ? he superadded the atrocity of the 
 basest ingratitude, for I found that no longer 
 loving me as his wife, he had determined to 
 sell me as his slave. 
 
 " But little did he know what a Hemezen 
 can do when her anger is once roused ; I 
 determined to flee by myself, and to seek re- 
 fuge and a livelihood in some distant country ; 
 but in so doing, I resolved first to be re- 
 venged — the traitor learnt but too late the dif- 
 ference between a woman's love and a wo- 
 man's hate, and, having left him to seek what 
 burial he might from the hand of the stranger, 
 I fled hitherwards. 
 
 " For days and nights I wandered over
 
 ^ ^'"^ THE MIRZA. 101 
 
 arid mountains and pathless deserts, subsist- 
 ing upon the food prepared by Providence for 
 the wild beasts of the field ; at length my steps 
 brought me, oh King ! to the foot of your 
 throne, and here I have subsisted, like an out- 
 cast as I am, upon the charity of your subjects. 
 Shall I not then return such benefits in the 
 best way I am able ? — Give ear then ! I will 
 proceed to mine own country ; you shall send 
 me thither with honour — I will procure for 
 you a maiden from our tribe who shall give 
 you a son, for the Hemezens rarely ever 
 give birth to daughters ; he will be your heir, 
 the perplexities Avhich surround your kingdom 
 shall 1)6 at an end, and, Inshallah ! the poor 
 wretch who has so long been a suppliant at 
 your gate, will shew her gratitude." 
 
 Upon hearing these words, which produced 
 a considerable effect upon all present, the King 
 looked to his grand vizier, who being cele- 
 brated for his wisdom, was expected to dis- 
 cover whether the proposal made by the He- 
 mezen was founded upon deceit or truth. 
 
 His majesty was evidently bent upon closing 
 at once with the strange female's proposal, and 
 despatching her forthwith upon her em-
 
 102 THE MIRZA. 
 
 bassy, but, being accustomed to repose upon 
 his minister's foresight and prudence, he ad- 
 dressed the latter as follows : — | 
 
 " We are willing to be guided by your 
 advice on this occasion, but, as Allah is great, 
 decide what is to be done, for the King is 
 impatient of delay." 
 
 Upon this the vizier answered : " Your 
 humble slave is your sacrifice, and only requires 
 a few minutes to question the woman before 
 he decides." 
 
 Upon which, with the King's permission, he 
 retired into another apartment, and there 
 having questioned her upon what appeared 
 doubtful, and her answers proving satis- 
 factory, he straightAvay returned to his royal 
 master and informed him, he was of opinion 
 that the expedition should take place im- 
 mediately. 
 
 Upon this there ensued a great commotion 
 throughout the court ; preparations for a long 
 journey were ordered, fit persons to accom- 
 pany the woman were appointed, letters 
 were written, firmans issued and sealed, 
 presents prepared, and a lucky day and hour 
 were secured by the astrologers, for the 
 commencement of this new undertaking.
 
 THE MIRZA. 103 
 
 It was not long ere the embassy was on 
 its road, and, in order to give it importance, the 
 grand vizier sent his son to direct its opera- 
 tions, and moreover issued instructions how he 
 was to act, in case the woman should prove false. 
 
 She, having been duly furnished with clothes, 
 (though not with a veil, for the Hemezens 
 do not cover their faces like Mahommedan 
 women,) was mounted upon a handsome 
 horse, which she managed with great dexterity, 
 and graced the procession l)y the native dignity 
 of her manner. 
 
 Prayers were put up in all the mosques for 
 the success of the embassy, and it was an- 
 nounced, for the consolation of the royal mind, 
 that nothing could be more fortunate than 
 the moment when the King's letter of creden- 
 tials passed over the threshold of the city gate. 
 
 In the meanwhile this event had produced 
 no small sensation among the King's daugh- 
 ters in the harem. They declared themselves 
 ill-used because the Shah, their father, would 
 not abide by the di^crees of fate, but was de- 
 termined still to expect a son ; and these 
 complaints were made Avith so little reserve 
 that they could not fail being repeated to him.
 
 104 THE MIRZA. 
 
 The good King again had recourse to his 
 grand vizier's counsels, who advised that 
 husbands should he provided for all who 
 were of a marriageable age without delay, 
 and to this effect messages were sent to the 
 various princes and governors of provinces, 
 of whom there Avere many tributary to the 
 state of Bukhara, announcing the honour 
 conferred upon them, and that they each 
 forthwith should make preparations for 
 receiving a King's daughter for a wife. 
 This was agreeable news to the ladies, what- 
 ever it might be to the princes and governors, 
 for, weary of their lives in the harem, they 
 longed for more liberty, a privilege they 
 were more likely to enjoy as wives than as un- 
 married women. But this change in their 
 circumstances did not produce any in their 
 feelings concerning the suc(;ession to the 
 throne, and, as fast as they married, their 
 first care was to influence their husband's 
 minds to take part against their father in his 
 new arrangements for the acquisition of a male 
 heir. 
 
 The King grew impatient for the return of 
 his embassy, for the time had now elapsed
 
 THE MIRZA. 105 
 
 when it might appear. He felt that his hopes of 
 more offspring diminished at the close of each 
 revolving year, and consequently he was more 
 and more impatient to witness the result of this 
 last attempt for realizing his wishes. At lengtli, 
 one fine spring day, a messenger was seen to 
 pass in haste through the city gates, and, making 
 his way to the palace, having alighted from his 
 horse was taken before the King, boots on his 
 feet and whip in hand, and there he announced, 
 that the returning embassy was only a day's 
 march from the city, and was conducting 
 with it a most beautiful princess, niece of the 
 Queen of the Hemezens, as a wife to the King. 
 He was instantly invested with a dress of ho- 
 nour, and the news was soon spread through- 
 out the city, giving great joy to those who were 
 really well-wishers to the state, but clouding 
 the brows of all who were satisfied with things 
 as they were, and particularly those of the la- 
 dies in the harem. 
 
 A deputation on the grandest scale was or- 
 dered to be in readiness to issue from the city on 
 the next morning — to proceed to meet the 
 new Queen and conduct her with all honour 
 
 F 3
 
 lOG THE MIRZA. 
 
 and magnificence to the arms of the expect- 
 ant King. But here a difficulty presented 
 itself, for his Majesty having ordered his 
 principal daughters and their mothers to issue 
 forth on this errand, they in their ill humour, 
 peremptorily refused to go. No entreaties 
 could prevail upon them to accede to the Shah's 
 wishes, and consequently in opposition to his 
 usual lenity, he was obliged to use coercion, and 
 to order a bastinado on the soles of the feet to 
 be administered to the most refractory, which 
 proved of considerable use in persuading the 
 remainder to attend. 
 
 The whole city turned out to witness the 
 arrival of the new Queen, and truly it was a 
 sight novel to the inhabitants, for she appeared 
 unveiled, according to the fashion of her coun- 
 try, mounted upon a superb horse, though 
 but meanly caparisoned. A bow and quiver 
 full of arrows were slung at her back, she 
 carried a small spear in her hand, a shield 
 was on her arm, and her head was adorned 
 by a small iron helmet, inlaid with gold, which 
 fitted tightly to her head, and from which 
 streamed a peacock's feather. She was 
 young, though a masculine beauty, formed
 
 THE MIRZA. 107 
 
 like a wrestler, with eyes darting determination, 
 and with a self-possessed carriage and demea- 
 nour, totally unlike the soft and effeminate 
 beings who live shut up in harems, and whose 
 faces are never permitted to meet the eye 
 of man. At her side rode the elder Hemezen 
 beaming with delight at the success of her 
 embassy, and behind her followed several 
 others, armed to the teeth, and declaring their 
 prowess and contempt of mankind by their bold 
 locks and independent carriage. The young 
 Queen eyed the multitude around with apparent 
 indifference, as if she would have said, I am 
 doing you all great honour in condescendmg 
 to come on such an errand as this ; but these 
 looks were greeted by all as the promise of the 
 future prince, whom she was to give them for 
 their future sovereign.'^ 
 
 The Shah himself in a magnificent tent, 
 pitched a parasang distant from the city, receiv- 
 ed her in person, and it need not be said how 
 overjoyed he was to possess so precious a Queen. 
 He displayed the utmost magnificence of his 
 court to welcome her. The tent, which was 
 supported by fifty gilded columns, was res- 
 plendent with mirrors and painted panels ; the
 
 108 THE MIRZA. 
 
 walls, composed of rich stuffs, were embroidered 
 in open lattice work ; the finest carpets were 
 spread on terraces formed for the occasion, 
 and the softest cushions placed in convenient 
 positions to recline against ; fountains threw 
 up refreshing streams in front, whilst the softest 
 and most costly perfumes embalmed the air. 
 Out of compliment to the customs of the 
 Hemezens, the Shah did not receive his Queen 
 with a long train of women, but required the 
 presence of his principal warriors, who, clad in 
 their most resplendent armour, made a hne for 
 her to walk through as she alighted from her 
 horse. At this she seemed much pleased, and 
 when at length she reached the King, who rose 
 from his seat to receive her, she paused not 
 to take off her boots, but equipped in her tra- 
 velling dress, with her arms, her bow and 
 arrows suspended to her back, pressed for- 
 ward and made him an obeisance after the 
 fashion of her own country. 
 
 To this flattering reception, succeeded en- 
 tertainments of the most costly nature, during 
 which the riches of the empire were exhibited, 
 and in which were displayed all sorts of pas-
 
 THE MIRZA. 109 
 
 i 
 
 times that could give pleasure to the people as 
 •well as to the court. The only dissatisfied 
 individuals were the ladies of the royal harem, 
 who, since this influx of mascuhne females, ap- 
 peared to sink into insignificance ; but revenge 
 was brooding in their hearts, and they only 
 awaited the opportunity to indulge it. 
 
 As months rolled on, the expectations of 
 the Shah and his people, to the universal joy 
 and delight, were declared about to be realized ; 
 the young Queen promised to make good their 
 hopes. Every expedient that could be de- 
 vised to render Heaven propitious was re- 
 sorted to, and the good Shah already began to 
 replenish his coffers in the hope that in due 
 time he should be called upon to make such 
 universal rejoicings throughout the kingdom, as 
 would make his people drunk with happiness. 
 The day at length arrived, the Avhole Ulemah 
 were required to fust and pray, every doctor 
 and midwife in the country was brought into 
 requisition, and it was generally supposed that if, 
 after all, a daughter were to ensue, the King's 
 wrath would be so inflamed that he would 
 first kill all his daugliters with their mothers, 
 and then go and hide his head in a distant
 
 110 THE MIRZA. 
 
 pilgrimage for the rest of his clays ; — but it 
 was not so ordained. To the joy of the nation, a 
 son was born ; tlie King put no bounds to his 
 dehght, a general thanksgiving was ordered in 
 the mosques, the shops were shut and de- 
 corated with boughs, the whole of the popu- 
 lation put on new clothes and perambulated 
 the streets, saying nothing but *' Mobarek,'^ 
 and wherever people were inclined, they got 
 drunk with wine without any fear of the priests. 
 No pen can describe the festivities at court. The 
 royal treasures were emptied in paying for the 
 extravagant joy of the King, who daily devised 
 some new mode of expressing his satisfaction. 
 One of the persons principally singled out for 
 the royal munificence, was the original Heme- 
 zen, she the real cause of this prosperity. The 
 miserable hut which she had so long occupied, 
 was now converted into a magnificent palace, and 
 she was so gifted by the King, tliat she was 
 enabled to live there in honour and dignity 
 during the rest of her days. 
 
 The new born prince became the theme of 
 every tongue ; he was announced to be the 
 finest child that had ever been seen, and, 
 strange to relate, there was a small bov/ and
 
 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Ill 
 
 arrow stamped on his left breast, which, so the 
 wise men assured the King, proclaimed that he 
 would become a man of great prowess ; wise wo- 
 men and grey heads said that the marks denoted 
 the character of the mother, who was dreaming 
 of her own country and pursuits, when she 
 ought to have been thinking of her child. By 
 name he was called Hezzar Mushkil, or The 
 Thousand Difficulties, to make him remember 
 through life the anxiety which had attended his 
 birth, and, on the day of his being named, his 
 mother insisted that he should sleep near her 
 own favourite horse, his head resting on a 
 sword, in order thereby to infuse into his 
 nature the love of arms and horsemanship — the 
 two things most prized by the Hemezens. 
 
 As soon as he was weaned, in accordance with 
 
 the agreement or treaty made with the Queen 
 
 of the Hemezens, the mother of the royal babe 
 
 returned to her own country, loaded with the 
 
 gratitude and the presents of the Shah and his 
 
 people for having so well fulfilled her part of the 
 
 contract, whilst she confided the care of her son 
 
 to her country vv^om an, the ambassadress who 
 
 agreed to remain and bring him up, enjoying the 
 
 title and privileges of Dedeh, or nurse, besides
 
 112 THE MIRZA. 
 
 the distinction of being the acknowledged be- 
 nefactress of the state of Bukhara. She entered 
 upon the performance of her duties -with deter- 
 mined zeal and watchfulness, for she was aware 
 of the enemies which the child possessed in 
 the harem. She never allowed any food to 
 pass its hps, until it had first past through her 
 own, nor ever laid herself down to rest until 
 she was assured that no harm could accrue to 
 her charge during the night. 
 
 In the meanwhile, although the King was in 
 a state of utter enchantment at the possession 
 of a son, still his existence was much em- 
 bittered by the conduct of his daughters and 
 tlieir ambitious mothers. Rumours of disaf- 
 fection in the provinces began to be spread 
 abroad, and it was not disguised that such 
 feelings originated in insidious measures 
 adopted by his sons-in-law and their wives. 
 The grand vizier, who was ever watchful 
 over the interests of his master, continued 
 to marry off the daughters as fast as he found 
 husbands, for he dreaded the existence of 
 domestic enemies which might endanger the 
 safety of the child ; but his sagacity was 
 at fault when he heard of the state of
 
 «e*-*^ 
 
 THE MIRZA. • 113 
 
 the provinces. He made a display of the 
 royal armies by calling them together in the 
 summer, and causing the King to take jour- 
 nies through the disaffected parts ; but well he 
 knew that no enmity, when once roused, was 
 equal to that which exists between blood 
 relations. He did his best to remove such 
 enmities, whilst he was careful to take hostages 
 for the good behaviour of persons under suspi- 
 cion, wherever he could do so with advantage. 
 
 Whilst the affairs of the kingdom were 
 thus administered, the Prince Hezzar Mushkil 
 was daily growing up in strength and comeli- 
 ness. Everything in him announced a re- 
 markable character; all his pursuits had a manly 
 tendency, his games were miniature pictures of 
 war; he begun early to shew great skill in the 
 exercises of the body, and as soon as his little 
 legs could bestride a horse's body, he was seen 
 clinging on with undaunted courage. 
 
 Under the direction of his nurse, he learnt 
 whatever a Hemczen could teach him, and, 
 in addition to his own manliness of nature, 
 appeared to imbibe all tlie energy of her 
 national character. He had never been
 
 114 THE MIllZA. 
 
 permitted to enter the walls of the royal harem, 
 therefore he was totally ignorant of the effemi- 
 nate manners of its inhabitants, nor did he know 
 one of his sisters by sight, so much hud the fa- 
 mily feuds influenced all his earliest haljits. 
 
 The King's daughters, married and single, to- 
 gether with their mothers and husbands, finding 
 how entirely they had sunk into insignificance 
 since the existence of this son, were burning 
 with impatience for an opportunity of exhibiting 
 their anger. The governor of the town of Bikend, 
 who had married one of the said daughters, 
 was a proud and haughty man ; he was robust 
 in person and had been successful in the field. 
 His wife had so worked upon his feelings that 
 he chose to consider himself ill-u§ed, and he, 
 acting upon his brothers-in law, who were 
 acted upon by their wives, became, in time, 
 the chief of a disaffected league, all bent on the 
 destruction of their hereditary prince, and 
 future monarch. The King who was now 
 advancing in age, spent his days in the peace- 
 able enjoyment of his power, and, secure in the 
 possession of an heir, became negligent of the 
 affairs of the state.
 
 THE MIRZA. 115 
 
 By the time Hezzar Musbkil had attained 
 the age of seventeen years, the whole of the 
 provinces, with a few exceptions, were ripe for 
 revolt, a state of things which the grand vizier, 
 with all his sagacity, had not been able to sup- 
 press. At length, after much difficulty, the King 
 having been made sensible of the necessity of 
 vigour and action, consented to bring the 
 principal offender to jvistice, and ordered the 
 governor of Bikend to the foot of his throne 
 to give an account of his proceedings ; this was 
 the signal for revolt, and, he became yaghi, in 
 other words he was a declared rebel ; he re- 
 fused to come, tore the royal firman in half, 
 and shut the gates of his town. 
 
 When news of this event reached the King, 
 the Prince Hezzar Mushkil was present, 
 and it was remarked that, unable to retain 
 the usual respect which he paid to his father, he 
 exclaimed, 
 
 " Thanks be to Allah, the hand has got to 
 the sword at last," words which were soon 
 echoed about the court, and which shewed how 
 long the youth had, even at his early age, been 
 burning to distinguish himself in l^attle.
 
 liG THE MlllZA. 
 
 Orders were immediately given to assemble 
 troops, and to march upon the disaffected 
 city. Hezzar Mushkil entreated that he might 
 be sent with them, and volunteered to serve 
 in any capacity, for he had only one desire, 
 and that was to be engaged in actual war. 
 
 It may be supposed how loath the King was 
 to accede to his request, but when the General 
 in command of the expedition, who was an old 
 and experienced soldier, bound himself by an 
 oath on the Shah's head not to allow the 
 Prince to run into danger, he was permitted 
 to go. 
 
 It was then that his Dedeh insisted upon 
 buckling on her armour, taking her bow and 
 arrows, and accompanying her charge to the 
 field, which was also granted, after a promise 
 exacted on the part of the prince, that she 
 should keep at a distance when he might be 
 engaged in the field. 
 
 She, however, who put more faith in the 
 powers of her own countrywomen than in the 
 military knowledge of the nation she served, 
 secretly dispatched a messenger to the Prince's 
 mother, with a letter stating the predicament in
 
 THE MIRZA. 117 
 
 which the country was placed, and requesting 
 that a strong detachment of Hemezens, pro- 
 perly commanded, might forthwith be sent to 
 aid Hezzar Mushkil in this his first military 
 
 essay. 
 
 The kingdom of Bukhara having been long 
 in a state of peace, much delay occurred before 
 a military expedition properly equipped could 
 be set on foot; which delay was taken every 
 advantage of by the disaffected and rebellious, 
 as it gave them time to deliberate and to as- 
 semble. 
 
 It had been represented to the King by the 
 flatterers always to be found near thrones, 
 that this revolt was one of very trifling im- 
 portance, and that his troops had only to ap- 
 pear, to put it down at once ; they added, as 
 soon as it was known that the Prince Hezzar 
 Mushkil was there, the world would exclaim, 
 what dog will now venture to shew his face ? 
 
 The rebels, who had many such friends at 
 court, were anxious to confirm these reports, 
 hoping thus to diminish the force about to 
 be despatched against them, and they were not
 
 118 THE MIRZA. 
 
 frustrated in their expectations — tlie troops sent 
 were inadequate to the service. 
 
 The King refused to allow any part of his 
 body guard, who were the choicest part of his 
 army, to be selected for the expedition, and 
 consequently troops raised in a hurry were 
 sent, ill equipped, and totally without re- 
 liance upon each other. A strong escort of 
 cavalry, specially ordered to guard the person 
 of the Prince, was the most efficient part of 
 the little army. 
 
 A favourable conjunction of the planets hav- 
 ing been announced, the expedition set out. 
 Hezzar Mushkil was in the highest spirits ; 
 mounted on a fine horse, armed at all points, 
 he was the admiration of every beholder, whilst 
 his Dedeh, throwing off her age and infirmities, 
 made every effort to shew herself worthy of 
 such a charge, as well as to keep up the war- 
 like reputation of her nation. 
 
 They marched by slow stages towards the 
 object of attack, the expedition partaking more 
 of the nature of a military parade than one 
 destined to perform real feats of arms. At
 
 THE MIKZA. 119 
 
 length it entered the territory of Bikend, and 
 then came to a halt, in order to send forward 
 an herald to summon the city to surrender 
 under pain of the royal displeasure. 
 
 The army, however, had not long to await the 
 return of this officer, for he had scarcely pro- 
 ceeded many parasangs, before he fell in with 
 a considerable body of the enemy's cavalry — 
 the forerunner of the main body of their army. 
 
 lie returned with terror in his looks, exagge- 
 rating the numbers he had met, and impressed, 
 from what he had heard, with the dange- 
 rous tendency of the insurrection. This piece 
 of intelligence was at first received by the 
 Shah*s general with great contempt. " Whose 
 dogs are they," said he, " who thus can 
 venture to appear against the Shah ?" but when 
 he found it confirmed and doubly confirmed, 
 he then became as apprehensive as he had 
 been the reverse, and began at once to talk of 
 a retreat. This intention having been men- 
 tioned to the Prince, he at once opposed him- 
 self violently to such a measure, and avowed 
 that if the general put it into execution, he
 
 120 THE MIRZA. 
 
 himself at the liead of his own escort would 
 charge the rebels. 
 
 The general, in this dilemma was strangely 
 perpexed what orders to issue, but having at 
 length been roused to action by exclamations 
 such as the following : 
 
 " Whose dogs are they ! — after all we are the 
 King's servants! what can wretched rebels do !" 
 exclamations made by the arrogant and igno- 
 rant, he determined to move his troops on- 
 wards. 
 
 Hezzar Mushkil was the first in the field on 
 the following morning ; as fast as the troops filed 
 oflf from their posts, he was there to encourage 
 them. His Dedeh in the meanwhile was not 
 without apprehension as to what might be the 
 result of the day, and sent a messenger to the 
 Hemezens to hurry their march. The King^s 
 troops encouraged by the. Prince moved in 
 advance, and soon came in sight of the 
 enemy. 
 
 The skirmishers first began the battle, ad- 
 vancing with precaution behind every elevation 
 of sround, rock, or stone which might afford
 
 THE MTRZA. 121 
 
 protection, and were then succeeded by the 
 chirkajies or champions, who exhibited their 
 horsemanship, but nothing effective was done 
 decisive of the victory — a state of things which 
 so much exhausted the Prince's patience, that 
 he entreated the commander-in-chief to order a 
 general onset or yurish, which might bring their 
 troops into immediate contact with the rebels. 
 
 The cautious general, seeing that numbers 
 were greatly on the side of the enemy, was reluc- 
 tant to risk the event, and would wilhngly 
 have drawn off his troops, but the governor of 
 Bikend, who commanded the rebel army, re- 
 suming courage at the slow and timid proceed- 
 ings of the royal troops, ordered a movement 
 in advance which brought on the crisis. 
 
 The armies engaged, and the superiority 
 of the rebels was soon apparent, for after a 
 short struggle, the king's troops began to shew 
 symptoms of disorder, notwithstanding the 
 energy and courage evinced by Hezzar Mushkil. 
 Matters were in this uncertain state, when a 
 cloud of dust was seen in the distance, which 
 was soon succeeded by the clatter of arms and 
 warlike shouts — shouts not like those of men, 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 122 THE MIRZA. 
 
 but slirill screams, that were soon found to 
 proceed from an army of Hemezens. The 
 noise of tongues was greater than the clang of 
 arms, for all the privates talked, and would make 
 themselves heard. 
 
 The Dedeh from a state of apprehension, 
 was wound up into joy and a confidence of suc- 
 cess. This army was commanded by the 
 Prince's grand-mother, a general of the greatest 
 skill and experience among the Hemezens, 
 whilst the second in command was his own 
 mother. Hezzar Mushkil was overjoyed, and 
 without waiting to embrace his relations, 
 rushed on the enemy as soon as he heard 
 his grand-mother give the word to charge. 
 
 Such an extraordinary clatter of arms, horses, 
 and women's tongues had never before been 
 heard ; a general discharge of arrows first took 
 place, which tended to discompose the enemy, 
 and was followed by a charge sword in hand, 
 which was eminently successful. Nothing 
 could exceed the vigour of the Hemezens — they 
 rode in compact bodies, exciting each other by 
 wild screams, and finally carried every thing 
 l)efore them. 
 
 Great were the feats performed on both sides.
 
 THE MIRZA. 123 
 
 Many of the Heraezens individually greatly dis- 
 tinguished themselves. One of the Prince's aunts, 
 in particular, his mother's elder sister, perform- 
 ed feats of unheard of valour, for it is a received 
 fact among them, that at a certain time of life 
 they become desperate, and fight like lionesses. 
 Several were wounded, and it was remarked how 
 soon they were relieved, for being all " handy 
 at their needles," as soon as one required 
 assistance, another instantly jumped off her 
 horse, and having a needle and thread at hand, 
 at once sewed up the wound. 
 
 The rebels who had no idea that they 
 should be opposed by such troops, were struck 
 with a panic and fled in all directions. It was 
 then that Hezzar Mushkil took the lead, 
 and little considering that in his zeal to destroy 
 the fugitives, he might be slaying nephews, 
 and, perhaps, brothers-in-law, multitudes of 
 whom were incorporated in the rebel army, 
 followed by his escort, and kept in view by 
 his old Dedeh, he pressed onward sword in 
 hand, dealing blows right and left without re- 
 morse. Mounted on the fleetest horse in the 
 army, he consequently outstripped every one, 
 
 G 2
 
 124 THE MIRZA. 
 
 and heedless of caution, allowed himself to 
 be impelled forward ])y his ardour in pursuit 
 until he was left entirely alone — he found 
 himself, at length, engaged in a labyrinth of 
 broken ground, from which he vainly endea- 
 voured to extricate himself before the night 
 closed in. It was then that he began to feel 
 the extent of his imprudence, his horse's 
 energies being utterly exhausted, and himself 
 overpowered by fatigue. Hopelessly did he 
 toil up one steep and down the sides of ano- 
 ther, until he was totally bewildered as to the 
 direction of the armies, and the distance which 
 he might be from habitations. 
 
 In this state, he wandered about till near mid- 
 night, when no longer able to withstand the wea- 
 riness which assailed him, he laid himself down 
 at the side of his horse. He lay buried in the 
 profoundest sleep until the rays of the rising sun 
 darting into his face, aroused him. He cast his 
 eyes around with dismay, perceiving nothing in 
 view but an arid tenantless wilderness, with- 
 out any one object to serve as a compass 
 by which to guide his steps. But what was 
 his still greater horror, on looking about in 
 every direction, to find himself without a
 
 THE MIRZA. 125 
 
 horse ! In vain he shouted and called, in vain 
 he wandered through all the inequalities of the 
 surrounding tract, he could see no horse, much 
 less any living being who could give him any 
 account of it. It was then that he could have 
 almost wept in despair, but when the reflection 
 came to hun, that he was a great Prince, heir 
 to a powerful kingdom and the conqueror of an 
 army of rebels, superior in numbers, he shook off 
 this weakness, and determined to do his utmost 
 towards extricating himself from his position. 
 He felt, that when found to be missing, his at- 
 tendants, and, indeed, the whole army, grand- 
 mother, mother, Dedeh and all v/ould not fail 
 to seek him, and he trusted that ere an hour was 
 over, he would be restored to his friends. 
 
 In the mean while, he resolved to proceed 
 on foot in the direction which he supposed was 
 the right one, but as ill-luck would have 
 it, he took precisely the contrary road. 
 
 He walked on invigorated by the morning 
 air, with all the buoyancy of youthful spirits, 
 and, heedless of consequences, scarcely ever 
 looked back, so confident was he of following 
 the right path. As he walked on, he principally
 
 126 THE MIllZA. 
 
 speculated in his mind upon the abrupt disap- 
 pearance of his horse, and it occurred to him that 
 during his sleep he had heard strange cries, as if 
 of jackals and scuffling of feet, which made 
 him suppose that the poor beast had been chased, 
 and subsequently devoured by wild beasts. 
 He continued to walk on, but the further he 
 went, the further in fact he dived into the 
 lonely waste of the desert, whose general as- 
 pect of dreariness, was enough to daunt the 
 intrepidity of the most valiant. Hezzar 
 Mushkil, at length, sat down totally uncertain 
 what course to pursue — he now felt that 
 he had entirely taken a wrong direction — 
 what was he to do ? To return was fruitless, 
 could he find his way back, even if he tried ? 
 To remain stationary, was to die of hunger, or 
 to become the prey of wild animals. Taking out 
 his dagger from its sheath, he held it perpendicu- 
 larly towards the ground, and then let it fall at 
 hazard — the direction in which it fell, he deter- 
 mined should guide his steps. This piece of 
 superstition he had learnt from his Dedeh, and 
 he remembered it now with joy — " Perhaps,'^ 
 said he, " fate will do well for me. It is in vain
 
 THE MIRZA. 127 
 
 now to repine at my folly — if once I get again to 
 Bukhara, I will be more cautious ; this piece 
 of experience will be of use to me through life." 
 He began to walk forwards again, now 
 stimulated as much by hunger as by his other 
 necessities. He continued to drag himself 
 slowly along until night, when he almost fell 
 from fatigue and weakness. His mind 
 smote him with a multitude of apprehen- 
 sions. "Without succour — without food, he 
 felt that he must die ; then the thoughts of his 
 asred and distracted father came before him — the 
 triumph of his sisters and their mothers, also 
 glanced through his thoughts. He extended 
 himself behind a mound of earth, and worn out 
 by fatigue, passed the night, sleeping at inter- 
 vals, and starting ever and anon with feverish 
 apprehension. In the morning, again he tried 
 to press onwards, but his legs almost refus- 
 ed their office, so exhausted was he from 
 want of food. He felt that soon he must 
 close his eyes for ever. He wept — sorely he 
 deplored his imprudence. He lay down on 
 the broad face of the desert, as he thought, 
 
 to die. 
 
 Scarcely had he been there an hour, ere he
 
 128 THE MIIIZA. 
 
 felt a rush of wind and heard the flapping of 
 wings — to his dismay he discovered that a large 
 bird of prey had made a descent upon him, 
 taking him for a dead carcase, and he per- 
 ceived that it was followed by a long train 
 of others. He summoned up all his strengtb, 
 and rising on his legs, drew his sword to 
 defend himself from what he feared was his 
 final doom. The bird, apparently balked of 
 its feast, withdrew to a rising ground, as if to 
 wait for what it was certain would ultimately 
 fall to its share, whilst the remaining birds, 
 now arriving in great numbers, hovered about, 
 and uttered wild cries. Hezzar Mushkil, who 
 found that he had not much strength left, 
 now that he was hard pressed, exclaimed in 
 piteous accents, " Allah ! allah ! help, help to 
 the heir of the throne of Bukhara." 
 
 There he stood with his sword in his right 
 hand, whilst his left was extended towards 
 heaven. To his utter astonishment, and to 
 his exceeding great joy, he had scarcely uttered 
 this exclamation, ere the sounds of distant 
 bells — the bells of a caravan, sweeping over 
 the undulations of the plain, struck his ear. 
 He could scarcely believe his senses — he felt
 
 THE MiRZA. 129 
 
 new vigour as the sounds approached and 
 staggering forvrards, perceived two horsemen 
 at full gallop advancing. His first idea was 
 that they were some of his own people in 
 search of him, and this was confirmed when 
 he saw them alight from their horses and run 
 to meet him, but he was soon undeceived, for 
 instead of waiting till he had spoken or bend- 
 ing the knee in his presence, they rushed upon 
 him. — threw him down — disarmed him — robbed 
 him of everything he possessed, then stripping 
 him to his shirt and drawers dragged him 
 forcibly on, tying his arms behind his back with 
 his own waistband, when he exclaimed : 
 
 " What are you about, men ! I am the 
 Prince Hezzar Mushkil, are ye mad to treat 
 me thus ?'^ 
 
 The two ruffians, for they were rude athletic 
 men and armed to the teeth, paid no heed to 
 these words, but commenced quarrelling with 
 each other, one asserting that the prisoner belong- 
 ed to him, and the other insisting the contrary. 
 
 " 1 saw him first," said the one, " the sun 
 was just a spear high when I first caught sight 
 of him, therefore, he is my slave." 
 
 G 3
 
 130 THE MIRZA. 
 
 "Tliat's a lie/' exclaimed the other, " come, 
 let us go, we'll burn its father whatever it may 
 be, said I; and you rejoined, ^and its mother, 
 grand-father and grand-mother and all its an- 
 cestry besides' — that's what you said ; there- 
 fore, as I spoke first, he is mine." 
 
 " What words are these," rejoined the first, 
 Avho was the suj^erior in appearance, " I 
 swear I saw him first, by the beard of Iman 
 Mousa — by the head of the Prophet, I swear. 
 He is my slave, upon this there are not two 
 words." 
 
 " Whatever you may say is a lie," said the 
 other with violent gesture, " do you see this 
 arm," bearing a brawny arm to the elbow, 
 " this arm is ready to come to the help of this 
 tongue,'' lolling his tongue out at the same 
 time, " and if you or any one dare to take my 
 lawful slave from me, he and my sword shall 
 soon become acquainted." 
 
 " Don't throw unmeaning words into the 
 air," roared out the other, at the same time 
 giving a blow to the unfortunate prince to 
 quicken his pace, "you — your arm — your 
 tongue — and your sword may go where your 
 father is grilling at this very moment."
 
 THE MIRZA. 131 
 
 The other began to foam at the mouth with 
 anger, whilst his eyes flashed fire, and was on the 
 point of drawing his sword to make good his 
 threat, when they came into close contact with 
 the great mass of the caravan. They proceed- 
 ed at once to the principal personage, a 
 respectable looking man, his head and face 
 well shawled up, wearing a good cloak and 
 riding on an excellent mule well caparisoned. 
 
 " What has happened ?" he exclaimed, in 
 a tone of authority, as the two disputants 
 approached, dragging forwards their wretch- 
 ed victim. " What have you there ? where 
 did you find him ?" 
 
 " He is my slave," said the one. 
 
 " That is a lie," said the other, " he is mine." 
 
 " Aga Okoos, you decide," said they both, 
 
 upon which they both began with vociferation, 
 
 and a deluge of words to endeavour to make 
 
 good their respective claims. 
 
 Asa Okoos, who was a merchant of Herat, 
 whither the caravan was at present bound, 
 began first by eyeing Hezzar Mushkil from 
 liead to foot with the eye of a connoisseur, as 
 he might inspect a horse or a mule on
 
 132 THE MIRZA. 
 
 sale, and then said, " there is no harm in 
 him — are you mad to be throwing words into 
 the air after this fashion ? Who can say who 
 saw him first ? You might as well dispute with 
 yourself whether your right or your left eye 
 saw him first. He is mine, I will give you a 
 good price for him, and you shall each take 
 half, so the dispute is at an end. Go, say no 
 more." 
 
 Upon this the horsemen went away apparently 
 satisfied, and Hezzar Mushkil was handed over 
 to a muleteer, who was ordered to mount him 
 for the rest of the journey. But ere he was 
 led away, he indignantly lifted up his voice at 
 the treatment he had received, and again af- 
 firmed that he was a Prince and heir to the 
 throne of Bukhara. Aga Okoos, the mer- 
 chant v.ho did not care to have his bargain 
 disturbed, would not lend an ear to this 
 exposition, but others of the caravan who 
 heard it, treasured up the words in their 
 minds, for they were jealous of the apparently 
 great hit which he had made. 
 
 " Go, go," exclaimed the merchant, " are 
 you mad to talk thus ? — a Prince, indeed ! — v/ho
 
 THE MIRZA. 133 
 
 finds a Prince in the desert?— go, tell no more 
 lies, or by Allah, you will find that we do not 
 understand child's play." 
 
 And thus the unfortunate Hezzar Mushkil 
 was dragged fijrcibly away, mounted on a 
 baoofasre mule between two bales of merchan- 
 dize, and an old horse cloth given him to 
 cover his nakedness. His common employ- 
 ment on the road was to pound coifee, 
 and when highly honoured, he was permit- 
 ted to rub his master's feet and loins, 
 after the fatigue of a long day's ride. Often 
 did the wretched prince sigh after the lux- 
 uries in which he had been brought up, 
 yearn for the indulgence and devotion shewn 
 to him by his old nurse, and long for his 
 home. To evade the miseries of his present 
 situation by flight was out of the question — 
 whither could he fly — ignorant of the country, 
 without money or friends. He hoped when 
 he should have reached Herat, that by some 
 good stroke of fortune he might find a favoura- 
 ble opportunity of asserting who he was, and in 
 the meanwhile he gained lessons of prudence 
 and forbearance. 
 
 The merchant who was one of llic richest of
 
 134 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Herat, having reached his house, appointed 
 Hezzar Mushkil to perform some of the hnvest 
 offices of a slave, seeing that he was totally 
 ignorant of tlie duties of a servant, and 
 such are the vicissitudes of life — the heir to 
 the throne of Bukhara mis-ht have been 
 seen sweeping the court yard or sprinkling 
 water to lay the dust l)efore the merchant's 
 door. It so happened that one of the travel- 
 lers by the caravan, a merchant, was the 
 rival of Aga Okoos in trade— he frequent- 
 ly past the spot where Hezzar Mushkil 
 was sweeping and sprinkling water, and re- 
 marking his beauty and superiority in his 
 appearance to that of a common slave, remem- 
 bered the words he had uttered when he 
 was first taken, exclaiming that he was the 
 Prince of Bukhara. He sought opportunities 
 to enter into conversation with him, and 
 detecting the stamp of truth in the story 
 he related of his adventures, became in- 
 terested in his fate and determined to do 
 all in his power to alleviate his wretched- 
 ness, particularly as in so doing he would be 
 sure to injure his rival. 
 
 This merchant was in the habit sometimes
 
 THE MIRZA. 135 
 
 of paying his court to the grand vizier of Herat, 
 standing in his presence and occasionally 
 making him a present. The very first visit he 
 made him after his return, he related the inci- 
 dent of a youth having been made prisoner in 
 the desert, asserted his conviction that he was 
 a Prince, and heir to the throne of Bukhara, 
 and added that he was now a slave in the 
 household of Aga Okoos. 
 
 This excited the grand vizier's attention, 
 who happy to entertain the King, his master, 
 with something new, did not fail to report 
 what the merchant had communicated to him. 
 
 The King immediately ordered Aga Okoos, 
 and his slave to appear before him, for he would 
 not forego so excellent an opportunity to mulct 
 the richest merchant of Herat. Aga Okoos did 
 not feel altogether at his ease, when he received 
 this unseasonable summons. Hezzar Mush- 
 kil could scarcely contain his joy. As they ap- 
 proached the King's presence, Aga Okoos knelt 
 down and kissed the ground, whilst his slave 
 stood erect, the conscious dignity of high birth 
 giving him a inaidy confidence. The King
 
 l.\G THE MIRZA. 
 
 gazed in silence for some time upon both, 
 but particularly kept his eye fixed upon 
 Ilezzar Mushkil, admiring his handsome 
 person and stately carriage ; at length, he ex- 
 claimed to tlie merchant, " O man, say what 
 is this you have done ? Whose dog are you, 
 who dare to make a slave of a King's son }" 
 
 " As 1 am your humble sacrifice," said the 
 merchant, trembling from head to foot with 
 apprehension, " I am ignorant of the import of 
 your Majesty's words. I bought tlie slave 
 at a venture as we travelled in the caravan. 
 lie was brought to me naked" and miserable, 
 and I clothed him and took care of him." 
 
 " So, is it,'' said the King. " Now speak," 
 said he, turning to Hezzar Mushkil, " tell me 
 who you are." 
 
 '^My father is King of Bukhara," said the 
 Prince. '^ I am heir to his throne. After 
 having vanquished the rebels of Bikend, I 
 followed the fugitives, till I lost my way 
 in the desert, that is my story — this man 
 knows it ; and now O King, I claim your 
 skirt, and permission to return to my country .''
 
 THE AIIRZA. 137 
 
 i( > 
 
 Seize that dog," pointing to Aga Okoos, 
 said the king to his servants, " and beat him till 
 I cry stop — he will not steal King's sons 
 
 again.'' 
 
 Upon which the merchant was straightway- 
 seized, his feet thrown into the air, and 
 soundly beaten. He was then dragged away, 
 his slave taken from him, and the King of 
 Herat remained the disposer of the fate of 
 Hezzar Mushkil. 
 
 The Prince of Bukhara did not improve his 
 position by falling into the hands of the 
 King of Herat, who was a faithless, cruel and 
 avaricious man. Aga Okoos after having been 
 well beaten, was also heavily fined, but far from 
 effectually releasing Hezzar Mushkil, the King 
 only laid plans how he might best secure him for 
 his own service. He treated him, at first, with 
 some appearance of kindness, and gave him into 
 the custody of the grand vizier, with orders to 
 be provided with clothes, and fed at his ex- 
 pence, but the grand vizier was also ava- 
 ricious, and thus the Prince faring ill, will- 
 ingly would have fled the city, had he 
 possessed the opportunity of so doing. The King
 
 138 THE MIUZA. 
 
 contemplated the hope of enriching his coffers, 
 by exacting a ransom from the King of Buk- 
 hara for his son, and to Ilezzar Mushkil's daily 
 entreaty that he might be allowed to depart, he 
 lent a deaf ear, putting him off with excuses and 
 lies. In the meanwhile, the wretched youth 
 was almost reduced to beg his bread among 
 the menials of the Shah's household, so ill did 
 the grand vizier provide for his daily neces- 
 sities. He was, however, strictly watched, and 
 orders given at the city gates, that he should 
 not be allowed a free egress, and there 
 we will for the present leave him, in order to 
 see what was taking place in the kingdom of 
 Bukhara. 
 
 The battle with the rebels being over, and 
 the Hemezens and the royal troops a little 
 recovered from the excitement of gaining a 
 victory, every one began to enquire what 
 had become of the Prince Hezzar Mush- 
 kil ? A general search vi^as ordered, but con- 
 cluded without effect — his own escort asserting, 
 that owing to the superior speed of his horse, he 
 had been led away in pursuit of the fugitives 
 beyond their powers of overtaking him, and
 
 THE MIRZA. 139 
 
 that when night came on they entirely lost all 
 traces of him. 
 
 The Dedeb, at this intelligence, became 
 almost frantic with grief, and instantly calling 
 for a fresh horse, asserted that she would rather 
 die on the field, than relinquish the hope of find- 
 ing him. The general of the King's troops, con- 
 sidering that Hezzar Mushkil had been placed 
 under his special charge, became alarmed for his 
 own head, whilst the Prince's mother and grand- 
 mother, shewed as much interest as their nature 
 permitted for a man child. The whole 
 country was now overrun with the royal 
 troops in search of Hezzar Mushkil, and had 
 the rebels been on the alert, they might easily 
 have redeemed their lost victory. At length 
 the Dedeh, after she had riden for a whole day 
 without leaving the saddle, espied in the dis- 
 tance on the face of the desert a dark object 
 or objects to which she instantly bent her steps. 
 There she found a congregation of vultures 
 standing round about, and gorged with the 
 spoils of the carcass of a dead horse, upon which 
 they had been feasting. As she approached, the
 
 140 THE MIRZA. 
 
 birds could scarcely flee from her, so surfeited 
 were they — this circumstance would not have 
 been heeded, had she not discovered a saddle, 
 and its trappings strewn in all directions, and 
 these she recognised to have belonged to her 
 beloved Ilezzar Mushkil. The transition in 
 her thoughts from this sight to his death, was 
 instantaneous, and she made such piteous la- 
 mentations, that even the gorged birds were 
 scared. She threw herself from off her horse 
 and prostrating herself on the saddle, lay en- 
 tranced upon the ground, moaning and weep- 
 ing in most deploralile accents. Her attendants 
 having come to her aid, she was persuaded to 
 remount, and, accompanied by the sad remains 
 of the saddle, was conveyed to head-quarters, 
 not without a long and fruitless search having 
 been made for the body, naturally expected 
 to be found near that of the horse. 
 
 It was a sad and woeful day, when this in- 
 telligence reached the King of Bukhara. The 
 interval was long ere his attendants and 
 courtiers could venture to unfold to him the 
 great loss he had sustained. He perceived by
 
 THE MIRZA. 141 
 
 their looks that all was not right, and although 
 much rejoicing had taken place on account ot 
 the victory, yet it was evident something 
 was still untold. Vainly did the wretched 
 monarch enquire for his son, he only received 
 evasive answers, until on the arrival of the 
 Dedeh, the grand vizier thought it adviseable 
 that he no longer should be kept in ignorance, 
 and he determined himself to make known 
 the dire event. With ashes sprinkled on 
 his head, and torn clothes, he approached with 
 a sorrowful step, and informed the King 
 of the fears entertained for the safety of 
 his son. No words can describe the scene 
 which took place. The cries and waiiings of 
 the bereft father were heard all over the palace. 
 An universal silence took place throughout 
 the city. 
 
 After the first paroxysm of the King's grief 
 had subsided, he shut himself up in his most 
 private apartment and refused food. No one 
 ventured to approach him. He derived no 
 comfort from his daughters or their mothers, 
 for they were traitors. The grand vizier alone
 
 142 THE MIRZA. 
 
 ventured, at length, to approach him, and 
 when he did so, with accents of comfort on his 
 lips, he suggested tliat as the remains of the 
 Prince had not been discovered, there might still 
 be hope he was yet aUve. To this hope, the un- 
 fortunate father clung with alacrity, and forth- 
 with ordered messengers to be sent express on 
 all the higb roads, with orders to pursue their 
 course even to the jorincipal cities in Asia, there 
 to make inquiries for the lost Prince. 
 
 With this temporary alleviation did he 
 smother his fears — an alternative which did not, 
 however, prevent him from cutting off the 
 commander-in-chief's head, for not having 
 
 sufficiently watched over tlie safety of his son. 
 As for the old Hemezen, she actually pined 
 with grief, for nothing could persuade her, 
 that her much cherished Hezzar Mushkil was 
 still among the living. 
 
 In the meanwhile, the King of Herat 
 treated his prisoner as an hostage, and did 
 not cease to lay schemes for rendering the 
 accident which had placed him in his power a 
 source of gain. Hezzar Mushkil, on the other
 
 THE MIRZA. ]43 
 
 hand, planned his escape more than once, hut 
 never effectually, until having one day met with 
 a master muleteer, who had heen kind to him 
 in the caravan, he succeeded hy dint of pro- 
 mises to persuade him to allow him to pass as 
 one of his mule drivers, the first time he should 
 again leave the city. 
 
 A caravan was collecting for Ispahan, and 
 thither the muleteer now informed him he was 
 about to travel, having let his mules on hire to a 
 merchant about to load carpets, (the manufac- 
 ture of Herat) for that market. On the day 
 appointed for their departure, Hezzar Mushkil 
 disguised, in the coarse dress of a muleteer's 
 boy, passed through the city gates without 
 notice, and thus proceeded during the journey 
 to perform the duties of his office, whilst joy 
 beamed in his heart for his deliverance, though 
 apprehensive lest his evil fortune should still 
 persecute him, and cause him to be discovered 
 and seized. But this was not the case — the mule- 
 teer kept his secret to the last, and after much 
 hardship and fatigue, he was at length cheered 
 by the minarets of Ispahan appearing to his
 
 141 THE MIUZA. 
 
 longing eyes. Tlie caravan directed its steps to 
 the usual resort of the Herat merchants, a 
 caravanserai near the great square, called the 
 Maiden Shah, in the centre of which is si- 
 tuated the royal palace. Although thus far, 
 Ilezzar Mushkil seemed to have been favoured 
 by fortune, still it was not long before he 
 discovered that he was mistaken, for scarcely 
 had the last mule entered the gates of the 
 caravanserai, than its owner, the muleteer, the 
 only man whom the unfortunate Prince could 
 call his friend at Ispahan, was suddenly taken 
 ill, and notwithstanding the various remedies 
 prescribed, died. What could he do to gain his 
 bread, a stranger in an immense capital, with- 
 out a profession and without means ? Alas ! he 
 knew not. For several days, he wandered about 
 wretched and forlorn, living upon the few 
 pieces of money, with which his departed 
 friend had supplied him. 
 
 The gates of the royal garden w'ere not far 
 distant from the place where the mules put 
 up, and frequently he watched the time wben 
 remnants of fruit and vegetables were thrown
 
 THE MIRZA. 145 
 
 therefrom, to seize upon bits which might afford 
 him nourishment. One day whilst thus 
 waiting half famished, it so happened that 
 he was espied by one of the master gar- 
 deners, who seeing a strong, well made youth 
 in distress, accosted him and inquired whether 
 he was willing to work as a labourer. 
 Hezzar Mushkil eagerly assented, and forth- 
 with acceded to the offer. Before another 
 half hour had elapsed he was seen, spade in 
 hand, digging a bed, preparatory to the re- 
 ception of flower seeds. 
 
 Although he had never before handled an 
 implement of horticulture, yet his natural 
 adroitness was such, that he soon became as 
 efficient as the most experienced labourer, and, 
 indeed, might fairly be said to earn his bread 
 with the sweat of his brow. The garden in 
 which he was employed belonged to that part of 
 the palace allotted to the use of the ladies of 
 the seraglio, and as no man was ever allowed to 
 be present when they appeared, it was at par- 
 ticular hours only that the labou.rers Avere 
 ordered to their work. 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Here Ilczzar Muslikil passed many a long 
 day, supported in spirit by the l)uoyancy of 
 youth, though never for a moment forgetting 
 the advantages of his birth. He sighed 
 when he recollected, as he cast his eyes over 
 the spacious gardens and the gorgeous palace, 
 that he too once commanded such places as 
 supreme lord, although now condemned to la- 
 bour in them as the lowest of slaves. 
 
 He felt that the recent vicissitudes of his 
 life were working a favourable change in his 
 character, breaking down his arrogance, and 
 teaching him the ways of humble life, but he 
 was also warned by a secret voice within, that, 
 by perseverance and patience, and adherence 
 to the dictates of prudence, he would again 
 be restored to his position in the world. 
 He determined to remain silent upon the 
 subject of his birth, and only to declare 
 himself when he should find a fitting oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 Working with assiduity, he soon became a 
 favourite with the master gardener^ and was 
 distinguished by him from among the other 
 labourers. His fine person and handsome
 
 THE MIRZA. 147 
 
 face, although disguised by the coarsest of 
 attire and much tanned by exposure to 
 weather, possessed an air of superiority which 
 made him remarkable even among the rude 
 men with whom he associated, but he acted 
 his part so well, that no one could suspect 
 that he was in fact a king's son. 
 
 Among the labourers there was a youth, or 
 rather boy, who, by his hvely and amiable 
 manner, attracted Hezzar Mushkil's attention. 
 He was the son of the master gardener, and, 
 therefore, enjoyed privileges to which the other 
 labourers were strangers. 
 
 He frequently entered into conversation 
 with the Prince, and excited his curiosity by 
 what he related concerning the ladies of the 
 court who frequented the garden. He said, that 
 during the preceding year he had been al- 
 lowed to remain when they were present, 
 because he was then only a boy, but now that 
 he had exceeded the appointed age, he was 
 utterly excluded. 
 
 He had endeavoured in vain to persuade the 
 head eunuch, an Ethiopian without mercy or 
 
 II 2
 
 148 THE MIRZA. 
 
 compassion, that lie was still in liis boyhood, but 
 the monster would have cut his head off, so he 
 asserted, had he been found loitering in the 
 forbidden ground, one minute after the order 
 for his expulsion had been issued. 
 
 " However, for all that," exclaimed the 
 youth, " I laugh at his beard, for I still meet 
 my friend." 
 
 " Who is your friend ?" said the Prince. 
 
 " She is one of the Lady Sultaness's atten- 
 dants — a wonderful maiden, who often procures 
 for me sweet words from her mistress, which 
 last year brought me presents, and a new suit 
 of clothes — a wonderful maiden she is !" 
 
 " And what kind of person may the Lady 
 Sultaness be," inquired Hezzar Mushkil. 
 
 " What can I say to that?" said the other 
 with surprise in his accents, " such a creature 
 has never before been seen — I tremljle when I 
 think of her ; she is called the Full Moon of 
 Beauty, but such a description is nonsense : there 
 are no words to explain her perfections. Her 
 cheeks are like a peach, and her eyes like black 
 cherries — what more can I say ?"
 
 THE MIRZA. 149 
 
 a 
 
 Have you seen her often/' inquired the 
 Prince with animation. 
 
 " Oh very often when I was a boy ; she 
 often took notice of me, and said that the 
 Shah should make me one of his gholams, but 
 here I am still a gardener.'^ 
 
 " When did you last see her ; could 
 not I see her }" inquired Hezzar Mush- 
 kil. 
 
 " Heaven forbid !" exclaimed the youth. " If 
 you had ever beheld one of those black fiends 
 the eunuchs with their drawn swords, as they 
 enter the garden to drive mankind from before 
 them, you would never ask such a question ; — 
 they slay without hearing a word from any 
 
 one.'' 
 
 " Then have you never more seen your 
 friend ?" inquired the Prince. 
 
 The gardener's son looked confused, but at 
 length confessed that he had — " But," said 
 he, " as you love your soul, by the salt of 
 the King, swear that you will never mention 
 this to any one." 
 
 He then explained that, in the centre of the 
 inner garden stood a large octagonal summer
 
 150 THE MIRZA. 
 
 house, in the centre of which is a heautiful 
 white marble fountain, around which, when- 
 ever the Lady Sultaness takes the air, are 
 spread velvet and satin sofas and cushions ; the 
 whole l)uilding is open to every breeze, 
 and its beauties are so much prized, that 
 it is called the Eighth Paradise. In each angle 
 of this building, above the door, are small 
 closets, just large enough to receive one or 
 even two persons. " When I know that the 
 Lady Sultaness is to come,^' added the boy, 
 " I conceal myself in one of them, and fearless 
 of the savage negroes, I there await my friend, 
 who, being aware of the circumstance, fails not 
 to look up to the small window in the closet, 
 where she is sure to see my eye gazing at her. 
 She then manages to steal away from her 
 companions, and we enjoy some very agreeable 
 conversation." 
 
 " You must take me with you," said Hezzar 
 Mushkil. 
 
 The youth upon hearing this demand grew 
 pale with apprehension. " Are you mad," said he, 
 " to ask me this ? if even the tip of your whisker 
 were seen by the eunuchs, before you could say
 
 THE MIRZA. 151 
 
 aman ! aman ! pray ! pray ! your head would 
 be off/' ^ 
 
 The Prince did not urge his request farther 
 on this occasion; but his curiosity was so 
 much excited from what he had heard, that he 
 never lost an opportunity, when alone with the 
 young gardener, of persuading him to overcome 
 every scruple, and allowing him to be his com- 
 panion upon his next visit to the summer house. 
 
 It so fell out that the chief eunuch, that 
 arch-demon fell ill, and this piece of news 
 was received with joy by the gardeners, for 
 the second in command and the under offi- 
 cers were known to be more lenient than their 
 master. It was also heard with pleasure, by 
 the women of the harem, who hating their 
 tyrant, lost no time in persuading their mistress 
 that during this auspicious reprieve they might 
 enjoy a day of comparative liberty. It was, 
 therefore, announced in the morning that the 
 Lady Sultaness would take the air at noon, and 
 the summer-house was accordingly prepared. 
 
 Hezzar Mushkil immediately persuaded 
 the young gardener to take advantage of the 
 opportunity; and before the eunuchs had
 
 152 THE MIRZA. 
 
 appeared to clear the gardens, the Prince and 
 his companion were snugly secreted in their 
 hiding place. 
 
 They heard the approach of the dispen- 
 sers of hfe and death with awe. Their 
 voices, when issuing their orders, were more 
 like those of wild beasts than human beings, 
 and whilst they were spreading the mat- 
 tresses and making ready the summer-house, 
 the Prince and the young gardener could 
 scarcely venture to breathe, so fearful were 
 they of being discovered. 
 
 The gardens were composed of terrasses laid 
 out into flower beds and straight walks, inter- 
 sected by alternate summer-houses and basins 
 of water, in the midst of which fountains 
 played and refreshed the air. Near the 
 building prepared on this occasion was si- 
 tuated the largest basin, a broad and ample 
 piece of water, clear as crystal and shaded 
 by a profusion of trees and waving shrubs. 
 Here when the women were left to themselves, 
 they passed the heat of the day bathing and 
 performing gambols in the water, and here it 
 was said the Shah himself was wont sometimes
 
 THE MIRZA. 153 
 
 to solace himself from the cares of government, 
 by taking a part in such pastimes. 
 
 There were two apertures in the closet where 
 the Prince and the gardener were secreted — 
 one looking towards the garden, the other 
 within the summer-house. As soon as the 
 eunuchs had passed, and everything was re- 
 ported to be in readiness for the Lady Sultaness, 
 the sound of women's voices, laughing, banter- 
 ing and talking with joy and merriment were 
 heard, and soon a numerous band appeared in 
 all the freedom of the seraglio dress, un- 
 veiled, and seemingly full of determination to 
 enjoy themselves to the utmost. 
 
 They approached in various parties : some 
 were menials who came to prepare the special 
 seat of their mistress, bringing with them soft 
 cushions and silken coverlets, others bore large 
 circular fans, others again were entrusted with 
 musical instruments, which they placed in 
 convenient spots, to be used as might be re- 
 quired. Crystal and porcelain vases containing 
 refreshing sherbets were deposited among the 
 most delicious fruits. Melons, grapes, peaches, 
 
 H 3
 
 154 THE MIRZA. 
 
 nectarines and pomegranates were heaped up in 
 costly bowls, and spread in endless profusion 
 on tlie floor, and on the margin of the sparkhng 
 fountain. 
 
 The Prince waited with impatience for the 
 approach of the Lady Sultaness, and did 
 not cease inquiring of his companion when 
 she would appear- At length sounds of mu- 
 sical instruments and singing were heard, 
 and in the distance, through one of the arched 
 windows affording a view into a long avenue 
 of the garden, was seen a procession of women, 
 their light dresses of various and brilliant co- 
 lours floating in the breeze, and their whole 
 demeanour denoting innocent joy and free- 
 dom from constraint. Hezzar Mushkil strained 
 his eyes to discover the object of his curiosity ; 
 but owing to the intervention of the woman 
 who walked before, he could not distinguish 
 her well until she drew near, when half extended 
 upon a silver litter, which was borne by her at- 
 tendants, his eyes were greeted v/ith a view 
 of the Princess. He could not at first see 
 her face, but when having quitted the litter she 
 walked up the steps of the summer-house, and
 
 THE MIRZA. 155 
 
 stood erect, in all the dignity of beauty, 
 his heart ceased to beat and his eyes could 
 scarcely perform their office, so dazzled was he 
 by the charms of the lovely being before him. 
 Impelled by a dignified consciousness of birth, 
 he would have asserted his true pretensions, 
 and rushed forward to make himself known, 
 but suddenly awakened to his real position, 
 by feeling that his face rested upon the ig- 
 noble shoulders of a gardener's son, he 
 checked his too impetuous feelings, and once 
 again relapsed into the labourer. 
 
 The Lady Sultaness as she was usually called, 
 was the King of Persia's favourite daughter, 
 and owing to her matchless beauty, her charm 
 of manner and character, and her great talents, 
 swayed her father with a gentle though imper- 
 ceptible despotism. She enjoyed an establish- 
 ment of her own, distinct from the royal wives, 
 Avho were of comparative insignificance to this 
 royal maiden. She was now in the prime of 
 her youth and had refused ofl^ers from almost 
 all the potentates of Asia, to which she had 
 ever leant a deaf ear, being resolved to die a
 
 156 THE MIRZA. 
 
 maid, rather than marry a man she could 
 not love. 
 
 When she had seated herself in the summer- 
 house, a little laughing girl darted forward 
 from among the troop of surrounding women, 
 to take charge of her slippers, as she quitted 
 them to extend her small and beautifully shaped 
 feet upon the silken sofa. 
 
 " There, tliere," said the gardener in a whis- 
 per, tlirusting his elbow against the Prince, 
 " there she is — that is mine," and immediately 
 he perceived the young lady casting her eyes 
 furtively towards the aperture of the closet, 
 by which it was plain the parties concerned 
 had recognized each other. The Prince who 
 was watching every expression of the Princess' 
 face, observed that she smiled as she ob- 
 served her attendant, and thought he heard 
 her say the words, " Is he there?" which made 
 him conclude, that the intelligence between 
 the gardener^s son and her attendant was ap- 
 proved by her. 
 
 He then heard her say to her women, with 
 a voice full of music and benevolence, " If the
 
 THE MIRZA. 155 
 
 eunuchs are gone, as the day is hot, you 
 may bathe." Upon which all the women, 
 with tumultuous joy, took their departure, 
 leaving the Princess alone, at which she seemed 
 greatly pleased, for straightway she took a 
 book from under her pillow, preparatory to 
 reading. But when the women were about 
 to disperse, calling by name to her shoe 
 bearer, the young gardener's friend, she said in 
 a low voice, " Stay— you may see him here, I 
 too will speak to him." 
 
 Upon which, when the apartment was 
 cleared of the women, the little laughing girl 
 approached the closet and standing beneath, 
 said: " Hassan," (for that was the youth's name) 
 " come down, the Lady Sultaness wishes to see 
 you." 
 
 Hassan, upon receiving this order, was per- 
 plexed, for as the Prince lay immediately be- 
 hind him, he could not well extricate himself 
 without causing his companion to get out 
 first ; therefore there was a pause and delay. 
 
 " Why do you not stir ?'' said the maiden — : 
 " make haste."
 
 158 THE MIRZA. 
 
 *' I am coming,'^ said Hassan, but still did 
 not move. 
 
 " What has happened ? are you lame or 
 afraid ?" said the girl. 
 
 '' Nothing," said Hassan, " but—" 
 
 ^' But what ?" said the other, " what have 
 you there behind you ?'^ having perceived the 
 tip of the Prince's cap. 
 
 Hassan now became quite anxious, lest he 
 should offend the Princess, and said in a low 
 voice, 
 
 " Speak not a word, but I have a friend 
 here, and he must get out first." 
 
 " What does Hassan say ?'' said the Prin- 
 cess, with the voice of a siren, gently taking 
 her eyes from her book; " why does he 
 delay?" 
 
 Her attendant, in her turn, was full of anxiety 
 and said he would come in a minute, when 
 suddenly Hezzar Mushkil no longer able to 
 withstand the fascination of the divine being 
 before him, nor longer brook the irksome posi- 
 tion in which he lay, emerged from the closet, 
 and stood before her.
 
 THE MIRZAJ 159 
 
 The Princess at this unexpected intrusion 
 littered a faint scream ; but almost burst out 
 laughing when she perceived Hassan on his 
 knees before her, with a face full of supplica- 
 tion, saying, " Pity — pity — it is nothing. I 
 only brought him with me to shew him 
 Fatma," which was the name of the laughing 
 girl. . 
 
 This explanation seemed to appease the be- 
 nign looking Princess, and she then allowed 
 Hassan to retire -and talk with his friend. 
 In the meanwhile Hezzar Mushkil having had 
 time to compose himself, when the Princess 
 asked him who he was, and how he had 
 ventured to risk himself in so much danger, 
 answered in a manner that perfectly asto- 
 nished her. 
 
 She eyed him with attention and new 
 feelings when she observed the dignity of 
 his person, and remarked the choice expres- 
 sion of his language, for although clad in 
 the garb of a labourer, nothing could conceal 
 from a discerning eye that his real position was 
 greatly superior to his appearance.
 
 IGO THE MIRZA. 
 
 The Prince, not being prepared to make him- 
 self known, httle anticipating such a result to 
 his adventurous proceeding, was cautious in 
 his answers. 
 
 He felt reluctant in asserting his dignity 
 under the present circumstances, appearing 
 as he did in the garments of a pauper, and the 
 associate of a menial. 
 
 " Who are you ?" said the Princess in accents 
 inspiring confidence, " If you be in distress 
 you will be relieved." 
 
 " I am an unfortunate man,^' said Hezzar 
 Mushkil, " what more can I say ? Destiny, 
 which one day works for evil, another engen- 
 ders good, will, perhaps, with the blessing of 
 Allah, restore me to mine own 5 — in the mean- 
 while, heaven be praised for its mercies, 
 and particularly for refreshing my eyes with 
 the light which now shines upon them." 
 
 " Are you from Ispahan ?" said the Prin- 
 cess looking at him with renewed interest. 
 
 " Your slave is not of this country, his 
 house is far away ; by strange and almost 
 incredible adventures, born heir to everything
 
 THE MIRZA. 161 
 
 that the heart of man can desire, he is now 
 without a friend, and forced, from neces- 
 sity, to till the ground for his maintenance ; 
 still he does not repine, for he has seen that 
 which less favoured mortals yearn in vain to 
 behold." 
 
 " You must leave me,'^ said the Princess 
 recovering from her astonishment, and assert- 
 ing a power over her feelings which she was 
 fast losing, " you are here in danger of being 
 observed, and if seized upon, your life will be 
 forfeited. Let me know how I can help you, 
 and in me you will find a friend.'^ 
 
 " Your slave submits to every decree pro- 
 nounced by your lips,'^ said the Prince scarcely 
 able to suppress the longing desire he had 
 of declaring himself; " his life is at your com- 
 mand. Oh may the day come, when he may 
 speak a more intelligible language, his ambi- 
 tion will then be to awaken other sentiments 
 than those of pity.'^ 
 
 "What words are these," said the Princess, 
 alarmed at a declaration for which she was not 
 in the least prepared, and fearful to avow to
 
 162 THE MIRZA. 
 
 herself, how much one so mean in appearance, 
 had excited feehngs beyond those of commi- 
 seration. " Why not speak plain ? Why 
 conceal any thing, when I repeat to you 
 again, that if you are necessitous, you will 
 find relief. My father the King's gate is 
 open to every one ; but you must be gone." 
 Further communication was stopped by the 
 distant calls of the eunuchs, warning the 
 women to retire from unpermitted parts of 
 the garden, sounds which so alarmed the 
 Princess, that she peremptorily ordered Hezzar 
 Mushkil and his companion to return to 
 their place of concealment, which they did 
 without delay. But in so doing, calhng 
 Hassan to her, she dismissed him with words 
 of small import, whilst in a parenthesis, she 
 added that on the first favourable opportunity 
 he might come again, making no prohibition to 
 prevent him from being accompanied by his 
 present companion. 
 
 Hezzar Mushkil retired overwhelmed with 
 feelings entirely new to his nature. Love 
 had taken possession of his heart, and
 
 THE MIRZA. 163 
 
 thoughtlessness was changed into sohcitude. 
 He became silent and pensive, and after the 
 departure of the Princess, having extricated 
 himself from his hiding place, he could think 
 and dream of nothing, but of her exquisite 
 charms, and dwell with rapture upon every 
 word she had uttered. Hassan was the only- 
 one with whom he could communicate, and 
 with him he did not cease to form plans 
 for seeing her again. But as he contem- 
 plated his melancholy position, and the 
 difficulties which, he foresaw, would stand in 
 the way of making himself known, his spirits 
 drooped, and he exhausted himself with hopeless 
 wailing. 
 
 At length, it was announced that the 
 Princess would pass the whole day in the 
 garden, and that, owing to a slight indisposi- 
 tion, it was her intention to be attended by 
 only a very few of her ladies. 
 
 This piece of information was communicated 
 
 to Hassan by the young shoe-bearer, and as 
 
 • soon communicated to the Prince, whose whole 
 
 being became immediately elated with love 
 
 and hope. But his joy was checked, when
 
 164 
 
 THE MIRZA. 
 
 he contemplated tlie meanness of his attire; 
 and he was determined never agahi to offend 
 the eyes of one so ardently beloved, by an 
 unworthy exhibition of himself. If by the 
 assistance of better clothes, he could present 
 himself in a manner more corresponding to 
 his rank and birth, he hoped to produce a 
 favourable impression upon her heart, and 
 thus lead her to give credence to his tale. 
 
 But where to procure such attire? there 
 was the difficulty— he had no money, nor 
 a friend from whom he could borrow. A 
 thought, however, struck him. He had ac- 
 quired such entire influence over Hassan, 
 by the superiority of his education, that 
 it occurred to him he might for a short 
 time borrow the clothes of Hassan's father, 
 who in accordance to his situation, was not 
 deficient in elegance of appearance. He soon 
 proposed this, and although the youth was at 
 first struck with apprehension, still Hezzar 
 Mushkil managed to place his request in so 
 plausible a light, that he agreed to further his 
 wishes. 
 
 Accordingly on the appointed morning,
 
 THE MIRZA. 165 
 
 Hassan appeared bearing a bundle con- 
 taining his father's clothes, which Hezzar 
 Mushkil having secreted, he hastened to the hot 
 bath, where he washed and perfumed his 
 person. He then returned, and doffing his 
 rags, clothed himself in the master gardener's 
 best clothes — for such, indeed, they were. 
 When Hezzar Mushkil stepped from be- 
 hind the thicket, where he had dressed him- 
 self, and stood before Hassan, the youth gazed 
 in utter amazement at the change. He saw a 
 being before him of a new order, so entirely 
 did the princely appearance predominate over 
 that of the peasant. 
 
 "MashallahP' exclaimed Hassan, as he al- 
 most involuntarily prostrated himself before 
 one, whom he had only a few minutes before 
 looked upon as an equal. 
 
 " Let us go,^' exclaimed the Prince, " there 
 is danger in delay." 
 
 " Let us go,'^ said Hassan, following obe- 
 dient to his call. 
 
 They succeeded in secreting themselves in 
 their former place of concealment, before the 
 eunuchs made their appearance, and there
 
 1G6 THE MIRZA. 
 
 awaited in silence the arrival of the Princess ; 
 but they felt anxious for their own safety, 
 when they perceived the head eunuch in 
 person, who having recovered from his ill- 
 ness, seemed to be impelled by renewed ener- 
 gies, prying about with the watchfulness of a 
 lynx, vociferating oaths and maledictions, and 
 promising instant death to whomsoever should 
 be found disobedient to his mandates. 
 
 It was evident that the illness of the Prin- 
 cess was merely a pretext to be left alone, for 
 she beamed with charms and fascination. 
 Having taken her seat in the summer-house, she 
 dismissed her attendants, with the exception 
 of Hassan's friend, who soon was sent to in- 
 vite him to appear. 
 
 The Prince was not long in appearing also, 
 and when with hesitating steps, he approached 
 the object of his adoration, he became alarmed 
 when he perceived the state of trepidation, 
 into which she was thrown by bis appear- 
 ance But love, ever expert at making in- 
 tercession for faults, soon interfered in favour 
 of the Prince, and allowed the v/ords he ven- 
 tured to utter to be received v.ith favour.
 
 THE MIRZA. 167 
 
 The Princess, at the first glance discovered the 
 former gardener in the well dressed man who 
 now stood before her, and the various con- 
 jectures which she had made, as to wlio that 
 gardener could really be, during the time 
 she had passed since they last met, were 
 now, she felt, about being cleared up. Deep 
 blushes overspread her face, and she trembled 
 from head to foot, when Hezzar Mushkil knelt 
 before her, and kissed the hem of her garment, 
 and still more was she agitated, when, vi'ith a 
 voice full of the deepest emotion, and with a 
 face beaming with love, tempered by respect, 
 he said : 
 
 " Your humble servant has once more ven- 
 tured to appear before you. He kisses the 
 print of your slipper : its very dust is collyrium 
 to his eyes. Forgive this piece of assurance, 
 one single moment of your displeasure will 
 be his deat]i ; he comes impelled by his heart, 
 and your condescension ; — be mindful of him, 
 for he only lives in your smiles." 
 
 Every word was heard by the Princess with 
 wonder and astonishment, and although she 
 had been struck by his language, when in
 
 1G3 THE MIRZA. 
 
 the garb of a peasant, yet never could she have 
 conceived that he was in every way so infi- 
 nitely superior, as he proved himself, to the 
 courtiers or dignitaries of her father's court. 
 So charmed was she, that instinctively she 
 treated him as an equal. With an assumed 
 coldness of manner, she merely confined her- 
 self to ask him who he was. 
 
 " I will no longer conceal," he said, " who 
 the miserable man is who stands before you — I 
 have no one here to answer for the truth of my 
 words, and should I find no sympathy in your 
 breast for ray misfortunes, then I have no other 
 refuge but despair." 
 
 " Speak on !'^ said the Princess with impa- 
 tience in her accent. 
 
 " This less than the least,'^ said the Prince 
 " is heir to the throne of Bukhara ; he feels 
 that he is not unworthv of throwina; himself 
 at your feet, for his father is a King, and 
 he counts kings for his ancestors. Thrown 
 by a series of wonderful adventures into the 
 miserable state in which you see him, he 
 has now but one hope left, which is, that 
 through your favour he may receive permission
 
 THE MIRZA. 169 
 
 to leave Persia, and return to his own country/' 
 He then related the whole of his story, without 
 omitting any circumstance which could give 
 it credibility. 
 
 The Princess's heart beat with joy and exulta- 
 tion at hearing this declaration, for the senti- 
 ments, which in spite of her better reason, she 
 had felt for this stranger, were at once vin- 
 dicated. Without waiting to ascertain the 
 truth of his assertions, she allowed herself to 
 give way to her feelings, and was not slow in 
 manifesting how much she was charmed with 
 the Prince's appearance and conversation, for 
 she now had met with one who realized her 
 conceptions of excellence ; and his station in 
 life being equal to her own, she deemed it 
 no crime to cherish and encourage the impres- 
 sion he had produced. 
 
 '* Stranger as you are to me," she said, 
 " I am willing to believe what you assert, 
 for your conduct answers for your noble birth. 
 All-powerful destiny has brought us together, 
 and should that same power be still proi:)i- 
 tious, let us hope that it may lead us on to 
 future happiness.^' 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 1/0 THE MIRZA. 
 
 " Adorable Princess !" exclaimed Ilezzar 
 Muslikil in the excess of his joy, "how can 
 your slave ever repay this great condescen- 
 sion ? May the day come, when, after having 
 seen the King, my father, and returning to 
 Persia, I may be allowed to claim, in my own 
 person, a continuation of the privilege of ap- 
 proaching and adoring you. 1 can contem- 
 plate no greater recompense for all the mi- 
 series I have undergone — the hunger and 
 thirst in the desert — the tyranny and violence 
 which T underwent in Herat — the degradation 
 I have endured in the royal gardens — no priva- 
 tion can ever be put into competition 
 with the one privilege of being allowed to gaze 
 on those unrivalled charms." 
 
 *' You overrate my poor merits," answered 
 the daughter of the King of Persia ; " we are 
 such as it hath pleased Allah to make us ; but 
 we confess that never have we met with so 
 great a proof of the good providence of Allah, 
 as having thrown us in your path, poor and 
 miserable though you be, and suiTounded 
 by luxuries and royal state though we 
 are."
 
 THE MIRZA. 171 
 
 With this and such like discourse did the 
 lovers entertain each other, forgetful of time 
 and situation ; and there we must leave them 
 for the present to relate some particulars 
 which are likely to disturb their felicity. 
 
 The master gardener, on the morning when 
 the circumstances we have just described 
 took place, was suddenly called upon to 
 wait upon the chief eunuch, who having 
 been confined by illness, now appeared for the 
 first time since his confinement, in the full 
 vigour of an untoward and captious temper. 
 He found everything wrong in the royal gar- 
 dens — the walks ill swept — the fountains 
 deficient in water — frogs croaking in the marble 
 basins — he even complained that the flowers 
 did not blow as he could wish, nor did the 
 nightingales sing in their accustomed bowers. 
 
 In this ill-humour he sent for the master 
 gardener, who wishing to show him all ho- 
 nour, immediately called for his best clothes, 
 wherewith to appear before this abitrator of 
 his destiny. 
 
 " Where are my clothes ?" he inquired in 
 haste of his wife. 
 
 I 2
 
 172 THE MIRZA. 
 
 " What do I know ?" she answered ; " they 
 were here but this morning, enclosed in the 
 cotton wrapper.'^ 
 
 The master gardener searched in vain, and 
 then exclaimed to his wife, " Oh little wo- 
 man ! are you mad to allow my garments to 
 be stolen ?" 
 
 " What means this ?" she said, at the 
 same time calling to her servant maid to 
 explain the deficiency. " Has any one been 
 here this morning ?" 
 
 " No one but Hassan,'* said the maid ; 
 " perhaps he took them, for he carried a 
 bundle under his arm." 
 
 Great search was immediately instituted for 
 Hassan, but no where was he to be found, 
 until a labourer asserted he had seen him pro- 
 ceeding towards the royal gardens accompa- 
 nied by his friend Hezzar Mushkil. 
 
 In this dilemma, the master gardener was 
 obliged to appear in his working dress, dirty 
 and begrimed, Ijefure the dreaded chief of 
 the eunuchs. 
 
 "Oh man!" exclaimed that ill-conditioned 
 person, " are we a dog that you should keep me
 
 THE MIBZA. 173 
 
 waiting thus ? why do you not appear — and 
 when you do appear, why come ye as if you 
 were visitino- a dunghill? — I am a personage 
 after all — I am an officer of the King — shall 
 I be made to swallow abomination after this 
 fashion ?" 
 
 " As I am your sacrifice," said the master 
 gardener with great humility, " the reason of 
 your slave's delay, is that his ill-luck has de- 
 prived him of the proper robe of decency 
 wherewith to clothe himself in order to ajapear 
 before your excellency. That ill-fated son of 
 your humble slave, Hassan, has born it away, 
 whither Allah only knows, and in company 
 of that stranger youth from Bukhara, is de- 
 parted and nowhere to be found.** 
 
 " Ah is it so ?" said the suspicious head of 
 the women ; " whither is he gone ?" 
 
 " They were seen walking towards the royal 
 gardens," answered the master gardener, little 
 suspecting the dilemma in which he was 
 about to involve his son. 
 
 " Here, children \" exclaimed the chief eunuch 
 to his attendants, with a voice portentous of 
 every evil passion. " Go straightway to the
 
 174 THE MIRZA. 
 
 gardens — search every nook and corner, go 
 even to the very spot where the Lady Sultaness 
 is seated, return and tell me whether any 
 of the imps of Satan in the shape of man be 
 there or not — or stay," said he, his suspicions 
 getting the l)etter of his patience, " I will 
 go myself, and should I see the tip of a 
 whisker within a league of the place, I will 
 make every ill-conditioned soul jump out of 
 each unsainted body." 
 
 Upon which gathering up the skirts of his 
 robe, and clothing his face with exaggerated 
 sourness, he sallied forth followed by his 
 myrmidons. 
 
 He said nothing, but true it is that a tor- 
 rent of thoughts, portending violence, passed 
 rapidly through his head into his heart. On 
 entering the garden, he marshalled his men 
 throughout the shrubberies, as a head sports- 
 man might station his under-keepers ; but no 
 trace of man was found. The few women 
 who had attended the Lady Sultaness, were 
 disposed of in a distant part of the enclosure, 
 and nobody was there to intercept the arrival 
 of the violent man, before he reached the
 
 THE MIRZA. 17^ 
 
 very spot, were the King of Persia's daughter 
 and the Prince, were in close conversation. 
 The chief eunuch no sooner caught sight of 
 them, than he raised a cry, which can only 
 be compared to the screach of a wild beast. 
 His livid face broke out into a scarlet h\ie, his 
 eyes became wild with animation, and his 
 skinny hands grasping his dagger, he conti- 
 nued to vociferate until he found himself sur- 
 rounded by his attendants, when rushing for- 
 wards, he darted upon the lovers like a fa- 
 mished tiger seeking his prey. 
 
 Upon hearing the awful sound of the chief 
 eunuch's voice, the Lady Sultaness and the 
 Prince started with dismay, and when they 
 perceived him followed by his attendants 
 advancing with hostile intentions, Hezzar 
 Mushkil stood on his feet, and interpos- 
 ed himself as a screen before the Princess. 
 Hassan too, Avho was at a small distance, 
 rushed forwards, and these movements had 
 the effect of averting that instant death, which 
 otherwise M'ould have been the Prince's fate. 
 
 Before many minutes had expired, they were 
 both so effectually overpowered by superior
 
 17(i THE MIRZA. 
 
 numbers, that their destiny seemed inevitable, 
 and notwithstanding the cries of the Princess, 
 they were forcibly bound and conducted away 
 to await the commands of the King. The 
 chief eunuch, celebrated as the most faithful 
 executioner of his royal master's orders, would 
 listen to no explanation which the Prhicess 
 could make. A compromise of such matters was 
 unknown at the Persian court; all parties were 
 aware that death was the inevitable conse- 
 quence of clandestine intercourse, and although 
 in most other cases, the Princess reigned su- 
 preme, yet in whatever regarded the violation 
 of the harem, she was totally helpless. With 
 this conviction, her situation was deplorable. 
 She determined to make one desperate eifort to 
 save her lover, and insisted upon immediately 
 seeing the King her father; but certain 
 etiquettes impeding her wishes, the unfor- 
 tunate Hezzar Mushkil with his companion 
 were ordered for execution on that very 
 evening. 
 
 It was soon known throughout the city, that 
 the King^s wrath had been excited, and various 
 were the reports circulated. Some said that
 
 THE MIRZA. 177 
 
 the Princess had been msulted by the chief 
 gardener's son, and that both were about to 
 be executed. Others, that a labouring man 
 had run mad, styled himself Prince, and had 
 made an attempt to carry off the Princess. 
 Those nearer the mark, affirmed that tlie 
 chief eunuch had discovered a man in the 
 royal gardens with the Princess, who as- 
 serted that he was the Prince of Bukhara 
 in order to save himself from instant death ; 
 but that he had been seized, and was about to 
 forfeit his life for the offence. In the mean 
 while, Hezzar IVIushkil did everything that lay in 
 his power, to extricate himself from the miser- 
 able position in which he was placed. He 
 insisted upon being taken before the Shah, 
 and loudly asserted that he was the only son 
 of the King of Bukhara, and heir to his 
 throne. 
 
 But what could he do against his many 
 enemies ; appearing as he did, in the triple 
 character of thief, impostor and committer of 
 sacrilege ? The master gardener swore that 
 he had stolen his clothes, all the labouring 
 gardeners affirmed that he had never uttered 
 
 I 3
 
 178 THE MIRZA. 
 
 a word relating to his regal pretensions, and 
 the chief eunuch had detected him in the 
 very act of invading the privacy of the royal 
 harem. He was, therefore, denied the privilege 
 of seeing the King, and nothing appeared 
 to be left to him but the ignominious death 
 to which he was condemned. 
 
 It is possible, had the Sultaness been al- 
 lowed immediate access to her father, that 
 the urgency of her explanations, impelled by 
 the warmth of her feelings, might have averted 
 the impending calamity ; but state etiquette 
 intervened — the King was at that moment 
 under the hands of the court physician ; the 
 astrologers too, had been at work ; the Princess 
 could not possibly see him, therefore, the 
 Prince was hopelessly fated to loose his 
 
 Me. 
 
 All crimes committed against the sanctity of 
 the harem, are capital in a Mahommedan 
 country, consequently the unfortunate Hezzar 
 Mushkil was condemned to undergo a public 
 execution. Hassan, in consideration of his 
 youth, (for it was a disputed question among 
 the lawyers, whether he was a man or boy).
 
 THE MIRZA. 17^ 
 
 was simply bastinadoed on the soles of his 
 feet, but he was ordered to be present at the 
 beheading of liis companion, in order that he 
 might learn a salutary lesson for the future. 
 
 The apparatus of death was exhibited be- 
 fore the principal gate of the palace, called 
 Allah Capi ; the great square was filled with 
 the gaping multitude, guards were posted in a 
 circle to keep the place of execution clear, and 
 the executioner stood in the midst with drawn 
 sword and his arm bare, waiting the arrival 
 of his victim. 
 
 Hezzar Mushkil, seeing that all hopes were 
 fled, and that no possibility was left of es- 
 cape, had made up his mind to die in a manner 
 worthy of a Prince, and the descendant of a 
 Hemezen. All that he demanded was the per- 
 mission to indite two letters, which having been 
 granted, he wrote one to his father, acknow- 
 ledging his great imprudence at having allowed 
 himself to be led away in pursuit of the re- 
 bels; that all his misfortunes had been the 
 produce of that event. He prayed his father's 
 forgiveness, and craved his blessing, whilst he
 
 180 THE MIRZA. 
 
 entreated him not to allow his blood to re- 
 main unavenged. 
 
 Tlic second letter was to the Princess, in 
 which he put forth sentiments worthy of his 
 birth, and avowed the most unbounded love 
 for her; he entreated her to discard every 
 thought implying her negligence of his safety, 
 and implored her to honour his memory by an 
 occasional sigh of regret. 
 
 His mind being relieved by these acts, he 
 boldly marched forward with a steady pace 
 and firm countenance to the place of his 
 doom, amidst the scoffs and jeers of the royal 
 household, but accompanied by the sympathy 
 of the assembled women, who could not see so 
 handsome a man go to execution, -udthout 
 evincing the expression of their tenderness. 
 
 If this were the whole misery that awaited 
 him, all had been well, but the malignant chief 
 of the eunuchs, who in the struggle of seizing 
 the Prince, had been called ' no beard,' had 
 determined upon inflicting something more 
 than mere loss of head, and, consequently, had 
 prepared a mangy ass, upon which he ordered
 
 THE MIRZA. 181 
 
 the Prince to mount, Avitb his face to the tail, 
 and the tail in his hand; whilst a crier pro- 
 ceeded in advance, exclaiming : " This is he 
 who calls himself Prince of Bukhara, it is 
 lawful to spit in his face." 
 
 When Hezzar Mushkil was made acquainted 
 with the proposed indignity, he stood like a 
 lion at bay, and positively refused to obey ; 
 insolence and violence were showered upon 
 him — he was beaten, spit upon, and would 
 have been torn to pieces, had he not been 
 seized and by force mounted upon the ass ; 
 but such was his strength, and his resistance 
 so effectual, that the indignity in contem- 
 plation was about to be abandoned, when of a 
 sudden, a great sensation was produced by the 
 appearance of a cavalcade of way-worn tra- 
 vellers, dressed in a foreign garb, who were 
 making their way to the gate of the royal 
 palace. 
 
 The prisoner and the executioner were left 
 unheeded, whilst every eye was turned towards 
 the travellers. 
 
 " Who and what are they ? whence do they 
 come ? what do they here ?" were questions
 
 182 THE MIRZA. 
 
 bandied about, and which no one could an- 
 swer. 
 
 The cavalcade consisted of about a dozen 
 persons, the chief of whom was a stately looking 
 man, with a Tartar face, and dressed in a 
 costume which denoted that he came from the 
 east. But there was one among them, it was 
 difficult at first to ascertain w^hether man or 
 woman, who, upon close investigation, proved 
 to be a woman, and one, the oldest of her kind. 
 Her face was withered with the wrinkles of 
 care ; she wore an iron helmet, a bow and 
 arrows were slung about her person, and she 
 bestrode her horse with the ease of an old 
 warrior. She took little heed of the curiosity 
 which her appearance created, but kept cast- 
 ing her eyes about in every direction, as if 
 seeking some dearly beloved object. Suddenly, 
 upon approaching the royal gate, they fell 
 upon the erect and commanding person 
 of Hezzar Mushkil; when, at the same 
 moment, his eyes catching a glimpse of 
 her, they each uttered a loud and. piercing 
 cry. 
 
 lie extended his hands towards her, whilst
 
 THE MIRZA. 183 
 
 she, clapping her 'stirrups to her horse's 
 sides, dashed forward, and in spite of every im- 
 pediment, succeeded in gaining the spot where 
 he stood, when throwing herself from off her 
 horse, she — the old Hemezen, the Dedeh — en- 
 joyed the entrancing pleasure of clasping in her 
 arms her long lost Hezzar Mushkil. 
 
 " And have I found you at last ! light of my 
 eyes \" exclaimed the agitated old woman, 
 — " where have you been ? — and what are you 
 standing here for ?" 
 
 " I am waiting to have my head cut off," 
 said Hezzar Mushkil with great composure. 
 " These tyrants won't believe that I am the 
 King of Bukhara's son." 
 
 " Not believe !" exclaimed the old Hemezen, 
 " they eat dirt for their pains — you are not only 
 the King of Bukhara's son, but his only son ; — 
 what words are these ?" 
 
 The malignant chief of the eunuchs, ob- 
 serving this pause, and that his orders were 
 not obeyed, was about to issue his commands 
 to continue the ceremonial, when a herald 
 was seen to issue from the palace, bearing 
 orders from the grand-vizier that all further
 
 184 THE MIRZA. 
 
 proceeding should stop, until a proper recep- 
 tion had been given to the ambassadors just 
 arrived from the King of Bukhara, of whose 
 approach he had just been informed, and who, 
 were he curious in executions, might have the 
 honour conferred upon him of being enter- 
 tained by the sight of one. 
 
 To the astonishment of all, the ambassador 
 himself, as soon as he perceived liezzar Mush- 
 kil, straightway fell at his feet. 
 
 " How is this !'' exclauned the King of 
 Persia's officers ; " he is a Prince after 
 all.'* 
 
 " This is child's play," vociferated the chief 
 of the eunuchs, " are our beards to be laughed 
 at in this manner ? why do we not slay the 
 man who defiled the royal harem ?" 
 
 His words, however, were not heeded ; but 
 Hezzar Mushkil was straightway clothed with 
 a suitable dress and conducted to the grand- 
 vizier, escorted by the ambassador and the old 
 Hemezen. 
 
 The vizier was a wise man, and although he 
 was convinced, by the appearance of Hezzar 
 Mushkil, that he could not be a gardener's
 
 THE MTRZA. 185 
 
 workman, still he was afraid of declaring 
 him to be the dignitary he pretended, upon 
 the declaration of strangers — for such were 
 the ambassador from the King of Bukhara 
 and his companions. When they were seated 
 he thus spoke, 
 
 " I am not a man to disbelieve what so many 
 circumstances tell me to be true — that in 
 this -youns: man now before me I see the son of 
 the King of Bukhara ; — but a vizier, who is the 
 eyes, and ears, and head of the state must be 
 cautious, and he cannot fortify himself with 
 too many proofs before he makes assertions in 
 the face of his royal master, the King. What 
 proof, oh ambassador 1 have you, beyond your 
 own word, that this youth is really the Prince 
 Hezzar Mushkil ?" 
 
 The ambassador, at this question was over- 
 taken with confusion, for in truth beyond the 
 credentials of which he was the bearer and 
 which ordy proved his own identity, he could 
 give no proof than his word. But the Dedeh 
 who was quite alive to all the proceedings, the 
 moment she heard the question of the grand- 
 vizier, exclaimed :
 
 186 THE MIRZA. 
 
 " Proof do you want, I'll give you proof; 
 if he has not the mark of a bow and arrow 
 stamped on his breast, which I say he has, 
 then he is not the son of the King of Bukhara. 
 Light of my eyes," she exclaimed to the Prince, 
 " open your vest and shew yourself to be what 
 we proclaim you to be." 
 
 Upon this Hczzar Mushkil opened his vest 
 and there, true enough, was seen the stamp of 
 the bow and arrows on his breast, and at the 
 sight of which, every one present, from the 
 grand-vizier to the lowest attendant, exclaimed, 
 " Mashailah ! Praise be to Allah ! Ajaib ! 
 Wonderful !" and such like words of asto- 
 nishment. 
 
 As soon as the King of Persia was informed 
 that the culprit, was in truth the son of the King 
 of Bukhara, his conduct towards him under- 
 went a total change. He overlooked the inva- 
 sion he had made of the sacred precincts of 
 the harem, and did every thing in his power 
 to confer upon him all the honours and 
 distinctions due to his rank. He was straight- 
 way taken to the royal hot bath ; his body 
 was washed, perfumed and dressed in the
 
 THE MIRZA. 187 
 
 richest robes from the royal wardrobe, the 
 ensigns of royalty were conferred upon him ; 
 bracelets were placed on his arms, a diamond 
 hilted dagger was inserted in his girdle and a 
 tassel of pearls was suspended therefrom. He 
 was then conducted to a magnificent apartment 
 within the royal palace, and there lodged to- 
 srether with the ambassador and his beloved 
 Dedeh. Being seated in his hall of audience 
 on a musnud, he was visited by the grand- 
 vizier and complimented by him in the name 
 of the King, and an hour appointed when he 
 should make his first visit. All the dignitaries 
 of state, in their turns, paid him visits of com- 
 pliment by command of the King, and even 
 the chief eunuch, who had been so forward in 
 evincing his enmity, now appeared one of the 
 first to make speeches of congratulation. 
 
 All this while, the Prince's heart was totally 
 and entirely absorbed by his passion for the 
 enchanting Princess of Persia. Much as he 
 was charmed by his reprieve from death, and 
 by seeing his Dedeh and hearing news from 
 his beloved father, still every joy was absorbed 
 in the hope of again seeing his adorable
 
 188 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Princess, and ultimately obtaining possession 
 of Iier hand in marriage. He could think and 
 dream of nothing else, and calling Hassan to 
 him, who, from experience, he knew could 
 obtain access to the Princess throuoh the 
 means of her shoe-bearer, he delivered to him 
 a letter, which he charged him forthwith to 
 have conveyed into her own hands. 
 
 In this letter, he drew a glowing picture of 
 his passion, and dwelt with rapture upon his 
 hopes, laying himself and a kingdom at her 
 feet, now that destiny had evidently turned 
 over a new page in the book of fate, fa- 
 vourable to his wishes. 
 
 The Princess had been dissolved in tears 
 ever since the catastrophe in the garden. 
 She was informed of the fate awaiting her 
 lover, and despair had taken possession of 
 her heart. She accused herself of being the 
 cause of his death, and bewailed, with wringing 
 of hands and loud lamentations, the fatal im- 
 prudence which had induced her to see him 
 against all the received decorum of Persian 
 manners, and in direct opposition to those ex- 
 press commands so frequently issued by her
 
 THE MIRZA. 189 
 
 royal father. She was waiting, with intense 
 apprehension, the news of his death, although 
 she had set every engine to work to prevent it, 
 and she was just vowing, in her inmost 
 thoughts, not to survive him, when her prin- 
 cipal confidant rushed in with breathless joy 
 to inform her of the event of the ambassador's 
 arrival and of the Prince's reprieve. 
 
 The shock produced, on her too sensitive 
 heart, by this unexpected announcement, was 
 too much to bear, and she fainted away 
 through excess of joy. When restored to 
 life, she could not sufficiently enjoy the re- 
 petition of the happy news, and did not cease 
 requiring every particular to be narrated, parti- 
 cularly that wh.ich related to the establishment 
 of the proof that he was indeed the heir to the 
 kingdom of Bukhara. A lively hope then sprung 
 up in her heart, that she might be united to him 
 in marriage, for here she had found one, in 
 every respect worthy to be her husband, and 
 to whom her father could in no wise object, 
 for the kingdom of Bukliara was almost as 
 great in extent as that of Persia. This hope 
 was confirmed into certainty as soon as she
 
 190 THE MIRZA. 
 
 read the letter from Ilezzar Mushkil, which 
 was duly delivered to her by her shoe-bearer. 
 She received it with enthusiastic joy, kissed 
 it a thousand times and read it over so often, 
 that she could repeat every word by heart. 
 Instead of wailing and lamentation, nothing 
 but joy now breathed throughout the harem, 
 and spies were sent out to watch and report 
 what was taking place at court among the men, 
 for the smallest incident Avas now of impor- 
 tance to the Princess, inasmuch as every event 
 was more or less connected with the well- 
 being of her beloved Prince. 
 
 The Shah gave the Prince of Bukhara, at- 
 tended by his ambassador and suite, a most 
 brilliant and solemn reception. He clothed 
 himself in his most gorgeous robes, adorned his 
 person with all the state jewels, and sat upon 
 his golden throne to receive him. All the 
 great lords and dignitaries of the state were 
 present, and nothing was wanting to make the 
 ceremonial w^orthy of the national reputation 
 for riches and urbanity. The Prince was ad- 
 mitted to sit upon the very same musnud as 
 the King, and the court poet celebrated the
 
 THE MIRZA. 191 
 
 event by writing a poem of fifty thousand stan- 
 zas in length, so that nothing should be want- 
 ing to render it a feature of history. As 
 soon as the public audience was over, the 
 Prince demanded a private one of his Majesty, 
 which was granted; and there he set forth 
 in the most glowing and respectful language, 
 how much his heart was inflamed with love 
 for his daughter, and demanded, in express 
 terms, her hand in marriage. The Shah, a 
 monarch full of sagacit)'', having been made 
 acquainted with the strange and fabulous 
 circumstances which had brought his daughter 
 and the Prince together, concluded, that such 
 a romance could not be conducted without 
 the outbreak of love, at once answered that 
 he lived only to make his daughter happy, 
 and that if she were agreeable to the request, 
 he could interpose no objection. At these 
 words, the entranced Hezzar Mushkil fell at 
 his feet with joy and thankfulness, and said 
 that he would await her decision with hope, 
 and abide by it with the prqfoundest respect. 
 
 That decision was not long withheld, and no 
 two mortals ever so effectually seated them-
 
 192 THE MIRZA. 
 
 selves upon the carpet of happiness, as did the 
 Prince of Bukhara and the Princess of Persia. 
 Hezzar Mushkil was not long in returning to 
 his own country, to seek his father's blessing 
 and consent, which having been obtained, his 
 nuptials were celebrated in a manner so sump- 
 tuous, that the court poet passed the remainder 
 of his life in writing a poem upon the subject, 
 which, however, he did. not finish, although 
 he died one of the oldest men in Persia. The 
 old Hemezen, lived long enough to ascertain 
 that the dynasty of Bukhara would not be 
 extinct in the person of her beloved Hezzar 
 Mushkil, and, at length, died cheered by the 
 thought that she had been the cause of 
 doing some good in the world. The Prince 
 having become King, reigned long over a 
 people who blessed him and his Queen, as 
 contributors to their happiness by the exercise 
 of their many virtues. 
 
 "When the Mirza had finished his narra- 
 tive of the adventures of the Prince Hezzar 
 Mushkil, he assured me that it was wholly and 
 entirely an impromptu. " The Shah, ilham-
 
 THE MIRZA. 193 
 
 dillah ! praise be to Allah/' said he, " was 
 pleased, and to say the truth, I flattered my- 
 self that I had not done amiss. The best 
 proof of this was that I kept his Majesty 
 awake, and that he only called for his kalian 
 twice during the whole narrative. His Majesty 
 who possesses an hundred sons at least, was 
 wonderfully amused by the account of the 
 unfortunate king who had only one, and every 
 now and then exclaimed, " bad bakht ! unfor- 
 tunate ! had he sent to me instead of to the 
 Hemezens, I could have sold him several 
 cheap." 
 
 " But," said I to my friend, " you have been 
 talking of Hemezens, as if such people really 
 existed. AVe too in our books possess stories of 
 a nation entirely composed of women, and who 
 are there called Amazons, now as your word 
 Hemezen signifies ' all women,' and leads to the 
 supposition that our Amazon may be derived 
 from it, I beg of you to inform me what 
 may be the extent of your information upon 
 the subject.'' 
 
 " My knowledge," answered the Mirza, " is 
 solely derived from a report and a prevalent 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 THE MIRZA. 
 
 belief, that a nation entirely composed of 
 -women was once known to inhabit a remote 
 region of the Caucasus, near Cakhct. I do 
 not myself see Iiow such a nation could 
 exist ; for whatever is exclusive degenerates. If 
 relations intermarry, they dwindle into dwarfs ; 
 what, then, could a set of women do without 
 husbands ? it is a known fact that amonfj the 
 Tartars their women are as much on horse- 
 back as the men ; therefore the idea of a 
 nation composed of women might, perhaps, 
 originate in that circumstance." 
 
 I quite agreed with my friend in his conjec- 
 ture, and most true it is that an opinion 
 prevails in the East, and has prevailed for cen- 
 turies, that a nation of Amazons exists in 
 Asia. This is confirmed by what that quaint 
 and most credulous of travellers. Sir John 
 Mandeville, says on the subject. He writes in 
 the year 1332, and his words are as follows : 
 
 " Besyde the land of Caldee is the land of 
 Amazoyne ; and in that relme is alle women, 
 and no man ; noght, as some men seyn, that 
 men mowe not lyve there, but for because that 
 the women will not suifre no men amonges
 
 THE MIRZA. 195 
 
 hem, to ben here sovereynes. For sum tyme 
 ther was a Kyng in thet contrey, and men 
 maryed as in other contreyes ; and so befelle, 
 that the Kyng had werre, with hem of Sithie ; 
 the whiche Kyng, highte Colopeus that was 
 slayne in bataylle and alle the gode blood of 
 his relme. And when the Queen and alle the 
 othere noble ladyes sawen that thei weren 
 all wydewes, and that all the realle blood 
 was lost, thei armed hem, and as creatures out 
 of wytt, thei slower all the men of the contrey 
 that weren left. For thei wolde that alle the 
 women weren wydewes as the Queen and thei 
 weren ; and fro that tyme hiderwardes thei 
 never wolden suifren man to dwelle amonges 
 hem, longer than seven days and seven nyghtes, 
 rie that no child that were male sholde dwelle 
 amonges hem, longer than he were noryscht ; 
 and thanne sente to his fader. And when thei 
 wil have ony companye of man, than thei 
 drawen hem towardes the landes marchynge 
 next to he ; and than thei have loves that usen 
 hem, and thei dwellen with htm an eight days 
 or ten, and then gon home agen. And zif 
 thei have ony knave child, thei kepen it a 
 
 K 2
 
 196 THE MIRZA. 
 
 certeyn tytne, and then senclen it to the ftider, 
 when he can gon allone, and eten be himself, 
 or else thei sleen it ; and zif it be a femele, 
 thei don away that on pappe with an hot 
 hiren, and zif it be a womman of gret lynage, 
 thei don away the left pappe, that thei may 
 the better beren a scheeld, and zif it be a 
 womman of symple blood, they don away the 
 rygt pappe, for to saheten with bowe turkeys, 
 for thei schote well with bowes. In that lande 
 they have a Queen that governethe alle that 
 land, and alle thei ben obeyssant to hire ; 
 and always thei maken here Queen by elec- 
 cioun, that is most worthy in amies. For 
 thei ben right gode werryoures and wyse, noble, 
 and worthi ; and thei gon often tyme in sowd* 
 in help of other Kynges, in her werres for gold 
 and sylver, as othere sowdyoures don, and thei 
 meyntenen himself right vygouresly." 
 
 I communicated my information to the 
 Mirza, who did not seem surprized at any part 
 of Sir John's narrative, but rather contended 
 
 * Soud, hire, soudoyer, to keep in pay ; sowdyour, hence 
 soldier.
 
 THE MIRZA. 197 
 
 that he had confined himself within the bounds 
 of mere facts, and that many more extraordi- 
 nary things might be said. I assured my com- 
 panion, that as far as the marvellous was 
 concerned, the ancient knight had sufficiently 
 satisfied my curiosity, and we parted with 
 mutual protestations of regard and with eager 
 hopes of soon again enjoying the pleasure of a 
 meeting. :-*. 
 
 4
 
 198 THE MIRZA. 
 
 VISIT III. 
 
 It was not until the close of autumn, when 
 the first chills from the snowy summits of 
 Alborj begin to make themselves felt at 
 Tehran, and a piisteen, or sheepskin cloak may 
 occasionally be seen in the bazaar, that I again 
 liad communication with my friend the prince 
 of poets. 
 
 The Shah had resumed his winter quarters, 
 having returned from his campaign on the 
 plains of Sultanieh and Ojan, and dismissed 
 his troops to their homes until he again should 
 call for their services in the spring; whilst 
 the court and the city seemed to abandon 
 every care, save that of securing warmth, 
 comfort and sociability during the rigour of 
 the approaching season. The ambassador
 
 THE MIRZA. 199 
 
 having paid his formal visit of ceremony and 
 congratulation to the Shah, during my at- 
 tendance on the occasion, I met and con- 
 versed, for a few minutes, with the Mirza, who 
 promised that we should soon again meet, and 
 hinted that he had devised a mode of in- 
 creasing the pleasure of our meetings, which 
 he would explain more fully by and by. 
 
 Accordingly a few days after, I received a 
 visit from him, and he then informed me that 
 a particular friend of his who had been absent 
 some time from court was just returned. He 
 described him as a man of excellent sense, of 
 much ingenuity, fond of literature, and pos- 
 sessed of such powers of conversation, that 
 he held the important post of King's Mosa- 
 hib, or companion, or maker of conversation, 
 and was appointed upon the great daily Selam 
 or court, to answer whatever observations 
 his Majesty might be pleased to make. 
 
 This personage was a native of the city of 
 Merv, of which he was tlie Prince, and was in 
 every way a nobleman both by birth and dig- 
 nity of conduct and demeanour. He was fond of 
 the society of learned and literary men, and my
 
 200 THE MIRZA. 
 
 friend informed me, it was his wish that we 
 should occasionally meet at his house, and 
 pass our time in conversation and in relating 
 stories. 
 
 To this effect he named a day for our 
 first meeting, and in order that refreshments 
 might not be wanting, the Prince of Merv, for 
 so I will call him, proposed to give us tea to 
 drink made after the manner of the Tartars, 
 who receive it direct from China and freely 
 indulge in its use. In short, we were to have 
 a Tartar tea party in all due form, and I need 
 not say that I was happy to obtain a fresh 
 glimpse of the society and habits of people in 
 every way so interesting. 
 
 At the appointed hour on the appointed day, 
 the servant of my friend, the Mirza, came to in- 
 form me that all was ready and invited me to 
 the entertainment. I followed him, and alight- 
 ed at one of the handsomest entrances in 
 Tehran, a gateway arched and painted, duly 
 swept and sprinkled with water, when having 
 been paraded through several large courts 
 laid out into flower beds, straight walks and 
 fountains— I was introduced into a smaller
 
 THE MIRZA. 201 
 
 court, where I found the room in which the 
 Prince received his friends in private. This 
 was already filled with guests. He half rose 
 from his seat as I entered, and pointing to a 
 place near him, I nestled myself between my 
 friend, the Mirza, and a man whom I did not 
 know, a Tartar by his face, with my back 
 against the wall, and my legs well doubled up 
 under me. 
 
 Our host was a singularly handsome man, 
 possessing an intelligent eye, an aquiline nose, 
 and a magnificent beard which reaching his gir- 
 dle, vied with that of the Shah, his royal 
 master, in all the perfection of length, breadth, 
 gloss and fulness His manners were those of 
 a finished gentleman, and he would have been 
 called such either at the court of Versailles, or 
 at that of St. James's, for I found him easy of 
 access — civil without stiffness, and full of 
 those engaging attentions which tend to place a 
 stranger at his ease. 
 
 The assembly, besides the Mirza and myself, 
 consisted of some six or seven persons, some 
 men in oflfice about the person of the Shah^ 
 and others the Prince's own countrymen, all 
 
 K 3
 
 202 THE MIRZA. 
 
 well bred men who had seen the world. 
 Our host was very happy in his mode of mak- 
 ing us welcome, and as I was the only one who 
 was really a stranger, being an European and 
 a Christian, and not a Mahommedan like the 
 vest, he seemed particularly anxious that 1 
 should feel quite at my ease, and directed much 
 of his discourse to me. He first alluded to the 
 use of tea, which he assured me in his own 
 city and country, was habitually drank. He 
 then pointed out the Tartar mode of making 
 it, and exhibited the apparatus which stood 
 without the door of the room, consisting of 
 a sort of kettle mounted on a stand, which 
 being heated by charcoal underneath boiled the 
 tea mixed with milk and sweetened with 
 sugar, and was then served to us in basins. 
 He appeared to esteem tea principally as a 
 sudorific, and rejoiced as we each drank off our 
 bowl, packed close as we all M'cre, that w^e 
 should soon feel its wholesome effects. This 
 we did, and the whole company were not long 
 in looking very hot under their beards. But 
 my Mirza turning from the subject of tea, 
 soon called our atterition to the object of
 
 THE MIRZA. 203 
 
 our meeting, stating how much I enjoyed 
 oriental fiction, and then remarked that the 
 Prince himself being a depository of a great 
 variety of tales, more particularly relating to his 
 part of Asia, we all hoped that he would indulge 
 us in relating one for this evening's amuse- 
 ment. 
 
 " How," said the Prince, " Astafarallah ! 
 heaven forbid — what ? is your slave to speak, 
 when the father and grandfather of all story 
 tellers is present, the Shah's own poet laureat 
 the prince of verse ? — no, that must not 
 be.'^ 
 
 Such a compliment to my friend, was 
 speedily returned by another, and thus much 
 time was lost in preliminaries, when at length 
 our host acceding to the general wish, and being, 
 indeed, celebrated for his invention and his easy 
 flow of language, clearing his voice and placing 
 himself in a talking attitude, began as fol- 
 lows : —
 
 204 THE MIBZA. 
 
 STORY OF AZBEAZ THE SHOE-MAKER 
 KING. 
 
 There was once a small kingdom in the 
 very distant parts of Tartary bordering upon 
 China, of which, perhaps, few traces would be 
 found at this present day, its capital city 
 being situated in a plain surrounded by 
 arid mountains. It was governed by a very 
 tyrannical King, an usurper of the throne, who, 
 upon the most trivial occasions, made it his 
 pleasure to exercise great acts of severity in 
 ruling over his subjects, and although he was 
 in consequence much execrated, yet also he 
 was much feared. Many stories are related 
 concerning this King, his capital city, and the 
 surrounding country and mountains, all tending 
 to prove that they were subject to certain 
 agencies, which not being accounted for by na- 
 tural causes, were looked upon as supernatural, 
 and, therefore, the inhabitants lived in a state 
 of mind always ready to receive and believe 
 any tales, however marvellous.
 
 THE MIRZA. 205 
 
 In the city lived two brothers, men in the 
 middle ranks of life, one of whom M'as the cause 
 of a great convulsion in the kingdom. The 
 eldest as he grew up was commonly called 
 Sakalchok, or Muchbeard, and the second 
 Azbeaz, or ^ little and white/ both designations 
 being derived from their respective beards, for 
 that characteristic of the face being usually 
 scanty in Tartary, men were subject to many 
 remarks whenever there was a variety. 
 
 The elder brother being gifted with much 
 beard, and such a gift being greatly prized, 
 became very arrogant, gave himself great 
 airs, despised others, and was particularly 
 hard upon his younger brother, who having but 
 a small quantity of that appendage, and that so 
 white as to be scarcely perceptible, was looked 
 down upon. 
 
 The elder brother enjoyed a higher walk of 
 life than the younger, a circumstance which 
 greatly excited his pride, for he was a jeweller and 
 goldsmith, whilst the other was only a shoe- 
 maker. In person too they were so different, 
 that it was difficult to make people believe 
 them to be brothers. Sakalchok was a tall well
 
 206 THE MIRZA. 
 
 grown man, with a commanding face, and one 
 who walked, talked, sat, and conducted himself 
 with the airs of a man of importance, whilst 
 Azbeaz was peculiary ill-favoured and defi- 
 cient in beauty. His principal deformity con- 
 sisted in the sinoular distribution of the features 
 of his face ; his mouth was kept constantly 
 open by the projection of his upper teeth, 
 which were so disposed, that whatever might 
 be the mood of his mind, he always ap- 
 peared to be laughing, and his eyes being 
 sharp, their lively expression confirmed the 
 beholder in the supposition that he was always 
 indulging in that exercise. This peculiarity 
 had been the means of procuring him many 
 advantages in life, as well as many . of its 
 miseries, for by this laughing face, the emblem 
 of good humour, he acquired a corresponding 
 reputation, whilst it also involved him in many 
 a scrape, being frequently accused of laughing 
 out of season. In addition, he was deformed 
 by a curvature of spine, short crooked legs, and 
 an enormous circumference of hips. Thus 
 equipped, Azbeaz apparently started in life 
 with much greater disadvantages than his
 
 THE MIRZA. 207 
 
 brother, but the excellence of his temper and 
 disposition rendered him, in truth, a happier 
 man — he was humble, always ready to oblige, 
 and prone to generosity, whilst Sakalchok 
 lived in the persuasion that all mankind, and 
 his brother in particular were bound to ac- 
 knowledge his superiority and to bend to his 
 decisions. 
 
 Sakalchok occupied one of the most respec- 
 table jeweller's shops in the goldsmith's bazaar, 
 where he kept several apprentices at work ; 
 whilst his dwelling-house, which was full of 
 luxury wdthin, although it presented but a 
 mean appearance without, was situated in a 
 handsome quarter of the city. 
 
 Azbeaz's shop stood at tlie meeting of 
 four streets in the great bazaar, called Chahar 
 Sou, and there he worked rione at his trade 
 with his own hands, for Jiis dignity among 
 shoemakers was scarcely above that of cobbler? 
 whilst his dwelhng-house lay in the outskirts 
 of the town, and consisted of a few mud 
 built rooms enclosed within a sorry wall 
 which encircled a small court-yard. Azbcaz, 
 Mas in truth, a merry fellow at heart, although
 
 208 THE MIRZA. 
 
 he had much to complain of in the conduct of 
 his brother, who although he took no notice 
 of him in the world, was glad to get his 
 shoes made by one whom he never deigned to 
 pay. 
 
 The progress of the elder brother through 
 life had been one of unchecked prosperity — 
 from small beginnings he gradually had en- 
 riched himself, having made capital hits in the 
 purchase of precious stones — was celebrated for 
 his taste in setting them, and could design and 
 chase flowers on gold and silver in a manner 
 unrivalled by other artists ; so great was his 
 fame, that he was now bidding fair to become 
 the court jeweller. 
 
 Azbeaz, on the contrary, had endured many 
 vicissitudes, which had been the means of 
 forming his character into that habitual re- 
 signation prescribed by his law — many of his 
 mishaps had arisen from the cast of his face, 
 for even during his boyhood he had received 
 many an unmerited beating for supposed 
 laughter. 
 
 His father who was a tanner, insisted upon 
 his becoming a shoemaker in order that he
 
 THE MIRZA. 209 
 
 might thus create a purchaser for his leather, 
 although Azbeaz himself had a turn for letters 
 and longed to be a mollah. 
 
 He had once been nearly put to death for 
 being supposed to laugh when the people had 
 received orders to mourn for the King's death, 
 and at a funeral ceremony where he had 
 been invited to do honour to the dead by 
 a sad countenance, his obstinate muscles were 
 so obnoxious, that he was turned out of the 
 house as a pestilent fellow. His reputation 
 for sTOod nature was the cause of much mis- 
 fortune, for his creditors were always back- 
 ward in their payments, whilst those to whom 
 he was a debtor had no compunction in urging 
 their demands. In short, he scarcely ever pass- 
 ed a day without feeling the inconvenience 
 of his face and disposition. 
 
 His brother had long been married, a state 
 to which Azbeaz also aspired, but without 
 success. Although his back was crooked, yet 
 nature had endowed him with a tender heart, 
 and, moreover, with a great admiration for 
 beauty. By chance, he once har] the satisfac- 
 tion to obtain sight of the face of a neighbour's
 
 210 THE MIRZA. 
 
 niece, a most beautiful maiden of sixteen, and 
 from that moment he determined to leave 
 no stone unturned until he obtained possession 
 of her hand. 
 
 Without apprehension concerning his own 
 looks, he immediately assumed all the airs 
 of a lover. He endeavoured to coax his 
 grin into a look of despondency, he made 
 verses, and even went the length of cutting 
 and maining his body before the windows of 
 his adored in order to attract her attention. 
 But what he most required, and which he knew 
 would soften the hearts of her relatives was 
 money ; with that he hoped to dispel evqry 
 difficulty, for having discovered that his first 
 overtures were unsucessful, he began to sus- 
 pect that a crooked spine and an ugly face 
 might prevent the intrusion of love into a 
 maiden's breast, and therefore concluded that, 
 perhaps, it might be softened by the lure of 
 gold and the fascination of finery. 
 
 Azbeaz was poor, although had he regularly 
 received the fruits of his industry, he would 
 have been above want. One of his principal 
 debtors was his brother -, to him, therefore, he
 
 THE MIRZA. 211 
 
 determined to apply, stating the object of his 
 application, and, moreover, considering the 
 exigency of the case, he hoped, that he might 
 induce him to advance the loan of an additional 
 sum which he M'ould faithfully promise to dis- 
 charge in shoes. 
 
 When he had made known his demand, and 
 the reason thereof, his brother broke out into a 
 taunting laugh, and exclaimed : " Praise be to 
 Allah, the world is turning upside down, Azbeaz 
 is going to be married !" 
 
 " And why should he not," said Azbeaz, 
 " is he not a man like the rest of God's 
 creation ? are maidens and wives made for 
 others, and is he not to have one also }" 
 
 " I am not aware he is counted amongst 
 men,'^ answered Sakalchok with renewed con- 
 tempt. " Has he not a hump ? Has he not the 
 face of a monkev ? Has he not the soul of an 
 inferior animal ? Is he then to be placed 
 among men ?^' 
 
 " And you are a brother who say all this !" 
 retorted Azbeaz with a mortified and dejected 
 countenance, '• we came from the same mother
 
 212 THE MIRZA. 
 
 and were nourished by the same breast, and 
 if so, are you to be counted among men ?" 
 
 " Man !'^ exclaimed Sakalchok, " come you 
 here to insult my beard?" 
 
 " I am come here," said Azbeaz with more 
 spirit than he was wont to speak to his brother, 
 " I am come here to seek my own — pay me 
 what you owe me^ — if you refuse to help me in 
 securing my happiness in a wife, I pray you, 
 give me that which you cannot withhold — I 
 am in want of my money and must have 
 it." 
 
 "Must! must, indeed !" exclaimed the ar- 
 rogant Sakalchok, " a miserable cobbler use 
 such a word to the King's jeweller; we shall 
 see where must is ! get you gone — say nothing 
 more — get you gone — must, indeed !" 
 
 " I demand my money," said Azbeaz with 
 still more spirit, " I am a poor cobbler and you 
 a rich jeweller, still greater is the necessity that 
 you should pay me — let alone the claims of a 
 brother.'^ 
 
 " I have no money for such as you," said 
 Sakalchok, " if you have made shoes for me,
 
 THE MIRZA. 2J3 
 
 great has been the honour conferred upon 
 you." 
 
 Azbeaz could not look grave if he wished it, 
 his laughing mouth prevented that, l)ut on 
 this occasion hurt as he was by his brother's 
 conduct, particularly as it checked his love, 
 he gathered himself up into an attitude, which 
 would have been one of dignity had it been 
 adopted by a well-made person, and lifting up 
 his hand said : 
 
 " Whatever I am, God made me, and de- 
 formity is no fault of mine, and you can 
 no more prevent yourself being my brother 
 than I can Ijeing yours — but from this hour, 
 I dissolve the bonds of our relationship, and 
 I treat you as one possessing no tie upon me. 
 If there be justice to be had at the foot of 
 the throne, Azbeaz will seek it." 
 
 Upon which he flung himself out of the 
 room, whilst his ears caught the sound of 
 his brother's laugh of contempt, followed up 
 by a shout of defiance. 
 
 It was some days after this disappointment, 
 before Azbeaz could hold up his head, but 
 the ardour of his love was so great, that he
 
 214 THIi MIRZA. 
 
 could not restrain himself from doing some- 
 thing. Accordingly he got acquainted with an 
 old confidential slave belonging to the fa- 
 mily of the maiden he adored ; and, in con- 
 sequence of the questions which he put to her, 
 having learnt some particulars favourable to 
 his passion, he determined to take some steps 
 towards furthering his suit. 
 
 The slave informed him that the mother 
 was anxious for her daughter's marriage — that 
 her father being dead, she w^as under the 
 guardianship of her uncles — that the girl herself 
 was not disinclined to marry, and that she did 
 not know of her being promised to any one. 
 With these facts before him, the enslaved 
 Azbeaz determined to press his suit with the 
 mother ; he became acquainted with her, in- 
 vited her to his shop, softened her heart by 
 presenting her with shoes — offered fruit and 
 sweetmeats, in short, he played his cards so 
 well, that he at length was emboldened to 
 state his pretensions. The mother heard his 
 proposals with delight — for what mother was 
 ever displeased on such an occasion ? and re- 
 commended him to see the elder uncle, with
 
 THF, MIRZA, 215 
 
 a request that he would call a meeting of the 
 family, before whom he would lay his case. 
 
 To all this, Azbeaz with joy readily as- 
 sented. In the mea7iwhile, the mother insti- 
 gated her brcther-in-law to go to Sakalchok 
 with whom he was well acquainted, to enquire 
 what might be the circumstances of Azbeaz, 
 with a view to furthering the marriage of her 
 daughter. 
 
 When Sakalchok received this application, 
 the whole malignity of his hurnour burst 
 forth; he branded his brother with unjust 
 appellations, laughed aloud at his pretensions 
 as a swain, asserted that he had not ready cash 
 enough to settle even the smallest dower upon 
 a wife, and strongly urged the mother of the 
 maiden and her uncles, of whom she had 
 several, not to give their consent to Az- 
 beaz's proposals. The words of Sakalchok, 
 were words of no mean personage, for he was 
 now the King's principal jeweller and gold- 
 smith, and consequently they were heeded 
 with considerable respect. The uncles avowed 
 themselves disgusted at Azbeaz's impertinence 
 ill venturing to make a proposal, and espousing
 
 216 THE MIRZA. 
 
 the opinion expressed by his brother, they 
 determined to give him a piece of their 
 minds on the subject. 
 
 Azbeaz waited with impatience for the 
 meeting. At length the morning came and 
 he proceeded to the house of the oldest 
 uncle with a beating heart. The lather 
 of the maiden had Ijeen the youngest of six 
 brothers and died an oldish man, consequently 
 there were five old men collected to receive 
 Azbeaz. When they were all seated, he opened 
 his case by stating his desire to possess the 
 daughter of his former neighbour as a wife, 
 honestly avowed that he was not rich, but 
 pleaded that he enjoyed the confidence of a 
 good set of customers ; and appealed to all 
 those who knew him, whether he was not 
 capable of maintaining a wife in comfort, by 
 the industry of his hands, and the temperance 
 of his habits. 
 
 The youngest uncle answered this speech by 
 a sneer ; " and so," said he, " you, a poor shoe- 
 maker, ugly, with the face of a monkey, with a 
 curved back, without goods and chattels, or 
 property of any kind ; you venture to seek our
 
 THE MIRZA. 217 
 
 niece in marriage, she who has beauty enough 
 to wed a khan — a bey — or even a king's jeweller. 
 Are you mad enough to come laughing at our 
 beards in this manner ?" 
 
 " Mad indeed !" exclaimed the next young- 
 est uncle, "in what part of your understanding 
 did you find that men were such fools, as to 
 be taken in by a deformed cobbler?" 
 
 " A deformed cobbler did you say," conti- 
 nued the third uncle, "if that were all, there is 
 no harm done, but what did the king's jeweller, 
 your own brother say ? why that you were as 
 insolent as you were ugly, and went about 
 insisting for money as if you were the King." 
 
 " Money did you say!'' exclaimed the oldest 
 uncle but one, " what money can a cobbler ever 
 make, sufficient to support a comely creature 
 like our niece, who might aspire to marry a 
 vizier's son." 
 
 " A vizier's son ! what say you?" said the 
 eldest uncle, " is she not fit to be placed in the 
 King's harem ? then, wherefore, are we wasting 
 our time in talking to a poor shoemaker, and 
 listening to his insane proposals ; let him think 
 himself well off if we do not take him by the 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 THE MIUZA, 
 
 waistband, and throw him into the street for 
 his impertinence.'* 
 
 Azbeaz, during the five speeches with which 
 he had been regaled sat boiUng with rage and 
 indignation, although his face was true to its old 
 laugh. When he had heard them out, he slowly 
 arose, and as he walked out of the room, he 
 said, " the day will come, old gentlemen, when 
 you will cry out — amdn — amdn." 
 
 The five old men lifted up their voices and 
 hooted him ovit of the house, and when they 
 had sufiiciently applauded each other for their 
 spirited conduct, dispersed to their respective 
 homes. 
 
 Azbeaz dispirited, abashed and enraged, 
 returned to his stall and endeavoured to dispel 
 the gloom of his mind by occupying himself 
 with his work. He determined to make more 
 shoes than ever he had made before, for as the 
 history of his unfortunate love had got abroad, 
 he proposed by assiduity to business, to keep 
 himself out of the way of the scorners and 
 deriders, who would not fail to assail him. 
 
 It has been said at the beginning of this 
 history, that the city of which Azbeaz was an
 
 THE MIRZA. 219 
 
 inhabitant, not only was governed by a tyran- 
 nical King, but also was subject to certain 
 agencies which not being accounted for by 
 natural means were looked upon as super- 
 natural. The state of the case is as follows : in 
 the centre of the royal palace, a tall and ancient 
 tower reared its head, one side of which was con- 
 templated with pleasure, the other with awe and 
 apprehension. On the side towards the plain, 
 was suspended a large gong, made of a metal 
 so musical and sonorous, that whenever it was 
 struck, the sounds were harmonious. That event 
 took place upon all occasions of joy and festi- 
 vity ; when a prince was born, it was struck ; 
 when the royal arms had gained a victory, it 
 resounded far and wide ; when the Shah was 
 in good humour, it made itself heard ; when 
 good news of any sort were reported, the same 
 was announced by the sounding of this ex- 
 hilarating instrument, and thus the public joy 
 was decreed and graduated in the most con- 
 venient manner. But on the side looking 
 towards the mountains, there existed another 
 larger gong, with one immense knocker sus- 
 pended over it by an iron chain. This instru- 
 
 L 2
 
 2J0 THE MIRZA. 
 
 meat if ever sounded was the certain harbinger 
 of some dreadful pubHc calamity ; when a 
 King died it was heard, or when he had put 
 ou his bloody red robe, as a signal for cutting 
 off heads, it was lieard ; and then it was struck 
 by the hand of man, but never in the recol- 
 lection of the oldest inhabitant had it ever 
 been sounded by the great knocker suspended 
 by the chain. Whenever this happened, ac- 
 cording to the current tradition, it was sup- 
 posed to be done by some supernatural agency, 
 and the sound which the instrument then 
 emitted, was said to be so loud and terrible, 
 that vibrating through the city, making houses 
 shake and men's hearts to quake, it was heard 
 far and wide throughout all the surrounding 
 region and caused a universal tremor and ap- 
 prehension. The sound alluded to was sure to 
 be followed up by some dire calamity of rebel- 
 lion, war and bloodshed, was supposed to be 
 directed against the King's safety, and was 
 always expected to occur when his cruelties 
 and extortions became too great for the people 
 to bear. Whenever its ominous sound was 
 heard, there existed a standing order from the
 
 THE MIRZA, 221 
 
 King to all the generals and officers com- 
 manding troops throughout the kingdom, imme- 
 diately to call out their detachments and without 
 delay march to the seat of government. In 
 the city itself, every inhabitant capable of 
 bearing arms, in addition to the troops in gar- 
 rison were ordered to arm and be in readiness 
 to act. This great gong, in many cases, acted 
 as a salutary check upon the King, and kept 
 his turbulent passions in order, but the actual 
 monarch was beginning to make himself inde- 
 pendent of its fears, and it was the fashion 
 among his courtiers and flatterers to laugh at its 
 powers as an old woman's tale, as a bugbear 
 only fit to frighten children. The consequence 
 was, that the King was very cruel and never 
 refrained beating his subjects whenever it so 
 pleased him. 
 
 Azbeaz's shop as said before was situated 
 in the Chahar sou at the crossing of four 
 streets in the bazaar, immediately opposite 
 to four stepping-stones, placed there for the 
 convenience of foot passengers, when the 
 gutters had overflowed and the M'ater covered 
 the street. The shortest road to the great
 
 222 THE MIRZA. 
 
 mosque whither the King was wont to resort, 
 passed close to Azbeaz's shop leading through 
 the four stepping-stones. Not very long after 
 the occurrence we have related of Azbeaz's 
 visit to the five old men, when he was dili- 
 gently at work, the King was announced by 
 the heralds, who made way for his passage to 
 the mosque. It so happened that the waters 
 were more than usually out and almost covered 
 the stepping-stones, when apparently to the cob- 
 bler's ill-luck, the King's horse in passing them, 
 stumbled, fell and threw his Majesty over his 
 head. This caused a great commotion, every 
 body ran, many were pleased, Azbeaz stood 
 up to see the result, but well for him had 
 it been had he kept aloof, for his face 
 unfortunately met the King's eye, as he arose 
 dripping with mud, when all the royal anger 
 exploded in a manner fearful to behold ; and 
 then did the poor shoemaker feel the extent of 
 his misfortune in having been gilted with pro- 
 minent teeth, which m.ade him laugh whether 
 he would or not. 
 
 " Ahi ill-born ! dog's son !" exclaimed the 
 enraged monarch, " is it thus you laugh at your
 
 THE MIRZA. 223 
 
 King ? lake him and cut his tongue out," he 
 roared out to his guards ; " where are the 
 executioners ? here beat that child of Satan, 
 till he has not a foot to stand upon." 
 
 The order was no sooner given than exe- 
 cuted ; the unfortunate Azbeaz was seized, his 
 feet thrown into the air, and before he could, by 
 any means, explain that the fault was not his, 
 that he really did not laugh, that nature had 
 made him laugh whether he would or no, his feet 
 were beaten into one great and cruel Avound. 
 The King's wrath being appeased by seeing 
 one in a more deplorable plight than himself, 
 proceeded to pray at the mosque, leaving 
 his victim on the ground scarcely able to 
 crawl and half dead from excess of pain. 
 No one would venture to approach and help 
 him ; still in his pain, his obstinate mouth would 
 look as if he were pleased, and thus whilst he 
 repressed pity, he felt more than ever the 
 entire desolation of his fate. Those who knew 
 him ; passed by on the other side wagging 
 their heads ; those who had enjoyed his jokes, 
 or had partaken of such hospitality as he could
 
 224 THE MIRZA. 
 
 afford, afraid of incurring the King's wrath 
 kept aloof and said nothing. 
 
 There was only one, a youth belonging to 
 the King's body-guard, who late in attend- 
 ing his duty, was riding by in haste to join 
 the royal cortege, when he perceived the 
 wretched Azbeaz stretched out on the side of 
 the road writhing with pain. Impelled by no 
 other motive than feelings of pity for the suf- 
 ferings of a fellow-creature, he straightway 
 dismounted from his horse, and with soothing 
 words, heedless of all consequences, helped him 
 to crawl to his shop, and having procured relief 
 to his mangled feet, he remounted and pursued 
 his course, promising to return again. Such 
 conduct could not fail exciting the approba- 
 tion of all who witnessed the act, and as he rode 
 off, he heard the consolatory words barikaUah 
 and mashallah frequently repeated, but he did 
 not remark the scowling eye of one dark and 
 malignant man, who with the heart of a demon 
 had marked him down for punishment, and it 
 was not long ere returning to his quarters, 
 that he was seized by the King's orders and
 
 THE MIRZA. 225 
 
 thrown into confinement for having: thus 
 publicly brought into contempt the royal ord- 
 nance. It need not be said after this, that 
 Azbeaz in vain expected the re-appearance of 
 his benefactor; but in spite of want of as- 
 sistance, his wounds healed and before many 
 days had elapsed he was again seen at his 
 stall. 
 
 As he sat hard at work on his bench, his eye was 
 frequently directed towards the stepping-stone 
 which had been the cause of his late misfortune. 
 It had nearly served him the same trick several 
 times before, for oftentimes when people stum- 
 liled over it and observing his extraordinary face 
 near at hand, they invariably laid their mishap 
 to his evil eye. Suddenly, a thought struck 
 him, " never shall that accursed stone be tlie 
 cause of a similar misfortune again," he said 
 to himself ; " if I am what I mean to be, I 
 will not rest until it be removed, and by Allah," 
 he continued musing, " I will remove it my- 
 self. Oh, that I could see that noble youtjj 
 again who came to my assistance, I am sure 
 he would help me." 
 
 After much thought, he at length determined 
 
 L 3
 
 226 THE MIUZA. 
 
 to do the work himself. The bazaars being 
 locked up at night aad delivered over to the 
 care of watchmen, who keep watch on the roof, 
 Azbeaz settled in his mind, that instead of leav- 
 ing his stall at sunset, he would merely appear 
 to shut it as usual, but remain within, when 
 being supplied with a mattock, a spade and 
 a light, he hoped to transpose the obnoxious 
 stone unseen. Accordingly, having procured 
 the necessary implements, at nightfall as 
 usual he closed his stall, but managed unno- 
 ticed to remain within. 
 
 At the proper time, the bazaars being closed 
 and the watchmen placed, he made prepara- 
 tions to commence his task. A dead stillness 
 reigned throughout the vast building, and 
 Azbeaz although employed in performing a 
 task apparently of no great importance, felt as if 
 he were about to engage in something criminal. 
 He waited until an advanced hour when he 
 knew the watchmen were least likely to be 
 awake, and then fell too with his mattock and 
 spade. The delinquent stone was the most 
 prominent of the four and firmly planted in the 
 ground.
 
 THE MIRZA. 227 
 
 " Allah send thee misfortunes !" said he, 
 as he struck the first blow. 
 
 He worked with much ardour until the per- 
 spiration fairly burst from his brow, but to his 
 dismay, he found the stone deeply embedded in 
 the ground, and adhering with more pertinacity 
 than he expected. At length, he came to its 
 base, and then he redoubled his activity, for he 
 thought he perceived something more than earth 
 — in fact he observed a shining substance — 
 a few more blows of his mattock brought to 
 light a small iron door with a handle affixed 
 to it. Curiosity now impelled him, but ere he 
 ventured to lift up the door, he suddenly ar- 
 rested himself with this question — should it be 
 a treasure what am I to do ? — Shall I fly or 
 proceed? — He could check himself no longer, 
 but at once opening the door, which creaked 
 from rust, instead of a golden treasure, he 
 merely discovered a large key. Having taken 
 it into his hand, by the hght of the lantern 
 he discerned written characters upon it, which 
 with much difficulty he decyphered (for Az- 
 baez was a good scholar) and found them to 
 say, * Follow me.'
 
 228 THE MIRZA. 
 
 "How is this?" said he, "follow a key — 
 wliat can it mean ?" 
 
 Hoding it in his hand, to his surprize 
 he felt it communicate a pressing forward 
 movement to him, as if some one were inviting 
 him to proceed in a particular direction. 
 He placed it on the ground, as a thing 
 that might be alive ; but there it lay inert — 
 taking it up again, the same impelling motion 
 was felt, and he remained utterlv astonished. 
 He kept repeating to himself the words 'follow 
 me,' until he was weary of conjecture. At 
 length, he bethought himself of proceeding a 
 few steps in the direction to which it pressed 
 forward, and true enough as he walked the pres- 
 sure increased. His surprize was now over- 
 whelming. 
 
 " Allah ! what shall I do," he exclaimed ever 
 and anon, quite uncertain what course to pursue. 
 
 The time he passed in incertitude and con- 
 jecture had carried him on unawares, till he 
 perceived the dawn of day peeping through 
 the apertures in the roof of the bazaar. He 
 then fell to again to replace the stone in its 
 former state, for he had not time to give it a
 
 THE MIRZA. 229 
 
 new position, when he heard the watchman 
 opening the gates. In this dilemma, he took 
 up the key and leaving his work unfinished, 
 followed the impulse it gave him. The faster 
 he walked, the stronger the impulse, until 
 having quitted the bazaar, he proceeded towards 
 the gate of the city, which was at hand, and 
 which also was opened at the same time as 
 the bazaar, and once having passed through 
 it, he found himself in the plain, with his face 
 towards the mountains. It was then that the 
 pressure of the key became most strongly 
 manifest, and, indeed, it might 1)e said, to be 
 so urgent that it would not allow him to 
 delay. He found himself making his way 
 across the plain in a manner most miracu- 
 lous. Nothing stopped him. He went over 
 every impediment with an ease that aston- 
 ished him, his legs seemed to have acquired 
 new life, his lungs played with renewed 
 freedom in his breast. lie seemed to be 
 running a race, and bounded over hedge 
 and ditch, rock and thicket with the 
 agility of an antelope. In his course, 
 Azbeaz possessed just enough wit to ask
 
 230 THE MIRZA. 
 
 himself this question. Is this me ? he fomid 
 himself approaching the mountain with fearful 
 velocity and then this apprehension shot 
 across his mind^ ' when I get to its base what 
 shall I do ? I cannot leap over a mountain !' 
 But every step conducted him nearer — the 
 key carried him on with a swiftness that took 
 away his breath and almost lifted him off his 
 legs. At length, he perceived a break on the 
 surface of a dark mass of metallic looking 
 rock, and immediately round a projection, 
 he saw an immense door imbedded in the 
 stratum, and also, what he soon ascertained to 
 be the termination of his miraculous journey, a 
 key-hole. He then without apprehension 
 pressed forwards, and ere another minute had 
 elapsed, the key flew straightway into the spot 
 prepared for its reception. But what tongue 
 can hope to describe, the astounding effects 
 produced by this consummation ? of a sudden 
 a sound was heard to ring through the air like 
 the clashing of thousands of metallic meteors, 
 a sound that seemed to make the mountains 
 shake, which reverberated in echoes through 
 the vallies and drove the impending rocks from
 
 THE MIRZA. 231 
 
 their foundations — a sound which appeared to 
 annihilate the existence of every hving thing, 
 causing the current of the blood to stop and 
 paralysing the stoutest limbs. The beasts of 
 the field ran to and fro in wild desolation — 
 birds clustered together for protection — the 
 wild animals in the wilderness grew tame with 
 apprehension. Azbeaz at the appalling sound 
 grew faint and trembled throughout his frame, 
 but when, at the same moment, he beheld the 
 grim and portentous looking door fly open with 
 a crash, such as nothing human could conceive, 
 the poor wretch at once fell to earth, lost in a 
 trance that looked like death. And there we 
 must, for the moment, leave him to see what 
 took place in the city. 
 
 The day had set in with a sultry and oppres- 
 sive feeling in the air, which made men ima- 
 gine that something extraordinary was about to 
 happen. A strange commotion had taken place 
 in the bazaar at the discovery of the displaced 
 stepping stones, and particularly at the sight 
 of the small iron door and cell within which 
 the key had been deposited. Every sort of 
 surprise was afloat. Some of the oldest
 
 232 THE MIRZA. 
 
 citizens shook their heads and said, ' some- 
 thing must happen.' A very old man came 
 forwards and asserted that he remembered the 
 fixing of these stones, and that much mys- 
 tery had been observed on the occasion. The 
 half open state of Azbeaz's stall was remarked, 
 then the suspicious mattock and spade, and 
 when their owner came to claim them, it was 
 clearly ascertained that Azbeaz was the man 
 who had deranged the stepping-stones. In- 
 stantly a search was instituted, the watch- 
 men were questioned, no one could ac- 
 count for his absence, and great curiosity was 
 excited. 
 
 The King, as usual at noon, was seated on 
 his throne in his Hall of Audience, holding the 
 great selam. All the great officers of state 
 were present — the King's appointed .flatterer 
 and public haranguer was on that day in great 
 force, and had been more than usually happy 
 in the terms of his adulation. He had expa- 
 tiated much upon his favourite theme, the 
 omnipotence of Kings, and that day had hit 
 upon a new idea, with which he seemed 
 to be greatly pleased, although the royal
 
 THE MIRZA. 233 
 
 countenance, like a blind man who does not 
 know what passes around him, so long accus- 
 tomed to receive adulation, exhibited no out- 
 ward expression of pleasure. 
 
 The flatterer said, that when a King was 
 born, the stars gave each other the wink, and 
 exclaimed as they shook with joy in their 
 orbits, now let us put our heads together to 
 make his reign fortunate, and should there 
 by chance be an evil disposed mind in the 
 kingdom, the moment the royal eyebrow 
 (which was always under the especial care of 
 the stars) was once shaken, it was seen to pro- 
 duce that powerful aw^e in the mind, which 
 made it instantly forsake its wickedness. 
 
 " Kings," he exclaimed, " thus protected, 
 can have no fear. They are above apprehen- 
 sion — all nature works for their well-being, and 
 no event ever takes place which does not make 
 them feel their superiority over all other mor- 
 tals." 
 
 These words had scarcely escaped the 
 flatterer^s lips ere the terrific crash of the great 
 gong was heard. Consternation and tremor 
 overtook even the most stout-hearted — the
 
 234 THE MIRZA. 
 
 weakest fell on their faces in dismay, whilst 
 an universal shout of apprehension was heard 
 to lift itself into the air. The King, who not 
 a minute before had been upheld as indepen- 
 dent of all exterior events, was the first to fall 
 from his throne, and be cast down in a 
 swoon. Nothing was ever more pitiable than 
 his abject state — a state which gave the lie in 
 its fullest extent to the flatterer's words, for 
 on this awful occasion he was as much un- 
 heeded as the meanest of God's creatures, all 
 being intent on self-preservation, and none 
 having either the power or the inclination to 
 go to his succour, when all seemed doomed to 
 undergo one destiny. 
 
 The consternation was not confined to the 
 court, it was felt instantaneously throughout 
 the city. The vibration caused by the over- 
 whelming sound was felt in every house, 
 throughout the streets, the bazaars, the 
 market-places— all the inhabitants remained 
 transfixed with awe, and no one had wit 
 enough, at the moment, to reflect whence came 
 so sudden a convulsion. 
 
 At length the vizier, who was a man of
 
 THE MIRZA. 235 
 
 nerve, having somewhat recovered his self- 
 possession, arose from his place and proceeded 
 to give help to the prostrate monarch. Raising 
 him up and placing him against the cushions 
 of his throne, he said : 
 
 " The hour is at length come when the 
 Zilallah, the shadow of Allah upon earth, must 
 become a substance. Let us arm and^ be 
 ready, for the great prophecy is about to be 
 accomphshed." 
 
 " Dog !" exclaimed the King, having had 
 time to look around him to remark that all 
 was safe, that no man was hurt, and that his 
 power was undiminished ; " dog ! what words 
 are these ? The King is above all prophecy ! 
 Call hither the priests, and let them inform 
 us what is the meaning of this consternation, 
 and let us arm to be ready for whatever may 
 happen. The Shah is not a man to give up 
 his throne for an old woman's tale !" 
 
 The vizier, who was the depositary of 
 the many traditions relating to the great 
 gong, having heard the King's words, said no 
 more, but went to his seat at the royal gate 
 to give the necessary orders for arming the
 
 236 THE MIRZA. 
 
 people. He collected the heads of tens, of 
 Imndreds and of thousands, and ordered them, 
 according to the rules of the kingdom, to be 
 in readiness to march at a moment's notice, 
 for the tradition of old was, that when the 
 gong sounded towards the mountain, armed 
 men should be called to issue from the city. 
 
 As soon as the inhabitants had, in some 
 measure, recovered from the shock, they pre- 
 pared to encounter disaster, but of what 
 kind no one could tell. All was confusion 
 and dismay, but every one agreed that the 
 decrees of fate were imperative, and mankind 
 must be prepared for the event. 
 
 In the meanwhile, the King collected together 
 the priests, the astrologers and the wise men, 
 and from them he enquired how in their wisdom 
 they interpreted the event that had just oc- 
 curred. In his inmost heart, he felt all that 
 which usurpers are likely to feel when there is 
 a chance of their pretensions to the throne 
 being disputed, and had he spoken the truth, 
 would have made but a sorry apology for 
 himself; but he was a politic King, although 
 cruel and pusillanimous. The priests, the
 
 THE MIRZA. 237 
 
 astrologers and the wise men having bowed 
 themselves down before the King, the head 
 of the law, an aged and reverend man, took 
 upon himself to answer his royal master's 
 question. Impelled by the urgency of the case, 
 he lifted up his voice with the courage of one 
 who tarries upon the brink of eternity. 
 
 " O King," said he, " may Allah take you 
 into his holy keeping, for the time is now 
 come when there can be no trust but in his 
 mercy. Tradition and the sayings of wise men 
 handed down to us from our fathers, inform 
 us that when the great gong on the turret 
 shall sound as it has done to-day, it announces 
 great and dire disasters. What they may be is 
 entirely in the hands of fate, but your slave 
 will not conceal from your Majesty that 
 such miseries are specially directed against 
 cruel and unjust governors, and long has it 
 been said that in the fullness of time, the 
 throne of this kingdom will return to its proper 
 owner. Such, oh King ! are the sayings of the 
 ancient wise men." 
 
 "So is it!" exclaimed the king, his eyes 
 flashing fury, although he felt a sinking at the
 
 238 THE MIRZA. 
 
 heart which gave an unsteadiness of purpose 
 to his whole frame. " Old man ! dog ! is it 
 thus you speak to your sovereign ? After all 
 we are a King. Have we not armies at com- 
 mand ? have we not generals ? is there lack 
 of money in our treasury ? why do you throw 
 unmeaning words into the air ?" He sat for 
 some time premeditating a dreadful oath, and 
 plotting in his brain a cruel punishment for 
 the head of the law, the priests, astrologers 
 and wise men, when a herald, his face pale with 
 terror, was seen running headlong through the 
 courts and allowed to make his way to the 
 King's presence. His sudden appearance ar- 
 rested the cruel intentions circulating in the 
 King's mind, and drew his attention into 
 another channel. " What is this ?" exclaimed 
 his Majesty as soon as he perceived the he- 
 rald, catching at the same time the infection of 
 his fear. " Are ye mad ? What want of res- 
 pect is this ? Speak, oh little man !" 
 
 " By the salt of the Shah," said the herald, 
 " I have seen a strange thing.'' 
 
 "What thing have you seen ?" said the King, 
 with increasing impatience.
 
 THE MIRZA. 239 
 
 " As I stood on the turret of the gate look- 
 ing towards the mountains, I first saw a great 
 dust and then a black speck on the plain, that 
 speck has been increasing, and is spreading 
 itself wider and wider. I cannot say what it 
 is, but by the soul of the King, I became 
 frightened and ran hither." 
 
 "The man is mad!" said the King. "Lo- 
 custs appear first a mere speck and then spread. 
 Is the fool come to laugh at our beards ?" 
 Again he was about to order a cruel punish- 
 ment, when a superior officer arrived and 
 exclaimed with increased terror, that the pea- 
 sants were flocking in from the fields in dismay, 
 asserting that an army was approaching, and 
 that no time was to be lost in closing the city 
 gates. Upon this the King became visibly 
 agitated, whilst the wise men might have been 
 seen to smile, the smile of reproof. Instantly 
 orders were dispatched into every quarter of 
 the city to collect the troops, whilst the King 
 betook himself to the high tower in his palace, 
 which commanding a view of the surrounding 
 country, there he hoped to ascertain, with his
 
 240 THE MIRZA. 
 
 own eyes, wliat might be the state of affairs in 
 the plain. 
 
 We left Azbeaz in a trance extended be- 
 fore the gate of an immense cavern. He 
 lay there for some time, when gradually 
 recovering his self-possession, he opened 
 his eyes and observing the surrounding objects, 
 felt that he was called upon to do something 
 more than look about him. He proceeded 
 cautiously towards the gate and straightway 
 entered the mysterious cave, composed of roclcs, 
 so black and shining, that the whole seemed as 
 if it were of iron ore. 
 
 At first, so dai'k did everything appear, that 
 his eye could discern nothing but one undefined 
 mass of impenetrable gloom, but having stood 
 a while, little by little he discovered that the 
 cavern was subdivided into an infinitv of minor 
 inlets, seemingly avenues into its deepest 
 recesses — he walked forward to a large pro- 
 minent stone in the centre, and having placed 
 his foot upon it, of a sudden he heard a loud 
 ringing noise as if of armour falling, when to 
 his utmost surprise and apprehension, he be-
 
 4*5* — *"V^^ 
 
 THE MIRZA. 241 
 
 held at the orifice of each subdivision of the 
 cavern, men clad in complete armour, pros- 
 trate on the ground, and arrayed behind them, 
 he beheld a succession of grisly faces, ap- 
 parently the heads of columns of troops pre- 
 pared for a march. 
 
 The bewnldered Azbeaz could neither think 
 nor speak from excess of astonishment — he had 
 no nerves for the encounter of magicians or 
 enchanters, and when he saw the servile de- 
 votion of the prostrate men before him, he 
 shrunk within himself as one who feels un- 
 worthy of unmerited honours. 
 
 He had not stood very long, when an 
 immense colossal figure clad, from head to 
 foot in shining steel advanced from a deep 
 recess, and placing one knee to the ground, in 
 a voice of humility said, " we the slaves of 
 the key salute thee, oh King ! we come to do 
 thy bidding, to put clown cruelty and oppression 
 and to uphold merit." 
 
 When raising himself up, an iron litter was 
 brought forward, upon which Azbeaz was 
 invited to sit, and thus he was marched forward 
 
 VOL.. r. M
 
 242 THE MIRZA. 
 
 followed by bodies of men all clad in black ar- 
 mour, bearing shields and wielding lances, and 
 making collectively a mass that looked like a 
 column of polished iron. 
 
 The army thus headed by Azbeaz though 
 small, was compact as the ore it represented, 
 and as they emerged from the cavern, 
 took the direction of the city. They marched 
 in solemn silence — not a word was spoken, nor 
 was a sound heard save the heavy tramping of 
 the troops and the clashing of their armour. 
 When they had got within sight of the city, the 
 column began to extend itself and exhibit 
 a larger front. Azbeaz all this while sat immove- 
 able in his iron litter, waiting with patience the 
 resTilt of this extraordinary adventure, but lost 
 in surprise at the strangeness of his position. 
 
 The King in the meanwhile had reached the 
 summit of the tower before the army had extend- 
 ed its front, and when he perceived the small- 
 ness of its size, he took confidence and laughed 
 the supposed danger to scorn. The flatterers by 
 whom he was surrounded encouraged him to 
 believe that the whole was child's play, and that 
 no sooner would his troops appear in the field 
 than the invaders would disperse.
 
 THE MIRZA. 243 
 
 The grand vizier in person having headed 
 the troops, ordered the gates to be thrown open 
 and advanced to meet the coming foe. The King 
 became a degree more alarmed, when he per- 
 ceived the army extending its front; but when 
 lie saw the great number of his own troops, he 
 again resumed confidence and feigned a scornful 
 laugh. 
 
 The conflicting armies were now fairly drawn 
 up in array before each other ; and strange to 
 say, ere the grand vizier had given the word 
 of command to attack, the sword of each of the 
 royal combatants was unconsciously drawn from 
 its scabbard, and suddenly seen to fly through 
 the air, and making straight in the direction 
 of the invading army, become attached with the 
 adhesiveness of wax to the shields of their 
 opponents. 
 
 The ringing sound produced by this extraor- 
 dinary concussion was heard far and wide, and 
 inspired terror and dismay in the disarmed 
 troops, whilst it became the signal for the 
 renewed forward movement of the invaders. 
 Magic and magnetism were here combined, 
 and the result was conclusive and instanta- 
 
 M 2
 
 2^4 THE MIRZA. 
 
 iieous. The King's troops without arms, became 
 like a flock of sheep, before a pack of wolves 
 and fled without hesitation, seeking shelter 
 within the city walls. They entered in utter 
 confusion, creating alarm and desolation by 
 their account of the magic exercised against 
 them, and shewing the inutility of resistance. 
 
 The King having seen the performance of the 
 miracle from the tower top, was led away 
 senseless. It was then that the utter pusillani- 
 mity of his character became remarkable, and 
 had he been capable of making an observa- 
 tion, he would have commented upon the ingra- 
 titude and falseness of men, who so long as 
 prosperity shone upon him remained faithful, 
 but who, the moment reverse ensued, left 
 him alone and unprotected. 
 
 The invaders now proceeded in grim array to 
 the very walls of the city, and having conducted 
 Azbeaz in safety to the city gates, which 
 tlew open at his approach, he made his entry 
 surrounded by his black escort to the aston- 
 ishment and wonder of all beholders. 
 
 " Is not that Azbeaz the shoemaker ?" said 
 they as he passed by with all the circumstance
 
 THE MIRZA. 245 
 
 and power of a monarch. " If it be not him, 
 it is one very much like him, for he is laughing 
 still/' 
 
 " It is Azbeaz,'^ said a neighbour in the 
 bazaar, who saw him upheld above the crowd, 
 " there is his very cap — there also is his well- 
 known hump." 
 
 " By my soul," exclaimed a third, " we shall 
 have a merry monarch if it be Azbeaz, for he 
 never appears but to grin/' 
 
 The whole city was in a state of astonish- 
 ment and uncertainty, apprehensive of evil and 
 still looking forward to good. 
 
 Those who had caught a glimpse of their 
 new monarch, ran busily with the news to his 
 brother Sakalchok, exclaiming : 
 
 " Miijdeh, Mvjdeh, good news, your brother 
 is King !" whilst he being thus informed, 
 looked bewildered with the intelligence. 
 
 " Azbeaz ! King !" he exclaimed, " what 
 ashes have fallen upon my head ! what becomes 
 of the dirt which I have so long made him eat 
 — whither shall I fly to hide myself? but it 
 cannot l)c — what words are these? Azbeaz 
 King ! no, such a thing was never before
 
 246 THE MlIlZxV 
 
 heard of in the world — whatever may happen 
 I will go see." 
 
 Upon which covering his head over with a 
 shawl, and leaving his attendants behind, he 
 glided through the streets to obtain a glimpse 
 of the new King's face. 
 
 The five old men too, who had so grossly- 
 insulted Azbeaz, began to shake in their 
 shoes. They were afraid to stir abroad when 
 apprized of the astonishing fact, lest seeing 
 any one of them, the injuries he had received 
 at their hands might recur to his recol- 
 lection. However, when they brought to mind 
 the character of benevolence which he en- 
 joyed, they flattered themselves that among his 
 bad qualities he did not count revenge. 
 
 In the meanwhile, Azbeaz on his iron litter 
 upheld above the heads of the surrounding 
 crowd, was born forward by his victorious 
 bands, headed and directed by their colossal 
 chieftain, until he reached the royal palace, 
 the gates of which denoting an expiring effort 
 to save the King, he found closed. But upon 
 his approach, the iron bolts and fastenings by 
 which they were kept together, darted forth.
 
 THE MIRZA. 247 
 
 and afforded an easy entrance. Pie then was 
 led straightway to the identical golden throne, 
 so recently occupied by his predecessor, taken 
 from his litter, and installed upon it with all 
 the outward demonstrations of respect shewn 
 to eastern Kings on such an occasion. All 
 this while, he, the man Azbeaz, was considering 
 within his inmost thoughts, whether what he 
 was witnessing and experienced in his own 
 person was real, or a dream. 
 
 His face exhibited a stolid look of in- 
 credulity, although never, for a moment, 
 cheated out of its smile. The only words 
 he said and which he constantly repeated to 
 himself were, " we shall see," as if he were 
 conscious that he had not yet reached the end 
 of his adventures, reserving a final adjustment 
 of himself whenever he should be fixed in his 
 new position ; like the cogitation which a man 
 may be supposed to hold within his breast, 
 when falling from a great height — saying this 
 is all very well as long as it lasts. 
 
 As soon as Azbeaz M'as seated on the throne, 
 his resistless protector having drawn up his 
 troops in a line before him, he cast his eyes
 
 248 THE MIRZA. 
 
 around, above and below in utter surprise at 
 the glitter and magnificence which surrounded 
 him, and scarcely could he venture to place 
 himself at his ease upon the costly and luxur- 
 iant cushions, embroidered in gold and precious 
 stones, with which his seat was overspread. 
 Wherever he gazed, he beheld emblems of 
 royalty, and grandeurs only to be seen in King's 
 houses, such as paintings, gildings, precious 
 stones, silken hangings and costly carpets. 
 He looked beseechingly around into every 
 man's face, as if he would enquire, are all 
 these things for me ? 
 
 He had not sat long, before his con- 
 ductor falling down on his face before him, 
 said ; " oh King live for ever. We the slaves 
 of the key have now performed our appointed 
 task, in virtue of which we again deliver to 
 your sublime Majesty the instrument of the 
 power by which we have been enabled to act." 
 Upon which, arising, he drew from his breast 
 the key, and placed it with all due respect 
 ])efore the throne. He then made another 
 prostration, and afterwards in a manner incre- 
 dible to the astounded and bewildered Az-
 
 THE MIRZA. 241) 
 
 beazj he and his troops disappeared from the 
 courts of the palace, and from the city, leaving 
 the inhabitants to pursue their wonted avoca- 
 tions. 
 
 Azbeaz had wit enough to perceive that his 
 whole safety depended upon the possession of 
 the key, which he forthwith placed within 
 the folds of his girdle, until he should have 
 time and opportunity to deposit it in a safer 
 place, and he had scarcely done so, before he 
 perceived himself surrounded by richly dressed 
 men, who stationed themselves in different 
 parts of the court which was spread before the 
 throne. 
 
 These were the nobles, the ministers of state, 
 the generals, the men of the law and the 
 courtiers ; who having witnessed the miracu- 
 lous manner in which their country had been 
 deprived of one King, and replaced by another, 
 came to offer all the necessary congratulations 
 on the occasion, and to seek by an exhibition 
 of their loyalty, a renewed installation in their 
 respective situations. 
 
 After the due prostrations of body had been 
 made, according to the prescribed forms of 
 
 M 3
 
 250 THE MIRZA. 
 
 etiquette, the grand vizier stept forward, and 
 renewing his obeisance, covering over his 
 hands with the sleeves of his cloak and shew- 
 ing other marks of high respect, said, 
 
 " It is right and proper that the meanest of 
 your slaves, by virtue of his office, should in- 
 form your Majesty, the kehleh of the world, 
 and the asylum of nations, that appointed as 
 your Majesty has been by Allah, and tKat des- 
 tiny which rules over mankind, to be our King 
 and governor ; it is expedient that the proper 
 forms of install.ition into the kingly office 
 should be effected in order that we, your 
 Majesty's slaves, men of the law, men of the 
 pen, and men of the sword, may be enabled 
 forthwith to present your Majesty to the na- 
 tion and the people of this city, as their law- 
 ful soverei2:n." 
 
 To which speech, there Avas an universal 
 assent given by the congregated courtiers, by 
 the words beli, beli, and hai, hat, words which 
 were intended as incense to the foot of the 
 throne. 
 
 Azbeaz listened with unfeigned surprise and 
 curiosity to the words of the grand vizier, and
 
 THE MIRZA. 251 
 
 when he had finished his speech, beckoned to 
 him to approach, which being done, he said in 
 a most confidential tone, 
 
 *' Now as you have a soul, tell me who you 
 are ?'^ said Azbeaz. 
 
 " Your slave is your highness's grand vizier,^' 
 answered the other. 
 
 "Now tell me who I am?" returned 
 Azbeaz. 
 
 "Your Majesty is our lawful Shah and 
 governor," said the vizier. 
 
 " I ask again," said Azbeaz. " I ask you to 
 swear by my beard, which you see is scanty 
 and white, as well as by your own which is 
 thick and black, that you do not lie, and that 
 I am what you really tell me I am.*' 
 
 " Who am I," said the vizier, " that should 
 not swear whatever it pleaseth your Majesty to 
 order— I swear by your Majesty's sacred beard, 
 and by my own unworthy head, that what I 
 have said is true, and that you are now our 
 lawful King and governor." 
 
 " I tell you what, friend !" said Azbeaz, after 
 a long pause, " you have eaten a lie ! it 
 was but two days ago that I was a shoemaker
 
 252 THE MIRZA. 
 
 in the bazaar, Azbeaz by name — can I have 
 become a King, what words are these ?" 
 
 " Destiny ordaineth all things for the best in 
 this world,^' said the grand vizier. " Allah 
 who can quicken where there was no Hfe, can 
 also make of his living creatures whatsoever it 
 pleaseth him — your Majesty can no more 
 make your sacred person a shoemaker's then 
 before it could have made itself a Shah." 
 
 " It is hard work to believe all this," said 
 Azbeaz, " but we will see,'' and then in louder 
 words he exclaimed. " Well what am I to 
 do?" 
 
 Upon which the chief of the law, the elder 
 of elders, was brought forward bearing the 
 sword of state, which according to the old 
 forms was to be buckled on the royal person 
 by his hands, and said, having made his lowest 
 obedience, " In the name of Allah I come." 
 
 " This may all be very well,' said Azbeaz, 
 " as long as no one says no — but where is 
 the other King, he may not like all this, I'll 
 not be a King as long as I have not got his 
 consent — bring him here and let us see. 
 There is no reason because he beat me un-
 
 THE MIRZA. 253 
 
 justly, that I should owe him a grudge — I'm 
 all for fair play. It is a King's business if 
 he choses it to beat his subjects — it is theirs 
 to obey. Perhaps, I may one day do the 
 like." 
 
 Upon this there was a general search 
 made for the late King : he was sought for 
 throughout the palace, in all the courts and 
 apartments of the harem, throughout the 
 city, but no where was he to be found. It 
 was suggested that he might have been car- 
 ried off by the miraculous iron army, and 
 such was the rumour throughout the city. 
 Ojie, indeed, swore that he had seen him 
 in the iron litter, but whatever was his 
 fate, true it is that he was no where to be 
 found, and when this intelligence was reported 
 to Azbeaz, he no longer made any difficulties, 
 but submitted to go through all the ceremony 
 of installation. 
 
 At a fortunate moment, selected by the 
 astrologers, the sword of state was buckled 
 round the waist of the future King by the 
 elder of elders, and when this important event 
 was achieved, loud were the congratulations
 
 254 THE MIRZA. 
 
 of the assembly, but more particularly so were 
 the words of the King's flatterer, who totally 
 unacquainted with the character of the new 
 monarch, exerted every faculty of his brain to 
 invent new strains of adulation. Having made 
 himself quite sure that he was secure from the 
 reappearance of the late Shah, he broke out as 
 follows : 
 
 " Oil wonderful ! oh astonishing ! oh mar- 
 vellous ! see the good fortune that has been 
 vouchsafed to our nation ; in one day, as Allah 
 is great, in one small moment have its destinies 
 changed, from darkness to light, from the 
 beating of the winter tempest, to the dawn of 
 delightful spring; from the pestilence of a 
 charnel house to the fragrance of a rose garden. 
 When our necks were all bared to the sharp 
 cutting scimitar, when cruelty and desolation 
 stalked through men's houses, and life was as 
 uncertain as the whirlwind on the plain, suddenly 
 we are freed from such disasters ; joy, peace, and 
 security are brought to us, in the person of our 
 shadow of the Almighty — of our centre of per- 
 fection — of our firmament of happy constella- 
 tions. Oh wonderful ! oh astonishing ! oh mar-
 
 THE MIRZA. 255 
 
 vellous ! — see our blessed King— see his glorious 
 person — see his benign countenance. He is, 
 indeed, a King— not the oppressor of his people 
 — not a cruel tyrant — not an avaricious extor- 
 tioner. No ! he lives but to do good, see him 
 when he walks. Bah ! hah ! bah ! what grace ! 
 hear him when he speaks, oh wonderful ! what 
 eloquence !" 
 
 Here Azbeaz, who had listened with curio- 
 sity, heightened by the smile on his coun- 
 tenance, exclaimed : 
 
 '• What dirt is that fellow eating ? In the 
 name of the j^rophet ! what is he speaking about? 
 is he mad ? If you are talking about me, oh 
 Httle man, let me tell you, that I don't stand 
 having my beard laughed at more than other 
 men — that I call things by their proper names 
 — I call a dog, a dog, and you — a fool. It is 
 bad enough to be a King, but I wont be 
 called names into the bargain." 
 
 This strange speech, so totally unlike any 
 speech that had ever been uttered by an eastern 
 monarch, struck all those who heard it with 
 unbounded astonishment. In a court where
 
 256 THE MIRZA. 
 
 no word of truth was ever spoken, wliere 
 deceit was taught as a science, where men by 
 dint of experience learnt the value of every 
 false assertion, almost with the same certainty 
 as if the real truth was spoken at once, to hear 
 it announced by the sovereign himself, that 
 things were to be called by their right names, 
 and that he already felt it a burthen to be a 
 King, were facts scarcely credible. 
 
 The flatterer learnt that his occupation was 
 gone, and all who lived by deceit concluded that 
 they must begin the difhcult labour of becoming 
 honest men. 
 
 As soon as every preparation had been made 
 for the ceremony of shewing himself to the 
 people ; Azbeaz, with the sword of state hanging 
 upon his thigh, was taken to the open chamber, 
 situated over the principal gate of the palace, 
 looking into the great maidan or public square, 
 and there supported by the grand vizier and 
 the elder of elders standing on either side, he 
 was presented to the wondering multitude. 
 
 The astonishment of the citizens upon per- 
 ceiving Azbeaz's well known face and person 
 was so great, that they could scarcely bring
 
 THE MIRZA. 257 
 
 themselves to go through the necessary forms 
 of prestation and acclamation. 
 
 There was one among the crowd who sazed 
 more ardently than the rest at that face, which 
 still shewed its prominent teeth, and bore its 
 wonted smile, and who trembled as he gazed, 
 and that individual was his brother Sakalchok. 
 
 Indignation, envy, hatred, contempt, fear and 
 apprehension, and a stricken conscience ail 
 assailed the heart of this wretched man by 
 turns. He was incredulous to the very last 
 that it could be his brother, and was con- 
 stantly exclaiming to himself, " it is impossible ! 
 it cannot he," until he was driven out of this 
 uncertainty by the words which he heard re- 
 peated around him in the crowd. 
 
 " In truth, men say riglit," said one, " it 
 is Azbeaz, there he is with his beard, little 
 and white, wonderful luck was he born 
 with P' 
 
 '^ Whoever heard of a shoemaker King P' 
 said another, " I shall be a Shah next, who am 
 a tinker." 
 
 " I suppose now that he is King, he won't 
 pay me for the wax he l)ought of me as a shoe- 
 maker," remarked a chandler.
 
 258 THE MIRZA. 
 
 *' If he has got a heart," said a shoemaker, 
 " he will do something for those of his own 
 trade, and lower the price of leather." 
 
 So many observations did Sakalchok liear, 
 that he could no longer live in the illusion 
 that this man was not his brother. 
 
 He then bethought himself what line of 
 conduct to pursue, whether to implore forgive- 
 ness, make restitution, and beg for the conti- 
 nuance of his appointment as court jeweller 
 with hope of further advancement, or wait the 
 tide of events and deliver himself over to the 
 decrees of destiny. He finished by doing 
 nothing, but returned to his home a prey to 
 all the torments of uncertainty. 
 
 On the way, he met the five old men who 
 sat squatted together in a corner of the 
 bazaar, gloomily consulting upon their pro- 
 bable fate, seeing that they must have incurred 
 Azbeaz's displeasure by the indignities they had 
 put upon him. As soon as they perceived 
 Sakalchok, they all exclaimed, " welcome, wel- 
 come — may fortune attend you, your brother 
 is King, may your shadow never be less, give 
 us your advice, the King you know is our
 
 THE MIRZA. 259 
 
 enemy, we have made him eat dirt— what 
 shall we do to conciliate him ?" 
 
 " What do I know ?'^ said Sakalchok in no 
 humour to answer such unreasonable enqui- 
 ries. " Let every man trim his own beard/* 
 he said no more and walked on j the five old 
 men had no time to take offence, but they 
 remained perfectly silent, each wrapt up in 
 their own apprehensions ; and, perhaps, already 
 feeling a certain tingling on the soles of their 
 feet, a sensation well known to those who have 
 once tasted bastinado. 
 
 In the meanwhile, the ceremony of pre- 
 senting the King to his people having been 
 performed, was as usual brought to a con- 
 clusion by the solemn promulgation of the 
 Khotbeh by the principal crier of the court, 
 who with a sonorous voice and most emphatic 
 manner, pronounced the new Shah's titles. 
 He was called the Asylum of the Universe, 
 the Common Centre to which the whole world 
 bows, the King of Kings, the descendant from 
 Kings and the origin of Kings. 
 
 Azbeaz listened with patience to the end, 
 when calling the crier to appear before him, he
 
 260 THE MIRZA. 
 
 said : " Man ! do you know wliat abomination 
 you have been eating ? Who told you that 
 I am a descendant of Kings ? What words are 
 these ? Why without rhyme or reason will 
 you tell lies ? I am the son of Mustapha the 
 tanner, who was the son of a barber, who was 
 the son of a bear leader. You'll please to say 
 so for the future, and then lies M'ill no longer 
 arise from the bottom of your throat to make 
 my face blush, and then men will learn that 
 Kings are no more than other men, of the 
 same flesh and blood, all going to the same 
 place, some to good and some to evil." 
 
 Words cannot express the astonishment that 
 took place in the minds of all present when 
 they heard this extraordinary speech. " Are 
 we alive, or do we dream ? Here is a King 
 such as no one ever saw or heard of. He tells 
 no lies himself, and will not allow others to 
 do so. Another King would have cut off 
 heads had any one dared to hint that his father 
 was a tanner — this one seems to glory in it. 
 Truth of itself is enough to make him noble- 
 Let us see how he will comport himself this 
 day next year."
 
 THE MIRZA. 261 
 
 Azbeaz's principal care, as soon as he had 
 disposed of the ceremony of his installation, 
 was to deposit his M'onder working key in a 
 secure place. Accordingly he directed his 
 steps to the harem, that place so sacred to all 
 the inhabitants of the East, and having en- 
 tered it with due solemnity, he there met 
 with a scene for which he was but little 
 prepared. Never, indeed, had it occurred 
 to him, having gained possession of 
 his predecessors' throne, that he was also 
 destined to possess his wives. He paused 
 and drew back when he perceived the 
 multitude of females awaiting him as he 
 entered the great court of the Anderoon. 
 A long train of magnificently dressed women 
 was marshalled into two Hnes, through which 
 he was invited to walk, and a band of singers 
 and minstrels went before him, rendina; the 
 air with songs and with the sounds of 
 instruments. They sang the laudatory airs 
 with which they had been accustomed to 
 flatter their former master, in which his person 
 was compared to every thing that was most 
 enchanting, and in which his good qualities
 
 262 THE MIRZA. 
 
 were exaggerated even to the attributes of di- 
 vinity. Upon his approach, they all knelt 
 down and kissed the ground. His path was 
 spread with rich stuffs and bottles containing 
 sugar were broken before his feet. 
 
 Azbeaz, dazzled by the beauty of the women 
 and abashed by the intenseness of the adula- 
 tion, shrunk with dismay at what he had to 
 encounter. It was but the other day, he 
 thought, that I ventured to woo and was 
 rejected by one daughter of the moon, 
 and here hundreds vie with each other 
 who shall obtain the distinction of a look. 
 But, by my beard, this will never do. " Here, 
 fair one,'' said he, beckoning to one of the 
 singers who was straining her throat most 
 zealously in his favour, " tell me wherefore 
 do you make this extraordinary noise and say 
 such extravagant things ? — are you all mad 
 perchance ?" 
 
 The slave fell at his feet, and exclaimed : 
 *' You are our King and we are your slaves.'* 
 
 " So is it," said Azbeaz, shaking his head 
 at the same time, in doubt. " Well, I suppose 
 it is so, sinee everybody says it — but because
 
 THE MIRZA. 263 
 
 I am the Shah, it does not follow that I am 
 to be the fool of the country. Prithee, fair 
 one,'' he continued to address the minstrel, 
 " you have been all singing at the top of your 
 throats, and comparing my body to a cypress 
 tree. Now look at my back, it is as crooked 
 as a ram's horn ; how can you tell such lies ? 
 Then you assert that my eyes are as large as 
 those of an antelope. By the prophet, every- 
 body knows they are not larger than those of a 
 mole ; and as for my zulfs, my curls, which you 
 assert smell of myrrh and aloes, I have only 
 two or three coarse grey hairs belonging 
 to me, which can only smell of my old sheep-' 
 skin cap. How can you all deceive your- 
 selves after this fashion ? If I am to be your 
 Shah, I will not be the King of lies, but the 
 King of truth." 
 
 Then calling the head of the eunuchs to 
 him, a gaunt negro, with a face of unrivalled 
 ugliness, he said : " If I am to command 
 these women, you may inform tliem the 
 sooner they fmd themselves husbands the 
 better, both for them and me. Tliey are none 
 of mine. Every man sits upon his own heels,
 
 264 TFIE MIUZA. 
 
 SO let each have his own mate. And as for 
 you, you may go and hang yourself, for your 
 craft is at an end." 
 
 Strange was all this in an eastern and much 
 more in a royal harem. The singing, the 
 music and the processions were suppressed, 
 and any jealousy and heart-hurning that might 
 exist to obtain the new King's favour were 
 soon crushed. The elder women, however, 
 broke out into downright lamentation, and 
 accused the King of cruelty and injustice ; 
 but to those who had feeling, new life ac- 
 companied by hope was opened to them, and 
 they longed to make themselves agreeable to 
 objects more fitted to secure their affections 
 than an ugly shoemaker, though he were a 
 King. 
 
 As soon as Azbeaz was left to himself, he 
 took the key from his girdle, and selecting a 
 place in the corner of the room under his own 
 seat, he there deposited it for the present. 
 He then desired that the grand vizier might 
 appear before him, when he spoke to him as 
 follows : 
 
 " It is now plain that I am the Shah. God
 
 THE MIRZA. 2G5 
 
 only knows why or wherefore — but so it is. 
 You are, as you tell me, the vizier, and, con- 
 sequently, I suppose a wise man. That is 
 not my case. I cannot call myself a wise man, 
 for although I am the Shah, yet it is as little 
 in consequence of my merit, as it was in 
 consequence of having ten fingers that I became 
 a shoemaker. All things great and small are 
 directed by powers of which we know nothing. 
 Allah is Allah, and whether we will or not, he is 
 still Allah. Now you being the wise man and 
 knowing how to govern a kingdom, you will 
 please to tell me what I am to do from one year's 
 end to another, from morning till night, and 
 from hour to hour. I feel that my time be- 
 longs to the country, so does my conduct ; 
 therefore, tell me how I am to fill up one and 
 direct the other." 
 
 The grand vizier, a self-sufficient personage, 
 squared his elbows and inflated his person, pre- 
 paratory to giving an appropriate reply to the 
 King's inquiry. He began, as usual, with fine 
 phrases, and having once got well into his sub- 
 ject, he knew not where to stop. First, he des- 
 canted largely upon etiquette, upon the science of 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 266 THE MiaZA. 
 
 rising up and sitting down — upon going out and 
 coming in — upon speech and forms of speech — 
 upon appropriate dress, when the taj, or crown, 
 is to be worn, when the cap with tlie shawl, 
 or when the plain cap — upon the close vesture, 
 short coats and ample cloaks — upon receiving 
 ambassadors, sitting near or far oif ; in short, 
 so entirely did the grand vizier make it manifest 
 that the kingly office was more made up of 
 precedents and old forms, than of the actual 
 workings of the brain, that Azbeaz cried out, 
 with a long yawn : 
 
 " Very difficult is all this to recollect ! If 
 this it is to be a King, ' I shall never make 
 a good one." He then stopped the vizier, 
 who would willingly have continued his lec- 
 ture, and said : " What you have said is no 
 doubt perfectly right — so be it. However, 
 there is one thing in which I want to try my 
 hand, and that is justice. I wish to try it 
 immediately. You must, in the first place, 
 order my brother Sakalchok, the jeweller to 
 appear before me ; in the next, you will send 
 (to a house) which he designated for five old 
 men who live there or thereabouts j and in the
 
 THE MIRZA. 267 
 
 third, you must discover and bring to me a 
 youth, who on the day that I was sorely beaten 
 by the late Shah, bound up my wounds and 
 took care of me. If I am to be a Kinir, let 
 me try what a King can do.'' 
 
 H& had not waited long ere it was an- 
 nounced to him that his brother was in at- 
 tendance. As soon as Sakalchok appeared, 
 he fell on his face in the most abject manner, 
 and having kissed the ground, arose and stood 
 in the attitude of one condemned to death. 
 Azbeaz having desired him to draw near, ad- 
 dressed him in the following words : 
 
 " We all must bend to destiny, which is 
 .nothing else than the decrees of Allah, and, 
 therefore, I make no apology for being your 
 King, although I am your youngest brother. 
 Had you behaved as you ought to have done 
 when I was in humble circumstances, you 
 would not stand before me in the abject, 
 and, consequently, disgusting position in which 
 you now appear. You would have come with 
 your nose up and your cap on one side, and have 
 rejoiced at my elevation, instead of which, you 
 bear envy, hatred and malice in your heart, 
 
 N 2
 
 268 THE MIRZA. 
 
 and concluding that such passions equally 
 possess me, you appear like a criminal worthy 
 of death before me. Shame upon you ! As a 
 brother I say this. Now I Mall speak to you 
 as a shoemaker. Have you brought Sir, the 
 sum of money you owe me ? I have made 
 shoes for you and your family for years, and 
 have not received one farthing. Pay me in- 
 stantly, or otherwise you shall incur the utmost 
 rigour of the law." 
 
 Sakalchok, upon hearing these words, be- 
 came elated, for he hoped by the payment of 
 this debt to be quit of further punishment. 
 
 " As I am your Majesty's slave,^' said he, 
 " whatever your Majesty may order, 1 am 
 ready to pay. The debt is a poor one, not 
 worthy your Majesty's notice. Let me double 
 or triple the amount. Your slave is ready." 
 
 " I only ask for my own," said Azbeaz, 
 " for that which, when I was poor and power- 
 less, you constantly refused to pay me. I 
 know the sum well. It was one hundred and 
 fifty piastres and ten copper coins. I want 
 that and no more." 
 
 The trembling Sakalchok with pleasure
 
 THE MIRZA. 269 
 
 counted out the money and placed it before 
 the Shah. 
 
 " Well — this is well. You have now settled the 
 account with the shoemaker j you have now to 
 deal with the Shah. I am the Shah, and as such, 
 I am the source of justice and the support of 
 what is right. You have behaved as a cruel, 
 unnatural, unjust, proud and arrogant man. 
 Unnatural and cruel as a relation, unjust as 
 a citizen, proud and arrogant in your general 
 conduct. For these delinquencies I intend 
 to reprove you. Your pride must be humbled, 
 you must be taught the miseries of unjust 
 dealing. I, as the Shah, destitute you from 
 your public employment of court jeweller, and 
 I become the steward of all your wealth, as 
 long as it shall seem fit for me to be so. 
 Learn from this what injustice means. You 
 shall forthwith be installed in my shop, and 
 there you may make shoes as I have done. 
 Thus you will learn humility, and know what 
 it is to labour for your bread. Go. I have 
 said it." 
 
 At hearing these words, the unfortunate 
 Sakalchok fell on his face in despair, " pity.
 
 270 THE MIRZA. 
 
 oil pity," he exclaimed, " forgive me, forgive 
 my past faults — take everything, but spare my 
 money. I cannot make shoes. As your slave 
 is less than the least, he implores you to re- 
 flect that he never made a shoe in his life." 
 
 " Go — learn !" exclaimed the inflexible Az- 
 beaz, upon which his brother was dragged 
 away, and orders were given that the royal 
 commands should be enforced. 
 
 The five old men were next brought into 
 the presence, and even at a distance, the 
 moment they had caught a glimpse of the King 
 on his musnud, they fell to the ground and 
 touched the pavement with their foreheads. 
 
 " Come forward old men," exclaimed Azbeaz, 
 " it will be time to humble yourselves when 
 you have heard what I have to say." 
 
 They all arose, and covering their bodies 
 over carefully, sidled onward till they stood 
 immediately facing the King, with their 
 heads down, looking more dead than alive. 
 
 " Perhaps you will recollect certain words," 
 said Azbeaz, " which I once pronounced in the 
 form of a prediction — neither of us then sus- 
 pected how soon they would come true ; now
 
 THE MIRZA. 271 
 
 had you behaved to me with the civility and 
 kindness which are due from God's creatures 
 one towards the other, what necessity would 
 there be for your present abject condition ; you 
 only invite me to have you well beaten. You 
 stand in the position of curs, which dare not shew 
 their faces out of their own parish ; you avow 
 yourselves to be materials for the bastinado — 
 sacks to be beaten — old carpets to be dusted ; 
 you might have come before me with your five 
 chins in the air, inhaling the breath of heaven, 
 with the independance of men who have nothing 
 to fear. You might have put your hands on 
 your hips and thrown your five fingers into 
 my face, had I exacted anything from you 
 unjustly. But as it is, I am the aggrieved 
 man, besides being a despotic King — I can 
 make you pluck out each other's beards hair 
 by hair — make you spit in each other's faces — 
 I can set you begging from door to door, 
 making those whom you have before des- 
 pised turn their backs upon you and say, 
 ' ha ! ha !' — I could render you miserable old 
 men to the end of your days, in consequence 
 of those words of contumely you taunted me
 
 2/2 THE MIRZA. 
 
 "vvith ■when I asked you a plain question and 
 made a simple demand. What have you to 
 say for yourselves ? — speak first, you young- 
 est old man," said he addressing himself to 
 the youngest uncle of her whom he sought as a 
 wife, " speak and let me hear what you have to 
 say.'^ 
 
 " What can I say ?" said the youngest uncle, 
 stroking down his face with one hand and 
 keeping his cloak well wrapt over him with the 
 other. " I am less than an ounce of dust. 
 The measure of the abomination which I have 
 eaten has long been filled up ; whatever your 
 Majesty has said — has, mashallah ! been well 
 said. True it is, oh King ! we are five wretched 
 old men^ we have been biting our thumbs ever 
 since that fatal day, and saying from morning 
 to night, ' we have made a mistake.' Forgive 
 us ! Forgive us ! in favour of her whom you once 
 loved — of her who cries day and night that 
 she has lost her apple." 
 
 " What apple ?" exclaimed Azbeaz suddenly 
 softened by hearing his beloved mentioned. 
 
 " The apple of her eye to be sure," answered 
 the youngest old man, " who but your Majesty 
 has she ever loved, or ever can love ?''
 
 THE MIRZA. 273 
 
 At these words, Azbeaz appeared still more 
 touched, and the remaining four old men 
 having observed this, corroborated the assertion 
 of the youngest old man by saying, 
 
 " Beli ! Beli ! — yes, yes — he speaks the truth ; 
 the maiden is dying of grief and disappoint- 
 ment." 
 
 Azbeaz here made a solemn pause in his pro- 
 ceedings, because the assertion of the old men 
 that he was beloved, opened the channels of his 
 former weakness, and the beauty of her whom 
 he had once so ardently admired, flashed 
 before his eyes with resistless charm. 
 
 " If I thought what you now tell me were 
 true,'' said Azbeaz thoughtfully, '^ the whole 
 state of the case would be altered." 
 
 " By the Shah's soul — by the beard of the 
 centre of the universe — by the crown on his 
 head — by the armlet on his arm," said the five 
 old men with uplifted voices, " wc swear that 
 it is true." 
 
 " How am I to know that it is true ?" said 
 the King, " a Shah and a shoemaker are two 
 very different persons, although they may still 
 have the same hump, the same monkey face, 
 
 N 3
 
 274 THE MIRZA. 
 
 the same prominent teeth, the same beard 
 little and white. Mark that old gentlemen — 
 I will not have the finger of derision pointed 
 at me, recollect I no longer wield the awl, I 
 liave sticks and arms at command." 
 
 " See her — see the maiden herself," exclaimed 
 an uncle, who now saw an escape from his 
 difficulties. " Allow her to speak her own senti- 
 ments, and if she does not acknowledge herself 
 to be the devoted slave, the grateful hand-majd 
 of her King, then treat us as we deserve ; we 
 are your sacrifice, whatsoever your Majesty 
 ordains — we will say, upon our eyes be it." 
 
 " Bring her hither," said Azbeaz, " and 
 we will see. But mark me, I do not intend 
 to force her inclinations, and should there 
 be any deception, all I say is, open well 
 your eyes." 
 
 The five old men then left his presence, and 
 presently two veiled females were introduced, 
 the mother escorting her daughter. As soon 
 as the room had been cleared, Azbeaz requested 
 the women to unveil, when the well remem- 
 bered charms of the maiden who had enslaved 
 his heart were revealed to him, as well as the
 
 THE MIRZA. 27.) 
 
 less attractive features of lier mother. Azbeaz 
 would willingly have given his crown to secure 
 the advantages of beauty to himself, and there- 
 by become accej^table to the lovely creature 
 who stood before him ; sorely did he feel 
 how little wealth, power and greatness of j^osi- 
 tion had to weigh against individual merit, and 
 when he contemplated his ugliness, he felt 
 that it was not in nature that he could be 
 loved. 
 
 " What is this that I hear, thou pearl of beau- 
 ty !'^ said Azbeaz addressing himself to the 
 maiden, " is it true that I have found favour 
 in your sight, and that you are willing to make 
 me happy.'* 
 
 ^* We are your slaves," exclaimed the 
 mother without allowing her daughter to 
 answer, " we have but one wish and that is 
 to please you. Who is this poor lowly 
 daughter that she should venture to have a will 
 of her own }" 
 
 " Allow her to speak," said Azbeaz, " it is 
 not you we want to wed — let the maiden speak. 
 Tell me sugar lips," said he to the daughter, 
 " tell me what are the secrets of your heart.
 
 276 THE MIRZA. 
 
 and whatever thev be do not conceal the 
 
 
 
 truth." 
 
 " She has no secrets," again answered the 
 mother, looking towards the daughter, fearful 
 lest this invitation to candour from the King 
 might really impel the daughter to speak the 
 truth. " If she has a secret, it is that of loving 
 the King above all things, longing to make 
 the dust of his slippers colyrium for her 
 eyes." 
 
 The weak girl feeling the dilemma in which 
 she was placed, having been tutored by her 
 relations to avow her love for Azbeaz, whilst she 
 abhorred the idea of becoming his wife, fell 
 into a nervous state of distressing indecision, 
 the consequence of which proved itself by 
 tears which she could in no wise res- 
 train. 
 
 " How is this, fair one," said the King, " is 
 our love to be requited by tears — if my words 
 be pleasing to you, wherefore cry ? if not, why 
 do you not speak ?" 
 
 Upon this the maiden falling on her knees 
 in an attitude of supplication, exclaimed ; 
 "pity, pity, lama poor weak one — I know
 
 THE MIRZA. 2/7 
 
 not what to do — is it a crime to have loved 
 before I was told to love in the proper 
 place ?'' 
 
 " What words are these ?" exclaimed the 
 mother in a rage — " loved before, indeed ! 
 how dare you love when the centre of the 
 universe commands otherwise ?'^ 
 
 " Hold your peace woman !" exclaimed 
 Azbeaz, " I want the truth and nothing but 
 the truth — so you hive loved before, that is 
 well spoken, if so we have nought to say — we 
 are silent — we praise Allah that we are not the 
 cause of an injustice — no, we have been foolish 
 — for in truth, love such as mine, out of a hump 
 and a monkey face is repulsive to beauty as 
 oil refuses to mix with the limpid stream." 
 
 " Believe her not, asylum of the universe," 
 still vociferated the mother, " she is a perverse 
 and wilful girl — she knows that she loves you, 
 and only persists in her obstinacy to refuse a 
 happiness too great for her, because she gets 
 it for nothing/' 
 
 " What she has said, she has said," returned 
 Azbeaz, " we force no one," then turning again 
 to the maiden he continned;, " perhaps you know
 
 278 THE MIRZA. 
 
 that Kings are powerful men and can do 
 mighty things. Now, if we knew who was 
 this happy youth who was heloved by you, 
 we might be of great use. Speak, the Shah is 
 your friend, though you refuse him as a 
 lover." 
 
 Here the maiden fell on her knees and 
 implored that she might be no more questioned. 
 " Your slave," she said crying through her 
 tears, " is a speck of dirt as compared to a 
 mountain — she is nothing — she is not worth 
 your notice — allow her to sit in a corner and 
 not be known — who, or what she likes or dis- 
 likes can be of no consequence to any one.'^ 
 
 Azbeaz seeing the rage and violence which 
 possessed the mother, insisted upon allowing 
 entire freedom to the maiden to do whatever she 
 found most agreeable to herself, and threatened 
 if he heard of any violence being offered to 
 her, that he woidd visit such offence with a 
 serious punishment. He could not refrain, 
 however, from upbraiding the mother with the 
 falsehood of her brothers-in-law, and avowed it 
 his intention to visit them with his displeasure. 
 " What do they suppose," said he, " that a
 
 THE MIRZA. 279 
 
 King is only to sit on his throne in order to be 
 laughed at — no ! no ! without truth nothing is to 
 be done— with it, all is straight forwards, and 
 man lives to good purposes. Tell them to settle 
 their minds'into this conviction, that the Shah 
 will burn their fathers/' 
 
 Upon hearing these words, both mother and 
 daughter with much wailing and many tears fell 
 to beseeching him to pardon them, requesting 
 him to reflect, that Kings were greater in bes- 
 towing mercy than in inflicting punishment. 
 Azbeaz ceded to the prayers of the maiden, for 
 he was softened by her truth and single- 
 heartedness, and promised, that for the present, 
 he would leave her uncles unmolested. 
 
 When he had dismissed the women, he 
 then inquired whether the youth who was 
 kind to him in his distress had been dis- 
 covered, and soon after, to the King's great 
 joy, he appeared and stood before him. 
 
 '^ Come forward,^' exclaimed Azbeaz. 
 
 The youth took off" his shoes, made a low 
 bow and advanced some steps. 
 
 '' Come up hither," again he exclaimed. 
 
 The youth again advanced some steps, and
 
 280 THE MIRZA. 
 
 entered the very room in which the King was 
 seated. 
 
 " Come and sit here," said the King, point- 
 ing to the very musnud upon which he sat. 
 
 The youth, with the greatest humihty of 
 mien and attitude, did as he was ordered, and 
 when Azheaz observed the astonishment ex- 
 pressed by those of his attendants who were 
 near, he said : 
 
 " It is thus that I treat the man, wlio dared 
 to show compassion, when every one else ex- 
 pressed contempt — who, unmindful of his own 
 safety, only thought of my suffering, and wlto 
 by so doing had nothing to gain but all to 
 lose. Such a man is above all value — what- 
 ever honour he may receive, can in no wise add 
 to his worth — the only recompense he really 
 can receive is from Allah." 
 
 Upon this he ordered a robe of great value 
 to be thrown over his shoulders, and a diamond 
 headed dagger to be brought from the royal 
 treasury and placed in his girdle. The youtli 
 abashed and ashamed at such unheard of dis- 
 tinction, could scarcely give utterance to his 
 feelings of gratitude, at length, falling on his 
 knee before the King he said :
 
 THE MIRZA. 281 
 
 " Why will your Highness sink the heart of 
 his slave into the lowest depths of humiUty. 
 He is and ever was the less than the least, 
 and since it has been his happiness to meet with 
 the approval of the centre of the universe, it 
 is plain that his good fortune proceeds more 
 from the decrees of fate than from any merit 
 of his.'' 
 
 " Speak no more," said Azbeaz, " we know 
 that we do know, and do that which we 
 approve. Now, as merit is rare, and as there 
 is none without truth, and as I know you have 
 the one, and, therefore, conclude you possess 
 the other, sit down, and without delay relate 
 to me your history, for my name is not ^ little 
 and white' if I do not make you feel what 
 friendship means." 
 
 STORY OF'kHODADAD. 
 
 The youth then overcoming his bashful- 
 ness, spoke as follows : 
 
 " May it please your Majesty, your slave was 
 born under an evil destiny. He is ignorant
 
 282 THE MIRZA. 
 
 Avho is his father, and what is still more 
 surprizing, he cannot say who was his mother 
 — he is the meanest of God's creatures — he 
 does not know to whom he belongs, by no 
 ingenuity has he been able to discover whence 
 he came — no one claims him, and he has lived 
 by the pure and sole protection of that Pro- 
 vidence, who watches over the life and being of 
 those creatures whom he has called into ex- 
 istence. The only relatives I can claim are a 
 family of puppies with whom I was found 
 lying in one confused heap, and I am told, 
 it was difficult to distinguish my infant cries 
 from their earliest yelping. In truth, one 
 summer morning, I was discovered by a 
 negress lying upon a dunghill situated close 
 to the walls of the palace, and almost equi-dis- 
 tant between the door of a mollah's house and 
 that of a well known money-changer. This 
 event was soon known tin the mahal ox dis- 
 trict, and as all good Mussulmans were unani- 
 mous in the opinion that I ought to be taken 
 care of, such being the injunction in the 
 blessed Koran, it was determined that I should 
 live, but then came the question who was to
 
 THE MIUZA. 283 
 
 possess me ? The general opinion was, that I 
 belonged to the house to which I was the 
 nearest when found, therefore, it remained to 
 be decided whether I belonged to the mollah or 
 the money- changer. Neither of these wor- 
 thies, when called upon to exercise the virtues 
 of charity and benevolence, seemed at all 
 pleased at the preference shewn them, and 
 they contended that my interests being the 
 interests of the whole community, saying 
 I was the child of destiny, it was not fair 
 tliat either of them should be entrusted 
 with the duty of bringing me up — others op- 
 posed to this, that it was a great benefit 
 to possess a human creature so circum- 
 stanced — it evidently was a gift from 
 heaven, and, therefore, ought to be highly 
 prized — besides a man child was worth a good 
 price in the market at all times, and the ex- 
 pence of rearing would be well repaid by a fu- 
 ture sale. After much discussion, it was at 
 length determined that I should belong to him, 
 to whose threshold I was the nearest when 
 found, and in order to determine this, it was 
 necessary to come to actual measurement.
 
 284 THE MIRZA. 
 
 From the dunsrliill to the mollah's threshold 
 was fifty-three gez, and to the threshold of 
 the money-changer fifty-two gez, thus, in my 
 misfortune, I belonged to the money changer 
 by one gez. In the meanwhile, as long as this 
 question was pending, I was running a fair 
 chance of dvint; from want of sustenance. 
 Wrapt up in the shirt of the negress, a 
 kind hearted slave who belonged to the money- 
 changer, I was crying my young heart out 
 from sheer hunger, and it was only after the 
 difficulty of who was my master was settled, 
 that any demonstrations were made of sup- 
 plying me with food. 
 
 The next question was, how was I to be 
 named. The mollah grown generous from his 
 good luck, said that I ought to be called Kho- 
 dadad, or ' given by God,' but the money- 
 clianger smarting under the burthen imposed 
 upon him, insisted upon my being called Ne- 
 jes Cooli, ' the slave of uncleanness,' and thus 
 I was issued into the world. This ill-omened 
 name, which marked the feelings of my mas- 
 ter towards me, became an excuse for all the 
 future miseries which I was destined to en-
 
 THE MIRZA. 285 
 
 dure. I had fallen into the hands of one 
 of the worst specimens of our nature in 
 the shape of man. There never was installed, 
 I verily believe, so mean a mind in so ill- 
 favoured a body. Avarice was his ruling vice. 
 The love of gold had entirely choaked every 
 avenue of good feeling in his heart, and having 
 now, so he flattered himself, expiated every 
 sin by taking me in and adopting me as a 
 child of charity, he felt that he was at liberty 
 to beat me as he chose. He bore on his per- 
 son all the outward marks of his penurious 
 habits. Long and bony by nature, he became 
 emaciated from scanty food. His haggard 
 face was lighted up by a suspicious eye, that 
 was ever on the watch, and his long skinny 
 hands, seemed to be reserved for no other 
 purpose than to handle gold. He never threw 
 away a thing— he even kept the parings of his 
 nails and the combings of his beard. His 
 room was the deposit of old shoes, and tat- 
 tered clothes, for he never treated himself to 
 a new caba as lou^; as the old one could hang 
 together.
 
 2S6 THE MIRZA. 
 
 His household consisted of a wife, a daugh- 
 ter and the negress slave above mentioned. 
 The daughter was an infant when I entered 
 the family, and we grew up together. It is 
 extraordinary that I grew at all considering the 
 small quantity of food that was allowed for my 
 use, but the negress was a kind-hearted crea- 
 ture and she often stinted herself for me : the 
 daughter too, as she increased in stature, proved 
 the very reverse of her father in disposition, for 
 her whole pleasure consisted in giving, and she 
 would rather have starved herself than see me 
 want. As soon as my mind began to expand, 
 the mollah who felt himself in duty bound 
 to contribute to my well being, offered to 
 educate me, and I was daily sent to his little 
 school in the mosque, where I learnt my Alif 
 Beh,* and where the first rudiments of the 
 Koran were instilled into me. The mollah 
 v/as a conscientious man, and, therefore, not 
 sparing of his instructions ; but as the food for 
 the body which I received from the money- 
 changer was not proportionate to that for the 
 mind which I obtained from the mollah, I did 
 * The Arabic A. B. C.
 
 THE MIRZA. 287 
 
 not thrive in either. Indeed, had it not been 
 for the affectionate attentions of Gulchin, the 
 money-changer's daughter, I very probably 
 should have sunk under the miseries I endur- 
 ed. Oftentimes did I determine, as I grew up, 
 to run away in the hope of dying on the top of 
 some mountain among wild beasts rather than 
 endure the privations I was made to undergo, 
 but I was always prevented by my affection 
 for Gulchin. She grew up in every grace of 
 body and mind, and as we advanced in years 
 our hearts became united by ties stronger than 
 those of brotherly and sisterly affection. We 
 soon mutually revealed what we could no lon- 
 ger conceal, and we made engagements to 
 love each other by vows of eternal constancy. 
 
 It is difficult to say in what capacity I was 
 brought up. I was treated as a slave — fre- 
 quently as a child of the house, and as I 
 advanced in life, the money-changer placed 
 more confidence in me than in any other hu- 
 man being, although he scarcely allowed me 
 the necessaries of life. I \vas permitted to 
 accompany him to his smallest of stalls in 
 the bazaar where he carried on his traffic,
 
 288 THE MIRZA. 
 
 and when he was not otherwise engaged, he 
 would teach me the tricks of his profession, 
 particularly the art of clipping coin, and of 
 extracting from the black stone on which he 
 tried the purity of the gold which was given 
 him to change, the powder which the metal left 
 upon its surface. I was but a poor scholar, for 
 I had no turn for money making in any 
 shape, but I endeavoured to acquire his con- 
 fidencC;, by never losing an opportunity of 
 exerting myself for his interests. At the proper 
 time, I was debarred seeing Gulchin, for she 
 then became a close inmate of the harem, 
 whilst I became a man — but at this juncture, 
 her father died, and to my great grief, I lost 
 the principal charm of my existence, that of 
 seeing and conversing with her. She was con- 
 veyed to the house of her uncle, with whom 
 she resided, and it was then with great diffi- 
 culty that I could communicate with her. My 
 forlorn situation obliged me to abandon all 
 hopes of living near her, for it became neces- 
 sary to seek some mode of gaining rny bread, 
 and the money-changer's brothers, of whom 
 he had many, were neither of them willing
 
 THE MIRZA. 289 
 
 to inherit me as a possession. The mollah was 
 still my friend, and he, good man, took me into 
 his house, until I could provide myself with a 
 situation. He possessed an intimate acquain- 
 tance in the Mirab, or the comptroller of 
 water, an officer appointed by the government 
 to superintend the acqueducts that supplied 
 the city, distributing this necessary of life to 
 the inhabitants according to their wants, and 
 the extent of ground requiring irrigation. 
 This oftentimes was a service of danger, par- 
 ticularly in seasons of drought, when the feuds 
 and squabbles, which took place at the opening 
 of the canals were frequently attended by 
 bloodshed. He was in want of an assistant, 
 and my friend the mollah, recommended 
 me for the situation, as one able to read, 
 and write and keep his accounts, as well as 
 second him in time of need, being a strong 
 active youth, which indeed I was. Having 
 undergone the Mirab's inspection I was ac- 
 cepted, and soon after installed in my office. 
 Provided with a spade as an emblem of office, I 
 appeared in attendance upon my master, at the 
 first distribution of the waters. I perceived 
 
 VOL. I. O
 
 290 THE MIRZA. 
 
 that I often should be called upon to exercise 
 much inflexibility and resolution, for the 
 gardeners and peasants with whom we had 
 to deal, were a grasping, discontented set, 
 always ready to set up claims to more than 
 their due and enforcing them by something 
 more than mere words. I was fortunate 
 enough to acquire the confidence of my master, 
 who having discovered that I could be trusted 
 to manage matters alone, frequently left me 
 to deal with the gardeners and peasants single- 
 handed, and I found that more could be done 
 by kind words and conciliation than by the 
 violent language he indulged in. 
 
 I became quite reconciled to my new situa- 
 tion, particularly as it occasionally gave me op- 
 portunities of seeing my beloved Gulchin. 
 But 1 could aspire to nothing more, for what 
 could an unknown youth, poor, without pa- 
 rents, and born a slave, expect ? I was not in 
 a situation to marry, besides, I found that 
 her uncles expected to derive great advantages 
 from her beauty, which now became the talk 
 of the city. However, I determined to per- 
 severe in my love, seeing that I was loved in
 
 THE MIRZA. 291 
 
 return, and to put my trust in Allah, hoping 
 that destiny might throw something fortunate 
 in our path — and my hopes were soon rea- 
 lized. The ensuing summer proved one of 
 extreme drought, and water became so scarce, 
 that fears were entertained lest the reser- 
 voirs would fail us. My master enjoined me 
 to use great precaution in the distribution 
 of the water, and, indeed, all my prudence 
 and forbearance were required to meet the 
 violence with which it was contended for. 
 
 One mornnig in the middle of summer 
 when the heats were raging, and the drought 
 was at its crisis, I went to open the canal, 
 and, to my dismay, so scanty a stream appeared, 
 that I deemed it advisable to foreclose the 
 supply, rather than promote hopes not to be 
 realized. 
 
 The gardeners were informed of this, and 
 soon I M^as beset by a band of fierce men, who 
 demanded their rights in a tone which told 
 me how much their passions were roused, 
 and made me apprehend the worst conse- 
 quences. I answered in as concihating a 
 manner as possible, * That there was no water, 
 
 o 2
 
 292 THE MIRZA. 
 
 that the springs were dry and the aqueduct 
 useless/ 
 
 My appeal was retorted by language the 
 most violent and abusive. 
 
 ' What dirt are you eating ?' said one. 
 ' Are we men to stand by and hear such lies, 
 when our, gardens are dying for want of mois- 
 ture, and ruin staring us in the face ?' 
 
 ' Give us water!' roared out a second, 'or 
 by the twelve Imams, we will burn your 
 father.' 
 
 ' See this hand !' exclaimed a third, brand- 
 ishing a dagger, * I am not a Mussulman if I 
 do not receive my quantum. You a man, 
 indeed, to be assistant of the Mirab, and 
 when you ought to be doing your duty, tell us 
 that you will not act !' 
 
 I again exi^lained the impossibility of 
 meeting their demands. I could not produce 
 water where none was. I was not a prophet. 
 I could not perform a miracle. 
 
 Mv words were of no avail. I might as well 
 have talked to walls. The abusive language of 
 ray opponents became more violent. I was 
 threatened to be torn to pieces. I was ap-
 
 THE MIRZA. 2f>3 
 
 proached with violent gestures. Still I bore all 
 with patience ; when one more arrogant than the 
 rest coming on with a determination to do me 
 harm, and having lifted up his arm to strike, 
 I dealt him such a blow with my spade that 
 it felled him to the ground. 
 
 Others then came on, I defended myself 
 with vigour, keeping off the assailants as 
 well as I was able, but I should have fallen a 
 prey to their fury, had not the Mirab him- 
 self come to my rescue. His superior au- 
 thority was a sufficient check, and quiet was 
 restored. My conduct, however, w^as lauded 
 in a manner quite beyond my merit. I was 
 extolled as a hero, and my prowess having 
 come to the ears of the commander of the 
 King's body-guard, I was immediately taken 
 from the service of the Mirab, who was loth 
 to part with me, and enrolled among the 
 royal gholams. 
 
 This was a piece of elevation for which 1 
 was not in the least prepared, and I accepted 
 it with gratitude, as well as hope that it might 
 lead to further advancement. In my exultation, 
 I foresaw the possibility of becoming an 
 accepted suitor to Gulchin.
 
 294 THE MIRZA. 
 
 It was reported that her uncles had re- 
 cently refused the hand of a respectable trades- 
 man ; that their noses were well up, their 
 hearts full of arrogance, and that they assert- 
 ed she was too good for common mortals, a 
 royal harem only being worthy of her. It was 
 about this time, O King ! that your slave 
 had the good fortune to offer his humble assis- 
 tance in relieving your miseries. See how 
 great my good fortune ! Who would have 
 thought that so simple and natural an action 
 would have led to the approval of a great Shah, 
 and placed me in the envied position in which 
 I now sit." 
 
 " You have spoken well, by Allah !" ex- 
 claimed Azbeaz, as soon as the youth had 
 closed his lips. " You have spoken the 
 truth, which, of all virtues, is the best as it is 
 the rarest to the ears of a King. Now attend. 
 In the first place, then, I shall call you 
 Khodadad, for you, indeed, have been a gift 
 of God to me — in the next place, if I enjoy 
 any power as a King, I can raise the man I 
 love best to whatever dignity I choose. I, 
 therefore, create you a khan. So now you 
 are Khodadad Khan ! No more words.''
 
 THE MIRZA. 295 
 
 Upon which the youth was about to kneel 
 before Azbeaz^ to make the proper prostrations, 
 and kiss the hem of his cloak, when he was 
 speedily prevented, desired to sit still and 
 answer questions. 
 
 " Now, tell me," said Azbeaz, " tell me, 
 where does the maiden live of whom you have 
 spoken." Khodadad designated the precise 
 spot. " And inform me," continued the King, 
 " whether her uncles be not five old men, 
 the most arrogant, insolent and ill-spoken 
 old men in the world." Khodadad answered 
 in the affirmative. 
 
 " Before another moment has elapsed," 
 said the King, " you will straightway take 
 with you one of the executioner's officers, 
 proceed, and return bringing with you the said 
 five old men, accompanied by the maiden, their 
 niece. Conduct them hither without delay. 
 Such are the King^s commands under penalty 
 of death." 
 
 Khodadad did as he was ordered. Taking 
 with him an executioner's officer, he pro- 
 ceeded to the house, so well known to him as 
 containing the object of his love, and knocking
 
 296 THE MIRZA. 
 
 at the door, he commanded it to be opened 
 in the name of the King. The youngest old 
 man with whom the maiden Hved, came for- 
 ward in great trepidation seeing a King's offi- 
 cer and an executioner at his door, and en- 
 quired what might be the news. 
 
 " We are come," said Khodadad, " on the 
 part of the Shah. Collect your brothers and 
 bring hither your niece. You must all go 
 before the royal presence." 
 
 " We have done nothing. In the name of 
 Allah," said the uncle, " wherefore should we 
 again go before the King ? We have already 
 been pardoned and dismissed.'^ 
 
 " Words are useless when the King com- 
 mands," said the executioner's officer, who 
 well knew his office. " Quick ! — be stirring — 
 do not keep the Shah waiting. Call hither 
 your brothers, bid your niece put on her veil — 
 let us be going." 
 
 Gulchin having heard the words of the 
 officer, ran with haste and in dismay, fol- 
 lowed by her mother to the men's apart- 
 ments, and seeing Khodadad, she could 
 scarcely recover from her surprise at so un- 
 expected an occurrence.
 
 »*e* ••-:>. 
 
 THE MIRZA. 2.07 
 
 " Fear nothing !" said Khodadad. " I am 
 with you. Hasten to fulfil the King's com- 
 mands." 
 
 Her mother would have opened the battery 
 of her volubility had she been allowed, but 
 seeing that matters were really serious, she 
 prepared to obey commands which could not 
 be resisted. 
 
 At length, the five old men, their niece and 
 her mother, having been marshalled into a 
 procession, they were led before the royal 
 presence. Azbeaz was seated on his musnud, 
 and the moment they appeared, he ordered 
 them to stand on one side, with the maiden in 
 front whilst he placed Khodadad immediately 
 opposite. Then addressing Gulchin in a kind 
 and cheering manner, he said : 
 
 " Tell me, fair one, do you know that per- 
 son ?" pointing to Khodadad. 
 
 After much hesitation, she said : " Yes, I 
 know him. He is the same of whom your 
 slave ventured to speak to your Majesty." 
 
 Her mother upon this avowal, would liave 
 spoken, but she was prevented. Then, turning 
 to the old men, Azbeaz said : 
 
 o 3
 
 298 THE MIRZA. 
 
 " Do you too know this youth ?" 
 
 " Yes/' said one, " yes, we know him ; 
 he is Nejis CooU, our late Ijrother's skive." 
 
 " Yes,^' said another, " he was found on a 
 dunghill among a litter of puppies." 
 
 " Yes," said a third, " he had the audacity to 
 love our niece.'' 
 
 " Yes,'' said a fourtli, " he hecame a brawler 
 and killed a gardener." 
 
 to' 
 
 " Yes," said the fifth, " he then thought 
 himself a great man, and proposed for our 
 
 niece." 
 
 " Now, fair one," turning to Gulchin, the 
 King said, " now here is Nejis Cooli, the child 
 of uncleanness — a slave — one born on a dung- 
 hill — the brother of do2;s. One who has 
 dared to love you — a brawler — a killer of 
 gardeners — who has proposed marriage to 
 you. Now I, the Shah, ask you in the name ef 
 Allah, will you have him for your husband." 
 
 The astounded maiden, the bewildered 
 though entranced Gulchin, blushing through 
 her veil, with an accent faltering from joyful 
 excitement, answered in a firm voice. " Yes." 
 
 " What words are these ?" exclaimed the 
 mother no longer able to contain, her anger.
 
 THE MIRZA. 299 
 
 " Why am I a mother, and why is she my 
 dausrhter ?^' 
 
 " Hold your peace," exclaimed the King, 
 and hear me. " You, who pretend to be a 
 good mother — you, who with her uncles re- 
 fused her to me, because, at the time I pro- 
 posed, I was only a shoemaker, and who, now 
 that I am a King, would force her to marry me. 
 You, who have heard with your own ears, that 
 she is attached to this youth with whom she 
 was brought up as a sister, and now exclaim 
 against their union. You wish to dispose of 
 her, for your own purposes, not for her 
 happiness — therefore, I hold there is no injus- 
 tice in my decision — this man, pointing to 
 Khodadad, who has proved himself resigned in 
 adversity — humble in prosperity — constant to 
 his first affections — true to his trust — brave in 
 its defence — charitable without the hope of 
 recompence and submissive to authority — this 
 nian who is now my friend, who will be my 
 adviser and my confidant, whom I have raised 
 to honors and will raise to still higher digni- 
 ties — this man I give to your daughter. 
 What have you to say against my decision ?"
 
 300 THE MIRZA. 
 
 " We are your slaves ! Whose dogs are we ! 
 Praise be to AUali we agree ! Mashallah, ma- 
 shallah V 
 
 These and such like phrases and exclama- 
 tions were immediately made, and nothing 
 was said but in acquiescence to the royal 
 commands. The news of this act of the King's 
 judgment was soon spread abroad, and no one 
 could discuss any other subject than his justice, 
 and sagacity. 
 
 Khodadad as he had begun, so did he con- 
 tinue to enjoy the King's favour and confidence. 
 Having been united to his beloved Gulchin, 
 he lived but to evince his devotion to his be- 
 nefactor — he became the eye and the anchor 
 of the state. Azbeaz placed the most unlimited 
 confidence in him — there was only one secret 
 which he had never yet disclosed to him, 
 nor even allowed him to know that it exist- 
 ed, that of the miraculous key — he felt a 
 longing so to do, but his tongue was 
 spell bound ; whenever he wished to dilate 
 on that subject so uppermost in his thoughts 
 — the whole history of his strange adven- 
 tures.
 
 THE MIRZA. 301 
 
 One day when particularly impelled to dis- 
 close his secret, he proposed ere he did so, 
 to say his prayers at the royal mosque, 
 but as he hated parade and was much op- 
 pressed by the ceremonial attendant upon 
 a King, instead of mounting his horse, and 
 calling out his guards and retinue of servants, 
 he determined to walk. Escorted by Khodadad 
 and a few attendants, he took his way through 
 the bazaar with the intention of passing by 
 his own stall and visiting the stepping stones, 
 objects so full of recollections, and afford- 
 ing him a constant lesson upon the muta- 
 bility of human affairs. 
 
 When he had proceeded thus far, looking 
 towards his stall, he remarked that it was open, 
 and approaching, to his surprise, he discovered 
 his brother, bending over a last and his 
 elbows squared, in the very act of making a 
 shoe. 
 
 " Mashallah V exclaimed Azbeaz, "■ this is 
 well, wonderful are the works of God ! Here 
 am I a King, and Sakalchok a shoemaker P' 
 
 Sakalchok was so intent upon his business, 
 that he did not remark who stood before him
 
 302 THE MIRZA. 
 
 — there he was on a low stool, surrounded by 
 leather and lasts, stitching away with all the 
 appearance of entire satisfaction. At length, 
 looking up, he perceived his brother, to 
 whom he said nothing, but the usual salu- 
 tation of peace. 
 
 " Mashallah, mashallah !" exclaimed Az- 
 beaz, " our eyes are enlightened — excellent, 
 excellent — this is as it should be — you are 
 become a man — you have met your destiny in 
 a proper way." 
 
 " I hope I have too," said Sakalcliok, " see 
 here, drawing forth a shoe^ — see, Inere is a shoe, 
 then, and I will defy the best shoemaker in 
 the bazaar to produce a better — Sakalchok is 
 somebody after all." 
 
 Azbeaz, who though he stood Ijcfore his 
 brother a King, yet, was still in heart a shoe- 
 maker, when thus appealed to on a point of 
 his profession, forgetting his dignities asserted 
 his pre-eminence in the craft, and taking up 
 the shoe with a scrutinizing eye, examining 
 every part of it, said : * 
 
 "" It is all very well for a jeweller to make 
 such a shoe, but I could make a better with
 
 THE MIRZA. 303 
 
 my eyes shut. Why there are not half enough 
 stitches, and the upper leather is cut off too 
 much." 
 
 " What say you ?" said Sakalchok, exhibit- 
 ing the same arrogance of manner as a shoe- 
 maker which he had of old as an elder brother — 
 " what say you, not stitches enough, here are 
 more than ever you put into your shoes, and 
 as for the upper-leathers, they are cut out 
 from your own patterns/' 
 
 '^ You are young at the craft," said Azbeaz, 
 '' or you would not talk thus — you surely 
 are not going to put your skill, so recently 
 acquired, in competition with mine, the result 
 of years of hard labour, which has curved my 
 back into the shape you see." 
 
 " I do not know how you acquired your 
 skill," said Sakalchok with warmth and a 
 taunting look, " but this I know, that that 
 which takes the fool a whole life to acquire, is 
 learnt by the clever man in a week. We 
 understand things — whatever comes before 
 us, our wit jumps upon, bestrides and bears it 
 off; — I no sooner saw a shoe than I made one, 
 and I will lay my l^eard against yours that 1
 
 304 THE MIRZA. 
 
 will make a better shoe than you, such a one 
 which you never saw, not even in a dream." 
 
 " Be hey !" exclaimed Azl)eaz, " these are 
 words, indeed ! you make a shoe better than 
 I can ! you may be my elder brother, that is 
 true, and I can't help it, but that you should 
 make a better shoe, I'll sooner believe that the 
 end of the world is at hand." 
 
 " Come sit down and try,'' said Sakalchok, 
 " here is a last, here is leather." 
 
 " And wherefore not!'' said the King, " am 
 I a man to make pretensions and not fultill 
 them ? give me the stool and let me sit." 
 
 " By this time, tlie brothers had entirely 
 lost sight of their relative positions, and Azbeaz 
 forgetful of his dignities, would forthwith have 
 wielded the awl in the presence of the whole 
 city, if Khodadad whose intelligent mind 
 understood the fitness of things, had not 
 reminded his King and patron, that the mosque 
 w^as waiting for his reception, and that, perhaps, 
 it might be as M'ell to perform his devotions 
 before he made the shoe. 
 
 " True you have said," answered the King, 
 *' what is woven in the cloth will shew itself at
 
 THE MIRZA. 305 
 
 the edge ; the truth is that I shall ever be a 
 bad King, but as I believe in Allah, I here de- 
 clare that I am a good shoemaker." 
 
 Thus terminated this strange scene, in which 
 truth so much prevailed, that Azbeaz sighed, 
 as he proceeded to the performance of his 
 royal duties and turned his back upon his old 
 habits. 
 
 Sakalchok, on the other hand, who had wit- 
 nessed his brother^s elevation with envy, had 
 pondered over it with a heavy heart, and had 
 come to the conclusion that, perhaps, the 
 shortest cut to a throne was a previous seat 
 on a cobbler's bench, making a virtue of ne- 
 cessity, he had adopted that alternative, which 
 though, perhaps, not the means of restoring him 
 to fortune and situation, would secure him a 
 livelihood accompanied by the good will of the 
 King. 
 
 And well did he calculate, for Azbeaz was so 
 well pleased with his brother's conduct, that ere 
 he left the mosque, he had with his own hand 
 written an order for the restoration of all 
 Sakalchok's ])ossessions. 
 
 Upon their return, Azbeaz whose heart had
 
 306 THE MIRZA. 
 
 expanded at Sakalchok's docility, was soft- 
 ened by prayer, and whose affection for his 
 young friend had increased tenfold in propor- 
 tion, as he became better acquainted with his 
 virtues, could no longer resist the desire of 
 unfolding to him the secret of the miraculous 
 key. Therefore, taking him into his private 
 closet, and ordering every one but Khodadad 
 from before him, he addressed him thus : 
 
 " Khodadad, ray son, for I look upon you as 
 such, I have nothing to conceal from you, all I 
 have is yours — you once assisted me in ad- 
 versity when shunned by every one else ; 
 owdng to your care, probably, my life was 
 saved — ^by the decrees of destiny from being a 
 mechanic I am become a King, by means as 
 strange as they were irresistable. The instru- 
 ment producing my elevation is in my posses- 
 sion, with it I can command a power which 
 renders me the most powerful potentate in 
 the world — no throne, however guarded, could 
 withstand the armies 1 might pour forth. But 
 ambition has no charms for me, this power will 
 lie dormant as long as I live — I exist but for 
 peace, and in the hope of doing some little
 
 THE MIRZA. 307 
 
 good. I would that others were exalted before 
 me — to me the trappings and circumstance 
 of royalty are oppressive. 1 have determined 
 to prove the extent of my friendship, by 
 confiding to you the secret of my power ; but 
 to you alone must it be confined, were others 
 acquainted with it, my peace would be endan- 
 gered, and I should become a prey to the 
 intrigues of designing men. I can confide in 
 you Khodadad, the same fidehty you have 
 hitherto shewn, you will I'm sure continue to 
 exercise, and then if aught should happen to 
 me, if death were to take me away suddenly, 
 1 feel my secret will be in safe hands, and 
 in the possession of one who, I am certain, 
 will not abuse the power he will be able to 
 command." 
 
 So saying, he drew from the secret place 
 the mysterious key. 
 
 " This key," said he, " possesses the 
 astonishing quality of dragging a person 
 forward whether he will or not, until it 
 discloses wonders which cannot be believed 
 until seen. It has made a King of me and
 
 308 THE MIRZA. 
 
 that is saying enough ; here — take it in hand 
 and you will judge whether what I say be true 
 or not." 
 
 Upon which he desired Khodadad to take 
 up the key, when, in so doing, the colour of 
 the youth changed, and his features assumed 
 a new expression. Feeling the communicated 
 pressure, he fain would have immediately 
 walked away in the direction, which it seemed 
 to persuade him to go, and, indeed, made some 
 hasty steps towards the door of the apartment, 
 to the astonishment and even alarm of the King. 
 
 " Stay ! stay, for heaven^s sake !" said he, 
 " this is no child's play — if it once gets you 
 clear of the city, you will never stop until you 
 become King yourself." 
 
 Khodadad had sufficient command over 
 himself to let the key drop from his hand, 
 which having done, he bent forward and 
 inspected it with open mouth and out-stretched 
 hands, looking like one demented, when, at 
 length, he exclaimed, '^ wonderful ! wonderful ! 
 wonderful ! 1" 
 
 " You may, indeed, exclaim wonderful !"
 
 THE MIRZA. 309 
 
 said Azbeaz, " I said not half enough of its 
 surprising quaUties." 
 
 " No, indeed,'^ said the youth, "I am become 
 mad with astonishment ; wherefore, oh my 
 master, have you disclosed to me this secret ! 
 This is the wonder of wonders — let me depart 
 ere the temptation be too strong and I take 
 it up again/' 
 
 " Go, my child,'' said Azbeaz, " you are now 
 possessed of my great secret, but as you love me, 
 as vou fear Allah disclose it to no one — Go." 
 
 Khodadad retired from tlie King's presence, 
 whilst he, the King, replaced the key 
 whence he had taken it, not without some 
 misgiving concerning the wisdom of the step 
 lie had just taken. 
 
 *' The youth is trustworthy," he thought 
 within himself, " I would stake my head on 
 that — he loves me and is grateful — of that too I 
 am sure. He never can Avish to be a King, at 
 least, not yet — he is too young, and by the time 
 1 am old, he may become King and wel- 
 come." 
 
 But Khodadad's whole nature had been
 
 310 THE MIRZA. 
 
 strongly affected by what lie had seen 
 and undergone — he left Azbeaz wrapt in deep 
 meditation, and would willingly have given 
 half his existence for permission to follow the 
 fortunes of the key, whithersoever it might 
 have led him. 
 
 After his marriage with Gulchin, the King 
 had bestowed upon him one of the courts of 
 the palace, as a habitation, and there he 
 was now established. His beautiful wife 
 entirely sympathized in his feelings of gratitude 
 to the Shah for all his kindnesses, and consi- 
 dering the favour with which he beheld Kho- 
 dadad, there was every prospect of the happy 
 couple enjoying a continuance of encreasing 
 prosperity. 
 
 When she saw her husband return with a 
 clouded brow and a face expressive of care and 
 abstraction, she became alarmed, and quickly 
 ceding to apprehension, she felt that he might 
 have lost the King's favour. 
 
 " What has happened in the name of Allah ?" 
 said she, with affectionate concern in her looks, 
 " say — say, for I am afraid."
 
 THE MIRZA. 311 
 
 ec 
 
 Nothing, my soul," said Khodadad, " as 
 vou live there is nothino;.^' 
 
 " Then why these looks ? I am sure some- 
 thing has happened — you must tell me," said 
 the affectionate Gulchin, " women are not 
 easily mistaken." 
 
 Again Khodadad repeated, " Bir chey yok, 
 there is nothing !" 
 
 Again she pressed him, and again he repeated 
 his answer. But in vain did he assure his 
 wife that his wits were undisturbed, and that his 
 brain was in a healthy state, still the mira- 
 culous key so entirely occupied his mind, 
 that he walked about like one in his sleep. 
 At length his wife^s importunities became so 
 great, that in his own defence, he M^as oblio-ed 
 to own that there was a mystery — a strange 
 occurrence had taken place, which he was not 
 at liberty to disclose — in short, he asserted 
 that he possessed a state secret, which he was 
 bound, by an oath, to the Shah, his benefac- 
 tor, never to disclose. 
 
 Gulchin was a woman to the very extremity 
 of her longest tress of hair, and she became
 
 312 THE MIRZA. 
 
 determined to know the secret. She first 
 met her husband's disclosure by a long 
 silence — the only words she occasionally ut- 
 tered were, " a secret ! — so, there is a secret !'* 
 and this she said with a look so sad 
 and reproachful, that Khodadad was much 
 disturbed by it. The confidence which, to 
 this moment, had been the charm of their 
 existence, was lost. There existed something 
 which one of them knew and was unknown 
 to the other. That little circumstance became 
 sufficient to endanger their happiness, and 
 their once joyous and unrestrained intercourse 
 was now destroyed. Khodadad loved his wife 
 with rapture and devotedness, but he also loved 
 his master, and felt himself bound to obey him, 
 under any circumstances however perplexing. 
 
 When the secret was fresh in his mind, he 
 was sternly determined to allow nothing — not 
 even the well-being of his wife, to make 
 him disclose it. But when its first effects 
 had passed away, and when day after 
 day, he was afilicted by the reproach- 
 ful looks of his Gulchin, and by her
 
 ►5* '■ ^.^ 
 
 THE MIRZA. 313 
 
 evident misery at his apparent want of confi- 
 dence, he gradually began to argue with him- 
 self whether it might not be possible to disclose 
 it to her, and still preserve his integrity. 
 
 Gulchin's depression of spirits, at length 
 began to exhibit its effects upon her person. 
 She became thin and pale ; she fretted, was 
 peevish, and, in truth, her conduct so caused 
 Khodadad to feel how much his happiness de- 
 pended upon hers, that the sturdiness of his 
 integrity was step by step undermined, until, 
 at length, it broke down altogether. 
 
 " I will tell her,'' said he to himself; « if she 
 really loves me, the secret vdll be as safe in 
 her custody as in mine." Accordingly he called 
 her to him, and said : " O my soul, Gulchin, 
 you have seen to what extent my heart has 
 been burnt up, and how greatly my liver has 
 dropped. I too have remarked that your 
 countenance has turned from me, and that 
 little by little, we have become two. This 
 is not as it should be. It has pleased 
 Allah to send us misfortune. We have been 
 
 VOL. I. p
 
 314 THE MIRZA. 
 
 visited by a great secret. It has destroyed our 
 confidence in each other, and we who ought 
 to be hke two kernels in one almond, are sepa- 
 rated like the shells thereof. I can no longer 
 bear this state. If you love me as you ought, 
 my secret will be your secret, as my heart is 
 your heart. Therefore, Gulchin, O my soul ! 
 I will divulge it." 
 
 At these words the drooping wife cheered up, 
 and assumed all the smiles and blandishments 
 of the devoted mistress. She ran to her hus- 
 band, and kissing his hands, his shoulders and 
 his knees, said : 
 
 " You are again my Khodadad ! Now you 
 are, indeed, the same you once were. What 
 can you mean by doubting my power to keep a 
 secret ? Are not man and wife one ? Then what 
 one knows, the other should know — what one 
 likes, the other should like — what one hates, 
 the other should hate. Thanks be to Allah 
 and the Prophet ! the days of Gulchin^s trials 
 are over, and again, MashaDah ! we shall see 
 prosperity." 
 
 Upon which the affectionate pair embrac-
 
 THE MTRZA. 315 
 
 ing, Khodadad from beginning to end, re- 
 lated the history of the key. Gulchin, as he 
 proceeded, could not discover why the facts 
 which he related should be so much a matter 
 of secresy. Every one in general terms, was 
 acquainted with the miracle which had placed 
 Azbeaz upon the throne, although, perhaps, it 
 was not known by what particular agency it 
 had been effected. She, however, continued to 
 give the utmost attention to her husband's 
 words, and when he said, " Now hear !'' she 
 redoubled that attention. 
 
 " Now hear !" said he. " This key, this 
 extraordinary key is in the Shah's possession — 
 he shewed it me — he placed it in my hand — I 
 felt its influence — I almost became mad with 
 excitement — I would have run with it to the 
 end of the world — it invited me to elope by its 
 most significant pressure — " 
 
 " And suppose you had \" exclaimed Gul- 
 chin. " What would have happened ?" 
 " I should have returned, the King." 
 " The King !" she exclaimed, in a voice 
 denoting profound astonishment. " The King !"
 
 316 THE MIRZA. 
 
 again she said, pausing with all the inward 
 thought which accompanies the knowledge of 
 a great secret. 
 
 " Aye," said Khodadad, " I should be the 
 King/' 
 
 " And where is the key now ?" said Gulchin, 
 with faltering lips and an excited expression 
 of countenance. 
 
 " Where ?'' said Khodadad, as if afraid of 
 allowing the surrounding air to hear where it 
 was concealed. " Am I to tell you where ?" 
 
 " And wherefore not ?'' said Gulchin. " What 
 have we to do with the key ? But I should 
 greatly like to see it.'' 
 
 " I should be afraid to feel it again," said 
 Khodadad. " for I will not answer for myself. 
 You have no conception of its all-powerful in- 
 fluence. I could scarcely prevent myself from 
 running off with it, even in the presence of my 
 King and benefactor. What would it be then, 
 were he not present to check me by his pre- 
 sence ?" 
 
 " But I might just look at it," said his wife 
 " there can be no harm in that."
 
 THE MIRZA. 317 
 
 " No, perhaps, not," said Khodadad, " for 
 after all, it does not differ from any other key 
 in appearance — and in that lies the temptation — 
 it looks nothing at first, but when you come 
 to the touch and the sentiment, then, like many 
 other temptations, it becomes irresistible. If 
 you love me, my life, do not ask me to ap- 
 proach nearer to it than we are at present, for 
 as sure as you do, you will see me flee 
 from your presence, to go heaven knows 
 whither, conducted by the powers of jins and 
 peris to the realms of mystery and dark- 
 ness/' 
 
 " But to come back the King 1" exclaimed 
 Gulchin, with unwonted animation, at the 
 same time scarcely venturing to trust her lips 
 with the words. 
 
 " As you love Allah ! as you respect your- 
 self ! By my soul and by the King's salt, never 
 repeat such words,'' said Khodadad. " We 
 poor miserable mortals, yesterday the meanest 
 of the earth, to-day basking in the sunshine of 
 power and royalty, shall we venture to breathe 
 a thought so full of wickedness? Shall we
 
 318 THE MIRZA. 
 
 think of becoming King, when but a short time 
 since we looked upon our existence as a mis- 
 fortune, whilst we now owe all our happiness to 
 him who is the King. Heaven and iVllah for- 
 bid ?' 
 
 •' True,'^ said Gulchin, with compunction 
 in the tone of her voice and a down-cast eye. 
 " Still," she added, "he was like us before he 
 became the Shah. One morning he was 
 perched on a three-legged stool, stitching a 
 shoe, the next he was seated on a golden 
 throne, pronouncing judgment of life and 
 death." 
 
 " He acted through ignorance,^' said Kho- 
 dadad, " ive know all — there is the difference.'^ 
 
 " But we intend nothing," said his wife, 
 " Allah forbid ! Could I but see the key, I 
 should be satisfied.'^ 
 
 Upon this, the conversation came to an end 
 for the present, but it had laid the foundation 
 of a long train of thought in both their minds 
 so subversive of their peace and contentment, 
 that they were no longer the same persons. 
 They never met, but Gulchin was sure to lead
 
 THE MIRZA. 319 
 
 her remarks to the all-engrossing subject, and 
 although Khodadad did all in his power to get 
 rid of it, still there it was, like his shadow, not 
 to be shaken off. 
 
 END OF VOL I. 
 
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