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CHAPTER VI.

ROYAL FAVOUR IN PERSIA.

THE precariousness of court favour was strongly evinced during my stay at Tehran, in the temporary disgrace of" Zhorab Khan," a great favourite of his Majesty. "Zhorab Khan" was formerly a Georgian slave, but was raised by degrees to the high rank of Chief of the Andaroon, or manager of the harem department-no trifling undertaking this in the royal establishment.

Much of the duplicity and meanness of the Persian character may be attributed to that system of intrigue by which greatness is attained and rank supported. The slave imbibes with his mother's milk cunning, treachery, and all the evil seeds of

moral degeneracy; and there can be no nobility of nature under such circumstances.

This Khan, of whom I have just spoken, had reached the pinnacle of greatness; but having climbed the steep ascent by all those tortuous means so peculiar to the Persian character, the rank seeds of his birth sprang up in all sorts of tyranny, oppression, and cruelty. He was haughty, overbearing, even to his superiors, and to a degree that they would no longer submit to. Basking in the sunshine of royal favour, and decorated with the highest honours, he one day committed a gross insult on the Prince "Ali Shah," who called aloud for revenge. This clamour reached the ear of majesty, and nothing would pacify the Prince but the immediate disgrace of the favourite. A bastinado was accordingly ordered, and eight hundred sticks awarded. The once imperious Khan was prostrated at the feet of those "faroshs," who yesterday trembled in his presence, and he underwent the pain and indignity of the meanest culprit.

But the Shah's clemency melted towards him, even during his sufferings; and on the following day, as if in compensation for what he had undergone, the King clothed him in his own royal robe,

girded him with his imperial girdle, and raised him to a higher pinnacle of greatness than ever, again proclaiming, "This is the man whom the King delighteth to honour." The admiring audience again bowed down before him ;-no stain nor feeling of disgrace marked the royal slave; his breath of yesterday was rank with dishonour, his breath of to-day is perfumed with the monarch's favour, and the hissing of scoffers was converted to the shouts of sycophants.

This was by no means a solitary instance of the precariousness of the royal favour. A Khan, high in rank in the Shah's household, and who had drunk deeply of the imperial liberality, was disgraced by some want of punctuality to his duties. He was stripped almost to the skin, mounted on a donkey, and, tail in hand, was thus paraded around the town to the wondering multitude. The next day he quietly resumed his duties, and was as unconscious of disgrace as the "faroshs" who conducted him.

Many instances may be adduced of his Majesty's sportive use of power, if I may so say. One of them I will mention in the history of "Abul Hassan Khan," twice ambassador at the court of St. James's,

and still remembered in some of the high circles of London society, whose amusing letter, written on his return to Persia-a sort of reminiscence of his visit to London-has I believe been printed. He was the nephew of "Hadji Ibrahim Khan," the celebrated minister of "Agha Mahomed Shah," and of his successor the late "Futtee Ali Shah." The minister having fallen into disgrace with the King, the royal displeasure generally follows those of his household. This is so common to the oriental court, that the victim is hurled from the pinnacle of grandeur, with all his family and friends, to the lowest depths of debasement and adversity.

Amidst the whirlwind of this fury, "Abul Hassan" was thrown into prison, stripped of all his dignities, and was subsequently driven to take sanctuary in the mausoleum at "Koom," always held sacred even against the despotism of the King. Escaping from thence, he travelled to Mecca and to Calcutta, having some introduction to the Governor-general of India. There he spent three years in visiting the oriental clime, having acquired the different languages, Arabic, Turkish, Hindoostanee, and English in a slight degree. Having learnt that the King of Persia had pardoned him, he returned to

his native country, where he was most graciously received by his Majesty. His "face had been whitened," and he now basked in the sunshine of the royal favour.

Such are the varied fortunes of the sons of Iran; yesterday the "felek" or bastinado, to-day the "khelaat," or dress of honour; nay, I was told that the rope was once around his neck, ten thousand tomauns was bid for his head, and that it was bought in at that price. Such was the on dit of Tehran, but I must confess that I am a little sceptical on this part of his history.

His Majesty afterwards appointed him ambassador extraordinary to the court of St. James's, and in 1809 he accompanied Mr. Morier in that capacity to London. Their adventures are ludicrously sketched in "Hadji Baba in London."

On his return, his first audience with the King, as described to me, was very amusing. "My eyes are enlightened at seeing you," said the King, "your place has long been empty, your face is whitened, and your consequence increased." "May your condescension never be less," said the Khan, seeking to rub his forehead at the gate of almighty splendour. "The firmament possesses but one