The Sun.
London, England, 1818-08-05 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY; AUGUST 5; IHN.

C LOSE OF THE lilil FISH GALLERY, PALL-MALL.
• •
rrHE ExuniuTioN :At this GALLERY,
the WORKS of 'he ITALIAN, SPANISH, FLEMISH,
and DUTCH SCHOOLS, is OPEN from NINE in the
Morning until SIX in the Evening, and will he CLOSED
on7,ATURDAY next, the Bth Instant.
B Order, JOHN YOUNG, •Keeper.

PUBLICATIONS.

This Day was published.
In One Voinine, Syn. price 10s. boards,

oTITIA A RCM roNicA ITA
1. 1 LIANA, or Concise Notices of the Buildings and Ar-
chitects of Italy, precedvd by a Short Essay on Archi
tecture, and an introducterw View of the Ancient Architec-
ture of the Romans.--To which are added, some Tables of
general use, and Two Plates.
By JOSEPH GWAT, Architect, F.S A.
Printed for T. Egerton, Military Library, Whitehall.

LITERARY RUVIEW.

NIORIER'S SECOND JOURNEY to PERSIA, 4to.—

LONOMAM, HURST, BEES, ORME, and iltrowN.

[Continued horn our P:yer of yesterday.)

The Perstans are tenacious of etiquette, and it.
was nor ‘viihout difficulty tliat the ceremonial of
Sir Gore Onseley's presentation in the King was
arranged in the satisfaction of all riailirs—it ''as
at length agreed that he should be admitted to a
private audience.

." The King was seated in a small upper roorij, acid *hen
we had perceived him, we made our obeisance with all due.
respect, until we were stopt at about thirty paces in front of
him, where we left our shoes, and walked on the bare stones
until we were close to his Majesty. Here' the King said,
Khosl4 Amedeed,' Yon are welcome; and ' Biah
Cow up, when we mounted a narrow flight of steps that
led. at once into the room. He was seated on an embroi-
dered carpet, spread on the ground in a corner. Opposite to
bins stood the Grand Vizier Mirza Sheflea and Anieen-ad-
Dowlah ; and on one side four pages richly dressed, one
bearing his crown, a selcund his sword, a third his bow and
arrows, and the fourth his shield and battle-axe. The Am-
bassador was conducted by the Grand Vizier, and, sttaping
down, presented thrletter to the King, who pointed to a
spot :swot two or three inches from him, where he placed it.
After that he presented the diamond ring with which he was
charged as a present from the King of England, using appro-
priate expressions un the occasion ; to which the King an-
swered, by pointing to the letter and saying, "f his is better
than a mountain of diamonds.' His Maji sty then desired
the Ambassador to seat himself, which he did on the ground
and after that ensued a conversation, in which the King, with
great dignity, expressed the high esteem he entertained for
our nation. The Ambassador seized this opportunity to extol
the conduct of the King's Envoy during his stay in England,
to which his Majesty seemed to listen with pleasure; and
then ordered'Mirza Abul Hassan Khan to he ePtied, who soon
after appeared, and stood below with his shoes off by the side
of a basin of water. He then said to him aloud, Aferiu,
Aferin, well done, well done, Abul Hassan, you have made
my face white in a foreign Country, and I will make your's
white in this. You are one of the noblest of the families in
my kingdom, and, with the help of God, I will raise you to
the dignities of your aixestors;'at which words the Mirza
knelt down, and actually touched the earth with his fore-
head."

The death of Hossein, the son of Ali, who
was slain by the partizans of Yezid, in the 61st
year of the hegira, is comtnemoiated in Persia by
a series of religious rites, in which it is not diffi-
cult to trace a resemblance to those mysteries which
c►,mpoNed the rudimental state of our national
drama. 'lle tragical events of Hossein's lite
and death are exitihited in a regular sell. s by (tit-
teient actors dining the ten days of mourning.

" The last part, which is appointed for the Roo: Call,
comprises the events of the day, on which he in,:t his death,
and is acted with great pomp before the- King in the largest
square of the city. The subject, which is full of affecting
incidents, would of itself excite great interest in the breasts
of a Christian audience ; but allied as it is with all the religi-
ous and national feelings of the Persons, it awakens their
strongest passions. Hussein would be a hero in our eyes ;
in theirs be is a martyr. The vicissitudes of his life, his
dangers on the desert, his fortitude, his invineiblr courage,
and his devotedness at the hour of his death, are all circum-
stances upon 'which the Persians dwell with rapture; and
which excite in them -an enthusiasm not to be diminished
by lapse of time. The celebration of this mourning keeps
up in their minds the remembrance of those who destroyed
him, and consequently their hatred for all Mussulmans who
do not partake of their, feelings. They execrate Yezid, and
curse Omar with such rancour, that it is necessary to have
witnessed the scenes that are exhibited in their cities to
judge of the degree of fanaticism which possesses them at
this time. I have seen some of the Most violent of theM,
as they vociferated Ya Hossein ! walk about the streets al-
most naked, with only their loins covered, and their bodies
streaming with blood by the voluntary cuts which they have
given to themselves, either as acts of love, anguish, or mor-
tification."

" Such little scruples have they at our seeing their re-
ligious ceremonies, that on the Sth night of the Moharrem,
the Grand Vizier invited the whole of the Embassy to attend
his takie-b. Co entering the room we found a large assem-
bly of Persians clad in dark coloured clothes, which, accom-
panied with their black caps, their black beards, and their
dismal faces, really looked as if they were afflicting that
souls. We observed, that no man did put on his otnaments.*
They neither wore their daggers, nor any parts of their dress
which they look upon as ornamental. A Mullah of high con-
sideration sat next to the Grand Vizier, and kept him in
serious conversation, whilst the remaining parts of the so-
ciety communicated with each other in whispers. After we
had sat some time, the windows of the room in which we
were seated were t brown open, and we then discovered a priest
placed on a high chair, under the covering of a tent, sur-
rounded by a crowd of the populace ; the whole of the sceine
being lighted up with candles. He commenced by an exor-
dium, in which he reminded them of the great value of each
tear shed for- the sake of Imam Hossein, which would be an
atonement. for a past life of wickedness; and also informed
them with much solemnity, that whatever soul it be that shall
not be afflicted in. the same. day, shall be cut air from
among Me People, Lev. 23. 29. He then began to read
from a book, with 4 sort of nasal chaunt, that part of the tra-
gic history of Hosseiu appointed for the day, which soon
produced its effect upon his audience, for he scarcely had
turned over three leaves, before the Grand Vizier cotumenc-
ed to shake his head to and fro, to utter in a most piteous
voice the usual Persian exclamation of grief,—'
' wahi,' wahi." both of which acts were followed in a
more or less violent manner by the rest' of the audience. Thu
chatmting of the Priest lasted nearly an hour, and some parts