, 1873-08-02
THE SHAH.


| .., 70 INC NCtg Il GfN jtFHHA
Tho Bbah OF Persia ia Of weak, vaelllatlng,
uncertain charaotor. uo often begins q business
t'ronty times over and ollnngos his mind US ofton
bcfoto concluding OF abandoning IT, At rrosont
taya IN England whom ho eaid to his Primo Min:
istor: =" Ilot 200! Look at all around us !
You are my Minister; mako my country ltko
thia Yon en,i DO - 81 for 70. ayo both your
"Iho Sinh" said . Fronch diplomatiAt rccont-
ly from Tohoran to tho Due do Drogtio, OIL tho
Persian'B arrival III laris, "iH aa ignorant M h
oarp Io nay dosire to profit by hn travels. but
ho will bo unable to do no. 11o ls surrounded by
too many 1olts and bigots."
The Shah docs not spend much money upon
Lis Journey, and Inns ma1o fow .proaonta. Those
ho Inns mado nre Of enal va!no. 1Io brought
They wore worth about hundred pounds ator-
| Il appears tint tho imnginattona Of tho shall'e
wivoa woro tirod by what thcy saw in 1tussia.
public places uncovered. Tho Russian authori-
tics did not know how to rocoiyo them, alll tho
Shah. WAS informed, In language IA rolto Us
possible, t!int royal honors could hardly be paid
lar representations wero mnde by tho
otllor European courtH, and thoro WIS only
ono ,way OF getting out Of tho difficulty,
Which was TO- ssnd thom homo Iho thing vas
1nado tremendous o1amor whom thoy wcro
told TINT they must go baok to Tei,ornn, md
ever Since ono OF them has beon very i'll Of rage
mud modification, also, 1t is said Of jealousy
nor to tho Anderson, ,-and His Alajoaty's conduct
has beon rathor that Of an entorprfBng bachelor
on hs travels than Of q midsllo-agcd father Of a
| family.
What has most pleased uiH 1lnjesty in Europe
has boon Nil exhibition Of wax workB q fight be-
twecn two fishes in at aquarium. and tho vito OF
tho Prince Imperial Of Russia,
At homo tho Sinh dinos usually On rico pro-
| Aro1it1 Il ~ r.*a
and 4 dish Of stowed fowl, with fow morse1e Of
broilod calf'a liver aud BhoepB kidney served on
q skoyer (kebabs). Ho onte this choice ropast
with hiH fingers. His drink is sugared water,
Lemonade (shorbet), or Bour milk, mixed with
q lit tlo salt. In Europe he has eaton whatoyor
quently.
AS q matter Of fact, tho lewelu worn by tho
doubtful If lo has dozen diamonds OF any
size, Of pure water and froe from tlaws. He Las
somo largo crac1Eod emorall8, and some largo
dingy stones Of divare eorts aud colors but tho
principal jewol which belonged TO Lis ancestors
was stolon at tho first Of tho last century by ono
Manouk, an Armenian merchant, who had ad-
yancod money upon it. It now spnrkloa in tho
tmperial sceptre Of RusHin.
| Tlia Mnnork, who is ancestor OF the present
| wealthy md respectable princa Menoulboy, Of
Boasarabia, having got hold Of ono OF tho big
gest precious stones in tho world, WAS frightened
out Of his wits lost ho should bo murdered be-
|
| or ono ounce twelve ponnywaighte aud four
| Era!na troy; TINT ia to any, far moro than tho
Fit diamond or the Kol-i-noor at its prosont Bzo.
hanouk know very vol TINT his lifo saa not safo
| for an tnatant while he was known to have this
awful treasuro in lila possession, 80 4o gavo out
that he waa dying and took to flight IN tho dress
Of boggar. In thia guso ho mado the best of
his way towards the Russian frontier; but fear
| ful of being robbed evon of sucl rags az 1lo
| lad, le cut hole in his log aud buried tho
diamond IN his living flesh, binding filthy and
sorlid rags oyer It. Tie Empress Gath
sdsa he re- 4ssehsd hss af n fss ID bssss
! an annuity of ,E1 ,0l1 13H Id, which Manouk re-
fused. Il WAS afterwards sold to Catherinea
favosito, Count Orloff, for the frat mentioned
sum, without tho annuity, and waa by him pro.
sonted to the Empross on hor birthday in 1772.
Moreover, although the Armenian, Manouk, did
not got his annuity, lo got something bottor and
mado shrowd bargain. He obtained tho con-
Dessarabia, aud, now TINT tho railways Of South
| ern Russia have been opened, lis deBcondants
arc arnong the richest wheat producers in tho
world. The title Of Prince, after Homo dispute,
sian Government, aud, indood, 1t generally is
granted sooner or later by all Goyornmonts,
uuder one form Or other, to rich mon.
ant and 90 pleased just now that tue European
papers abound with anecdotes Of his suayity and
| condoacension, he has done some awful things
in hiH own country. Among them stands foro-
1nQ6t ING IIGncuGTOuB lQu1GGr Of Ills pfQtQ0f-1n-
law, Meorxa Tagui Khan, lis f1rst Prime h1inis-
Tor. Meerza Tagui Khan WAS tho friond OF
Nassr-ed- Din when his prospects OF ascending
tho Persian throne were very doubtful, and ho
ornor of Aderbijan. His own abilities would
mover have undc q King of him; but on the
death Of n1ohamned Shall tho Russian Minister
took him up, and Mcssrs. Rnlli d Co., tho
| rich Crock merchants Of Tabrcez, found
lin mo, money, and 3D.. then the gonl.n'ss .'s
tho rest. So tho Shah named lin Prime Minis
ter, md could hardly have mndo q better choice.
oflce-an, institution previously unknown in
Persia. Tho noxt thing ho did WAS to create
police Having done those two good services,
ho tried to establish order in collecting tho
then he made himself enomios, rs every ono will
who ventures to attack public abusea whore
| money il concerned. Tho tax-gatAerers and
their creatures now began to intrigue against
yoy, was ruined in trying to protect him.
Ho WAS therefore driven into exile md COM
pollea to lido himsof at Cashan. Now lo had
| married tho SlaA's sster when he stood high in
him, because he was long past the ago Of love,
sue bchaved with oxemplary fidelity and doyo-
tion in Lis n,iHfortunes. She would not leave
Aim for an instant. and she prepared all bis fond
the Shah, being unwilling to commit violent
murder IN hs sinter's presence, determined to
catch his old friend by Htretagom. With
this purpose His Persian Majesty sont d
messonSer Of high rank to tho fallon
Minister, assuring Moerza Tagui Khan
Of full pardon and Immediate restoration
to oil his honors. Tho Meerza at oneo fell into
the trap, and his wife, who could not belieye
TINT hor brother could be 30 base aud oruol az to
deceive her, at last lot hor husband out Of hor
sight In order that he might take bath aud put
| on tho robe OF honor which had been acnt him
by tho kiug, al tlo customary 6igl, Of royal
favor. lie had no sooner entered tho buth, how
ever, than the chief e1ecutonor entered tlero
also, exhibiting the shah'a warrant for Ills ill-
mediate execution, and moroly leaving Him Il
choice in tho mnnnor in which he prnfcsrcd to
dio. The Meerza stretched out bis nr..;ts la-
egnodly and said, "Opon my veins" Tho OK
ecutionor then bled him to death aB thu Shah
had commanded.