New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-09
THE Plain TRUTH ABOUT IT.

In spite of the glitter of those wonderful
diamonds, and the glOries of that blazing sur
tout. we suspect that the visit of the Shah to
Europe has dspelled the last lingering belief
in the fabulous magnifcence of Eastern
monarchies The Shah of Persia was one OF
the most interesting of the two or three On
entail rulers of whom the rest of mankind
knew little or nothing. The MikadO Is no
longer a mystery. The Sultan excites neither
curiosity nor awe. The splend0rs Of India are
stories of the past. China is getting common,
and the Son of Heaven is only boy. But
the Shah has been shrouded for ages in a
golden vail of romance. Travellers nave
learned little about him; his subjects have
rarely been seen in Europe; secluded from
the outer world, he has Teigned in unapprOach-
able majesty over o country whose very name
is eloquent to Western ears with tales OF
wonder and enchantment and the luxurlant
fancies of the Eastern poets.
The glamour is all dspelled. Nasser-ed-Din
has iourneyed across the territory OF the
Ferngees with his enormous retinue, scatter
ing largesses worthy of the Commander OF the
Faithful in the Arabian Nights" and spend
ing the revenues of an empire in the diver
sions of pleasure trip and what taWdry
sort of a Shah he turns out to be! Wherever
he goes, his hosts are glad to get rid Of him.
He is vulgar; he is coarse; he Is dirty
he is rude. IF he is lodged in palace,
one trembles for the pictures, and resigns
the carpets forever, His high,9orn eour7
tiers am1ise themselves cutting the flowers
out Of the tapestry, and the heads out
of the royal family portraits. If he proposes
to prolong his visit, the honor is declined, and
Car and Kaiser and Queen show like alac-
rity in passing him over the border. lie Is
hidden to banquet, and after he has once
sent a refusal, he changes his royal mind,
rises from his bed, and presents himself at
the door of the distracted host, when the
meats are all cold and broken, and the guests
have gone home. He keeps an emperor walt
ing for hours, and insults every lady of the
court who is not handsOme-for even court
ladies are sometimes ugly. He advises Kaiser
Wilhelm to hang " that old woman Augusta"
He bedaubs the gowns of the royal ladies who
sit beside him at dinner. He throws his food
on the floor if he does not like it, and he
spits on the audience when he goes to the
opera. OF some other incidents OF his tour
perhaps it is as well not to speak: maybe the
stories are not true.
We do not wonder when we are told that
Queen Victoria was cross the other day at the
review. But it was very unreasonable to ex-
pect the Shah to be a gentleman. He has
never been taught TO think of the rights and
feelings of other people. He has never been
taught that he has an equal in the whole
world. The essence of courtesy is cOnsdera-
ton for Others, and how should he have
learned thatR He has been bred to sel6Shness
and brutality; and it was not to be expected
that he should know enough to change his
manners altogether when he came in contact
with higher kind of civilization. Perhaps it
is just as well that we have seen him as he
is. A fascinating illusion has been dispelled !;
but the world is none the worse for learning
the truth, even when error is 50 much more
agreeable,