The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-07-04
PERSIAN ETIQUETTE.

| PERSIAN ETIQUETTE
But in spite OF his jewels and ex-
ternal splendor, the Shah-In- Shah is,
according to European notions, q
savage in many respects-proud, will
full, sensual, and arbitrary. Ifpunc.
tuality be "the politeness of princes, "
as it is said to be, the Shah would, in
consequence Of his utter indifference
to engagements, be one of the most
ill-mannered men in the world He
kept the parade ut Potsdam, ordered
by the Kaiser, waiting a couple of
hours. He kept the Queen for half
an hour 1.-THE Railway station waiting
for him. He would not go to break
fast when it was announced, at the
time of invitation, but walked about
in the garden, and then, seeing an
srbor which pleased him, desired 10
have his breakfast brought there.
When he sat at dinner yesterday he
put his fingers in his plate and ate
with them, and il he came on piece
of some dish which he did not like,
he took it out of his mouth and
threw it dOwn-not On the ground,
but on the Queens (Empress0 dress
If free from the more horrid vices
attributed to Persians by travellers,
he is quite without shame or scruple
in his disregard of what is called
morality by Christians and good
Mussulmen. / came home from
Potsdam in the same carriage with
some of his suite-very fine gentle
men as far as their lace and clothing
went-but with all the frivolity and
arrogance of ignorant snG unedu-1-
Gated men. Their talk was of their
own prowess and OF clothes how
they could ride better than any peo
pie in the world, because they could
back horse from the desert and
ride, whereas Europeans only rode
horses which were already broke in
Prussisn officer dryly remarked.
''The difference is thst we direct the
course of our horses, and that your |
horses follow their own They all
spoke French, and the Shah in Shah
knows it much better than he would
be thought to do from his mode of
speaking it, as when he is quite at his
ease he can talk it pretty fluently.
But he is not much st his case with
European barbarians, and 1t is ludi-
crous to see him standing alone in
crowd with clear space round him
and no one to talk to, for he balances
first on one leg and then on the other,
'slike hen on hot griddle," and
does not know what to do with them
or his hands. When he turns his
back and the spectator calmly sur
veys his exterior, freed from the dis
tracing influences of his diamonds,
the Shah does not present an impos'
ing appearance. l admit that the
backs OF most people fail to impress
one, but His Msjesty's tailor has
rendered his regers quite abnormally |
ridiculous by making his froGk- coat
with a multitude of fine plaits like
those of Highlsnder's kilt, or OF q
lady of Queen Bess' time over the
hips, and so all round. His face ia
seldom animated, and there is some |
thing incongruous in the position OF
his respectable gold spectaeles, Ia
Theirs, on his aquiline nose, under
Persian cap and over all his dia-
monds.
BEFORE close, as an illustration of
thier characters, which in many re-
spccts ia the same as that OF their
ancestors, may mention that they
told some Prussians that the cam
naien of 1856 was in their favor.
The reason they gave was curious.
seThe British retired from Persia
that showed they were beaten. Had
thew been victorious, they would have
remained "But the Shah signed q
treaty granting all the British de-
mands and apologizing for the Of
lenses committed by his peoPle." "
ayes, that may be so, but it was not
because we were obliged to 10 It"
! They made some appeals 10 the
enormous old Colonel Of Police, who
: is famous for the rigidity of his man
: ners and the severity with which he
a guards the morals Of the city, to relax
his code in their favor, and were rot
at all successful. The Shah has,
however, some reason for thinking
that the high tone of the Police Di-
rector is not maintained uniformly,
for he has, as / think i told you
? already, added TO the number OF his
wives here, if report be true, and es-
: poused a girl of fifteen, whom he saw
E bY accident, and Immediately 'pro-
posed'' to by q representation to her
mother, which that good lady accept
ed, as there was provision made Tor
, her daughters future in Persia.
There has been some trouble in teach
ing the Shah and bis followers that
E women are to be treated with respect,
even though they go about with their
faces uncovered, and one Of the most
!: useful lessons they will carry back
from Europe is that which will teach
them TO consider their wives their
5 equals, and not their slsves-if they
learn It. There is a great "h," for
they do not at all approve af sll they
5 see here.