The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-07-24
Some -D6ports About the Shah OF
Persia.

In spite of the glitter of those wonder.
full diamonds, and the glories of that blaz-
ing surtout, we suspect that the visit of
the Shah to Europe has dispelled the last
lingering belief in the fabulous magnifi-
cerice Of Eastern monarchies. The Shah
of Persia was one of the most interesting
of the two or three Oriental rulers Of
whom the rest of mankind knew little or
nothing. The Mikado is no longer a
mystery. The Sultan excites neither curl.
osity nor awe. The splendors Of India
are stories of the past. China is getting
common, and the Son of Heaven is only
a boy. But the Shah has been shroudcd
for ages in golden veil of romance
Travellers have learned little about him;
his subjects have rarely been seen in Eu-
rope; secluded from the outer world, he
has reigned in unapproachable majesty
over country whose very name is clo-
quent to Western ears with tales of won
der and enchantment and the luxuriant
fancies of the Eastern poets.
The glamour is all dispellcd. Nasser.
cd-Din has journeyed across the territory
of the Feringees with his enormous rcti-
nue., scattering largesses worthy of the
Commander of the Faithful in the
arabian Nights" and spending the
revenues of an empire in the diversions of
a pleasure trip; and what taw-
dry sort of Shah he turns out to
be! Wherever he goes, his hosts are
glad to got 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-bOrn courtiers amuse themselves
cutting the flowers out of the tapestry,
and the heads out of the royal family por-
E In % L = - 81
the honor is declined, and Car and Kais
er and Queen show like alacrity in pass
ing him over the border. He is hidden to
a banquet, and, after he has once sent a re-
fusal, he changes his royal mind, rises
from his bed and presents himself ut the
door of his distracted host, when the
meats arc cold and broken, and the guests
have gone home. He keeps an Emperor
waiting for hours, and insults every lady
of the court who is not handsome-f0r
even court ladies are sometimes ugly. He
advises Kaiser Wilhelm to hang chat 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 splits on the
audience when he goes to the opera. OF
some other incidents of his tour perhaps
it is as we'll 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 un.
reasonable to expect the Shah to be gen.
tleman. 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 consideration for
others, and how should he have learned
that? He has been bred to selfishness and
brutality; and it was not to be expected
that he should know enough to change
his manners altogether when he came in
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 so much more agreeable
Neo York Tribune