News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-06-27
PERSIA'S RULER.
WHY THE SHAH Is ABHoRED
AT EUROPEAN COURTS.
His Barbaric Conduct and Abuse of
All Hospitality Extended to Him
A Curious Superstition.

Nasr-ed-Deen, Shah of Persia, who is
now engaged on his third tour through
Europe, is far from being considered as
welcome guest by the various courts
which he has announced his intention
of visiting. In the first place the royal
ties of Europe have retained n most un-
pleasant recollt ction of his disgusting
and repulsive habi,s on the occasion of
his first visit. His character is treach-
erous, cruel and deceitful, and his man
ners are distinguished by that utter
absence of all ideas of decency which in
such peculiar feature of Oriental life.
On various occasions during the past
thirty years Eastern potentates, such as
the Sultan of Turkey, the Khedive, the
second King of Siam and quite number
Of Indian maharajahs, have visited
Europe. In almost every case they
have displayed much refinement, Gle
gance and courtesy in their dealings
with their European hosts. The latter
we're, therefore, but i'll prepared for the
offensive and unmannerly ways of the
defendant of Xerxes aud Darius.
After spending couple Of weeks at
st. Petersburg i'll 1873, lie came to
Berlin. His behavior, however, was 50
from the festivities on the plea Of indis-
position, and refused to see his Persian
guest any more before his departure.
The whole burden of entertaining the
Oriental potentate fell on to the shoul-
ders of the Empress Augusta, whose
poetic hankerings for the Orient, how
ever, were subjected to most severe
shock. Thus to this day she loves to
relate in her shrill and high. pitched
voice how during tho grand state ban
quet given in his honor at Berlin, when
ever he got some food which was not to
his taste in his mouth he would cody
remove it from his Jaws and place it IN
Her German Ma esty's lap, To the in
tense horror of all present Her mag
nificent robes at the close of the bali
quet presented most woeful aspect.
On his arrival in England he was
quartered at Buckingham Palace, and
while in London he sorely tried the
Prince of Wales temper by cody plac-
ing his hand ON the bare shoulders of
the Princess while talking to her. Hav-
ing been entertained by the Duke of
Sutherland ut the latter's magnificent
country scat at Trcntham, he cody sug
gested to the Prince of Wales that it
would be i'll every way advisable to put
the Duke to death, on the ground that
he was much too powerful and wealthy
for a subject. Over $150,000 was re-
quired to mako Buckingham Palace
habitable again after his departure.
The furniture had all 10 be burned,
while not only the silken panels, tapes
tries, carpets and paper-hangings had
to be thrown into the flames, but it was
oven found necessary to entirely remove
the plaster of the walls and the parquet
floors of the rooms which he lad inhab-
tied. The slaughter of live sheep for
sacrificial purposes i'll one Of the Queens
daintiest boudoirs was one of the most
pardonable of all his offenscs, and the
stencil of the rooms occupied by His
Persian Majesty was so intense and nm
bearnble that quantities Of disinfectants
had to bc used before oven the palace
attaches could muster up ccslrage to at
tempt to clean up matters.
At Paris he was received in great state
by Marshall MacMahon, at that time
President of the French Republic, and
on leaving the country his baggage was
stopped on tho Swiss frontier by several
Paris jewelers., from whom he had pur-
chased presents, but which he had re-
fused to pay for. At Vienna he was
quartered at the Chateau of Luxcnburg,
now tho residence of Grown Princess
Steplhanie, and before he left got INTO
serious trouble with respect to a young
Austrian, whom he had sub. .ccted to the
most gross brutality. His presence at
Vienna was indeed sore trial to the
courteous, clIiValrous and refined En-
| peror. The Persian monarch had dur
ing the previous portion of his tour de-
\ NeAopeA 81 strong ts,se,a S,sr sshNsal al,Nfsne
and was staggering about in II n'a1alu
state during tho major portion of hi
stay in tho Austrian capital. Nothing
] was moro curious than tO watch the
Emperor present some distinguished
statesman or soldier to his Oriental
guest. The latter would gaze with
bleary eyes ut the per onage bowling
before him, and then with short, con-
temptuous laugh and twirl of his long
moustache would leave the unfortunate
courtier standing there il n state of
mingled indignation and perplexity
until the Emperor had stepped up and
whispered few comforting words in his
ear.
On the occasion of his present trip he
is accompanied by suite of seventy
persons. among whom is chaplain,
whose sole duty it is to perform for his
imperial master the fasts prescribed by
the Koran, bit which the Shah is too
much of a glutton to submit TO. The
most important member of his suite,
however, is o young boy of twelve, whom
tbe Shah has covered with honors, dig
mites and titles, and who is an object
of envy and fear to most of His Males-
tvs Ministers. His name is Goolamai
Khan. He is the director of the Corps
of Royal Pages, and one of his titles is
Azizus- Sultan, which, being interpreted,
means 'sFavorite of the Monarch.
Not a Minister, not Vizier, not royal
prince has ever yet been allowed to sit at
the same table MS His Majesty, the only
execution TO this law of the Persians
bcing Goolamai Khan, who is constant-
ly by his masters side, and who has
more servants to wait upon him than any
two of tie royal Ministers. A Persian
official declares that the explanation OF
this extraordinary treatment is to be
found IN His Maiesty's profound con-
yiction that his life is insoparabiy and
mysteriously bound up III tLat of Cool
ANAL Khan. and that wisc men have
foretold that the Shah's death will be
preceded only few days by that of his
Young favorite, that the health and pros
peIity of the latter will mean the health
and prosperity of the former, and that
generally whatever befalls this little one
will also happen to his loyal protector.
The 81 abs belief in this prophecy has
resulted in the boys leading a life OF
ease and luxury unknown to the most
fortunate courtiers in Tehcran. What
ever the explanation, the facts are
indisputable, and the boy was seated on
the knees of two magnificent glgndees
on the Shah's entry into ST. Petersburg,
and was held by them with feeling of
awe and reverence during the hurrahs
Of the populace and the cheers OF the
soldiers.