, 1889-06-26

WASO GASAA A0N SsSGSAO INV O"O @hSA ~
death will be preceded only a few days by
that of his young favOuTite, that the
health and prosperity Of the latter will
mean the health and prosperity of the
former, and that generally whatever be.
falls this little one will also happen 20 his
Royal protector. The Shah'S belief in this
prophecy has resulted in the boys leading
al lite Of ease ard luxury unknown to the
most fortunate courtierS in Teheran. What
ever the explanation, the facts are indis-
putahle, and the boy was seated on the
knees of two magnificent grandees on the
Shah'S entry into st. Petersburg, and was
held 10y them with a feeling of awe and
reverence during the hurrahs of the pOpu-
lace and the cheers of the soldiers. In
spite OF the leaning towards superstition
which the above explanation presuppOses,
Nasr-EddIn. is one of the most enlightened
rulers that have governed Persia since
the days of the immortal Shah-AbbaS. In
religion he is not a fanatic every year a
few days before the wearisOme fast Of
thirty days known as Ramazan, he usually
sets out upon a longjourney in his own dOmi-
iniOns, thus a~Vailing himself of the diSpen-
sation from fasting accorded to all travel
lers. Travelling, indeed, would seem to be
his predominant passion, for besides his nu-
merOus expeditions in the interior of the
{. country, this is the fourth time that he has
crossed the boundaries of Iran, and the
third time that he has visited Europe. He
is also, however, a highly intelligent ira
weller, taking a lively interest III the
physical geography, ethnOgraphy, and arts
Of the countries through which he passes;
and, what is still more laudable, he has
given us "a vivil description OF his impress
siOns and observations i'll a series OF truth
full, naive diaries, published at various times
in Persia, India, Turkey. ASaploSe writer
in his own language he is NOT only not eA-
,celIed, but not even equaIled by the most
lifted Of his contemporaries, his style beng
simple, chaste, classical aud in the ORR
en- tai Faculty of the University of st
Petersburg the Diary written during his
tour through Europe III 1878 is read as II
class book in Persian, aud was studied by
the writer of these remarks aN Il preliminary
to the study of the poet Hatiz. In one OF his
sdiarieS-I forget now whIC 1.-THE royal
writer tells a story OF his ~S0jOurn i'll Lon
don which is worth repeating. He went to
All exhibition of PAINTINGS, one of which
struck him as being remarkably well done.
1t was an ass, executed with wonderful
fidelity to nature. "What'a the price of
that picturef" his Majesty inquired,
through his interpreter, "A bundled
pounds was the answer. "a hund ed
pounds! Exclaimed the Shah, in sheer
anazement "tAat IL all eXOIhitant price.
Why, a live ASS is inCOmparHbly cheaper !
eyes, your Majesty" was The reply,
"',but this ass requires no fodder This
re partee greatly amused the Shah, who
admits That 1--WE laughed heartily at it,"
S cienre, unfol tunatelS, is terrsiimcOgnitd %
Nasr-EddiN, who lays the blame tor his
neglected education entirely upon his faith
er, who disliked hnn, deliberately kept
him in ignorance, liz even harb0uTed the
intention of depriving him of the success
sim. he frequently alludeS to his child
hood and youth, with their glorious promis-
eS and boumdlesS pOtentialitieS and bitterly
bewailS that deficiency of mental culture
which has been unSparingly commented
upon by European journalists, but to-
which his Majesty is more keenly sensi-
BILE than his least inGulgent critics. He
has dOue much to remedy this deficiency
and deserves all the credit for the results,
which, without being precisely remarka-
BILE, are fairly successful. Last year, for
instance, he. wrote y paper, in a Persian
journal, Iran MAY 10 and 19), upon a
lake which had lately appeared between
Room and Teheran. This article appeared
sufficiently interesting and important to
the competent authorities to justify its
insertion in the proceedings of the Geo
graphical Society of London" October,
1000 900 kHQA RO0N DocilIC YnrOCn I'm