The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-20
ONLY THREE OF THEM
A TRIO or FAMOUS ENGLISH ADvEN.
TuRERS.

TuRERS.
Thsy Were Brothers and Belonged TO IN
Ancient FnmiIy. but They Loved TO STIR
Up Things Dipiomstists Of = Combstivs
Kind, Always In q Stew.
In 1911 Robert Shirley was received by
King James ns special envoy from Shah
Abbas and knightcd He brought his Cir
cassian wife with him, and child was
born during their residence hero, to whom
the queen and Prince Henry stood spon.
sors. In short, he was treated with great
distinction. On his return next year the
king gave him $500 and sent him home
I'm fino ship with an autograph letter to
the shah. This was so satisfactory that In
1923 Sir Robert solicited and obtained an
other mission, which proved to be no less
agreeable. Perhaps 1t was the diversions
OF tho court which tempted him to neglect
his correspondence with the shah. At
least that arbitrary painim took offense
and presently dispatched another envoy.
When this parsonage arrived, he sent due
notice to Sir Robert, who ought to have
left the country forthwith, but he paid no
attention, and when No. was received mt
court to his horror he beheld No. actual
ly In the presence chamber. Words could
not express his Indignation at this breach
Of etiquette, though he used the strongest
language In tho loudcst voice. He slapped
Sir Roberts face, and his son knocked him
down In the kings presence. The incident is
unique perhaps In the annals Of diplomacy.
Both parties were hurried out, and his
majesty ordered them to quit the realm.
They sailed for Persia In different ships.
As he approached his native shores No. Q
felt more and more strongly that he had
gone too far, and at length took to an ex-
elusive diet Of opium, whereof he died In
sight of land. The shah gave Sir Robert
an audience, but scarcely spoke to him.
He even mooked his personal appearance
the old English cheer had developed fat
perhaps or red nose. When the poor man
heard this, his distress brought on at of
apoplexy and they buried him under the
threshold of his own house at Ispahan.
But who was Sir Robert Shirley and
how came 1t that tho great Shah Abbas
sent him on embassiesi The story Is long,
even summarized, for one cannot mention
Robert without alludipg to his elder
brothers. Among English adventurers
they stand In the first rank. Thomas the
head of his ancient family and heir to
large fortune, served In tho low countries
with great distinction. ThaA he fitted out
three vessels to make private war upon the
Turks, but his reckless courage in attack
ing an enormous ship, which he captured,
however, convinced his men that he was
not businesslike leader, and they mu-
tinted. Finally Sir Thomas was taken
prisoner and confined for four years in a
dungeon at Constantinople, treated with
horrible barbarity and ordered to execution
at least three times. At length his father
ransomed him, but the man was incorrigi-
BILE. A letter to tho Earl of Shrewsbury
states, Sept. z, 1907: "Young Sir Thomas
Shirley is committed to the tower. Some
say 1t was for overbusying himself with
the traffic Of Constantinople, to have
brought IL into Venice and the Florentine
territories" eto. That 10 the last we hear
Of him.
Anthony, the second son, graduated a.
Oxford, fought In the low countries and in
France, where Henry of Navarro decorated
him. It was on this occasion that Eliza
beth declared, ~ will not have my sheep
marked with strange brand or suffer
them to follow the pipe Of q strange shep.
herd" Sir Anthony was committed to
the feet. Then he went buccanesring, cap
tured st. Jago and Jamaica, served with
Essex at Cadiz and in Ireland, where he
was knighted, and presently led force of
picked English soldiers to Venice to sup
port Don Cesare d'Este. Upon arrival,
however, he found that the disputants had
come to terms, and from Venice he started
for Persia. Essex and the company of
Aleppo merchants supplied him with
funds, for what object we do not see clear
ly, but the adventurer's resources all
through life were mysterious. He travelled
In prodigious state. At length he reached
Ispahan and gained the shah's favor at
once. He was first named lieutenant of
the imperial Grmy, but presently the shah
dispatched him to Europe on rowing mis-
sion to stir up the Christian powers against
the Turk. Through Muscovy, Germany
Italy and Spain this astonishing man trav
eled like a prince, receiving the highest
honors everywhere. The German emperor
sent him as ambassador to Marocco.
In Spain he was made Knight Of ST.
Jago and appointed captain general of q
feet comprising goo great ships, besides
galleys and small vessels manned by 3O,-
600 sailors and soldiers. The purpose Of
this armament Is not divulged, but 1t
caused such alarm that James ordered
his subject to return to England at once OIL
peril of his life. Sir Anthony disobeyed
the summons, but he thought it prudent
to resign his high command. Ho died In
Spain in 1880, magnificent to the last,
though his only visible income was pen
sion of 1000 duoats as a count Of the Holy
Roman Empire.
Robert. the third son, accompanied his
brother to Persia and became great ia
vorite with the shah. Ho commanded the
army In several campaigns against tho
Turk, always victorious. When the shah
discovered that Anthony was making no
progress in the organization Of the league
against Turkey, he sent Robert OH the
same crrand. Thus the special envoy
came to England, as has been told.-Pall
Mall Gazette.
O. ID. 0ibson's Tribute To Du Maurier.
Ennlish aneakin0 reonla haua hoa., In