Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-28
Gibbons Comment on Timour.

| Edward Gibbon. in his History of the
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"
volume VII. chapter LXV. gives an elo-
quent review of the character and ca
reer of the greatest of all Asatics, and
says:
The fame of Timour has pervaded the
| east and the west: his posterity is still
| admiration of his subjects who revered
him almost as deity. may be justified
! in some degree by the praise or confess
| sion of his bittereSt enemies.
| Although he was lame of hand and
| foot. his form and stature were not I'M
worthy of his rank. and his vigorous
| health. so essential to himself and to the
| world, was cOrrOborated by temperance
and exercise. In his familiar discourse he
was grave and modest. and if he was ig
norant of the Arabic language ne spoke
with fluency and elegance the Persian
and Turkish idioms.
! 1T was his delight to converse with the
| learned on topics Of history and science,
| and the amusement of his leisure hours
was the game of chess, which he i'm
proved or corrupted with new refinementS.
I'm the government of vast empire
| he stood alone and absolute, without
rebel to oppose his power, favorite TO
| seduce his affections or a minister to mis-
| lead his judgment. 1t was his fiI-mest
maxim that, whatever might be the con-
| sequence. the word of the prince should
never be disputed or recalled.
| His sons and grandsons. Of whom
Timour left six-and-thrty at his decease.
were his first and most submissive SUBJ
| jects
ITO maintain the harmony of authority
and obedience, to Chastise the proud. to
protect the weak. to reward the deserving.
to Danish vice and idleness from his do
minions. to secure the traveller and mer
chants. to restrain the depredations OF
the soldier. to cherish the labors of the
husbandman to encourage Industry and
a a
assessment, to increase the revenue with
out increasing the taxes. are indeed the
duties of prince; but, in the discharge
OF these duties, he finds an ample ard
immediate recOmpense.
"Timour might boast that at his Access
sion to the throne Asia was the prey Of
anarchy and rapine, while under his pros
porous monarchy a child. fearless and
unS urt. might carry purse of gold from
the east to the west Such was his con-
fdence of merit that from tniS refornna-
ton he derived excuses for his victories
and his title to universal dominion"
Spanish ENJOYS Account.
The most interesting account of the
splendor of Tamerlane's court at Sama-
kand is found in a Narrative OF the En-
bassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo to the
Court OF Timour. at Samarkand, a. u.
fiO3-G.'' This Is the oldest known Spanish
! narrative Of travel. and was written in
the earliest dawn of Spanish literature. in
the reign of King Henry Ill who was
contemporary of Richard III and Henry
! " Of England
! From a historical point of view it is
/ exceedingly important; almost equal to
| the narratives of Marco Polo and Sir
| John Mandervilc.
. Henry III of CASTLE sent embassies to
all the princes of christendom to gather
/ information respecting their affairs. and
to collect knowledge that might be use
full for the good government of his own
! country. Two of his emba sSadors were
witnesses of the battle of Angora, in
which TiInour overcame Bayazid, the sec
ond Sultan of Turkey. in the Year liO2.
tpon their return to Spain they took
with them two Christian ladies who had
been rescued by Tamerlane from tile
harem of the Turkish sultan. One was q
| Hungarian and the other a Greek. Both
married graEdeeS of the Spanish court
md became he mothers OF eminent men.
Clavija's Story of Mission.
Henry III became SO much interested in
| the affairs OF Turkstan that lie sent a
| second embassy to the court of Tanner
lane, of which Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo.
a grandee of Madrid. was the chief.
Ciavijo wrote a description of all the
places through which he passed. from
Cadiz to Samarkand. where he spent sew
| eral months as guest of the great Tar
tar.
He gives a minute account of his ex-
perienee: and introduces much historical
Information concerning lands which he
did not visis, and many interesting stories
Of what he heard, as well as what he saw
He says that Tamerlane had ring set
| with a stone of. extraordinary luster
| which, however. grew dull when any
falsehood was told I'm his presence.
| Clavijo told some tall stories concern
ing the grandeur of Spain, which, he ad-
mits, were not strictly, but in a
metaphorical sense" He' was much sur
prised. therefore, to notice that the gem
preserved its bright color. Perhaps it
might have blushed at some of the ac-
counts he gives of the splendor and ex-
.ravagance of Tamerlane's court, al
though his statements are confirmed by
other writer's,
Timour's Own Narrative.
II is, however. from the memoirs of
{ Tamerlane himself that we get the best
, idea of his character and the most accu-
rate accounts of certain events In his
/ life, which have been the subject of con-
| : fort fo.,r .capt,r;a.