Sir R. Ker Porter's Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, &c. 
2 ’ 
what better means I can employ to sup- 
port this true dignity, of my throne, to 
maintain this my. undisputed power 
amongst the nations’’ The ruins of 
several of his hunting-lodges are still 
shown in the vicinity of the fata] plain, 
VISIT_TO JSPAHAN. 
The approach to the southern side of 
the city is infinitely. more magnificent 
than the entrance onthe north. Amongst 
the first, objects that struck our eyes in 
the present view, were the numerous 
nobly-constructed bridges, each carry- 
ing its long level line of thickly-ranged 
arches, to porch-like structures of the 
finest. elevations; some fallen into 
stately ruin; others nearly entire; but 
all exhibiting splendid memorials of the 
triumphal ages of the Sefi race. These 
bridges, once the scenes of many a glo- 
yious cayalcade of prince and people, 
were now, though deserted, still anim- 
-paired, and indeed superb prologues to 
tenantless palaces, and, a cily in ruins. 
All spoke of the gorgeous, populous 
past; but all that remained in present 
life, seemed Jost in. silence, shrinking 
from the increasing flame of a morning 
stin that burnt like mid-day. Happily, 
acoyert path presented itself ; and, after 
enjeying our ride beneath the cool ar- 
cades_of its long mouldering cloisters, 
we entered the southern gate of the 
town, and immediately came out into 
one of ihose umbrageous.avenues of trees 
which render the interior of Ispahan in 
this quarter, a very paradise. It termi- 
nated at the great bazar of Shah Abbas; 
the whole of which enormous length of 
building is vaulted above, to exclude 
heat, yet admit air and light. Hundreds 
of shops, without inhabitants, filled the 
sides of this epitome of a deserted mer- 
cantile world; and, haying traversed 
their untrodden labyrinths for an extent 
of nearly two miles, we entered the 
-Maidan Shah, another spacious sound- 
less theatre of departed grandeur, ‘The 
present solitude of so magnificent a 
place was rendered more impressive by 
the distinct echoing of our horses’ foot- 
steps, as we passed through itsimmense 
quadrangle to the palace that was to be 
our temporary abode. On entering be- 
neath its Dold, and marble portico, I felt 
the pleasurable sensation of old ac- 
_guaintanceship, if not an actual glow of 
something fike home; for, this was the 
very one of the Hesth Beheste, or Eight 
Palaces, which had been my residence 
during my first stay at Ispahan. The 
coolest, and therefore most delightfal 
range among its splendid apartments 
Kaliouns. ‘The utmost magnificence of 
579 
was prepared for us; and to add to the 
immediate refreshment of “ fruits, flow- 
ers, and the limpid spring,” we had the 
agreeable information that our friend, 
Hadgé Bachire, was the inhabitant of 
the suife nearest to ours. It was not 
now difficult to guess whence had flowed 
the cornucopia before us. Mutual visits 
were soon paid; and we had more and 
more reason to remember, with respect 
and gratefalness, the good Abyssinian 
of Shiraz. 
THE PERSIAN CHARACTER. 
The variety of character amongst 
these people is equally interesting and 
extraordinary, and that variety does not 
exist more in certain dissimilarities dis- 
tinguishing one individual from another, 
than in those very dissimilarities often 
meetingin one man. The Persian’s na- 
tural disposition is amiable, with quick 
parts; and on these foundations, the 
circumstances of climate and govern- 
ment have formed his character. Per- 
haps a stronger proof could not be 
given of the former trait, than that we 
find in their history no terrible details of 
sanguinary popular tumults. ‘The page 
is blotted in a thousand places, with 
massacres done by order of a single 
tyrant ; but never a disposition for insur- 
rection, and wide murderous revenge, 
in the people en masse. Fonder of 
pleasure than ambitious of the sterner 
prerogatives of power, they seck their 
chief good in the visions of a fanci- 
ful philosophy, or the feryours of a faith 
which kindles the imagination with the 
senses. ‘The dreams of their poets, the 
delights of the Anderoon, the vigour of 
the chase ; these, with services at court, 
whether to the Shah, or to his princely 
representatives over provinces, or to 
their delegated authorities in towns 
and villages, all alike form the favourite 
pursuits of the Persian, from the high- 
est khan to the lowest subject in the 
‘empire, 
I have already mentioned, that the 
peculiar temperament of the Persian is 
lively, imitative, full of imagination, and 
of that easy nature which we in the west 
eall “taking the world lightly;” and 
that hence he is prone to seek pleasures, 
and toenjoy them with his whole heart. 
Amongst these, the gaiety of his taste 
renders him fond of pomp and show; 
but his fear of attracting suspicion to his 
riches, prevents him exhibiting such 
signs in his own person, beyond an extra 
superb shaw), a handsomely hilted dag- 
ger, or the peculiar beauty of bis 
his 
