CHARACTERS. 
legitimate form his cunning as- 
sumes, is in political matters, 
where according to frequent usage, 
it might perhaps have the name of 
Sagacity and adrcitness. He is 
eminently skilled in all the arts of 
intrigue, and his agents or spies 
are to be found every where in the 
Turkish empire, doing the work 
of their master with a degree of 
zeal which testifies at once his 
own talent in their selection, and 
the commanding influence of his 
powers over the minds of all that 
surround him. His political in- 
formation, derived from these 
sources, and from the ample use 
of bribery, is of the best kind: 
and it may, I believe, be affirmed 
as a fact, that not a single event 
of importance can occur at Con- 
stantinople, even in the most se- 
cret recesses of the Divan, which 
is not known within eight days at 
the Seraglio of Ioannina. 
Account oF BEGGEE JAN. 
(From Sir J. Malcolm’s History 
of Persia.) 
Beggee Jan was the eldest son 
of the Ameer Daniel, who had 
during the latter years of his life, 
by possessing himself of the per- 
son of the nominal prince, exer- 
cised an almost absolute authority 
over those tribes of the Usbegs 
which inhabit the territories im« 
mediately dependant upon Bok- 
harah. When that noble died, he 
divided his great wealth among 
his numerous family, but declared 
Beggee Jan his heir. That chief, 
however, who had for some time 
before clothed himself in the 
patched garment of a fakeer, or 
‘463 
religious mendicant, instead of 
taking a part in those contests for 
power into which all his brothers 
and near relations had entered, 
shut himself up in a mosque, and 
forbad any person to-disturb his 
religious meditations. He also 
refused to accept the share which 
had been left to him of his father’s 
wealth. « Take it,” said he to 
those who brought it to him, “to 
the managers of the public cha- 
rities. Bid them reimburse with 
it, as far as they can, those from 
whom it was extorted. I can 
never consent to stain my hands 
with money that has been obtain- 
ed by violence.” The same writer 
who states this fact, asserts, that 
he attired himself in the coarse 
dress worn by those who suppli- 
cate for mercy, and, having hung 
a sword round his neck, he pro- 
ceeded to every quarter of the 
city of Bokharah, imploring, with 
tears in his eyes, the forgiveness 
and blessings of the inhabitants 
for his deceased father, and offer- 
ing his own life as an expiatory 
‘sacrifice for any sins or crimes 
which the Ameer Daniel might 
have committed. The character 
of Beggee Jan already stood high 
among the learned and religious ; 
for he was deeply versed in theo- 
logy, and had written many va- 
Juable tracts: but this was the 
first time he had presented him- 
self to the people. These, at once 
astonished and delighted at see- 
ing such proofs of humility and 
sanctity in a person of his rank, 
crouded around him as if he had 
been a prophet, and _all joined 
with him in prayers for blessings 
upon his parent. After having, 
by this proceeding, eradicated 
those feelings of revenge which 
