528 TRANSLATIONS OF TWO LETTERS 



vinces ; but he had received the military spirit of the 

 Persians, and roused a nation sunk in sloth and luxury, 

 to great and successful exertion. But neither this 

 success^ the imbecility of Shah Tamasp, nor a reli- 

 ance upon his own fame and strength, could induce him 

 to take the last step of usurpation, until he had by his 

 arts excited a complete contempt in the minds of his 

 countrymen for their reigning sovereign, and a pride in 

 his glory, that was likely to make his elevation seem 

 more the accomplishment of their wishes than of their 

 ambition. The great ability with which he laboured to 

 effect this object, is admirably shown in his letter to 

 MuHAMMED Ali Khan. He commences by stating 

 his victories oxtx the Afghans, whom he had not only 

 completely expelled from the empire, but pursued into 

 their own territories. He next exposes the impolitic 

 and humiliating conditions of the treaty which the king 

 had concluded with the T^urkish government ; and, on 

 the ground of its bringing disgrace on Persia, asserts 

 his right and intention, as the successful champion of , 

 the independence of his country, to abrogate the igno- 

 minious engagement ; and while he flatters the na- 

 tional spirit of the Persians by anticipating success 

 against their ancient rivals the Turksj he endeavours to 

 enflame all their bigotry by giving the colour of reli- 

 gion to the cause which he has undertaken; and calls 

 upon them, with the well feigned zeal of an enthusiast, 

 to fight for the pre^iervation and existence of the holy 

 sect of Shiah, a schism which, as appears from his whole 

 life, he always considered to be a heresy, and which it 

 was the first and last object of his reign to eradicate and 

 destroy : and, to make the effect of this letter complete, 

 he concludes it vyith the usual declaration of all Muham- 

 medan leaders who hav« made religion the pretext of 



