191 



but little of the higher classes in oriental society; whose mode of 

 life constantly reminded me of similar representations in those au- 

 thentic annals. 



The Asiatic females, especially among the wealthy Moguls 

 and Persians, are now exactly in the same situation as they were 

 placed by a Persian monarch some thousand years ago; the story 

 of Ahasuerus and Vashli is completely descriptive of modern 

 orientalism. Here we behold an eastern monarch, in the zenith 

 of power, reigning over an hundred and twenty-seven provinces, 

 extending from India to Ethiopia: "making a feast unto all his 

 princes and servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles 

 and princes of the provinces being before him ; when he shewed 

 the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honour of his excel- 

 lent majesty, many days, even an hundred and fourscore days. 

 When these days were expired the king made a feast unto all 

 the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto 

 great and small, seven days in the court of the garden of the 

 king's palace ; where were white, green, and blue hangings, 

 fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings, and 

 pillars of marble; the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pave- 

 ment of red, and blue, and white, and black marble." This is 

 exactly descriptive of a shahmyanah, or large canopy, spread 

 upon lofty pillars, in the gardens and courts of the Mogul palaces^ 

 and attached by similar cords of various colours. Some of these 

 awnings, belonging to the Indian emperors, were very costly and 

 distinguished by various names; the most so was that called the 

 bargah, mentioned in the Aycen-Akbery, belonging to the empe- 

 ror Akber; which was of such magnitude, as to contain ten thou- 



