42 The Persian Travels Book I. 



By the favour of this Lord and the Kan, I made good the Purchafe that I intended. 

 For the People began to murmur ( knowing what a Parcel I had got together ) 

 and told the Kan that I would carry away all the Cloth out of the Country, fo that 

 they fhould have none to let the Poor on work. Thereupon the Kan fent for me, 

 and for thofe rcafons told me I muft buy no more. To fend off the blow, I made 

 anfwer, That it was the King of Perfia's defirc to try if we could make as fine Cloth 

 of his Wool in France, as they did in England and Holland - y and that if it fuccecded, 

 I fhould bring French Workmen into Perfia , and fo by letting the Trade in his own 

 Country, free him from the Charge of forein Manufactures. This filenc'd the Kan, 

 fo that I ftill bargain'd for more. But when I was return'd to Ijpahan, the People of 

 the Country would not keep touch with me. However , I wrote fo home to the 

 Kan, threatning withal to complain to the King, that he fearing the King's dif- 

 plealure , fore'd the Natives to fend me my Bargain to Ijpahan. 



CHAP. IX. 



Of the %oad from Kerman to Ifpahan • and the Fortune of Nazar 

 Mahomet- Ali-Beg. 



\Kom Kerman to Ijpahan is no lefs than five and twenty days on Horfeback. 

 In thofe places where there is any Water, the Country is very good •, but 

 thofe places are very rare-, for the Road is generally Sandy, and offenfive 

 to the Eyes. The chiefeft comfort to a Traveller is , that every Evening 

 he meets with an Inn, where there are Cifterns, which is a great refrelhment in 

 thofe defert Countries. « The mod part of thofe Inns were built fome Years fincc 

 by the fpecial care of Muhomet- Ali-Beg , Naz.ar , or Grand Matter of the King's 

 Houfe and Treafury •, a Perfon the moft Virtuous of any that Per/ia can boaft of 

 for many Years. He was Generous, and favour'd the Franks in all things, for he 

 lov'd them exceedingly. He faithfully ferv'd his King , and defended the People 

 againft the Oppreflion and Infolencies of the Great ones^ which drew upon him 

 the hatred of many : but ftill he preferv'd himfelf by his fincerity and prudence-, as 

 by the following Story will remarkably appear. 



The Great Sha-Abas the Firft , being one day a Hunting in the Mountains far out 

 of fight from his followers, met a young Lad playing upon a Pipe by an Herd of 

 Goats. The King asking him fome Queftions , he aniwer'd him to the purpofe to 

 every one , not knowing who he was. The King furpriz'd at his Reparti's, made 

 a fign to Jman-couli-Kan Governour of Schiras, who was juft come up to him , not to 

 tell the Goat-herd who he was. After that he proceeded to ask him other Que- 

 ftions*, to which the young Man anfwer'd fo fmartly , that the King could not 

 choofe but ftand in an amaze. Thereupon the King ask'd the Kan what he thought 

 of the Goat-herds Wit ? Who anfwer'd , that he believ'd if the Boy were taught 

 to Write and Read , he might do good fervice to his Majefty. Upon that the King 

 immediately caus'd him to be fent to School , where the young Lad being naturally 

 of a folidWit, clear Judgment, and happy Memory, grew fo accomplifh'd , and 

 fo well acquitted himfelf of feveral Employments which his Majefty beftow'd upon 

 him, that the King advane'd him to the Office of Naz.ar, or Grand Matter of the 

 Houfe , and did him the Honour to call him Mahomet -aAU-Beg. The King ob- 

 lcrving his fidelity, and good management of all things , fent him twice Ambaflador 

 to the Great Mogul, and both times was extremely pleas'd with his Negotiation. Ma- 

 homet lov'd Juftice,and would not ftoop to be corrupted by Prefents : A thing which is 

 very rare among the Mahometans. This great Integrity of his made all the Lords 

 of the Court his Enemies, efpecially the Eunuchs and the Women , who have always 

 the King's Ear. But while Sha-Abas liv'd, there was no perfon that durft open 

 his lips againft the Naz.ar , fo much was he in favour, and that juftly, with the 

 King. Sha-Sefi fucceeding, his Grandfather Sha-Abas , and being very young , the 

 Nazar's Adverfaries thought they had now a fair Game to play. Thereupon the 



Eunuchs, 



