158 The Persian Travels Book IV. 



large City, being almofl a League and a half long, and near upon half as much 

 broad. There are two principal Streets which contain near upon the whole length, 

 one whereof has on each fide a row of Tchinars, the roots whereof are rcfrefh'd by a 

 fmall Channel of Water, which by a particular order the Armenians bring to the 

 City, to water their Gardens. The mod part of the other Streets have alio a row of 

 Trees, and a Channel. And for their Houfes, they are generally better built, and 

 more chcarriil than thole of Ifbahan. 

 See the Defcri- How they came to be ietled nere, I have already defcrib'd : And now the number 

 pion of Z\\\- of Inhabitants is ftrangely increas'd by the acceflion of ieveral other Chriftians of 

 pha. divers Sects , as Jacobites, Cophtes, and Neftorians , who formerly liv'd in the Suburbs 



oi I/faban. Neither was Sha^^dbas fo cruel in transplanting the Armenians away 

 out of their own Country ^ for they were all at that fealbn poor labouring men, 

 who knew not at all what belonged to Trade. Since that time they are grown very 

 rich : fo that the Armenians have no cauie to be covetous of the Habitations of their 

 Anceftors. And now' I will tell you how they came to be fuch great Proficients in 

 Trade. 



Sha-Abas, who was a man of a great Genius, and a perfon of great undertaking, 

 confidering that Perfiawas a barren Country, where there was little Trade, and by 

 coniequcncc little Money, reiblv'd to fend his Subjects into Europe with raw Silks, 

 fo to understand whence the heft profit would arife, to bring Money into his Country. 

 To which purpofe, he reiblv'd to make himfelf Mafter of all the Silk in his own 

 Country, by purchafing it himfelf at a reafonable rate, tax'd by himfelf, and to 

 reap the gains by his Factors : and withal, thought it neceilary to leek an Alliance 

 with the great Kings of Europe , to engage them on his fideagainft the*Tw^. He 

 firft fent to the King of France , Henry the Fourth. But he dying before the Am- 

 baffador arriv'd , ai fwer was made the Ambaffador, That if the King of Terjia 

 had any thing to fay to the King of France, Lewis the Thirteenth, hemuft fend a 

 new Ambaffador," which was never done. 



Three or four years after he fent an Ambaffador to the King of Spain , accom- 

 pany'd with a Perfian Merchant of JJpahan, putting into their hands a confidcrable 

 quantity of Bales of Silk. He alfo lent along with them a Pormgnez. Auftin-Friar, 

 to be their Guide and Interpreter. The Pcrfan Merchant would have fold the 

 Silks, as was the King's order, and have bought a Prefent more becoming. But 

 the Ambaffador over-ruPd by the Friar, refolv'd to prefent the King of Spain with 

 the Bales of Silk. The Merchant not able to oppole the Ambaffador, returns home 

 forthwith to give an account to the King , who approv'd his management. The 

 Ambaffador proceeds, and coming to the Spanifi Court, prcients his Bales of Silk 

 to the King , who ask'd the Ambaffador whether his Mafter took him for a Woman, . 

 that he had lent him fo many Bales of Silk to fpin •, and immediately fent away the * 

 Preient to his Queen, prefenting the Ambaffidor but very meanly : who thereupon 

 feeing the Errour he had committed, made haft home •, but upon his return , the 

 Perfian King having notice of the ill fuccefs of his Negotiation , caus'd his Belly to 

 be ript op'n in the publick Market-place. 



About ^fifteen years after , he trufted a eonfiderable quantity of Silk with a 

 Merchant's Son of JJpahan, and fent him to Venice : who when he came there, took 

 a ftately Lodging , and fpent his Money at a ftrange rate, efpecially among the 

 Coin-titans-, to maintain which expence , he continually fold great quantities of Silk. 

 The Venetians feeing a private man live fo fplendidly among them , and not believing 

 10 great a quantity of Goods could belong to one (ingle Merchant , but rather 

 imagining him to be a Faftor for fome Company who fuffer'd for his folly, wrote to 

 all the Ports of the Levant , and having intelligence who he was, the Senate thought 

 fit to fcize his Perfon and his Goods , before he had confum'd all \ at the fame 

 time giving a civil account to the King of Perfta, what they had done. To which the 

 PerfanK'mg return'd a moft obliging Anfwer of Thanks, fending withal an intelligent 

 Perfian Merchant to take an account of what was left , to whom the Venetians were 

 very punftual. As for the Prodigal Perfian, who thought it not his wifeft way to 

 return into Perfia, what became of him is not material to this Story. 



Ska- Abas by thefe Experiments obferving the little inclination of his Subjects to 

 Trade, who were naturally addicted to Pride and Expence, which is no part of a 

 Merchant's bufmefs, caft his Eyes upon the Armenians , men able to endure the 



labour 



