The Persian Travels Book IV. 



Thereupon he caus'd my Nephew to be enroPd prefently as one of his Domeftick 

 Servants , and order'd the Naz,ar to take particular care of him. 



The next day after my agreement with the Naz.ar> the King gave audience ia 

 the great Hall of the Palace to the Ambaffador of the Vjbeck^Tartars. AH the 

 Lords and Officers of the Crown flood in the Court where the Ambaffador was to 

 pais: there were alfo nine (lately Horfes , whole Furniture was very rich, and all 

 different. Two Harneffes were cover'd with Diamonds, two with Rubies, two 

 with Emralds , two with Turquoifes , and one embroider'd with fair Pearls. Had 

 he been an Ambaffador from a Monarch for whom the King of Terfia had had a 

 greater efleem than he had for the Cham of Tartary, there had been thirty Horfes : 

 for according to the value which the King puts upon the Prince that lends to him, 

 he either augments or abates of the number of his Horfes of State. Every Horfe 

 is ty'd by the Reins to a Nail of Gold faften'd in the Ground , with a Hammer of 

 Gold lying by. There was another Nail of Gold behind , with a Cord ty'd to it, 

 that held their hinder legs. They fet alio before every Horfe a Caldron of Gold, 

 out of which they draw up Water into a great Manger ^ though all this be only for 

 State , for they never water their Horfes in that place. 



Out of the firfl Court the AmbafTador enter'd into a large Gallery, between 

 a long File of Mufqueteers on each fide. Thence he enter'd into a Garden 

 through an Alley about eight Fathom broad , all pav'd with great Marble Stones, 

 in the middle of which runs a Channel of Water four Foot wide , with lèverai 

 Water-works that fpurted out of the Channel at equal diftances. On each fide of 

 the Walk to the Hall where the King fat, there is a Pondalmoft as long as the 

 Walk , and in the middle of the Pond another fort of Water-works. Several Offi- 

 cers of the Army were rang'd all along the Alley, and at the end ' of one of the 

 Ponds were four Lions ty'd -, and at the end of the other , three Tigers couchant 

 upon Carpets of Silk , having Men to guard them with Half-pikes in their hands. 

 The Hall took up more ground in length then in bredth , being op'n every way } 

 the Cieling was fuftain'd by fixteen wooden Pillars , of eight pannels every one, 

 and of a prodigious thicknefs and height. As well the Cieling as the Pillars were 

 all painted with Foliage-work in Gold and Azure, with certain other Colours mix'd 

 therewith. In the middle of the Hall was a Vafe of excellent Marble , with a 

 Fountain throwing out Water after feveral manners. The Floor was fpread with 

 Gold and Silk Carpets , made on purpofe for the place : and near to the Vafe was 

 a low Scaffold one Foot high, twelve Foot long, and eight wide, cover'd with a 

 magnificent Carpet. Upon this Scaffold fate the King upon a four-fquare- Cufhion 

 of Cloth of Gold , with another Cufhion behind him cover'd with the lame, let up 

 againft a great Tap'ftry -Hanging , wrought with Terfian Characters, containing 

 the Myileries of the Law. On each fide of the King flood feveral Eunuchs with 

 Mufquets in their hands. The King commanded the Athemadoulet and four others 

 to fit down by him, and the tAthemaàoulet made me a fign to fit down -, but the 

 King knowing how little the Franks care for fitting crofs-leg'd , order'd me to be 

 told that I might fland upright, if I thought good. The King was clad in a 

 Silk flreak'd with Gold : His Cloak was a Gold-ground with Flowers of Silk and 

 Silver , Furr'd with a Martin Sable , the blackeft and mofl glitt'ring that ever 

 was feen. His Girdle was very rich , and upon his Bonnet he wore a plume of He- 

 rons Feathers faften'd with a tranlparent Jewel -, in the middle of the Jewel was 

 a Pear-fafhion'd Pearl , fet with great Topaze's and Rubies. 



About half an hour after the King was fat , the Nazar and the Matter of the 

 Ceremonies brought the Ambaffador, ^vho neither himfelf nor any of his Train were 

 very well clad , and caus'd him to flay at the foot of the fteps into the Hall from the 

 Garden. When the Ambaffador had afcended the fteps, he proftrated himfelf be- 

 fore the King , then advancing nine or ten paces he did the fame again -, after which 

 the Mafter of the Ceremonies caus'd him to fit down , leaving between him and the 

 King fpace enough for eight men. After that I obferv'd that the Naz.ar went often 

 between the King and the Ambaffador , and between the Ambaffador and the King^ 

 but I could not tell what they faid. So that I being by that time quite tyr'd , made 

 my obeyfance to the King , and went home to my Lodging. 



The next day the Naz.ar fignify'd to me that it was the King's pleafure to favour 

 me with a compleat Qdak , or Habit of Honour , and to pay me my money. 



The 



