The P e & s i a n Travels Book V. 



them Victuals to eat, not without fome other effects of his Liberality. 



The Chakj Sons confidering of what a number of Slaves they were Mailers, 

 and that the greateft part of the people, prepoffefs'd in favour of their Father, 

 out of the opinion they had of his Sanfticy, took their part ; the more pow- 

 erfully to engage thern^ fhew'd themfefves liberal to all, and when they found 

 themfelves ftrong enough, revolted againft Alamom King of Per/Li, their law- 

 ful Soveraign. After many Skifmimes, at length they gave him Battel near to 

 Tauris 3 wherei'n Az.iuom was defeated, and lia in by the hand of Ifmael Soph's, the 

 Cheikj third Son, who is properly to be accounted the firft King of that Race : 

 I mean of the Race of them that did not embrace the Alcoran, but according 

 to the Interpretation of Haly> Mahomet s Son-in-Law. 



To Ifmacl Sophi îùcceeded Sha-Tammas his Son, and to Sba-Tammas Sha- 

 Jfmael the fécond, who reign'd but a mort while ; for his cruelties conftrain'd the 

 Nobility of the Country to fet up in his room Mahomet-Coda bendé his Bro- 

 thers though little skill'd in the affairs of Government or War. Many thought he 

 wasblind,but he was only dim-fighted,through the application of a hot Iron to his 

 eyes,by the Command of his unnatural Brother in the beginning of his reign". He was 

 the Father of Sha Abbas, that fucceeded him, who let I'd the affairs of Per fia 

 in a very good condition. 



Sha Abbas the firft, by his Valour and good Conduit gain'd the name qf 

 Great. When he came to his Throne, upon the North and Weft fide he found 

 nothing in his power but the City of Casbin ; but afterwards, as he was a per- 

 fonage of great wit as well as courage, partly by policy, and partly by force, 

 he recover'd feveral Provinces to the Weft, and conquer'd the Kingdoms of 

 Lar, Ormus } and Candahar. 



Of many Sons that Sha-Abbas had, not one furviv'd but only r 'ophi-Mirz.a, 

 a Prince of great wit, and dextrous at his Arms. All the people lov'd him, 

 which made his Father jealous of him , that he waited for his death to 

 afcend the Throne. And that which augmented his jealoufie was, for that one 

 day being a hunting, Sàphi-Mirz*a drew the firft arrow at a Boar j it being a 

 capital crime in Per/la to moot before the King. However Sha Abbas for the 

 time conceal'd his dilpleafure, unwilling to fly out in fury againft the Prince, in 

 regard he had no more Sons. But Sophi-Mirz.a having had a Son by a Slave, 

 which pleas'd him, Sha Abbas s joy encreafing as the Child grew, his jea- 

 loufie alio daily encreas'd againft the Father of the young Prince ; fo that being no 

 longer able to dillemble his fear, he caus'd his eyes to be put out. Nay his 

 jealoufie went a great way farther ; for he now fear'd the blind Prince, and 

 having therefore refolv'd his death, he commanded a Lord of the Court to bring 

 him his head. The Lord in an aftonifhment refus'd to obey the King, and be- 

 fought him rather to take away his life, than to conftrain him to embrue his 

 hands in the blood of his Prince. The King offended at him for his refufal, ba- 

 nifh'd him his Court $ and the next day gave the fame command to another 

 Lord, who without any fcruple put it in execution, and brought him the head 

 of his Son in a Bafon of Gold. That object of pity brought him to himfelf,- 

 fo that not being able to look upon fo fad a fpeftacle without tears in his 

 eyes , upbraiding the villany of the Lord, he expelfd him from his fight, 

 forbad him his prefence for ever, and fequefterd all his eftate, only allowing 

 him a Mamoudi, or nine French Sous aday. The other Lord, who had fo ge- 

 neroufly refus'd to aid him in lb bloody an aft, the King recalPd from Exile, 

 and beftow'd upon him one of the beft Governments of the Empire. 



Ever lin ce that time all the Male Children of the Blood Royal are {hut up 

 in the Womens Haram, where they are bred up in ignorance, having only two 

 or three Eunuchs to teach them to write and read, and to keep them company 

 in their recreations, whether it be in (hooting with a Bow, or riding about the 

 Gardens upon an Afs ; for they never allow 'em a Horfe : befides that all that time 

 they are never permitted to lee the people. In this manner it was that Sha 

 Abbas bred up his little Grandfon, many days caufing him to take Opium to 

 render him more ftupid. So that when he came to the Throne, after his Grand- 

 fathers death, the Phyfiicians thought it convenient that he mould drink Wine, 

 to reftore his natural heat, and renew his vigor, Sha Abbas reign'd forty years, 



