The Persia n Travels Book V. 



CHAP. II. 



Of certain particular Actions ubhich denote the Vertues and Vices 

 of the Kings of Perfia ; from Sha Abbas toe fir ft to Sha-Soliman 

 the pre fent King. Ana } firft of Sha ( -Àbbas the Great. 



SHa-Abbas, who was a paffionate Lover of Honour, fought all ways ima- 

 ginable to furnifh his Empire with the fupports of wealth and good 

 Government. He would not fuffer any Indian or Banian to live as a Trader in 

 his Dominions; they having crept in fince under the Reigns of Sha-Sefi the firft, 

 and Sha- Abbas the fécond, who came very young to the Throne. Neither had 

 Sha-Abbas any reafon to permit them to trade in his Kingdom ; for they are 

 worfe Ufurers than the fews, and feldom it happens, but that they have all the 

 Money in the Nation, which they take up at nine or ten in the hundred , and let 

 out again upon pawns at two and a half per Cent, a month. From fuch devou- 

 ring Pefts and Vipers as thefe, Sha-Abbas thought it but reafonable to prefèrye 

 his people ; fo that before thefe Vermin crept into Perfia, the Money was all 

 in the hands of the Armenians of Zulpha. And indeed thole Banians have been 

 the ruin of many poor people, of which I will only bring one example among 

 many. 



I was at Ifpahan in the year 1662., when one of thofe Banians lent fix or 

 feven Tomans per Cent, a month to a poor Perfian. who had utter'd feveral 

 pieces of Linnen upon the place. Thofe Banians will have their intereft paid 

 every month ; but the Perfian had dipt three or four, having no Money to 

 pay, in regard his Debtor could not pay him. Thereupon the Banian dunn'd 

 him perpetually, and threaten'd to have him drub'd till he pay'd it, according 

 to the Perfian cuftom. The Mother of the Perfian troubl'd to fee her Son haunt- 

 ed in that manner, one morning as he was going to the Aiejdan, bid him,, if 

 he met the Banian, that he fhould be fure to bring him home, and fhe would 

 pay him his intereft, and fome of the principal, with fome Money that fhe had 

 îàv'd of her own. Toward evening the Banian met his Debtor, whom he rea- 

 dily follow'd home upon promife of .payment. The Mother delir'd him to fee 

 upon the Conrfi 3 which is the place where they' make their fires, it being cold 

 fnowy weather, and fet fruits before him to eat. While he thus eat and warm'd 

 himfelf, night came on apace, and the woman putting him in hopes of payment, 

 fpun out the time fo Jong, that the Banian not being unaccuftom'd to cold wea- 

 ther and late hours, was eaftly perfwaded to ftay all night at the Perfians Houfe. 

 When 'twas time to go to bed, the Banian threw himfelf upon one Quilt, and 

 the Perfian upon another. About two hours after midnight, the Mother comes 

 foftly into the Chamber , with a fharp Razor in her hand, intending to have 

 cut off the Banians head ; but unfortunately miftaking, kill'd her own Son in- 

 ftead of the Banian. The Banian having had fuch an efcape, ftole cunningly out 

 of the Houfe, and declaring the murther to the Di-van-bequé, or the Chief Juftice, 

 He caus'd the woman to be apprehended, and brought before him ; who con- 

 feffing the fact, he commanded her to be ty'd to the tail of a young Mule, 

 and to be dragged about the City till the Mule had kick'd her to death. 



In the year 1667, eight or ten days before I departed from Ifpahan, there 

 was a Baman found burfd in a Street near the Capuchins houfe; they had cut 

 off his arms and legs, and fo put him into the hole ; but buri'd him fo fhallow that 

 the Dogs fcrap'd away the Earth, and difcover'd him ; but who committed 

 the faft, was not then known. 



Sha Abbas was not only willing that all the trade fhould be in the hands of 

 his Subjects, to make profit thereby, and to draw the Money into his King- 

 dom, but he would not fuffer it to be tranfported when it was brought in. 

 He faw that the Pilgrimages of his Subjects to Mecca, their Expences and Pre- 

 fenrs carry'd out abundance of his Ducats of Gold ; therefore more politick than 

 religious, he ftrove to hinder thofe Pilgrimages as much as in him lay } and 



