8 The Persian Travels Book V. 



his Lodging, where he kept a young NcTborian girl, in the Court of the Houie 

 met a young Perfan, Brother to one of the Kings Porters. The Perfan know- 

 ing himlelf guilty, and ftirpriz'd to fee Ralph Co foon return'd, skip't over the 

 Wall into the Garden and fled. The next day Ralph (who knew who he :vas) 

 told his Brother of it, and defir'd him to fpeak to the young Per fan not to 

 come any more to his Houle ; for if he did, he mtift expedt what follow'd. 



Some days after, the EmbaiTadors treated all the Frankj ; when Ralph be- 

 ginning to be warm, call'd the young Perfan to mind, and flipping home with- 

 out taking his leave, open'd the door foftly, and found the young Perfan again 

 with his Miftris. Thereupon Ralph calling his Slaves to help him, bound his 

 arms, and ty'd him to a Tree in the Court ; and fo leaving him there, went to 

 bed. By and by one of Ralph's Servants, who knew the Perfan, fell a jeering 

 him } which fo incens'd the Perfan, that he having his feet at liberry, and the 

 fellow within his reach, gave him 1 fuch a kick upon the bottom of his belly, 

 that he firft fwooned away, and then dy'd. The other Slaves feeing him fâfl, 

 waken'd Ralph with their cries, who thereupon matching up a Piftol tha f was 

 charg'd with a brace of Bullets, (hot the Perfan into the head. The lerfdn 

 being thus flain, Ralph went in the morning to wind up the Kings Watch ; and 

 being ask'd by the King, as he was wont to do, what news in Ifpahdn, told 

 him plainly what he had done, and the reafon why. The King upon his re- 

 port told him, he had done well according to the ftridtnefs of the Country. 



The Athemadoulet at that time was Mima-Take, who hated Ralph. r or the 

 .Armenian Merchants having prefented the Athemadoulet with fcveral Watciies 

 at a time, it happen'd that once he fent to Ralph above thirty Watches toge- 

 ther to be mended. For which the Athemadoulet, to gratifie him, and knowing 

 that he kept four or five Servants, and feven or eight Horfes, fent him fifteen, 

 or twenty Camels load of Straw and Barley for his Horfes. But Ralph flight- 

 ing fuch a prefent as that 5 Co ( faid he to the Athemadoulet s Servant ) tell thy 

 Mafter, that I am neither a Horfe nor an Afs, and therefore let him eat his 

 Prefent himfelf. Which melfage fo provokM the Athtmadoukt ) that he itudy'd 

 nothing but revenge. 



Thereupon the Athemadotikt, whofe bufmefs it is to attend the King when 

 he rifes, and to report to him the news of the Town, told him, among the 

 reft,- What Ralph had done. The King reply'd, that Ralph had confefs'd it to 

 him already, and . that he had pardon'd him,*in regard he had reafon to do as 

 he did. But the Athemadoukt made anfvyer, that Ralph had mine'd the mat- 

 ter ; and reprefented the ftory to the King far otherwife than it was, making 

 the worft of it he could upon Ralph's, fide ; and the more to incite the King, 

 he put him in mind of the fair occafion he had to force him to turn Mzfulman,there 

 being no way to expiate his crime, but by turning Mahometan, or fuffering the 

 Law. The King thus over-ruTd, lent for Ralph, told him, he was now better 

 kform'd of the crime he had committed, and that he muft either turn Ma- 

 hometan or dye. Thereupon the King lent him to Prifon. Eight days after, 

 the King (who had a great love for him, and therefore troubfd that he mult 

 be conftrain'd to put him to death, unlefs he would turn Mahnmetan,) fent for 

 him again, and otFer'd him two thoufand Tomans, after a powerful perfwafion 

 by words, but all fignify'd nothing. Upon that he fent him back again to Pri- 

 fon. But yet remembring that he had once approv'd the fact, he fent for Ralph 

 a fécond time, and oft": J him ten thoufand Tomans, and a Wife out of his 

 Haram, with all her Jewels ; all which Ralph refused, with the fame refolu- 

 tion as before. The King incens'd at the fiercenefs of his refolution, deliver'd 

 <iirn to the Brother of the party flain, to execute the Law upon him. The 

 Holfein EmbaiTadors were refolv'd to have beg'd his life ; but the Athema- 

 doi-let, fmelling their defign, would not permit them Audience. However, the 

 King commanded all the Franks, and all the Armenian Clergy to be prefent at 

 the Execution, to fave all his blood, and put him in a Coffin ; he commanded 

 alfo, that he mould be buried at Zulpha in the Armenian Church-yard, and 

 have a Tomb made over him. 



Thereupon Ralph was lead to the Meidan, with that triangular Inftrument of 

 Wood which the Per fans call a ?dsnk. ) about his neck. This Paient was the 



caufe 



