2i 6 The Persia n Travels Book V. 



to make head againft him. Thele two haughty Ipirits would not give an inch one 

 to another : and both, equally ftrove to pollels the Kings favour, to have thedii- 

 polal of Atfairs. Mir-Tchekar-Bajh:, who had brought Mahomet Beg into Fa- 

 vour, being the elder pretended a refpect due to his years, and Mahomet Big pre- 

 tended more due from him by reafon of his place. During this conteft ran a re- 

 port of a rebellion upon Georgia fide. Whereupon the Athemadoulet perfWaded 

 the King to fend Mir-Tchekar-Bajioi, lately made KouUr Agafi or General of the 

 Slaves toward Georgia, that fo he might remove his Rival from Court. The Fa- 

 vourite lets forward with a flying Camp, but not finding any Enemy that oppos'd 

 him, wrote back to the King that he faw no appearance of an Enemy, and that 

 Therefore it was a needlefs thing to tire the Souldiers in a Country where theie 

 was no face of War, and begg'd his Majefties leave to return. The Athemadoulet 

 on the other fide labour'd to hinder his return by preaching to the King the ad- 

 vantages of the ftay of thole forces in thole parts. 



In this interim the VsbekTartars had made inroads upon the Frontiers of Ca- 

 talan, and had flain feveral of ' Manoutchcks people,who was governor of the Pro- 

 vince. Mahomet Beg who was His Kinfman, gave the King to underftand that the 

 Kan of Coraffan had behav'd himfelf valiantly, but conceal'd the defeat of the 

 Kan. On the Other fide thé 'Koidqr jigajî&m Letter upon Letter to the King, 

 but perceiving that none of them came to the Kings hands, he lent to Ifpahan one 

 of his difcreeteft and moft trufty fervants, who coming to Court intermix'd him- 

 ielf among the reft of the Lackeys. The Athemadmltt fpying an unknown face,and 

 being always miftruftful, demanded who he was? To whom the Melfenger an- 

 Iwer'd that he was a poor Souldier upon the frontiers of the Kingdom , who be- 

 caufe he could not get his pay there was come to Court to lèe if he could there 

 get any recompence for his lervice : upon which reply the Atbcmadov.ltt took no 

 farther notice of him. Prefently after, the young man meeting the Meter told 

 him he had Letters of importance to deliver into the Kings own hand,of which the 

 Meter giving notice to the King, the meftenger was immediately call'd in. The 

 King having read the Letters which difcover'd to him what the Athemadoulet had 

 conceal'd from him touching the no necelTity of keeping forces upon the Frontiers 

 of Georgia, and the lofs which the Kan of Korajfan had receiv'd, tranlported with 

 choler againft his prime Minifter,lent for him,and after he had moft bloodily revil'd 

 and reproach'd him, he was within a little of killing him with his own hands. But 

 the Naz.ar and fome other Lords there prefent took the boldnels to reprelènt 

 to the King the long lervices which Mahomet Beg had done the Kingdom, and that 

 fince his Majefty had rais'd him from theduft to the higheft honours of the King- 

 dom, it would not be for his honour to deftroy at one blow a perfon that he had 

 lov'd, and might ftill be uleful to him. This difcourfe fomewbat appeas'd the 

 King, fo that he only gave him in cuftody to the Naz.ar. Three days after the 

 King exil'd him toKom,W\th. all his FamiIy,not permitting him to {have him(elf,go 

 to the Bath, or to come abroad. This Exilement lafted for feveral years. But my 

 Letters from Perfîa in the year 1 674. enform'd me that Sha Solyman, the prefent 

 King,has reftor'd him to his Primier Dignity, and that he ftill governs as Athema- 

 doulet t the King finding no man more capable than himlelf. 



CHAP. 



