9 8 Travels into theh^vA^i t. Part 
of fortune, and of the friends flie gives ; but both counterfeit and real friends 
have this excufe, that on fuch occafions it is moft dangerous to render good 
Offices to a Man who is in difgrace with the King. He orders manv 
times the Ears and Nofe to be cur off ; Schah Seji heretofovQ inflided that 
puniihment upon an Ancient Perfon of QuaUty, who had been in great fa- 
vour with the Great Schah Abhas his Predeceflbur. This cruel Prince being 
Crreat barba- ^"S^T with the good old man who was in his prefence, commanded a Son of 
viry. " his to cut of his Ears, which that unnatural Son prefently executed ; the King 
commanded him then to cut off his Nofè, which was likewife done • with 
that the old man finding himfelf lb abuled by his own Son, and by order 
of his King whom he had not offended, but who afted merely in a bru- 
tifli Capricio, faid to the cruel Prince : Ah Sir, after this I ought not to live 
any longer, caufe me to be put to death ! He had no great trouble to 
obtain his defire ; neverthelefs, that it might not feem to be a favour to 
him, how inhumane foever it was, the Prince, ( as if he feared of being 
accufed of Clemency in granting him death,) would needs accompany it 
with this piece of Cruelty, that his Son muft be the inftrument of that 
fad Office, and the Executioner of his own Father : He bid his Son 
then, cut off his head, and told him that he gave him all his Eftate : This 
unnatural and infamous Parricide, without delay, obeyed that unjuft 
order, and cut the head from the Parent who had given him his Life. 
It is remarkable, that the chief Perfons of Court are not exempt from 
thofe ftorms , and that commonly they are the Objeds of thele cruel 
Sentences, and yet no body murmurs at it. Sometimes he is content to 
take part of their Eftates, fometimes he takes all, and never fails to do 
fo when he puts them to difgrace. His neareft Relations fooneft feel the 
effeds of this tyrannical Power : For the Kings of Fer/ia are fo afraid of 
being deprived of that Power which they abuie, and are fo apprehenfive of 
I being dethroned, that they deftroy the Children of their Female Relati- 
ons when they are brought to bed of Boys, by putting them into an 
Earthen trough where they (uffer them to ftarve ; and when they come to 
the PolTellion of the Crown and Scepter, it is their firfl: Care, and firft Adt 
of Royal Authority to caufe the Eyes of all their Brothers, Uncles, Cou- 
fins. Nephews and other Princes of their Bloud, barbaroufly to be put out : 
which is done with the point of a Cangiar, wherewith the Eyes are pluck- 
ed out whole ; and afterwards brought to the King in a Bafon ; and fee- 
ing the Executioners of this Tyranny, are commonly the firft whom the 
King pleafès to fend on that errand, fome of them are fo unskilfull at it 
that they butcher them in fuch manner that lèverai have thereby loft 
their Lives. 
A Prince At Ifpahan I faw one of thole Princes at his Houfe whole Eyes had been 
witliout Eyes plucked out ; he is a very learned man, elpecially in the Mathematicks 
learned in the of which he has Books always read to him ; and as to Aftrondhiy and 
tides Aftrology, he has the Calculations read unto him, and writes them very 
quickly with the point of his Finger, having wax which he prepares him- 
lelf, like fmall twine, lels than ordinary packthread, and this wax he lays 
upon a large board or plank of wood, fuch as Scholars make ufe of, in fome 
places, that they may not Ipoil Paper when they learn to defign or write ; 
and with this wax which he fo applies, he forms very true letters and 
makes great calculations ; then with his Fingers end he cafts up all that 
he hath fet down, performing Multiplication, Divifion, and all Aftronomi- 
cal calculations very exadtly. 
Change of Sometimes the King of Per/ia takes the Wife of one of the Lords of his 
VVivei. Court, and gives him another for her out of his Serraglio, whom many 
times he takes back, and reftores the man his own again. It may very 
well be believed, though, that thole whom the King beftows fo, are nei 
rher Begums which is the Title of Queens and Princefies, nor the chief 
Great Jealou- Khamims or Ladies of his Serrcglio: For he is extremely jealous of his Wives 
fie of the King though he has a vaft number of them, and his Jealoufie is fo extravagant 
