lOO 
Travels into tljel^EVAn t. Part II: 
having well deferved it, chofe rather to lofe his life than to turn A'litfulman, 
as it was propofed to him, and the King wanting a Watchmaker, defired 
to have him that belonged to the Holfiem Ambafiadours ; but the Exam- 
ple of that Execution being frefh in memorv, that Watch-maker refufed to 
ferve the King ; which made the Eatmad Douht to fay, that he perceived 
well enough that that Execution was the caufe of it, but that for the 
future no Fra?ick fhould be put to death. Let us now return to our 
Wine 
What is done In the Audiences which this King gives to Chriftian AmbafTadours or 
at Audiences, others, there is always high drinking, and there is nothing elfe done in 
thefe Audiences, for affairs are managed with the Minifîers of State. 
Shortly after I departed from Ifpahan, there came an Ambalfadour from the 
great Mogol ; I have been informed fince, that alToon as he entered to his 
Audience, the King caufed Wine to be prefented unto him, which he very 
* humbly refufed, faying that he had never drank any ; the King having 
asked him if he fmoaked Tobacco, he made anfwer yes ; and immediately 
he caufed a Pipe of Tobacco to be brought to him and fo difmifîèd him. 
After all, this Pi ince is not well pleafed when any refufes the Wine which 
he prefents to them : For his own parr, he hath fo firong a head, that af- 
chah Abbas a tcr a whole days debauch, having fent for the French, they found him as 
great Dnnker. fober, and in as good a frame of mind, as if he had not drank one drop ; fb 
that he continued it one day more without intermiflion. Nevertheleft, 
fometimes he gets drunk, and next day his Courtiers tell him all that he 
hath faid or done, for fo he will have them do ; chiefly that he may know, 
if in his Cups he hath given away any thing of confequence, as he did one 
day, when drinking with fbme Francks and Moors, he pluckc two Rings off 
of his Fingers, in which were fi:ones of great value, and gave them to a 
Mocr of the Company. However being one day drunk, he gave a wo- 
kee^s^iTs^ man that danced much to his fatisfadion, the fairefl: Hhan in all Ifpahan, 
wo?d. which was not as yet finifhed, but wanted little ; this Hhan yielded a great 
One of his revenue to the King to whom it belonged, in Chamber- rents : The Naz^r 
Prefents. having put him in mind of it next Morning, took the freedom to tell him 
that it was unjuftifiable prodigality, fb that the King gave confent that fhe 
fhould onely have a prefent of an hundred Tomans : The woman refufed 
them at firft, faying fhe would have nothing but what the King had pro- 
mifed her, but being told that if fhe took not that prefent, fhe fhould have 
nothing, fhe accepted it. 
Much Gold, The Kings of Perjïa ave very rich in Gold, Plate, and precious Stones, 
Plate and ma- of which they have great plenty, as alfb of all forts of Arms fee and en- 
Stones^^'°"* riched with them ; for they entertain Workmen conflantly in pay, who 
The riches of niake new pieces,and never fell any of them: Befides,all the Chans and other 
the King of Lords, make them often preients, and amongfl others, regularly once a 
Perjia. year in the Neurouz, or Spring ; nay more, they fîill encrealè their Trea- 
sures with the wealth of thofe whom they put to death, which Cas I have 
faid,) is wholly confifcated to the Crown, 
ïhefiiksbe- All the Silks of PerJîa belong to them ; they raile a certain Summ of Mo- 
iony/mg to the ney from all the Companies of Tradefmen, and they have many Lands 
^'"g- which they farm out to Countrey-men who take care to plow and fow 
them, and pay the King the fifth part of the revenue, and in fbme places 
the half A Moula told me one day, that they never faid prayers upon 
îhe Lands that belong to the King, becaufe they are Hheram, ( that's to 
fay ) excommunicated, the King having taken them by force from the poor 
People ; for, (faid he,; he hath not bought them, but they onely belong to 
him by Ufurpation, 
The forces of The chief Forces of Perjîa confift in three Bodies of Men or Armies, 
the King of to wit, the Corfchi, the Goulams and the Teufencgi. The Corjchi are Inhabi- 
Tii^'c' ri ^^^^^ Countrey, but who are defcended of Turks, and live in Tents, 
le orjcL: ^.j^^ Turcomans do : They are very powerful!, for they can fend fifty 
rhoufand men into the Field; and therefore Scab Abbas Grand-father to , 
the 
