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TEHERAN. 
tions. When the poet was introduced to the Envoy, the conversation 
turned, on poetry and the works of the bard himself. He was extolled 
above the skies; all exclaimed that in this age he had not an equal on 
earth, and some declared that he was superior even toEERDousi, the 
Homer of their country. To all this the author listened with very 
complacent credulity, and at length recited some of his admired effu¬ 
sions. Elis genius, however, is paid by something more substantial 
than praise ; for he is a great favourite at court, and, according to my 
Persian informers, receives from the King a gold tomaun for every 
couplet; and once indeed secured the remission of a large debt due to 
the King by writing a poem in his praise. Yet the people, from whom 
the supplies of this munificence are drawn, groan whenever they hear 
that the poet’s muse has been productive. Having exhausted the topics 
of the weather, and the relative temperature and air of Teheran , Ispa¬ 
han, and Shiraz, our host took his leave, telling us that, the house was 
our own, a common compliment of the East. In the evening the 
Envoy went to a conference with him, and settled some points of im¬ 
portance in the negociation. The ceremonial of the Envoy’s 
presentation to the King on the following day was then arranged; 
and it was agreed that the audience should be exactly the same as that 
given to Embassadors at Constantinople. 
On the morrow accordingly we made every preparation of form for 
our introduction; and each appeared in green slippers with high heels, 
and red cloth stockings, the court dress always worn before the King 
of Persia. Early in the morning we received a message desiring us 
to be in readiness. At about twelve o’clock we proceeded to the 
palace. The presents for the King were laid out on a piece of white 
satin over a gold dish. It consisted of His Britannic Majesty’s pic¬ 
ture set round with diamonds; a diamond of sixty-one carats valued 
at twenty thousand pounds; a small box, on the lid of which Windsor 
Castle was carved in ivory; a box made from the oak of the Victory, 
with the battle of Trafalgar in ivory; and a small blood-stone Mosaic 
