FATE OF RICH PERSIANS. 
95 
offices. After they had stood some'^ time before the King, he said, 
“ Well, have you brought me no Peeshkesh (present) ?” They remained 
silent. “ Where are the 70,000 tomauns, the arrears of the tribute of 
Fars j of course you have brought that ?” - Mirza Ahady answered, 
“ That all that was due had been sent.” The King then turned to 
Mahomed Nebee, who answered the same thing. “ Call the Ferashes,” 
exclaimed the King, “ and beat these rogues till they die.” The 
F’erashes came and beat them violently ; and when they attempted to 
say any thing in their own defence, they smote them on the mouth with 
a shoe, the heel of which was shod with iron.*^ The King’s wrath 
increased with the violence of the blows that were administering, until 
it became so great that he ordered them to be thrown out of the win¬ 
dow, which was more than seventy feet from the ground. At this 
critical moment came the Ameen-ed-dowlah, who entreated the King 
to spare their lives, saying that he would be security for the payment 
of their arrears. Upon this the royal anger ceased, and he permitted 
the culprits to depart by the less expeditious mode of the staircase. 
' Mirza Ahady was imprisoned; Mahomed Nebee, a short time after, 
received a Kalaat, as a palliative for the blows he had received, and as 
a douceur to keep him in good humour until he should disclose the 
secrets of his riches, and exert himself to pay the full demands of the 
King upon him. 
On the 10th May we heard the report of a gun that was fired in the 
* This use of the shoe is quite characteristic of the Eastern manners described in JScrip- 
ture. The shoe was always considered as vile, and never allowed to enter sacred or respected 
places; and to be smitten with it, is to be subjected to the last ignominy. Paul was smitten 
on the mouth by the orders of Ananias. Acts, xxiii. 2. 
