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CHAPTER VIII. 
On the day of our entry we were first met by the youngest son of the 
Ameen-ad-Dowlah, a boy of about thirteen years of age, who received the 
Ambassador with all the ease of an old courtier. When he had made the 
usual prefatory compliments of, “ You are welcome. You have done us 
honour. Are your spirits good? How is your health? You have no ailing?” 
and then, ^'^JSismillah,'" In the name of God, there ensued a long pause, 
when the little hero repeated his lesson of compliments over again, to 
our no small amusement. 
Men of consequence in the city at different intervals presented them¬ 
selves ; and as we proceeded, two of the brothers of the Ameen-ad- 
Dowlah, arrayed in brocade coats, with shawls round their caps, paid 
their respects to the Ambassador. This succession of personages, whose 
rank increased as we approached the city, may bring to mind the 
princes more and more honourable, which Balak sent to Balaam, (Num¬ 
bers, xxii. 15.) At length the governor in person, the eldest son of 
the Ameen-ad-Dowlah, came out a mile from the city to meet the 
Ambassador. 
: Our procession, which by the accession of all the curious of Ispahan, 
had now become an immense multitude, made its way in very 
good order, until it entered some newly planted avenues at the 
entrance of the city, where owing to the confinement of walls it 
was frequently impeded in its progress. These avenues occupy, as I 
conjecture, the place of what was the longest and the largest street of 
Ispahan in the time of Chardin which he says was thirty paces broad, 
and about a quarter of a league in length. The one nearest to the 
city is called after the King, the other through which we 
made our entry, Ameen Abad, after the Ameen-ad-Dowlah. In the Old 
Testament there are innumerable instances of new names given to 
* Amst. 8vo. ed. vol. ix. p. 187. 
S 
