136 
. ISPAHAN. 
great luxury. In Turkey, indeed, the vanity of some people is such, 
that when the building is in itself a small one, they will build a gate to 
it large enough for a palace ; but they generally finish by paying dear 
for their ostentation. He that exalteth his gate seeheth destruction, 
the wise King. (Proverbs, xvii. 19.) 
The houses of Ispahan are one story in height, but are composed of 
so many compartments, that even the meanest of them occupy a consi¬ 
derable area; for the extent that we occupy in our high houses, is in 
Persia laid out horizontally. They are built either of earth or brick, 
and their uniformity in height and colour produces a very dull appear¬ 
ance when seen collectively. 
The bazars are very extensive, and it is possible to walk under cover 
in them for two or three miles together. The trades are here collected 
in separate bodies, which makes it very convenient to purchasers ; and 
indeed we may from analogy suppose the same to have been the case 
from the most ancient times, when we consider the command of Zede- 
kiahto feed Jeremiah from the “ baker's streeH (Jeremiah, xxxvii. 21.) 
To a stranger, the bazars are the most amusing place of resort; for 
here is a continual concourse of people, in which characters of all de¬ 
scriptions, each busied in their different avocations, are seen to pass in 
rotation. Many of the scenes, so familiar to us in the Arabian Nights, 
are here realised. The young Christian merchant; the lady of quality 
riding on a mule, attended by her eunuch and her she-slave; the 
Jewish physician ; the dalal, or crier, showing goods about; the barber 
Alnascar, sitting with his back against the wall in a very little shop, 
and thus almost every character may be met with. The Mollahs, or 
men of the law, are generally to be seen riding about on mules; and 
they also account it a dignity, and suited to their character, to ride on 
white asses which is a striking illustration of what we read in Judges, 
V. 10. Speak ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment. 
On Fridays, their day of rest, the bazars are more particularly 
* These asses come from Arabia: their scarcity makes them valuable, and gives them 
consequence. See Harmar, vol. ii. p. 376. 
