PERSIAN INTEMPERANCE. 
189 
a party of Persians, half-drunk with wine, strolled in, the chief of 
whom, a young man of rank, came up to me, and evidently supposing 
I did not understand his language, addressed me with a smiling face 
and much mock civility, in terms of the grossest abuse, which he thought 
I should take for politeness. Finding that he was mistaken in his sup¬ 
position, he immediately fled and hid himself so effectually that he was 
not to be found for several days after. 
In our rides we usually went out of the town, at the Derwazeh Shah 
Abdul Azeem, or the gate leading to the village of Shah Abdul Azeem, 
where a market was held every morning, particularly of horses, mules, 
asses, and camels. At about sunrise the owners of the animals assemble 
and exhibit them for sale. But besides, here were sellers of all sorts of 
goods, in temporary shops and tents; and this perhaps will explain the 
custom alluded to in 2 Kings, vii. 18., of the sale of barley and flour in 
the gate of Samaria. 
On the 15th of April, 1813, returning from a morning ride about seven 
o’clock, I saw, at about forty yards from the road-side, a party of well 
dressed Persians seated on a carpet close to a rising ground in the plain, 
with a small stream of water, near a field of rising corn, flowing before 
them, and surrounded by their servants and horses. As I passed, they sent 
a lad to me with a message to the following purpose:—The Khan sends 
his compliments, says khosh bash, be happy, and requests you will join 
his party ; at the same time the whole company hallooed out to me as 
loud as they could, khosh bash! khosh bash! I afterwards learnt that 
this party was given by a Yiizbashee, or a Colonel of the King’s troops, 
and that the}’ were in the height of enjoyment when I passed, for they 
were all apparently much intoxicated. We one day met a party in one 
of the King’s pleasure-houses, nearly under similar circumstances; and 
we found that the Persians, when they commit a debauch, arise betimes 
and esteem the morning as the best time for beginning to drink wine, 
by which means they carry on their excess until night. This contrast with 
our own manners will perliaps give fresh force to that passage of Isaiah, 
V. 11., Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may 
follow strong drink, that continue until night, until wine inflame them. 
