APPENDIX.. 
403 
over, it appeared that the respect which he had liitherto felt towards our monarch 
was diminished. There are many ceremonies ^exacted upon approaching the 
Shah of Persia. He is first seen at a great distance, he is approached 
with great caution, and with many profound inclinations of the body. In his 
immediate vicinity, the shoes are taken off, and none enters the room in which 
he himself is seated, without a special command from him. Here the Persian 
entered at once into the same room where His Majesty was standing. He 
made no inclination of the body, he did not even take his shoes off; and, what 
is more, he put his credentials into His Majesty’s own hands. He said, that he 
had expected to have seen our King seated on a throne at a distance, and that 
he could not have approached within many paces of him : his surprise then may 
be conceived, when, on entering a small room, he was taken to a person whom 
he took to be a capijee or porter, and was informed, that this was the King 
of England. He said, that if any blame was imputed to him for not having 
delivered his credentials immediately on arrival, that all would be pardoned 
him, when he should assure the Shah, that he was not desired to take off his 
shoes as he. approached our Monarch. These circumstances will perhaps show, 
of what importance it is, upon the introduction of an Oriental Minister to the 
King, that care should be taken to show him the court in its greatest splendour. 
He arrived in London in the month of November, and the gloom of the 
weather had a visible effect upon his health and spirits. For two months he 
never saw the sun, and it was fully believed by his suite, that they had got 
into regions beyond its influence ; when one day several of them rushed into 
him with great joy to announce that they had just seen it, and that if he made 
haste he might perhaps see it also. 
It was surprising to observe with what ease he acquired our habits of life, how 
soon he used himself to our furniture, our modes of eating, our hours, our 
forms and ceremonies, and even our language, though, perhaps, with respect 
to the latter acquirement, it might rather be observed, that he soon learnt sufii- 
cient just to misunderstand every thing that was said. He who had sat upon his 
heels on the ground all his life, here was quite at his ease on chairs and sofas ; 
he who before never eat but witli his fingers, now used knives and forks 
without inconvenience. 
Of some things, it would be impossible from mere description to give 
any just idea. Siich was ah opera or a play to a Persian. The first night 
he went to the opera, evidently the impression of surprise which he 
received on entering his box was very strong, although his pride made 
him conceal it. His servants had been sent to the gallery, and upon going 
3 F 2 
