THE PERSIAN CHARACTER. 
39 
peculiarities in classes or individuals. Besides the usual visits 
of punctilio from the great authorities in the town, both 
Khans and Khet-khodes, that is, nobles and magistrates, came 
to us now on the most sociable terms; and for this advantage 
we hold ourselves indebted to the familiar friendship of Hadge 
Bachire, who in a manner domesticated with us, daily passed 
two or three hours in our apartments, attended by his guests. 
The variety of character amongst these people is equally inter¬ 
esting and extraordinary; and that variety does not exist more 
in certain dissimilarities distinguishing one individual from 
another, than in those very dissimilarities often meeting in one 
man. The Persian’s natural disposition is amiable, with quick 
parts; and on these foundations, the circumstances of climate 
and government have formed his character. Perhaps a stronger 
proof could not be given of the former trait, than that we find 
in their history no terrible details of sanguinary popular tumults. 
The page is blotted in a thousand places, with massacres done 
by order of a single tyrant; but never a disposition for insur¬ 
rection, and wide murderous revenge, in the people en masse. 
Fonder of pleasure than ambitious of the sterner prerogatives 
of power, they seek their chief good in the visions of a fanciful 
philosophy, or the fervours of a faith which kindles the ima¬ 
gination with the senses. The dreams of their poets, the delights 
of the Anderoon, the vigour of the chase; these, with services 
at court, whether to the Shah, or to his princely representa¬ 
tives over provinces, or to their delegated authorities in towns 
and villages, all alike form the favourite pursuits of the 
Persian, from the highest Khan to the lowest subject in the 
empire. This bland docility of mind, so amiable to a certain 
point, and dangerous beyond it; different, indeed, from the 
