40 
THE PERSIAN CHARACTER. 
vigorous, upright temperament, which stands by its own rights 
and those of others, to the sacrifice of all personal enjoyment 
and safety ; and which, too, may be exaggerated to the most 
ruinous extreme; — this gay, contented disposition of the 
Persian, makes him, of all people, the easiest to be governed. 
As a second proof of this, I need only mention that the state 
revolutions so often occurring in this country, have not been 
those of the people, nor over the people; but the result of 
struggles between different claimants for the crown. The con¬ 
flict has been fought between prince and prince, at the head 
of their embattled friends; and according to the decision of 
the day, the country, perfectly quiescent, like the transfer of an 
estate, has passed from one dynasty to another. But though the 
people take no real part in these transactions, neither impeding 
the return of peace, nor disturbing it when present, with political 
considerations or movements of any kind, yet it is from these 
frequent changes of dynasty that most of the evils in Persia 
arise. An irrepressible sense of insecurity on both sides, keeps 
up an apprehension in all; and the most apparent means of 
maintaining power, and conciliating its possessor, being riches, an 
avidity for money has become the ruling passion of the whole 
nation. That quickness of parts, which more liberal views would 
turn into channels to promote the true wealth of the country, is 
now solely directed to the sordid accumulation of gold; and to the 
subtlest ways of concealing its acquisition from those who might 
have the wish, as well as the power, to appropriate it to themselves. 
Hence comes the spirit of over-reaching, of extortion, and of all 
despicable and detestable methods of collecting money; with 
answering habits of dissimulation and falsehood, to disguise and 
retain their ill-gotten wealth. Not that these vices are universally 
