SUSA, OR SHUSHAN. 
411 
monarch is more willing to have his prospect spoiled, than to 
perfect it by an act of violence.” “ That rough spot,” cried the 
Roman, “ consecrated by justice, now appears to me more 
beautiful than all the surrounding scene.” A similar forbearance 
now exists at Tabreez, on the part of the heir apparent Abbas 
Mirza. 
My next object of research was Susa. Major Monteith had 
visited that spot a few years before, in company with Mr. 
Macdonald Kinnier ; and his account, communicated to me at 
Tabreez, when laying down my route for the south of Persia, 
redoubled my curiosity to inspect the same remains. But hav¬ 
ing been obliged to relinquish all in that tract of the exasperated 
Arabs, as well as in their ranges on the banks of the Euphrates, 
I must connect the chain of my narrative by retrospections from 
the information of my friend. 
Susa, or Shushan, was the capital of that part of ancient Elam 
which formed the kingdom or principality of Susiana under the 
government of Abradates, who was afterwards the friend and ally 
of Cyrus. On the death of that prince, the Persian monarch 
became sole sovereign of Susiana ; and we find that he shortly 
after preferred its capital for his winter residence before the old 
imperial towers of Babylon. The modern name of this province 
is Khuzistan, while that of the ruins is the same as before, 
being Shus, or Shushan. Mr. Macdonald Kinnier observes, that 
Shus is a Pehlivi word, signifying pleasant; and that when 
Shapoor, the conqueror of Valerian, erected his royal city on 
the banks of the Karoon, (not fifty miles from this ancient ca¬ 
pital,) he called it Shus-ter, which means more pleasant. 
The remarks of that accurate observer, in his Geography of 
Persia are particularly interesting on this very head of Susa, 
3g 1 2 
