504 
PUBLIC REVENUE. 
barbarism. It is to a dynasty of equitable sovereigns we must 
look for that gradual establishment of public and private security 
amongst their subjects, which, freeing them from apprehension 
of tyrannous acts, allows their minds to expatiate beyond the 
long habitual instincts of self-preservation, degenerated into those 
of utter selfishness, and become sensible to the ennobling and 
general advantage of an equal justice. 
But many things have conspired to render the sordid principel 
the great engine in Persia : and first, by perverting the most 
ancient mode of collecting the royal revenues ; a system, pro¬ 
bably derived from the primitive offerings of gratefulness brought 
by different members to the head of their family, or to their 
occasional leader in affrays of general defence. A tribute in 
kind, or in masses of gold and silver, to which was given the 
independent title of presents, was brought by the different tribes 
or provinces, to Cyrus and his predecessors ; but after the ac¬ 
cession of Darius Hystaspes, he changed this comparatively 
precarious mode of income, to regularly fixed sums, paid an¬ 
nually into his treasury by the different 'Satrapes of his empire. 
Some shew, however, of the old fashion of offerings, expressive 
of the produce of the countries whence they came, was still 
kept up, though then in far less value than formerly ; and the 
presents at the feast of the Nowroose, to this day continue the 
custom ; gifts and payment of the annual taxes being then laid 
together at the feet of the sovereign. In these gifts, when dis¬ 
tinct from the public revenues, lie the sources of two evils, — 
oppression, and corruption without end. The public revenue 
arises from imposts on agriculture, cattle, heavy duties on mer¬ 
chandise, &c. 5 but large as the profits may be which these 
channels produce, they are as nothing when compared with the 
streams of wealth poured into the royal treasury in the form of 
