582 
PERSIAN ARMY. 
deserters from the Russian army in Georgia, the scheme was 
begun, by commencing the discipline of Persian troops according 
to French tactics. Unconscious of the covert aim in thus 
sharpening his sword, the whole business went quietly on at the 
Shah’s court; but all the subtilty of the great mover, while his 
ambitious strides in the west so truly proclaimed what he would 
next meditate in the east, was not sufficient to completely elude 
the eyes of those most concerned to stop his proceedings. 
Hence, the embassies from England under Sir Hartford Jones, 
and General Malcolm, soon succeeded in ejecting Napoleon 
from the councils of Persia; and the European military esta¬ 
blishments, set on foot by General Gardannes and his followers, 
were afterwards carried forward by British officers. The principle 
of their foundation was different. Great Britain did not want an 
inch of Persian territory, nor to make it a high-way to east or 
west. She came as a friend, to close the door against a universal 
enemy, and was glad of the opportunity to teach her old ally of 
ages back, how, henceforward, “ to keep the gate of her king¬ 
dom” firmly in her own hands. But, it must be allowed that, 
with all our disinterestedness, the maintenance of her power in 
the east has always been deemed very essential to our own. 
Hence, a plan was not only digested for the organization of a 
body of infantry, and the establishment of another of artillery, 
but a considerable subsidy was to be advanced by our govern¬ 
ment to promote and maintain them in existence ; also several 
thousand stand of arms and accoutrements provided, and a 
certain number of officers and non-commissioned officers sent 
from his majesty’s and the company’s service in India, to in¬ 
struct the new Persian levies according to British military tactics. 
Besides, artificers of various kinds were brought, that arsenals 
