PERSIAN PORTRAIT-PAINTING. 
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to a spacious quadrangle, planted and watered in the customary 
Asiatic style; and into which the window of the great saloon, 
which contained the royal visitants, opened. A flight of steps, 
and a suite of anti-rooms, conducted us into the saloon, where 
we found Abbas Mirza, his brother the Prince-governor of 
Casvin, and the three young princes. His Royal Highness was 
pleased to hear that I had been over so much of this noble 
palace; which, in dimensions at least, reminded me of the superb 
ruins of a similar regal edifice amongst the remains of Anni. 
One morning, in mentioning Sleymonia to me, the Prince had 
spoken of several family pictures it contained ; and expressed a 
wish that I would give him my opinion of their merits. They 
were the work of Persian artists. He now recalled to me the 
circumstance; telling me, that was the apartment which con¬ 
tained them, the great hall of audience; and he did me the 
honour to add, that he had reserved to himself the pleasure of 
showing it to me, and explaining the portraits. 
The whole of its capacious floor was, as usual, covered with 
carpets and nummuds of the most costly fabric. The windows, 
whose height and breadth occupied nearly two sides of the room, 
were filled with stained glass of every shape and hue ; while the 
opposite quarters, exhibited two large pictures, reaching from 
the ceiling almost to the floor : one, representing Futy Ali 
Shah, his present Majesty, seated in all the blaze of state, upon 
his throne. To his right and left, in the same picture, were 
ranged about twenty of his sons ; beginning with Mahomed Ali 
Mirza, Prince-governor of Kerman shah ; and finishing with the 
young Malek Kassum Mirza, who had been our fellow-traveller 
from Tabreez. Abbas Mirza, with the liveliest interest, de- 
