326 
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROYAL JEWELS. 
and the belt which encircled his waist; they actually blazed like 
fire, when the rays of the sun met them ; and when we know the 
names derived from such excessive lustre, we cannot be surprised 
at seeing such an effect. The jewelled band on the right arm 
was called The Mountain of Light ; and that on the left, The Sea 
of Light ; and which superb diamonds, the rapacious conquests 
of Nadir Shah had placed in the Persian regalia, after sacking 
Delhi, stripping Mahomed Shah, the eleventh emperor of the 
Moguls, of his dominions, and adding to Persia all the provinces 
of Hindostan, north of the Indus. In the horrible spoliation of 
the Mogul capital, which took place hardly eighty years ago, 
upwards of a hundred thousand Indians were massacred ; and 
the treasure transported thence to Persia, is computed to have 
been worth sixty million tomauns; but no part of it was so 
highly prized as these transcendant precious stones. Here, 
again, we cannot but recall the observation, that the character 
of a sovereign, in most cases, has that of his people, politically 
speaking, in his hands. Let us remember what the Swedes 
were, under Charles the Twelfth and Gustavus Adolphus; what 
Russia was, under Peter the Great and the Emperor Alexander ; 
what Persia was under Cyrus, and even groaning beneath the 
yoke of this monster, Nadir Shah ; and what may it not become 
under a race like this of Futteh Ali Shah; when a merciful and 
liberal mind, attempering the severities of war, would attach 
countries and people to its empire, which ambition, blinded by 
ignorance, thinks can only be maintained by making the con¬ 
quered land a desart! 
The celebrated throne which Nadir Shah tore from under the 
Mogul emperors, was not brought forth at this festival; that from 
which Futteh Ali Shah viewed his assembled subjects, was better 
