350 PERSIAN MANNERS IN THE TIME OF SHAH ABBAS. 
paid an annual sum to government for permission, thus to ruin 
the morals and the constitutions of His Majesty’s subjects. The 
governors of the provinces granted the same mischievous 
privileges, for the same mercenary considerations; and thus 
there was hardly a great town in Persia that had not one of these 
pest-houses within its walls. That such places should have any 
visitants at all, amongst a people, who, by the license of their 
religion, may possess every variety of female beauty at home, 
seems hardly to be credited. But it shows, that by an admirable 
law of nature, indulged vice becomes its own punishment; and 
that though a wretched sense of joyless satiety, after a short time 
becomes the constant attendant of lawless appetite, yet the 
craving increases by every disappointed gratification ; and the 
door of profligacy having been thrown wide open in the kingdom, 
there was no stop in any quarter. The miserable beings who 
were thus licensed to be the bane of the country, bore a verv 
appropriate title, which might well have been shared by those 
who signed its patent; namely, cahbeha, or the worthless : and a 
European traveller of about a hundred and fifty years ago, thus 
describes the publicity of their profession. He is writing of 
Gasvin. “ Soon after the merchants’ shops are shut at night, 
another set are opened to a very different object; the trade being 
carried on by a class of women, who hold a license from govern¬ 
ment to carry on the most degrading traffic of their persons to 
any casual passenger. They are posted in certain known places 
of the city, sitting in rows, and veiled. Behind them stands the 
old shepherdess of this devoted flock, who is known by the name 
of the delalal , (they by that of cahbeha ;) she holds an extin¬ 
guished candle in her hand ; but whenever a customer presents 
himself, she immediately re-lights it, and precedes him down the 
