'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎99] (522/594)

S o l y m a n III. t\ing Perfia.
Officers of State, which thofe had prevail'd with a
Painter to draw for a good Sum of Money, on purpofe to
fend to the Indian that they might be known to the Monarch of
that Country,
This Plot was dilcover d by a little Slave belonging to the
Painter. For about fix Weeks after the fecting forth of the Cara-
van, his Mafter having beaten him to excefs, he attempted a
Revenge above his Age and Condition. He ran to the Ge
neral of the Armies houfe, and defir'd he might be admitted
to fpeak with the General in private. But the Servants at firft
would not permit him with a trifle of no importance to inter
rupt the General, who had always an incredible Crowd of Peo
ple waiting upon him, and a multitude of bufinefs upon his
hands. Till at length being importunate to Ipeak with him,
and urging the weight of the fecret which he had to difcove/,
the Guards inform'd the General, who fent for him into his
prelence, and demanded what he would have. To whom the
Slave made anlwer, with an undaunted courage, that it was no?
a fecret to be difcover d, but if he pleas'd to order the People to
withdraw, or to retire himlelf, hefhould know his bus'nels in
private. Notwithftanding all this the General at that time
made little reckningof whathefaid, and they alfur'd me that
it was three days'before the General would trouble himfelf to
examine him. Till at length the Slave perlevering in his refo-
lution never to difcover any thing but to himlelf in private, the
General mov'd by his perfeverance, fent for him into a little Ca
binet, where he difcover'd that his Mafter had drawn the Por
traitures of the King and all the Grandees of the Court, and
had fold 'em privately to the Indians to fend into India ; that
three Dervicks ( fuch are thofe that out of a Religious Motive
make a profeflion of Poverty ) carri'd thofe Portraitures into
India, and that they came to his Mafter with the and
hid 'em under the tatter'd Garments that they wore; that they
hid certain Letters alio in the fame manner at the fame time, but
of which he knew not the Contents, and that they went away
with the Caravan for Caudar.
The General of the Army was at a ftand whether he
fhould give credit to the Depofition of this Slave or no. He
tri'd him fometimes with threats, fometimes with promifes
to lee if he could find him any way tripping or various in
his ftory; not knowing but that it might be a talfliood of the
Slaves Invention. But when he found himrelolute in the lame
tale, and ftill affirming Poljtively the fame thing: and that he
N n n n n affirm'd