'A Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the years 1808 and 1809, in which is included some account of the proceedings of his Majesty's Mission, under Sir Harford Jones, Bart., to the Court of the King of Persia. With twenty-five engravings from the designs of the author; a plate of inscriptions; and three maps.' [‎186] (257/524)

186
TEHERAN.
tions. When the poet was introduced to the Envoy, the conversation
turned on poetry and the works of the bard himself. He was extolled
above the skies; all exclaimed that in this age he had not an equal on
earth, and some declared that he was superior even to Ferdousi , the
Homer of their country. To all this the author listened with very
complacent credulity, and at length recited some of his admired effu
sions. His genius, however, is paid by something more substantial
than praise ; for he is a great favourite at court, and, according to my
Persian informers, receives from the King a gold tomaun for every
couplet; and once indeed secured the remission of a large debt due to
the King by writing a poem in his praise. Yet the people, from whom
the supplies of this munificence are drawn, groan whenever they hear
that the poet's muse has been productive. Having exhausted the topics
of the weather, and the relative temperature and air of Teheran, Ispa
han, and Shiraz, our host took his leave, telling us that the house was
our own, a common compliment of the East. In the evening the
Envoy went to a conference with him, and settled some points of im
portance in the negociation. The ceremonial of the Envoy's
presentation to the King on the following day was then arranged;
and it was agreed that the audience should be exactly the same as that
given to Embassadors at Constantinople.
On the morrow accordingly we made every preparation of form for
our introduction; and each appeared in green slippers with high heels,
and red cloth stockings, the court dress always worn before the King
of Persia. Early in the morning we received a message desiring us
to be in readiness. At about twelve o'clock we proceeded to the
palace. The presents for the King were laid out on a piece of white
satin over a gold dish. It consisted of His Britannic Majesty's pic
ture set round with diamonds; a diamond of sixty-one carats valued
at twenty thousand pounds; a small box, on the lid of which Windsor
Castle was carved in ivory; a box made from the oak of the Victory,
with the battle of Trafalgar in ivory; and a small blood-stone Mosaic