'The History of Persia, from the most early period to the present time: containing an account of the religion, government, usages and character of the inhabitants of that kingdom. By Colonel Sir John Malcolm, KCB, KLS Late minister plenipotentiary to the court of Persia from the supreme government of India. In two volumes.' [‎8] (23/730)

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PREFACE.
at an age when those who aim at literary eminence
are only commencing their studies : and when I first
had opportunities of collecting the materials which
form the basis of my present Work, I neither enjoyed,
nor had any prospect of enjoying, the necessary leisure
for putting them into a form to meet the public eye.
A number of advantageous circumstances, however,
concurred by degrees in ultimately removing the
doubts which these difficulties had at first excited
in my mind. During the last fifteen years, I have
three times visited Persia in the charge of political
missions ; and I have for almost the whole of that
period been intrusted with the conduct of the nego
tiations between that State and the British Government
in India. The nature of my public employment,
which led to my travelling over almost all the
provinces of Persia, gradually improved the know
ledge I had before possessed of that kingdom and
its inhabitants; and a sense of duty, as well as
the natural curiosity which I felt of investigating
the state of a country so imperfectly known to
Europeans, equally urged me to endeavour to amass
useful information of every description; whilst it may
be easily conceived, that the diplomatic character
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