perceiving our ambassador so silent, smiled upon him, drunk his health, and, after a few compliments, departed.

Our Ambassador's Entrance into Ispahan.

We entered Ispahan the tenth of April, and I shall truly relate the order of our entertainment. Three miles short of the great city, we were entreated to repose an hour in a garden of the King's, where we had a banquet. Thither came the agent, and some English factors, to wait upon our Lord Ambassador. Thence, riding in good equipage, the Sultan of Ispahan, Meloym-beg, the Treasurer, Hodgee-Nazarr, the Prince of the Armenian Christians, with all the Beglerbegs and Coozel-bashaws of the city, accompanied with 4000 horsemen, came to welcome us. The fields and streets, for two miles, were filled, in our passage, with Bannyans and women from the city, ten thousand at the fewest, who, as we past, cried “welcome,” and shouted strongly : amongst the horse were above forty kettle-drums, and tabrets, nor wanted the whores and boys their places, all which, with antique dances, made the ceremony more notable.

After our arrival in the city, we alighted at the King's palace, which is in the great Mydan, or market place. Meloym-beg and Sir Robert Sherley kneeled down three times, and kissed the threshold,

or ground, at the first entrance; which done, a soldier made an oration; so we past to our lodging, which was one of the King's best houses, and near the water. The Emperor or Pot-shaugh of Persia was then at the Caspian Sea. The 14th of April, four days after our stay in Ispahan, the agent for the English merchants invited us to a banquet, where he shewed a hearty entertainment; and to honour his feast the more, he had, at night, a pond of water set round with wax-lights, and spent many squibs and fireworks, which, flying high, made all the city wonder.

Next day, we invited ourselves to Hodgee-Nazarr, the Armenian Prince, who has the sole rule of a small city, called Jelphea, whose inhabiters are all Christians. This Jelphea is on the other side the water, and seated, in the same sort, as Southwark is to London. Hodgee-Nazarr was glad to see us, and gave us royal welcome: amongst other meat, we had a pig roasted, (a meat abhorred by Mahometans and Jews); the wine bottles and flat cups we drunk in, were of pure gold.

After our ambassador had reposed himself four days in Asharaff, the King sent a Coozel-bashaw to him, with commendations, and that next day he would give him audience; accordingly, next day, which was our sabbath, and, with them, a day of ceremony, being the first day of their great fast and

feast, (for, on that day, it is not permitted to eat or drink; but, after sun-set, they do both excessively; this feast is called Ramazan, Ramdam, or Ramadan,) our ambassador, with Sir Robert Sherley, and seven or eight English gentlemen, his followers, set forwards to the court: and this I remember, our ambassador took it ill, none came to usher him, or shew the way. For, that morning, having sent to Mahomet Ally-beg, the great favourite, to that end, the infidel returned a footman, whom our ambassador scorning, sent back, and so proceeded with his own

company.

At our alighting at the court gate, an officer led us into a little place, having a pretty marble pond or tank in the centre; the rest spread with silk carpets, where our ambassador and the rest stayed two hours, and then were feasted with a dish of pelo, which is rice boiled with hens, mutton, butter, almonds, and turmerick; but how mean soever the diet was, the furniture was excellent, pure beaten gold, both dishes, covers, flaggons, cups, and the

rest.

Thence we were led by many Sultans, through a large, delicate and odoriferous garden, to a house of pleasure, whose chambers both viewed the tops of Taurus and the Caspian Sea. Into this lodge we entered; the low-room was round and spacious, the ground spread with silk carpets; in the midst,

a marble tank, full of chrystaline water (an element of no small account in those torrid habitations); and, round about the tank, vessels of pure gold, some filled with wine, others with sweet smelling flowers. Thence into a chamber, furnished in manner as the former, but with three times more vessels of gold, set there for pomp and observation. At the end sat the Pot-shaugh or great King, crosslegged, and mounted a little higher than the rest, his seat having two or three white silk shags upon the carpets. His attire was very ordinary, his tulipant could not out-value forty shillings; his coat-red calico quilted with cotton, worth very little; his sword hung in a leather belt, its handle or hilt was gold, and, in regard the King was so plain attired, most of the court had like apparel on for that day. Yet the plate and jewels in that house argued against poverty; a merchant, then there, imagined it worth twenty millions of pounds.

So soon as our Lord ambassador came to him, he, by his interpreter, delivered, briefly, the cause of his journey, which was, to congratulate his victorious success against the Turk, to renew the traffic of silk, and other things to benefit the merchants, and to see Sir Robert Sherley purge himself from those imputations laid on him by Nogdibeg, the King of Persia's late ambassador.

· The King gave him a very gracious reply; and,

whereas, he thinks it honour enough to let the Great Turk's ambassador kiss the hem of his coat, and sometimes his foot, he very nobly gave our ambasdor his hand, and with it pulled him down, and seated him next to him, cross-legged; and calling for a cup of wine, drunk to his master, our famous King, at which he put off his hat, and the King, seeing it, put off his turban, and drunk the cup off, which our ambassador pledged thankfully. And the people thought it a strange thing to see their King so complimental, for it is a shame with them to be bareheaded.

The chamber, wherein he was entertained, had the sides painted and gilded very beautifully, though, indeed, the verse may be inverted, Materia superabat opus, and not materiam. Round about, with their backs to the wall, were seated fifty or sixty Beglerbegs, Sultans, and Chawns, who sit like so many sta tues, rather than living men. The Ganymede boys go up and down with flaggons of wine, and fill to those that covet it.

After some stay in Casbin, our ambassador, desirous of his dispatch, visited Mahomet-Aly-Beg, and by him entreated an answer to his letter. The Pagan, in short, told him, if he had any more to possess the King, he should first acquaint him, and, consequently, have an answer; to which our ambassador replied little, though discontented much;