walls of the large room were panelled
with wood, and ornamented with several mirrors, gilt-work, and oil-
paintings of heads and flowers. In the middle of the saloon stood
two large empty bedsteads.

The prince wore a European dress: trousers of fine white cloth,
with broad gold lace; a dark blue coat, the collar, facings, and
corners of which were richly embroidered with gold; white silk
gloves and stockings. His head was covered by a Persian fur cap
nearly a yard high. This is not, however, his ordinary dress; he is
said to change his mode of dressing oftener than his wife, and
sometimes to wear the Persian costume, sometimes to envelop himself
in cashmere shawls, as his fancy may be.

I should have supposed that he was at least twenty-two. He has a
pale, tawny complexion, and, altogether, no attractive, amiable, or
intellectual expression; never looks straightforward and openly at
you, and his glance is savage and repulsive. I pitied, in my mind,
all those who were his subjects. I would rather be the wife of a
poor peasant than his favourite princess.

The prince put several questions to me, which Dr. Cassolani, who
stood a few paces from us, interpreted. They were nothing
remarkable, chiefly common-places about my journey. The prince can
read and write in his mother tongue, and has, as I was told, some
idea of geography and history. He receives a few European
newspapers and periodicals from which the interpreter has to make
extracts, and read to him. His opinion of the great revolutions of
the time was, that the European monarchs might have been very good,
but they were most remarkably stupid to allow themselves to be so
easily driven from the throne. He considered that the result would
have been very different if they had had plenty of people strangled.
As far as regards execution and punishment, he far exceeds his
father; and, unfortunately, has no controlling minister at his side.
His government is said to be that of a child; one moment he orders
something to be done, and an hour afterwards countermands it. But
what can be expected from a youth of seventeen, who has received
little or no education; was married at fifteen, and, two years
afterwards, takes the unlimited control of a large province with a
revenue of a million tomans (500,000 pounds), and with every means
of gratifying his desires.

The prince has at present only one regular wife, although he is
allowed to have four; however, he h