ive years old, with an unmeaning countenance, a
pale face, insignificant and rather flattened features, and red hair,
or rather, I should say, with his hair dyed of a deep red. He was
dressed in a shawl caftan lined with fur, and wore on his little
black cap a diamond aigrette. We sat down in front of him on the
carpet;--Mirza-Massoud, the minister for foreign affairs, and two or
three other dignitaries who were present at the interview, remained
standing. _Demahi schouma tschogh est?_ that is to say, 'Is your nose
very fat?' inquired Count Simonitsch. This extraordinary form of speech
universally used by well-bred persons in Persia, seems to indicate that
they ascribe considerable hygienic importance to that feature. All my
researches to discover the origin and symbolical meaning of this
courtesy have proved in vain; I have never obtained a satisfactory
explanation to my questions on this head: all I can say is, that the
hackneyed forms of salutation in use among European nations have since
seemed to me far less absurd than they formerly did."

We have no doubt that even should Prince Keikhobade-Mirza have departed
this life, another original might be found for the following picture of
a Persian prince in reduced circumstances:

"On my return home I found an Armenian merchant waiting for me who
seemed somewhat less of a rogue than his brethren. He had brought me a
_Sipehr_ (shield) in delicately wrought steel, ornamented with
inscriptions and arabesques, inlaid in gold; it belonged, he said, to
Prince Mohammed-Veli-Mirza, and he demanded a sum of thirty-six toumans
(about eighteen pounds), which I gave without hesitation. It was not
dear at that price. This Mohammed-Veli-Mirza, one of the numerous sons
of the late Fet-Ali-Schah, had been, if I mistake not, governor of
Schiraz. His reputation, as well as that of his brother
Keikhobade-Mirza, (indeed, I might say of all his brothers), was so well
established in the country, that the Armenian begged I would not
consider the bargain as concluded until he had paid the money into the
prince's hands, lest he should wish to recede from his word. You know,
he said, that these _Schahzades_ have no scruples in these
matters,--that they are all _tamamkharab_, that is to say, bad
characters--_kharab_, meaning a thing that is bad--decayed, dilapidated.
Fortunately the fears of the prudent Armenian were not realized; for a
wonder, Mohammed-Veli-Mirza was contented with the sum he ha