advance to general
concord among Mahometans; and he would also insist that, as there were
now four orthodox sects among Sunnis, the Persians, under the name of
the sect of Jaffer, should be admitted as the fifth, and that another
column should be added to the four which already decorated the temple at
Mecca, in honor of this new branch of the true religion.

The historian of Nadir is careful in informing us that the crown of
Persia was placed upon the head of the conqueror exactly at twenty
minutes past eight on the morning of February 26, 1736. The moment, no
doubt, had been fixed by the most skilful astrologers. The ceremony was
performed in a splendid hall erected for the occasion, and Nadir was
seated on a throne covered with precious jewels. Various coins were
immediately struck in his name, on which was the following inscription:
"The impression stamped on this gold proclaims to the world the
sovereignty of Nadir, native of the land of Persia, and the monarch who
subdues the earth." On the reverse was a short Arabic sentence, which
signified "That which has happened is the best." But even the flatterer
who records these particulars confesses that there were malicious wits
who made free with the latter sentence, and, by the alteration of the
position of one letter, made it signify "That which has happened is not
the best."

Nadir Shah, soon after his elevation to the throne, marched to Ispahan;
but the short time he spent in that capital was solely devoted to
military preparations; he had resolved on the entire extinction of the
Afghans as a separate power, and that could not be effected without the
reduction of the city and province of Kandahar, which was then in
possession of a prince called Hasan Khan, the brother of the celebrated
Mahmud; but before he proceeded upon this expedition he adopted every
measure that could secure the internal tranquillity of Persia during his
absence. The peace of the country round Ispahan had been much disturbed
by the depredations of a numerous and barbarous tribe, called
Bukhteearees, who inhabit the mountains that stretch from near this
capital to the vicinity of Shuster. The subjugation of these plunderers
had ever been deemed possible. Their lofty and rugged mountains abound
with rocks and caverns, which in times of danger serve them as
fastnesses and dens. But Nadir showed that this fancied security, which
had protected them for ages, was a mere delusion. He led his veteran