s unsettled
posture of my affairs.

CHAPTER LXXIV

He becomes useful to an ambassador, who makes him a partaker of his
confidence.

Necessity, so the poet sayeth, 'is as a strong rider with sharp
stirrups, who maketh the sorry jade do that which the strong horse
sometimes will not do.'

I was disappointed, vexed, and mortified. My hopes of living a life of
ease and enjoyment had disappeared, and I once more saw myself obliged
to have recourse to my own ingenuity to keep me from starvation.

'If I have lost a home,' said I, 'see I have found a friend. Let me not
reject his proffered protection; and the same powerful destiny which
has led me on step by step through the labyrinth of life will doubtless
again take me by the hand, and perhaps at length safely land me where I
shall no longer be perplexed respecting the path I ought to pursue.'

I determined to make the most of my access to the ambassador; and
happy was I to find, that the liking which he had taken to me at first
sensibly, though gradually, increased during our succeeding interviews.
He made use of me to acquire information, and conversed freely upon the
business of his government, and upon matters connected with his mission.

Having all my life been taken up in making my own fortune, I had turned
my mind but little to public events. Of the nations of the world I
scarcely knew any but my own and the Turks. By name only the Chinese,
the Indians, the Affghans, the Tartars, the Curds, and the Arabs were
known to me; and of the Africans I had some knowledge, having seen
different specimens of them as slaves in our houses. Of the Franks,--the
Russians (if such they may be called) were those of whom we had the most
knowledge in Persia, and I had also heard of the Ingliz and the Franciz.
When I reached Constantinople, I was surprised to hear that many more
Frank nations existed besides the three above mentioned; but still
occupied with my own affairs, I acquired but little knowledge concerning
them.

Now that I was thrown into the ambassador's society, my ideas took a
new turn, and hearing matters discussed which had never even reached
my understanding, I became more inquisitive. He seemed pleased to have
found in me one who took interest in his views, and at length let me
entirely into his confidence.

One morning, having received letters from his court, he called me to
him, said that he wished for some private conversation, and accordingly
ordered