t boldness and strength have poor subjects that they should inflict
injury or hurt on the sovereign might, or be able to oppose the military
forces of the crown?

From that time till now disturbance and sedition have been on the wane in
Persia, and clamor and strife have ceased; although [still] on rare
occasions certain of the official doctors do, for their own personal and
private advantage, stir up the common folk, raise a hue and cry, and, by
their importunity and pertinacity, molest one or two individuals of this
sect, as happened ten or twelve years ago in Isfahan. For there were
amongst the inhabitants of Isfahan two brothers, Siyyids of Tabataba,
Siyyid Hasan and Siyyid Husayn, celebrated in those parts for piety,
trustworthiness, and nobility; men of wealth, engaged in commerce,
behaving towards all men with perfect kindliness and courtesy. And to all
outward appearance no one had observed in either of these two brothers any
swerving from what was best, much less any conduct or behavior which could
deserve torment or punishment; for, as is related, they were admitted by
all [preeminent] in all praiseworthy and laudable qualities, while their
deeds and actions were like exhortations and admonitions. These had
transacted business with Mir Muhammad Husayn the Imam-Jum'ih of Isfahan;
and when they came to make up their accounts it appeared that the sum of
eighteen thousand tumans was due to them. They [therefore] broke off
[further] transactions, prepared a bond for this sum, and desired it to be
sealed. This thing was grievous to the Imam-Jum'ih, so that he came to the
stage of anger and enmity. Finding himself in debt, and having no recourse
but to pay, he raised clamor and outcry saying "These two brothers are
Babis and deserve severe punishment from the king." A crowd at once
attacked their house, plundered and pillaged all their goods, distressed
and terrified their wives and children, and seized and despoiled all their
possessions. Then, fearing that they might refer the punishment to the
step of the king's throne and loose their tongues in demand of redress, he
[i.e., the Imam-Jum'ih] fell to thinking how to compass their death and
destroy them. He therefore persuaded certain of the doctors to cooperate
with him, and they pronounced sentence of death. Afterwards they arrested
those two brothers, put them in chains, and brought them before the public
assembly. Yet seek as they might to fix on them some accusati