 Section 43 of A Year Amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. A Year Amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown. Section 43. Thursday 25th July 16th Zell Hedger. In the afternoon I went into the city by the Moss Gate. Through which crowds of people were pouring forth to visit the cemetery. The eve of Friday, Shabijom Eir, being the favourite time for the performance of this pious act. The barbie dervish boy was amongst the crowd, and dervish fashion placed a sprig of mint in my hand as he passed. But without asking or waiting for the small sum of money which is generally expected in return for this compliment. In the square of the caravanserai of Gange Alichon, I saw Oostal Akbar standing and approached him to speak with him. While we were conversing, there came up to me a certain dervish who had once visited me in my garden and craved an arms for the sake of Baha'u. Now in general I made it a rule to respond as far as possible to such calls. But against this particular dervish I cherished some resentment for this reason. On the day when he visited me in the garden, Sheikh Ebrahim chanced to be with me. So when he had sat with us for a while, drunk several cups of tea, and pocketed a gran and half a stick of opium, he went out, found Sayed Hossein of Jandagh, performing his ablutions at the stream by the gate, and told him that I was certainly a barbie, or in a fair way to become one, since I was continually in the society of notorious barbies. All this of course was repeated to me, and as I had treated this not very agreeable or intelligent dervish thus courteously, rather on Saddi's principle that, quote, the dog's mouth is best stopped with a morsel, end quote, I was naturally incensed at his indiscretion. So when he asked me for the sake of Bahar to give him money, I bade him be gone with scant ceremony, and when he continued to impotune me, declaring that he had no bread for that night supper, I turned angrily upon him, saying, No opium, I suppose you mean? I, said he, No opium, neither bread nor opium, for the sake of Bahar, give me some money. You ingrate! Namakaram! I exclaimed, exasperated at his pertinacity and indiscreteness, for already a little crowd was gathering round us to listen to our dialogue, and to stare at the Ferangi barbie from whom arms were demanded for the sake of Bahar. How dare you come to me again for money after what you have done! I am no ingrate, he answered, and whoever says so wrongs me. What have I done that you should be thus angry with me? What have you done? I retorted, When you came to the garden, did I not give you money and tea and opium and speak you fair? And did you not, with the money and the opium in your pocket, and the taste of tea in your mouth, go out and make mischief against me, spreading idle and damaging reports? Then at last he slunk away with some appearance of shame. Friday 26th July 17th, Zell Bader. During the greater part of the day, I was occupied in writing for the Prince Governor, the brief account of my journey which he had requested me to compose for him. Towards evening, Sheikh Ebrahim Abdullah and the self-sufficient and conceited cobbler whose rudeness to the old Zahabi dervish had so displeased me, arrived simultaneously. Abdullah soon went off, thinking that he might be wanted by his master, and I was left with the other two. Both talked, and Sheikh Ebrahim drank a great deal. But as regards the talking, the cobbler had at first the best of it, and presently he demanded my copy of the Egon, and said he would read aloud to us an accomplishment on which he greatly prided himself. Sheikh Ebrahim bore with this reading, or rather chanting, as long as he could, gulping down his rage and his arag together, till finally one or both of these proved too much for him, and he suddenly turned ferociously on the unsuspecting cobbler. Beast and idiot, he cried, cannot you be silent when there are men present and let them talk without interrupting them with your abominable gabbling. Your silly head is so turned by Ostal Akbar and others who listened to your reading and applauded with cries of Zibor Michonad. How nicely he reads that you are conflated with conceit and do not see that this ferangi here, who knows ten times as much Arabic as you do, is laughing at you under his lip, because in every word of Arabic which you read, you violate a rule of grammar. Silence then and be no more intoxicated with Ostal Akbar's Zibor Michonad. The poor cobbler was utterly taken aback by this unexpected sally. Forgive me, O Sheikh, he began. I am only a poor ignorant man. Man? cried the sheikh, waxing more and more wroth. I spit on the pates of the father and mother of this dog mama. Note, a slightly refined translation of the Persian. Read them, bekelia pedar o maudare nannisag. A form of abuse which was a great favourite with the sheikh, who was not given to mincing words. And note, man, forsooth, you are like those maggots. Charrotin, which thrust forth their heads from rotten fruit and waved them in the air under the impression that they are men. I count you not as belonging to the world of humanity. O sheikh, exclaimed the poor cobbler, whatever you may please to say is right. I have eaten dirt. I have committed a fault. I am the least of your servants. But I will not accept you as my servant. Shouted the sheikh, you are not in my world at all. I take no cognizance of your existence. And so he stormed on till the wretched cobbler now reduced to tears, groveled at his feet, begging for enlightenment and instruction, and saying, you are a great and a wise man. Your knowledge is far beyond ours. You have traveled and seen the world and looked on the blessed beauty. Jamolimubarak, that is, Baha'u'llah, the barbie hierarch at Akra. Tell me what to think and what to believe and what to do, and I will accept it. Finally, the sheikh was appeased and they embraced and made up their quarrel. Saturday, 28th July, 18th Zell Pader. This day was chiefly notable to me because, for the first time for several weeks, I succeeded in resisting the growing craving for opium, which possessed me. This had now begun to cause me some anxiety, for I felt that the experiment had gone quite far enough. It is all very well, I thought to myself, to enter into the world of the opium smoker and the experience was needed to complete my view of dervish life. But if I do not take care, I shall become a dervish in reality, living from hand to mouth engrossed with smoking opium and weaving metaphysics. And content if I can but postpone the business or trouble of today till tomorrow, a tomorrow which never comes. It is high time I took measures to put an end to this state of things. The plan which I devised for putting an end to my servitude was based upon the observation that it is not so much the smoking of opium as the regular smoking of opium at a fixed time that is dangerous. I believe that, speaking generally, anyone may indulge in an occasional pipe with impunity. But I had accustomed myself to smoke opium regularly after supper and so soon as this time came round, an indescribable craving came upon me, which only the drug could assuage. It therefore seemed to me that the first step towards emancipation must be to alter and gradually to increase the interval which, so far as I remember, I affected somewhat in the following way. One day, instead of waiting till after supper, I smoked a small amount of the drug at the time of afternoon tea. Next day, I waited till supper time, thus extending the interval of abstinence from 24 to 30 hours. On the third day, I sat up very late and smoked a very little opium just before retiring to rest. And on the fourth day, I went to bed in reasonable time and succeeded in falling asleep before the craving came upon me, not returning to the drug till the afternoon of the fifth day. Thus farther extending the interval from 30 to 40 hours. Thus gradually did I free myself from a thralldom which, as I believe, can hardly be broken in any other way. Sunday, 28th July, 19th, Zell Gade. Today, I lunched with Osta Akbar to meet the Postmaster of Kermon, the Chief of the Telegraph at Rafsenjohn who was on a visit to Kermon and several other Barbies of the Bahoy faction. On my entrance, they greeted me with an outburst of railery induced, as it appeared, by their belief that I was disposed to prefer the claims of Subhe Azal to those of Baha'u and that I had been influenced in this by the sheikh of Gom and his friends. I was at first utterly taken aback and somewhat alarmed at their vehemence but anger at the unjust and intolerant attitude towards the Azalis which they took up presently came to my aid and I reminded them that such violence and unfairness so far from proving their case could only make it appear the weaker. From the statement of Sheikh Ebrahim, I concluded who is one of your own party, it appears that your friends at Akra who complain so much of the bigotry, intolerance and ferocious antagonism of the Mohammedans and who are always talking about consorting with men of every faith with spirituality and fragrance could find no better argument than the dagger of the assassin wherewith to convince the unfortunate Azalis who were their companions in exile and I assure you that this fact has done more to incline me from Baha'u to Azal than anything which the sheikh of Gom or his friends have said to me. It would be more to the point if instead of talking in this violent and unreasonable manner you would produce the Bayan of which ever since I came to Kermon and indeed to Persia I have been vainly endeavouring to obtain a copy and show me what the Bab has said about his successor. The postmaster and Osta Akbar eventually admitted that I was right and promised to try to obtain for me a copy of the Bayan. After this amicable relations were restored and the atmosphere seemed clearer for the past storm. On returning to the garden I found Sayyid Hossein and one Mirza Ghulam Hossein awaiting my arrival. They stayed for some time and as usual talked about religion. With Mirza Ghulam Hossein I was much pleased though I could not satisfy myself as to his real opinions. He told me that he had read the Gospels attentively and was convinced of their genuineness by the deep effect which the words of Christ recorded in them had produced on his heart. He added that he could interpret many of the prophecies contained in the Book of Revelations as applying to Muhammad and would do so for my benefit if I would visit him in the Koravon Saroye Gulshan where he lodged. Monday 29th July 20th Zelqa'deh This evening there was another stormy scene in the summer house of which as usual Sheikh Ebrahim was the cause. He and the Parcher of Peas came to visit me about sundown bringing with them a poor scrivener named Mirza Ahmad who had made for himself copies of certain writings of the Barbies with which as being a dangerous possession he was, I was informed, willing to part for a small consideration. Now to guard himself from suspicion that at least the book should fall into the hands of an enemy he had placed at the end of the Kitab-e-Aq Das which stood first in the volume a colophon wherein he had described it as quote, the book of the accursed, misguided, misleading sect of the Barbies end quote, this colophon which had not been seen by either of his companions caught my eye as I turned over the pages but I made no remark and fearing trouble if it should meet other eyes quickly closed the book and laid it aside shortly afterwards Ostar Akbar wishing to speak with me privately drew me apart when we returned it was to find that the explosion which I dreaded had taken place and that Sheikh Ebrahim having taken up the book and seen the objectionable words was pouring forth the vials of his wrath on the poor Scrivener who overcome with shame and terror was shaking like an aspen and on the verge of tears it was only with the greatest difficulty that I could stem the torrent of threatening and abusive language which the Sheikh continued to pour forth and lead Mirzo Ahmad out into the garden where he sat down by the stream and began to weep finally I succeeded in comforting him a little with fair words and a larger sum of money than he had expected but the evening was not a harmonious one and the acquisition of a new manuscript was the only feature in it which caused me any satisfaction Wednesday, 31st July 22nd, Zelqadar in the morning Sayyed Hussain came bringing with him a kindly and courteous old divine of the Shaiti sect named Mullah Mohammed of Jhupar when lunchtime came I invited them to eat with me although I added with a smile I am in your eyes but an unclean infidel No! God forbid that it should be so exclaimed the old Mullah In his name Exalted is he will we partake of your food So Haji Safar set before them delicate and strange meats whereof they ate with great contentment and presently departed well pleased with their entertainment thereupon I again set to work on the account of my journey which I was writing for the Prince Governor intending later to go into the city but word came from Mierzo Javod's son that he should visit me with his tutor and about three hours before sunset they arrived I was greatly displeased at the conduct of the aforesaid tutor Mullah Colom Hossein on this occasion for soon after his arrival there was placed in my hands a letter from one of my Barbie friends at Yazd which he, with gross impertinence requested me to show him this I naturally declined to do but he, unabashed, picked up the envelope from the ground where it lay and began to criticise the superscription which ran as follows what being interpreted is may its arrival be with good in Kermon by the perusal of Edward Soheb of lofty dignity endowed with virtues excellent of qualities and of resort the discerning philosopher may his excellence be augmented and his guidance be increased may it be honoured discerning philosopher excellent of resort read Mullah Colom Hossein what right have you, a pharangi to such titles as these either be this thing or that a pharangi or a persian an end was put to this unpleasant conversation by the return of Sayed Hossein and the old Mullah of Jupar who was soon followed by Ostar Akbar and several other persons mostly Barbies in this ill-assorted and incongruous assembly which threatened momentarily to terminate in an explosion I was oppressed as by a thunderstorm and I was almost thankful when the rudeness of Ostar Akbar finally put the sheikhs to route leaving the Barbies in possession of the field these also departed a little later leaving me at last in peace they wished me to go with them on the morrow or the following day to Mahon to visit the shrine of the great Sufi saint Shah Nematollah I told them that I had already promised to go with some of my Zoroastrian friends whereupon they urged me to break with these Gabroyanages unclean pagans as they called them and would hardly take no for an answer but at last when after listening in silence to their efforts to persuade me I replied it is no use talking more about it I have given my word to the Zoroastrians and will not go back on it for my word is one they turned away impatiently exclaiming go with the goobras and God pardon thy father next day I had a telegram from Shiraz inquiring when I proposed to return with her and urging me to leave Kermon without further delay this caused me some annoyance as I had no wish to leave it yet and hoped to obtain permission from Cambridge to postpone my return to England till January so that I might go by Bandara Abbas and the Persian Gulf to Baghdad and thence to Damascus and Akra which would be impossible till the cooler weather came I therefore had recourse to the opium pipe and deferred answering the message till the following day when I visited the telegraph office and dispatched an answer to the effect that I had no intention of quitting Kermon at present I found my friend, the prince telegraphist still much cast down at the loss of his eldest son his mind was evidently running much on the fate of the soul after its separation from the body and he asked me repeatedly what think you of the matter what have you understood he also talked more openly than he had hitherto done about the bobby religion saying that as between the rival claimants to the pontificate Baha and Azal he found it hard to decide but that as to the divine mission of Mirza Ali Muhammad the bob there could he thought be no doubt then his secretary who was an ardent believer in Baha read extracts from the epistles and treatises which he was copying for me and asked if these were like the words of a mere man but the poor prince only shook his head sorrowfully saying it is a hard matter God knows best next day a term was put to my uncertainty though not in the way I wished by the arrival of a telegram from England which had been translated into Persian and sent on from Shiraz bidding me be in Cambridge by the beginning of October there was no hope for it then I must leave Kermon and that without much delay and abandoning all idea of Baghdad Akra and a camel ride across the Syrian desert post to Tehran and return home by the Caspian sea and Russia it was a bitter disappointment at the time and on the top of it came as is so often the case another which, though small in comparison gave me that sense of things going generally wrong which almost everyone must at some time have experienced my Zoroastrian friend who was to have taken me to Mahon sent word that a misfortune had befallen him the death of his brother in Tehran as I afterwards discovered which rendered this impossible and my bobby friends who had previously so greatly impotuned me to accompany them had now made other arrangements so that it seemed likely that I should have to leave Kermon without visiting the tomb of the celebrated saint Shah Netmatollah I had now no excuse for prolonging my stay at Kermon yet still I could not summon up resolution to leave it it seemed as though my whole mental horizon had been altered by the atmosphere of mysticism and opium smoke which surrounded me I had almost ceased to think in English and nothing seemed so good in my eyes as to continue the dreamy, speculative existence which I was leading opium for my solace and dervishes for my friends peremptory telegrams came from Shiraz sometimes two or three together but I heeded them not and banished all thought of them with these two potent antidotes to action of which I have spoken above their influence must have been at its height at this time for once or twice I neglected for a day or two even to write my diary a daily task which I had hitherto allowed nothing to keep me from accomplishing the record of the incidents which marked the day preceding the first break of this sort shows the elements of external disturbance and internal quietism in full conflict on the one hand a tripartite telegram from the English superintendent of the telegraph at Shiraz the chief of the Persian office at the same place the same whom I had known at Yazd when she had recently been transferred and my former host the Navvab strongly urging me to start at once on the other two wildly mystical poems given to me by a dervish morshed a spiritual director whom I had left in a state of unconsciousness produced by some narcotic compound which I had refused to taste and of which he had offered to prove the innocuousness by eating it some decision however was imperatively called for and could not much longer be deferred for amongst other things my money had nearly come to an end and I could only obtain a fresh supply in Tehran, Esfahan or Buxia in this straight my friends came to my assistance with a delicacy and a generosity which I shall not readily forget I was making arrangements for borrowing at 5% interest a sufficient sum to take me at least as far as Esfahan or Tehran then almost simultaneously by a Balbi and a Zoroastrian merchant I was offered in advance that I might need I was at first unwilling to borrow from either of them remembering the Arabic proverb borrowing is the scissors of friendship but they would take no denial especially the Balbi who said that he should feel deeply hurt if I refused to accept his offer finally I consented to avail myself of his kindness and borrowed from him a sum of 60 or 70 tomans about 20 pounds for which he declined to accept any interest and could only be prevailed upon with difficulty to take a receipt then I duly remitted to his agent at Tehran on my arrival there and now Hauji Safar who in spite of occasional fits of perversity and sulkiness had always shown himself a faithful and loyal servant came to the rescue he had been much troubled and not without reason at the state of indecision and inactivity into which I had lapsed to which state he ascribed to some spell cast over me by the Balbis to whom he had even addressed threats and remonstrances so one night while waiting on me at supper he unfolded to me a plan which he had formed as follows Soheb he began you cannot stay on here forever and you know that you are wanted in England at the beginning of the month of Safar next 7th October 1888 now I have been thinking how you can stay at Kermann as long as possible see as much new country as possible and still be back in your own country in time if you return to Shiraz and go thence to Bushir and there take ship you will not arrive in time even if we could start at once which we cannot do as it will not be easy to find mules for the journey it is much better then that we should go to Tehran and that you should return thence through Russia the advantages of this plan are that you can have a week or 10 days more here visit your friends at Rafsenjan on the way see your friends at Yazd, Kaushan, Qom and Tehran again be in the capital for the Moharram passion plays which you will know where see so well performed and traverse Mozandaron or Ghilan both of which as I can assure you are very remarkable countries which you ought to see before leaving Persia I will undertake to sell your horse for not less than you gave for it and before it is sold I will arrange for you to visit Mahon as you wish to do you can write to Shiraz for your things to be sent to meet you at Tehran where also you will be able to buy any more books of which you have need what do you think of my plan have I not spoken well that he had spoken well there was no doubt his plan was the best that remained possible and he had baited it cunningly with a sudden sense of shame at my own lethargy and gratitude to Haaji Safar for his wise admonition I determined once and for all to shake off this fatal quietism which had been so long growing on me and at once to take the steps necessary for the execution of his plan two days later on 9th August everything was in proper train the expedition to Mahon had presented some difficulties but they were overcome by Haaji Safar's energy he came to me about sundown on that day with a smile of triumph and satisfaction Sahib said he it is all arranged you will go to Mahon and perform your visitation to the shrine and that without bearing the burden of obligation to anyone I have found an old man an uncle of the gardeners and a regular desert walker B. R. Bon Ghast who will bear you company and show you the way for I must remain here to complete our preparations for the journey I will bring you your supper directly and then you had better go to sleep for a while for if you start four hours after sunset you will still be at Mahon by daybreak you will remain there all tomorrow travel back in the same way tomorrow night and be here at daybreak on Sunday morning the silent march to Mahon for the old guide stalked on before me with swift untiring gait only looking round now and again to see that I was following him was pleasant in spite of its monotony never had my horse carried me so well as on this our last journey together once again my spirit was refreshed and rejoiced by the soft night air and the shimmer of the moonlight on the sandhills until the sky grew pale with the dawn and the trees and buildings of Mahon stood clear before us we went straight to the shrine of the great saint Shah Nettmatullah and were admitted without difficulty in company with other pilgrims one of the dervishes attached to the shrine read the Ziyarat or form of visitation then he said to me as the other pilgrims were kissing the tombstone Saheb Shah Nettmatullah was a great man I acquiesced in the world of the Gnostics there is no difference of sects he continued again I agreed then said he seeing that this is so it would not amiss for you to kiss his tombstone I did as he desired and then having visited the various buildings connected with the shrine returned with the dervishes to their Gahbehau Neh coffee house or guest chamber where I had tea and slept till noon in the afternoon the dervishes took me to see some of the gardens which surround Mahaun in one of these called the Gardane Shotur camel's neck a charming spot I met my friend Serrush the Zoroastrian who was still mourning the death of his brother and had come to Mahaun for a day's solitude and quiet before starting for Tehran to wind up his affairs about two hours before sunset after another cup of tea I bade farewell to the kindly dervishes mounted my horse and started homewards with my guide well pleased with Mahaun and its people and disposed to regard as a gratuitous slander that cynical verse The district of Mahaun would be an earthly paradise on condition that it should be well shaken over hell note that is that all its inhabitants should be shaken from it into hell end note to our left lay the village of Leipzig the village of Leipzig the village of Leipzig the village of Leipzig the village of Leipzig to our left lay the village of Langar the headquarters of the Sheikhs where live the sons of the Bob's great rival and antagonist the late Hauji Muhammad Karim Khan of Kermon I asked my guide whether we could not visit it on our way to this he consented and in a short while we found ourselves in the quiet lane where dwell the sons of the master here we met a Sheikh divine whom my guide accosted telling him that I wish to pay my respects to the and before I had time to consider whether I should do well to thrust myself upon the leaders of a sect for which I had but little kindness I found myself in the courtyard of their house at the farther end of this courtyard mats and carpets were spread and on these sat in rows some dozen sour looking heavy turbaned Sheikh students to whom two of Karim Khan's sons seated in the place of honour were expounding the text of a work of their fathers called the a shame to retreat I advanced and sat down on my heels like the others in the lowest place of those nearest to me some glared indignantly at me and others edged away but no other notice was taken of my arrival till the lecture was over when one of the addressed me remarking that he had heard I was going after religions I replied that he had been correctly informed well said he and have you found a religion better than that in which you were brought up no I replied what of Islam continued he it is a good religion I answered which is best said he the law of Islam or your law why do you ask me that or your law why do you ask me this question I replied my apparel answers for me if I thought Islam the better I should not come here clad in this raiment but rather in Turban and Abal there at the younger students laughed and the remarking that it was the time for the evening prayer went off to the mosque leaving a cousin of theirs in the dress of a layman to entertain me till their return he gave me tea and would have had me stay to supper so as to converse with the Aghazal days but I excused myself and soon after their return from the mosque took my departure one of Karim Khan's sons accompanied me to the gate I thanked him for his hospitality our prophet hath given us honour the guest said he even though he'd be an infidel I replied completing the quotation where at we parted with laughter another silent ride through the moonlit desert and as the sun rose above the horizon I alighted for the last time from my honest old horse at the gate of my garden in Kermon the arrangements for his sale had been already concluded and that very day the servant of his new master brought me a cheque for eighteen tomanes about six pounds one tomane more than I had paid for him and led him away and as I gave him a final caress for I had come to love the beast after a fashion I felt that now indeed I had finally broken with the pleasant Persian life of the last three months End of Chapter 17 amongst the Calendars End of Section 43 recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater recorded in London, England Section 44 of a year amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater a year amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown Section 44 Chapter 18 from Kermon to England he says that death is difficult and it is only a matter of love and I swear they say that death is hard but by the name of God I swear that separation from one's friends is harder still to bear Shabbishambe, the Kermon Bor-Kardam, Balat-Kardam ke pusht bar Yaur-Kardam On Friday night I loaded up for Kermon I did ill for I turned my back on my friend it was on a Sunday morning that I parted with my horse my departure was arranged for the following Tuesday on that day while paying a farewell visit to the young Bobby Merchant who had so kindly advanced me the money which I needed for my journey back to Tehran I met the Postmaster's son he appeared to be sulky with me for some reason probably because of my friendliness with the Azalis and apologies for their attitude and coldly observed that the sooner I left Kermon the better and that if I could leave that very night it would be best of all I answered that this was impossible but that I would perhaps start on the morrow then you must go early in the morning said he so as to avoid collision with the Post when I told this to Sheikh Ebrahim on whom I next called he was greatly incensed nonsense said he the rascally burnt father only wants to get your money as soon as may be so that he may get drunk eat sweet meats and play the libertine you must stop here tonight and sup with me and some others of your friends I will ask the Postmaster and his scoundrel of a son too and you shall see how small they will sing after I have had a talk with them I'll warrant they will be humble enough then and will let you have your horses whenever it may please you somewhat comforted by the Sheikh's confidence in his own powers I went off with Ostal Akbar to pay a visit to some of my Bobby friends who were employed in the Post Office in a subordinate capacity after which we returned to Sheikh Ebrahim's abode he had been as good as his word the Postmaster and his son were there both to use the Sheikh's expression the very essence of submission mas it a slim ready to let me have horses for my journey whenever it might please me the evening passed off harmoniously after this the Sheikh cooking the supper himself only occasionally stopping to address a remark to one of us O thou who art buried in this land of cough and raw note that is Kermon which is so called by the Barbies and in the Kitab-e-Aqdas end note he cried out to me in one of these pauses why should you leave this place since you like it so well because I replied I must be back at the University of Cambridge early in the autumn my leave of absence is nearly at an end and they have summoned me to return I spit on the University of Gimbrej so he pronounced it answered the Sheikh and to such revilings he continued at intervals to give vent throughout the evening when one begins to procrastinate there is no end to it I wish to start on Thursday, August 16 but at the last moment when I was actually ready for the journey word came from the post office that the post which was due out on that day was so heavy that there were no horses to spare and from one cause or another my actual departure was deferred till the evening of Sunday, 19th August all day I was busy with farewells to which there seemed to be no end for several of my friends were loathed to bid me a final goodbye and I too shrank from the parting for I knew how unlikely it was that I should ever see them again to this thought the postmaster who had recovered his wanted kindness of manner gave expression in this world we shall see one another no more as I think said he but in another world we shall without doubt meet again and that world is the better for there all things will be made clear and there will be no more parting my last visit was to the Prince Telegraphist on my way thither I was stopped in the street by the barbie cobbler so roughly rebuked by Sheikh Ebrahim for his chanting of the sacred books he was in a great state of agitation and cried out to me with tears in his eyes Soheb you will go to Akra if not now then at some future time and you will see the supreme beauty note that is Baha'u'llah do not forget me then mention me there and let my name be remembered in the holy presence the post horses ready laden for the journey called for me at the Telegraph office it was after sunset but the Prince had caused the northern gate of the city to be kept open for me after the usual hour of closing so that I was able to linger a little while longer in the city which had cast so strange a glamour over me at last however I rose regretfully and bade him farewell and as the great gate closed behind me with a dull clang and I found myself in the open plain under the star-spangled sky I thought that I had seen the last of all my kermon friends but when we halted at the post house which as before said stands some distance outside the city to the north there was Sheikh Ebrahim and Osta Al-Aqbar the peaparcher come out to see the last of me and I had to dismount and smoke a last pipe with them while the Sheikh who was subdued and sorrowful told me how his friend Abdullah had fled none knew wither with such raiment only as he wore leaving word that he was bound for Akra and would not return till his eyes had gazed on the supreme beauty you may very likely come up with him on the road he concluded in which case I pray you to stop him reason with him and if necessary send him back in the custody of some trustworthy person else will he certainly perish ere his mad quest be accomplished it was three hours past sunset when I at length mounted and turned my face northwards at midnight I was at Balbein the first stage out from Kermon and there I rested for a while in a garden belonging to Naw eb Hassan whom we had overtaken on the way and who set before me melons and other delicious fruits soon after daybreak I was at Kabut Ar Khan where I slept till noon was past and then after lunch and tea set out for Rafsen Jaan where I was to stay for the night with the telegraphist a Balbi whose acquaintance I had made at Kermon on the way thither I passed two of my dervish friends who with banners, arms gourds and all the paraphernalia of professional mendicans were returning from Rafsen Jaan and somewhat later Naw eb Hassan's brother who presented me with a melon a little later after this I met one of the officials of the Kermon post office also a Balbi with whom I was well acquainted returning from the limit of the Kermon district to which it was his duty to escort the post after a brief conversation we exchanged horses I taking the ugly black beast which had brought him from Rafsen Jaan in spite of its ill looks it got over the ground at an amazing pace and guided by another Balbi in the postal service all the post office officials about Kermon seemed to be Balbis I arrived at my friend's house in Kamalabad hard by Bahramabad in good time for supper at which I met my old friend the postmaster of the latter place I had arranged before leaving Kermon to spend two days with another of my Balbi friends Agho Mohammed Hassan of Yazd my guest on the occasion of that wild banquet described on 489 Supra who lived at a little village distant only about five miles from Bahramabad somewhat off the main road I had not altogether wished to consent to this fresh delay but Agho Mohammed Hassan was determined that it should be so and had secured my compliance by a rather cunning device hearing that I was very desirous of obtaining a manuscript of the Persian Bayan and that Ostar Akbar had found one which the owner was willing to part with he bought it himself sent it off by post the same day to his home lest I should induce him to change his mind and then when he bade me farewell promised to give me the book I so greatly long to possess if I would visit him on my way north only after his departure did I learn the trick that had been played upon me for not till Ostar Akbar explained that this was the manuscript about which he had spoken to me did I realize with mixed indignation and amusement how I had been juked now if I wanted my Bayan it was clear that I should have to go to Agho Mohammed Hassan's village for it and I was not going to lose the only chance that I had yet had of obtaining this precious volume for the sake of gaining two paltry days as there was no question therefore of getting beyond this village for the present and no object of arriving there before evening I stayed with my friends at Bahromabad till half an hour before sundown when I again mounted the ugly black horse which had carried me so well on the previous day and set off at a tearing gallop as I drew near the village I described a little group assembled on a small conical hill just outside it where figures stood out clear against the setting sun and I could see that they were watching for my arrival even as I aspired them one of them, my host son a handsome lad of 18 or 19 disengaged himself from their midst and mounting a large white ass which stood ready advanced at a rapid amble to meet me I should have stopped to greet him the black horse would hardly consent to be checked in his headlong career and in about a minute more I was in the middle of the group having dismounted I had to exchange embraces with my host and his bobby friends some ten or a dozen in number a proceeding witch in spite of its patriarchal character was rather tedious then taking me by the hand my host led me through the village street which was lined with curious onlookers to his house I remained here for two days days which passed pleasantly but uneventfully there were the usual tea drinking smoking of opium and tobacco and long debates in shaded rooms by day and in the moonlit garden by night on religious and philosophical questions there were several guests besides myself some of whom had come from Kermon to meet me amongst these was one a dire by trade whose good sense and moderation especially impressed me to him I expressed my dissatisfaction at the exaggerated language employed by Nabil the poet and other bobbies in speaking of Baha'u he agreed with me but said that allowance must be made for them if their affection for their master prompted them at times to use language which karma reason could not approve my host had a large collection of bobby manuscripts together with some photographs which he showed us with much pride and yet much caution never suffering more than one book at a time to leave the box in which he kept his treasures for liberal as the bobbies are in all else they hoard their books as a miser does his gold and if a bobby were to commit a theft it would be some rare and much prized manuscript which would vanquish his honesty and so it was that when the moment of my departure arrived I came near to losing the manuscript of the Persian Bayan which had served as the bait to lead me to this remote hamlet of Rafsenjan my host begged me to leave it with him for a month for a week even for five days in five days he said he could get it copied and it should then be sent after me to Yazd or Tehran or any other place I might designate I was obdurate however for I yearned to possess the book and felt that I was entitled to have it neither dared I leave it behind me fearing less the temptation to keep it should prove too strong for my bobby friends so at last when the discussion had grown protracted I said I have eaten your bread and salt and am your guest if you will have the book take it but I would almost as leaf give you my head then said he after a moments pause take it if such be your feeling we cannot ask you to give it up so I put the precious volume in my pocket with a sense of profound thankfulness and accompanied by my friends walked out a little distance from the village before mounting once more we embraced and then tightening the wide leather belt in which I carried my money and butting the hardly one bayon into my breast pocket I hoisted myself into the saddle and amidst a shower of good wishes for the journey again set my face towards Yazd it was about an hour before sunset on Thursday 23rd August when I resumed my northward journey three hours after sunset I was at Koshku where I stopped only to change horses at about 3am on the Friday I was at Bayaz and soon after sunrise at Anaur here I rested and had luncheon not starting again till the afternoon about sundown I was at Shenosh where such bad horses were provided that I did not reach Kermon Shaohan till 9 or 10pm there I had supper, tea and I regret to add a pipe of opium which greatly comforted me and then I slept till daybreak next day Saturday 25th August I reached Zeynodin two hours after sunrise and Atamelon while the fresh horses were being saddled soon after leaving this place the Chalgerd Chalpour post boy who accompanied us raised an alarm of thieves and indeed we saw three horsemen wheeling round us in the distance I fancy however that they were waiting there in the hopes of rescuing some of their comrades who had recently been captured at Kermon and were being sent in chains to Tehran to undergo judgement at any rate they did not molest us about noon we arrived at Sarayazd where I halted for lunch for an hour or two as I was preparing to start a Kermoni woman who was standing by called out to me we pray God to bring you back to Kermon I suppose she was a Barbie and regarded me as a co-religionist though how she knew anything about me I was at a loss to imagine rather more than an hour before sunset I reached Mohamed Aboud a sort of suburb of Yazd here I visited the brother of the younger Barbie merchant who had befriended me at Kermon meaning only to stay for a short time but nothing would serve him save that I should be his guest that night and go on to Yazd on the following morning I was not loath to accept his hospitality and a right pleasant evening we passed on a roof overlooking beautiful gardens redolent with the perfume of flowers and resonant with the song of the Nightingale here it was I think that I smoked my last opium pipe in Persia amidst surroundings the most perfect that could be imagined next evening Sunday 26th August I sucked with the Barbie Sayedz at Yazd where I remained till the following Friday lodging at the post house which is situated at the northern extremity of the town I saw most of my old friends except the Prince Governor during these five days and received from all of them a very cordial welcome but the Barbie Sayedz were not a little vex to find that I had foregathered with the Azalis at Kermon I told you remarked the poet Andalib that no good would come of your going there and I was it seems perfectly right I left Yazd at sunrise on Friday 31st August and entered the Great Sand Desert which bounds it on the north it and the long post ride to Kalshawna were equally monotonous and need little more description than a list of the stages, times and distances which were as follows Yazd to Mayboot or Maybord where I arrived about 2 p.m. at Ezzalbald to visit an acquaintance ten parasangs thence to Cheftey which we reached about 5 p.m. six parasangs thence to Akdal where we arrived about half an hour after dusk four parasangs here we were delayed by the post which always has the first right to horses till late in the night when after supper and a short sleep we stayed by bright moonlight and reached the desolate post house of Nogonboz whence a road leads to Esfahan half an hour before sunset on 1st September nine parasangs 1st September slept till noon at Nogonboz thence a dreary stage of six parasangs brought us about 4 p.m. to the queer old rambling town of Noen half an hour after sunset we reached Neyestalnak six parasangs where the son-in-law of one of the postal officials of Yazd with whom I had made acquaintance hospitably entertained me to supper 2nd September left Neyestalnak a little before daybreak accompanied by an intelligent and handsome little Shogerd Chopor and arrived eight parasangs during the forenoon at Jogand a pretty place abounding in trees and streams where I would feign have lingered a while to converse with the singularly amiable and courteous postmaster while I was waiting for fresh horses to be saddled two or three villagers came in well favoured, genial fellows who told me that an old dialect nearly akin to that of Kohrud was spoken in this and the neighbouring villages after a short halt the fresh horses were led out and I bad farewell to the kindly postmaster who exhorted me to deal gently with them as they had just watered the Shogerd Chopor a bright handsome lad named Haydar saw to this for he was proud of his horses and rightly for they actually had to be held in and prattled incessantly about them till after a ride of five parasangs we reached the little town of Ardestaln here I had an introduction to a Balbi who took me to his house gave me fruit, tea and pipes and showed me a manuscript of the works of a mystical poet of Ardestaln named Pire Jamol in whose verses as he declared the manifestation of the bob had been foreshadowed I left Ardestaln about two hours and a half before sunset the boy Haydar again bearing us company the horses supplied to us was so bad that when we had gone a short distance we had to send back two of them and take on two of the horses we had brought from Joqand to the delight of Haydar and the disgust of the poor old postmaster of Ardestaln who had to refund part of the money which he had received after a stage of six parasangs we reached Moghour where I had supper and slept for a while by the side of a stream which ran past the post house starting again soon after midnight five parasangs more brought us to Khaled Arbaud about sunrise six more parasangs to Abu Zaid Arbaud about noon on 3rd September the horses which brought us thither had been very bad but those now supplied to us were even worse so as it was impossible to urge them out of a walk I resigned myself to the inevitable bought some melons and thus eating the fruit and crawling along in true caravan fashion entered Qashon soon after sunset and was again hospitably received at the telegraph office by Mr. Aghanor here I remained that night and all next day make some purchases and see one or two of my old friends I left Qashon about sunset on 4th September and reached Sen Sen at 10pm and pass and gone about sunrise the next morning I was very tired and would feign have rested a while but the post from the south was behind us and there was nothing for it but to push on unless I wished to run the risk of being stranded for a day at this desolate spot at 10am on 5th September I was at Qom where I was most hospitably received at the telegraph office and enjoyed a welcome rest of 24 hours for I was by this time half dead with weariness not being used to such severe riding 6th September left Qom at 9am reached Rahmatabad for parasangs at 11am Koshke Bahram 7 parasangs at sunset and peak for parasangs about midnight here I had supper and slept till daybreak 7th September started at 6am and after a hot and dusty ride of 6 parasangs reached Rebot Karim a populous and rather pretty village during the 4 noon here I stopped for lunch after which I set off about 3.5 hours before sunset to accomplish the last stage 7 parasangs of this wearisome journey we had good horses and shortly before sunset found ourselves at a little roadside tea house distant one parasang from Tehran here we halted to drink tea when Halji Safar suddenly observed that if we didn't make haste the southern gates of the city would be shut and we should have to make a long detour to obtain admission we at once set off and galloped in as hard as we could go but all to no purpose for the nearest gate was already shut nor could the gatekeeper be induced by threats or promises to reopen it he only did his duty poor man but I was so angry and disappointed that I gave him the benefit of the whole vocabulary of powerful abuse and invective which I had learned from Sheikh Ebrahim and it was perhaps as well that the solid gate stood between us I was ashamed of my outburst of temper afterwards but those who have ever made a journey 600 miles on Persian post horses will be ready to make some allowances for me luckily we found the Shah Abdul Azim gate still open and threading our way through the bazaars we alighted about 3.30pm at Prevost's hotel where Halji Safar left me to go and visit his relatives the return to what must I suppose civilization was anything but grateful to me I loathed the European dishes set before me the fixed hours for meals the constraint and absence of freedom and above all the commonplace and conventional character of my surroundings 7 months had lapsed since I quitted Tehran for the south and during this time I had been growing steadily more and more Persian in thought and speech alike the sudden plunge back into European life came upon me as a shock which was not mitigated even by the charm of novelty and it took several days to reconcile me at all to my surroundings my whole wish being at first to get away from the degenerate capital at the earliest possible date many of my friends too had left Tehran or gone into the surrounding villages for the hot weather so that life was much duller than it had been during my previous stay in spite of my desire to get away from Tehran it took me 13 days to transact all my business first of all I had to find out about the steamers from Mashhadisar the port whence I intended to sail for Russia for I would not take the well-known Rashed and Enzeli route then there were books to be bought packed up and sent off by way of Boushia to Cambridge Barbies to whom I had letters of introduction to be visited money arrangements to be made and last though not least Tatziyes to be seen for it was the beginning of the month of Moharram and the national mornings for Hassan, Hossein and the other saints of the Shiite church were in full swing to the chief Barbies of Tehran I was introduced by a merchant of Shirvon a Russian subject to whom I carried a letter of recommendation they entertained me at lunch in a house near the Dulab gate and I was much impressed by their piety and gravity of demeanor so unlike the anarchic freedom of the Kermon Barbies as a psychological study however they were less interesting neither did I see enough of them to become intimate with them as I intended to spend all my available money on books I was at some pains to ascertain what was to be had and where it could be had cheapest I therefore visited several booksellers and asked them to furnish me with a list of books and prices telling them that as I hated haggling I should make no remarks on the prices quoted but simply by what I needed from him who would sell cheapest this plan had the best effect since they did not know what other shops I had visited and could therefore make no coalition against me and I soon filled a large tin lined box with a good selection of useful works of reference which seldom find their way to Europe where bad Indian editions are as a rule the only things readily obtainable I also bought a few curiosities and a complete suit of Persian clothes which was made for me under Hoji Safar's supervision amongst the booksellers I made the acquaintance of a delightful old man a real scholar who, when he could collect two or three manuscripts of some rare book which took his fancy generally a philosophical or mystical work would at his own risk and with no one to assist him lithograph as correct and good a text as he could of course he got no encouragement or help from the great who in earlier and better days might have recognised his worth and supplied him with a means of carrying on his labour of love on a larger scale his name so far as I remember was Sheikh Mohammed Hossein of Koshan whether he still lives I know not but I shall ever remember him as one of the best types of the unobtrusive, kindly disinterested, enthusiastic scholar and bibliophile of the East it has been my lot to meet on Wednesday 6th Moharram 12th September I dined with my kind friend Mr Fahy at the telegraph office the Shah's prime minister the Amino Sultan was giving a rosejon or religious recitation on a splendid scale in the adjoining house and after dinner we adjourned to the roof to watch it on this occasion a whole regiment of soldiers as well as a number of other guests were being entertained by the generous Fazir supper was provided for all of them and I counted over a hundred trays of food as they were brought in by the servants next evening I accompanied several members of the English Embassy to the Royal Techier a theatre specially constructed and set apart for the dramatised representations of Moharram Tatziers which are to the Shiite Mohammedans what the miracle plays of Ober Armagan are to Christians of the Romish Church the theatre is a large circular building roofless but covered during Moharram with an awning there are boxes, talk chairs all around which are designed to the more patrician spectators one specially large and highly decorated being reserved for the Shah the humbler spectators sit round the central space or arena in serried ranks the women and children in front a circular stone platform in the centre constitutes the stage there is no curtain and no exit for the actors who, when not wanted simply stand back the acting is powerful though somewhat crude and it is impossible not to be influenced by the deep feeling of inst by both actors and audience the Tatziers comprise at least some 30 or 40 episodes the representation of any one of which requires two or three hours drawn from the histories of the Jewish prophets and these are less interesting because the spectators are less profoundly moved by them the majority however illustrate the misfortunes of the Shiite Imams those connected with the fatal field of Karbala culminating in the death of the Prince of Martyrs Seyedosh Shohadal the Imam Hossain most moving but I fancy that the Persians are, as a rule not very willing to admit Europeans or Sunite Mohammedans so greatly are the religious feelings of the spectators stirred by the representation of the supreme catastrophe of the or 10th of Muharram on that day bands of men especially soldiers of Roy John parade the streets in white garments which are soon died with gore for each man carries a knife for sword and as their excitement increases with cries of Yau Hassan Yau Hossain and beatings of breasts they inflict deep gashes on their heads till the blood pours forth and streams over their faces and apparel it is an impressive sight though somewhat suggestive of ball worship the tatziyeh which I was privileged to see represented the bereaved women of the holy family before the impious Shemr Yazid's general Shemr was clad in a complete suit of chain armor and the captive women were brought in before him mounted on barebacked camels then he entreats with the greatest brutality driving them with a whip from the corpse of Hossain round which they gather to weep and lament the mise-en-scène and costumes were good but the effect was spoiled in some measure by the introduction of a number of the Shah's carriages with postillions barbarously dressed in a half-European uniform in the middle of the piece this absurd piece of ostentation seemed to me typical of gajar taste note an English translation of some twenty or thirty of the more important tatziyehs has been published in two handsome volumes by Sir Louis Pelly formerly resident on the Persian Gulf one of them Le Nosedikasim is given in French by Gobineau in his religions and philosophies in Central Asia pages 405 to 437 which also contains a general account of the Muharram passion plays pages 381 to 403 and 439 to 459 end note I had been much exercised in mind as to the safe conveyance of my precious Balbi manuscripts to England the box of books which I was sending home by Bousheer Wood I knew be months on the road and I wished to begin to work at my manuscripts immediately on my return on the other hand I had heard such dreadful accounts of the Russian custom house that I was afraid to take them with me finally I decided to sew them up carefully in thick linen direct the parcel to my home address and send it if I could obtain permission in the embassy bag which is conveyed monthly to Constantinople by a special bearer and there handed over to the queen's messenger for transport to London it cost me an effort to part with my beloved and hardly one manuscripts for so short a time but I felt that this was the safest plan and accordingly having packed and directed them with the greatest care I rode out to Gola Hack the summer quarters of the English embassy situated about six miles to the north of Tehran and to my great relief saw the precious packet sealed up in the bag I had been delayed in starting from Tehran and so reached the embassy too late for lunch I stayed at Gola Hack till about 5.30pm visiting some of my Persian friends and did not get back to the city till nearly 7pm and that evening I had been invited by my servant Halji Safar to sup with him at his house and then to visit some of the smaller tatziers and rosichons with him in disguise as I had had nothing to eat all day but tea and biscuits I was well nigh famished before supper time and returned to the hotel about midnight almost dead beat so tired was I that it was some time before I could even summon up energy to undress next day I woke at I know not what time feeling faint ill and helplessly weak as though every bone in my body were broken no one came near me and it was not till evening that I could make the effort to rise and obtain some food after drinking a plate of soup and some tea I again fell asleep and woke next morning somewhat better to rise till evening as two of my persian friends had promised to take me into the town to see something more of the moharra moonings and spectacles I then made a fresh effort got up, had dinner and as soon as they arrived put on a persian coat sardauri and lambskin hat and salied forth in this disguise well content to feel myself for the time a persian amongst persians we spent a pleasant and interesting evening visiting un molested the masjedi shaw royal mosque and the houses of two notable divines the imam jom air and molla ali of kand on Tuesday 18th September I concluded my purchase of books on which I spent something over 10 pounds for the benefit of persian students I appended a list of the 26 volumes which I bought for this sum together with their prices the first 15 I obtained from my good old friend sheikh muhammad hossain of koshan the last 11 from another bookseller one the borhane jom air a very excellent and compact dictionary of persian words based in the reigns of fat ali shaw and muhammad shaw by muhammad kareem ebn mahdi koli mirzaw and chiefly based on the borhane qaw te and the farhangi rashi d lithographed in tabriz in a h1260 a d1844 price 10 kronz two the divan of anvari tabriz edition of a h1266 price 12 kronz three the tesasol olamaw stories of celebrated divines by muhammad ebn soleyman et tenakor boni together with two other treatises one called sabilon najaut the way of salvation and the other by sayed murtazaw alamul hudaw called the layman's guide second edition lithographed in tehran in a h1304 price 10 kronz four the sherhe manzume or text and commentary of the philosophical poem arabic of the great modern philosopher of persia of sabzavar lithographed at tehran in a h1298 price 20 kronz five the divan of sanal e one of the most celebrated of the early mystical poets of persia died about 80, 1150 lithographed, not dated price 8 kronz six the hadikato shi e garden of the shiites an extensive work on shiite doctrine and history second volume only dealing with the imams lithographed at tehran in a h1265 price 12 kronz seven the mystical commentary on the Quran of sheikh muhiuddin ebn ul arabi a very notable murish mystic who flourished during the latter part of the 12th and earlier part of the 13th centuries lithographed in India Bombay in a h1291 a d 1874 price 30 kronz eight philosophical treatises of mullah sadr al with marginal commentary by haji mullah haudi lithographed, no date price 10 kronz nine the tazki ratul khat dhoutin biographies of calligraphists and the travels in Persia, turkey arabia and egypt of mirza sanglokh a large and extremely handsome volume, beautifully lithographed in a fine nasch handwriting in a h1291 at tabriz price 25 kronz ten the poems of onsuri a contemporary of ferdo si and 11 the poems of farrochi another poet of the same period both lithographed at tehron the latter in a h1301 price 3 kronz for the two volumes 12 the complete works of qao ni and forru pi two poets of the present century together with the hadal ecoser a treatise on rhetoric by rashido deen that vout lithographed in a h1302 tehron price 14 kronz 13 the fosusul hekam by the celebrated mystic sheikh mohiya deen ebn ul arabi mentioned above lithographed at bombay in a h1300 price 5 kronz there is another edition of the same work lithographed at tehron in a h1299 which i bought on another occasion 14 so olo javab questions and answers a sort of catechism on sheight law and ritual by the great divine haoji seyed mohammad balker printed at esfahon in the reign of fat alishaw h1247 under the patronage of manucher khan mo'tamedo dole the governor of that place by abdorazok of esfahon assisted and instructed by mirzozain ul arabi deen of tabriz who is described as the introducer of this art that is printing into persia end quote price 8 kronz 15 the hadiqat ul hadiqat a well-known early mystical poem by hakeem sanaw i flourished during the earlier part of the 12th century of our era the two first chapters only with commentary by the naavab mohammad alo o deen khan poetically surnamed alo i edited by mohammad rukno deen qaldin haesawri lithographed at luhawru no date price 2.5 kronz 16 the last volume of sepers great history entitled no sequt tabawru the abrogator of chronicles containing part of the reign of the present shaw price 5 kronz 17 a little volume containing the quatrains of omar khayyam of bobotawher the lore of hamadawn the most celebrated dialectical poet of persia of abu said ebne abel kheir a notable mystic who died about the middle of the 11th century of our era and of khaoji abdoloh and saawri together with some gassides by salman of saawwe lithographed at bombay during the vice-regency of lord lithon in a age 1297 price 2 kronz 18 a work on the evidences of mohammedanism written at the request of the present shaw and hence called sultawniye by the bobs rival haoji mohammad kareem khaun of kermawn the leader of the modern sheikh school price 3 kronz 19 the poems of menuchehri a contemporary of ferdowsi lithographed at tehron no date, price 2 kronz 20 the asrornome book of mysteries of the celebrated mystical poet sheikh faridodin at taur lithographed at tehron ah1298 21 the karonosat dain conjunction of the two lucky planets of amir khosro of dehli lithographed at tehron in the reign of the present shaw 22 the divon of the philosopher haoji mollahudi of sabzavor poetically so named asror there are two editions of this work both lithographed the one in ah1299 the other in ah1300 price 2 kronz 23 a manuscript incomplete of sheikh faridodin at taur tazkiratol awliyao biographies of saints transcribed in ah1209 price 40 kronz 24 the poems of no serekhosro lithographed at tabriz in ah1280 price 14 kronz 25 an old manuscript of a highly esteemed collection of shiai traditions called rosatol kalfi price 30 kronz 26 mirkhons universal history called rosatos safal with the supplement of rezo colichon laulao baoshi poetically so named Heddao Yat carrying the record of events down to the reign of the present shaw 10 volumes in 2 lithographed at tehron ah1271 to 74 price 70 kronz end of section 44 recording by nicholas james bridgewater recorded in london england