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exiftence. Inftead of being encouraged to their duty by acts of beneficence, they fuffer the baftinado on the foles of their feet for the moft trivial offences; and for greater faults they are condemned to death without mercy.

The Perfians are of a hot and choleric temperament; and nothing can better prove to what degree they are influenced by the latter, than the pride and cruelty which distinguish them. It is this too which in the moft ancient times has counteracted the happiness of their fituation. Their difpofition to the fanguine temperament prevents them from committing acts of fuicide. The rich preferve their good humour in the midst of their riches, and the poor are not much affected with their poverty. It is not uncommon to fee people retire from the most violent quarrels, and give themfelves up to the most immo derate mirth. Hence arife that inconftancy of character and that po-, litenefs, which promifes fo much and performs fo little; hence that cuftom of finging which they practife whether alone or in company; a cu ftom very ungrateful to European ears, as their fong is unvaried and monotonous. Thofe who addict themfelves to wine and ftrong liquors, ceafe not till fenfe and reafon forfake them. A Perfian imagines himfelf placed on this earth, that he may give a lofe to the unbridled impetuofity of his fenfual defires. In fatisfying thefe, he places his greateft felicity, and the principles of his religion give authority to his practice. That which makes the charm of the conjugal bond, that harmonious union of congenial minds which endears this tie to the reasonable being, is utterly unknown to the Perfian: the paffion that inclines him to the fex is merely brutal, and he indulges it without reafon or control, till he has exhaufted the vigour of his youth. This he endeavours to repair by ti

mulants, that accomplish the ruin of his conftitution. As ordinary pleafures are not fufficient to affuage his diffolute appetites, he is not ashamed to addict himself to unnatural gratifications: and Georgians, in the height of youth and beauty, are fometimes fold to the nobles of this country for more than 1000 rubles.

The Perfians are tall, generally with an inclination to corpulence. Their complexion is a light olive, though that of the Schiraffiens and natives of Candahar, and of those that live in the neighbourhood of the Indus, approaches to a black.

They have black hair, a high and prominent forehead, black eye-brows, with black or blue eyes, an aquiline nofe, full cheeks, and a large chin. Their countenance is long and agreeable. Their ears do not like ours. lie clofe upon the head, but generally hang down, owing to the weight of their turbans, which are never taken off. Their legs are more or less crooked, a deformity which arifes from the manner of fitting; this is a fquat pofition on the ground, the whole weight of the body refting on the legs, which are fo folded that the heels touch one another behind.

The Perfians that inhabit the interior part of the kingdom are fo burnt with the heat of the fun, that they can hardly be called handsome; nor indeed have they any thing beautiful or regular in their features: however, the Perfian breed has been exceedingly improved by an intermixture with the Georgian and Circaffian women. The harems of the great are peopled with them; and as this cuftom has prevailed for ages, its good effects are now fo general, that here, too, very handfome people are to be feen. A Perfian beauty, according to the tafte of the country, muft be of middle ftature, and rather plump; fhe must have long black hair, with black eyes and eyebrows, long eye-lathes, a fair complexion

Their Dress, Learning, &c.

plexion with little colour, a fmall
nofe, a little mouth and little chin,
white teeth, and these, too, fmall; a
long neck, little bofom, fmall hands
aud feet, a neat fhape and foft skin.
A martial spirit takes poffeffion of
the minds of the Perfians in early
youth, and extinguishes among them
every fpark of love for the feiences,
of which they have no knowledge,
nor the leaft defire to acquire any.
There are, however, among the
priests, a fort of learned men to be
found, who are folely employed in
the study of judicial aftrology. When
any enterprise of importance is un-
dertaken, thefe priefts, who enjoy
the greatest reputation, determine the
feafon of its execution by the aspect
of the ftars. When a fon is born,
they calculate his nativity; they even
give him his name at circumcifion,
according to the planets that prefided
at his birth. If any one has had a
dream, the priest muft interpret it.
Every thing profperous or adverfe,
every event whether happy or un-
fortunate, are all determined, recti
fied, and explained, according to the
courfe of the ftars by thefe priests:
and in this fublime fcience confifts
the learning and knowledge of the
Perfians.

Grown people fhave the whole
head, but the young people leave a
curl by way of ornament along the
temples. They wear very high caps
of crimson ftuff, which is their fa
vourite colour. Thefe are adorned
on the outfide with black fheep-fkin,
which keeps the head warm, and
makes this drefs very inconvenient
in fummer. Perfons of diftinction
wear a fillet made of the hair of the
Kirman goat these fillets are fo
dear, that the cheapest are worth 30,
and the fineft worth 200 rubles. The
beard is held facred with the Per-
fians, and they bestow upon it par-
ticular care.
As it must always be
black, thofe on whom it begins to

grow grey, do not fail to perpetuate its colour by art.

They commonly wear three of four thin garments one above another, which defcend to their knees or lower. People of rank wear vests of filk lined with cotton; the upper robe is of cloth of gold, over which hangs a rich fur. Ordinary people wear clothes of filk or painted linen. The fafhion of their robes is perfectly fimple and well contrived. They are of a convenient length, faftened by a clafp at the loins, round which paffes a belt of filk buckled close to show the shape, and over this belt they wear a girdle. a girdle. Their drawers are wide, and fuited to the heat of the climate. Perfons of diftinction wear ftockings, and every body flippers with high heels, which they quit when they enter their own apartments or thofe of others. Their fhirts are of cotton or filk, though never of pure filk, for the law forbids them to say their prayers in fuch fhirts. They are fond of wearing great cloaks, and choose for this purpofe the thickeft red cloth.

The Perfian women encircle their head with a large piece of filk ftuff of various colours. Their robes are much fhorter than those of the men, and much clofer: the fleeves are open below and buttoned at the wrift. They too wear girdles; and their drawers are diftinguished from thofe of the men by being ftraiter below the knees. Instead of stockings they roll round the legs fillets of cotton cloth ftuffed with cotton at the hams. Their flippers have no quarter-heels. When they go abroad, they cover themselves with a white veil, which defcends from the top of the head to the ground. Their hair hangs in irregular curls. Their arms are orna mented with bracelets of pearl, and their head with precious ftones. They wear large ear-rings; and often, after the manner of the Tartar wo

men,

men, pafs through the noftrils rings of filver or other metals, which they confider as a very becoming decoration.

The Perfians eat two or three times a-day. They dine at noon; but their principal meal is in the evening towards fun-fet. When the hour of the repast is come, the domeftics prefent materials for washing, and alfo diftribute rofe-water to thofe who are to fup. This ceremony being performed, they bring into the hall large plates, of which one is given to each of the moft diftinguished in the company: thofe of inferior quality have only one to two, or fometimes to three, people; each in this inftance being treated according to his rank, which they fcrupulously obferve, the dishes are then brought; among which the chief and most common, with the rich as well as with the poor, is always boiled rice,

The Perfians speak very little, or rather nothing at all, while they are at table; they eat quick, and their meal hardly lafts an hour. After it is ended they again wash, and then are ferved with coffee, tea, and the kallian, or pipe. At dinner every thing is conducted with the greatest calmnefs and decency: but it is other. wife at fupper; for then they introduce their musicians, and facrifice with great liberality to Bacchus, till they are difabled from continuing the facrifice.

The rudeness of the people to Europeans is exceffive; and a ftranger muft submit to be furrounded in the ftreets by crowds of people, fometimes fo numerous, that he will not know on which fide to turn. He must not prefume to take amifs the contemptuous laugh, or the injurious language which is poured out on him; too happy if he escapes with a flight contufion from a volley of ftones aimed at him from every quarter. Neither must he be furprifed if his

houfe is befieged, or even affaulted by troops of the impertinently curious, who penetrate even to his clofet, whom he cannot get rid of either by courteous behaviour, or serious

menaces.

Purity, taken in a general fenfe, is one of the capital articles of the religion of the Perfians, and it is alfo the principal motive of that extreme cleanliness which this people carry fo far, that they would rather lofe their life than offend the laws that are prefcribed to them in this article: confequently they fuffer not the fmalleft appearance of flovenlinefs in their houses. The floor in the apartments of the great is Covered with a carpet of the moft exquifite workmanship, and cushions of camels hair are placed at the fides on which they fit after their manner. People of lower rank, instead of carpets, have mats made of reeds. Their clothes are always clean and free of fpots. They wash themselves frequently, not only before prayers and after neceffary defilements, but before fitting down to table, or when they have touched any thing which they fuppofe to have contracted the fmalleft impurity.

The age at which the Perfians circumcife their children is various ; fome performing this operation on the feventh or eighth day after birth, while others wait till the tenth year. The day appointed for the ceremony is a day of gala for the family; for it is then that the fubject circumcifed becomes one of the faithful and a true difciple of Mahomet. The rejoicings on this occafion are prolonged by the rich for feveral days.

The nuptial ceremonies of the Perfians are in the eastern tafte, and refemble in many particulars thofe practifed by the Ruffians; for thefe laft derive a number of their customs from the Orientals. The rich Perfans enter into matrimony early,

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Their Nuptial Ceremonies.

while the poorer fort are obliged to defer it long. When a young man wants to marry, he fends to the houfe of the person he has in view an old woman, who is ftrictly to examine and faithfully report to him the condition and appearance of his choice. For more certain information, he fends, in a few days after, three other old women with the fame intention; and if thefe, like the firft, give him fuch an account as he defires, he fends two reputable men to the father or mother, or to the neareft relations of his mistress, to demand their daughter or relation in lawful marriage. If they confent, it is then asked what prefents the future wife expects from her future hufband, and what fhe intends to give him in return. Thefe prefents among ordinary people generally amount to about twenty or thirty rubles; and among people of diftinction, they confift of fix, ten, or even twenty fuits of clothes on both fides. As foon as these circumftances are agreed on, the affair is nearly concluded, but the couple cannot fee one another till the night of the marriage, which is fixed by the parents or relations. A great number of both fexes are invited to the ceremony, and two contiguous houfes are chofen, one for the men, the other for the women. When the company are affembled the priest is brought, whose bufinefs confifts in the following particulars. Firft, he ferves as a witness to atteft the mutual delivery of the prefents; fecondly, it is he that ftipulates a certain fum which the party who inclines to feparate fhall pay to the other; and, laftly, with a loud voice he recites certain prayers at the door which separates the bride from the bridegroom: when this is over, they fit down to table, where they eat and drink abundantly; af. ter fupper, the bridegroom retires to his own houfe, accompanied by all 1

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his guests, whom he difmiffes at the door. The bride is then brought, attended by a great number of women, to the house of her future hufband when she enters the nuptial chamber, one of the female attendants fhuts the door, and watches it till the new married pair open it of themselves in the morning: fhe then carries off the cloth on which they had lain, and shows it to the parents and relations of both parties, who reward her for her pains. Thus ends the ceremony.

Mahomet forbids more than four lawful wives, but allows as many concubines as the perfon can maintain.

The fame ceremony is performed at the marriage of each wife; but the first married is diftinguished from the others: Even among the common people fhe is exempted from labour, and only takes charge of the houfe-keeping.

Every Perfian may feparate himfelf from his lawful wife, and every wife from her husband, without being obliged to give a reason. It is fufficient that the diffatisfied party repair to the priest who prefided at the marriage, and declare the intention to him. Then the priest prescribes the payment of the fum fettled on the day of the nuptials, causes all the presents to be restored, and makes out a bill of divorce in form.

If a husband has children with the wife he forfakes, he may either keep them or leave them with her; and the woman has the fame privilege. Concubines are not fo richly clothed by the hufband as lawful wives, nor do they receive any thing at his death but their wages; whereas the four wives get the feventh part of his wealth. Concubines may be difmiffed without ceremony, as they are ge nerally hired for a certain time, either by the week, the month, or the year.

That part of the house where the women refide is compofed, in the

their

dwellings of the great, of many appartments, and each occupies two or three. When the mother, or fister, or any other near relation of the mafter of the house is prefent, to her the government of it is committed, and all the other women are fubordinate to her; it is only when there is no fuch relation that the firft wife is intrusted with this authority. The daily occupations of these women confift of all kinds of embroidered work in filver and gold, in making certain fine ftuffs of cotton or filk, &c. and the men are not ashamed to expose to fale the work of their wives in the public markets. When girls, they are taught by the priests to read, to write, and to understand the prin ciples of their religion.

Women aloné perform the office of midwives even in difficult and preternatural cafes, which, however, are very rare. The Perfian women are fufficiently fruitful, but they give over child-be ring between their thirtieth and fortieth year.

As foon as a Perfian dies, the body is immediately washed, and is generally interred the fame day. It is laid on its fide, with its head to the north and its feet to the fouth. It is carried out in a wooden coffin, from whence it is taken, covered only with a white fhirt, to be laid in the grave. The corpfe is attended by the relations and friends of the deceased, and by the priests who fing. Prayers are faid at the tomb, and the funeral fervice repeated for feveral days. Graves are generally made by the high ways, that paffengers may fay a prayer for the repofe of the de ceafed

Devotees and rich people erect fplendid maufoleums to their dead

friends. Such are the tombs of the twelve Imans, and the chapels foundded in honour of fuch perfons as have diftinguished themfelves by exemplary piety. Both thefe are called Mefaars, and are every where to be found; as the Perfians imagine they acquire a title to paradife by erec ting them. They believe, that when a man dies, he is released by an angel fpecially commiffioned by God for that purpose. Hence fuicide is exceedingly rare in Perfia, and duels utterly unknown.

When a Perfian dies, leaving wives or children, his estate is divided in the following manner: his four wives, or thofe he has at his deceafe, receive the feventh part of the fucceffion : the fix other parts are divided in three; the boys take two, and leave the third to the girls. The children of concubines get only the half of what falls to the fhare of the lawful children, except the father has otherwife provided. The oldeft fon has no other prerogative above the reft than being intitled to the best horfe, the beft book, and beft fabre, his father was poffeffed of. Wills must be attested before witnesses to make them valid.

Thefe obfervations concerning the characters and manners of the Perfians, do not apply to thofe that inhabit between Kiflar and the defarts of Mogan, along the western fhores of the Cafpian, nor to those of the interior part of that country; for their neighbourhood to the Gorfkiens, and continual intercourfe with them, have made thefe almoft real Tartars, if they are not origi. nally fo. What we have faid relates only to the Perfians properly fo called.

Parti

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