to Napoleon was doubtless favourable; for in 1807 General Gardanne went ambassador to the court of Teheran. In diplomacy, the General was no match for Sir John Malcolm, whose arguments were doubtless powerfully backed by the strong position Great Britain had assumed in India, and by the naval supremacy which gave her undisputed command of the Persian Gulf; whilst France, then all-conquering on the European continent, had had her maritime pinions clipped close by Nelson, and was far too distant to lend efficacious aid to the Shah. Whatever the cause, the last members of the French embassy left Persia in 1809, their mission having totally failed, and thirty years elapsed before diplomatic relations were renewed. In the interim occurred many changes. A quarter of a century of peace allowed the two great powers whose position and possessions place them amongst Persia's nearest neighbours, time and opportunity to approach, and, in the case of one of them, to overstep her frontier. Russia, forcing her way through the Caucasian tribes, for whose definitive subjection she still strives in vain, had advanced to within less than a week's march of Teheran, and, when she retired, had kept Georgia, thus planting a foot in Persia. In India, England had pushed north and west; the Punjaub was soon to be hers, in Affghanistan her influence was powerfully felt. The trade with Persia was almost wholly in her hands, and this the French government, ever jealous of our maritime and commercial superiority, beheld with some envy and displeasure. The ingenious and tasteful manufactures of France might, it was thought, find a market in Persia, as well as the more solid products of British industry. The circumstances attending the siege of Herat by the Persians, in 1839, having led to the withdrawal of our ambassador at Teheran, the government of Louis Philippe deemed the moment favourable for resuming diplomatic intercourse with Persia, and negotiating a treaty. And as, in the thirty years during which France had lost sight of Persia, it was reasonable to suppose that changes had taken place, diminishing the value of the

information procured for the Emperor Napoleon, the mission was composed not only of diplomatists, but of military and scientific men. It comprised, besides its chief and his experienced secretaries, two military officers, a geologist, two interpreters, a physi cian, and two artists, who were also skilled archæologists. It is to these last, the painter and architect attached to the embassy, but who remained in Persia long after its departure, that we owe-and exclusively to the former, as far as relates to the literary execution of the work-the interesting volumes that suggest the present paper. For reasons unassigned, the abundant notes taken during rambles that terminated at the end of 1841, were not cast into the form of a connected narrative until 1850; and it was not until the following year that, upon the highly flattering report of a committee of the French Academy, at whose request the artists had been attached to the embassy, the work was published, under the auspices of the French government.

Visitors to the exhibition of pictures by living artists, held at Paris in the spring of 1853, will remember two paintings, interesting in subject and meritorious in execution-a View of the Turkish Quarter at Constantinople, and the Entrance of the Great Mosque in the Square of Shah Abbas at Ispahan-by M. Flandin, one of the two gentlemen who enjoyed the distinction of being recommended by the Academy of Fine Arts, and deputed by their government to explore the whole of Persia, note their observations, and sketch antiquities and remarkable objects. Count de Sercey's mission met little more success than that of General Gardanne; its stay in Persia was brief; but, after it left, Messieurs Flandin and Coste remained nearly two years in the country, fulfilling, often with great risk and suffering, the task allotted to them. With the exception of the province of Khuzistan (the south-western corner of Persia), into which extraordinary difficulties, and the exhaustion of their funds, prevented their penetrating, they visited every part of the Shah's dominions, and allowed no interesting locality to escape their investigations. The book in which they

give an account of their wanderings and adventures is one of the most amusing we remember to have read relating to Persia. Its thousand close pages comprise an agreeable medley of antiquarian researches, sketches of society and customs, glances at Persian history, both ancient and modern, characteristic traits, and personal incidents. The time that has since elapsed may diminish the interest of some of the notices of political events, and of the sketches of persons now dead, or forgotten, scattered through the book; but these portions derive attraction from M. Flandin's pleasant style, and from the novel details he has collected on the spot. Thus, on his way through Turkey in Asia, he made acquaintance at Erzroum with Hafiz Pacha, the general whom Ibrahim Pacha defeated with such grievous loss at that celebrated battle of Nezib, which gave Syria to Egypt, until British arms and diplomacy dispossessed Mehemet Ali of it in 1840. At half an hour's march from the gates of Erzroum, a company of infantry and a crowd of officers of all ranks met the French embassy, and with them came, as an offering to the ambassador from Hafiz Pacha, a fine grey Arabian horse-the same, it was said, which, by its fleetness, saved his life when he was overcome by the Egyptian. Three or four days passed at Erzroum gave the members of the embassy opportunities of appreciating the fine qualities of the Pacha, whose misfortune at Nezib was owing to the badness of his troops-Turkish recruits, hastily raised and wholly inexperienced. Hafiz himself, a Circassian by birth, displayed the utmost bravery, and left the field only when all was manifestly and irretrievably lost, and when his cavalry's flank was turned by the enemy, to whom his infantry went over. Then he fled, escorted by five or six faithful officers, and threw himself into the mountains of Kourdistan. Attacked by a numerous band of Kourds, he and his little escort defended themselves valiantly, escaping at last with life, but with the loss of all besides. The Pacha's tent, gorgeous with gold and silk, full of rich carpets and objects of great value,

and containing treasures of various kinds, was spoiled by the Egyptians, and his military reputation was gone. He related his misfortunes with great philosophy, except when he spoke of his disgrace as a soldier; then his brow darkened, and the old Circassian spirit flashed in his eye. In the East, men in power quickly retrieve, not always by the most equitable means, loss of fortune; and judging by the splendid hospitality of Hafiz Pacha, he had abundant means at his command. The bill of fare he drew up for the embassy, which proposed passing four or five days at Erzroum, was curious by its prodigality. It consisted of six oxen, a dozen sheep, a thousand eggs, sixty fowls, a hundred pounds of coffee, sundry jars of wine; fruit, butter, honey, and tobacco in a like lavish measure. And on their departure he presented the members of the mission with sixteen horses and sixteen Damascus sabres, and sent twenty thousand piastres (£200) to be distributed amongst their attendants. The money was positively refused; the horses and arms they could not decline without offending the generous and warm-hearted donor.

Having explored, at a recent date, in company with a German traveller, the road from Trebizond to Tabriz,* we will not linger upon that line of country, but plunge at once into the heart of Persia, merely noting an observation made by M. Flandin upon several occasions during his passage through Turkey in Asia, and to which recent discussions concerning the condition of the Christian subjects of the Porte give interest. The travellers were struck by the remarkable difference in the aspect of the Mussulman and the Christian villages—the former miserable and dirty, the latter clean and apparently prosperous. At Mollah-Suleiman, a village peopled entirely by Armenian Catholics, the party of Frenchmen were received with joyful hospitality, and regaled with the best the place afforded; with cream, honey, and coffee, and the inevitable tchibouk. Whilst thus fostering their guests, the villagers confided to them their troubles and griev

ances, complained of the Turks, of their avarice, and of the vexations they had to endure from them, and implored the ambassador's protection. "Nevertheless," M. Flandin observes, "and notwithstanding all our goodwill to compassionate their sufferings, we could not help remarking the evidence of easy circumstances everywhere to be observed in this village. The houses were well built, clean, and so divided that men and beasts did not, as with the Kourds, herd together in common. The inference we drew was, that if the Catholics are unhappy under the Turkish yoke, they are certainly not more so than the Mussulmans themselves."

M. Flandin, who had been in Algeria, was reminded of the Arab fantasias by the Persian "istakbals." This word, which signifies to go and meet, has been made into a substantive, expressing the customary ceremony of sending a body of horsemen to meet persons of distinction on their arrival at a town. When the embassy reached Tabriz, five or six hundred officers and public functionaries, foreign consuls and others, rode out to receive them, and the whole population of the place was in the streets to stare at the strangers. After a vast deal of discussion on points of etiquette, whether boots were or were not to be left at the door, and whether secretaries were to sit or to stand in the presence of a prince of the blood, the ambassador and his suite were admitted to the presence of Karaman Mirza, the Shah's brother and governor of the province. The audience was postponed longer than it otherwise would have been, by reason of a fall of snow. To have arrived wet at the prince's seraglio would have been offensive to Persian notions. A good Mussulman considers his dwelling defiled by moisture proceeding from the dress of a Christian. A Persian grandee in charge of the embassy, too polite to state this reason plainly, merely said that it would be more proper to wait for fine weather. Extremely ill at ease upon the Persian saddles of the horses, which, according to etiquette, the prince had sent from his own stables, the members of the embassy reached the palace, where they had small reason to be gratified with their

reception. The Shahzadeh (son of a shah) was seated at the farther end of a magnificent apartment, whose walls were entirely covered with mirrors, arabesque paintings, with pictures of Persian victories, and with portraits of Ghenghis Khan, Nadir Shah, and other Persian heroes. He took no notice of the entrance of the foreigners, and looked extremely sulky—perhaps on account of the tenacity with which the ambassador had protested against separating himself from his boots. The prince, who was gorgeously dressed, with great gold epaulets on his shoulders, the Lion and Sun upon his breast, a gold girdle with diamond clasp round his waist, and Cashmere socks upon his feet, "seemed to be of the middle height, and, notwithstanding his dark complexion and long black mustaches, he was of very effeminate aspect. He doubtless thought it befitted his dignity to carry etiquette to the most complete immobility when the ambassador presented himself, for he did not rise, and made no gesture until the customary salutations had been gone through. Then he deigned to make signs to us to be seated. He received with remarkable coldness the customary compliments addressed to him. Whatever may have been the flowers with which the interpreter embellished his discourse, their perfume seemed little to the prince's taste. He could not avoid saying a few words to the ambassador on the subject of his journey and arrival, but they were as dry as they were laconic. The interview was very brief, and we took away a highly unfavourable opinion of Karaman Mirza." Fortunately for M. Flandin, not all the princes of the blood were equally unamiable, and he soon became on intimate terms with MalekKhassem-Mirza, an uncle of the uncivil Karaman, a man remarkable for his extensive acquirements, for his interest in European affairs, and for his knowledge of six languages, including French. As to Karaman, he continued to sulk. M. de Sercey had brought a host of presents with him from France-watches and cloaks, arms and jewels, rich stuffs, illustrated works, and Sèvres china. on the long journey accidents had happened; mules had rolled into ra

But

vines, precious packages had been rudely handled, and some slight damage had been done.

This was the case with a costly Sèvres tea-service, intended for Karaman Mirza. The injury could not be repaired; and doubtless it was trifling, for the ambassador decided to send the china as it was. It was refused. "A roseleaf," replied the prince, whose metaphors were decidedly superior to his manners, "sent by a friend, had in his eye the value of the revenue of the universe; but the leaf must not be faded." There was nothing to be made out of so captious a personage, whose uncle did all in his power to atone for his ungraciousness, getting up hunting and hawking parties for the entertainment of the strangers, and showing them much hospitality. And M. Flandin was indebted to him for the most signal and rarest favour a Mussulman can confer upon a Christian—that, namely, of admission into the recesses of his harem-a favour which, had it become known, would have entailed upon Prince MalekKhassem disgrace at court, and the indignation of the population of Tabriz. But the prince was remarkably free from Oriental prejudices, and a great lover of art, and had conceived a friendship for the French painter, to whom he allotted as a studio the divan in which he gave his daily audiences. M. Flandin had been but a short time amongst the Persians before observing their decided taste for the arts, and especially for painting, contrasting strongly with Turkish contempt for the productions of the pencil. Not only in the palaces of the wealthy but in ordinary private houses he constantly met with pictures, and he declares the Persians to have a strong feeling for art, and the capacity of becoming excellent painters. Their colouring

has singular vigour, but in their perspective they completely break down. Small paintings of flowers or ornaments they execute admirably, but as soon as they attempt subjects on a large scale, their want of study and science becomes manifest, and they produce effects at which a European cannot but smile.* Prince Khassem gave M. Flandin every facility for studying the various costumes of the country, and took great pleasure in being with him when he painted. In the conversations they then held, he displayed such enlightened ideas, and such tolerance in religious matters, and in all that concerned intercourse between Christians and Mussulmans, that the artist was one day emboldened to ask him for an opportunity of painting a woman in the dress of the harem. The prince smiled at the eagerness and confidence with which he made so unheard-of a request, but after a moment's reflection he promised to comply with it. Two or three days passed without M. Flandin's hearing anything more of the matter, or daring to repeat his petition.

"One night I received a message from the prince, who invited me to go and sup with him. His physician, an old white-bearded Frank, whose origin and science were alike unknown to us, but who was a good sort of man, and the Shahzadeh's intimate confidant, came to conduct me to the place of rendezvous. The night was very dark; we were preceded by a ferrash, carrying a white linen lantern, in which burned an enormous bougie, whose light denounced us from afar to the fury of the wandering dogs, but enabled us pretty well to avoid the heaps of snow, swept off the roofs of the houses, that encumbered the street. Thus we threaded a number of dark and deserted lanes,