I

Persian Diplomacy.

(From the same.)

REGRET the omission of my notes. They would have characterized, I believe with fidelity, the habits and modes of thinking of a Persian statesman, and added an amusing document to the annals of diplomacy. The conferences of the plenipotentiaries were carried on at times with the warmest contentions, at other times interrupted by the loudest laughter on the most indifferent subject. One night the parties had sat so long, and had talked so much without producing conviction on either side, that the plenipotentiaries, by a sort of unofficial compact, fell asleep. The Prime Minister and the Ameen-ed-Doulah snored aloud in one place, and the Envoy and I stretched ourselves along in another. Though on the very first night of the discussions, the parties had separated with a full conviction that every thing was settled; and though the Prime Minister himself, laying his hand on the Envoy's shoulder, had said to him, "You have already completed what the King of England himself in person could not have done;" yet, the very next conference, they came forwards with pretensions alike new and extravagant. At the close of that meeting, however, the chief secretary was appointed to bring the treaty, written fair, to the Envoy on the following morning. Instead of this, the Prime Minister sent a large citron, and inquired after the Envoy's health. On another occasion, the Persian plenipotentiaries swore that every thing should be as the Envoy wished, and

instantly wrote out a corresponding form of treaty, to which (rather than start a difficulty about indifferent words) he assented. They were then so anxious that he should immediately attend them to the King's summer Palace to sign, that they would not give him time to translate it into English; he, however, refused to sign a Persian treaty till the English copy was ready. They so little expected this refusal, that they had already, by the King's desire, sent thirty mule loads of fruits, sherbets, and sweetmeats, to celebrate the event at the new palace; and were of course displeased and disappointed. At another time, in the middle of a very serious conversation, the Prime Minister stopped short, and asked the Envoy very coolly, to tell him the history of the world from the creation. This was intended as a joke upon one of the Secretaries, who was then writing the annals of the reign of the present King. On another occasion, in which the same Minister was deeply and personally interested, and in which he invoked every thing sacred to attest his veracity, and convince the Envoy, (now, "by the head of the King,;" then, "by Mecca;" then, "by the salt of Fath Ali Shah,"), he turned to me, in a pause of his discourse, and asked if I were married, and begun some absurd story.

These circumstances, however characteristic of the people, may appear trifling in themselves, or at least indicative of minds, over which. an European negociator might easily attain an ascendancy. It is necessary therefore to premise, that the real difficulties of our situation were never diminished by any deficiency of address and diplomatic finesse in the Persian plenipotentiaries. Every fresh dispatch which the French received from Europe, while it contributed to raise the spirits and ac

tivity of our rivals themselves, enabled the Persians also to assume a higher tone of decision between our contending interests; while the only communications from his own countrymen, which Sir Harford Jones received in Persia, were those which would have baffled the hopes and discouraged the enterprize of almost any other man. In the alternation of the dispositions of the court of Persia, he retained the same firm and unbending policy; and when the influence of the French appeared to be regaining all its preponderance, he made no one concession which he had not offered in more favourable circumstances, and finally succeeded in concluding a treaty almost on his own original terms, while the French were signing every demand which the Persians made.

As a more detailed specimen, how ever, of the conduct of the negotiation, I can reserve a portion of the concluding scene.

At length a night was fixed, in which the treaties were to be signed. The Envoy and I repaired to the house of the Ameen-ed-Doulah, where we found him and his Nazir, or Superintendant, the Prime Minister, the Chief Secretary, and the Persian Agent for English affairs at Shiraz. The conversation, after a short time, fixed on learned subjects. The Persians are extremely fond of history and geography, though in general they are profoundly ignorant of both. The Prime Minister went through, in a breath, the whole history of Russia. We then entered on matters of chronology, which introduced a discussion on the relative antiquity of particular remains, as Persepolis and Nakshi Rustam. The Chief Secretary, who seemned to have read much Persian history, knew that part which related to Shapour, and mentioned that he had carried his arms into Syria, and had taken prisoner a Roman Emperor. Yet the subject of the sculptures at

Nakshi Rustam had still escaped their observation; and they had still, according to the popular belief, substituted Rustam for Shapour, as the hero of those representations. To this conversation, supper succeeded; as usual it was short.

The treaties were then brought in, read and approved. The date was still wanting. Sir Harford Jones desired threm to insert the usual form, commencing, "In witness whereof," &c.

This, however, the Persians could not understand, and objected strenuously to the word "witnesses," who were never introduced except into a court of justice. At length the Envoy produced the precedent of treaties signed at Constantinople, where the form is invariably used. They acquiesced immediately; but another difficulty succeeded; "Should the year of our Lord precede the Hejera?' The Secretary proposed, that in our copy of the treaty, our era should stand first, and that the order should be reversed in that which they were to keep. At last the Minister, who suspected that the Secretary was inclined to create difficulties, finished every argument by declaring, that "as Jesus Christ liv ed before Mahomed, there could be no doubt but that his tarikh should stand first." The Secretary, who is esteemed one of the first composers, and one of the best penmen in Persia, resisted the plainness of the lan guage, which Sir Harford dictated for the insertion of the date, and produced something so unlike a diplo matic style, and so full of figurative expressions, that it was rejected totally on our parts. Mirza Sheffeea then took up the pen, and drew up a

simpler formulary, which, with a few emendations, was admitted. The Se cretary was then desired to copy it into the treaty; but he seemed in dignant to find that a date was only to be plain matter of fact, and begged hard to make it a little finer. Mirza Sheffeea, however, desired him

to

66

to write as he had written, and this was at length accomplished with great difficulty. Then came the business of signing. The Prime Minister, Mirza Sheffeea, first took up the pen, and put down his own name and that of his brother plenipotentiary, who was unable to sign himself. After signing, came sealing. The Secretary applied the seals, Mirza Sheffeea crying out to him, Bezun, Bezun, or, strike, strike," as if he had been striking a bargain in the bazar. In the act of signing and scaling, the parties made frequent exclamations, such as, "God grant the friendship between the two states may be binding!"-"May this prove a fortunate day!"-" Let us hope that nothing may ever break this bond!" To all which, every one present emphatically and repeatedly resounded, Inch Allah!" God grant it!"

View of the Institution at Edinburgh, for Relief of Incurables.

SIR,

THE plan of this Institution was originally suggested in the year 1805 by its present manager, Mrs Keir, widow of the late Dr Keir of Wester Rynd, and one of the physicians to St. Thomas's Hospital, London.

The purpose of the projector, was to give relief to “ persons labouring under incurable disease, and incapable of gaining a livelihood" by small annual pensions paid to them for life. She was led to prefer a relief administered in this manner, to any that might be afforded by the establishment of an hospital, from a persuasion that no aid is so effectual, as that which is given by the distribution of small sums among persons known to the giver, living within their own houses, and themselves disposing of it; an opinion which, in the present

instance, has been fully confirmed by an experience of seven years.

The funds of the institution were raised by subscription, to which many of the most respectable persons connected with this place, and great numbers indeed of every rank, coptributed with an alacrity well worthy of the object. The sums thus subscribed, of which the particulars have at different intervals, appeared in the Edinburgh newspapers, now amount to L.1706. 11s. sterling; and of these there. is vested in the three per cent. conso-` lidated government annuities L.1696. 12s. 3d. and the treasurer holds the balance L.9. 18. 9d. The gross sum of government stock thus purchased, extends to L.2189. 11s. 5d; which yields an annual dividend of L83. 16s. 8d. sterling.

This sum is at present distributed in annual pensions for life, to 61 poor persons, and in small donations to a certain number of others selected by the manager, as proper objects of occasional charity.

The funds now stated, of which the principal sum cannot by the regulations be encroached upon, are vested in the name of Messrs James Simpson, Advocate, and James Tytler, Writer to the Signet, as trustees; and these gentlemen have granted a declaration of trust in consequence; from which, as your Magazine ought to contain a record of a Scotch establishment, so evidently beneficial as the present, I beg leave to extract the Plan of the Institution, and to request its insertion in your next Number.

The Declaration of Trust is dated 19th March 1811, and recorded the following day in the books of Session (office W. B.)

The public will, in this manner, be best enabled to judge of the merits of the Institution, and to determine on the propriety of support.

PLAN of the INSTITUTION for Relief of Persons Labouring under Incurable Disease, and incapable of gaining a Livelihood.

I. THE interest or profit arising on the funds belonging to this institution shall, after deduction of necessary expences, be disposed of, in pensions granted to persons labouring under incurable disease, and incapable of gaining a livelihood.

II. A certain number of these pensions, proportioned to the interest arising from the fund, shall be continued for life; except in the event of convalescence, or misconduct in the pensioner, when they may be withdrawn.

III. To entitle individuals to the benefit of this charity, they shall produce a certificate from the minister, or two elders of the parish where they reside, testifying their good character, and another from a physician or surgeon vouching their incurable malady.

IV. Persons failing, for more than three months after any term of payment, to demand their pensions, shall be struck of the list of pensioners.

V. Pensioners not personally known to the managers, shall produce annually, on the 1st December, certificates signed by a physician or surgeon, that they remain to all appearance incurable.

VI. The principal sum of the fund shall not be encroached on for these or any other purposes.

VII. The funds belonging to this Institution, shall be vested in the

Government stocks, in the names. of the persons after mentioned, as trustees for the Institution, who shall be accountable to the managers after mentioned for the principal sum thereof; and for the interest, profit, or dividends arising thereon, but shall neither be concerned with the distribution of the said fund, nor be liable for each other, nor for omissions, but only for their own actual intromissions.

VIII. These profits or dividends, the said trustees shall pay over to the said managers as the same become due, for which the principal manager's receipt shall be a sufficient discharge.

IX. The said trustees shall be obliged to divest themselves of, or to convey the funds so vested in their persons, whenever validly required so to do in terms of the regulations.

X. James Simpson, advocate, and James Tytler, writer to the signet, having undertaken the said office of trustees, they have been appointed trustees accordingly, and the fund vested in the three per cent. consolidated government annuities in their names.

XI. In the event of the death of either of the said trustees, the survivor shall have associated with him, the ministers of St Andrew's church Edinburgh, for the time being; and at the said survivor's death, the said ministers, and their successors in office shall, thenceforth be the sole trustees as above directed, for this Institution.

XII. As the funds belonging to this Institution, now vested, as above mentioned, are intended to be perpetual, it is hereby declared, that the managers and trustees shall neither raise, transfer, nor sell any part of the same, or of any sums to be afterwards added thereto, unless some unforeseen contingency should render it necessary and eligible so to do, in the opinion of the mana

gers

gers and trustees, without whose unanimous consent, it shall not be done.

XIII. The direction of the fund shall be committed to three ladies residing in Edinburgh; one to be called principal manager, and the others assistant managers, whose offices shall last for life.

XIV. The principal manager shall preside at the meeting of the managers, where in the event of either of the assistants declining to vote, she shall have the privilege of a casting vote in addition to her vote as an individual.

XV. The principal manager shall act as treasurer of the fund; and shall render to the managers an account of her intromissions at each of the yearly meetings after appointed.

XVI. The managers shall meet yearly on the second Monday of February, to order the distribution, and regulate the affairs of the fund. XVII. At each of those meetings, after declaring the stated pensions, a certain sum fixed by a majority of the managers, shall be placed in the hands of the principal manager, to be expended at her discretion in cases of urgent distress, either to such incura. bles as may be already pensioners, or to such as may not then be admitted; of which sum she shall render an accompt to the immediately following meeting.

XVIII. It shall not be in the power of the managers to apply this fund to any other purposes than those here specified, excepting the necessary expences of manage

ment.

XIX. The managers shall not be liable for omissions, nor for each other, but for their actual intromissions only.

XX. As this Institution owes its origin to Mrs Elizabeth Keir, wiApril 1812.

dow of the late Dr William Keir, one of the physicians to St Thomas's Hospital, London, she is hereby declared principal manager of the same, during the days of her life; declaring, that upon her death, or the death of any of her successors in office, the heirs of line of her body for ever, whether male or fe male, (such heirs always being heirs in heritage, and the eldest heir-portioner excluding her sisters) shall, if within Scotland at the time, and if not, the next in suc cession within Scotland, have right to assume the office of principal manager; provided he or she shall be approved of by the existing assistant managers and trustees; and in the event of such person declining the said office, or not being approved of as aforesaid, he or she shall have power to name a new principal manager with the approbation foresaid.

XXI. Failing such succession or appointment, the existing assistant managers and trustees, shall, after the expiration of six months from the vacancy of the office, elect a principal manager.

XXII. The following ladies shall be assistant managers, viz. Mrs Jane Balfour, widow of Major Henry Balfour; and Mrs Jean Craigie, widow of Mr Charles Craigie, both residing in Edin burgh.

XXIII. In case of the death or resignation of either or both of the said assistant managers, successors shall be appointed by the principal manager, who shall likewise. have power to appoint extraordinary as sistant managers to act in the absence of any of the ordinary mana、 gers.

XXIV. The manager shall also -appoint a clerk to this Institution, who shall keep a book containing the managers accompts, atates of

the