The trays which contain the royal meals are sealed up by the head of the household, an office of great trust; and while this precaution is taken against poison, a physician attends lest the royal appetite should be indulged to an excess that might injure health. I fear, however, this wise man is not so successful in enforcing abstemiousness as he who watched over the renowned sovereign of Barrataria! No person is allowed to eat with the king, but he has generally one or two of his youngest sons near him, to whom he gives of the dishes which he thinks they like best; he also, at times, as a mark of great favour, sends victuals dressed for himself to others. The Elchee was often honoured with presents of bread, rice, and pillaw. These specimens of culinary art satisfied me, that his majesty's cooks merited all the praises I had heard bestowed on them. When the first mission took its departure from Teheran, the king was most gracious. We all received fine dresses from his majesty: that given to the Elchee was most splendid; and he had besides a handsome horse, and a dagger richly set with jewels. There was much anxiety that he should dress in these robes; but though he expressed himself willing to wear any of them which could be put over his own clothes, he could not, he said, put off any part of his uniform. The king, very good-humouredly, alluded to his tenacity in this particular, at our last visit: "You were unjust to your own appearance, Elchee," said he; "had you put on the cap I sent, you would have looked one of the tallest men in Persia." The leave we took of Hajee Ibrahim was marked by some circumstances which made it truly affecting. This extraordinary man had become very intimate with the Elchee, to whom he communicated his anticipation of being soon put to death. "The king and his ministers," said he, "are all anxious to destroy me. Your arrival has delayed for a time the execution of their designs, but it is only for a short period. I could easily save myself; but Persia would again be plunged in warfare. My object," he continued, "has been to give my country one king; I cared not whether he was a Zend or a Kajir, so that there was an end of internal distraction. I have seen enough of these scenes of blood; I will be concerned in no more of them. I hope I have made my peace with God, and shall therefore die contented." The Elchee, who had succeeded in effecting an outward reconciliation between Hajee Ibrahim and the other ministers, Meerzâ Seffee and Meerzâ Rizâ Koolee, took this opportunity of beseeching his friend to treat these personages with more consideration and respect. He also earnestly exhorted him to bear with more temper than he did the occasional fits of ill-humour and violence of the king.