"I was," he said, "very unreasonable this morning, and am quite ashamed of myself. What could you expect?" said he to a gentleman who had mentioned some instances of being cheated in the purchase of horses and mules, as well as by servants; "what, I ask, could you expect to happen to an envoy from Persia, who landed at Hull, with the reputation of having plenty of money; and proceeded to the court of St. James's, furnishing himself and suite with horses, bought without experience, and hiring a numerous train of servants, with little if any inquiry as to their character? Do you think our laws would secure his being supplied in Yorkshire with horses worth what he gave for them, or prevent his being cheated and robbed, by men who hang loose on society, and who consequently would crowd to such a master? "Now what is our situation in Persia? We fit out a mission at Abusheher, buy such horses as are offered, and hire every good-looking fellow who presents himself. We are in fact compelled to do so; for in a country where religious prejudices are so strong, none but those who cannot get bread elsewhere would come to serve Faringees, unless tempted by the hopes of great gain, through fair or unfair means. "This, if you reflect, must be particularly the case in a country where laws have little force, but where, whatever of morality there is in the lower orders, chiefly depends upon their religious sentiments, or feelings of allegiance and attachment to superiors; and amongst equals, on the ties which subsist in families and tribes. Their religious prejudices are all against us, and we neither have, nor can have, any claim on their allegiance or attachment, nor the benefit of family ties to guard us in our occasional visits to this country; and we should not therefore wonder that we are sometimes cheated; far less should we proceed, as I did this morning, to condemn a whole nation because we discover such crimes in those around us. We ought, in justice to the Persians, to refer much of what has occurred to our peculiar situation in their country, and not write them all down rogues, unless we ascertain that they are, as a people, in the habit of behaving towards each other, as we have found a few of them behave towards us." Such was the Elchee's doctrine, to which there neither was any expression of assent or dissent. Some probably believed there was reason in what he stated, while others thought there was no use in arguing with him on a subject, on which he was known to be very prejudiced and impatient.