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England on a mission to Persia, for the purpose of modifying the treaty then in force between those two countries. Mr. Ellis accordingly, in conjunction with Mr. Morier, then British Minister at the court of Persia, agreed with the Shah's government as to the conclusion of an amended treaty, by one of the articles of which it was stipulated that the subsidy of 200,000₤. a year that England had engaged to furnish to Persia, in the event of her being attacked by any European power which might reject the mediatory offices of Great Britain, should not be payable in the case of Persia beginning a war upon either of her European neighbours, or invading the territory of either of them in the first instance. But a short period was destined to elapse ere the exact obligation of Great Britain in this matter was to form a subject of prolonged and earnest discussion. In return for the advantage conferred by this article, Persia, on her side, engaged to obstruct the advance of the armies of any European power seeking to pass through her territory for the purpose of invading India. From this time forth the Persian court was destined to become the place of residence of ministers plenipotentiary from the sovereigns of England and of Russia; and as Persia was thus assumed to be a civilized power, she was obliged thenceforth to conform herself in some respects to the practices of civilized nations. The mere residence of foreign ministers at his capital of itself greatly tended to increase the stability of the throne of the Shah, whilst it conferred a greater dignity upon his court than it was in his power to purchase with all his treasure. But a semi-barbarous government was not all at once to be brought to observe the customs that are the fruit of many centuries of civi-