of saving his life. After his arrival at Meshed his illness rapidly increased, and he became aware that his end was approaching. He now devoted his few remaining hours to the services of religion. Twice each day he proceeded on foot to the shrine of Imam Reza, and when his last hour was come he turned his face to Mecca, and, worn out by war and woes, calmly yielded up the ghost. He had, amongst one hundred and fifty-nine children, been ever the favourite of his father, and though he was fickle and easily worked upon and passionate, he was, notwithstanding, the noblest of the Kajar race. Abbass Meerza had attained the age of forty-six years, when his ashes were consigned to the sacred earth beneath the shrine of Imam Reza.[1]
The difficult task had now to be performed of announcing to the Shah the intelligence of his son's demise. At all times to be the bearer of ill news is a duty most repugnant to the feelings of a Persian, but on this occasion the news to be conveyed were of so peculiarly mournful a nature, that it was feared the Shah in the first outburst of his grief would order the bearer of the evil tidings to be put to death. During two whole days no one could be persuaded to undertake the task, and at the end of that time the king's two youngest sons were together sent to lisp to their aged father the tale of the demise of the heir to his throne.
The outrageous grief of the Shah was not occasioned solely by the loss for ever of his beloved son's society. Some time before this the king, it is said, had commanded the royal astrologer to cast his horoscope, so that he might gain some knowledge of the fate that
- ↑ A.D. 1833.
