ordered it to be unpacked and brought into his presence. In the course of its transport on a mule or camel over six hundred miles, the glass of the frame had been broken, and the painting itself slightly damaged. For this the eyes of a deserving officer were torn from his head, and, after having been deprived of all he possessed, he was expelled from Tehran.[1]
"When Aga Mahomed, after his first victory over his rival, had retired from before the walls of Sheeraz, Lutf'ali conceived the project of rendering himself master of Ispahan by a dashing movement which would take that city by surprise. He set out from Sheeraz towards the end of the month of November, at the head of ten thousand cavalry, unencumbered by tents or baggage, or other provisions than a small quantity of rice which each soldier was ordered to carry with him. But the severity of the season rendered this bold enterprise abortive, and after having made but two marches the force returned to Sheeraz. At this time all the south of Persia, from the united streams of Euphrates and Tigris on the west, to the confines of Yezd and Kerman on the east, acknowledged the authority of Lutf'ali. During the following winter he employed himself as well in raising an army for operations when the weather should relent, as in putting in order the different branches of the administration at Sheeraz, and in holding out encouragement to
- ↑ "Mehemet était dans 1'usage, à 1'égard de ses serviteurs qui avaient le malheur de lui déplaire, de leur faire ouvrir le ventre, et arracher les entrailles. Il avait même poussé, à 1'égard de quelques'-uns d'entre eux, 1'atroce barbarie jusqu'à leur mettre les entrailles autour du cou, et les exposer dans cet état, encore vivans, à la dent des animaux carnassiers." … "Cruel, féroce, au-delà de toute expression, il faisait également ouvrir le ventre à ceux de ses sujets Musulmans qui étaient accusés de boire du vin." Voyage en Perse, par Olivier. C. v. p. 135.
