'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎397] (452/714)

THE S f IA H—ROY AL FAMILY—MINISTERS
397
it is not surprising to learn that the young prince was a father at
sixteen, and that the chief reputation he left at Tabriz was that of
a great hunter. Called to the throne at the early age of seventeen,
and surrounded therefore from youth upwards by the sycophants
and flatterers who buzz round an Oriental crown, it is surprising
that Nasr-ed-Din Shah has- turned out so well. This happy de
velopment he owes to abilities considerably above the average, and
to decided strength of character. When he came to the throne he
only knew the Turkish language, which is spoken in Azerbaijan;
but he soon learnt both to speak and to write Persian well, and
has since acquired a tolerable familiarity with French and Arabic.
He is well versed in the Persian poets and in Oriental works of
history, philosophy, and art. Nor is the Shah by any means
destitute of artistic accomplishments. He can draw well, and is
reputed to write passable verses, or, to adopt the Persian hyperbole,
' he can make the nightingale of the pen flutter about the full
blown roses of the harem.' He is assured by his courtiers, as was
his great-grandfather Fath Ali Shah, that his poetical effusions are
superior to those of Hafiz. 1 But he is probably too sensible a man
to believe that whatever immortality he may attain to, it will be
among the lords of song. Well informed, and thoroughly au
courant with passing events, he is full of inquisitiveness, and has a
thirst for new information, which he acquires by closely questioning
those with whom he comes in contact. His published journals, if
they can with justice be attributed to his own pen, show decided
originality, and a vein of native shrewdness. 2 A private secretary
translates to him the French newspapers; the ' Times' he regards
1 Yet on one occasion, according to a well-known story, Fath Ali Shah found
an honest critic in his own Poet Laureate. ' What do you think of my verses ?'
said the king. < May I be your sacrifice, I think they are great rubbish,' was the
frank rejoinder. ' Take the donkey to the stables,' shouted the indignant Shah ;
and the order was obeyed. A little while later the King sent for the poet again,
and read out to him some more of his own compositions. The poet, without a
word, began to walk away. 'Where are you going?' cried the Shah. ' Back to
the stables,' answered the fearless Laureate. It is to the credit of the King that
he was so pleased with the repartee that he released the poet, and ordered his
mouth to be stutfed with sugar-candy as a mark of his extreme approbation.
2 In addition to the diaries of his tours in Europe, which have been translated
into English and French, the Shah has published diaries in the Persian tongue,
with illustrations, of his two journeys to Meshed, and of his pilgrimage to
Kerbela. The bulk of their contents, no doubt, emanate from the royal pen.
When in England, His Majesty was in the habit of dictating his diary to the Head
Chamberlain before retiring to rest.