ZOHRAB THE HOSTAGE.

Jr is difficult, if not impossible, to recognize in Zohrab the Hostage the pen of the author of Hajji Baba—the true Persian Gil Blas. Hajji Baba was remarkable for the lightness of its tone, the va- riety of its character, and the just and satisfactory manner in which Persian _morals were hit off by example. Zohrab the Hostageis an historical novel : its details are of the romantic order, and its characters are too much drawn from the common stock of the heroic. " Familiarity with Persian manners, however, stilt remains to cheer the reader ; and by this alone is it possible to establish any likeness between Mr. .MORIER as the author of Hajji Baba, and Mr. MORIER the author of Zohrab the Hostage. We learn, as there, 'how Persians curse and swear—how severe they are upon the grandfathers of those they hate—how they lie and truckle, swagger and flatter, manage their anderoons or are managed in them, pay their homage, beat and are beaten. The pic- ture in Zohrab is heightened by the exhibition of the interior of the court. of one of the .most ruthless despots that ever disgraced a -throne. The effect of this man's cruelty and recklessness oflife- the.ennuch King Aga, Mohamed Shah—on the court, the capital, and the country, is a valuable piece of historical painting. It might have been supposed that men with one accord would have risen' and instantly 'destroyed such a monster: on the contrary, they were proud of him; they worshipped the idol they had them, selVes Clothed with power, and all the more profoundly, that he used. it rather as a dtemon than a human being. We have seen in Europe men proud of the absolutism of their King ; and others ashamed of the liMited and shackled. authority with which Kings are invested by Constitutional Governments. In Persia, from time immemorial, subjects have had uncommon reason to be vain of the extent of their monarch's authority ; for there has not been for many a day a mad in the realm: who could call either his head, his feet, or his pocket, his own... His head is liable to be chopped off at a moment's notice; the'soles of his feet to be beaten to a mummy for a word, and the rumour of being rich is the sure forerunner of robbery and extortion. In the days of Aga Mohamed Shah, these national characteristics were carried to the highest pitch of per- fection: blood was spilt with less indifference than water in a hot climate : the fate of courtiers depended upon the night's sleep, or a fit of indigestion in the tyrant : his humour in a morning was as sedulously studied as the mariner eyes a capricious and fearful look- ing sky—the countenance of each may portend shipwreck and death. The tyrant's cruelty, however, fell chiefly on the persons who surrounded him ; and when they were every now and then cut off in the fulness of their 'adulation, this evidence of the Shah's power was admired by the people, who hated the whole band, and rejoiced in by the adulators, who stood a chance of stepping into the shoes of the deceased. The worst of despots will never want • courtiers. They swarm most thickly where they are worst treated: the destruction of one bloated sycophant makes a dozen candi- dates for his remains. Hear Mr. MORIER'S remark on this subject. Speaking of the number of persons who, almost without a reason, .and all without a hearing, fell under the suspicions and the con- sequent death-stroke of this odious King, lie remarks— Let it not be thought that his subjects thought the worse of him for thus using his power. Instead of exciting feelings of opposition to his rule, he only the better secured his authority. 'Tis true they would call him a shaitan, a devil, a blood-drinker, a despot ; but then at the same time they would add the epithet ajaib, wonderful, which in most of their minds would also imply ad- mirable. " Ajaib Shalgi, wonderful king ! " would they say of him. "If you want a lord of the sword, look to him-t-our king is indeed a king. Whose 'dogs are the Muscovites before him? You may talk of the Franks, their disci- pline, and their artillery : we spit upon their fathers' graves."

All those parts of the work which bring the despot before us, are managed with great success, and are undoubtedly the ablest 'and most valuable portion of the novel. There is, perhaps, no one who has more eminently succeeded in a full-length historical portrait : it may be placed, without fear of comparison, by the side of lkir. FRASER'S Nadir Shah. The characters which surround him are not conceived with equal felicity ; they are deficient in originality and in force. The Humpback is an imitation of Oliver the barber of Louis the Eleventh ; and is altogether an elaborate failure. The other personages, most of whom are composed of the ordinary .elements of the Persian character—servility, vanity, and rapacity --fall very far short of what might be expected from the writer of Hajji Baba. The love- story, and the persons engaged in it, pre- sent very little either of originality or interest. Zohrab the Hostage —a son of the independent Governor of Asterabad, and a youth of uncommon talent, beauty, and vigour of limb—accidentally beholds the lady Amima, the niece of the Shah : a mutual pas- sion is the consequence ; which, after exposing the parties to many near ebancei 'of death; is only gratified by the assassinatioa of the Shah himself..

The following is a sketch of the personal appeamice of Aga Mohamed Shah; and if it be a correct one, then certaitAy despo: tism never looked to less advantage.

Nature, in forming Aga Mohamed Shah, intended to have installed a sided of uncommon vigour into a body capable of seconding its energies, by Making it

full of activity and strength ; but the whole scheme was frustrated by the cruelty of man. Whilst the sharpness of intellect was preserved; it became diseased with ill-humour and moroseness ; for every time that his body became an object of contemplation, he entertained such disgust towards himself that the feeling finished by placing him at enmity with all mankind. What would otherwise have been tall and erect, was now bent with the curve of apparent age ; what would have been strength of muscle and breadth of shoulder; seemed blighted and shrivelled. His face, particularlY in a country where beards are universally worn, appeared like a blotch of leprosy, for it was almost totally hairless,—it could only boast of a few straggling bristles, which here and there sprouted at irregular distances, like stunted trees upon, epf.ior soil. The

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skin which covered it resembled wetted parchment, hauging in baggy furrows down the cheeks, under the chin, and about the neck. This 'spectral. counte- nance—for so it might be called—was, however, lighted up by:a pair of small grey eyes of more than human lustre, which, from under two raged curtains of eyelids, flashed all their intelligence abroad ; and as they expressed rage, jealousy, or cruelty, made those who were exposed to their fire feel as if they were under the fascination of some blood-seeking monster. But with all this, there were moments when this face would smile, and would even relax into looks of pity and benevolence ; but so treacherous were these symptoms esteemed, that at length they were only looked upon as signals of some extraordinary disaster, or as beacons to warn those in danger to be upon their guard. .

The following scene represents an interview between the Shah and his prisoner Zohrab, who has accidentally fallen into his power. By the advice of his Vizier, he proposes to use the young man as a means of bringing over his town and tribe, who have all along resisted the wide-spreading domination of the Shah. The interview is painted with great life ; and though less bloody than some, yet shows off the tyrant in his true colours— Upon Upon appearina- before the King, Zohrab made no difficulty in going through all the prescribeeetiquettes, leaving his slippers at the proper place, and making the usual prostration. Sadek would have kept him at the utmost possible distance, in order thereby to show his humility ; bid the Shah ordering him to advance to an easy speaking distance, he obeyed and stood nothing daunted, with head erect and a firm countenance, exhibiting in his person a specimen of manly beauty which strongly contrasted with the degraded form before whom he stood.

The Shah having eyed him for some time, said to his Prime Minister, in conformity to the policy which he had determined to ,adopt, although in so doing the words seemed to stick at the bottom of his, throat, "-3rashalltih, Zoh- rab is a fine youth!", . "Belli, belli,.yes,' yes." echoed Hajji Ibrahim, with the drawl of indifference which Persians are wont. to throw over their words • afraid lest the Shah might perceive how much in truth he was impressed with the strong contrast which the two individuals, before hires formed.

A pause ensued, during which the King still continued to eye his prisoner as if he could not sufficiently enjoy the pleasure of possessing him„until at length, no longer able to suppress the malice of his nature, he said, in a tone of inti- macy, half raillery and half earnest, "'Zohrab, allow that your father is viler than the vilest dog; that the abomination which he devours is daily, hourly, and constantly; and that it is owing. to his intrigues the Turcomans have also partaken thereof, whilst you, who are innocent, you are to bear the punishment. Is it not so, Hajji Ibrahim?"

The Vizier answered, " I am your sacrifice !" Zohrab at hearing these words changed colour, contracted his brow, and bit. his lips ; but having caught the eye of Sadek, whose looks seemed to enjoin dis- cretion, he remained silent.

" Unsainted curs that they are, they think," continued the King, " that their. ill-begotten alliance is of consequence to the state of Iran ; that because I have allowed them to rally round my kettles in my wars, to be honoured with the dust of my horses, that I cannot now do without them ; that because they are, entrenched in impenetrable jungles, and surrounded by mountains of difficult access, they are secure in their enmity to me, and can laugh at our beards with impunity. But we are not animals to that extent ;—I am that king who has burnt the fathers of the Muscovites in their very hearths ;—I am he who has made the dogs of Franks lick the dust of my slippers, and who has made Persia so secure from one end to another, that the richest merchant of Ispahan, with bags of tomans on his head, might meet the neediest Baktiari on the high-road, and walk by him unskinned and unrobbed. Whose .dogs are ye, then, ye boors of Mazanderan ! who dare to set up the, standard of rebellion? Wallah, billah, by. Allah ! by the beard of the.holy Prophet ! by the sword of Ali ! .1 swear, that were it not for this man," pointing to his Vizier, "you Zohrab, with all your tribe, your old defiled father at the head, should grace the doorways of Tehran, cut into quarters and halves of quarters, before another moon had gone over

your beads ; and your skins spread upon the thresholds of the doors of every dog of a Jew and • Christian, in order that ye might be defiled and reviled, spurned at and degraded, by those who are worse than the fathers of dogs ! Do you hear ?" particularly addressing his helpless captive, cried out the frantic King, at the utmost stretch of his unmanly voice, "Do you hear? open your eyes, 0 you less than man ! and make your thanks to Allah, that you have met with sufficient forbearance from the Shah to keep your head upon your shoulders, at a time when it ought to have been thrown under our horses' feet." During this speechthe revulsion which had taken place in Zohrab's breast

had entirely destroyed equanimity which he had resolved to adopt, and made him lose sight not only of his own safety, and of the peculiar danger of his situation, but of the tender passion which had taken possession of him. When his father was branded with the epithets which had so frequently struck his car, he could scarcely restrain himself from rushing. on the ungenerous utterer. His young blood boiled with indignation at the ignominy of this treatment : al- though in his cooler moments he bad thought himself sufficiently armed, against

the language which he had been warned was certainly to be addressed to him, yet, by the utmost stretch of his imagination, he never could have persuaded himself that it would amount to the insolence and coarseness which had just

struck his ear. At the last words which came from the King, Zohrab drew' himself up into an attitude of dignity and resolution, and with a face beaming

with determination and contempt of consequences, he said with a firm voice, " I am in thy hands, 'tis true, an unprotected man, and thou bast the power to do with me what thou pleasest, but hearken to my words! , Whatever thou past said concerning me I forgive thee; then mayest tear -me to pieces; thou mayest

make me food tor dogs, or thou mayest give me up to thy slaves to be tormented, and I will not complain ; but when thou abusest my father, he who is thy equal, and to whom thou partly owest thy elevation,—he,, whom compared to thee is as the finest gold to the vilest copper, then I will speak; then I will tell

thee, base dog! that I throw back thy odious words to thy face, and that I spit upon thy odious presence. And now do thy worst." The springing of a mine, the burst of a volcano, the first ebullition of popular tumult, are poor images by which to compare the explosion of frenzy which took place in the tyrants breast, upon hearing this speech. Every epithet that condensed rage could excite broke from his lips, in a tone of voice which resem- bled the ravings of hysterical madness. He half rose from his seat, grasping his dagger, as if he himself would give the finishing to his wrath, by plunging it into the breast of his victim ; and would probably have completed the object of his first impulse, had not Sadek with great presence of mind thrown himself upon Zohrab, as if he would have done what his master was upon the point of doing. This movement in sonic measure broke the King's wrath, and he re- seateehiniself ; but the moment that he could resume his voice, he called out to the attendant ferasbes, " Children of burnt fathers, where are you ? Will ye see your • King insulted and not avenge him ? Kill—kill that unsainted dog, and throw his vile carcase to the crows." Upon which Sadek rushed from the pre- sence as if to collect his band of ferashes ; but one more zealous than the rest, having stepped forward with a naked dagger in hand, would have immediately executed the fatal command, had not the Grand Vizier with the utmost pre- cipitation thrown himself upon his knees before the King, and exclaimed, "I am sour sacrifice ! For the honour of your throne shed no blood—for the love of the blessed Prophet—as you would save your soul—let the wretch live ! The interests of your throne are too precious to be thrown away for so pitiful a thing as this young fool's life."

The devoteduess of this action, the sight of one so respected in so humiliating a posture, and the forcible words which he uttered, produced an immediate effect upon the Shah. A sign from his uplifted hand to the ferashes, immediately stopped the death-blow which they were about to inflict upon the unfortunate Zohrab. Still feeling the raging of his anger within himself, and not permitting himself to look at his prisoner, with an averted face he roared out "Bero !' (begone) as if by that he had rid himself of an intolerable burthen ; and when he was sure that the object of his wrath had been taken from his presence, he then turned to his still prostrate minister and said, "Arise, Hajji, as for thyself I amcontented with thee ; but that dog of a Mazanderani, by Allah, by Allah ! happen what will, him I will never forgive. 1 will sweep him and his odious tribe from the face of the earth. After all, why should 1—I, who am a Shah upon my own inusnud eat this excess of abomination ?"

The next extract contains a sketch of a Persian dandy—half diplomatist, half military. The Oriental costume throws over him a broad shade of ridicule; but he might probably be matched near home. He is proceeding to, or rather is just arrived at, Astembad, to inform the parents of the youth Zolirab, that he has fallen into the hands of the Shah, and to negotiate the surrender of the in- dependence of the city in lieu of the hostage's return—

The Gholam Shah (for such he was), or the King's Slave, is usually taken from the most respectable families of the country ; is brought up from boyhood in and about the court; is early instructed in all the manly exercises, riding spirited horses, firing from off their backs on the fullest speed, throwing the jerrid, scaling the highest mountains; and, in short, fitting hnnself for being a guard to the king's person ; he is the transmitter and frequently executor of his commands; the dread of all village magistrates and city governors, as well as an universal terrorist to the traveller on the road and the peasant in the field. The approbation of the monarch being his first and leading object, knowing that it will lead to substantial benefits, he loses no opportunity of distinguishing him- self; and having 'served a long apprenticeship to all the arts of extortion and ex- action, when he is sent upon the king's service to enforce a finnan or to appre- hend a defaulter, be is never slow in putting them into the most vigorous exe- cution. Equipped in dress and arms in the highest style of extravagance, his

demeanour is arrogant and presumptuous to his inferiors; and as his gains are proportioned to the fear which he produces upon those whom he is sent to visit, at may be imagined that what lie wants in natural pride he makes up in artificial arrogance.

Such was the character of the person now approaching the gate of Astera- bad. He was young and handsome; his beard just fringed his chin, long curls dangled behind his ears, and his eyebrows strongly arching from an aquiline nose, gave a peculiar character to his marked features. His dress was in the

extreme of the Persian fashion • he wore his cap small, very much pinched.. at the top, and quite. on the side Of his head ; his silken caba was fitted like wax

to his tapering waist, whilst a fine Cashinerian shawl expanded broadly over his hips, and was drawn into a narrow compass in front, and being there com- pressed by the silver string of his handsome dagger, this ornament formed a rest- ing-place for his hand, when he was standing or seated. When on foot, in his high-heeled green slippers, he walked with a mincing gait, as if he might be suffering from a sprain in the back ; or when on horseback, he was either on the alert, bounding over the plain, reckless of impediment, his heel vigorously ap- plied to his horse's flank, his hand out, and animation in every gesture—or slouching along with affected heedlessness. When standing before his superior, he would use those flattering forms of speech, the current language of Persian courtiers; and when seated with his equals or inferiors, he would take upon him- selfall those airs which his superior had been practising upon him. Shir Khan Beg was his name, which lie found could very conveniently adapt itself to circumstances—occasionally dropping the Beg, whenever he wished to assert the Khan; and keeping to his latter title whenever he stood before a man in power. Having reached a certain distance from the city, he called a halt. Dismounting from his horse near a green spot on the road, whilst his ferash spread an embroidered saddle-cloth for him to sit upon, he said to his jelowdar

or groom, with a nonchalant air, " Au. Baba Beg, go on a head ; tell those dogs' sons in the city, that a king's Gholam is coming, and order them to send out a peishwaz or deputation and, hear me, if they say an unfit word in answer, burn their fathers!"

Delivering tip the yedek, or led horse, which he had hitherto led in proces- sion before his master, tothe stable man, the servant said, "Be eheshm," " upon any eyes be it !" and clapping his right stirrup to his horse's side, lie galloped ofi on his fullest speed towards the city. In the mean while the valet having prepared a well-dtemed kalioon, which he had disengaged from the leathern buckets carried on either side of the pommel, with his left hand on breast, pre- sented it bubbling and sparkling to his recumbent master.

" What do you say, Hussein," said he to his servant (for this sort of inti- macy between master and man is common in Persia); " will those wife-pol- luted curs in the city open their gates to us?"

" What can I say ?" answered 'Hussein, as if be were a profound politician, shaking his head at the same time ; "after all, they are rebels."

" Rebels, indeed !" exclaimed his master; "we'll soon defile the grave of the father of their rebellion. The Shah, with one twinkle of his eye, will make their souls fly out of the first hole in their bodies."

The answers to the letters borne by Shir Khan Beg are com- posed by a scribes in speaking of them, the author gives the following happy description of Persian correspondence—

The next morning, ere the sun had risen, found the same party assembled, with the addition of blirza Shireen Ali, to whoin the composition of the letters to the Shah and his Minister had been intrusted. He read their contents aloud, and it was unanimously agreed that he had surpassed himself on this occasion. He had omitted nothing. , Every image which the mind can conceive was there. The nightingale of friendship kissed the rose of conciliation. Rivers of ink were made to run through meadows of paper, in order to createan easy na- vigation for the thoughts and sentiments of goodwill and affection. The steed of acquiescence was made docile at the voice of the royal command, and the em-

bassy of humility was ready to put the foot into the stirrup of submission. The Turcoman chiefs, who were more conversant with the language of shepherds and camel-drivers than with flowers of fine writing, lent an attentive ear to the reading. of this composition, and expressed their high admiration by flequefitly exclanung with the others, Mashallah ! and Barihallah ! But when it was over, the Camel Lord, in the simplicity of his heart, said, " This is in truth very fine, Alirza Shireen Ali; but there is one thing I wish to understand. What does the letter mean ?"

" Yes," said the Blind Lion, " that was just what I too wanted to ask ; it was too fine for me to understand !"

This did not in the least disconcert the scribe, who said, "We dou't write to be understood, Allah forbid ! No fine writer ever did. Franks only du that. Read the Tarilili Nasser!. Is that ever understood ? Read the effusions of our tiist poets, in which all the art of the writer is placed. Are they ever under- stood? inshallah ! there will not be a Mirza at the Shah's gate who will be able to understand such refinements as Shireen Ali can place before them."

Two important personages in this history are the chief execu- tioner and his daughter Zulma. The latter is the wife that has been selected' for Zohrab : she is a Persian Amazon and beauty— It was in this mood, on the day after his arrival at Tehran, that he received a visit from his host Zerb Ali Khan. We have already described the fierce a

of this personage, but it will be necessary to enter into a few particulars .m..: history. In the beginning of his career he had been a common ferash, or tent- pitcher, and had frequently distinguished himself in the King's presence by great feats of strength and activity, particularly in his extraordinary dexterity in ad- ministering the bastinado. He was then admitted into the khelwet, or the pr's. vote apartment, as a ferash, where he succeeded so entirely in acquiring the royal confidence, that he attained at an early age the important office. of Nasakchi Bashi. He took to wife, when young, the daughter of the King's butcher, by whom he had an only daughter, who, instead of marrying. at an early age as Persian girls generally do, remained at home to be at once the tor- ment of his existence and his help in the duties of his office. At the period of this our history, Zulma Begun., for so she was called, had attained the age of five-and-twenty. She was in person a true Persian beauty—large eyes of fire, bespeaking at once ardent passions and impatience of control—arched brows, meeting over a nose aquiline and prominent—a clear dark brown complexion, which set off coral lips and brilliant teeth—hair in profusion of the deepest jet, but rather coarse ; and a form which, had it been confined within the limits cf European restraint, although now fast spreading into coarse exuberance, would have beenpronounced to possess the most perfect symmetry and grace. Taking her altogether, she was a majestic and awful beauty ; but the expression of her countenance might truly be said to be of fearful import. She might be called a fine specimen of the Sybil—of wild and varied look, and of fierce glances and hypocritical smiles. She at first astonished the beholder by her beauty, and then disgusted him by her audacious manner. With great natural abilities she had acquired such an ascendancy in her father's house, that the whole adminis- tration of it might be said to be regulated by her.

She superintended the servants and slaves, freely punishing those who Misbe- Laved with her own hand. She controlled the expenses both of board and stable ; and at times she acted as moonshee, or scribe, her compositions being celebrated throughout the city. Not satisfied with these private occupations (unheard of in Persian female life), she became ambitious of some more public employment ; and she did not rest until her father allowed her a voice in the 'mar. nagement of those punishments, and eVen'executions, which it was the dreaded object of his situation to inflict.

We shall conclude our extracts from this work with the account of the death of the Shah. His hitherto faithful Georgian attendant, Sadek, finding that the Shah had put him down in a small list of select proscribed, and that consequently he could not reckon upon many more hours of life, determined upon forestalling the monster. His position enables him to assassinate the King in his bed—

The day drew to its close ; the usual watch was set on the walls and turrets of the Ark ; and nothing took place which could in the least have made Sadek suspect that his own death was in contemplation, excepting one circumstance. This was the sight of a man prowling near the room in which he slept ; a man he knew, who was never employed by the chief executioner excepting on des- perate occasions. He could give no very good account of himself when ques- tioned by Sadek ; but his appearance gave the finishing stroke to his determina- tion, and armed his hand with a nerve that nothing could shake. The King retired to bed at the usual hour. The room in which he'passed the night was admirably adapted to encourage Sadek in his undertaking. It was situated in a court, surrounded by high walls, separate from the great mass of the palace, and rather difficult of approach, the court being entered by a small gate which was barred at night. Sadek and Hussein slept in a cufsh klianeh,,a smaller inner room, whilst a lamp ivas kept burning in the-very room in which the King slept. The King could scarcely turn himself without being heard, and it was death if they disturbed his slumbers. Whilst Sadek was performing the operation of taking off his garments pre- paratory to bed, the King entered into conversation with him in a manner to- tally. unusual ; and with a kindness of tone, which perhaps might haye softened any heart but Sadek's, said to him—" You have heard the fate of that ill- advised Zohrab ; to-morrow will put an end to all his vain projects of ambition, and his death will seal the fate of his rebellion."

" As I am your sacrifice, yes," said Sadek. " What has become of thy sister, Sadek?" said the Shah. " We have lost sight of her." " Your slave thinks that she fled to the Turcomans, with Zohrab Khan's mother," said Sadek. " Alr ! is it so?" said the Shah ; " then it is well. We have ordered that that unfortunate woman should no longer be molested, and she may be permitted to sit under the shadow of our throne : the Shah wars not with women. . Let thy sister partake of our clemency," said the King. "May the shadow of the asylum of the universe never be less," said Sadek, quite alive to this extension of the royal forgiveness, and almost forgetting the desperate deed lie was about to perform. " Your slave kisses the hem of your garment." " Who, is that ?" said the Shah, giving ear to a noise which he heard at the gate of the court. " Who goes there?" "As I ate your sacrifice," said Sadek, "Hussein, your slave, is barring the gate."

" Go tell him to unbar it ; be it left open to night ; 'tis possible that reports. may be made to the Shah of the state of the public mind preparatory to td. morrow's execution."

"Your slave then will sleep across the Shah's threshold," said Sadek, sup- pressing a look of ferocity which had lighted up his features, and again repos- sessed byhis full determination, having heard this additional confirmation of the fate awarded him by his treacherous master. " Do so," said the Shah. " Thou art a good servant : inshallah ! the king will make thy face white to eternity, and thy head touch the skies." " Your slave is grateful for all the Shah's kindness," said Sadek ; "but whose dog is he, that the Shah should take notice of him?" Upon saying which he managed to place the King's dagger and sword, which were usually close to his bed head, at some distance, which the King perceiving, suspicion lighting up his animated eye, exclaimed, " Why do ye place them there, man ? Why do ye change their position ?" "As I am your sacrifice," said Sadek with infinite presence of mind, "when your slave sleeps upon your threshold, it is always the custom to change their position." " Is it so?" said the King, apparently satisfied with the reason, and allowed the change to he made. Nothing snore being required, Sadek helped the King to his repose (the last before the grave !); and an taking his leave he fixed the lamp in a position favourable to his purpose, and took so accurate a survey of the relative situation of every object in the room, that he knew at once whither to direct his steps. He then returned to Hussein, whose state of nervousness almost amounted to madness, so little prepared was he to he an actor in the tragedy. A small lamp burnt in their room, by the light of which Sadek, with a gloomy determination overspreading his features, inspected the fatal dagger (a long Georgian hi/aqui., made of highest tempered steel), which was to seal the fate of the despot. Not daring to speak, scarcely to breathe, they communicated to each other by signs. They did not take off their clothes; both had prepared themselves for immediate fight as soon as the deed was over, and horses were ready saddled waiting for them at a moment's notice.

The hour of midnight, for which they had been watching with nervous ex- pectation, at length was announced by the sentinels on the city walls ; and then, indeed, their courage was put to the test. Sadek's rose in proportion as Hus- sein's fell. The youth was scarcely alive, still he kept as steady a countenance as he could, and loOked at his dagger. Sadek arose, and trimmed the waning lamp, his face exhibiting to the timid Hussein features full of stern resolution. "Bias, come! wakt shoed 1 It is his time," said Sadek.

" One minute," said Hussein, his heart totally failing him. At that moment they heard an audible sigh from the Shah. " In the name of the Prophet, what's that ?" said the youth. "Come on," said Sadek fiercely, "otherwise thy heart shall feel this," brandishing his awful weapon in his face. He then led on, and slowly opening the door of the Shah's apartment, entered without making the least noise ; but .Hussein, in his excessive agitation, stumbled over the high threshold, and awoke the King. "What's that?" exclaimed his shrill voice. "Who goes there?" After that he immediately rose, and seating himself upright in his bed he perceived "Sadek !" roared he, "what do you seek ?" and at once perceiving his in- tention, he exclaimed, " Stop ! or ye die." " Die yourself," said Sadek ; " I come for thy blood ere thou takest mine." "I'll give you all you ask," said the King, groping about for his arms. "I am your king ; all ye desire, take."

" We want nothing but justice," said Sadek, " and this it is ;" upon which lie aimed- a deadly blow at the King, which he parried with his arm ; the King then raised his voice, and seeking safety in flight around the room, he dodged his assaseilVivith considerable dexterity. He had just seized his sword, when Sadelt,Watching his opportunity, plunged his dagger in the very inmost recesses of his heart. He fell; and as the stream of life flowed rapidly from the gaping wound, all he could articulate was;" I am the Shah—I—I—Shah—Shah—" Andthus fell the scourge of Persia's fair kingdom, and of her soft and thought- less sons.

At the sight of the breathless bloody corpse, Hussein actually sunk on the ground with dismay, and covered his face with his hands; whilst Sadek scarcely. giving himself time to cast a thought on the vicissitudes which had thus destroyed one who swayed over millions, sat doggedly to work to complete his task. He first sought for the fatal list in the pockets of the Shah, which he found; he then calmly severed the head from the body, wrapped it in a napkin, and pinned the list thereupon ; then taking it up in one hand, whilst he covered himself over with a cloak with the other, he left the apartment. Hussein fol- lowed him almost mechanically, scarcely knowing what he did. When they had quitted the palace, which they did unsuspected, being known to belong to the Shah, Sadek said to Hussein, " Now open thy eyes, say thanks to Allah for saving thy life, take to thy steed, and as ye would serve thy preserver, ride as if life and death depended upon thy exertions to the black tents of the Yamoot. Seek out Zohrab's mother, Mariam, the young Ali, and tell them to speed hither- wards with all haste. The Shah is dead, and Fatteh Ali reigns." Hussein, now fully restored to his senses, did as he was ordered, and Sadek took his own road through the city.

Though our expectations of' this work have been disappointed ..somewhat, it is impossible to deny that it is a novel of considerable spirit; that it throws a strong light on the history and character of the Persians ; and could not have been written but by one who has had long experience of the land.