bordering on the Cafpian fea. The first article C. 1724 Heg.1136 fixed the barrier between Ruffia and Turkey, by means of a line drawn at fixty-fix miles from the fea on the confines of the Daghestan, paffing at a like diftance from the fhore of Derbent, and ending at the confluence of the Kur and Araxes: by the fame article the contracting parties were to name commiffioners, and defire a mediator from France for the execution of this claufe, and that both fhould be at liberty to build forts on their own territories. By the fecond article, the town of Schamachya, the capital of the Shirvan, which was to remain under the fovereignty of the Porte, could not be fortified on any pretence, and the grand feignior was not to keep a garrison there but with the consent of Ruffia, in case of an infurrection, and folely for that time; the grand feignior engaged likewife never to let his troops pass the river Kur, without informing the czar of it. The third article fixed the limits of the Turkish empire and of the kingdom of Perfia, by a line which commenced where the other ended: that is to fay, at the confluence of the Kur and Araxes. In the fourth, the czar promifed hist mediation or his forces to procure the voluntary ceffion of, or to conquer by a common effort, the provinces guarantied to the grand feignior by this treaty: the contracting parties agreed, that if Shah Thamas refused to accede to it, they would begin with conquering thofe provinces which they had divided between them but were not in pof feffion Heg.1136. J.C.1724. feffion of, and that they would conjointly make themselves mafters of the rest of Perfia, to give it to him whom the two parties fhould unanimously judge most worthy of reigning, without the Porte or Ruffia's being able to keep any other province than those which they had mutually attributed to each other in the preceding articles. In the fifth, the grand feignior engaged to acknowledge Shah Thamas for king of Perfia, and to give him every neceffary fuccour to re-place him on his throne, on condition of his confenting to the treaty. Laftly, by the fixth article, if Shah Thamas refufed this agreement and the fuccours of Turkey, the Ruffians and Turks would agree together to place any other prince than Mir Mamout on the throne, in whose favor they would never hear any propofal. This treaty was figned the eighth of July. The ratification of the czar arrived foon, and the exchange was folemnly made the next day at the grand vizier's. The chancellor of the French embaffy prepared the neceffary acts, and the marquis of Bonac figned in quality of mediator. He was clothed on this occafion with a cloak of fable, an honor that had never yet been received by any minifter but the ambaffador from the emperor of the Weft after the peace of Paffarowitz; and the czar conferred the Order of St. Andrew on him. Shah Thamas having learned in his retreat that his pretended friends had parted between them the best part of his dominions, to pay themselves in advance the He mas ex diffatisfac tion at it to the czar. advance for the fuccour that they intended him, J.C. 1724 Heg.1136, fell into the most violent despair. He fent back & 1737the czar's refident, bidding him tell his master, The fophi that he would not think of accepting fuccours Shah Thawhich were to be fold him at fo dear a rate, and preffes his which he thought too well paid for already by giving up of the Dagheftan and Shirvan. ménaced in his letter this ally, whom he called a perfidious man, and told him that Providence was already come to his fuccour, fince the ufurper Mamout, after having been beaten by the people of the Khilan, who were tired of his tyranny, had been obliged to raise the siege of Ield in Irac. Perfia. And indeed fortune began to forfake Mir Ma- Affairs in mout, and his difgraces raised up the feditious complaints of his foldiers. They reproached him with having let the Perfians in their turn triumph over his courage, by infecting him with their manners, their fenfuality, their effeminacy, and even their religion, which he had the weakness to tolerate and partly to adopt, to please them. They talked with enthusiasm of a lieutenant of Mir Mamout's, called Afchraf, whom that jealous prince had fent out of the way, because the foldiers, who had often vanquished under the orders of that general, were continually extolling his talents, fagacity, and bravery. The reiterated clamours of the Afghvans conftrained Mamout to recall Afchraf after a few months. The ufurper of the Perfian throne, full of talents for war, and of that ferocious valour which braves perils and delights Heg.1136, 3.C.1724 delights in blood, abfólutely wanted that moral &1137 Courage which fagacity alone can give. Mir Mamout, incapable of refifting his prejudices, and of feeking to regain the public esteem, thought to put a stop to the clamours of the foldiery, by the execution of those who had the boldness to make him juft reproaches. This cruelty naturally increafed the number of the malecontents. The imprudent Mir Mamout, who began to fear the fate which he had himself made Shah Huffein fuffer, fancied he fhould pacify his army by auftere practices of religion, and that in an intimate acquaintance with God he should. receive lights that would enable him to manage a people of foldiers little under fubjection. He refolved to execute the Riadhiat, which is an abfolute retreat that the dervifes and most devout of the Muffulmen fometimes impofe on themfelves. It confifts in fhutting one's felf up for feveral weeks in a dark place, without taking any other food than a little bread and water once in twenty-four hours, repeating almoft without interval the name of all the attributes of God. This toilfome exercife causes the perfon who condemns himself to it to fall into an agitated fleep, during which the unufual diet occafions him dreams which he does not fail to take for extafies. Mir Mamout must have been very little better than a madman, to condemn himself to this abfurd practice, in a time when his prefence was fo neceffary at the head of his people. When f J.C. 1724. Heg.1136. Maffacre of fein's chil Mamout. When he came out of his dungeon,' after a month of this odd aufterity, he had quite loft his &1137 reafon. The first order that he gave was to bring Shah Huffein's children into a court of the palace, where they were guarded to the number of seventy. Shah Thamas alone, of this unfortunate race, had escaped during the fiege of Ifpahan. When these young victims came before Mir Mamout, he had their hands tied with their girdles, and having armed himself Shah Hufwith a poniard, began to maffacre them him- dren by Mir felf. The unfortunate Shah Huffein, drawn by the cries of his dying children, ran to this bloody fcene, when only the two youngest were left to flaughter, the eldest of whom was five years old. The old king covered them with his body, which he offered to the blows of the abominable executioner. Mir Mamout ftruck Shah Huffein in feveral places, without being able to touch the two children, to whom this wretched father gave life a fecond time. The monster, weakened by his long faft and by his rage, fell down with fatigue before he was able to complete his design. His followers, less barbarous, saved the three last victims, escaped from the fren Heaven. zy of their master. Heaven began in this life Chatife the chastisement which fo many cruelties merited. ments of A few days after the maffacre of Shah Huffein's children, the tyrant was attacked with an inward distemper that gnawed his bowels, and which, haying VOL. IV. |