her ladyship's heart, without by your leave or with your leave. Her ladyship having the offer (among many other good ones), of the hand of the Duke of Glassonbury in inarriage, but refusing it as soon as proposed, this circumstance leads through the lynx-eyed Mrs. Eaglehurst to a discovery, that her ladyship is far gone in love with her papa's private secretary.

The noble earl, who is, at this time, veering round the political orbit from south to north, and thinking he may not bring Beauford so easily to think as he wished him, knowing, from experience, his independent and manly spirit, gets rid of him as fast as he can, and with as much disgrace as he can attach to him. The earl insists, at the same time, on his daughter marrying the Duke of Glassonbury. But, no; Lady Emily, though she has had no other return of love told her but from the eyes of Beauford, very valiantly resists his Grace of Glassonbury's entreaties, and pines in splendid misery with as much grace and magnanimity as any fair damsel can desire.

M

Beauford undergoes much trouble and runs great straits to avoid a jail. His uncle being abroad, and having no way to support himself but by his pen (which, Lord help him as we know by the pinching of our stomachs, is slender enough), he is driven almost to despair. But just in the nick of time, his uncle returns home. A rich friend marries his sister. He is put into parliament, defends the Earl Altamont's character in St. Stephen's Chaple, wins his heart by so doing, and his daughter at the same time. And so they are married and live a pattern of conjugal felicity to all the country round about.

Amongst the characters which Mr. Card has attempted to pourtray, we think, that he has been most happy in that of the mitre-hunting parson, Dr. Glebmore, who has as much of that orthodox elevation of nose, supercilious sneer, and taciturn dignity, as heart can wish, The next best is Warpdale's character, in whom is pourtrayed a young mind, suffering envy to obscure his reason and his rectitude; but who is brought to a proper sense of his unworthiness, repents, and makes reparation accordingly. Mrs. Eaglehurst is a meddling, artful woman, who, by her over caution and cunning plans, defeats herself, and is despised as she deserves. The widow, Froth, Mr. Pivot, and Mr. Featherweight, have each their appropriate parts to act but as they make but a small figure in the picture, we will only give them a passing nod. We think, that Mr. Card has been very unlucky in his selection of names,

as of Mr. Featherweight, Mrs. Froth, Warpdale, &c. We entirely disapprove of names that forestall the character; it mars the whole work, let it be ever so good. Mr. Card has made a sensible book, if he has not made an amusing one; and, with a little more knowledge of character, we have no doubt, that in his next (for he must recollect, that he is now enlisted under the banners of the novel regiment of dragoons), he will correct those little errors which may be found in Beauford, and improve as much in sprightli ness and wit as he has satisfied us by his morality, and good sense and judgment in the prescut performance.

ART. VI. A Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the Years 1808 and 1809; in which is included, some Account of the Proceedings of His Majesty's Mission, under-Sir Harford Jones, Bart. K. C. to the Court of the King of Persia. By James Morier, Esq. His Majesty's Secretary of Embassy to the Court of Persia. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1812, 4to. 31. 13s. 6d,

WE ought to be thankful for whatever information is offered to us on the state of Persia; a country so remote from us in geographical position, and so little connected with Europe either by diplomatic or commercial relations, as to be seldom visited by travellers. Mr. Morier indeed says, p. 48, that in historical interest, Persia is perhaps superior to any Asiatic empire, because more nearly connected with the fortunes of Europe.' But we may safely assert, that his opinion is very little warranted by the tes timony of history; for except in some few instances, such as that recorded by Knolles. in 1610, when the Persians. proposed to make commmon cause with the Germans by a simultaneous attack on their common enemy the Turks, we do not find that the co-operation of Persia has been at all calculated upon, in any of the political speculations of the cabinets of Europe, since the period of the decline of the Roman empire almost to the present century. Why the Eng lish first thought of sending an embassy thither a few years ago, it would be vain for us to attempt to discover by any deduction from reason; and it would be equally vain to expect information, n that head, from the work before us, which is written by a gentleman' attached to the English legation, and consequently bound to secrecy as t all its official proceedings,"

In point of time, the mission of Sir Harford Jones to Persia, accords so exactly with our misunderstandings with the court of St. Petersburg, that we are very much inclined to believe, the chief object of it was to establish an interest in that country (which may be considered as the natural enemy of Russia), so as to enable us to hold out motives to the latter power which might either intimidate her from opposing, or cajole her to concur in the views of the English ministry. The ostensible object of the English mission was to counteract the projects of the French, and to baffle the intrigues of General Gardanne, who had arrived at the court of Persia as the embassador of the Emperor Napoleon. Sir Harford Jones appears to have been chosen for effecting these purposes, on account of his general experience in the politics of Asia, and more especially on account of his knowledge of the language and the manners of Persia; and he again made choice of our author, who is a native of Smyrna, the son of a Swiss merchant, in order to assist him, in the capacity of private secretary, with his knowledge of the Turkish language, which is fashionable in Persia, and familiar to, people of rank. Local knowledge is indeed valuable, but its value may be overrated. The first requisite in an English embassador, is a mind deeply imbued with English feelings, and love for the English constitution, founded on a thorough knowledge of its real excellence. A long residence in a country where despotism is established, is very apt to efface the impressions of this kind which may have been derived from school-education, and to generate habits of feeling and thinking (perhaps even of acting), which are foreign, and even con trary to them. This we apprehend to have been the case, in some degree, with Sir Harford Jones and his secretary, who on many occasions, appear to have blended together Asiatic and English opinions and ideas, if not wholly to have substituted the foreign for the national mode of thinking.

Sir Harford Jones had not yet landed from the frigate which carried him from Bombay, when he sent a message to the Sheik of Bushire, informing him, that

he expected from the Sheik all the respect due to the station which he filled, and that if he did not receive those honours to which the king of England's mis sion was entitled, the Sheik should be held responsible til! the wi, shes of the court of Persia were known. p. 11.

The menace implied in this first official communication of the English envoy, is as indefinite as the mystery which

hangs about modern diplomacy, can possibly desiderate. The intimation did not however effectually secure our minister from freedom of behaviour on the part of several of the Persian public functionaries. He was obliged, even during his stay at Bushire, to reprove a certain Nasakchee Bashee, or chief executioner, for pulling off his black sheep-skin cap in his presence, p. 34; and when this important affair was adjusted to the envoy's satisfaction, the same incorrigible personage again incurred his displea sure, for in making him a present of a horse, he sent, forsooth, at the same time, another horse, as a present to Mr. Bruce, the East-India Company's assistant-resident at Bushire, an officer very much inferior in rank to Sir Harford Jones, Baronet, and knight of the order of the cres

cent.

The honours which Sir Harford Jones received in his progress towards Teheran, the seat of government, were, in some instances, we are told, the same as are shown to the king and the royal family of Persia. Sir Harford consequently became more and more punctilious, and even irritable, as he advanced in his journey.

The day on which the mission came in sight of Shiraz, says Mr. Morier,

was replete with attentions and honours.' 'An istakball, composed of fifty horsemen of our Mehmandar's tribe, met us about three miles from our encampment; they were succeeded, as we advanced, by an assemblage on foot, who threw a glass vessel filled with sweetmeats beneath the envoy's horse, a ceremony which we had before witnessed at Kouzeroon, and which wa again understood to be an honour shared with the king and his sons alone. Then came two of the principal merchants of Shiraz, accompanied by a boy, the son of Mahomed Nebee Khan, the new governor of Bushire. They, however, incurred the envoy's displeasure by not dismounting from their horses, a form always observed in Persia by those of lower rank, when they meet a superior.' p. 97.

On the morning of the 30th. Dec. the day fixed for our public entry into Shiraz,' says Mr. M. p. 99. all the suite, ap. peared in full uniform, and the envoy in a Persian cloak, or cataber, made of shawl, and lined with Samoor fur; a dress permitted to the princes alone, and on that account assumed by Sir Harford, as the best means of conveying to the senses of the multitude, the high consideration of the office which he bore.'

In this masquerade dress of ceremony, it was perfectly consistent and natural, that the envoy should stickle for honours and distinctions with more pertinacity than ever; accordingly Mr. Morier says, p. 100.

At about two miles from the city we were met by some of the chief men of the place. It was a long contested negociation, whether they also were to pay the envoy the compliment of dismounting, nor would they have submitted to this part of the ceremony, if Kerim Khan, the bearer of the king's letter, had not rode forwards and represented to them, that as he was sent from his majesty to see that every respect was properly shewn to the representative of the British king, he must report their present conduct at Teheran. This hint had the desired effect, and as their party approached, the chiefs dismounted, and I, with some other gentlemen of the mission, dismounted also, and went forward to meet them: the envoy formally expressed his determination to alight to nobody but the minister.'

Then follow in order the names of the distinguished persons who, as Mr. M. says, had yielded the honour so reluctantly. Again, on the mission's approaching Ispahan, we are gratified with the relation of another instance of the envoy's dignified firmness' overpowering obstacles in the same triumphant manner.

'We were told that a tent had been prepared by the governor for the envoy, and that he himself was there in waiting. The envoy stopped his horse, and declared that unless he was met by the governor on horseback, he would take no notice of him, but proceed to his own tents, and march straight forward to Teheran. This produced the desired effect. The governor came forth, and met us a few paces from his tent, and we then proceeded towards it, and alighted.' p. 162.

Sir Harford Jones's own predilection for the pomps and vanities of rank and station is thinly covered by an overtrained zeal for the honour of his majesty's letter, which he was carrying to the king of Persia. This letter is on all occasions of difficulty our envoy's grand cheval de bataille, and is treated with honours next to divine, in order to sanction the extravagance of his own pretensions.

It will be well to remark,' says Mr. M. p. 161, ⚫ that from the commencement of our march, Sir Harford Jones took precautions to ensure every honour to his majesty's letter. It was always placed in a takht-e-ravan or litter, which was escorted by ten Indian troopers and an officer, and was never taken out or replaced without the trumpet of the guard sounding a blast. Whenever we stopped, it was deposited in the tent of ceremony under a cloth of gold; a sentry with a drawn sword was placed over it, and no one was permitted to sit with his back to it. The correspondence of princes is a general object of reverence in the east; and the dignity which by these observances, we attached to the letter of our sovereign, raised among the people a corresponding respect towards his representative.

Now we must not by any means be understood to insi