The prince put several questions to me, which Dr. Cassolani, who stood a few paces from us, interpreted.  They were nothing remarkable, chiefly common-places about my journey.  The prince can read and write in his mother tongue, and has, as I was told, some idea of geography and history.  He receives a few European newspapers and periodicals from which the interpreter has to make extracts, and read to him.  His opinion of the great revolutions of the time was, that the European monarchs might have been very good, but they were most remarkably stupid to allow themselves to be so easily driven from the throne.  He considered that the result would have been very different if they had had plenty of people strangled.  As far as regards execution and punishment, he far exceeds his father; and, unfortunately, has no controlling minister at his side.  His government is said to be that of a child; one moment he orders something to be done, and an hour afterwards countermands it.  But what can be expected from a youth of seventeen, who has received little or no education; was married at fifteen, and, two years afterwards, takes the unlimited control of a large province with a revenue of a million tomans (500,000 pounds), and with every means of gratifying his desires.

The prince has at present only one regular wife, although he is allowed to have four; however, he has no scarcity of handsome female friends.  It is the custom in Persia, that when the king, or the successor to the throne, hears that any one of his subjects has a handsome daughter or sister, he demands her.  The parents or relations are greatly rejoiced at this command, for if the girl is really handsome, she is, in any case, well provided for.  If, after some time, she no longer pleases the king or prince, she is married to some minister or rich man; but, if she has a child, she is immediately considered as the king’s or prince’s acknowledged wife, and remains permanently at court.  When, on the contrary, a girl does not please the regent at first sight, her family are very much disappointed, and consider themselves unfortunate.  She is, in this case, sent home again immediately, her reputation for beauty is lost, and she has not, after this, much chance of making a good match.

The princess is already a mother, but, unfortunately, only of a daughter.  She is, for the present, the chief wife of the prince, because no other female has given birth to a son; but whoever brings the first son into the world will then take her place:  she will be honoured as the mother of the heir to the throne.  In consequence of this custom, the children are unfortunately liable to the danger of being poisoned; for any woman who has a child excites the envy of all those who are childless; and this is more particularly the case when the child is a boy.  When the princess accompanied her husband to Tebris, she left her little daughter behind, under the protection of its grandfather, the Schach of Persia, in order to secure it from her rivals.