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THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

III.

disturbed the slumbers, or interrupted the tran-quillity, of the Persian . The monarch’s frown,he well knew, could level him with the dust;but the stroke of lightning or apoplexy might beequally fatal; and it was the part of a wise man,to forget the inevitable calamities of human lifein the enjoyment of the fleeting hour. He wasdignified with the appellation of the king’s slave;had, perhaps, been purchased from obscure pa-rents, in a country which he had never known;and was trained up from his infancy in the se-vere discipline of the seraglio . 8 His name, hiswealth, his honours, were the gift of a master,who might, without injustice, resume what hehad bestowed. Rustan’s knowledge, if he pos-sessed any, could only serve to confirm his ha-bits by prejudices. His language afforded notwords for any form of government, except ab-solute monarchy. The history of the East in-formed him, that such had ever been the con-dition of mankind . 11 The Koran, and the inter-preters of that divine book, inculcated to him,that the sultan was the descendant of the pro-phet, and the vicegerent of heaven; that pati-ence was the first virtue of a mussulman, andunlimited obedience the great duty of a sub-ject.

s The practice of raising slaves to the great offices of state is stillmore common among the Turks than among the Persians . The miser-able countries of Georgia and Circassia supply rulers to the greatestpart of the east.

b Chardin says, that European travellers have diffused among thePersians some ideas of the freedom and mildness of our governments.They have done them a very ill office.