they put them into a bag; but they are there thrown off some high tower, to their inevitable destruction. No trial by jury is necessary, no Doctors Commons; to be judged by their husbands and executed is short work. In this way several women were thrown from the top of the Ark, shortly before my last visit to Tabreez.

Sterility amongst the married ladies of Persia is deemed as great a reproach as in the days of Rachel and Hannah. The birth of a son is a matter of great congratulation. Presents are sent of dresses for the infant, with sweetmeats, fruit, &c. The daughters are but little regarded beyond the precincts of the harem.

Marriages in Persia are contracted by the parents, and the betrothment takes place at a very early age. The bridegroom is consequently spared the wooing and the winning, since this is all done for him by parental kindness. The courtship is performed by proxy; so also is the marriage ceremony. I was curious to learn how the contract was entered into, since the groom is never permitted to see his bride until three days after marriage. She is reported to him by some female negociator to be "more blooming than the rose,

more odoriferous than the violet, better formed than Hebe;" at which description "his heart becomes a coal, and his liver is dried up." He then contracts with her parents for the dower which he is to bestow on his wife. The contract being settled, a moolah signs it, and the ceremony soon after takes place, each party being within hearing at the time, but not visible. The service is short and simple. "I, N., the authorised proxy for you, M., do take L. to be his perpetual wife, for such dower as you have agreed upon." The other replies, "I, N., the authorised proxy for you, L., do take her for his perpetual wife, upon condition of the dower agreed upon by both parties." Some prayers are then read by the moolah, and he enquires of each of the invisible persons whether they agree to the contract. They answer in the affirmative, and he then declares them to be lawful man and wife. When the ceremony is at an end, the veil is thrown over the bride, which is brought for her by the groom; she is furnished with some aromatic seeds, which she must eat on arrival at the house of her husband, in order to have a sweet breath in his presence; a little camphor or rosewater is given her. The bride sets out on horse

back for her new residence, accompanied by all her relations, who carry with them presents of She then begins her poetic invoca

sweetmeats.

tion

Holy Prophet, grant, I pray,

On this happy nuptial day,

That my husband and his mother,
Cousin, sister, uncle, brother,

Sanction without stint or measure

Every thing that gives me pleasure."

The feasting then begins, and continues for three days. With some great men it continues thirty or forty days, but with the poorest person never less than three days. The grade of society is much known by the time of keeping up this festival. Some extravagant and reckless persons have even spent their all on this festive occasion.

The occasional disappointment in this blindfold bargain reminds one of Rachel and Leah. No Persian would marry a woman that had been subjected to the gaze of other men. I knew an instance of a Khan that offered as much as a thousand tomauns to her father to be allowed to see his bride elect, which was refused. It is deemed absolute pollution. But under their veiled mystification, mistakes have sometimes occurred,

of marrying the wrong woman.

"In the reign of

Sultan Hassan, A.D. 1708, a proud Georgian chief sent to another chief, Meer Vais, to demand his daughter in marriage. The father being unwilling to give her up, and fearing to offend this great lord, substituted in place of his daughter a young girl who had been fostered in the house. The bride was received with all due ceremony, and installed as the wife of the proud Georgian chief." How his wrath developed itself when the denouement took place, the historian goes not on to show, confining himself to the fact of this marriage imposition.

I have understood that the marriage contract is a little speculative in most cases. There is one advantage, that in Persia marriages may be contracted for a limited period, from a week to a century; so that if any mistakes arise, they may soon be obviated. Dower is a most important point in the Persian marriage contract; and as the husband pays instead of receiving it, he thereby makes an absolute purchase of his wife.

Where the harem is on a large scale, such as the royal establishments, it is said to be a most extraordinary theatre of duplicity and intrigue. A

female having once passed its threshold has quitted the world for ever; no other male than her lord (and the eunuchs) will ever see her again; she is immured for life. The Mahomedans are bound to make liberal provision for their fair prisoners, and as I have already noticed, this forms a considerable part of the royal expenditure.

So jealous are the Persians respecting their women, that the harems are built in such a way as to render it impossible to overlook them from the most elevated positions. From the principal entrance of the great man's house branch different courts; so that the "harem kaneh" is perfectly distinct. Even our English "khanum" was similarly lodged in her own apartments. She always wore the "chadre," or veil; and so, indeed, did the English ladies at Tabreez. When I proposed paying her a visit at the "harem kaneh," her reply was, "I should be very happy to see you myself, but your appearance would produce an emeute amongst my female establishment." She received her friends always in the Khan's apartments, which, as I have observed, were established pretty much à l'Anglaise.

What shall I say of Persian beauty, completely