This Prince governed for full seven years the province of P8raniah with absolute power; but yet with so much equity and attention to the welfare of the subject, that both the nobles and husbandmen were exceedingly pleased with his government, and at all times ready to give it their applauses. Retired in a corner, at a distance from the great roads to and from Hindostan, he had no occasion at all either to wage war or to travel. So that his travels went no farther than Radjmahal, whither his uncle, who was very fond of hunting, used to repair almost every year; and sometimes he proceeded as far as M8rsh8d-abad, to see his brother, Nevazish-mahmed-qhan, and his nephews and nieces, as well as the Princesses of his family. Nor did he ever set out from P8raniah in a military equipage, but on two occasions: the first time it was to oppose Fahr-eddin-hosséin-qhan, that ill advised son of Séif-qhan’s; the other, it was to chastise Shek-mahmed-djelil, Zemindar of P8raniah, who enjoyed a good estate and a great revenue, but who was undone for having listened to the suggestions of senseless, ignorant friends, by whose counsels he excited troubles, proved refractory, and demolished his own welfare and family. This event happened in the height of the rains; and although sober advice was given that ill fated man, it proved of no avail. He was a staunch Shya, and endowed with many valuable qualifications, as well as inclined to do meritorious actions; but in this, he mistook so far the line of conduct which became him, as to engage in a course of contentions that brought upon himself a number of evils and disgraces that ended fatally, and at last poisoned his existence. To put an end to the troubles, and to bring the dispute to a conclusion, I interfered in his cause by sending persons to soften his mind, and by interceding with his lord, with no other view, I can assure, but that of rescuing that senseless man from the evils that hung over him; but my efforts availed nothing; and Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, against his own inclination, was obliged in the height of the rainy season to put himself at the head of his troops in order to bring him under controul. The troops which that ill advised man had raised, being intimidated by the Governor’s presence, did not dare to stand by him. He found himself at once plunged in a sea of dis­appointment; and being abandoned by every one, he was over­taken by the claws of destiny, and taken with his family and children, and everything belonging to him. He died in prison; but as he had spent in supporting troops, the public revenues he was entrusted with, an immense balance was found against his family; and it was repeated from his son, Gholam-hosséin; but I can say that after Sáyd-ahmed-qhan’s demise, I interested myself so earnestly with his son and successor, that I prevailed upon that young Prince to release a youth equally innocent, and ignorant of business, as well as incapable to pay; and I engaged the Prince to send him back to his family estate, where he might usefully employ himself in recalling his dispersed farmers, and in re-peopling that half ruined country. And thanks be to God Almighty, that the above service was performed on my part, without any mercenary view whatever of either retribution or reward; and as I hope that the reader will forgive me that digression, let us now revert to our anecdotes about Sáyd-ahmed-qhan.

My younger brother, Naky-aaly-qhan, was in his youth of a hasty violent temper, that never minded times or places. One day after rising from Sáyd-ahmed-qhan’s presence, he came and seated himself in the hall of audience, close to the Prime Minister, Radja Adjáib-ráy, when there entered a Gentoo of the Catry tribe, a man very low-born in that very country, and who bore on his forehead a delineation of all the troubles and evils which he would cause one day. Young Sháocat-djung, who was created Grand-master of the artillery of P8raniah by his father in imita­tion of Seradj-ed-döulah, who had been invested with a like office at M8rsh8d-abad, had thought proper to make of this man his Divan and confidant; and the young Prince’s department being very considerable by the numbers of cavalry and infantry attached to it, Achant-ráy (and that was the man’s name) acted as deputy to his master in it. This gentleman came for some busi­ness, and wanted to take his seat between Adjáib-ráy and Naky-aaly-qhan; the latter forbade him; the other proud of his office, and of his influence with his master, paid no regard to him; and he spoke a few words in contempt of it. Naky-aaly-qhan incensed at his presumption, ordered a servant of his, that stood behind, to pull down that man’s turbant; and finding the servant not ready enough, he pulled it himself, and threw it on the ground. The man stung to the quick by such an affront, quitted the assembly, and went in that condition to his young master, to whom he made great complaints. The young Prince was shocked; and in the first emotions of his resentment he ordered the troops of his department to keep themselves in readiness. As Naky-aaly-qhan’s house was over against Sháocat-djung’s lodgings, from which it was parted only by a large street, some gentlemen of distinction, who were his particular friends, (and such was Mirza-rustem-aaly, and his brother, Mirza-háider-aaly, with several others), hearing of his danger, armed them­selves, and ran to his assistance. Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, being soon informed of this tumult, sent for Laaly, the Colonel, a principal Commander of the artillery, who had a thousand musqueteers, and two hundred troopers under his orders, and he commanded him immediately to get his men under arms, and to go to Naky-aaly-qhan’s assistance. The officer answered “that as he might be opposed by Sháocat-djung, who was son to his Lord, he was at a loss how to manage.” Do, said the Prince, as you shall see done by; repel force by force. The Prince sent at the same time injunctions to all the Commanders attached to the artillery to forbid their moving to Sháocat-djung’s assistance, or their joining him in raising troubles, and that, under pain of being dismissed the service, and severely punished besides. The young lord hearing of their order, quitted the party, and repaired to the palace, where he appeared before the Prince, his father, with a most dejected countenance; and he complained heavily of the affront put upon him. The Prince answered every one of his complaints by a severe reprimand; and Sháocat-djung, both humbled and confounded at such a reception, expressed a repentance, and returned home very much discontented; insomuch that for a length of time, all intercourse ceased between him and Naky-aaly-qhan, both abstaining from speaking to each other. Some months after a wedding happened in Sáyd-ahmed-qhan’s family, at which both the young men were invited, and of course obliged to partake of the pleasures and entertainments of the feast. The nuptials lasted some days, at one of the last of which the Prince rose to get into his sanctuary, and he was already at the door, when, as if recollecting something, he came back to the assembly, and taking his son by the hand, he carried him to Naky-aaly-qhan, and said these very words: So much shyness and distance between brothers, is quite unbecoming; do you embrace each other, and do recommence to be friends again upon new terms. May God Almighty in His goodness forgive that worthy man and may He allow him to repose in a corner of His mansions of mercy! So much goodness and so much benignity I never heard of in the character of any Prince, nor of any lord constituted in power and dignity; nor has he ever been equalled by any one in these heavenly qualifications. May God’s forgive­ness and mercy be for ever upon his departed soul! Amen.

We have said somewhere that Abdol-aaly-qhan, my maternal uncle, had been obliged to seek his fortune, as far as the Imperial Court; but it was his ill fortune to advance very little his affairs by such a long voyage, although he had all the qualifications requisite for attaining the highest dignities, and he was much befriended by the Vezir, Zulficar-djung, son to the late Sadat-qhan. He therefore turned his views towards Mahmed-c8ly-qhan, a young nobleman who was son to Mirza-mohsen, and nephew to Ab8l-mans8r-qhan; and he lived some time in the society of that young lord, who after the victory gained over the Afghans, (victory in which Nevol-ráy lost his life) became his uncle’s Deputy in his Government of A8d. But my uncle having found means to fall out also with this young nobleman, he came to Banaress, where he took up his abode. As I seemed greatly affected by his misfortunes and disappointments, Sáyd-ahmed-qhan had the goodness to interest himself so far in his behalf, as to write pressingly to Aaly-verdy-qhan, his uncle, entreating him to pardon the exiled Commander, and to recall him into his service. Aaly-verdy-qhan answered every part of the above letter, but mentioned not one word about my uncle; and Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, having lost all hopes from that quarter, thought proper in compliment to me, to write a letter with his own hand to that unhappy Commander, in which he condoled with him upon his ill luck, but accompanied the condoleance with an order on his banker at Banaress, for his touching five hundred rupees per month, four months of which were paid him beforehand. Where are to be found now such sorts of men? Where are they to be found in our days? Where should they be?