Tar Alliance; to which it would be flattery to spply the time honoured adjective "Holy," seems to have been renewed between the Emperor of all the Russias and the Shah of Persia by 8 visit of the latter to St. Petersburg. A fow short} years ago the Londoners were seized frith one of their periodical crazes. Th Shah of Persia was the mania of the\minate. He was an august and withal}'s mysterious potentate. The Daily. Telegraph, on his avatar in the English metropolis, poured out her richest bursts of quasi-historical lore. It must be confessed the Shah was a promising subject for this kind of literature. Nobody knew very much about him, and in "looking up" Persia in order to make an effective leader, there were opportunities for introducing Cyrus, and Smerdis, Cambyses, and Ahasuorus, the Magian and the Oromasdian creeds. The Arabian Nights might also be used freely, and references to the voluptuous verse of Hafiz and the chivalrous valour of Nushirwan would supply an abundance of local colour and brilliancy to the sketch.
But the newspapers could have done nothing had it not been for the diamonds. The Shah's aigrette of priceless gems was an oriflamme which all the sightseers in London followed in crowds.
Not to have seen the Shah's diamonds was to confess yourself unknown. So Nasser-ed-Deen flashed through a London season, was made a Kui, ut of the Garter and every body was charmed.
Presontly, however, very ugly stories came out about the pratal manners and filthy habits of the Oriental potentate and his suite. The retinue of the Sovereign wore unsavoury and disgusting in their customs. They befouled everything they touched and stole everything they could lay their dirty flogers upon, The cruel and wicked misgovernment of the Shah himself was proved to be the cause of his country's misery, and naturally a reval-sion of feeling has set in. The reception of the "descendant of Cyrus" in London reflects the change, and be is not more endeared to the British pation at present because he is naturally by the law of elective affinities striking up a renewed friendship with the Czar.
The Shab's visit to London has some odd points of similarity with the visit of the illustrious founder of the modern Russian monarchy, Peter the Great, and it must be confessed that the points of resemblance between the great Czar and the Shah are not amongst the more agreeable traits in Peter's character. When the Persian's diamonds had ceased to dazzle the eyes of the London crowds, and they began to scrutinize their guest, personal peculiarities were discovered and detailed similar to those which came to light on the departure of the Czar Peter from Deptford in 1698. OF these objectionable idiosyncracies Lord Macaulay says:—" It was, indeed, not in the character of tenant that the Czar was likely to gain the good word ized men. With all the high qualities which were peculiar to himself, had all the filthy habits which were then common among his countrymen. To the end of his life, while disciplining armies, founding schools, framing codes, organising tribunals, building cities in deserts, joining distant seas by artificial rivers, he lived in his palace like a entertained by other Sovereigns, never hog in a sty; and, when he was
failed to leave on their - tapestried walls and velvet state beds unequivocal proofs that a savage had been there." The Shah is a Sovereign possessing apparently all the disgusting features which disfigured the character of Peter without any of those traits of com. manding ability which distinguished the Czar, and we cai imagine the unfortunate Alexander undergoing a new penance in having to treat with civility person who must remind him oonstantly of the most offensive peculiarities of his famous predecessor. The sight of the world renowned diamond aigrette must fail to suggest pleasant feelings to the Emperor of Russia aa it must remind him of the jewels that have been lately parted with in largo quantities by his subjects, The cruel necessity which his criminal folly has imposed on his people has revealed the hoarded precious stones which were stored in out-of-the-way towns in Russia, amongst many others the aquamarine weighing over six ounces and-a-half, and the topaz rivalling that purchased from the Great Mogul at Goa, which have lately been received from Moscow and disposed of to Mr. Bryce Wright, of Great Russell Street, for twenty-one thousand pounds sterling.
Persia has been for some time "substantially a vassal of Russia because of her own utter weakness," and therefore it is natural enough that the Shah should be received with cordiality and splendour at St. Petersburg; but Aloxander must feel that no practical good can come from blazing to the world that he has one more weak and disreputable ally. The champion of oppressed Bulgaria ought to be in a state of holy wrath with a ruler whose sway over his unhappy subjects is the most impoverishing and ruinous tyranny under heaven, and so the conviction of his palpable inconsistency must be added to the other unpleasant sensations which the Czar must associate with Persian diamonds and Persian dirt.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.