Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 14.12.12

14.12.12

The attention to decence was carried so far, that Seradj-ed-doulah, who was the whole delight of his soul, and who used to get into the Prince's Seraglio at all times without sending or giving notice, was now commanded to submit to those demonstrations of respect and precaution, lest the sight of unlawful women should by some chance come to meet his youthful eye; a precaution to which Aalyverdy-qhan submitted himself now, always sending notice, whenever he went into his inner apartment. He also made it a point to shew those ladies every mark of regard and attention. Whenever he received any fine fruit, or any victuals had been prepared to his particular mind, (and he was very nice in this last article) he always sent them a share first of all, and then only he thought of his own consort and daughters; and such a share was always upon an equality. But whenever there happened to be some holy days, or some other solemn occasion, in which it became proper to send Shimshir-qhan's consort a compliment or a message suitable to the occasion, it was always by the expression of Nani or of my grand-mother. For as to the daughters, he never so much as mentioned them; a delicacy, that does him the more honour, as his own daughter, and his grand-children of both sexes, had been treated with the utmost contempt and contumely by those ungrateful miscreants, who would have never been able to repay him for the many favours heaped upon them, had they spent their whole lives in his service;