Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 17.4.7

17.4.7

The conferences usually took up two whole hours, after which admission was given to the most considerable of his friends, such as Seif-aaly-qhan, brother to Seif-qhan, and son as well as he, of Emir-qhan, Viceroy of Cabul; Roh-eddin-hussein-qhan, another son of Seif-qhan's, and a young nobleman with whom he had contracted an alliance; Naky-aaly-qhan, my younger brother; and Mir-aaly-yar-qhan son to Seif-qhan's sister; all illustrious persons to whom he used to join Radja-adjaib-ray, his Prime Minister, and after his death, his son, Radja Sehudj-ray. He admitted also the heads of the Paymaster's office, as well as those of the light artillery. To these were added the Secretary Rky-churamon, Djaafer-caly-qhan, Keeper of the Treasury, and Mirza-daud the Qhansaman or Steward. All these used to sit a full hour, and after exposing what they had to say, they took their leave, and then the Prince quitted the hall, and entered his sanctuary, where with some favourite ladies of his he would take an airing in that fine garden, which he had enclosed; or he mounted with them upon small ponies richly adorned, and rode with them up and down the enclosure. The evening being come, he performed his fourth prayer; and then was attended by some favourite actresses, dancers and singers of his; else, he remained alone, and was entertained with some curious and diverting story or tale, which lulled him to sleep; and this was at about nine or ten o'clock.