Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 25.7.10

25.7.10

The Minister brought forth a variety of apologies, such as "that Mubarec-ed-dowlah had already distributed so much money in alms, in his intention; the necessity of putting in repair his palaces of Now-Saht and Nyshat-baqh; the urgency of some expenditures, and such other matters; all which he thought sufficient excuses." What looks singular is, that in order to tranquillise the Qhan's conscience, he added "That he (Seyd-mahmed-qhan) had got out of his promise, but that himself was still entangled in it; and that he hoped to see the day when the Divine Providence would put it in his power to disburse and distribute that money." Wonderful God! may I admire that variety of traces, everywhere discernible, of your Divine dispensations, by which you have spread amongst a single species of your creatures so much difference of tempers, and such a diversity of dispositions, that one individual shall spend so much of his consequence and time in covetously hunting after a dignity, which another individual, a thousand times inferior to him in wealth, shall have spurned at and rejected, although offered to him with solicitations and intreaties, by the reigning powers, and by the Lords of the land! Aaly-hibrahim-qhan struck the feet of contentment and resignation into the head and breast of that office, and remained unmoved by all its temptations, and all their prayers. But you are so, O worthy man, by a particular gift of the Author of all love!