Storia do Mogor 39.1.6

39.1.6

There happened during the time that I was in Isfahan another remarkable instance by which you can gauge the attention which Shah 'Abbas devoted to deciding justly. There were two rich men, one of whom had, during many months, run up an account with the other, there having been no opportunity of a settlement between them. One of them was called Mahomed Raza (Muhammad Riza), and he owed a large sum of money to the other, who passed as an upright man, and his name was Miza Esmail (Mirza Isma'il). Seeing that they could not come to an agreement, they decided that each should write down his argument and his version of the account. Folding up the papers, each man was to write his name on his own documents ; then they were to be enclosed together in a bag sealed with each man's seal and those of several witnesses. So said, so done. The good Mirza Isma'il, not suspecting the deceit of his debtor, Muhammad Riza, left the bag in his hands, with the understanding that when Shah 'Abbas returned from the chase, the said bag should be made over to the king, praying him to give orders for judging the cause. The agreement was that after the judge nominated by the king had given his finding, not another word should be said.