Harper's New Monthly Magazine Volume 34 December 1886 to May 1887 . ARMENIAN WOMAN IN STREET COSTUME. pomp is qualified to give majesty to a mon-arch, and to aid in the maintenance of pow-er in a despotic government. It was thegreat court pageants and ceremonials ofByzantium which aided to prop up the de-caying Roman Empire long after it hadlost its vitality, presenting by its continuedexistence for centuries after it became mor-ibund one of the most extraordinary phe-nomena in history. Nusr-ed-Deen Shah, the reigning sover-eign of Persia, is a man of good and pro-gressive ideas, patriotically


Harper's New Monthly Magazine Volume 34 December 1886 to May 1887 . ARMENIAN WOMAN IN STREET COSTUME. pomp is qualified to give majesty to a mon-arch, and to aid in the maintenance of pow-er in a despotic government. It was thegreat court pageants and ceremonials ofByzantium which aided to prop up the de-caying Roman Empire long after it hadlost its vitality, presenting by its continuedexistence for centuries after it became mor-ibund one of the most extraordinary phe-nomena in history. Nusr-ed-Deen Shah, the reigning sover-eign of Persia, is a man of good and pro-gressive ideas, patriotically inclined, butoften hampered by the character of liis en-tourage and the menacing aspect of Russia,frowning upon any progress in Persia thatwould tend to add to the independenceof an ancient monarchy that she hopeseventually to absorb without resistance—a. PERSIAN WOMAN, WITH VEIL RAISED, IN STREET COSTUME. problem that, in my opinion, is not likelyto be as easy as she supposes. The Shahis a man fond of the chase, a bold and skill-ful marksman, of social disposition, andprefers, as far as possible, to drop the irk-some ceremonies of state which surroundhim. On one occasion he said to an ele-gant and accomplished Persian gentlemanwhom he had honored by a visit to his su-perb country-seat, If only I could fora while lay aside the embarrassments ofmy position, how I should en^oy a freeconversation with a gentleman of yourtastes and culture! He gives an audience to his ministersevery morning about six, receives their re-X^orts, and gives his orders for the admin-istration of affairs. In the afternoon, andsometimes in the evening, he engages in 232 HARPER^S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. social converse with one or more of hisfavorite courtiers, or listens to the reading-of foreign periodicals. On such occasionsthere is sometimes a freedom of expres-


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