ou COMMENT L’OURS ÉCORCHA LE RENARD EN PRÉSENCE DU SHAH
[John] Chardin was present at an Audience [at Shah Abbas’s court in Isfahan] held for foreign ambassadors and noticed with surprise that although the courtiers drank wine at the banquet none of the ambassadors was offered any. He asked one of the noblemen near him the reason for this, and was told the following story.
Some years ago two ‘Muscovite’ Ambassadors Extraordinary had arrived from the Czar and at the audience before the Shah ‘drank so excessively that they quite lost their Senses’. The Shah had drunk the Czar’s health, and it was the Russians’ turn to pledge this worthy toast, ‘in a Cup that held about Two Pints. The second Ambassador, not being able to digest so much Wine, had a pressing Inclination to vomit, and not knowing where to disembogue, he took his great Sable Cap, which he half fill’d. It is well known that the Muscovites wear large and high Caps. His Colleague, who was above him, and the Secretary of the Embassy, who was below him, enrag’d at so foul an Action, done in the presence of the King of Persia and of the whole Court, reprimanded him and jogged him with their Elbows to remind him of going out. But he, being very drunk, and not knowing either what was said to him not what he himself did, clapp’d his Cap upon his Head, which presently cover’d him all over with Nastiness.’
The Shah, and the whole Court, was convulsed with laughter ‘which lasted about half an Hour, during which time the Companions of this filthy Muscovite were forcing him by dint of Blows with their Fists to rise and go out’. The Shah broke up the assembly and left after having made some extremely unpleasant remarks on the subject of Muscovites in general; but the result of this unfortunate but historic incident was hat never again was wine risked in the hands of any representative of the Russian state [or any other foreign dignitary for that matter…].
Michael Carroll, From A Persian Tea House: Travels in Old Iran (John Murray, 1960)
[blogmaster’s own additions]
[John] Chardin was present at an Audience [at Shah Abbas’s court in Isfahan] held for foreign ambassadors and noticed with surprise that although the courtiers drank wine at the banquet none of the ambassadors was offered any. He asked one of the noblemen near him the reason for this, and was told the following story.
Some years ago two ‘Muscovite’ Ambassadors Extraordinary had arrived from the Czar and at the audience before the Shah ‘drank so excessively that they quite lost their Senses’. The Shah had drunk the Czar’s health, and it was the Russians’ turn to pledge this worthy toast, ‘in a Cup that held about Two Pints. The second Ambassador, not being able to digest so much Wine, had a pressing Inclination to vomit, and not knowing where to disembogue, he took his great Sable Cap, which he half fill’d. It is well known that the Muscovites wear large and high Caps. His Colleague, who was above him, and the Secretary of the Embassy, who was below him, enrag’d at so foul an Action, done in the presence of the King of Persia and of the whole Court, reprimanded him and jogged him with their Elbows to remind him of going out. But he, being very drunk, and not knowing either what was said to him not what he himself did, clapp’d his Cap upon his Head, which presently cover’d him all over with Nastiness.’
The Shah, and the whole Court, was convulsed with laughter ‘which lasted about half an Hour, during which time the Companions of this filthy Muscovite were forcing him by dint of Blows with their Fists to rise and go out’. The Shah broke up the assembly and left after having made some extremely unpleasant remarks on the subject of Muscovites in general; but the result of this unfortunate but historic incident was hat never again was wine risked in the hands of any representative of the Russian state [or any other foreign dignitary for that matter…].
Michael Carroll, From A Persian Tea House: Travels in Old Iran (John Murray, 1960)
[blogmaster’s own additions]
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