The Amours of Zeokinizul, King of the Kofirans | Page 2

View he left
Arabia Felix, his native Country, and travelled all over both Asia and

Africa. Always careful to take an accurate View of every Thing which
was worth being seen or known, and making a judicious Collection of
what was most remarkable in the Customs and History of the Countries
which he visited. But a very small Part of his Collection has reached us.
That we are so unhappy as to have only mutilated and unsatisfactory
Fragments of an Author of such Veracity, and in such curious Matters,
must be imputed to the want of Printing in most of the eastern Nations,
and the Ignorance of this Traveller's Heirs.
An Acquaintance of mine, who is extremely fond of Travelling,
thinking it would be a very acceptable Present, brought me these Sheets
from Ispahan, where they cost him twelve Tomans, that is between
twenty and thirty Pounds Sterling. I have translated it without either
diminishing, augmenting, or altering it in any one Particular. Only, for
the Reader's Convenience, I have expressed the Names of Posts and
Dignities in our Language, which in the Original were in Arabic,
keeping to it in the Appellations of Persons and Nations, out of regard
to historical Exactness. I do not in the least claim any Thanks or
Acknowledgements for my Trouble; the several Works of this Nature
which I have published producing in me an habitual Pleasure of
employing my Pen, for the Instruction and Entertainment of polite
Readers.
Possibly the whole Universe could not afford a more tranquil, happy
Kingdom than that of the Kofirans, would their Princes equitably sit
down contented with the Honours and Prerogatives with which they
were invested at their Institution, and not falsly imagine, that their
Grandeur and Glory consist in the Oppression of their Subjects; and
would they be watchful to entail the Harmony and due Subordination
betwixt the several Orders in their Government. Whereas for several
Centuries past, they have been labouring to erect an Arbitrary Power;
and the two last have taken large Steps towards this execrable End.
Zeoteirizul, the First of the Two, was Son to the greatest King that ever
govern'd the Kofirans. Being scarcely eight Years old when the Crown
devolv'd to him by his Father's Death, his Mother seiz'd the Reins of
Government. This Princess who was a Neitilene by Birth, was related

to the King of Jerebi. Secret History relates that, prompted by her
Ambition, she entered into a private Treaty with her Relation, her
Husband's most inveterate Enemy, and contrived his Murder, which
was unfortunately executed, to the great Loss and Grief of all true
Kofirans. What aggravates the Guilt is, that this worthy Prince was
stabb'd on the very Day of her Coronation, at a Juncture when he was
giving this flagitious Wretch the highest Mark of his Affection.
No sooner was the Queen declared Regent of the Kingdom, but she
bent all her Endeavours to establish her Power by protracting the King's
Minority, as long as possible. She constantly amused the young Prince
with Toys and Triffles; she kept him in such Awe that he trembled at
her Appearance, and durst not refuse paying a blind Obedience to those
whom she had placed near him. But so short-sighted is human Artifice,
that what she imagined would be the Basis of her Power, was the very
Thing which overthrew it. A crafty Mollak having insinuated himself
into her Confidence, made Use of it to gain that of the young King; and
being too sagacious a Politician not to foresee what he had to fear from
this enraged Woman, if he left her any Degree of Power or Opportunity
of hurting him, he compelled her to leave the Kingdom in a disgraceful
Manner; and by this successful Boldness, he became Master of the
young King, and the Depository of his Authority. His Pride, the general
Vice of his Order, made him take a Pleasure in humbling the Nobility.
He brought all Employments to depend upon the Court, and by this
Means the Persons of Quality to court the Minister's Favour, which
effectually exalted the Sovereign as much above them as he himself
affected in all Things to appear beneath him.
This Management soon brought upon him the Hatred of the whole
Nation; but notwithstanding such a declared and general Hatred, he was
succeeded by another Mollak. He had the same Views as his
Predecessor, tho' he acted on different Maxims. And the former having
succeeded in reducing the first Order nearer the second, he was for
bringing them both to an Equality, and raising the third to a Level with
them, by making all Employments and Dignities venial; and, without
any Regard to Merit, constantly bestowing them on the highest Bidder.
Thus, as the same Posts and Honours were equally attainable