Mecca to visit the black stone, the temple of
Kaaba, and purifying himself in the waters of Zim-zim, the miraculous
spring which God caused to issue from the earth for Agar, and her son
Ismael. He would do more; he would distribute a double zekath[4] to the
poor, and win back for the divan-beghi the noble title which the people
gave to the mechanic of the suburb of Julfa.

The first judgment which he pronounced as divan-beghi, bore evidence of
this excellent resolution; but an unfortunate event occurred, which
proved the truth of the following verse of the renowned Ferdusi, in his
poem of the "Schah-nameh."[5]

"_Our first fault, like the prolific poppy of Aboutige, produces seeds
innumerable. The wind wafts them away, and we know not where they fall,
or when they may rise; but this we know, they meet us at every step upon
the path of life, and strew it with plants of bitterness._"

The royal aigrette of Schah Abbas was again broken, and immediately
confided to an old comrade of Bebut. He had not, however, the surname of
"Honest," and his work was consequently subjected to a cautious
scrutiny. Now, it was discovered that a very fine diamond had been taken
from the jigha and fraudulently replaced; the unfortunate jeweller was
arrested and dragged to the tribunal of the divan-beghi. The ambitious
Bebut felt that there was no chance for him if he did not hurry the
affair to an immediate close. He forthwith condemned his innocent
fellow-labourer to the punishment due to his own iniquity, and the
sentence was executed on the instant.

His conscience told him that a man like him was unworthy to administer
justice to his fellow-citizens. A pilgrimage to Mecca would now no
longer suffice to appease his remorse; his ambition told him it could be
lulled by nothing but luxury and splendour. By severe exactions, he
amassed large sums; and by gifts contrived to gain over the most
influential members of the divan; he thus got appointed Khan of
Schamachia, and, from the modest distinctions of the judicature, he
passed to the turbulent honours of military power--a change by no means
rare in Persia.

Abbas was then collecting all his forces to march against the province
of Kandahar, and to reduce the Afghans, who have since ruled over his
descendants. In the battles fought on this occasion, Bebut the Ambitious
gained the signal favour of one equally ambitious; for Abbas was an
indefatigable conqueror, whom fortune, with all her fav