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 DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY THE AMEER. 369 and through their friends he endeavoured to enter into an arrangement with the people of Meshed. His brother, Prince Hamza, was in the meantime encamped within twenty-four miles of Herat. The Salar's party had lost the assistance of some allies whose aid might have turned the scale of victory. The chiefs of Mazenderan had been driven into opposition, and almost into rebellion, against the Shah's government by the vexatious policy of Haji Meerza Aghassi ; but on the guarantee of the English representative at the Persian court that their personal safety should be granted to them, at their own request and by the desire of the Shah, they at once repaired to court, where they received a flattering welcome. While Khorassan still continued in rebellion, the process of amelioration in other parts of Persia was found to be attended at every stage by difficulties that were almost insurmountable. The Ameer-i-Nizam was so thoroughly aware of the duplicity and venality of almost all the Persian courtiers, that he for a time could not fix upon a man who might with safety be employed in the task of cooperating with him in re- medying abuses, and establishing a system of equitable government. But the Ameer himself was as laborious as he was conscientious : he worked day after day and week after week, late and early, at the noblest task that can fall to the lot of man ; nor was he dis- couraged or disheartened by the difficulties which he had to surmount, and the intrigues he had to thwart. He enjoyed the unbounded confidence of the Shah, without which he could not have effected anything ; but he had not been fortunate enough to be able to secure 24