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 424 A HISTORY OF PERSIA. gentleman a highly offensive letter, in which he insinuated that should the British flag be struck, the Sedr-Azem would be compelled to make certain revelations. His Highness must have known little, indeed, of the English character, if he really fancied that this threat would deter Mr. Murray from carrying into execution the mea- sure to which he had pledged himself. The British flag was lowered at the expiration of the last delay granted by the English Minister, and when the Sedr-Azem after this sent two messengers one of them of princely rank to the British Legation, to inquire whether there were no means of arranging the difference that had arisen, his messengers were told that, as preliminary measures to any arrangement for an accommodation of the dispute, the wife of Hashem Khan must be restored to her hus- band, and the Sedr-Azem must come to the British Mission-house to withdraw his offensive letter, and apologize for having written it. M. Bourree, the French minister at the Persian court, professing to view with great solicitude the progress of a negotiation, the unsuccessful result of which might have the effect of driving Persia to take part with Russia against Turkey, besought Mr. Murray to allow him to make one more effort to reconcile him with the Persian government ; and as he feared that the Sedr-Azem might refuse to come to the house of the British Legation for the purpose of making an apology for the offensive letter, he entreated Mr. Murray, for the sake of the alliance between France and England, to be contented with a written withdrawal of the letter and with the restoration of the imprisoned lady. Mr. Murray could not refuse his per- mission to the French Minister to make the attempt, and