Rica to Usbek, at * * *.
As I was in my room the other day, there came to me a dervish amazingly dressed. His beard descended to his rope-girdle; his feet were naked; his gown grey, coarse and peaked in places. The whole appeared to me so odd that my first idea was to send for a painter to make a sketch of it.
First of all he paid me a prolonged compliment, in which he informed me that he was a man of merit, and a
Capuchin to boot. “ They tell me, sir,” continued he, “ that you return soon to the court of Persia, where you hold high rank. I have come to ask your protection, and to beg you to obtain for us from the king a small establishment in the neighbourhood of Casbin for two or three friars.” “ Father,” said I, “ do you then wish to go to Persia?” “ Me, sir,” cried he; “I shall take better care of myself. I am Provincial here, and I would not exchange my place for that of all the Capuchins in the world.” “Then why the devil do you make this request ? ” “ Because,” said he, “ if we had this monastery, our Italian fathers would send out two or three friars.” “You know those friars, of course,” said I. “ No, sir, I do not.” “ ’Sdeath ! ” cried I, “ of what consequence is it to you that they should go to Persia then ? A charming project, indeed, to send two Capuchins to take the air in Casbin ! How useful that will be to Europe and to Asia ! and how important it is to interest monarchs in it! So, this is what is meant by your admirable colonies! Begone ; you and your fellows were not made to be transplanted ; and you had best continue to crawl about the places in which you were engendered.”
Paris, the 15th of the moon of Rhamazan, 1713.
ii 3