"The Eternal God," Sir Moses writes, "listened to the prayers of many millions of Her Majesty's loyal subjects in all her vast dominions. The precious life of the Prince of Wales is saved! May it be preserved for very many years!"

December 27th.—A telegram from the Secretary of the Relief Committee at Ispahan reached him, acknowledging the receipt of one of his letters, with remittance, and adding that of the 1700 Jews of the community in Ispahan, 1200 were starving, and reporting further heartrending details.

"This is work," Sir Moses says, "for next year, but I hope, D.V., to be able to accomplish it."

CHAPTER XXXI.
1872.

PETITION TO THE SHAH—OUTRAGES IN SMYRNA—SECOND MISSION TO RUSSIA—VISIT TO STOCKHOLM—INTERVIEW WITH THE CZAR ALEXANDER II.

FROM January to July 1872 Sir Moses, as President of the Board of Deputies of the British Jews, was engaged in an extensive correspondence with many congregations and individuals in England, as well as in other parts of the world, and subscriptions to the fund for the relief of the famine-stricken Jews in Persia continued to flow in. The Board was most active. The sum of £10,850 had already been remitted, and distributed among the sufferers in Teheran, Shiraz, Ispahan, Bushire, Uroomia, Hamadan, Yeza, Demarend, Gilpaigon, Kashan, and Bagdad; but cries for more help, and appeals for rescue from the hands of oppressing governors and officials continued daily to arrive, and it was deemed expedient to petition the Shah in the matter.

Sir Moses, without delay, addressed a letter to His Majesty, of which I subjoin a copy.

To His Most Gracious Majesty Nazer-eddin Shah, the Mighty Ruler of
Persia, exalted Glory and lasting Peace.

"May it please your Majesty,—Relying on the magnanimous and most noble principles of justice and mercy which adorn the life of your Majesty, I ventured to lay at the foot of your Majesty's throne, on the 22nd day of Rámádan, 1282 A.H., by Charles Alison, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Minister in Teheran, an humble petition on behalf of my co-religionists residing under your Majesty's benign and glorious sway in Persia, and had the happiness of receiving from Her Britannic Majesty's Government a communication to the effect that, in consequence of the representations which Her Britannic Majesty's Minister in Teheran had made, your Majesty had most graciously written an autograph letter to the Siphesálár, informing him that the Jews should henceforth be treated with justice and kindness.

"Emboldened by the gracious reception your Majesty has given to my most humble prayer, I crave now your Majesty's permission to tender the offerings of most heartfelt gratitude of many thousands of my brethren dwelling in Her Britannic Majesty's dominions, and to entreat your Majesty further to extend your Majesty's powerful protection towards the Israelites residing in your Majesty's vast realm, especially at the present moment, when the papers throughout Europe spread the report that my brethren are greatly oppressed by a number of officers, who do not understand the noble and humane intentions of your Majesty—officers who, it is said, give to an apostate from the religion of his forefathers (against the will of your Majesty, whose sole glory consists in securing perfect happiness and justice to all your Majesty's subjects, without regard to their faith and social conditions)—the right of claiming and taking possession of all the property that may have been left at the demise of any of their relatives still adhering to their ancient religion, causing thereby the greatest possible distress to those of my brethren, who prefer death to apostasy from their religion.

"All friends of humanity and civilisation look up with a feeling of the utmost anxiety to the vigilant eye of the Mighty Ruler of Persia, and are longing to hear that your Majesty, as on a former occasion, received graciously the most humble prayer of an Israelite, who, whilst invoking the Creator of the Universe, the Father of all, that the glorious reign of your Majesty may be exalted by justice and mercy, the guardian angels of your Majesty's throne, begs leave to subscribe himself with reiterated expressions of the most profound gratitude, your Majesty's most humble and most obedient servant,

(Signed) "Moses Montefiore."