Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1877 — Oriental Idea of Gifts. [ARTICLE]

Oriental Idea of Gifts.

Among Orientals, as appears in all these instances, presents are pot made to persons of rank and wealth for their intrinsic value; but either as a means of gaining admittance to the great man’s presence, in order to sue for favors, or as a concession to his rank. So little are such presents valued by the wealthy Monarchs of the East, that in the majority of cases only a catalogue of their names and value is read before the King, while the presents themselves never meet the royal eyes, but are distributed in the harem or among the subordinates of the palace., The only exceptions are in favor of any foreign or very curious article, which, in such cases, he commands to be brought into his presence, and the questions and remarks thus elicited are odd enough-to Western ears; for, sated as are Oriental* Monarchs with pomp and magnificence, I have seen more than one of them thrown into ecstasies at the sight of some simple piece of mechanism, solely because it was foreign and had come from a great distance. The old usurper who sat on the Siamese throne, previous to the last reign, evinced such eagerness to inspect (he first pair of foreign eye-glasses he had ever seen, as to prove that ladies are not the sole monopo-

lists of the article of curiosity; and when American ladies first began to attend his levees, he showed as great anxiety to ex-, amine their drees ana ornaments as does a child to obtain possession of the last new toy. When one of the King’s fair visitors pnsented “ Ilia Serene Majesty” with a silver fruit-knife, the stout old man of seventy forgot alike his pomposity and his infirmities, and clapped his hands with as much of juvenile emprettement as ever did boyish knight on gaining possession of his first riding horse or miniature spurs; and this, too, while whole sets of gold and silver plate of every possible form thronged his gorgeous palace tails a manger. But such Instances are the exceptions; as a general rule, royal presents seldom meet the royal eyes. The requirements of courtly etiquette having been satisfied by their presentation, the Monarch feels ho further interest in the matter, not even enough to inquire what has been their ultimate destination. When a friendly visit is paid to a King by invitation, it is considered indecorous to offer anything in the form of a present. It is then the Monarch’s turn to bestow gifts on bis guesti, which he sometimes does in munificent fashion, especially on his favorites. I have among the souvenirs of my eastern tour many dainty gifts received from royal hands, on pleasantlyremembered occasions of regal hospitality. Yet even those who are thus familiarly received, and “whom the King delighteth to honor,” when invited by himself, are expected, when seeking an audience for their own purposes, to come not empty-handed into the presence of royalty. If the visitor have a boon to crave, the present must be in proportion to the dignity or valus of the favor sought; not to purchase the Monarch’s good-will, but to evince the petitioner’s appreciation of the power and position of him at the foot of whose throne the request is laid, as well as to atone for the liberty of appearing uninvited before the royal presence. This is but a modification of the old Persian law, that made it death for any to enter into the presence of the Monarch unbidden, unless the golden scepter was held out, to bid the suppliant approach, as in the case of Queen Esther. Ambassadors who have treaties pending, or rather Government matters to arrange with Oriental Courts, are expected to bring a fresh present every time they seek an interview with the Monarch in person; nor can they secure the interview without sending in the offering that is to prepare the way.— National Repository.