314 A HISTORY OF PERSIA. jealous was the Persian court ! The Eussian envoy- extraordinary had, throughout the campaign in Affghani- stan, taken upon himself to act in accordance rather with what he believed or knew to be the wishes of the Imperial Cabinet, than in accordance with the written instructions which he had received from Count Nesselrode. In reply to the remonstrances which the representative of the British Government was instructed to address at St. Petersburg, he was offered permission to peruse the original drafts of all the despatches which had been addressed to Count Simonich for his guidance as to his conduct with reference to the Shah's expedition against Herat ; and, out of deference to Great Britain, Count Simonich was recalled, on the plea that he had exceeded his instructions. On the llth of August Colonel Stoddart arrived at the royal camp before Herat, and on the following day he found his Persian Majesty at length disposed to listen to reasonable proposals for a cessation of hostilities. When Colonel Stoddart had come to a pause in his address, the king interrupted him with the words " The fact is, if I don't leave Herat there will be war. Is not that it ?" The English officer replied " It is war. All depends on your Majesty's answer; and may God pre- serve your Majesty ! " Whereupon the Shah stated that this declaration was all he wanted ; that he had asked Mr. McNeill for it, who had declined to make such a declaration. Two days later Colonel Stoddart was sum- moned to the royal presence, when the king said "We consent to the whole of the demands of the British Government. We will not go to war. Were it not for the sake of its friendship we should not return from
