weak mortal can no more be anfwerable for CHARLES LEE." TH 1 (L. S.) Anecdote of Queen Caroline. HE memory of Queen Caroling is revered for the excellence of her domeftic character. As a mother, fhe fhone in a confpicuous manner, by the attention which the paid to Cultivating the difpolitions of her children. Of her Majefty's fuperior talent for that tender office, of her adroitnefs in feizing the haypy moment to inftil virtuous principles, the following anecdote records an inftance, which ought never to be forgotten : The Princefs Royal was accuftomed, at going to reft, to employ one of the ladies of the court in reading aloud to her, till she Gould drop afleep. It happened, one evening, that the lady who was appointed to perform this office, being indifpofed, could not, without great convenience, endure the fatigue of fanding, yet the Princefs was inattentive to her tuation, and fuffered her to continue reading till fhe fell down in a fwoon. The Queen was informed of this the next morning. Het Majefty faid nothing upca the fubject; but at night, when fhe was in bed, fent for the Princefs, and, faying that The wished to be lulled to reft, commanded her royal highnefs to read aloud. After fome time, the Princefs began to be thed of fanding, and paufed, in hope of receiving an order to feat herfelf." Proecd," faid her Majefty. In a fhort time a end ftop feemed to plead for reft.-Read on," faid the Queen.-Again the Piccis ftopped: again he received an orer to proceed: till at laf faint and breathes, he was forced to complain. There did abis excellent parent exhort her daughter wy forbear how the indulged herself in eafe, wahe the fufered her attendants to endure annemiley fatigue. A furious example to mothers, how to cease and improve occations for forming the difpofitions of their children. A Receipt for the Gravel AKE fa large oyfter fhells, calcine them thoughly to lime, and throw ink ted hot into four quarts of rain or river water in an earthen veffel. Stir the mixture, and letting it ftand one day, pour it off clear for ufe. To half a pint of this water, warm, add a wine glass full of the inedicine called Oriental Cordial, fweeten it to your tafte, and take it warm going to bed. makes a moft agreeable punch, and will fcarce fail of fpeedy fuccefs, if continued in proportion to the ftate of the diforder. Virtue in Diftrefs. A Dialogue between a married Couple. (Tranflated from the French.) Lucinda. MY It Y dear husband, how happy am I to fee you? (taking his hand.) Eraftus. (Embracing her) Gud bless you, my dear! How have you paffed your time fince I left you ? L. As much to my fatisfaction, and happily as ever can, when you are abfent. I have been finging when my little occupations afforded me leifure. E. My dear wife, how I admire thy firmnefs in misfortune; thou theweft me what a real heroine is! L. I reckon myfelf fortunate in poffeffing you; and the confcioufnefs of virtue will not fuffer my courage to fink. I am never unhappy but when you imagine yourself to be fo. E. Gracious Heavens! what tenderness for me! It is that tenderness which has reduced thee to this fituation, and which would reduce a common, foul to defpair! L. I conjure you, fince what I have faid is the moft foleinn truth, do not conftantly difturb our tranquillity with fuch remembrances, they too fenfibly wound my feelings. I proteft, and I call Heaven to be my witnefs, that my tranquillity is not feigned. I am happy in poffeffing you; and without you, every other bleffing would ferve but to make me miferable. E. Indeed! and is it true then that notwithstanding our extreme poverty, that notwithstanding the defperate ftuation of our affairs, that air of tranquillity is not affected to hide thy chagrené? Is it certain that it proceeds from the inward calinnefs of thy foul? L.I have no uneafinefs but what proceeds from feeing you unhappy. E. "How good? L. Be aflured that there are thoufands in a worfe fituation than we; fhall a difcontented mind make us more iniferable than they? . It cannot make us poorer, my dear -the birds of heaven are richer than we, alas! we have neither food nor the means of procuring any left. I am juft returned from heating; I was in hopes that the chace would would procure me fome fupply, but I have met with no fuccefs. Miferable want! thee however I could have borne, your courage, my dear, would animate mine; but when I think of my children, when I fee them ftruggling to reftrain their tears left we should be affected, how is it poffible to avoid feeling the bittereft anguish? L. My dear friend! evils that exift no where, except in our imagination, ought not to damp our courage. Our eldest fon is gone to the neighbouring foreft to gather fruits; he will not return without fome. We may likewife depend on the care of Simon, who will foon return from the city. E. I am ashamed to find that fear has fo much influence over me. L. (Shewing bim a piece of embroidery.) Befides, here is a work which I have juft finifhed: Simon may carry it to town, and fell it to the woman who pays me fo well for my works. Let us not lofe our patience; call to mind, my dear, what is past; have often been in defperate fituations, and always found that fuccour was nearer than we imagined. we E. The greatnefs of your foul, is to you an inexhaustible fund of confolation. But as for me, I cannot get rid of an anxious folicitude for what may become of our children, thus deferted by the whole world; what path can we point for them as the road to happiness? 2. The path of virtue, my dear; there they cannot err. E. True; but virtue in diftress has but a poor profpect. O how extremely difficult it is to preferve our integrity unblemished, when one is furrounded by every outward diftrefs! alas! all the good which I can with for them is, that they may drag on their miferable existence, without being confounded with the refufe of mankind; they will always rank far below what their birth ought to entitle them to. Heaven grant, O! my father! Heaven grant, that the groans which thy cruelty wrings from my heart, may newer rife from thine? that thou mayeft never feel what it is, to fee thy children begging, in vain, at thy door, a morfel of bread, from proud and unfeeling ftrangers! L. Why add to a mifery for which futurity may make an ample amends? Providence always keeps open to us a thousand doors which may lead to happinefs. E. Yes, without doubt! but funk in the depth of mifery, is it poffible for us to find them? recollect what a fituation we are in; abandoned by my father; having confumed the little pittance which has hitherto fupported us without refources, and without hope, fince all the world is against us, what ean we do? L. Quit the world; preserve ourselves in folitude; retire into one of the finest spots in the country, and there commit ourtelves to Providence. E. This is very fine, my dear; but this is not the happinefs which I would wish for my children: what happinefs, good God? a happiness, the very thought of which drives my foul almoft to madnefs and defpair. L. The fituation in which Heaven hath, for, doubtlefs, very good reafons, placed us, is not fo defperate. It is unjust to murmur against the decrees of Providence. I have just been vifiting our neighbour is not her fituation worfe than ours? laden with years, with fmaller hopes of fupply, and poorer than we are; tormented befides with a moft painful difeafe; her life has beca one dark shade of poverty and pain. Seldora however, have I found in her, any figh of impatience, though fhe has no hope but from death; and probably will not find that relief, but after long and fevere torments. Should we then, who have been better educated, whofe minds are better informed, render ourselves more unhappy than fhe is, merely through a weaknefs of foul? ought we not to have courage to fupport leiler evils? E. I acknowledge that we ought. L. Yes, my dear husband! we ought, Let us confide in the wifdom of Providence, that knows every thing, that directeth every thing to the best end; that loves what he hath created; that watches with equal care over the loweft, as over the highest of her creatures. Providence preferves the bird that fings in the trees; the bee that hums. around us; and the worm that creeps below. our feet; and fhall we murmur at her ways because the has not placed us in a fituation to attract the envy of mankind? Take conrage-view this charming country, how it fmiles around us! how beautiful the sky! how magnificent the approach of night, which now adorns the rear of the day, a day that has brought us nearer to the developement of our fate! E. What thanks do I not owe thee, my dear Lucinda! what happinefs it is, what inexpreffible happiness it is to poffefs thee: thou haft fupported my feeble reafon, thou haft reftored tranquillity to my mind when thou speakest I lofe every tormenting thought. I forget that my father has abandoned me, and that he has banished me from his heart. L. O beft of hulbands! it is entirely your own reason that has diffipated thefe gloomy thoughts. I have only fet before you thote motives of confolation, which, at any other time, you would more readily find out that I could, HEND The Rule of enablifting the Rank of Sultana among the Turks Ceremonial and Amufements of their Seraglios- -with a Defcription of the Feafs of Tulips, as cele brated in the Grand Signior's Seraglio. [From the Baron De Tott's "Memoirs of the Turks and Tartars,” juft publifbed.} THE HE manner in which the word Sultana is abuted in Europe, induces me to make fome oblervations, which will ferve, I hope to rectify every error on that head. The word Sultan is only a title of birth, appropriated to the Ottoman Princes, born on the throne, and to thofe of the Gengifkan family. This word, which is pro#ounced Sultan, is without doubt, alfo the true etymology of Soulan; and this title in Egypt is fynonimous with that of a king; but neither in Turkey, nor Tartary, does it imply any idea of fovereign authority. The title of Kham is peculiarly attached to the Sovereign of the Tartars, and is equivalent to that of Chach, fignifying king, with the Perfians, from whence is derived Padi Chach, great king, which the Ottoman family has affumed, either for the purpose of refuting or granting it to different powers, who have not perceived, perhaps, that there would have been more addrefs and dignity in not acknowledging, than in claiming this title. That of Sultan gives its poffeffors the capacity of fucceeding to the throne, and the established order of fucceffion amongst the Turks is always in the oldeft of the family, who muft, as I have already faid, be born on the throne. Sultan Mahamout dying without iffue, after a reign of one-and-twenty years, left the empire to his brother Olinan, the eldeft of four remaining fons of Sultan Achmet, who was dethroned by a revolution. Muftapha, who fucceeded Ofinan, Bajazet, who died in the Seraglio, and Abdul Amid, the reigning Sultan, were about the fame age with Oiman, who leav ing no pofterity, his family was threatened with deftruction, had his reign lafted as long as it might have done; but it was otily of three years duration, and Sultan Muftapha, very foon gave two heirs to the empire, one of whom is now living in the perion of Sultan Selim, who was fhut up after the death of his father, but deftined to fucceed his uncle, Abdul Amid, to the exclufion of his living and unborn coulins. It is to be hoped that this Prince, flul young, will mean the throne at an age capable of unfuring the continuance of the dynalty of the Ottomaa Princes, to which this order of fucceffion has frequently threatched to put an end, an event fufficient alfo to late the empire, to the poffeilion of will to low gives any claim to the Gengifcan race. This prejudice, which has gained credit, has induced me to inform myfclf of its truth from the Kham of the Tartars, and that Prince Eas affured me, that it has no foundation. It may be prefunted, however, that in cafe of factions which would tear in pieces its inhethe extinction of the Ottoman family, the ritance, muft decide the men of the law to call one of the Sultan Tartars to the throne, for want of the collateral branches, which the feebleness of the defpot, armed with the moft atrocious barbarity, has cut off at their birth. I do not, however, speak of those branches which may fpring from the Princes fhut up by policy in the interior of the Seraglio, and who are allowed to have wives; their children born between the throne and the ftate, would neither belong to the one nor the other. A falfehood may likewife fpare na ture the horror of knowing they are deftroyed, and prejudice may ftill further propagate the flattering error, that the wives of thefe Princes are no longer of an age to render the crime neceflary. But the daughters and fifters of the Grand Signior, married to the Vifirs and great men of the empire, live feparately in the palaces, and the male infant of the marriage must be fmothered at the fame mament, and by the fame hands, that bring it into the world. This is at once the most public and moft inviolable law; no veil is thrown over the horror of thefe murders. A cowardly fear produces these aflaflinations, more than the real intereft of the throne. What advan tages of fituation can confole thefe unhappy Princeffes ?-But what fresh horror! The pride of their birth, which compels this crime, more monitrous than the crime it. felf, not fatisfied with the victim, fmothers! even the cry of nature. if the female children alone efcape this murderous law, they are obliged to add to the title of Sultana that of Hanum, a title common to all women of eafy fortune; and the children of both fexes which thefe Princeffès are able to preferve, return in the next generation into the general clafs: they bear no longer any title of diftinction. Defcended from a grand daughter of the Grand Signior, they are really fript of all the influence of paternal fentiments. The great grandfather has already loft fight of them in the obfcurity of their birth. Such is the rule of establishing the rank of Shana amongft the Tarks. The Tartars, more humane, because they are not defpotic, mother nobody; they content themselves with making the Sultan's fon adopt the name, the rank, and titles of the Miza whom he has chofe to be its father. That That female flave of the Seraglio who becomes the mother of a Sultan, and who may live long enough to fee her fon incunt upon the Throne, is alfo the only woman who can, at that period alone, acquire without the advantage of birth the diftinction of Sultana valide, Sultana mother. Maintained until then in the interior of her prifon, with her fon, the muft be contented only to poffefs the cftcem which he inay have for her. It is evident that the title of favourite Sultana is the more abfurd, for that, if she be the Sultana, fhe cannot avow that fort of preference; and the mo ment fhe can poffels it, the is no longer Sultana. The title of Bachi Kadon, principal wo man, is the fift dignity of the Grand Signior's harem: fhe has a larger allowance than those who have the title of fecond, third, and fourth woman; but these advantages do not always indicate the real favou rite. The reigning Grand Signior had con fecrated thefe diftinctions to his gratitude, by beftowing them on women who had partaken of his retirement. He can difpofe of them at his pleafure, by confining thofe who already poffefs them in the old Seraglio. None of thefe four women are married to him: they represent only the four fice women which the law allows. One may prefuine alfo, that they are there only for ihow. 1 have already said, that the difficulty of accefs to the Grand Signior's harem, where only a few doctors are admitted, and that after removing every thing but what is connected with the diforder, leaves no other method of judging of it than from the knowfdge of the cuftons which prevail in the harems of individuals. The palace even of a Sultañá, where every thing, even to her husband, is at her command, can give no infight into what paffes in the Seraglio. I do itot pretend, therefore, to caft a ray of light into that truly inacceffible dungeon; nor am I going to offer any objects of comparison; I fhall confine myself to fimple details, which ought to be deemed curious; they give at least a picture of manners, and I am happy in fatisfying, in this refpect, the anxiety of the public, by defcribing, as Madame de Tott dictates to me, a vifit fhe made with her mother to Sultarà Afina, daughter to the Emperor Achmet, and fifter to his fucceffors to this day. Under the reign of Sultan Mahamout, this Prificefs ftill young, and prejudiced by the example of her brother in favour of the Franks, was defirous of converfing with an European woman. My mother-in-law, although born in Turkey, anfwered the purpofe of her curiofity, and was invited to wait Gent. Mag. May, 1785. on her with her daughter. The fernale attendant of the exterior of the palace, was directed to receive, and conduct them to the Sultana. On their arrival at the Seraglio of that Princefs, the conductrefs made them enter by a first and fecond iron gate, guarded by different porters; but who were in no way different from the ordinary race of men, any more than the guardian of the third gate, which opened ali at the command of the intendante, difcovered feveral black eunuchs, who with white ftaves in their Hands, preceded the female ftrangers through an inner court, entrusted to their keeping, and introduced them into a large room called the Strangers Chamber. The Kiaya Cadun, of Intendante of the interior apartinent of the Seraglio, came to do the honours, and the flaves he had brought affifted the two strangers to unmask and fold up their veils, while their mistre's went to acquaint the Stania with their arrival. The Princefs, however, devoted to the prejudices of her religion, would only receive the vifit from behind the blinds, that the might fee without being feen; but my mother in law declaring fhe would withdraw if the Sultana perfifted in concealing herfelf, the negociation was terminated by the confent of the Princefs, who contrived time to think of her drefs, by inviting my mother to reft hetfelf a little before the came up to her apartment. Conducted accordingly foon after by the Intendante and a great number of flaves, they found the Sultana, on entering her apartments, richly dreffed, and fet off with all her diamonds, feated in a corner of a rich fopha that furnished her faloon, the tapestry and carpets of which were of gold and filver lyons fluff, fewn together in breadths of different colours. The felictes †, covers ed with fattiu, ftriped with gold, carried and spread before the Sultana, ferved for tem to fit on; whilft fixty young girls, richly clad, and in loofe robes, divided thenifelves on the right and left at the entrance of the hall, forming two rows, with their hands croffed on their waifts. After the firft; compliments, the Princess's queftions turned upon the liberty enjoyed by our women. She compared it with the cuf toms of the harem, and fhewed fome dif NOTE S. The Turks are very little acquainted with this kind of luxury, which is only to be found within the harems, where a kind of curtain extends behind the cushions, and covers the wall half way up: but the hall of the throne, which has no fopha, is entirely covered with tapeftry. Selictes is a fmall cotton matrafs, covered with stuff. ficulte I i ficulty in conceiving how the face of a young girl could be viewed before marriage by her future husband. But, thefe different queflions difcuffed, the concurred in the advantages refulting from our cuftoms, and giving foofe to the natural fenfations arifing from her own perfonai fituation, the exclaimed against the barbarity of the inftitution, which, at thirteen years old, had put her in the power of a decrepid old man, who, by treating her like a child, had only infpired her with difguft. He died, however, at laft, added the but am I more happy? "Ten years have I been married to a young Pacha, who, they fay, is young and amiable, but we have never feen each other." The Princefs then faid many polite things to the two European ladies, and gave orders to her Intendante to treat them handfomely; and after taking a walk, to provide an entertainment for them in the garden, and to reconduct them to her to conclude the vifit. The Intendante led them accordingly to her apartments, where they dined alone with her; whilft a number of flaves, forming a row around the table, were wholly employed in ferving them. The dinner finished, and the coffee ferved. the European ladies were offered pipes, which they refufed, and which the intendante hardly gave herfelf time to finish, be fore fhe conducted her guefts into the garden, where fresh bands of flaves were arranged near a very beautiful kiofk, the place where the company were to affemble. This pavillion, richly furnished and ornamented, built over a large balon of water, occupied the middle of the garden, where efpaliers of roles, rifing on all fides, concealed from the eye the lofty walls that formed this prifon. Small foot-paths, very narrow, and paved with mofaic, were, according to cuftom, the only walks in the garden; but a great number of pots, and baskets of flowers, prefented to the eye a little clufter, beautifully coloured, and invited the fenfes to partake of their tweets in the corner of a good fopha, the only object of this fort of walks. They were fcarcely feated, before the eunuchs, who had headed the proceffion, ranged themfelves in a row at fome diftance from the kiosk, to give room for the Prince's band of mufic, confifling of ten women flaves, who performed different pieces: during which à troop of women dancers, as richly but more lootely dreffed, executed several ballets that were tolerably agreeable both for the variety of fteps and figures. Thefe women dancers were alfo of a higher clafs than they ufually are in private houfes. Soon after arrived a fresh troop of women, drefled like men, to add, no doubt, to this picture the illusion of a fex which was wanting to the entertainment. These pretended men began & fort of tilting on the water, to win the fruits which other flaves threw into the bafon. The firangers had alfo the pleasure of going on the water in a small boat, rowed by female rowers, difguifed alfo like men; after which being led back to the Sultana's apartment, they took leave of her with the ufual ceremonies, and were conducted out of the Seraglio by the fame paffage, and in the fame order by which they were introduced. It appears from this defcription, that the eunuchs were more at the command of the Sultana than difpofed to thwart her. These beings are no other than an object of luxury in Turkey, difplayed no where but in the Seraglios of the Grand Signior, and the Sultanas. The pride of the great, 'tis true, extends fo far, but, with moderation, and the richest of them have fcarcely ever more than two or three black eunuchs. The white ones, who are lefs deformed, are reserved for the Grand Signer, to form the guard for the outer-gates of his Seraglio; but they are not fuffered to approach the women, nor obtain any employment, whilst the poffibility of arriving at the poft of Kiflar Aga furnishes the black eunuchs at leaft a motive to fupport and animate their ambition. Their character is always ferocious, and nature, offended in their perfons, feems perpetually to feel the reproach. Although the feaft of Tehiraghan, an entertainment the Grand Signor often takes, cannot enable one to form any judgment of the infide of the Seraglio, the particulars of it may appear interefting, by giving fome idea of his pleasures +. The garden of the harem, larger, no doubt, than that of Sultana Afma, but laid out certainly in the fame tafte, ferves as the theatre of thefe nocturnal feafts. Vales of every kind, filled with natural or artificial flowers, are gathered there to augment the clufter, which is lighted by an infinite number of lanthorns, coloured lamps, and waxlights, placed in glafs tubes, and reflected by looking-glaffes, difpofed for that purpose. Temporary fhops, filled with different forts of merchandize, are occupied by women of the harem, who reprefent, in fuitable dreffes, N OTE S. The Feast of Tulips; which is so called, because it confifts in illuminating a Parterre; and that this is the flower of which the Turks are the fondelt. One may be apt to imagine, that those which he habitually takes, are lefs lively than thofe he procures himfelf, in illuminating his Tulips. the |