moved over any ground which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, or virtue that man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the Plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona."

The city of Diarbeker itself is situated in a delightful plain on the banks of the river Tigris, and nearly at its head; it is one of the richest, most trading, strong, and populous cities in Asiatic Turkey; and is adorned with many piazzas and market-places in the Turkish style, and a large magnificent mosque, formerly a Christian church; for Christianity flourished over this country so late as the sixth century. There is even now a sect, whose patriarch still resides here: and they shew on the road near the town, a chapel where the holy man Job is said to be buried. This city is supplied amply with water by a canal cut from the Tigris, and has many caravanseras on both sides of the river.

Few countries in the world exceed that about this city for natural richness and beauty :-the bread and wine are excellent the fruit beyond conception deliciousand my friend the Tartar took care, under pretence of supercilious hauteur, to tear in pieces a couple of fowls, and hand me now a leg, now a wing, till I made the most delicious repast I ever remember to have eat in my life.

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It is computed that there are resident in this city no less than twenty thousand Christian inhabitants, some of whom are of the Church of Rome ;-and perhaps it is owing to that mixture, that the fair sex have more freedom, and the men more politeness and affability, than those of any other city in the empire the chief business there is making that fine leather commonly called Turkey leather. Figure to yourself, my dear FREDERICK, my Tartar guide, who was an admirable actor, sitting at a caravansera in state at his dinner, devouring excellent fowls, choice pillaws, and delicious fruit, in as great pomp as a bashaw; and in order to keep up the semblance of authority over me, to favor my disguise, handing to me, who sat at humble distance, a part of his provisions. You may form to yourself an idea of the scene; but all

the efforts of imagination must fall short of the manner, the figure, the words, the looks, and the actions of the Tartar; sometimes affecting contemptuous pity, sometimes supercilious arrogance; sometimes brutal sterness, and sometimes the gentle blandishments of conscious superiority; and all in such a masterly style of performance, that I doubt whether Garrick himself, with all his powers of countenance, could outdo him. Critical though my situation was, and much as I was harrassed with the corrosions of mental pain, the extravagant action and ludicrous pomposity of this man, frequently overbore my prudence, and compelled me to laugh incontinently and loudly;-on all such occasions he would put his hands a-kimbo, draw up his eye-brows to his turban, screw down the corners of his mouth in the most rueful manner, and give a loud whew! with his eyes fixed in a stare at me, till entirely overcome with laughter, and ready to sink under it, I clapped my face between my hands, and, as well as I could, bowed in token of sorrow and submission; when, threatening me vehemently, and at the same time uttering a lamentable expression of doubt, that he was afraid he had an idiot imposed on him, he would bustle about, direct the horses to be got ready, and order me to get on horseback, with many denunciations of severe treatment, and a thousand flourishes of his whip over my head.

As I have rode along musing upon the contemptible stratagems to which I was reduced, in order to get thro' this country, for no other reason but because I was a Christian, I could not help reflecting with sorrow on the melancholy effects of superstition, and regretting that that place, which in the times of primitive simplicity was called the Terrestrial Paradise; that place where GOD first planted man after the flood; where the godlike Abraham and the holy Job breathed the pure air of piety and simplicity; that place which from all those circumstances ought to be considered above all others, as the universal inheritance of mankind, should now be cut off from all but a horde of senseless bigots, barbarous fanatics, and inflexible tyrants. And I could not help considering with melancholy concern, the blindness and

infatuation of men, who less earnest to accommodate themselves than injure others, shut out their fellow. creatures from that which they themselves will not use, and, while they suffer millions of the richest acres in the universe to be untilled, and spend their sweetness in the desert air, with wicked jealousy, and envy more than diabolical, begrudge to others the little spot on which they stand, and chase them as they would a ravening tiger from their country.

LETTER XXXVIII.

As we advanced towards the southward and eastward, in our way from Diarbeker towards Bagdad, I found the air become sensibly warmer, and observed that the disposition of the people grew more and more brutal. My guide's conduct (for he knew them well) became proportionately artful, and my manners were of course to grow so much the humbler. I observed, however, that his authority continued the same, and that he seemed to exert it with greater rigor; not in severity or chastisement, but in exacting implicit obedience. Yet still he evidently acted with great caution and circumspection; for, in some districts, he either avoided the little villages by a circuitous route, or dashed through them at a very quick pace, while the gaping multitude considered us as on a dispatch of haste and importance-in others, he entered the towns without reserve, and left it to chance to decide whether we should be discovered or not. At some caravanseras he treated me with affected negligence, at others he made me eat with him and drink wine, of which, in some places, he himself drank copi ously, and at others as scrupulously refrained from. And sometimes we lay at night out in the open air, rather, than enter a town; on which occasions I found the weather as piercing cold as it was distressfully hot in the day time. Bred, as the man was, a mixture of slave and tyrant, I can suppose some parts of this conduct to

arise from caprice; but, as he was naturally kind, az many of those aberrations from the usual mode of travelling were attended with hardship and inconvenience to himself, and as my servant and the other Tartar were clearly of opinion he was right, I am rather disposed to believe that he, on the whole, acted from principles of sound sense and policy.

He frequently advised me against indulging in laughter; said it was unmanly, indecorous, inconsistent with the gravity becoming a wise man, and withal dangerous.

One evening we came to a caravansera much fatigued, the day being extremely hot, and we having rode very hard-whether it was caprice or fatigue, or the sugges tion of policy that moved him, I cannot say, but he was certainly more disposed to play the tyrant than I had ever before seen him. He flogged the men who took the horses, kicked every one he met, made the house ring with his enormous voice; directed supper to be got ready, ate growling, and finding fault with every thing; and under pretence of disliking the ingredients of an excellent pillaw, handed it over to me, saying, “ Here, Jimmel (the name he called me), here, take this filth, and cram it down thy coarse throat, it is only fit for 2 Frank"-I took it with the best air of humility I could assume; and tearing the meat with my fingers, which I also used instead of a spoon to eat the rice, swallowed it eagerly; he watched me all the time attentively. When

had finished it, I gave him a hint in the Frank language, that I should like to wash it down with some wine; but he did not, or rather would not understand

me.

Supper done, he ordered a servant to attend him with some water, and directed him to wash his feet; while that operation was performing, he continued menacing every one about him. My servant, who sat next me and behind him, interpreted every thing he said. "Yes, ye slaves," said he, as he lolled back upon his cushion, 66 yes, I will make the best of you wash my feet; for who shall refuse to wash the feet of him, who represents the Sultan of the World, the Son of Mahomet, the Messenger of the Lord?" The poor fellow proceeded in

his humble office, and only interrupted him by saying, "Blessed be my Lord the Sultan, and glory be to the Lord our God, and Mahomet his prophet." "Yes, yes,” continued my Tartar, "bless God and the prophet, and pray for his servant our Sultan, and all who represent him like me, that slaves of your description are permitted to live: nay, thou shalt wash this Frank's feet:" then turning to me with an air of magisterial tenderness, "Jimmel," said he, "hold forth thy feet, and let them be washed by this disciple of Ali-I say, hold forth thy feet."

Scarcely able to refrain from laughter at this Bombardinian of the East, and his pompous manner of issuing his orders, I drew up my trowsers and took off my boots -the man brought fresh water, and fell to rubbing my feet with great good will and humility; yet evidently felt so much hurt at the humiliation, that I was sorry for it, and would rather have dispensed with the washing, though it was a luxury.

In the midst of this operation, the Tartar, who was reclining on his cushion, smoking, rose up, and stalking two or three times across the room, with the most ludicrous air of self-conceit and importance, took his tobacco pipe from his mouth, brandished it in ostentacious parade, and in the tone and manner rather of one that was raving than of a man in his sober senses, burst out with an emphatical expression of satisfaction, and said, "This it is to be protected by a great man: Mussulmen salam to him and wash his feet."

The extravagance of this sentiment, the absurdity of its application, and the consequential solemnity of his action and countenance while he spoke, altogether rushed upon me with such impetuous force, that I could not resist it, and, in spite of every effort to restrain myself, burst into an immoderate fit of laughter.

Had I the pencil of Hogarth, the pen of Shakespeare, or the powers of a Garrick, I might attempt to give some idea of his countenance, when, turning, he beheld me convulsed with laughter. I might attempt it, I say, but I could not do it justice. Such a combination of ludicrous expressions I never beheld; it was indeed an