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The old ftory of the ladies ftanding in a row, and the fultan's throwing his handkerchief to his choice, is not true. His preference is always officially cummunicated by the kif làr-agba.

"So dependent is opinion upon education and the early habits of life, that the state of female fociety in the feraglio, is to themselves that of the most perfect happiness. It was ordained by Mahommed that women thould not be treated as intellectual beings, left they should afpire to equality with men. This fyftem he found already prevalent in the east, and received by his converts, and therefore cannot be charged with having curtailed their liberty and focial intercourse. — Throughout Turkey, in every rank of life, the women are literally children of larger growth, as trifling in their amutements, as unbounded in their defires, and as abfolutely at the difpotal of others, being confi. dered by the men merely as created for the purposes of nature, or fexual luxury. None of our mistakes concerning the opinions of the Turks, is more unjust than that which respects the notion attributed to them, that women have no fouls; on the other hand, they are promised in the Koran to be reftored with all the charms of eternal youth and

unblemished virginity, and what, in many inftances, may heighten the idea of perfect paradife to themselves, not again to be united with their former earthly husbands, but to be allotted to other true mufulmans by the benevolence of the prophet.

The females of the feraglio are chiefly Georgian and Circatlian flaves, felected from all that are either privately bought, or expofed to fale in the Avret bazar*, and, for many reafons, are admitted at an early age. We may readily conclude that an affemblage of native beauty fo exquifite, does not exift in any other place.

"The education of these girls is very fcrupulously attended to; they are taught to dance with more luxuriance than grace, to fing and to play on the tambourin, a fpecies of guitar; and fome of them excel in embroidery. This arrangement is conducted folely by the elder women, though from the tafte for European fashions, which fultan Selim openly avows, fome Greek women have been lately introduced to teach them the harp and piano-forte, which they had learned for that purpose. Amongst the five hundred already mentioned the kiflàragha precifely fettles all precedence. Some are difqualified by age from

**The Avret Bazar (woman market) confits of an inclosed court, with a cloifter and fmall apartments furrounding it. It is fupplied by female flaves brought from Egypt, Abyffinia, Georgia, and Circaffia, who are exposed to public fale every Friday morning. Thofe from the first mentioned countries are generally purchased for domestic services, which, in a menial capacity, no Turkish woman will condefcend to perform; their perfons or countenances are rarely beautiful, and their price feldom exceeds forty pound. English. The exquifite beauty of the others is enhanced by every art of drefs and oriental accomplishments, and they are ufually fold for feveral thoufand piaftres, Many are referved for the feraglio, where, though they are confidered as moft fortunate, they are most frequently fucrificed. Intrigues are concealed by the application of poisonou. drugs which often occafion death, and upon detection of pregnancy they are inftantly drowned. One hudders to relate how many of these victims are taken ont into the fea at the dead of the night, and committed to the deep. Formerly, the Avret Bazar was open to Franks, who were fupposed to purchase flaves in order to redeem them, but they are now excluded, by order of the prefent fultan's jather."

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the notice of the fultan, and of those who are confidered as wives there are four; he is reftricted to feven, but as to concubines there is no legal limitation, and their number depends on the inclination of their fublime mafter. The fuperiors spend their time in a feries of fedentary amufements. Drefs, the most fumptuous that can be, imagined, changed frequently in the courfe of the day, the moft magnificent apartments and furniture, vifits of ceremony with each other, and the inceffant homage of their fubordinate companions, fill their minds with a fort of fupine happiness, which indeed is all that moft Turkish women afpire to, or are qualified to experience.

"Sometimes, as an indulgence, they are permitted to go to the kiofques near the fea, of which circumftance the officers of police are informed, that no veffel fhould approach too near the feraglio point. Every fummer the fultan vifits his palaces in rotation for a short time with his harèm, when every pafs and avenue, within three or five miles diftance, is guarded by fierce boftandjis, left the approach of any male being should contaminate them.

"They depend entirely upon their female flaves for amufements which have any thing like gaiety for their object, and recline on their fofas for hours, whilst dancing, comedy, and buffoonery, as indelicate as our vulgar puppet show, are exhibited before them. Greek and Frank ladies occafionally vifit them, whose hutbands are connected with the Porte as merchants or interpreters, under pretence of fhewing them curiofities from Europe.— From fuch opportunities all the ac

curate information concerning the interior palace muft be collected, and to fuch I am, at present, indebted.

"The articles of female habiliment are infinite, both as to coft and number; but change of fashion is adopted only for the head attire, which happens with fcarcely less frequency than in the courts of Europe. They are imitated by the Greek ladies, whofe drets differs little from theirs; but the original Greek drefs, rather than of the Turkish harèm, is that defcribed by lady M. Wortley Montague. Both the ftyle of beauty, and the idea of improving its effect by ornament amongst the Ottoman women, have much fingularity. Of the few I have feen with an open veil, or without one, the faces were remarkable for their fymmetry and brilliant complexion, with the nofe ftraight and fmall, the eyes vivacious, either black or dark blue, having the eyebrows partly from nature, and as much from art, very full and joining over the nofe. They have a cuftom too of drawing a black line with a mixture of powder of antimony and oil, called Surmèh, above and under the eye-lathes, in order to give the eye more fire. Of the fhape and air little can be faid from our idea of lovelinefs. All the Levantine women, from their mode of fitting on their fofa, ftoop extremely, and walk very awkardly. Warm baths ufed without moderation, and unrelieved idleness, spoil in most inftances, by a complete relaxation of the folids, forms that nature intended fhould rival the elegance of their countenances. The nails both of the fingers and feet are always ftained of a rofe colour. Such is the tafte of Afiatics. The difcri

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minative trait of beauty between the Circaffian and Greek women, is the more majestic air and ftature of the former, while the latter excel upon a smaller fcale, no lefs in brilliancy of complexion, than in fymmetry and delicacy of form. The ftatues of Juno, Minerva, or the Amazons, are contrafted by that of the Medicean Venus. Both very generally answer to Homer's defcription of the full eyed,' and 'the deep bofomed.'

"In the ftreets of Conftantinoplé no female appears without her feredje and mahramàh; the former refembles a loofe riding coat with a large square cape, covered with quilted filk, and hanging down low behind, made univerfally amongst the Turks of green cloth, and amongst the Greeks and Armenians of brown, or fome grave colour. The mahramah is formed by two pieces of muflin, one of which is tied under the chin, enveloping the head, and the other across the mouth and half the nofe, admitting fpace enough for fight. Yellow boots are drawn over the feet, and thus equipped a woman may meet the public eye without fcandal. This dress is of very ancient invention, calculated for concealment of the perfon, nor can there be a more complete difguife.

"In every civilifed country the middle ranks in fociety enjoy the trueft comfort. Whilft the ladies of the harems of great or opulent Turks, are confoling themfelves with faftidious indulgence, in luxury unknown to the vulgar, the wives and concubines of fober citizens are allowed almoft a free intercourfe 'with each other. The men, merchants or mechanics, are engaged in their various occupations, icaving the whole day at the difpofal of the women, who walk the streets

and bazars in groupes of muffled figures, or go to the cemeteries, where, upon stated days, under pretence of faying prayers at the graves of deceafed friends, they enjoy the fhade of cypreffes, whilft loitering away many hours; and fhow unreftrained happiness, by the moft vehement loquacity. Several times a year they are drawn in arabàhs, or painted waggons with a covering of red cloth, by buffaloes gaudily harneffed, to fome favourite retreat in the country, but never attended by the men of their family.

"That love of splendid dress which diftinguishes the nations of the eaft, pervades every rank of females. Thofe connected with the meaneft labourer occafionally wear brocade, rich furs, and embroidery of gold or filver, which are willingly fupplied by his daily toil. In large harèms the number of children is proportionably small, where few women produce more than three. Much has been faid concerning the infidelity of the Turkith women belonging to harèms of quality; whoever has paffed a few years in this country, muft know that any fcheme of gallantry would be utterly impracticable, however they may have been prompted, by perfonal vanity, to impofe a falfe opinion on the world. In complete eftablishments they are guarded by thofe unfortunate men

Who youth ne'er loved, and beauty ne'er enjoyed;'

and in thofe of lefs expence, by old women, whofe ceafelefs vigilance is equally fecure.

"If fuch things ever happen, it may be fuppofed of thofe who are permitted to gad abroad; but this privilege is conditional, and never without a certain number of relatives or neighbours.

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"During my refidence at Pera, I heard of but one circumftance only. A young Venetian ferved in the fhop of an apothecary at Conftantinople, whom a Turkish lady, attended only by her flave, came to confult, and was thewn into another room, leaving the apprentice and the fair Circailian alone. It is faid, that nothing then paffed between them. In a few days returning with her miftrefs, and the fame opportunity recurring, the opened her heart, propofed elopement, and promifed much treasure. She kept her word, and they disappeared without fubfequent detection. Upon difcovery the punishment of thefe lovers would have been horrible; he would have been impaled alive, and the drowned in a fack. Such a penal code as that of the Turks, has in no period of corruption been adopted by any nation of Chriftians.

"Infidelity or licentioufnefs in women, is a fubject of the severeft crimination amongst the Turks, and their punishment of it borders upon grofs barbarity. That branch of police is under the jurifdiction of the bostandji bafhi, or captain of the guard, with many inferior officers. When any of these miferable girls are apprehended, for the first time they are put to hard labour, and ftrictly confined; but for the fecond they are re-committed, and many at a time tied up in facks, and taken in a boat to the Seragliopoint, where they are thrown into the tide. The Turks excufe this cruelty by pleading the law, and adding that every woman has it in her power to be attached to one man, by kebinn, or contract for a certain term before the kady, which ceremony would exempt them from the cognizance of the police.

"The real ftate of female flaves in Turkey has been much misrepre fented. I do not allude to it previously to their establishment in fome harèm, when exposed to sale with practices of their owners equally repugnant to humanity and decency: but when they become" private property, they are well clothed, and treated with kindness by their miftreffes. If the husband prefents his wife with a female flave, the becomes her fole property, and he cannot cohabit with her without legal complaint of the wife, excepting with her confent, which prudence generally inclines her to give. No woman of Turkish birth can be an odalik, or domeftic flave. Illegitimacy is unknown, for every child, born of the wife or concubine, has nearly equal rights. The fuperior privilege of the wife confifts only in the parti tion of the hutband's property on his deceafe, and the difficulty of procuring a divorce without her acquiefcence. Odaliks are difmiffed and refold at pleafure, if they have borne no child. But it frequently happens that they become confidential with their mistreffes, are emancipated, and married to hufbands whom they provide for them. Few young men have more than one wife, but the elder, if opulent, indulge themfelves to the extent of the prophet's licence. My fair countrywomen, from so flight a fketch of female economy in this eccentric nation, may form favourable conclufions refpecting that of our own. They may rest affured, that in no other country are the moral duties and rational liberty fo juftly appreciated, or fo generally rewarded with happinefs."

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OBSERVATIONS and ANECDOTES, illuftrative of the prefent POLICE, COMMERCE, STATE of SOCIETY, and MANNERS at CONSTANTINOPLE.

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HE greater part of the night in many European capitals is little difcriminated from the broad day in the bustle of crowded ftreets, but the last muezzin has fcarcely called the hour of evening prayer before each habitually fober mufulman retires from public notice, and the refort of thousands during a long day, from fun rife to fun fet, becomes an unoccupied fpace, like a defert. One hour after fun fet every gate of the city is shut, and entrance ftrictly prohibited.

"The houfes of the opulent Turks are large, with the moft convenient part appropriated as the harèm, which is ufually furrounded with a court, be it ever fo fmall, having a fountain in the midft. Thefe apartments are remarkable for their neatnefs, and all the accommodation that the climate and architecture will admit; for it is here only that the poffeffor difplays any expence in ornament, or furniture. As to the houfes in general, they are mere comfortless wooden boxes, cool in fummer, but ill adapted to wet or cold weather, being full of unglazed windows, and without fire-places; in winter fupplied by earthen pans of charcoal, which fuffocate whilst they warm you. The ground floor is a continuation of the street, and the flaircafe a dirty ladder, frequently in darkness.

"That fuch a ftillness fhould reign in the crowded streets of a capital, who ever has vifited thofe of Europe, will obferve with fur

prife; there is no noife of carriages, and even the busy haunts ' of men' are scarcely different from the abode of filence.

"Much of the romantic air which pervades the domeftic habits of the perfons described in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, particularly in inferior life, will be obferved in paffing through the streets. And we recur with additional pleafure to a remembrance of the delight with which we at first perused them, in finding them authentic portraits of every oriental nation.

"Some years ago no Frank could walk in Conftantinople without the rifque of incurring infult, and the merchants of Pera were ufually protected by a janiffary. At this time no moleftation is to be feared, at leaft by a perfon who is prudent enough to give the upper hand to a Turk. This favourable change has taken place only fince the conclufion of the war in 1774. Many victories in fucceffion had perfuaded them of their fuperiority over the Chriftians, of whom they have feveral millions of fubjects; till at the time above mentioned prince Repnin, attended by fix hundred foldiers, with their drawn fwords, paraded through the city, when he came to give them that peace, which they had fo humbly begged of the Ruffians. This circumstance has had a wonderful effect in reducing the infolence and ferocity of their national character.

"Fires are fo frequent that few months pafs without them, and they are generally fo furious, that

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