that seemed the most confiderable amongst them, entreated me to fit by her, and would fain have undreiled me for the bath. I excufed myself with fome difficulty. They being however all fo earnest in perfuading me, I was at laft forced to open my fhirt, and fhew them my ftays, which fatished them very well; for, I faw, they believed I was locked up in that machine, and that it was not in my own power to open it, which contrivance they attributed to my husband. I was charmed with their civility and beauty, and thould have been very glad to pafs more time with them; but Mr. W refolving to pursue his journey next morning early, I was in hafte to fee the ruins of Juftinian's church, which did not afford me fo agreeable a profpect as I had left, being little more than a heap of ftones." Letter xxvi. We doubt a little if this fort of meeting is fo exactly conformable to the Turkish manners, for not only is the intercourfe of the fexes forbid, but that of women with the The original manner of inoculation is worth attention. "A propos of diftempers, I am going to tell you a thing, that will make you wish yourself here. The fmall-pox, fo fatal, and fo general amongst us, is here entirely harmless, by the invention of engrafting, which is the term they give it. There is a fet of old women, who make it their bufinefs to perform the operation,_every autumn, in the month of September, when the great heat is abated. People fend to one another to know if any of their family has a mind to have the smallpox; they make parties for this purpose, and when they are met, (commonly fifteen or fixteen together) the old woman comes with a nut-fhell full of the matter of the beft fort of small-pox, and afks what veins you pleafe to have opened. She immediately rips open that, you offer to her, with a large needle (which gives you no more pain than a common fcratch) and puts into the vein, as much matter as can lie upon the head of her needle, and after that, binds up the little wound with a hollow bit of thell, and in this manner opens four or five veins. The Grecians have commonly the fuperftition of opening one in the middle of the forehead, one in each arm, and one on the breaft, to mark the fign of the erofs; but this has a very ill effect, all these wounds leaving little fears, and is not done by thofe that are not fuperftitious, who chufe to have them in the legs, or that part of the arm that is concealed. The children or young patients play together all the rest of the day, and are in perfect health to the eighth. Then the the mention of the Ananaffes, letter xix. then not known in England, and other circumftances, feem to carry fuch internal proofs of the authenticity of the work, that we only hint our, doubts. If the reader is refolved to believe the lady M. W. M. to have been the author of thefe letters, he will be pleafed with the defcription of the drefs fhe wore at Conftantinople. "The first part of my dreis is a pair of drawers, very full, that reach to my fhoes, and conceal the legs more modeftly than your petticoats. They are of a thin rofecoloured damak, brocaded with filver flowers. My fhoes are of white kid leather, embroi ered with gold. Over this hangs my fmock, of a fine white filk gauze, edged with embroidery. This fmock has wide fleeves, hanging half-way down the arm, and is clofed at the neck with a diamond button; but the hape and colour of the bofom is very well to be diftinguished through it.The Antery is a waistcoat, made clofe to the fhape, of white and gold damafk, with very long fleeves falling back, and fringed with deep gold fringe, and should have diamond or pearl buttons. Caftan, of the fame ftuff with my drawers, is a robe exactly fitted to my fhape, and reaching to my feet, with very long ftrait falling fleeves. Over this is the girdle, of about four fingers broad, which, all that can afford it, have entirely of diamonds or other precious 1 My ftones; thofe, who will not be at that expence, have it of exquifite embroidery on fattin; but it must be faftened before with a clafp of diamonds.-The Curde is a loofe robe they throw off, or put on, according to the weather, being of a rich brocade(mine is green andgold) either lined with ermine or fables; the fleeves reach very little below the fhoulders. The head-drefs is compofed of a cap, called Talpock, which is, in winter, cf fine velvet embroidered with pearls or diamonds, and, in fummer, of a light fhining filver ftuff. This is fixed on one fide of the head, hanging a little way down with a gold taffel, and bound on, either with a circle of diamonds, (as I have seen several) or a rich embroidered handkerchief, On the other fide of the head, the hair is laid flat; and here the ladies are at liberty to fhow their fancies; fome putting flowers, others a plume of heron's feathers, and, in fhort, what they pleafe; but the most general fashion is a large Bouquet of jewels, made like natural flowers, that is, the buds of pearls; the roles of different coloured rubies; the jefamines of diamonds; the jonquils of topazes, c. fo well fet and enamelled, 'tis hard to imagine any thing of that kind fo beautiful. The hair hangs at its full length behind, divided into treffes braided with pearl or ribbon, which is always in great quantity. I never faw in my life fo many fine heads of hair. In one lady's, I have counted a huń-, the fever begins to feize them, and they keep their beds two days, very feldom three. They have very rarely above twenty or thirty in their faces, which never mark, and in eight days time they are as well as before their illness. Where they are wounded, there remains running fores during the difcmper, which I don't doubt is a great relief to it. Letter xxxi. dred dred and ten of the treffes, all natural; but it must be owned, that every kind of beauty is more common here than with us. 'Tis furprifing to fee a young woman that is not very handfome. They have naturally the most beautiful complexions in the world, and generally large black eyes." Letter xxix. The following extract cannot be unacceptable to the reader of taste. "They have what they call the fublime, that is, a ftile proper for poetry, and which is the exact fcripture file. I believe you would be pleased to fee a genuine example of this; and I am very glad I have it in my power to fatisfy your curiofity, by fending you a faithful copy of the verfes that Ibraham Baffa, the reigning favourite, has made for the young princess, his contracted wife, whom he is not yet permitted to vifit without witneffes, though the is gone home to his houfe. He is a man of wit and learning; and whether or no he is capable of writing good verfe, you may be fure that, on fuch an occafion, he would not want the affiftance of the best poets in the empire. Thus the verfes may be looked upon as a fample of their finest poetry; and I don't doubt you'll be of my mind, that it is most wonderfully refembling the Song of Solomon, which was alfo addreffed to a royal bride. Turkish verfes addreffed to the Sultana, eldest daughter of Sultan ACHMET III. STANZA I. Ver. THE nightingale now wanders in the vines; 1. 2. I went down to admire the beauty of the vines ; 3. Your eyes are black and lovely, But wild and difdainful as thofe of a flag. STANZA II. 1. The wifhed poffeffion is delayed from day to day, 2. I dare not fnatch one of your kiffes, The fweetnefs of your charms has ravish'd my foul. 3. Your eyes are black and lovely, But wild and disdainful as those of a stag. STANZA III. 1. The wretched Ibraham fighs in thefe verfes, 16 One dart from your eyes has pierc'd thro' my heart. ༣ 2. Ah! 2. Ah! when will the hour of poffeffion arrive? Muft I yet wait a long time? The fweetness of your charms has ravished my foul. 3. Ah! fultana! ftag-ey'd-an angel amongst angels! I defire, and, my defire remains unfatisfied. Can you take delight to prey upon my heart? STANZA 1. My cries pierce the heavens ! My eyes are without fleep! IV. Turn to me, fultana-let me gaze on thy beauty. 2. Adieu-I go down to the grave. If you call me. I return. My heart is--hot as fulphur; figh and it will flame. 3. Crown of my life, fair light of my eyes! My fultana! my princess! I rub my face against the earth;-I am drown'd in fcalding tears-I rave! Have you no compaffion? will you not turn to look upon me?" Letter xxx. It is but juftice, after hinting our doubts, to let the reader judge for himself, on one of these paffages, where the author claims a right to know more than other travellers. "Now I am talking of my chamber, (at Adrianople) I remember, the defcription of the houses here will be as new to you, as any of the birds or beafts. I fuppofe you have read in moft of the accounts of Turkey, that their houfes are the most miferable pieces of building in the world. I can speak very learnedly on that subject, having been in fo many of them; and I affure you, 'tis no fuch thing. We are now lodged in a palace, belonging to the grand fignior. I really think the manner of building here very agreeable, and proper for the country. 'Tis true, they are not at all folicitous to beautify the outfides of their houses, and they are generally built of wood, which, I own, is the caufe of many inconveniencies; but this is not to be charged on the ill tafte of the people, but on the oppreffion of the government. Every houfe, at the death of its mafter, is at the grand fignior's difpofal, and therefore no man cares to make a great expence, which he is not fure his family will be the better for. All their defign is to build a house commodious, and that will laft their lives; and they are very indifferent if it falls down the year after. Every houfe, great and fmall, is divided into two distinct parts, which only join together by a narrow paffage. The firft houfe has a large court before it, and open galleries all round it, which is, to me, a thing very agreeable. This gallery leads to all the chambers, which are commonly large, and with two rows of windows, the the first being of painted glafs; they feldom build above two ftories, each of which has galleries. The ftairs are broad, and not often above thirty steps. This is the houfe belonging to the lord, and the adjoining one is called the Haram, that is, the ladies apartment, (for the name of Seraglio is peculiar to the grand fignior) it has a gallery running round it towards the garden, to which all the windows are turned, and the fame number of chambers as the other, but more gay and fplendid, both in painting and furniture. The fecond row of windows are very low, with grates like thofe of convents; the rooms are all spread with Perfian carpets, and raifed at one end of them (my chambers are raised at both ends) about two foot. This is the Sopha, which is laid with a richer fort of carpet, and all round it a fort of couch raifed half a foot, covered with rich filk, according to the fancy or magnificence of the owner. Mine is of fcarlet cloth with a gold fringe; round about this are placed, ftanding against the wall, two rows of cushions, the first very large, and the next little ones; and here the Turks display their greatest magnificence. They are generally brocade, or embroidery of gold wire upon white fatin --Nothing can look more gay and fplendid. Thefe feats are alfo convenient and eafy, that I believe I fhall never endure chairs as long as I live, The rooms are low, which I think no fault, and the cieling is always of wood, generally inlaid, or painted with flowers. They open in many places, with folding doors, and ferve for cabinets, I think more conveniently than ours. Betwee the windows are little arches to fet pots of perfume, or baskets of flowers. But what pleases me best, is the fashion of having marble fountains in the lower part of the room, which throw up feveral fpouts of water, giving, at the fame time, an agreeable coolness, and a pleasant dashing found, falling from one bafon to another. Some of thefe are very magnificent. Each houfe has a bagnic, which confifts generally in two or three little rooms leaded on the top, paved with marble, with basons, cocks of water, and all conveniencies for either hot or cold baths. You will perhaps be furprised at an account fo different from what you have been entertained with by the common voyagewriters, who are very fond of fpeaking of what they don't know. It must be under a very particular character, or on fome extraordinary occafion, that a Chriftian is admitted into the house of a man of quality, and their Harams are always forbidden ground. Thus they can only fpeak of the outfide, which makes no great appearance; and the womens apartments are always built backward, removed from fight, and have no other profpect than the gardens, which are inclofed with very high walls. There is none of our parterres in them; but they are planted with high trees, which give an agreeable fhade, and, to my fancy, a pleafing view. In the midft of the garden is the Chio, that is, a large room, commonly beautifed with a fine fountain in the midft of it. It is raifed nine or ten fleps, and inclofed with gilded lattices, round which, vines, jeffamines, and |