more en Constantinople. The grandees about exposed them to the contempt and tan Selim, however, is said, when Selim Gihandari is more entitled riding in procession and in solemn to respect as a private man than a pomp to the Dschamie, to have of. sovereign; his ideas are ten looked with an air of benignity lightened and more free from pre- at the Franks standing by the wayjudice than those of his predecessors; side, and even to have sometimes and his sentiments are tolerant, and bowed to them, when they respectaccommodated to the present times. fully uncovered their heads; which, He is even reported to possess a being against the custom of the East, bappy talent at poetical composition might, on the contrary, have drawn in the Arabic language. The Turks, upon them a reprimand. however, have greater need of a It is well known, that he has had man of strong mind, than of a bel- many interviews with Franks at Dolesprit, to conduct their affairs. Se- ma Backdscheh, and that he has lim is indeed charged with being verbally communicated his pleasure very fond of money, and with board- and his orders to those whom he has ing it more than any of bis prede- taken into his service. On certain cessors; but, on the other band, he days in the week, he has even caused displays great generosity in the dis- the ladies and gentlemen belonging tribution of rewards. to the French families settled at Pera His present conduct forms a strik- and Galata, to assemble and dance ing contrast with the character which in a saloon in his seraglio; and he he at first assumed. He then ap- generally watched them, while enpeared as the professed enemy of the gaged in this amusement, through a Franks (or christians). This anti- lattice.--On such occasions, one of pathy impelled bim to issue, among the company, by his desire, plays others, the severe edict, prohibiting on a small organ his favourite tune, all Franks and Jews from wearing the well-known Marlbrook s'en vathe Turkish costume, and command- t-en guerre, and the others accoming them to dress in clothes after the pany the music with their voices.French fashion. This ordinance was The celebrated Lullaby-song of the extreniely mortifying to them, as it late dauphin, formerly sung all over Europe, a a Europe, from the Seine to the Oby, after the manner of the Bosniaks. and now almost forgotten, has at On these occasions, he is generally length completed its tour of the attended by no more than four perworld, having penetrated to Con- sons, all dressed in the same manstantinople. It has there maintained ner as himself, so as not to be disits ground longer than any where tinguished. One of these attendants else; for, as it pleased the sultan, is the executioner, who always folit became almost a national air, and lows the grand signior, in all his exyou may still hear it sung by many cursions, both on horseback and on a Tschaikschu; but soniewhat nuti- foot. It is well known, that for lated, it is true, and only to be re- any instance of speedy justice, there cognised from the beginning of the is none to call him to account, nor tune. veed he even assign a cause. This The following true anecdote privilege the sultans have always evinces the politeness of the em- made use of, and so did Selim in peror towards the Franks. One the first years of his reign.- Now, fine summer's day, many of the however, he forms an honourable Frankish families resident at Con- exception in the exercise of this barstantinople had assenzbled at Buy- barous prerogative; conformably to ukdere on some festive occasion. custom, he still retains the terrific The fineness of the weather, or per- attendant, but without calling for haps curiosity to see so many Franks his professional services. In these together, likewise enticed the grand excursions, he often visits the schools, signior from his water-party to the the barracks, the coffee-houses, the same place.-The sky was suddenly academical institutions, and the overcast , and a heavy shower of rain guard houses ; and be not unfrefell; just when all the company were quently distributes, with his own, walking in an extensive meadow. liand, gratuities among those who The ladies, who were provided with have either obtained his approbaumbrellas, put them up; but as the tion, or whom he wishes to engrand signior alone has the privilege courage. of employing this kind of defence According to the laws of the either against sun or rain, and no Turkish empire, every male must person is allowed to use it in his pre- learn some business; and from this, sence, they immediately let down the sultans themselves are not extheir umbrellas while the sultan empted. Selim learned the art of passed by them on his return to his painting on muslin; and during his gondola. No sooner did he per- reign, it has come so much into ceive this mark of attention, than vogue in the seraglio, that a great he sent a message, granting them number of sofas and divans, in the permission to make use of their um- interior of the palace, are now cobrellas even in his presence. vered with this kind of muslin. The emperor frequently goes The superior understanding of his about in the capital, incognito, and mother, the sultana Valide, gave her in various disguises. Sometimes he a great influence over the emperor. wears a green turban and an Alba- She had formerly been the slave of nian dress, or an Arnaut cap, and a Mussulman, named Velizade, and wide red cloak, with gold clasps, was brought up with Murat Bey, who wbo has since acquired such cele- a eustom, that no Pacha, whether brity as a chief of the Mamelukes, in office or not, shall reside in the and wbo was likewise purchased in capital, unless he occupies a place early youth by the same master. in the divan, or tills some of the Arriving in the seraglio in the very high offices of state, has been disflower of youthful beauty, and a pensed witls. The second sister, proficient in all the little arts that known by the name of Beiham sulare practised in the Haram, she was tana, is the widow of Selikdar Mus. fortunate enough to gain the favour tapla Pacha, formerly Kai-Makan, of sultan Mustapha, and to become or deputy of the grand vizir, who the mother of a prince of the race of died Paclia of Bosnia. The third is the Osmanides. The affection of called Hedischa Sultana, and is the the sultanas for their children, whom widow of Seid Achmed Pacha, who they suckle themselves, is almost al died Pacha of Wan, on the frontiers ways peculiarly strong in the se- of Persia. raglio; and the attachment of the Sultau Selim has, as vet, no issue ; latter to the mother, is not less re- and such is his neglect of the women markable. The sultana mothers of the haram, that it is scarcely exhave, therefore, from a remote pe- pected that he will ever become a riod, enjoyed the privilege of act. father. The heirs-apparent to the ing important parts at the Ottoman throne are his first cousins, sultan court. Mustapha, and sultan Mahmud, sons Sultan Selim cherished the highest of the sultan Abdul Hamid, the elder degree of veneration and gratitude of whom is 27, and the younger 22 for her who gave him life. The years of age. Both of them are sultana Valide, (who died in Octo- very kindly treated by the present ber 1805, in her 73d year) always grand signior, out of gratitude for manifested a particular kindness and the kindness he himself experienced regard for the French; and even from their father, his uncle. Neverduring their invasion of Egypt she theless, they are, according to cusnever abandoned their cause. France tom, obliged to live secluded from and the Porte are now again inti- all society, in the inmost recesses of mately connected ; and the foriner the great seraglio; and they are perhas declared itself the protector and mitted, but very rarely, to leave defender of the Turkish empire. their quarters, in order to kiss the Sultan Selim has three sisters, hand of the reigning sovereign. daughters of sultan Mustapha, but with no other companions than by a different mother. They are women doomed to sterility, and no all living. The eldest, who has the other attevdants than black eunuchs, title of Scback Sultana, or Imperial are these princes obliged to pass Princess, is married to Nuhandschi their lives. Mustapha, formerly Pacha of Salo- Such are the successors of the ce. nichi. As he is not a mau of much lebrated Ottoman heroes of past ambition, and his character excites ages; of those mighty and warlike no suspicion in the court, he is suf- sultans, who, bred in camps, struck fered to live peaceably with his wife, terror into all Christendom: these in a palace contiguous to the suburb are imbued only with the precepts of Eyub. As far as respects him, of the Koran, and the sentiment of hatred batred to the christians: without the continue it. The officers are in least knowledge of the world, from general very ignorant, for this reawhich they are totally excluded ; son strangers are in high esteem and ignorant alike of the business among them; they are brave in the of war, and of the important duties ranks, but, like the soldiers, they are imposed on the sovereign of so im- so from the effect of discipline. The mense an empire. same horror is conceived in the Russian armies of cowardice, as is entertained in other countries against Russian Soldiers Characterized. irreligion and villainy. Bravery is a duty from which nobody considers In their discipline and tactics, the himself exenpt. A Russian camp Russians are ihe disciples of the resembles a horde of Tartars. In the Prussians, and adhere strictly to the same manner that a people accusschool of Frederick the Great ; tomed to obey the elaws,' mechathey practise what the Prussians did nically observe them; so do the 30 years ago. Russians constantly follow the rules The Russian soldier is deficient of discipline, without daring to dein instruction rather than intelli- part from them. gence; the servile obedience, to Their method is to engage the which he is accustomed from his enemy with the bayonet, at full birth, the rigorous discipline of the speed, crying Owri, Ouri; no arnıy, and bis absolute separation troops in the world can withstand from all other nations (whose lan- this charge: the firing does not guage and manners are totally un- abate their impetuosity; they attack known to bim) make him more a battery in front, if that be a reaobedient to his officers, and more dier way than to attack it in flank. patient and liardy, than the soldiers To withstand this shock, the, en eof any other service. Courage is my must not wait for it, but proceed the general characteristic: it is, if to ineet it with the same resolution. we may so express ourselves, the The French are more remarkable faith and creed of the Russian sol- for boldness and rashness, than indier. Implicit obedience occasions trepidity ; tbe approach of the long in him the same effects that en- and broad Russian bayonets always thusiasm does on other nations. The alarmed them, and the grenadiers effect which servitude produces, is, could never stand their impression, in this instance, the same with that The courage of the Russians is proof of the most ardent patriotism ; it is against every thing; they know how to more sure and durable than that of die to insure victory, and to die rather enthusiasm, the artificial warmth of than be beaten, They will beat all which cannot be long kept up: other troops, if they can but bring Thus, what by philosophers is called them to action : they are moving the last state of degradation, places machines of fire, that consume all man in the saine level with hero-' in their way. No troops in the ism.--The Russian soldiers do not world are so careless of being at. conceive it possible to give up the tacked in fank, or turned; they contest, so long as they have life to think, let the enemy be, where he will, if he can but face about to and insiguificance of the remaining meet him, that he is in front aud princes, whose collective force was regular array before them. great, but whose powers could not The Russian discipline is ex- be brought to act in harmony, or on tremely rigorous, and has all the an emergency be called into exeringredients of an autocratical go- tion. The greater part of those vernment. The subordination a- princes were philanthropic admiumongst the officers of different ranks istrators of their little territories; but is almost as great as that of private few of them possessed that dignity soldiers to their officers in other and those energies of character services; they are sometimes treated which their exalted rank demanded, in the same inavner as the privates. and their bigh titles imported. Their bravery is the effect of dis- Hence we cannot wonder that, when cipline, more than of elevated sen- the mighty foe advanced, and the timents. concentrated power of France presEach company has its bero; it is sed upon them, they soon shrunk a distinction be obtains from the from the conflict, and yielded to the suffrages of his comrades: he has victor almost without opposition. po pre-eminence determined by or- But there were splendid exceptions der, though he has in effect a very to this general debility, and an hegreat one; he is the example, the roism of character was sometimes model, and the chief of the mess; found in the minor princes, which, he enjoys great consideration among had it subsisted in the breasts of the his comrades, and never fails to give still powerful sovereigus, might bave them an example of bravery, firm- preserved from violation the august ness, and good conduct.-When memorial and shade of Roman domen are accustomed to any thing, minion; nor would the Teutou then it is sufficient for one to give an have lain prostrate before the Gaul. example, to induce the other to Among the few who retained the follow it: this it is, that renders the elevation of the ancient German hero in question so useful in action. character, even at the moment of Few. persons are capable of setting its lowest degradation, was the reignan example, though almost all of ing duchess of Saxe Weimar, Louisa, following it. daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt. Her consort, as is well known, was one of the generals of Buonaparte and the Duchess of the king of Prussia, in the everWeimar. memorable campaign of 1806. When the allied armies collected The recent annihilation of the themselves in the little territory of German empire is, above all things, the duke, where it was resolved to to be attributed to the wretched ab- wait the arrival of the French; surdities of its constitution ; to the when it was determined to hazard establishment of the power of Prus- the battle which was to decide the sia as a balance against Austria, by fate of all Germany, in the vicinity which dissention and division were of Weimar, the duchess resolved organized; and to the weakness to abide in her residence. The aged |