Latest / Around the Clock in Europe : A Travel Sequence / Turkish Embassy Letters (selection)-Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Transcript

Turkish Embassy Letters (selection)-Lady Mary Wortley Montagu · Around the Clock in Europe : A Travel Sequence

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Section one of the Turkish Embassy letters. This is a
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Recording by Nancy Midland, Oakland, California. The Turkish Embassy Letters
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: by Lady Mary Wortley Montague letters to her sister and
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: friends during the embassy of mister Wortley from seventeen sixteen
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: to seventeen eighteen. Letter one, Rotterdam, August three, o s.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Seventeen sixteen. I flatter myself, dear sister, that I shall
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: give you some pleasure in letting you know that I
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: have safely passed the sea. Though we had the ill
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: fortune of a storm. We were persuaded by the captain
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: of the yacht to set out in a calm, and
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: he pretended there was nothing so easy as to tide
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: it over. But after two days slowly moving, the wind
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: blew so hard that none of the sailors could keep
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: their feet, and we were all Sunday night tossed very handsomely.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: I never saw a man more frighted than the captain.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: For my part, I have been so lucky neither to
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: suffer from fear nor sea sickness. Though I confess I
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: was so impatient to see myself once more upon dry
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: land that I would not stay till the yacht could
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: get to Rotterdam, but went in the long boat to Helvetzleuse,
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: where we had watchures to carry us to the brill.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: I was charmed with the neatness of that little town,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: but my arrival at Rotterdam presented me a new scene
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: of pleasure. All the streets are paved with broad stones,
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: and before many of the meanest artificer's doors are placed
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: seats of variously colored marbles, so neatly kept that I
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: assure you I walked almost all over the town yesterday
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: incognita in my slippers, without receiving one spot of dirt.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: And you may see the Dutch maids washing the pavement
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: of the street with more application than ours do our
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: bed chambers. The town seems so full of people, with
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: such busy faces, all in motion, that I can hardly
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: fancy it is not some celebrated fair, but I see
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: it is every day the same. Tis certain no town
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: can be more advantageously situated for commerce. There are seven
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: large canals on which the merchant's ships come up to
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: the very doors of their houses. The shops and warehouses
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: are of a surprising neatness and magnificence, filled with an
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: incredible quantity of fine merchandise, and so much cheaper than
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: what we see in England, that I have much ado
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: to persuade myself. I am still so near it. Here
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: is neither dirt nor beggary to be seen. One is
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: not shocked with those loathsome crips so common in London,
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: nor teased with the importunity of idle fellows and wenches
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: that choose to be nasty and lazy. The common servants
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: and little shop women here are more nicely clean than
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: most of our ladies, and the great variety of neat dresses,
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: every woman dressing her head after her own fashion, is
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: an additional pleasure in seeing the town you see hitherto
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: dear sister, I make no complaints, and if I continue
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: to like traveling as well as I do at present,
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: I shall not repent my project. It will go a
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: great way in making me satisfied with it if it
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: affords me an opportunity of entertaining you. But it is
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: not from Holland that you may expect a disinterested offer.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: I can write enough in the style of Rotterdam to
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: tell you plainly in one word, that I expect returns
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: of all the London news. You see. I have already
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: learned to make a good bargain, and that it is
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: not for nothing. I will so much as tell you
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: I am your affectionate sister. Letter two, Vienna, September eighth,
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: o s. Seventeen sixteen. I am now my dear sister,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: safely arrived in Vienna, and I, thank God, have not
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: at all suffered in my health, nor what is dearer
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: to me in that of my childs. By all our fatigues,
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: we traveled by water from Ratisbon, a journey perfectly agreeable
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: down the Danube, in one of those little vessels that
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: they very properly call wooden houses, having in them all
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: the conveniences of a palace, stoves in the chambers, kitchens,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: et cetera. They are rowed by twelve men each and
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: move with such incredible swiftness that in the same day
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: you have the pleasure of a vast variety of prospects,
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: and within the space of a few hours you have
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: the pleasure of seeing a populous city, adorned with magnificent
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: palaces and the most romantic solitudes, which appear distant from
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: the commerce of mankind, the banks of the Danube being
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: charmingly diversified with woods, rocks, mountains covered with vines, fields
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: of corn, large cities, and ruins of ancient castles. I
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: saw the great towns of Passeaux and Lyntz, famous for
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: the retreat of the Imperial court when Vienna was besieged.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: This town, which has the honor of being the Emperor's residence,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: did not at all answer my ideas of it being
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: much less than I expected to find it. The streets
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: are very close and so narrow one cannot observe the
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: fine fronts of the palaces, though many of them very
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: well deserve observation, being truly magnificent. They are built of
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: fine white stone and are excessively high. For as the
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: town is too little for the number of the people
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: that desire to live in it, the builders seem to
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: have projected to repair that misfortune by clapping one town
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: on top of the other. Most of the houses being
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: five and some of them six stories, you may easily
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: imagine that the streets being so narrow, the rooms are
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: extremely dark, and what is an inconvenience much more intolerable.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: In my opinion, there is no house that has so
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: few as five or six families in it. The apartments
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: of the greatest ladies, and even of the ministers of state,
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: are divided but by a partition from that of a
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: tailor or shoemaker. And I know nobody that has above
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: two floors in any house, one for their own use
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: and one higher for their servants. Those that have houses
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: of their own let out the rest of them to
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: whoever will take them. And thus the great stairs, which
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: are all of stone, are as common and as dirty
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: as the street. Tis true, when you have once traveled
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: through them, nothing can be more surprisingly magnificent. And the
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: apartments they are commonly a suite of eight or ten
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: large rooms, all inlaid, the doors and windows richly carved
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: and gilt, and the furniture such as is seldom seen
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: in the palaces of sovereign princes in other countries. Their
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: apartments are adorned with hangings of the finest tapestry of Brussels,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: prodigious large looking glasses and silver frames, fine japan tables, beds, chairs,
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: canopies and window curtains of the richest genoa, damask or velvet,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: almost covered with gold lace or embroidery. The whole is
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: made gay by pictures and vast jars of Japan China,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: and in almost every room large lusters of rock crystal.
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: I have already had the honor of being invited to
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: dinner by several of the first people of quality, and
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: I must do them the justice to say the good
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: taste and magnificence of theirs. Their tables very well answered
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: to that of their furniture. I have been more than
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: once entertained with fifty dishes of meat, all served in
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: silver and well dressed. The dessert proportionable served in the
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: finest china. But the variety and richness of their wines
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: is what appears the most surprising. The constant way is
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: to lay a list of their names upon the plates
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: of the guests, along with the napkins. And I have
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: counted several times to the number of eighteen different sorts,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: all exquisite in their kinds. I was yesterday at Count Schoenbrun,
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: the Vice Chancellor's garden, when I was invited to dinner.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: I must own I never saw a place so perfectly
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: delightful as the Fauburg of Vienna. It is very large
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: and almost wholly composed of delicious palaces. If the Emperor
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: found it proper to permit the gates of the town
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: to be laid open, that the Fauburg might be joined
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: to it, he would have one of the largest and
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: best built cities in Europe. Count schoenbruns Villa is one
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: of the most magnificent. The furniture, all rich brocades, so
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: well fancied and fitted up. Nothing can look more gay
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: and splendid, not to speak of a gallery full of
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: rarities of coral, mother of pearl, et cetera, and throughout
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: the whole house a profusion of gilding, carving, fine paintings,
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: the most beautiful porcelain statues of alabaster and ivory, and
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: vast orange and lemon trees in gilt pots. The dinner
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: was perfectly fine and well ordered, and made still more
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: agreeable by the good humor of the Count. Letter three Prague,
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: November seventeen o s. Seventeen sixteen. I hope my dear
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: sister wants no new proofs of my sincere affection for her,
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: But I am sure. If you do, I I could
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: not give you a stronger than riding at this time
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: after three days or more properly speaking, three nights and
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: days hard post traveling. The Kingdom of Bohemia is the
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: most desert of any I have seen in Germany. The
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: villages are so poor and the post houses so miserable,
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: that clean straw and fair water are blessings not to
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: be met with, and better accommodations not to be hoped for.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: Though I carried my own bed with me, I could
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: not sometimes find a place to set it up in,
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: and I rather chose to travel all night, as cold
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: as it is, wrapped up in my furs, than to
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: go into the common stoves, which are filled with a
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: mixture of all sorts of ill scentse. This town was
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: once the royal seat of the Bohemian kings, and Distill
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: the capital of the kingdom. There are yet some remains
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: of its former splendor, being one of the largest towns
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: in Germany, but for the most part old built and
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: thinly inhabited, which makes the houses very cheap. Those people
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: of quality who cannot easily bear the expense of Vienna
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: choose to reside here, where they have assemblies, music, and
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: all other diversions those of a court, excepted at very
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: moderate rates, all things being here in great abundance, especially
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: the best wild fowl I have ever tasted. I have
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: already been visited by some of the most considerable ladies
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: whose relations I know. At Vienna. They are dressed after
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: the fashions there after the manner that the people at
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: Exeter imitate those of London. That is, their imitation is
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: more excessive than the original. Tis not easy to describe
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: what extraordinary figures they make. The person is so much
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: lost between head dress and petticoat that they have as
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: much occasion to write upon their backs. This is a
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: woman for the information of travelers, as ever signpost painter
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: had to write. This is a bear letter four Vienna,
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: January sixteenth o s. Seventeen seventeen. I am now, dear sister,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: to take leave of you for a long time and
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: of Vienna forever, designing tomorrow to begin my journey through
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: Hungary in spite of the excessive cold and deep snows,
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: which are enough to damp a greater courage than I
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: am mistress of. But my principles of passive obedience carry
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: me through everything. I have had my audience of leave
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: of the Empress. His Imperial Majesty was pleased to be
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: present when I waited on the reigning Empress, and after
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: a very obliging conversation, both their Imperial majesties invited me
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: to take Vienna in my road back. But I have
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: no thoughts of enduring over again, so great a fatigue
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: I delivered a letter from the Duchess of Blankenburg. I
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: stayed a few days at that court, though her Highness
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: pressed me very much to stay, and when I left
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: her engaged me to write to her. I wrote you
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: a long letter from thence, which I hope you have received,
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: though you don't mention it. But I believe I forgot
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: to tell you one curiosity in all the German courts
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: which I cannot forbear taking notice of all the princes
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: keep favorite dwarfs. The Emperor and Empress keep two of
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: these little monsters, as ugly as devils, especially the female,
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: but they are all bedaubed with diamonds, and stand at
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: Her Majesty's elbow in all public places. The Duke of
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: Wolfenbuttel has one, and the Duchess of Blankenburg is not
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: without hers, but indeed the most proportionable I ever saw.
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: I am told the King of Denmark has so far
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: upon this fashion that his dwarf is his chief minister.
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: I can assign no reason for their fondness for these
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: pieces of deformity, but the opinion all the absolute princes
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: have that it is below them to converse with the
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: rest of mankind, and not to be quite alone. They
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: are forced to seek their companions among the refuse of
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: human nature, these creatures, being the only part of their
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: court privileged to talk freely to them. I am at
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: present confined to my chamber by a sore throat, and
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: am really glad of the excuse to avoid seeing people
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: that I love well enough to be very much mortified
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: when I think I am going to part with them forever.
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: It is true the Austrians are not commonly the most
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: polite people in the world, nor the most agreeable. But
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: Vienna is inhabited by all nations, and I had formed
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: to myself a little society of such as were perfectly
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: to my own taste. And though the number was not
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: very great, I could never pick up in any other
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: place such a number of reasonable, agreeable people. We were
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: almost always together. And you know, I have ever been
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: of opinion that a chosen conversation composed of a few
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: that one esteems is the greatest happiness of life. Here
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: are some Spaniards of both sexes that have all the
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: vivacity and generosity of sentiments anciently ascribed to their nation.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: And could I believe that the whole kingdom were like them?
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: I would wish nothing more than to end my days there.
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: The ladies of my acquaintance have so much goodness for me,
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: they cry whenever they see me. Since I have determined
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: to undertake this journey, and indeed I am not very
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: easy when I reflect on what I am going to suffer.
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: Almost everybody I see frights me with some new difficulty.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Prince you, Jean has been so good as to say
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: all the things he could to persuade me to stay
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: till the Danubis thowd that I may have the conveniency
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: of going by water, assuring me that the houses in
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: Hungry are such as are no defense against the weather,
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: and that I shall be obliged to travel three or
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: four days between Buddha and Essek without finding any house
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: at all, through desert plains, covered with snow, where the
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: cold is so violent many have been killed by it.
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: I own these terrors have made a very deep impression
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: on my mind, because I believe he tells me things
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: truly as they are, and nobody can be better informed
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: of them. Now I have named that great man. I
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: am sure you expect I should say something particular of him,
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: having the advantage of seeing him very often. But I
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: am as unwilling to speak of him at Vienna as
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: I should be to talk of Hercules in the court
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: of Umfale if I had seen him there. I don't
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: know what comfort other people find in considering the weakness
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: of great men, because perhaps it brings them nearer to
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: their level. But tis always the mortification to me to
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: observe that there is no perfection in humanity. The young
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: Prince of Portugal is the admiration of the whole court.
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: He is handsome and polite, with a great vivacity. All
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: the officers tell wonders of his gallantry in the last campaign.
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: He is lodged at court with all the honors due
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: his rank. Adieu, dear sister, this is the last account
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: you will have from me of Vienna, if I survive
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: my journey, you shall hear from me again. I can
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: say with great truth in the words of monesses. I
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: have long learned to hold myself as nothing. But when
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: I think of the fatigue my poor infant must suffer,
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: I have all a mother's fondness in my eyes, and
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: all her tender passions in my heart. End of section one.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: Recording by Nancy Midland, Oakland, California.
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: Section two of the Turkish Embassy Letters. This is a
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: Recording by Amanda mel Portland, Oregon. The Turkish Embassy Letters
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: by Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Letter five, peter Varden, January thirtieth,
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: o s. Seventeen seventeen. At length, dear sister, I am
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: safely arrived with all my family and good health at
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: peter Varden, having suffered so little from the rigor of
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: the season, against which we were well provided by firs,
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: and found such taller bowl accommodation everywhere by the care
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: of sending before that, I can hardly forbear laughing when
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: I recollect all the frightful ideas that were given me
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: of this journey. These I see were wholly owing to
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: the tenderness of my Vienna friends and their desire of
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: keeping me with them for this winter. Perhaps it will
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: not be disagreeable to you to give a short journal
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: of my journey, being through a country entirely unknown to you,
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: and very little past even by the Hungarians themselves, who
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: generally choose to take the conveniency of going down the Danube.
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: We have had the blessing of being favored with finer
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: weather than is common at this time of the year,
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: though the snow was so deep we were obliged to
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: have our own coaches fixed upon Treyina's, which moved so
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: swift and so easily. 'tis by far the most agreeable
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: manner of traveling post. We came to rob the second
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: day from Vienna, on the seventeenth instant, where mister Wortley,
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: sending word of our arrival to the governor, the best
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: house in the town was provided for us, The garrison
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: put under arms, a guard ordered at our door, and
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: all other honors paid to us. The governor and all
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: other officers immediately waited on mister Wortley to know if
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: there was anything to be done for his service. The
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: Bishop of Temeswar came to visit us with great civility,
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: earnestly pressing us to dine with him next day, which
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: we refusing, as being resolved to pursue our journey. He
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: sent us several baskets of winter fruit and a great
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: variety of Hungarian wines. With a young hind just killed.
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: This is a prelate of great power in this country,
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: of the ancient family of Nadasti, so considerable for many
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: ages in this kingdom. He is a very polite, agreeable,
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: cheerful old man, wearing the Hungarian habit, with a venerable
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: white beard down to his girdle. Rob is a strong town,
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: well garrisoned and fortified, and was a long time the
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: frontier town between the Turkish and German empires. It has
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: its name from the River Rob on which it is
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: situated just on its meeting with the Danube, in an
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: open Champagne country. It was first taken by the Turks
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: under the command of Pasha Sinon in the reign of
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: Sultan Amarath the Third in the year fifteen hundred and
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: ninety four, the governor being supposed to have betrayed, was
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: afterward beheaded by the Emperor's command. The counts of Swarzenburg
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: and Palfy retook it by surprise fifteen ninety eight, since
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: which time it has remained in the hands of the Germans,
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: though the Turks once more attempted to gain it by
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: Stratagem in sixteen forty two. The cathedral is large and
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: well built, which is all I saw remarkable in the town.
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: Leaving Komora on the other side the river, we went
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: the eighteenth to Nosmule, a small village, where, however, we
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: made shift to find tolerable accommodation. We continued two days
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: traveling between this place and Buddha, through the finest plains
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: in the world, as even as if they were paved
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: and extremely fruitful, but for the most part desert and uncultivated,
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: laid waste by the long wars between the Turk and
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: the Emperor, and the more cruel civil war occasioned by
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: the barbarous persecution of the Protestant religion by the Emperor Leopold.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: That prince has left behind him the character of an
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: extraordinary piety, and was naturally of a mild merciful temper,
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: but putting his conscience into the hands of a Jesuit,
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: he was more cruel and treacherous to his poor Hungarian
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: subjects than ever the Turk has been to the Christians,
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: breaking without scruple his coronation oath and his faith solemnly
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: given in many public treaties. Indeed, nothing can be more
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: melancholy than in traveling through Hungary, to reflect on the
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: former flourishing state of that kingdom, and to see such
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: a noble spot of earth almost uninhabited. Such are also
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: the present circumstances of Buddha, where we arrived very early
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: the twenty second once the royal seat of the Hungarian kings,
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: whose palace was reckoned, one of the most beautiful buildings
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: of the age, now wholly destroyed, no part of the
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: town having been repaired since the last siege, but the
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: fortifications in the castle, which is the present residence of
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: the Governor General Raguel, an officer of great merit. He
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: came immediately to see us and carried us in his
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: coach to his house, where I was received by his
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: lady with all possible civility, and magnificently entertained this city
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: is situated upon a little hill on the south side
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: of the Danube. The castle is much higher than the town,
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: and from it the prospect is very noble. Without the
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: walls lie a vast number of little houses, or rather huts,
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: that they call the Rascian town, being altogether inhabited by
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: that people. The governor assured me it would furnish twelve
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: thousand fighting men. These towns look very odd. Their houses
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: stand in rows, many thousands of them, so close together
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: that they appear at a little distance like old fashioned
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: thatched tents. They consist, every one of them, of one
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: hovel above and another underground. These are their summer and
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: winter apartments. Buddha was first taken by Solomon the Magnificent
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: in fifteen twenty six, and lost the following year to Ferdinand,
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: the first King of Bohemia. Soliman regained it by the
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: treachery of the garrison and voluntarily gave it into the
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: hands of King John of Hungary, after whose death his
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: son being an infant, Ferdinand laid siege to it, and
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: the Queen mother was for four to call Solimon to
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: her aid. He indeed raised the siege, but left a
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: Turkish garrison in the town and commanded her to remove
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: her court from thence, which she was forced to submit
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: to in fifteen forty one. It resisted afterward the sieges
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: laid to it by the Marquis of Brandenburg in the
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: year fifteen forty two, Count Schartzenburg in fifteen ninety eight,
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: General Rosworm in sixteen o two, and the Duke of Lorraine,
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: commander of the Emperor's forces in sixteen eighty four, to
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: whom it yielded in sixteen eighty six after an obstinate
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: defense at Tibasa, the governor being killed fighting in the
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: breach with a Roman bravery. The loss of this town
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: was so important and so much resented by the Turks,
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: that it occasioned the deposing of their Emperor, Mohammed the
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: Fourth the year following. We did not proceed on our
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: journey till the twenty third, when we passed through Adam
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: and Todovar, both considerable towns when in the hands of
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: the Turks, but now quite ruined. The remains, however, of
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: some Turkish towns, show something of what they have been.
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: The as part of the country is very much overgrown
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: with wood and little frequented tis incredible. What vast numbers
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: of wild fowl we saw, which often live here to
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: a good old age, and undisturbed by guns, in quiet sleep.
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: We came the five and twentieth to Mohatch, and were
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: shown the field near it where Lewis, the young King
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: of Hungary, lost his army and his life, being drowned
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: in a ditch trying to fly from Ballibouse, general of
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: Solomon the Magnificent. This battle opened the first passage for
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: the Turks into the heart of Hungary. I don't name
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: to you the little villages of which I can say
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: nothing remarkable, but I'll assure you I have always found
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: a warm stove and great plenty, particularly of wild boar, venison,
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: and all kinds of gba. The few people that inhabit
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: Hungary live easily enough. They have no money, but the
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: woods and plains afford them provision in great abundance. They
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: were ordered to give us all things necessary, even what
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: horses we pleased to demand gratis. But mister Wordley would
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: not oppress the poor country people by making use of
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: this ord or, and always paid them to the full
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: worth of what he had. They were so surprised at
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: this unexpected generosity, which they are very little used to.
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: That they always pressed upon us at parting a dozen
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: of fat pheasants or something of that sort for a present.
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: Their dress is very primitive, being only a plain sheepskin
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: and a cap in boots of the same stuff. You
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: may easily imagine this lasts them many winters, and thus
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: they have very little occasion for money. The twenty sixth
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: we passed over the frozen Danube with all our equipage
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: and carriages. We met on the other side General Veterani,
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: who invited us with great civility to pass the night
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: at a little castle of his a few miles off,
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: assuring us we should have a very hard day's journey
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: to reach Essek. This we found but too true, the
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: woods being very dangerous and scarcely passable from the vast
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: quantity of wolves that hoard in them. We came, however, safe,
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: though late, to Essek, where we stayed a day to
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: dispatch a courier with letters to the Pasha of Belgrade.
• 26:57
  Speaker 2: And I took that opportunity of seeing the town, which
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: is not very large, but fair built and well fortified.
• 27:03
  Speaker 2: This was a town of great trade, very rich and populous.
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: When in the hands of the Turks. It is situated
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: on the Drave, which runs into the Danube. The bridge
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: was esteemed one of the most extraordinary in the world,
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: being eight thousand paces long and all built of oak.
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: It was burned and the city laid in ashes by
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: Count Leslie sixteen eighty five, but was again repaired and
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: fortified by the Turks, who, however, abandoned it in sixteen
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: eighty seven. General Deniwalt then took possession of it for
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: the Emperor, in whose hands it has remained ever since,
• 27:32
  Speaker 2: and is esteemed one of the bulwarks of Hungary. The
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: twenty eighth we went to Bokuwar, a very large Racian town,
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: all built after the manner I have described to you.
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: We were met there by colonel who would not suffer
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: us to go anywhere but to his quarters, where I
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: found his wife, a very agreeable Hungarian lady, and his
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: niece and daughter, two pretty young women, crowded into three
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: or four Rascian houses, cast into one, and made us
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: neat and convenient as those places are capable of being made.
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: The Hungarian ladies are much handsomer than those of Austria.
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: All the Vienna beauties are of that country. They are
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: generally very fair and well shaped, and their dress I
• 28:08
  Speaker 2: think is extremely becoming. This lady was in a gown
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: of scarlet velvet, lined and faced with sables, made exact
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: to her shape, and the skirt falling to her feet.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: The sleeves are straight to their arms, and the stays
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: buttoned before with two rows of little buttons of gold,
• 28:23
  Speaker 2: pearl or diamonds. On their heads. They wear a tassel
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: of gold that hangs low on one side, lined with
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: sable or some other fine fur. They gave us a
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: handsome dinner, and I thought the conversation very polite and agreeable.
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: They would accompany us part of our way. The twenty
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: ninth we arrived here, where we were met by the
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: commanding Officer at the head of all the officers of
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: the garrison. We are lodged in the best apartment of
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: the governor's house and entertained in a very splendid manner.
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: By the Emperor's order. We wait here till all points
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: are adjusted concerning our reception on the Turkish frontiers. Mister
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: Wortley's courier, which he sent from Essek, returned this morning
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: with the Pasha's answer in a purse of scarle satin,
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: which the interpreter here has translated. It is to promise
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: him to be honorably received. I desired him to appoint
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: where he would be met by the Turkish convoy. He
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: has dispatched the courier back, naming Betsko, a village in
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: the midway between Peterwarden and Belgrade. We shall stay here
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: till we receive his answer. Thus, dear sister, I have
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: given you a very particular and I am afraid you'll
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: think a tedious account of this part of my travels.
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: It was not an affectation of showing my reading that
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: has made me tell you some little scraps of the
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: history of the towns I have passed through. I have
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: always avoided anything of that kind when I spoke of
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: places that I believe you knew the story of as
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: well as myself. But Hungary being a part of the
• 29:41
  Speaker 2: world which I believe is quite new to you, I
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: thought you might read with some pleasure an account of it,
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: which I have been very solicitous to get from the
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: best hands. However, if you don't like it, tis in
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: your power to forbear reading it. I am promised to
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: have this letter carefully sent to Vienna. Letter six Adrianople,
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: April first, o s seventeen seventeen. I am now got
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: into a new world where everything I see appears to
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: me a change of scene. And I write to your
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: ladyship with some content of mind, hoping at least that
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: you will find the charms of novelty in my letters,
• 30:14
  Speaker 2: and no longer reproach me that I tell you nothing extraordinary.
• 30:18
  Speaker 2: I won't trouble you with a relation of our tedious journey,
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: but must not omit what I saw remarkable at Sophia,
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: one of the most beautiful towns in the Turkish Empire,
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: and famous for its hot baths that are resorted to
• 30:30
  Speaker 2: both for diversion and health. I stopped here one day
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: on purpose to see them, and designing to go incognita,
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: I hired a Turkish coach. These vultures are not at
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: all like ours, but much more convenient for the country,
• 30:43
  Speaker 2: the heat being so great that glasses would be very troublesome.
• 30:47
  Speaker 2: They are made a good deal in the manner of
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: the Dutch stage coaches, having wooden lattices painted and gilded,
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: the inside being also painted with baskets and nosegays of flowers,
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: intermixed commonly with little poetical mottos. There covered all over
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: with scarlet cloth, lined with silk, and very often richly
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: embroidered and fringed. This covering entirely hides the persons in them,
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: but may be thrown back at pleasure, and thus permits
• 31:11
  Speaker 2: the ladies to peep through the lattices. They hold four people,
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: very conveniently seated on cushions, but not raised, in one
• 31:18
  Speaker 2: of these covered wagons. I went to the Baniot about
• 31:21
  Speaker 2: ten o'clock. It was already full of women. It is
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: built of stone, in the shape of a dome, with
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: no windows, but in the roof, which gives light enough.
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: There were five of these domes joined together, the outmost
• 31:32
  Speaker 2: being less than the rest, and serving only as a hall,
• 31:34
  Speaker 2: where the portress stood at the door. Ladies of quality
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: generally give this woman a crown or ten shillings, and
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: I did not forget that ceremony. The next room is
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: a very large one, paved with marble, and all around
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: it are two raised sofas of marble, one above another.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: There were four fountains of cold water in this room,
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: falling first into marble basins, and then running on the
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: floor in little channels made for that purpose, which carried
• 31:58
  Speaker 2: the streams into the next room, something less than this,
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: with the same sort of marble sofas, but so hot,
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: with steams of sulfur proceeding from the baths joining to it,
• 32:07
  Speaker 2: it was impossible to stay there with one's clothes on.
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: The other two domes were the hot baths, one of
• 32:13
  Speaker 2: which had cocks of cold water turning into it to
• 32:16
  Speaker 2: temper it to what degree of warmth the bathers pleased
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: to have. I was in my traveling habit, which is
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: a writing dress, and certainly appeared very extraordinary to them.
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: Yet there was not one of them that showed the
• 32:26
  Speaker 2: least surprise or impertinent curiosity, but received me with all
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: the obliging civility possible. I know no European court where
• 32:34
  Speaker 2: the ladies would behave themselves in so polite a manner
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: to such a stranger. I believe upon the whole there
• 32:40
  Speaker 2: were two hundred women, and yet none of those disdainful
• 32:43
  Speaker 2: smiles and satirical whispers that never fail in our assemblies
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: when anybody appears that is not dressed exactly in the fashion.
• 32:51
  Speaker 2: They repeated over and over to me guzel peck guzel,
• 32:56
  Speaker 2: which is nothing but charming, very charming. The first sofas
• 33:01
  Speaker 2: were covered with cushions and rich carpets, on which sat
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: the ladies, and on the second their slaves behind them,
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: but without any distinction of rank by their dress, all
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: being in the state of nature, that is, in playing
• 33:13
  Speaker 2: English stark naked, without any beauty or defect concealed. Yet
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: there was not the least wanton smile or a modest
• 33:20
  Speaker 2: gesture among them. They walked and moved with the same
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: majestic grace which Milton describes our general mother with. There
• 33:28
  Speaker 2: were many among them, as exactly proportioned as ever any
• 33:31
  Speaker 2: goddess was drawn by the pencil of a Guido or Titian,
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: and most of their skins shiningly white, only adorned by
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: their beautiful hair, divided into many tresses hanging on their shoulders,
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: braided either with pearl or ribbon, perfectly representing the figures
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: of the graces. I was here convinced of the truth
• 33:47
  Speaker 2: of a reflection I have often made that if it
• 33:50
  Speaker 2: were the fashion to go naked, the face would be
• 33:52
  Speaker 2: hardly observed. I perceived that the ladies of the most
• 33:55
  Speaker 2: delicate skins and finest shapes had the greatest share of
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: my admiration, though their faces were sometimes less beautiful than
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: those of their companions. To tell you the truth, I
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: had wickedness enough to wish secretly that mister Jervis could
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: have been there invisible. I fancy it would have very
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: much improved his art to see so many fine women
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: naked in different postures, some in conversation, some working, others
• 34:17
  Speaker 2: drinking coffee or sorbet, and many negligently lying on their cushions,
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: while their slaves, generally pretty girls of seventeen or eighteen,
• 34:24
  Speaker 2: were employed in braiding their hair in several pretty fancies.
• 34:27
  Speaker 2: In short, it is the women's coffee house where all
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: the news of the town is told, scandal invented, etc.
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: They generally take this diversion once a week and stay
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: there at least four or five hours without getting cold
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: by immediately coming out of the hot bath into the
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: cold room, which was very surprising to me. The lady
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: that seemed the most considerable among them entreated me to
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: sit by her, and would fain have undressed me for
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: the bath. I excused myself with some difficulty. They being, however,
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: also earnest in persuading me. I was at last forced
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: to open my shirt and show them my stays, which
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: satisfied them very well, for I saw they believed I
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: was locked up in that machine, and that it was
• 35:03
  Speaker 2: not in my own power to open it, which contrivance
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: they attributed to my husband. I was charmed with their
• 35:09
  Speaker 2: civility and beauty, and should have been very glad to
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: pass more time with them, but mister Wortley, resolving to
• 35:14
  Speaker 2: pursue his journey next morning early, I was in haste
• 35:17
  Speaker 2: to see the ruins of Justinian's Church, which did not
• 35:20
  Speaker 2: afford me so agreeable a prospect as I had left,
• 35:22
  Speaker 2: being little more than a heap of stones. Adieu, madame,
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: I am sure I have now entertained you with an
• 35:28
  Speaker 2: account of such a sight as you never saw in
• 35:30
  Speaker 2: your life, and what no book of travels could inform
• 35:33
  Speaker 2: you of, as it is no less than death for
• 35:35
  Speaker 2: a man to be found in one of these places.
• 35:37
  Speaker 2: End of section two. Recording by Amanda Mel.
• 35:47
  Speaker 3: Section three of the Turkish Embassy Letters. This is a
• 35:50
  Speaker 3: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 35:55
  Speaker 3: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot
• 35:58
  Speaker 3: Org by Madame Brachich The Turkish Embassy Letters by Lady
• 36:04
  Speaker 3: Mary Worthy Montague Letter seven Adrianople, April first, o s
• 36:12
  Speaker 3: seventeen seventeen. You see that I am very exact in
• 36:17
  Speaker 3: keeping the promise you engage me to make. I know not, however,
• 36:21
  Speaker 3: whether your curiosity will be satisfied with the accounts I
• 36:24
  Speaker 3: shall give you, though I can assure you the desire
• 36:27
  Speaker 3: I have to oblige you to the utmost of my
• 36:30
  Speaker 3: power has made me very diligent in my inquiries and observations.
• 36:35
  Speaker 3: It is certain we have but very imperfect accounts of
• 36:38
  Speaker 3: the manners and religion of these people, this part of
• 36:42
  Speaker 3: the world being seldom visited but by merchants who mind
• 36:46
  Speaker 3: little but their own affairs, or travelers who make too
• 36:49
  Speaker 3: short to stay to be able to report anything exactly
• 36:53
  Speaker 3: of their own knowledge. The Turks are too proud to
• 36:56
  Speaker 3: converse familiarly with merchants who can only pick up some
• 37:00
  Speaker 3: confused informations which are generally false, and can give no
• 37:04
  Speaker 3: better account of the ways here than a French refugee
• 37:07
  Speaker 3: lodging in a garret in Greek street could write of
• 37:10
  Speaker 3: the Court of England. The journey we have made from
• 37:13
  Speaker 3: Belgrade hither cannot possibly be passed by any out of
• 37:17
  Speaker 3: a public character. The desert woods of Servia are the
• 37:21
  Speaker 3: common refuge of thieves who rob fifty in a company,
• 37:24
  Speaker 3: so that we had need for all our guards to
• 37:27
  Speaker 3: secure us. And the villagers are so poor that only
• 37:31
  Speaker 3: force could extort from them necessary provisions. Indeed, the janissaries
• 37:36
  Speaker 3: had no mercy on their poverty, killing all the poultry
• 37:39
  Speaker 3: and sheep they could find without asking to whom they belonged,
• 37:43
  Speaker 3: while the wretched owners durst not put in their claim
• 37:47
  Speaker 3: for fear of being beaten. Lambs just fallen, geese and
• 37:51
  Speaker 3: turkeys big with egg, all massacred without distinction. I fancied
• 37:56
  Speaker 3: I heard the complaints of Melibeus for the hope of
• 37:59
  Speaker 3: his flock. When the Paschot's travel it is yet worse.
• 38:03
  Speaker 3: These oppressors are not content with eating all that is
• 38:06
  Speaker 3: to be eaten belonging to the peasants. After they have
• 38:09
  Speaker 3: crammed themselves and their numerous retinue, they have the impudence
• 38:13
  Speaker 3: to exact what they call teeth money, a contribution for
• 38:18
  Speaker 3: the use of their teeth, worn with doing them the
• 38:21
  Speaker 3: honor of devouring their meat. This is literally and exactly true,
• 38:26
  Speaker 3: however extravagant it may seem, and such is the natural
• 38:30
  Speaker 3: corruption of a military government, their religion not allowing of
• 38:34
  Speaker 3: this barbarity any more than ours does. I had the
• 38:37
  Speaker 3: advantage of lodging three weeks at Belgrade with a principal offendi,
• 38:42
  Speaker 3: that is to say, a scholar. This set of men
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: are equally capable of preferments in the law or the church,
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: these two sciences being cast into one, and a lawyer
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: and a priest being the same word in the Turkish language.
• 38:56
  Speaker 3: They are the only men really considerable in the empire.
• 39:01
  Speaker 3: All the profitable employments and church revenues are in their hands.
• 39:05
  Speaker 3: The Grand senior, though general heir to his people, never
• 39:09
  Speaker 3: presumes to touch their lands or money, which go in
• 39:12
  Speaker 3: an uninterrupted succession to their children. It is true they
• 39:17
  Speaker 3: lose this privilege by accepting a place at court or
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: the title of Pasha, But there are few examples of
• 39:23
  Speaker 3: such fools among them. You may easily judge of the
• 39:27
  Speaker 3: power of these men, who have engrossed all the learning
• 39:30
  Speaker 3: and almost all the wealth of the empire. They are
• 39:33
  Speaker 3: the real authors, though the soldiers are the actors of revolutions.
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: They depose the late Sultan Mustafa, and their power is
• 39:42
  Speaker 3: so well known that it is the Emperor's interest to
• 39:45
  Speaker 3: flatter them. This is a long digression. I was going
• 39:50
  Speaker 3: to tell you that an intimate daily conversation with the
• 39:53
  Speaker 3: offending ahmat Bay gave me an opportunity of knowing their
• 39:56
  Speaker 3: religion and morals in a more particular manner than perhaps
• 40:00
  Speaker 3: any Christian ever did. I explained to him the difference
• 40:04
  Speaker 3: between the religion of England and Rome, and he was
• 40:07
  Speaker 3: pleased to hear there were Christians that did not worship
• 40:10
  Speaker 3: images or adore the Virgin Mary. The ridicule of trans
• 40:14
  Speaker 3: substantiation appeared very strong to him. Upon comparing our creeds together,
• 40:21
  Speaker 3: I am convinced that if our friend doctor had free
• 40:24
  Speaker 3: liberty of preaching here, it would be very easy to
• 40:27
  Speaker 3: persuade the generality to Christianity, whose notions are very little
• 40:31
  Speaker 3: different from his. Mister Wiston would make a very good
• 40:35
  Speaker 3: apostle here, I don't doubt, but his zeal will be
• 40:39
  Speaker 3: much fired if you communicate this account to him. But
• 40:43
  Speaker 3: tell him he must first have the gift of tongues
• 40:46
  Speaker 3: before he can possibly be of any use Mohammedism is
• 40:50
  Speaker 3: divided into as many sects as Christianity, and the first
• 40:54
  Speaker 3: institution is much neglected and obscured by interpretations. I cannot
• 40:59
  Speaker 3: hear there forbear reflecting on the natural inclination of mankind
• 41:03
  Speaker 3: to make mysteries and novelties. The zad Kudi, Jabbari, et
• 41:08
  Speaker 3: cetera put me in mind of the Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists,
• 41:12
  Speaker 3: and are equally zealous against one another. But the most
• 41:16
  Speaker 3: prevailing opinion, if you search into the secret of the offendees,
• 41:20
  Speaker 3: is plain deism. This is indeed kept from the people,
• 41:24
  Speaker 3: who are amused with a thousand different notions according to
• 41:27
  Speaker 3: the different interests of their preachers. There are very few
• 41:31
  Speaker 3: among them. Ahmed Bay denied there were any so absurd
• 41:35
  Speaker 3: as to set up for wit by declaring they believe
• 41:38
  Speaker 3: no God at all. And Sir Paul Reiko is mistaken,
• 41:42
  Speaker 3: as he commonly is, in calling the set muterin I
• 41:46
  Speaker 3: either secret with us atheists, they being deists whose impiety
• 41:51
  Speaker 3: consists of making a jest of their profit. Ahmic Bay
• 41:55
  Speaker 3: did not own to me that he was of this opinion,
• 41:57
  Speaker 3: but made no scrupule of deviations from some part of
• 42:01
  Speaker 3: Mohammad's law by drinking wine with the same freedom we did.
• 42:05
  Speaker 3: When I asked him how he came to allow himself
• 42:08
  Speaker 3: that liberty, he made answer that all the creatures of
• 42:11
  Speaker 3: God are good and designed for the use of man. However,
• 42:15
  Speaker 3: that the prohibition of wine was a very wise maxim
• 42:18
  Speaker 3: and meant for the common people, being the source of
• 42:21
  Speaker 3: all disorders among them, but that the prophet never designed
• 42:25
  Speaker 3: to confine those that knew how to use it with moderation. Nevertheless,
• 42:31
  Speaker 3: he said that scandal ought to be avoided, and that
• 42:34
  Speaker 3: he never drank it in public. This is the general
• 42:38
  Speaker 3: way of thinking among them, and very few forbear drinking
• 42:41
  Speaker 3: wine that are able to afford it. He assured me
• 42:44
  Speaker 3: that if I understood Arabic, I should be very well
• 42:47
  Speaker 3: pleased with reading the al Koran, which is so far
• 42:50
  Speaker 3: from the nonsense we charged with that it is the
• 42:54
  Speaker 3: purest morality, delivered in the very best language. I have
• 42:58
  Speaker 3: since heard. Impartial Christians speak of it in the same manner,
• 43:02
  Speaker 3: and I do doubt but that all our translations are
• 43:06
  Speaker 3: from copies got from the Greek priests, who would not
• 43:09
  Speaker 3: fail to falsify it with the extremity of malice. No
• 43:13
  Speaker 3: body of men were ever more ignorant or more corrupt.
• 43:17
  Speaker 3: Yet they differ so little from the Romish Church that
• 43:20
  Speaker 3: I confess nothing gives me a greater abhorrence of the
• 43:23
  Speaker 3: cruelty of your clergy than the barbarous persecution of them
• 43:27
  Speaker 3: whenever they have been their masters for no other reason
• 43:31
  Speaker 3: than their not acknowledging the Pope. The descending in that
• 43:35
  Speaker 3: one article has got them the titles of heretics and schismatics.
• 43:40
  Speaker 3: And what is worse, the same treatment I found at
• 43:44
  Speaker 3: Philipopolis a sect of Christians that call themselves Paulines. They
• 43:48
  Speaker 3: show an old church where they say Saint Paul preached,
• 43:52
  Speaker 3: and he is their favorite saint, after the manner that
• 43:55
  Speaker 3: Saint Peter is at Rome. Neither do they forget to
• 43:59
  Speaker 3: give him the same preference over the rest of the apostles.
• 44:03
  Speaker 3: But of all the religions I have seen, that of
• 44:06
  Speaker 3: the arna Oats seems to me the most particular. They
• 44:09
  Speaker 3: are natives of arna Utlich, the ancient Macedonia, and still
• 44:14
  Speaker 3: retain the courage and hardiness, though they have lost the
• 44:18
  Speaker 3: name of Macedonians, being the best militia in the Turkish
• 44:21
  Speaker 3: Empire and the only check upon the janissaries. They are
• 44:26
  Speaker 3: foot soldiers. We had a guard of them relieved in
• 44:29
  Speaker 3: every considerable town we passed. They are all clothed and
• 44:33
  Speaker 3: armed at their own expense, dressed in clean white coarse cloth,
• 44:37
  Speaker 3: carrying guns of a prodigious length, which they run with
• 44:41
  Speaker 3: upon their shoulders, as if they did not feel the
• 44:44
  Speaker 3: weight of them, the leader singing a sort of rude
• 44:46
  Speaker 3: tune not unpleasant, and the rest making up the chorus.
• 44:51
  Speaker 3: These people, living between Christians and Mohammedans, and not being
• 44:55
  Speaker 3: skilled in controversy, declare that they are utterly unable to
• 44:59
  Speaker 3: judge which religion is best, but to be certain of
• 45:03
  Speaker 3: not entirely rejecting the truth. They very prudently follow both.
• 45:08
  Speaker 3: They go to the mosque on Friday and to the
• 45:10
  Speaker 3: church on Sunday, saying for their excuse that at the
• 45:14
  Speaker 3: day of judgment they are sure of protection from the
• 45:17
  Speaker 3: true prophet, but which that is they are not able
• 45:20
  Speaker 3: to determine. In this world, I believe there is no
• 45:24
  Speaker 3: other race of mankind who have so modest an opinion
• 45:28
  Speaker 3: of their own capacity. These are remarks I have made
• 45:31
  Speaker 3: on the diversity of religions I have seen. I don't
• 45:35
  Speaker 3: ask your pardon for the liberty I have taken in
• 45:37
  Speaker 3: speaking of the Roman I know you equally condemn the
• 45:41
  Speaker 3: quackery of all the churches, as much as you revere
• 45:44
  Speaker 3: the sacred truths in which we both agree. You will
• 45:48
  Speaker 3: expect I should say something to you of the antiquities
• 45:51
  Speaker 3: of this country. But there are few remains of ancient Greece.
• 45:55
  Speaker 3: We pass near the Peace of an Arch, which is
• 45:58
  Speaker 3: commonly called Trajan's Gate, from a supposition that he made
• 46:02
  Speaker 3: it to shut up the passage over the mountains between
• 46:05
  Speaker 3: Sophia and Philipopolis. But I rather believe it the remains
• 46:09
  Speaker 3: of some triumphal arch, though I could not see any
• 46:12
  Speaker 3: inscription for if that passage had been shut up. There
• 46:16
  Speaker 3: are many others that would serve for the march of
• 46:19
  Speaker 3: an army. And notwithstanding the story of Baldwin, Earl of
• 46:23
  Speaker 3: Flanders being overthrown in these straits after he won Constantinople,
• 46:28
  Speaker 3: I don't fancy the Germans would find themselves stopped by
• 46:31
  Speaker 3: them at this day. It is true the road is
• 46:35
  Speaker 3: now made with great industry, as commodious as possible for
• 46:39
  Speaker 3: the march of the Turkish army. There is not one
• 46:42
  Speaker 3: ditch or puddle between this place and Belgrade that has
• 46:46
  Speaker 3: not a large strong bridge of planks built over it.
• 46:50
  Speaker 3: But the precipices are not so terrible as I had
• 46:53
  Speaker 3: heard them represented. At these mountains. We lay at the
• 46:56
  Speaker 3: little village Kiskoy, wholly inhabited by Creekristians, as all the
• 47:01
  Speaker 3: peasants of Bulgaria are. Their houses are nothing but little
• 47:05
  Speaker 3: huts raised of dirt baked in the sun, and they
• 47:08
  Speaker 3: leave them and fly into the mountains some months before
• 47:12
  Speaker 3: the march of the Turkish army, who would else entirely
• 47:15
  Speaker 3: ruin them by driving away their whole flocks. This precaution
• 47:19
  Speaker 3: secures them a sort of plenty for such vast tracts
• 47:23
  Speaker 3: of land lying in common. They have the liberty of
• 47:25
  Speaker 3: sowing what they please, and are generally very industrious husbandmen.
• 47:30
  Speaker 3: I drank here several sorts of delicious wine. The women
• 47:34
  Speaker 3: dress themselves in a great variety of colored glass beads,
• 47:38
  Speaker 3: and are not ugly, but of a tawny complexion. I
• 47:42
  Speaker 3: have now told you all that is worth telling you,
• 47:45
  Speaker 3: and perhaps more relating to my journey. When I am
• 47:48
  Speaker 3: at Constantinople, I'll try to pick up some curiosities, and
• 47:52
  Speaker 3: then you shall hear from me again. Letter eight Adrian
• 48:00
  Speaker 3: April first, o s. Seventeen seventy. I wish, dear sister,
• 48:06
  Speaker 3: that you are as regular in letting me know what
• 48:08
  Speaker 3: passes on your side of the globe as I am
• 48:11
  Speaker 3: careful in endeavoring to amuse you by the account of
• 48:14
  Speaker 3: all I see here that I think worth your notice.
• 48:18
  Speaker 3: You content yourself with telling me over and over that
• 48:21
  Speaker 3: the town is very dull. It may possibly be dull
• 48:25
  Speaker 3: to you when every day does not present you with
• 48:28
  Speaker 3: something new, But for me that am in areas at
• 48:31
  Speaker 3: least two months news, all that seems very stale with
• 48:35
  Speaker 3: you would be very fresh and sweet. Here. Pray let
• 48:39
  Speaker 3: me into more particulars, and I will try to awaken
• 48:42
  Speaker 3: your gratitude by giving you a full and true relation
• 48:46
  Speaker 3: of the novelties of this place, none of which would
• 48:49
  Speaker 3: surprise you more than the sight of my person as
• 48:52
  Speaker 3: I am now in my Turkish habit, though I believe
• 48:55
  Speaker 3: you would be of my opinion that tis admirably becoming.
• 48:59
  Speaker 3: I tend to send you my picture in the meantime,
• 49:02
  Speaker 3: except of it here. The first part of my dress
• 49:06
  Speaker 3: is a pair of drawers very full that reach to
• 49:08
  Speaker 3: my shoes and conceal the legs more modestly than your petticoats.
• 49:13
  Speaker 3: They are of a thin rose colored damask brocaded with
• 49:17
  Speaker 3: silver flowers. My shoes are of white kid leather embroidered
• 49:21
  Speaker 3: with gold. Over this hangs my smock of a fine
• 49:25
  Speaker 3: white silk gaze edged with embroidery. This smock has wide
• 49:30
  Speaker 3: sleeves hanging half way down the arm, and is closed
• 49:34
  Speaker 3: at the neck with a diamond button. But the shape
• 49:37
  Speaker 3: and color of the bosom are very well to be
• 49:40
  Speaker 3: distinguished through it. The antery is a waistcoat made close
• 49:44
  Speaker 3: to the shape of white and gold damask, with very
• 49:48
  Speaker 3: long sleeves falling back and fringed with deep gold fringe,
• 49:53
  Speaker 3: and should have diamond or pearl buttons. My kaftan, of
• 49:56
  Speaker 3: the same stuff with my drawers, is a robe, likely
• 50:00
  Speaker 3: fitted to my shape and reaching to my feet, with
• 50:03
  Speaker 3: very long, straight falling sleeves. Over this is my girdle
• 50:08
  Speaker 3: of about four fingers broad, which all that can afford
• 50:11
  Speaker 3: it have entirely of diamonds or other precious stones. Those
• 50:16
  Speaker 3: who will not be at that expense have it of
• 50:18
  Speaker 3: exquisite embroidery on satin. But it must be fastened before
• 50:22
  Speaker 3: with a clasp of diamonds. The curdie is a loose
• 50:26
  Speaker 3: robe they throw off or put on according to the weather,
• 50:29
  Speaker 3: being of a rich brocade. Mine is green and gold,
• 50:33
  Speaker 3: either lined with ermine or sables. The sleeves reach very
• 50:38
  Speaker 3: little below the shoulders. The head dress is composed of
• 50:41
  Speaker 3: a cap called talpoch, which is in winter of fine
• 50:45
  Speaker 3: velvet embroidered with pearls or diamonds, and in summer of
• 50:49
  Speaker 3: a light shining silver stuff. This is fixed on one
• 50:53
  Speaker 3: side of the head, hanging a little way down, with
• 50:55
  Speaker 3: a gold tassel, and bound on either with a circle
• 50:59
  Speaker 3: of diamonds, as I have seen several, or a rich
• 51:01
  Speaker 3: embroidered handkerchief on the other side of the head. The
• 51:05
  Speaker 3: hair is laid flat, and here the ladies are at
• 51:08
  Speaker 3: liberty to show their fancies. Some putting flowers arether a
• 51:12
  Speaker 3: plume of Heroon's feathers, and in short what they please.
• 51:16
  Speaker 3: But the most general fashion is a large bouquet of
• 51:20
  Speaker 3: jewels made like natural flowers, that is, the buds of pearl,
• 51:24
  Speaker 3: the roses of different colored rubies, the jasmines of diamonds,
• 51:29
  Speaker 3: the jonkills of topazes, et cetera. So well set and enameled.
• 51:33
  Speaker 3: Tis hard to imagine anything of that kind so beautiful.
• 51:38
  Speaker 3: The hair hangs at its full length behind, divided into
• 51:41
  Speaker 3: tresses braided with pearl or ribbon, which is always in
• 51:45
  Speaker 3: great quantity. I never saw in my life so many
• 51:49
  Speaker 3: fine heads of hair in one lady's I have counted
• 51:53
  Speaker 3: one hundred and ten of the tresses, all natural. But
• 51:57
  Speaker 3: it must be owned that every kind of beauty is
• 52:00
  Speaker 3: more common here than with us. Just surprising to see
• 52:03
  Speaker 3: a young woman that is not very handsome. They have
• 52:06
  Speaker 3: naturally the most beautiful complexion in the world, and generally
• 52:10
  Speaker 3: large black eyes. I can assure you with great truth
• 52:14
  Speaker 3: that the court of England, though I believe it is
• 52:17
  Speaker 3: the fairest in Christendom, does not contain so many beauties
• 52:21
  Speaker 3: as there are under our protection here. They generally shape
• 52:25
  Speaker 3: their eyebrows, and both Greeks and Turks have a custom
• 52:28
  Speaker 3: of putting round their eyes a black tincture that, at
• 52:32
  Speaker 3: a distance or by candle light, adds very much to
• 52:35
  Speaker 3: the blackness of them. I fancy many of our ladies
• 52:39
  Speaker 3: would be overjoyed to know this secret, but tis too
• 52:42
  Speaker 3: visible by day. They dye their nails a rose color,
• 52:47
  Speaker 3: But I own I cannot enough accustom myself to their
• 52:50
  Speaker 3: fashion to find any beauty in it. As to their
• 52:53
  Speaker 3: morality or good conduct, I can say, like Harlequin, that
• 52:58
  Speaker 3: tis just as it is with you, and the Turkish
• 53:01
  Speaker 3: ladies don't commit one sin the less for not being Christians.
• 53:06
  Speaker 3: Now that I am a little acquainted with their ways,
• 53:08
  Speaker 3: I cannot forbear admiring either the exemplary discretion or extreme
• 53:13
  Speaker 3: stupidity of all the writers that have given accounts of them.
• 53:17
  Speaker 3: Tis very easy to see they have in reality more
• 53:20
  Speaker 3: liberty than we have. No woman of what ranksoever is
• 53:24
  Speaker 3: permitted to go into the streets without two merlins, one
• 53:28
  Speaker 3: that covers her face all but her eyes, and another
• 53:31
  Speaker 3: that hides the whole dress of her head and hangs
• 53:34
  Speaker 3: half way down her back. Their shapes are also wholly
• 53:39
  Speaker 3: concealed by a thing they called a pherigy, which no
• 53:42
  Speaker 3: woman of any sort appears without. This has straight sleeves
• 53:46
  Speaker 3: that reach to their finger ends, and it lapse all
• 53:49
  Speaker 3: around them, not unlike a riding hood. In winter tis
• 53:53
  Speaker 3: of cloth, and in summer of plain stuff or silk.
• 53:57
  Speaker 3: You may guess, then, how effectually this disguises them, so
• 54:01
  Speaker 3: that there is no distinguishing the great lady from her slave.
• 54:05
  Speaker 3: Tis impossible for the most jealous husband to know his
• 54:08
  Speaker 3: wife when he meets her, and no man dare touch
• 54:12
  Speaker 3: or follow a woman in the street. This perpetual masquerade
• 54:16
  Speaker 3: gives them entire liberty of following their inclinations without danger
• 54:21
  Speaker 3: of discovery. The most usual method of intrigue is to
• 54:24
  Speaker 3: send an appointment to the lover to meet the lady
• 54:27
  Speaker 3: at a jew's shop, which are as notoriously convenient as
• 54:31
  Speaker 3: our Indian houses, And yet even those who don't make
• 54:35
  Speaker 3: use of them do not scrupule to go to buy
• 54:38
  Speaker 3: penny words and tumble over rich goods, which are chiefly
• 54:42
  Speaker 3: to be found among that sort of people. The great
• 54:45
  Speaker 3: ladies seldom let their gallants know who they are, and
• 54:49
  Speaker 3: tis so difficult to find it out that they can
• 54:52
  Speaker 3: very seldom guess at her name, whom they have corresponded
• 54:55
  Speaker 3: with for above half a year together. You may easily
• 54:59
  Speaker 3: imagine then number of faithful wives very small in a
• 55:02
  Speaker 3: country where they have nothing to fear from a lover's indiscretion,
• 55:06
  Speaker 3: Since we see so many have the courage to expose
• 55:09
  Speaker 3: themselves to that in this world, and all the threatened
• 55:13
  Speaker 3: punishment of the next, which is never preached to the
• 55:16
  Speaker 3: Turkish damsels. Neither have they much to apprehend from the
• 55:20
  Speaker 3: resentment of their husbands, those ladies that are rich, having
• 55:24
  Speaker 3: all their money in their own hands. Upon the whole
• 55:28
  Speaker 3: I look upon the Turkish women as the only free
• 55:31
  Speaker 3: people in the empire. The very Divan pays respect to them,
• 55:36
  Speaker 3: and the Grand signor himself when a pasha is executed,
• 55:39
  Speaker 3: never violates the privileges of the harem or women's apartment,
• 55:43
  Speaker 3: which remains unsearched and entire to the widow. They are
• 55:48
  Speaker 3: queens of their slaves, whom the husband has no permission
• 55:51
  Speaker 3: to so much as to look upon, except it be
• 55:54
  Speaker 3: an old woman. All too that his lady chooses. Tis
• 55:58
  Speaker 3: true their law permits them for but there is no
• 56:01
  Speaker 3: instance of a man of quality that makes use of
• 56:04
  Speaker 3: this liberty, or of a woman of rank that would
• 56:07
  Speaker 3: suffer it. End of Section three.
• 56:16
  Speaker 2: Section four of the Turkish Embassy Letters. This is a
• 56:20
  Speaker 2: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 56:25
  Speaker 2: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 56:31
  Speaker 2: Recording by Amanda mel Portland, Oregon. The Turkish Embassy letters
• 56:37
  Speaker 2: by Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Letter nine, Adrianople, April eighteenth
• 56:44
  Speaker 2: o s. Seventeen seventeen. I wrote to you, dear sister,
• 56:50
  Speaker 2: and to all my other English correspondents, by the last ship,
• 56:53
  Speaker 2: and only Heaven can tell when I shall have another
• 56:55
  Speaker 2: opportunity of sending to you. But I cannot forbear to
• 56:59
  Speaker 2: write again, though perhaps my letter may lie upon my
• 57:02
  Speaker 2: hands these two months to confess the truth. My head
• 57:06
  Speaker 2: is so full of my entertainment yesterday that tis absolutely
• 57:10
  Speaker 2: necessary for my own repose to give it some vent.
• 57:13
  Speaker 2: Without further preface, I will then begin my story. I
• 57:18
  Speaker 2: was invited to dine with the Grand Vizier's lady, and
• 57:20
  Speaker 2: it was with a great deal of pleasure I prepared
• 57:23
  Speaker 2: myself for an entertainment which was never before given to
• 57:25
  Speaker 2: any Christian. I thought I should very little satisfy her curiosity,
• 57:30
  Speaker 2: which I did not doubt was a considerable motive to
• 57:33
  Speaker 2: the invitation, by going in address she was used to see,
• 57:36
  Speaker 2: and therefore addressed myself in the court habit of Vienna,
• 57:39
  Speaker 2: which is much more munificent than ours. However, I chose
• 57:43
  Speaker 2: to go incognita to avoid any disputes about ceremony, and
• 57:47
  Speaker 2: went in a Turkish coach, only attended by my woman
• 57:50
  Speaker 2: that held up my train and the Greek lady who
• 57:52
  Speaker 2: was my interpreters. I was met at the court door
• 57:55
  Speaker 2: by her black eunuch, who helped me out of the
• 57:57
  Speaker 2: coach with great respect, and conducted me through several rooms
• 58:01
  Speaker 2: where her she slaves, finely dressed, were ranged on each side.
• 58:06
  Speaker 2: In the innermost, I found the lady sitting on her
• 58:08
  Speaker 2: sofa in a sable vest. She advanced to meet me
• 58:12
  Speaker 2: and presented me half a dozen of her friends with
• 58:14
  Speaker 2: great civility. She seemed a very good looking woman, near
• 58:17
  Speaker 2: fifty years old. I was surprised to observe so little
• 58:21
  Speaker 2: magnificence in her house, the furniture being all very moderate,
• 58:25
  Speaker 2: and except the habits and number of her slaves, nothing
• 58:28
  Speaker 2: about her appeared expensive. She guessed at my thoughts and
• 58:32
  Speaker 2: told me she was no longer of an age to
• 58:33
  Speaker 2: spend either her time or money in superfluities, that her
• 58:37
  Speaker 2: whole expense was in charity and her whole employment. Praying
• 58:40
  Speaker 2: to God there was no affectation in this speech. Both
• 58:44
  Speaker 2: she and her husband are entirely given up to devotion
• 58:47
  Speaker 2: he never looks upon any other woman, and what is
• 58:50
  Speaker 2: much more extraordinary, touches no bribes. Notwithstanding the example of
• 58:55
  Speaker 2: all his predecessors, he is so scrupulous on this point
• 58:59
  Speaker 2: he would not accept missus Terwartley's present till he had
• 59:01
  Speaker 2: been assured over and over that it was a settled
• 59:03
  Speaker 2: prerequisite of his place. At the entrance of every ambassador.
• 59:07
  Speaker 2: She entertained me with all kind of civility till dinner
• 59:10
  Speaker 2: came in, which was served one dish at a time
• 59:13
  Speaker 2: to a vast number, all finely dressed after their manner,
• 59:17
  Speaker 2: which I don't think so bad as you have perhaps
• 59:19
  Speaker 2: heard it represented. I am a very good judge of
• 59:22
  Speaker 2: their eating, having lived three weeks in the house of
• 59:24
  Speaker 2: an offendee at Belgrade who gave us very magnificent dinners
• 59:27
  Speaker 2: dressed by his own cooks. The first week they pleased
• 59:30
  Speaker 2: me extremely, but I own I then began to grow
• 59:34
  Speaker 2: weary of their table and desired our own cook might
• 59:37
  Speaker 2: add a dish or two after our manner. But I
• 59:40
  Speaker 2: attribute this to custom, and am very much inclined to
• 59:43
  Speaker 2: believe that an Indian who had never tasted of either
• 59:45
  Speaker 2: would prefer their cookery to ours. Their sauces are very high,
• 59:49
  Speaker 2: all the roast very much done. They use a great
• 59:52
  Speaker 2: deal of very rich spice. The soup is served for
• 59:55
  Speaker 2: the last dish, and they have at least as great
• 59:57
  Speaker 2: a variety of ragou as we have. I was very
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 2: sorry I could not eat of as many as the
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 2: good lady would have had me, who was very earnest
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 2: in serving me of everything. The treat concluded with coffee
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 2: and perfumes, which is a high mark of respect. Two
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 2: slaves kneelings sensed my hair, clothes and handkerchief. After this ceremony,
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 2: she commanded her slaves to play and dance, which they
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 2: did with their guitars in their hands, and she excused
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 2: me to their want of skill, saying she took no
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 2: care to accomplish them in that art. I returned her thanks,
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 2: and soon after took my leave. I was conducted back
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 2: in the same manner I entered, and would have gone
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 2: straight to my own house, but the Greek lady with
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 2: me earnestly solicited me to visit the Killaya's lady, saying
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 2: he was the second officer in the empire and ought
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 2: indeed to be looked upon as the first. The Grand Vizier,
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 2: having only the name while he exercised the authority. I
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 2: had found so little diversion in the Vizier's harem that
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 2: I had no mind to go into another. But her
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 2: importunity prevailed with me, and I am extremely glad. I
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 2: was so complaisant. All things here were with quite another
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 2: air than at the Grand Vizier's, and the very house
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 2: confessed the difference between an old devotee and a young beauty.
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 2: It was nicely clean and magnificent. I was met at
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 2: the door by two black eunuchs, who led me through
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 2: a long gallery between two ranks of beautiful young girls,
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 2: with their hair finely plaited, almost hanging to their feet,
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 2: all dressed in fine light damasks brocaded with silver. I
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 2: was sorry that decency did not permit me to stop
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 2: to consider them nearer, but that thought was lost upon
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 2: my entrance into a large room, or rather pavilion, built
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 2: round with gilded sashes, which were most of them thrown up,
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 2: and the trees planted near them gave an agreeable shade
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 2: which hindered the sun from being troublesome. The jasmines and
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 2: honeysuckles that twisted round their trunks shed a soft perfume,
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 2: increased by a white marble fountain playing sweet water in
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 2: the lower part of the room, which fell into three
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 2: or four basins with a pleasing sound. The roof was
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 2: painted with all sorts of flowers falling out of gilded
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 2: baskets that seemed tumbling down. On a sofa raised three
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 2: steps and covered with fine Persian carpets, sat the kiyahya's lady,
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 2: leaning on cushions of white satin embroidered, and at her
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 2: feet sat two young girls about twelve years old, lovely
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 2: as angels, dressed perfectly, rich and almost covered with jewels.
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 2: But they were hardly seen near the fair Fatima, for
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 2: that is her name, so much her beauty effaced everything
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 2: I have seen, nay all that has been called lovely,
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 2: either in England or Germany. I must own that I
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 2: never saw anything so gloriously beautiful, Nor can I recollect
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 2: a face that would have been taken notice of near hers.
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 2: She stood up to receive me, saluting me after their fashion,
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 2: putting her hand to her heart with a sweetness, full
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 2: of majesty that no court breeding could ever give. She
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 2: ordered cushions to be given me and took care to
• 1:02:55
  Speaker 2: place me in the corner, which is the place of honor.
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 2: I confess, though the green lady had before me given
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 2: a great opinion of her beauty, I was so struck
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 2: with admiration that I could not for some time speak
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 2: to her, being wholly taken up and gazing that surprising
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 2: harmony of features, that charming result of the whole, that
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 2: exact proportion of body, that lovely bloom of complexion, unsolely
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 2: by art, the unutterable enchantment of her smile, but her
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 2: eyes large and black, with all the soft languishment of
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 2: the blue, every turn of her face discovering some new grace.
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 2: After my first surprise was over, I endeavored by nicely
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 2: examining her face to find out some imperfection, without any
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 2: fruit of my search, but my being clearly convinced of
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 2: the air of that vulgar notion that a face exactly
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 2: proportioned and perfectly beautiful would not be agreeable. Nature having
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 2: done for her with more success what a Pelly's is
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 2: said to have assayed by a collection of the most
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 2: exact features to form a perfect face. Add to all
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 2: this a behavior so full of grace and sweetness, such
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 2: easy motions, with an air so majestic, yet free from
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 2: stiffness or affectation, that I am persuaded. Could she be
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 2: suddenly transported upon the most polite throne of Europe. Nobody
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 2: would think her other than born and bred to be
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 2: a queen, though educated in a country we call barbarous,
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 2: to say all in a word, our most celebrated English
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 2: beauties would vanish near her. When I took my leave,
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 2: two maids brought in a fine silver basket of embroidered handkerchiefs.
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 2: She begged I would wear the richest for her sake,
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 2: and gave the others to my woman and her interpreters.
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 2: I retired through the same ceremonies as before, and could
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 2: not help thinking I had been some time in Mohammed's paradise.
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 2: So much was I charmed with what I had seen.
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 2: I know not how the relation of it appears to you.
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 2: I wish it may give you part of my pleasure
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 2: if I would have my dear sister share in all
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 2: my diversions. Ten Adrianople, May seventeenth, O s I'm going
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 2: to leave Adrianople, and I would not do it without
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 2: giving you some account of all that is curious in it,
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 2: which I have taken a great deal of pains to see.
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 2: I will not trouble you with wise dissertations whether or no.
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 2: This is the same city that was anciently called Oristesit
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 2: or Oreste, which you know better than I do. It
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 2: is now called from the Emperor Adrian, and was the
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 2: first European seat of the Turkish Empire, and has been
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 2: the favorite residence of many sultans. Mohammed four and Mustapha,
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 2: the brother of the reigning emperor, were so fond of
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 2: it that they wholly abandoned Constantinople, which humor so far
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 2: exasperated the Janizaries that it was a considerable motive to
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 2: the rebellions that deposed them. Yet this man seems to
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 2: love to keep his court here. I can give you
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 2: no reason for this partiality. Tis true, the situation is fine,
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 2: and the country all around very beautiful. But the air
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 2: is extremely bad, and the Surralia itself is not free
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 2: from the ill effect of it. The town is said
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 2: to be eight miles in compass. I suppose they reckon
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 2: in the gardens. There are some good houses in it,
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 2: I mean large ones, For the architecture of their palaces
• 1:06:13
  Speaker 2: never makes any great show. It is now very full
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 2: of people, but they are most of them such as
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 2: follow the court or camp, and when they are removed,
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 2: I am told tis no populous city. The river Maritza
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 2: anciently the hebres on which it is situated is dried
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 2: up every summer, which contributes very much to make it unwholesome.
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 2: It is now a very pleasant stream. There are two
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 2: noble bridges built over it. I have the curiosity to
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 2: go to see the Exchange in my Turkish dress, which
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 2: is disguise sufficient. Yet I own I was not very
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 2: easy when I saw it crowded with janizaries, but they
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 2: dare not be rude to a woman, and made way
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 2: for me with as much respect as if I had
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 2: been in my own figure. It is half a mile
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 2: in length, the roof arched and kept extremely neat. It
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 2: holds three hundred and sixty five shops, furnished with all
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 2: sorts of rich goods exposed to sale in the same
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 2: manner as at the New Exchange in London, but the
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 2: pavement is kept much neater, and the shops are all
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 2: so clean they seem just new painted. Idle people of
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 2: all sorts walk here for their diversion, or amuse themselves
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 2: with drinking coffee or sorbet, which is cried about as
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 2: oranges and sweetmeats are in our playhouses. I observed most
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 2: of the rich tradesmen were Jews. That people are in
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 2: incredible power in this country. They have many privileges above
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 2: all the natural Turks themselves, and have formed a very
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 2: considerable commonwealth here, being judged by their own laws. They
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 2: have drawn the whole trade of the empire into their hands,
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 2: partly by the firm union among themselves, and partly by
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 2: the idle temper and want of industry. In the Turks.
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 2: Every pasha has his jew, who is his oms de faire.
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 2: He is let into all his secrets and does all
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 2: his business. No bargain is made, no bribe received, no
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 2: merchandise disposed of, but what passes through their hands. They
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 2: are the physicians, the stewards, and the interpreters of all
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 2: the great men. You may judge how advantageous this is
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 2: to a people who never fail to make use of
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 2: the smallest advantages. They have found the secret of making
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 2: themselves so necessary that they are certain of the protection
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 2: of the court, whatever ministry is in power. Even the
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 2: English French and Italian merchants, who are sensible of their artifices, are, however,
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 2: forced to trust their affairs to their negotiation, nothing of
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 2: trade being managed without them, and the meanest among them
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 2: being too important to be disobliged. Since the whole body
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 2: take care of his interests with as much vigor as
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 2: they would those of the most considerable of their members.
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 2: There are many of them vastly rich, but take care
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 2: to make little public show of it, though they live
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 2: in their houses in the utmost luxury and magnificence. This
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 2: copious subject has drawn me from my description of the
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 2: exchange founded by Ali Pasha, whose name it bears. Near
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 2: it is the chart Shee, a street of a mile
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 2: in length, full of shops of all kinds of fine merchandise,
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 2: but excessively dear nothing being here. It is covered on
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 2: the top with boards to keep out the rain, that
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 2: merchants may meet conveniently in all kinds of weathers. The
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 2: besetin near it is another exchange built upon pillars, where
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 2: all sorts of house furniture are sold. Glittering everywhere with gold,
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 2: rich embroidery and jewels, makes a very agreeable show from
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 2: this place I went in my Turkish coach to the camp,
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 2: which is to move in a few days to the frontiers.
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 2: The Sultan has already gone to his tents and all
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 2: his court. The appearance of them is indeed very magnificent.
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 2: Those of the great men are rather like palaces than tents,
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 2: taking up a great compass of ground, and being divided
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 2: into a vast number of apartments. They are all of green,
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 2: and the pashas of three tails have those ensigns of
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 2: their power placed in very conspicuous manner before their tents,
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 2: which are adorned on the top with gilded balls, more
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 2: or less according to their different ranks. The ladies go
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 2: in coaches to see the camp as eagerly as ours
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 2: did to that of Hyde Park. But it is very
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 2: easy to observe that the soldiers do not begin the
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 2: campaign with any great cheerfulness. The war is a general
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 2: grievance upon the people, but particularly hard upon the tradesmen.
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 2: Now that the Grand Signiors resolved to lead his army
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 2: in person, every company of them is obliged upon this
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 2: occasion to make a present according to their ability. I
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 2: took the panes of rising at six in the morning
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 2: to see the ceremony, which did not, however, begin to eat.
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 2: The Grand Signior was at the cerealio window to see
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 2: the procession which passed through the principal streets. It was
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 2: preceded by an offendee mounted on a camel richly furnished,
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 2: reading aloud the Alcoran, finely bound, laid upon a cushion.
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 2: He was surrounded by a parcel of boys in white
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 2: singing some verses of it, followed by a man dressed
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 2: in green boughs representing a clean husbandman sowing seed. After him,
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 2: several reapers with garlands of ears of corn as series
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 2: is pictured, with size in their hands, seeming to mow.
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 2: Then a little machine drawn by oxen in which was
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 2: a windmill, and boys employed in grinding corn, followed by
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 2: another machine drawn by buffaloes, carrying an oven, and two
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 2: more boys, one employed in kneading the bread and another
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 2: in drawing it out of the oven. These boys threw
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 2: little cakes on both sides among the crowd, and were
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 2: followed by the whole company of bakers, marching on foot
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 2: two by two in their best clothes, with cakes, loaves,
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 2: pastries and pies of all sorts on their heads, And
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 2: after them two buffoons or jack puddings, with their faces
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 2: and clothes smeared with meal, who diverted the mob with
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 2: their antique gestures. In the same manner followed all the
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 2: companies of trade in the Empire. The noble assort, such
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 2: as jewelers, mercers, etc. Finally mounted, and many of the
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 2: pageants that represent their trades perfectly magnificent, among which that
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 2: of the furriers made one of the best figures, being
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 2: a very large machine set round with the skins of ermines, foxes, etc.
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 2: So well stuffed that the animals seemed to be alive,
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 2: and followed by music and dancers. I believe they were
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 2: upon the whole twenty thousand men, all ready to follow
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 2: his Highness if he commanded them. The rear was closed
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 2: by the volunteers who came to beg the honor of
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 2: dying in his service. This part of the show seemed
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 2: to me so barbarous that I removed from the window
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 2: upon the first appearance of it. They were all naked
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 2: to the middle. Some had their arms pierced through with
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 2: arrows left sticking in them, Others had them sticking in
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 2: their heads, the blood trickling down their faces. Some slashed
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 2: their arms with sharp knives, making the blood spring out
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 2: upon those that stood there, and this is looked upon
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 2: as an expression of their zeal for glory. I am
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 2: told that some make use of it to advance their love,
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 2: and when they are near the window where their mistress stands,
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 2: all the women in town, being veiled to see this spectacle,
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 2: they stick another arrow for her sake, who gives some
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 2: sign of approbation and encouragement to this gallantry. The whole
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 2: show lasted for near eight hours, to my great sorrow,
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 2: who was heartily tired. Though I was in the house
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 2: of the widow of the Captain Pasha Admiral, who refreshed
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 2: me with coffee, sweetmeats, sorbet, et cetera, with all possible civility.
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 2: I went two days after to see the Mosque of
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 2: Sultan's Selim, the first, which is a building very well
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 2: worth the curiosity of a traveler. I was dressed in
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 2: my Turkish habit and admitted without scruple, though I believe
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 2: they guessed who I was by the extreme officiousness of
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 2: the door keeper to show me every part of it.
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 2: It is situated very advantageously in the midst of the city,
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 2: and in the highest part of it, making a very
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 2: noble show. The first court has four gates, and the
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 2: innermost three. They are both of them surrounded with cloisters
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 2: with marble pillars of the ionic order, finely polished and
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 2: of very lively colors. The whole pavement is of white marble,
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 2: and the roof of the cloisters divided into several cupolas
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 2: or domes, headed with gilt balls on the top. In
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 2: the midst of each court are fine fountains of white marble,
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 2: and before the great gate of the mosque a portico
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 2: with green marble pillars, which has five gates, the body
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 2: of the mosque being one prodigious dome. I understand so
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 2: little of architecture. I dare not pretend to speak of
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 2: the proportions. It seemed to me very regular. This I
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 2: am sure of. It is vastly high, and I thought
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 2: it the noblest building I ever saw. It has two
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 2: rows of marble galleries on pillars with marble balusters. The
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 2: pavement is also marble, covered with Persian carpets. In my opinion,
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 2: it is a great addition to its beauty that it
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 2: is not divided into pews and encumbered with forms and
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 2: benches like our churches, nor the pillars, which are most
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 2: of them red and white marble, disfigured by the little
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 2: tawdry images and pictures that give Roman Catholic churches the
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 2: air of toy shops. The walls seemed to be enlaid
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 2: with such very lively colors and small flowers that I
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 2: could not imagine what stones had been made use of.
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 2: But going nearer I saw that they were crusted with
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 2: japan china, which has a very beautiful effect. In the
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 2: midst hung a vast lamp of silver gilt, besides which
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 2: I do verily believe there were at least two thousands
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 2: of a lesser size. This must look very glorious when
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 2: they are all lighted, but being at night, no women
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 2: are suffered to enter. Under the large lamp is a
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 2: great pulpit of carved wood gilt, and just by a
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 2: fountain to wash, which you know is an essential part
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 2: of their devotion. In one corner is a little gallery
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 2: enclosed with gilded lattices for the grand signor. At the
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 2: upper end a large niche very like an altar, raised
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 2: two steps, covered with gold brocade, and standing before it
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 2: two silver gilt candlesticks the height of a man, and
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 2: in them white wax candles as thick as a man's waist.
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 2: The outside of the mosque is adorned with towers vastly high,
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 2: gilt on the top, from whence the emums call the
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 2: people to prayers. I had the curiosity to go up
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 2: one of them, which is contrived so artfully as to
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 2: give surprise to all that see it. There is but
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 2: one door, which leads to three different staircases going to
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 2: the three different stories of the tower, in such a
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 2: manner that three priests may ascend rounding without ever meeting
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 2: each other, a contrivance very much admired. Behind the mosque
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 2: is in exchange full of shops where poor artificers are
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 2: lodged gratis. I saw several dirvisas at their prayers. Here
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 2: they are dressed in a plain piece of woolen, with
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 2: their arms bare, and a wooden cap on their heads
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 2: like a high crowned hat without brims. I went to
• 1:16:21
  Speaker 2: see some other mosques built much after the same manner,
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 2: but not comparable in point of magnificence to this I
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 2: have described, which is infinitely beyond any church in Germany
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 2: or England. I won't talk of other countries I have
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 2: not seen. The surrelio does not seem a very magnificent palace.
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 2: But the gardens are very large, plentifully supplied with water,
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 2: and full of trees, which is all I know of them,
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 2: having never been in them. I tell you nothing of
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 2: the order of mister Wortley's entry and his audience. These
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 2: things are always the same, and have been so often described.
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 2: I won't trouble you with the repetition. The young prince,
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 2: about eleven years old, sits near his father when he
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 2: gives an audience. He is a handsome boy, but probably
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 2: will not immediately succeed the Sultan, there being two sons
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 2: of Sultan Mustapha, his eldest brother remaining, the eldest about
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 2: twenty years old, on whom the hopes of the people
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 2: are fixed. This reign has been bloody and avaricious. I
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 2: am apt to believe they are very impatient to see
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 2: the end of it.
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 4: P S.
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 2: I will write to you again from Constantinople. End of
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 2: section four. Recording by Amanda mel Portland, Oregon.
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 4: Section five of the Turkish Embassy letters. This is a
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 4: LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 4: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 4: Recording by Kristin Edwards, Wynwood, Pennsylvania. The Turkish Embassy Letters
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 4: by Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Letter eleven, Constantinople, May twenty ninth,
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 4: oh O. S. Seventeen seventeen. I have had the advantage
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 4: of very fine weather all my journey, and as the
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 4: summer is now in its beauty, I enjoyed the pleasure
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 4: of fine prospects, and the meadows being full of all
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 4: sorts of garden flowers and sweet herbs. My Berlin perfumed
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 4: the air as it pressed them. The Grand Signor furnished
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 4: us with thirty covered wagons for our baggage, and five
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 4: coaches of the country for our women. We found the
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 4: road full of the great spay and their equipage coming
• 1:18:31
  Speaker 4: out of Asia to the war. They always traveled with tents,
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 4: but I chose to lie in houses all the way.
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 4: I will not trouble you with the names of the
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 4: villages we passed, in which there was nothing remarkable. But
• 1:18:44
  Speaker 4: at Chorloo there was a cognac or little seralio built
• 1:18:49
  Speaker 4: for the use of the Grand signor when he goes
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 4: this road. I had the curiosity to view all the
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 4: apartments destined for the ladies of his court. They were
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 4: in the midst of a thick grove of trees, made
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 4: fresh by fountains. But I was most surprised to see
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 4: the walls almost covered with little distiches of Turkish verse
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 4: wrote with pencils. I made my interpreter explain them to me,
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 4: and I found several of them very well turned, though
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 4: I easily believed him that they had lost much of
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 4: their beauty. In the translation, one was literally thus in English,
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 4: we come into this world, we lodge, and we depart.
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 4: He never goes. That's lodged within my heart. The rest
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 4: of our journey was through fine painted meadows by the
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 4: side of the sea of Marmora, the ancient Propontis. We
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 4: lay the next night at Selivrea. Anciently a noble town,
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 4: it is now a good seaport and neatly built enough,
• 1:19:47
  Speaker 4: and has a bridge of thirty two arches. Here is
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 4: a famous Greek church. I had given one of my
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 4: coaches to a Greek lady who desired the conveniency of
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 4: traveling with me. She designed to pay her des and
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 4: I was glad of the opportunity of going with her.
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 4: I found it an ill built edifice, set out with
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 4: the same sort of ornaments, but less rich as the
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 4: Roman Catholic churches. They showed me a saint's body, where
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 4: I threw a piece of money, and a picture of
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 4: the Virgin Mary, drawn by the hand of Saint Luke,
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 4: very little to the credit of his painting. But however,
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 4: the finest Madonna of Italy is not more famous for
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 4: her miracles. The Greeks have a monstrous taste in their pictures,
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 4: which for more finery, are always drawn upon a gold ground.
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 4: You may imagine what a good air this has, but
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 4: they have no notion either of shade or proportion. They
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 4: have a bishop here who officiated in his purple robe,
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 4: and sent me a candle almost as big as myself
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 4: for a present. When I was at my lodging. We
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 4: lay that night at a town called bujuk Chekmdgi or
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 4: Great Bridge, and the night following at koudjuk Chek Medji
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 4: or Littlebridge, in a very pleasant lodging, formerly a monastery
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 4: of dervises, having before at a large court encompassed with
• 1:21:11
  Speaker 4: marble cloisters with a good fountain in the middle. The
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 4: prospect from this place in the gardens round it is
• 1:21:17
  Speaker 4: the most agreeable I have seen, and shows that monks
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 4: of all religions know how to choose their retirements. Tis
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 4: now belonging to a hogja or schoolmaster, who teaches boys here.
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 4: I asked him to show me his own apartment, and
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 4: was surprised to see him point to a tall cypress
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 4: tree in the garden, on the top of which was
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 4: a place for a bed for himself and a little
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 4: lower one for his wife and two children, who slept
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 4: there every night. I was so much diverted with the
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 4: fancy I resolved to examine his nest nearer. But after
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 4: going up fifty steps, I found I had still fifty
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 4: to go up, and then I must climb from branch
• 1:21:57
  Speaker 4: to branch with some hazard of my neck. I thought
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 4: it there for the best way to come down again.
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 4: We arrived the next day at Constantinople, but I can
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 4: yet tell you very little of it. All my time
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 4: having been taken up with receiving visits, which are at
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 4: least a very good entertainment to the eyes. The young
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 4: women being all beauties, and their beauty highly improved by
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 4: the high taste of their dress. Our palace is in Pera,
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 4: which is no more a suburb of Constantinople than Westminster
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 4: is a suburb to London. All the ambassadors are lodged
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 4: very near each other. One part of our house shows
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 4: us the port, the city, and the Seralio, and the
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 4: distant hills of Asia, perhaps altogether the most beautiful prospect
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 4: in the world. A certain French author says Constantinople is
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 4: twice as big as Paris. Mister Wortley is unwilling to
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 4: own it is bigger than London, though I confess it
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 4: appears to me to be so, but I don't believe
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 4: it is so populous. Worrying fields about it are certainly
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 4: much larger than the whole city. It is surprising what
• 1:23:05
  Speaker 4: a vast deal of land is lost this way. In Turkey.
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 4: Sometimes I have seen burying places of several miles belonging
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 4: to very inconsiderable villages, which were formerly great towns, and
• 1:23:18
  Speaker 4: retain no other mark of their ancient grandeur than this
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 4: dismal one. On no occasion do they ever remove a
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 4: stone that serves for a monument. Some of them are
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 4: costly enough, being a very fine marble. They set up
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 4: a pillar with a carved turban on the top of
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 4: it to the memory of a man. And as the turbans,
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 4: by their different shapes show the quality or profession, tis
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 4: in a manner putting up the arms of the deceased. Besides,
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 4: the pillar commonly bears an inscription in gold letters. The
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 4: ladies have a simple pillar without other ornament, except those
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 4: that die unmarried, who have a rose on the top
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 4: of their monument. The sepulchers of particular families are railed
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 4: in and planted round with trees. Those of the sultans,
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 4: and some great men have lamps constantly burning in them.
• 1:24:10
  Speaker 4: When I spoke of their religion, I forgot to mention
• 1:24:13
  Speaker 4: two peculiarities, one of which I have read of. But
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 4: it seems so odd to me I could not believe it.
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 4: Yet tis certainly true that when a man has divorced
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 4: his wife in the most solemn manner, he can take
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 4: her again upon no other terms than permitting another man
• 1:24:30
  Speaker 4: to pass a night with her. And there are some
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 4: examples of those who have submitted to this law, rather
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 4: than not have backed their beloved. The other point of
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 4: doctrine is very extraordinary. Any woman that dies unmarried is
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 4: looked upon to die in a state of reprobation. To
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 4: confirm this belief, they reason that the end of the
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 4: creation of woman is to increase and multiply, and that
• 1:24:57
  Speaker 4: she is only properly employed in the works of her
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 4: calling when she is bringing forth children or taking care
• 1:25:04
  Speaker 4: of them, which are all the virtues that God expects
• 1:25:07
  Speaker 4: from her. And indeed their way of life, which shuts
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 4: them out of all public commerce, does not permit them
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 4: any other. Our vulgar notion that they don't own women
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 4: to have any souls is a mistake, tis true, they say,
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 4: They are not of so elevated a kind, and therefore
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 4: must not hope to be admitted into the paradise appointed
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 4: for the men who are to be entertained by celestial beauties.
• 1:25:35
  Speaker 4: But there is a place of happiness destined for souls
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 4: of the inferior order, where all good women are to
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 4: be in eternal bliss. Many of them are very superstitious
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 4: and will not remain widows ten days for fear of
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 4: dying in the reprobate state of an useless creature. But
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 4: those that like their liberty and are not slaves to
• 1:25:56
  Speaker 4: their religion, content themselves with marrying when they are afraid
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 4: of dying. This is a piece of theology very different
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 4: from that which teaches nothing to be more acceptable to
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 4: God than a vow of perpetual virginity, which divinity is
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 4: most rational. I leave to you to determine. I have
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 4: already made some progress in a collection of Greek metals.
• 1:26:20
  Speaker 4: Here are several professed antiquaries, who are ready to serve
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 4: anybody that desires them. But you cannot imagine how they
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 4: stare in my face when I inquire about them, as
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 4: if nobody was permitted to seek after metals till they
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 4: were grown a piece of antiquity themselves. I have got
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 4: some very valuable ones of the Macedonian kings, particularly one
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 4: of Perseus, so lively I fancy I can see all
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 4: his ill qualities in his face. I have a porphyry head,
• 1:26:50
  Speaker 4: finely cut of the true Greek sculpture, but who it
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 4: represents is to be guessed at by the learned when
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 4: I return. For you are not to suppose these antiquaries,
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 4: who are all Greeks, know anything. Their trade is only
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 4: to sell. They have correspondents at Aleppo Grand Cairo in
• 1:27:11
  Speaker 4: Arabia and Palestine, who send them all they can find,
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 4: and very often great heaps that are only fit to
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 4: melt into pans and kettles. They get the best price
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 4: they can for them, without knowing those that are valuable
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 4: from those that are not. Those that pretend to skill
• 1:27:28
  Speaker 4: generally find out the image of some saint in the
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 4: metals of the Greek cities. One of them, showing me
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 4: the figure of a Palais with a victory in her
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 4: hand on a reverse, assured me it was the Virgin
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 4: holding a crucifix. The same man offered me the head
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 4: of a Socrates on a sardonyx, and to enhance the value,
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 4: gave him the title of Saint Augustine. I have bespoken
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 4: a mummy, which I hope will come safe to my hands,
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 4: notwithstanding the misfortune that befell a very fine one designed
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 4: for the King of Sweden. He gave a great price
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 4: for it, and the Turks took it into their heads
• 1:28:05
  Speaker 4: that he must have some considerable project depending on it.
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 4: They fancied it the body of God knows who, and
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 4: that the state of their empire mystically depended on the
• 1:28:15
  Speaker 4: conservation of it. Some old prophecies were remembered upon this occasion,
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 4: and the Mummy was committed prisoner to the Seven Towers,
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 4: where it has remained under close confinement ever since. I
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 4: dare not try my interest in so considerable a point
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 4: as the release of it, but I hope mine will
• 1:28:34
  Speaker 4: pass without examination. Letter twelve, Belgrade Village, June seventeenth O S.
• 1:28:44
  Speaker 4: I heartily beg your Ladyship's pardon, but I really could
• 1:28:47
  Speaker 4: not forbear laughing heartily at your letter and the commissions
• 1:28:51
  Speaker 4: you are pleased to honor me with you desire me
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 4: to buy you a Greek slave who is to be
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 4: mistress of a thousand good qualities. The Greeks are subjects
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 4: and not slaves. Those who are to be bought in
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 4: that manner are either such as are taken in war
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 4: or stolen by the Tartars from Russia, Circassia or Georgia,
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 4: and are such miserable, awkward, poor wretches you would not
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 4: think any of them worthy to be your housemaids. Tis
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 4: true that many thousands were taken in the Moia, but
• 1:29:23
  Speaker 4: they have been most of them redeemed by the charitable
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 4: contributions of the Christians or ransom by their own relations
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 4: at venice. The fine slaves that wait upon the great
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 4: ladies or serve the pleasures of the great men, are
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 4: all bought at the age of eight or nine years old,
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 4: and educated with great care to accomplish them in singing, dancing, embroidery,
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 4: et cetera. They are commonly Circassians, and their patron never
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 4: sells them, except it is as a punishment for some
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 4: very great fault. If ever they grow weary of them,
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 4: they either present them to a friend or give them
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 4: their freedom. Those that are exposed to sale at the
• 1:30:06
  Speaker 4: markets are always either guilty of some crime, or so
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 4: entirely worthless that they are of no use at all.
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 4: I am afraid you will doubt the truth of this account,
• 1:30:16
  Speaker 4: which I own, is very different from our common notions
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 4: in England. But it is no less truth, for all
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 4: that your whole letter is full of mistakes from one
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 4: end to the other. I see you have taken your
• 1:30:29
  Speaker 4: ideas of Turkey from that worthy author Dumont, who has
• 1:30:32
  Speaker 4: wrote with equal ignorance and confidence. Tis a particular pleasure
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 4: to me here to read the voyages to the levant,
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 4: which are generally so far removed from truth, and so
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 4: full of absurdities. I am very well diverted with them.
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 4: They never fail giving you an account of the women
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 4: whom tis certain they never saw, and talking very wisely
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 4: of the genius of the men into whose company they
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 4: are never admitted, and very often and describe mosques which
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 4: they dare not even peep into. The Turks are very
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 4: proud and will not converse with a stranger they are
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 4: not assured as considerable in his own country. I speak
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 4: of the men of distinction, for as to the ordinary fellows,
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 4: you may imagine what ideas their conversation can give of
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 4: the general genius of the people. As to the balm
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 4: of Mecca, I will certainly send you some, but it
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 4: is not so easily got as you suppose it, and
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 4: I cannot in conscience advise you to make use of it.
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 4: I know not how it comes to have such universal applause.
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 4: All the ladies of my acquaintance at London and Vienna
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 4: have begged me to send pots of it to them.
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 4: I have had a present of a small quantity, which
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 4: I'll assure you is very valuable, of the best sort,
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 4: and with great joy applied it to my face, expecting
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 4: some wonderful effect to my advantage. The next morning, the change,
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 4: indeed was wonderful. My face was swelled to a very
• 1:32:02
  Speaker 4: extraordinary size, and all over as red as my lady H's.
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 4: It remained in this lamentable state three days, during which
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 4: you may be sure I passed my time very ill.
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 4: I believed it would never be otherwise, And to add
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 4: to my mortification, mister Wortley reproached my indiscretion without ceasing. However,
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 4: my face is since in status quo nay, I am
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 4: told by the ladies here that it is much mended
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 4: by the operation which I confess I cannot perceive in
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 4: my looking glass. Indeed, if one were to form an
• 1:32:39
  Speaker 4: opinion of this balm from their faces, one should think
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 4: very well of it. They all make use of it
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 4: and have the loveliest bloom in the world. For my part,
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 4: I never intend to endure the pain of it again.
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 4: Let my complexion take its natural course and decay in
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 4: its own due time. I have very little esteem for
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 4: medicines of this nature. But do as you please, madame,
• 1:33:02
  Speaker 4: only remember before you use it, that your face will
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 4: not be such as you will care to show in
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 4: the drawing room. For some days after letter thirteen pera
• 1:33:14
  Speaker 4: March tenth o s. Seventeen seventeen. I have not written
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 4: to you, dear sister, these many months, a great piece
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 4: of self denial. But I know not where to direct
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 4: or what part of the world you are in. I
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 4: have received no letter from you since that short note
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 4: of April last in which you tell me that you
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 4: are on the point of leaving England and promise me
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 4: a direction for the place you stay in. But I
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 4: have in vain expected it till now, and now I
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 4: only learn from the gazette that you are returned, which
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 4: induces me to venture this letter to your house at London.
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 4: I had rather ten of my letters should be lost
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 4: than you imagine. I don't write, and I think it
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 4: is hard fortune if one in ten don't reach you. However,
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 4: I am to keep the copies as testimonies of my
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 4: inclination to give you, to the utmost of my power,
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 4: all the diverting parts of my travels, while you are
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 4: exempt from all the fatigues and inconveniences. In the first place,
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 4: then I wish you joy of your niece, for I
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 4: was brought to bed of a daughter five weeks ago.
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 4: I don't mention this as one of my diverting adventures,
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 4: though I must own that it is not half so
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 4: mortifying here as in England, there being as much difference
• 1:34:30
  Speaker 4: as there is between a little cold in the head,
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 4: which sometimes happens here, and the consumption cough so common
• 1:34:37
  Speaker 4: in London. Nobody keeps their house a month for laying in,
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 4: and I am not so fond of any of our
• 1:34:43
  Speaker 4: customs as to retain them when they are not necessary.
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 4: I returned my visits at three weeks end, and about
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 4: four days ago crossed the sea which divides this place
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 4: from Constantinople, to make a new one, where I had
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 4: the good fortune to pick up many curreuriosities. I went
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 4: to see the Sultana hayfhatan favorite of the late Emperor Mustapha,
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 4: who you know, or perhaps you don't know, was deposed
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 4: by his brother, the reigning Sultan, and died a few
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 4: weeks after being poisoned. As it was generally believed, this
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 4: lady was immediately after his death saluted with an absolute
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 4: order to leave the serralio and choose herself a husband
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 4: among the great men at the port. I suppose you
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 4: may imagine her overjoyed at this proposal. Quite the contrary,
• 1:35:33
  Speaker 4: These women, who are called and esteem themselves queen, look
• 1:35:38
  Speaker 4: upon this liberty as the greatest disgrace and affront that
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 4: can happen to them. She threw herself at the Sultan's
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 4: feet and begged him to poinard her rather than use
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 4: his brother's widow with contempt. She represented to him in
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 4: agonies of sorrow that she was privileged from this misfortune
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 4: by having brought five princes into the Ottoman fan Emily,
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 4: but all the boys being dead and only one girl surviving.
• 1:36:04
  Speaker 4: This excuse was not received, and she was compelled to
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 4: make her choice. She chose Bekir Effendi, then Secretary of
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 4: State and above fourscore years old, to convince the world
• 1:36:17
  Speaker 4: that she firmly intended to keep the vows she had
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 4: made of never suffering a second husband to approach her bed,
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 4: and since she must honor some subject so far as
• 1:36:27
  Speaker 4: to be called his wife, she would choose him as
• 1:36:31
  Speaker 4: a mark of her gratitude, since it was he that
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 4: had presented her at the age of ten years to
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 4: her last lord. But she never permitted him to pay
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 4: her one visit, though it is now fifteen years she
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 4: has been in his house, where She passes her time
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 4: in uninterrupted mourning, with a constancy very little known in Christendom,
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 4: especially in a widow of one and twenty, for she
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 4: is now but thirty six. She has no black eunuchs
• 1:36:57
  Speaker 4: for her guard, her husband being obliged to respect her
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 4: as a queen and not to inquire at all into
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 4: what is done in her apartment. I was led into
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 4: a large room with the sofa, the whole length of
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 4: it adorned with white marble pillars like a ruelle, covered
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 4: with pale blue figured velvet, on a silver ground with
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 4: cushions of the same, where I was desired to repose
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 4: until the Sultana appeared, who had contrived this manner of
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 4: reception to avoid rising up at my entrance, though she
• 1:37:30
  Speaker 4: made me an inclination of her head when I rose
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 4: up to her. I was very glad to observe a
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 4: lady that had been distinguished by the favor of an
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 4: emperor to whom beauties were every day presented from all
• 1:37:43
  Speaker 4: parts of the world. But she did not seem to
• 1:37:46
  Speaker 4: me to have ever been half so beautiful as the
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 4: fair Fatima I saw it Adrianople, though she had the
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 4: remains of a fine face more decayed by sorrow than time.
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 4: But her dress was something so surprisingly rich that I
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 4: cannot forbear describing it to you. She wore a vest
• 1:38:06
  Speaker 4: called dona lama, which differs from a kaftan by longer
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 4: sleeves and folding over at the bottom. It was of
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 4: purple cloth, straight to her shape and thick, set on
• 1:38:16
  Speaker 4: each side down to her feet, and round the sleeves
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 4: with pearls of the best water, of the same size
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 4: as their buttons commonly are. You must not suppose that
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 4: I mean as large as those of my lord, but
• 1:38:29
  Speaker 4: about the bigness of a pea, And to these buttons
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 4: large loops of diamonds in the form of those gold
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 4: loops so common on birthday coats. This habit was tied
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 4: at the waist with two large tassels of smaller pearls,
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 4: and round the arms embroidered with large diamonds. Her shift
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 4: was fastened at the bottom with a great diamond shaped
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 4: like a lozenge. Her girdle as broad as the broadest
• 1:38:56
  Speaker 4: English ribbon, entirely covered with diamonds. On her neck, she
• 1:39:00
  Speaker 4: wore three chains which reached to her knees, one of
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 4: large pearl at the bottom of which hung a fine
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 4: colored emerald as big as a turkey egg, another consisting
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 4: of two hundred emeralds closely joined together of the most
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 4: lively green, perfectly matched, every one as large as a
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 4: half crown piece and as thick as three crown pieces,
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 4: and another of small emeralds perfectly round. But her earrings
• 1:39:29
  Speaker 4: eclipsed all the rest. They were two diamonds, shaped exactly
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 4: like pears, as large as a big hazel nut. Round
• 1:39:38
  Speaker 4: her call pack. She had four strings of pearl, the
• 1:39:41
  Speaker 4: whitest and the most perfect in the world, at least
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 4: enough to make four necklaces, every one as large as
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 4: the Duchess of Marlborough's, and of the same shape, fastened
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 4: with two roses consisting of a large ruby for the
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 4: middle stone, and round them twenty drops of clean diamonds
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 4: to each. Besides this, her head dress was covered with
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 4: bodkins of emeralds and diamonds. She wore large diamond bracelets,
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 4: and had five rings on her fingers, except mister Pitts,
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 4: the largest I ever saw in my life. It is
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 4: for jewelers to compute the value of these things, But
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 4: according to the common estimation of jewels in our part
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 4: of the world. Her whole dress must be worth a
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 4: hundred thousand pounds sterling. This I am sure of that
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 4: no European queen has half the quantity, and the empresses jewels,
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 4: though very fine, would look very mean near hers. She
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 4: gave me a dinner of fifty dishes of meat, which,
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 4: after their fashion, were placed on the table but one
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 4: at a time, and was extremely tedious. But the magnificence
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 4: of her table answered very well to that of her dress.
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 4: The knives were of gold, and the half set with diamonds.
• 1:40:55
  Speaker 4: But the piece of luxury which grieved my eyes was
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 4: the tablecloth and napkins, which are all tiffany, embroidered with
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 4: silk and gold in the finest manner in natural flowers.
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 4: It was with the utmost regret that I made use
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 4: of these costly napkins, which were as finely wrought as
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 4: the finest handkerchiefs that ever came out of this country.
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 4: You may be sure that they were entirely spoiled before
• 1:41:20
  Speaker 4: dinner was over. The sherbet, which is the liquor they
• 1:41:24
  Speaker 4: drank at meals, was served in china bowls, but the
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 4: covers and salvers massy gold. After dinner water was brought
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 4: in gold basins and towels of the same kind, with
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 4: the napkins which I very unwillingly wiped my hands upon,
• 1:41:42
  Speaker 4: and coffee was served in China with gold suku. The
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 4: Sultana seemed in very good humor and talked to me
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 4: with the utmost civility. I did not omit this opportunity
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 4: of learning all that I possibly could of the seraglio,
• 1:41:58
  Speaker 4: which is so entirely unknown among us. She assured me
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 4: that the story of the Sultan's throwing a handkerchief is
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 4: altogether fabulous, and the manner upon that occasion no other
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 4: than this. He sends the kaislar aga to signify to
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 4: the lady the honor he intends her. She is immediately
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 4: complimented upon it by the others and led to the bath,
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 4: where she is perfumed and dressed in the most magnificent
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 4: and becoming manner. The Emperor precedes his visit by a
• 1:42:29
  Speaker 4: royal present, and then comes into her apartment. Neither is
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 4: there any such thing as her creeping in at the
• 1:42:36
  Speaker 4: bed's foot. She said that the first he made choice
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 4: of was always afterward the first in rank, and not
• 1:42:44
  Speaker 4: the mother of the eldest son, as other writers would
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 4: make us believe, sometimes the Sultan diverts himself in the
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 4: company of all his ladies, who stand in a circle
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 4: round him, and she confessed they were ready to die
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 4: with envy and jealousy of the happy. She that he
• 1:43:01
  Speaker 4: distinguished by any appearance of preference. But this seemed to
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 4: me neither better nor worse than the circles in most courts,
• 1:43:09
  Speaker 4: where the glance of the monarch is watched, and every
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 4: smile is waited for with impatience, and envied by those
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 4: who cannot obtain it. She never mentioned the Sultan without
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 4: tears in her eyes, Yet she seemed very fond of
• 1:43:23
  Speaker 4: the discourse my past happiness, said, she appears a dream
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 4: to me. Yet I cannot forget that I was beloved
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 4: by the greatest and most lovely of mankind. I was
• 1:43:35
  Speaker 4: chosen from all the rest to make all his campaigns
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 4: with him, and I would not survive him if I
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 4: was not passionately fond of the princess, my daughter. Yet
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 4: all my tenderness for her was hardly enough to make
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 4: me preserve my life. When I left him, I passed
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 4: a whole twelvemonth without seeing the light time hath softened
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 4: my despair. Yet I now pass some days every week
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 4: in tears devoted to the memory of my Sultan. There
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 4: was no affectation in these words. It was easy to
• 1:44:09
  Speaker 4: see she was in a deep melancholy, though her good
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 4: humor made her willing to divert me. She asked me
• 1:44:16
  Speaker 4: to walk in her garden, and one of her slaves
• 1:44:18
  Speaker 4: immediately brought her a peliche of rich brocade lined with sables.
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 4: I waited on her into the garden, which had nothing
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 4: in it remarkable but the fountains, and from thence she
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 4: showed me all her apartments. In her bed chamber, her
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 4: toilet was displayed, consisting of two looking glasses, the frames
• 1:44:39
  Speaker 4: covered with pearls, and her night telpoche set with bodkins
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 4: of jewels, and near it three vests of fine sables,
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 4: every one of which is at least worth a thousand
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 4: dollars two hundred pounds English money. I don't doubt but
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 4: these rich habits were purposely placed in sight, though they
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 4: seemed negligently thrown on the sofa. When I took my
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 4: leave of her, I was complimented with perfumes, as at
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 4: the Grand Vizier's and presented with a very fine embroidered handkerchief.
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 4: Her slaves were to the number of thirty besides ten
• 1:45:16
  Speaker 4: little ones, the oldest not above seven years old. These
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 4: were the most beautiful girls I ever saw, all richly dressed,
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 4: and I observed that the Saltana took a great deal
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 4: of pleasure in these lovely children, which is a vast expense,
• 1:45:32
  Speaker 4: for there is not a handsome girl of that age
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 4: to be bought under a hundred pounds sterling. They wore
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 4: little garlands of flowers, and their own hair braided, which
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 4: was all their head dress. But their habits were all
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 4: of gold stuffs. These served her coffee kneeling, brought water
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 4: when she washed, et cetera. It is a great part
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 4: of the work of the elder slaves to take care
• 1:45:54
  Speaker 4: of these young girls, to learn them to embroider, and
• 1:45:57
  Speaker 4: to serve them as carefully as if they were children
• 1:46:00
  Speaker 4: of the family. Now do you imagine I have entertained
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 4: you all this while with the relation that has at
• 1:46:06
  Speaker 4: least received many embellishments from my hand. This, you will say,
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 4: is but two Like the Arabian tales, these embroidered napkins
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 4: and a drool as large as a turkey's egg. You forget,
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 4: dear sister, those very tales were written by the author
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 4: of this country, and accepting the enchantments, are a real
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 4: representation of the manners here. We travelers are in very
• 1:46:31
  Speaker 4: hard circumstances. If we say nothing but what has to
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 4: be said before us, we are dull and we have
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 4: observed nothing. If we tell anything new, we are laughed
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 4: at as fabulous and romantic, not allowing either for the
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 4: difference of ranks, which affords difference of company or more curiosity,
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 4: or the change of customs that happen every twenty years
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 4: in every country. But the truth is, people judge of
• 1:46:58
  Speaker 4: travelers exactly with the same candor, good nature and impartiality
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 4: they judge of their neighbors upon all occasions. For my part,
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 4: if I live to return among you, I am so
• 1:47:10
  Speaker 4: well acquainted with the morals of all my dear friends
• 1:47:13
  Speaker 4: and acquaintances that I am resolved to tell them nothing
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 4: at all, to avoid the imputation which their charity would
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 4: certainly incline them to of my telling too much. But
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 4: I depend upon your knowing me enough to believe whatever
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 4: I seriously assert for truth. Though I give you leave
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 4: to be surprised at an account so new to you.
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 4: But what would you say if I told you I
• 1:47:38
  Speaker 4: had been in a harem where the winter apartment was
• 1:47:42
  Speaker 4: wainscotted with inlaid work of mother of pearl, ivory of
• 1:47:46
  Speaker 4: different colors and olive wood, exactly like the little boxes
• 1:47:50
  Speaker 4: you have seen brought out of this country, and in
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 4: whose rooms designed for summer. The walls are all crusted
• 1:47:57
  Speaker 4: with japan china, the roofs guilt, and the floor is
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 4: spread with the finest Persian carpets. Yet there is nothing
• 1:48:06
  Speaker 4: more true such is the palace of my lovely friend,
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 4: the fair Fatima, whom I was acquainted with at Adriana Pole.
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 4: I went to visit her yesterday, and if possible, she
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 4: appeared to me handsomer than before. She met me at
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 4: the door of her chamber, and giving me her hand
• 1:48:24
  Speaker 4: with the best grace in the world. You Christian ladies,
• 1:48:28
  Speaker 4: said she, with a smile that made her as beautiful
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 4: as an angel. Have the reputation of inconsistency, and I
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 4: did not expect, whatever goodness you expressed for me at
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 4: Adriana Pole, that I should ever see you again. But
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 4: I am now convinced that I have really the happiness
• 1:48:45
  Speaker 4: of pleasing you, and if you knew how I speak
• 1:48:48
  Speaker 4: of you among our ladies, you would be assured that
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 4: you do me justice in making me your friend. She
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 4: placed me in the corner of the sofa, and I
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 4: spent the afternoon in her conversation with the greatest pleasure
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 4: in the world. End of section.
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 5: Five Section six of the Turkish Embassy Letters. This is
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 5: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 5: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 5: Recording by Jennifer Painter. The Turkish Embassy Letters by Lady
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 5: Mary Wortley Montague, Letter fourteen Pera, March sixteenths seventeen seventeen.
• 1:49:44
  Speaker 5: I am extremely pleased, my dear lady, that you have
• 1:49:47
  Speaker 5: at length found a commission for me that I can
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 5: answer without disappointing your expectations. Though I must tell you
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 5: that it is not so easy as perhaps you think it,
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 5: and that if my curiosity had not been more diligent
• 1:50:00
  Speaker 5: than any other strangers has ever yet been, I must
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 5: have answered you with an excuse, as I was forced
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 5: to do when you desired me to buy you a
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 5: Greek slave, I have got for you, as you desire,
• 1:50:13
  Speaker 5: a Turkish love letter, which I have put in a
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 5: little box and ordered the captain of the Smyrniote to
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 5: deliver it to you. With this letter, the translation of
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 5: it is literally as follows. The first piece you should
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 5: pull out of the purse is a little pearl, which
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 5: is in Turkish called Ingi, and must be understood in
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 5: this manner. Ingi sensing guzaran Gingi pearl, fairest of the young, karaphil,
• 1:50:44
  Speaker 5: karam philsen, karam jok conge gulsum timarin yok benseny chok
• 1:50:50
  Speaker 5: than severin senin benden havarin yok cloth. You are as
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 5: slender as the cloth. You are an unblown rose. I
• 1:51:02
  Speaker 5: have long loved you, and you have not known it.
• 1:51:05
  Speaker 5: Pul deady may dear man bull John quil, have pity
• 1:51:12
  Speaker 5: on my passion. Tihat bill m sahat sahat paper. I
• 1:51:20
  Speaker 5: faint every hour, ermus their bica bear umut hair. Give
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 5: me some hope, dahun dear dinan oldham zabun so I
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 5: am sick with love. Heemur ben oulliam sese umour, Oh,
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 5: may I die and all my years be yoursol ben
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 5: agla ram sen gul a rose. May you be pleased
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 5: and your sorrow is mine. Hasir olim sana zazir a straw.
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 5: Suffer me to be your slave. Bojo ustune bulun ma's
• 1:52:12
  Speaker 5: pahu cloth. Your price is not to be found tatsen
• 1:52:18
  Speaker 5: sengel ben checkim senin hatsen cinnamon. But my fortune is yours.
• 1:52:28
  Speaker 5: Yio esking ilen oldham hera a match I burn, I burn,
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 5: my flame consumes me sirma uzunu benden agiyama gold thread.
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 5: Don't turn away your face from me such basmazum touch yeah,
• 1:52:53
  Speaker 5: crown of my head, uzum benin iki guzum great my
• 1:53:00
  Speaker 5: two eyes till all gorumtz hell gold wire. I die,
• 1:53:09
  Speaker 5: come quickly, and by way of PostScript babor bei zerbier
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 5: dogm mahaber pepper, send me an answer. You see this
• 1:53:21
  Speaker 5: letter is all in verse, and I can assure you
• 1:53:24
  Speaker 5: there is as much fancy shown in the choice of
• 1:53:27
  Speaker 5: them as in the most studied expressions of our letters,
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 5: there being I believe a million of verses designed for
• 1:53:34
  Speaker 5: this use. There is no color, no flower, no weed,
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 5: no fruit. Herb pebble or feather that has not a
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 5: verse belonging to it, And you may quarrel, reproach, or
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 5: send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news,
• 1:53:55
  Speaker 5: without ever inking your fingers. I fancy you are now
• 1:54:00
  Speaker 5: wondering at my profound learning. But alas dear Madam, I
• 1:54:04
  Speaker 5: am almost fallen into the misfortune so common to the ambitious.
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 5: While they are employed on distant, insignificant conquests abroad, a
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 5: rebellion starts up at home. I am in great danger
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 5: of losing my English. I find tis not half so
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 5: easy to me to write in it as it was
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 5: a twelvemonth ago. I am forced to study for expression,
• 1:54:28
  Speaker 5: and must leave off all other languages and try to
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 5: learn my mother tongue. Human understanding is as much limited
• 1:54:36
  Speaker 5: as human power or human strength. The memory can retain
• 1:54:40
  Speaker 5: but a certain number of images, and tis as impossible
• 1:54:44
  Speaker 5: for one human creature to be perfect master of ten
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 5: different languages as to have in perfect subjection ten different kingdoms,
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 5: or to fight against ten men at a time. I
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 5: am afraid I shall at last know none as I
• 1:54:58
  Speaker 5: should do. I live in a place that very well
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 5: represents the Tower of Babel, in Pera they speak Turkish, Greek, Hebrew, Armenian, Arabic, Persian, Russian, Sclavonian, Walachian, German, Dutch, French, English, Italian, Hungarian.
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 5: And what is worse, there are ten of these languages
• 1:55:26
  Speaker 5: spoken in my own family. My grooms are Arabs, my footmen, French,
• 1:55:32
  Speaker 5: English and Germans. My nurse an Armenian, my housemaid's Russians,
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 5: half a dozen other servants, Greeks, my steward an Italian,
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 5: my janissaries Turks. So that I live in the perpetual
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 5: hearing of this medley of sounds, which produces a very
• 1:55:51
  Speaker 5: extraordinary effect upon the people that are born here, for
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 5: they learn all these languages at the same time, and
• 1:55:58
  Speaker 5: without knowing any of them well enough to write or
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 5: read in it. There are very few men, women, or
• 1:56:05
  Speaker 5: even children here that have not the same compass of
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 5: words in five or six of them. I know myself
• 1:56:12
  Speaker 5: of several infants of three or four years old that
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 5: speak Italian, French, Greek, Turkish, and Russian, which last they
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 5: learn of their nurses, who are generally of that country.
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 5: This seems almost incredible to you, and is in my
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 5: mind one of the most curious things in this country,
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 5: and takes off very much from the merit of our
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 5: ladies who set up for such extraordinary geniuses upon the
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 5: credit of some superficial knowledge of French and Italian. As
• 1:56:44
  Speaker 5: I prefer English to all the rest. I am extremely
• 1:56:47
  Speaker 5: mortified at the daily decay of it in my head,
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 5: where I'll assure you with grief of heart, it is
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 5: reduced to such a small number of words. I cannot
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 5: recollect any tolerable phrase to include my letter with, and
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 5: am forced to tell your ladyship very bluntly that I
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 5: am yours, et cetera. Letter fifteen Tunis July the thirty
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 5: first o s. Seventeen eighteen. I left Constantinople the sixth
• 1:57:18
  Speaker 5: of the last month, and this is the first post
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 5: from whence I could send a letter. Though I have
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 5: often wished for the opportunity that I might impart some
• 1:57:28
  Speaker 5: of the pleasure I found in this voyage through the
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 5: most agreeable part of the world, where every scene presents
• 1:57:35
  Speaker 5: me some poetical idea. Warmed with poetic transport, I survey
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 5: the immortal islands and the well known sea. For here
• 1:57:45
  Speaker 5: so oft the muse her harp has strung that not
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 5: a mountain rears its head, unsung. I beg your pardon
• 1:57:53
  Speaker 5: for this, Sally, and will if I can continue the
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 5: rest of my account in playing prose. The second day
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 5: after we set sail, we passed Gallipolis, a fair city
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 5: situated in the Bay of Chersonesus and much respected by
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 5: the Turks, being the first town they took in Europe.
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 5: At five the next morning we anchored in the Hellespont,
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 5: between the castles of Cestos and Abados, now called the Dardanelli.
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 5: These are now two little ancient castles, but of no strength,
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 5: being commanded by a rising ground behind them, which I
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 5: confess I should never have taken notice of if I
• 1:58:32
  Speaker 5: had not heard it observed by a captain and officers,
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 5: my imagination being wholly employed by the tragic story that
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 5: you are well acquainted with the swimming lover and the
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 5: lightly bride, how Hero loved and how Leander died. Firse again,
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 5: I am certainly infected by the poetical heir I have
• 1:58:53
  Speaker 5: passed through. That of Abados is undoubtedly very amorous, since
• 1:58:59
  Speaker 5: that soft fashion betrayed the castle into the hands of
• 1:59:02
  Speaker 5: the Turks, who besieged it in the reign of Orcunnies.
• 1:59:07
  Speaker 5: The governor's daughter, imagining to have seen her future husband
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 5: in a dream, though I don't find she had either
• 1:59:13
  Speaker 5: slept upon bridecake orcept and Agnes fast fancied. She saw
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 5: the dear figure in the form of one of her besiegers, and,
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 5: being willing to obey her destiny, tossed a note to
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 5: him over the wall, with the offer of her person
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 5: and the delivery of the castle. He showed it to
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 5: his general, who consented to try the sincerity of her intentions,
• 1:59:36
  Speaker 5: and withdrew his army, ordering the young man to return
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 5: with a select body of men at midnight. She admitted
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 5: him at the appointed hour. He destroyed the garrison, took
• 1:59:48
  Speaker 5: the father prisoner, and made her his wife. This town
• 1:59:52
  Speaker 5: is in Asia, first founded by the Milesians. Cestos is
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 5: in Europe, and was once the principal city of Chernini.
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 5: Since I have seen this strait, I find nothing improbable
• 2:00:04
  Speaker 5: in the adventure of Leander, or very wonderful In the
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 5: bridge of boats of Xerxes. Tis so narrow, tis not
• 2:00:11
  Speaker 5: surprising a young lover should attempt to swim, or an
• 2:00:14
  Speaker 5: ambitious king try to pass his army over it. But
• 2:00:17
  Speaker 5: then tis so subject to storms tis no wonder the
• 2:00:21
  Speaker 5: lover perished, and the bridge was broken. From hence we
• 2:00:25
  Speaker 5: had a full view of Mount Ida, where Juno once
• 2:00:29
  Speaker 5: caressed her amorous Joe, and the world's master lay subdued
• 2:00:34
  Speaker 5: by love. Not many leagues sail from Hence I saw
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 5: the point of land where poor old Hecuba was buried,
• 2:00:43
  Speaker 5: And about a league from that place is Cape Janissary,
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 5: the famous promontory of Sigion, where we anchored. My curiosity
• 2:00:52
  Speaker 5: supplied me with strength to climb to the top of it,
• 2:00:55
  Speaker 5: to see the place where Achilles was buried, and where
• 2:00:58
  Speaker 5: Alexander ran naked round his tomb in honor of him,
• 2:01:02
  Speaker 5: which no doubt was a great comfort to his ghost.
• 2:01:05
  Speaker 5: I saw there the ruins of a very large city,
• 2:01:08
  Speaker 5: and found a stone on which mister Wortley plainly distinguished
• 2:01:12
  Speaker 5: the words of seaguy Anholin. We ordered this on board
• 2:01:18
  Speaker 5: the ship, but were shown others much more curious by
• 2:01:21
  Speaker 5: a Greek priest, though a very ignorant fellow, that could
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 5: give no tolerable account of anything. On each side the
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 5: door of this little church lie two large stones about
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 5: ten feet long, each five in breadth and three in thickness,
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 5: that on the right is a very fine white marble,
• 2:01:40
  Speaker 5: the side of it beautifully carved in bas relief. It
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 5: represents a woman who seems to be designed for some deity,
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 5: sitting on a chair with a footstool, and before her
• 2:01:50
  Speaker 5: another woman weeping and presenting to her a young child
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 5: that she has in her arms, followed by a procession
• 2:01:57
  Speaker 5: of women with children in the safe manner. This is
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 5: certainly part of a very ancient tomb, but I dare
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 5: not pretend to give the true explanation of it. On
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 5: the stone on the left side is a very fair inscription,
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 5: but the Greek is too ancient for mister Workley's interpretation.
• 2:02:15
  Speaker 5: I am very sorry not to have the original in
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 5: my possession, which might have been purchased of the poor
• 2:02:20
  Speaker 5: inhabitants for a small sum of money. But our captain
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 5: assured us that without having machines made on purpose, twas
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 5: impossible to bear it to the seaside, and when it
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 5: was there, his long boat would not be large enough
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 5: to hold it. The ruins of this great city are
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 5: now inhabited by poor Greek peasants who wear the Sciote
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 5: habit the women being in short petticoats fastened by straps
• 2:02:47
  Speaker 5: around their shoulders, and large smock sleeves of white linen,
• 2:02:51
  Speaker 5: with neat shoes and stockings, and on their heads a
• 2:02:54
  Speaker 5: large piece of muslin which falls in large folds on
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 5: their shoulders. One of my countrymen, mister Sands, whose book
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 5: I doubt not you have read as one of the
• 2:03:05
  Speaker 5: best of its kind, speaking of these ruins, supposes them
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 5: to have been the foundation of a city, begun by
• 2:03:11
  Speaker 5: Constantine before his building by Zantium. But I see no
• 2:03:16
  Speaker 5: good reason for that imagination, and are mat to believe
• 2:03:19
  Speaker 5: them much more ancient. We saw very plainly from this
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 5: promontory the river Simois rolling from Mount Ida and running
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 5: through a very spacious valley. It is now a considerable
• 2:03:33
  Speaker 5: river and is called Simores. It is joined in the
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 5: vale by the Scamander, which appeared a small stream, half
• 2:03:41
  Speaker 5: choked with mud, but is perhaps large in the winter.
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 5: This was Xanthus among the gods, as Homer tells us
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 5: and Tis by that heavenly name, the nymph Oone invokes
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 5: it in her Epistle to Paris. The Trojan virgins used
• 2:03:57
  Speaker 5: to offer their first favors to it by the name
• 2:03:59
  Speaker 5: of commander to the adventure which Monsieur de la Fontaine
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 5: has told so agreeably abolish that eathenish ceremony. When the
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 5: stream is mingled with the simoeis they run together to
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 5: the sea. All that is left now at Troy is
• 2:04:15
  Speaker 5: the ground on which it stood. For I am firmly persuaded.
• 2:04:19
  Speaker 5: Whatever pieces of antiquity may be found round it are
• 2:04:23
  Speaker 5: much more modern, and I think Strabo says the same thing. However,
• 2:04:28
  Speaker 5: there is some pleasure in seeing the valley where I
• 2:04:30
  Speaker 5: imagine the famous duel of Menelaeus and Paris had been fought,
• 2:04:35
  Speaker 5: and where the greatest city in the world was situated.
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 5: Tis certainly the noblest situation that can be found for
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 5: the head of a great empire, much to be preferred
• 2:04:44
  Speaker 5: to that of Constantinople, the harbor here being always convenient
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 5: for ships from all parts of the world, and that
• 2:04:52
  Speaker 5: of Constantinople inaccessible almost six months.
• 2:04:55
  Speaker 3: Of the year.
• 2:04:56
  Speaker 5: While the north wind rains north of the promontory of Siddium,
• 2:05:02
  Speaker 5: we saw that of Raetium, famed for the sepulcher of Ajax.
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 5: While I viewed these celebrated fields and rivers, I admired
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 5: the exact geography of Homer, whom I had in my hand.
• 2:05:15
  Speaker 5: Almost every epithet he gives to a mountain or plain
• 2:05:18
  Speaker 5: is still just for it. And I spent several hours
• 2:05:22
  Speaker 5: here in as agreeable cogitations as Everdon Quixot had on
• 2:05:27
  Speaker 5: Mount Montesinos. We sailed next night to the shore where
• 2:05:32
  Speaker 5: Tis bulgarly reported Troy stood, and I took the pains
• 2:05:37
  Speaker 5: of rising at two in the morning to view coolly
• 2:05:39
  Speaker 5: those ruins which are commonly showed to strangers, and which
• 2:05:43
  Speaker 5: the Turks called esqui stamboul by old Constantinople. For that reason,
• 2:05:50
  Speaker 5: as well as some others, I conjecture them to be
• 2:05:53
  Speaker 5: the remains of that city begun by Constantine. I had
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 5: an ass the only voatur To had here, that I
• 2:06:02
  Speaker 5: might go some miles into the country and take a
• 2:06:04
  Speaker 5: tour around the ancient walls, which are of a vast extent.
• 2:06:09
  Speaker 5: We found the remains of a castle on a hill,
• 2:06:12
  Speaker 5: and of another in a valley, several broken pillars, and
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 5: two pedestals from which I took those Latin inscriptions one
• 2:06:21
  Speaker 5: div al cole at coal eagle philippensis orundum principum cole
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 5: eel Pariane tribune millet coal thirty two voluntar millet leg
• 2:06:40
  Speaker 5: thirteen gem prefetto equit ala l scublorum vi eight two
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 5: divvy eel Flamini c antonio M f volt rufo flamin
• 2:06:58
  Speaker 5: div al co a prinz at col eul Philippensis iurumdum
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 5: et prinship etem col iul parian a trib millet coal
• 2:07:15
  Speaker 5: thirty two voluntario trib millet thirteen jem trev equit ale
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 5: a scublorum vik seven. I do not doubt but the
• 2:07:30
  Speaker 5: remains of a temple near this place are the ruins
• 2:07:33
  Speaker 5: of one dedicated to Augustus. And I know not why
• 2:07:36
  Speaker 5: mister Sands calls it a Christian temple, since the Romans
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 5: certainly built hereabouts. Here are many tombs of fine marble
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 5: and vast pieces of granite, which are daily lessened by
• 2:07:47
  Speaker 5: the prodigious balls that the Turks make from them for
• 2:07:50
  Speaker 5: their cannon. We passed that evening. The Isle of Tenedos
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 5: once under the patronage of Apollo, as he gave it
• 2:07:58
  Speaker 5: in himself in the particulars of his estate when he
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 5: courted Daphne. It is but ten miles in circuit, but
• 2:08:06
  Speaker 5: in those days very rich and well peopled, still famous
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 5: for its excellent wine. I say nothing of Tennis, from
• 2:08:14
  Speaker 5: whom it was called, but naming Mytelene where we passed next,
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 5: I cannot forbear mentioning Lesbos, where Sappho sung and Pittacus reigned,
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 5: famous for the birth of Alceus, Theophrastus and Arion, those
• 2:08:29
  Speaker 5: masters in poetry, philosophy, and music. This was one of
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 5: the last islands that remained in the Christian Dominion after
• 2:08:38
  Speaker 5: the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. But need I
• 2:08:42
  Speaker 5: talk to you of cantacusinae et cetera, princes that you
• 2:08:46
  Speaker 5: are as well acquainted with as I am, twas with regret.
• 2:08:50
  Speaker 5: I saw a sail from this island into the Aegean Sea,
• 2:08:54
  Speaker 5: now the archipelago, leaving Scio, the ancient Chios on the left,
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 5: which is the richest and most populous of these islands,
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 5: fruitful in cotton, corn and silk, planted with groves of
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 5: orange and lemon trees, and the Arvisian Mountain, still celebrated
• 2:09:12
  Speaker 5: for the nectar that Virgil mentions here is the best
• 2:09:17
  Speaker 5: manufacture of silks in all Turkey. The town is well built,
• 2:09:21
  Speaker 5: the women famous for their beauty and show their faces.
• 2:09:25
  Speaker 5: As in Christendom there are many rich families, though they
• 2:09:29
  Speaker 5: confine their magnificence to the inside of their houses to
• 2:09:32
  Speaker 5: avoid the jealousy of the Turks, who have a pasha. Here, however,
• 2:09:37
  Speaker 5: they enjoy a reasonable liberty and indulge to the genius
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 5: of their country, and eat and sing and dance away
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 5: their time, fresh as their groves and happy as their climb.
• 2:09:50
  Speaker 5: Their chains hang lightly on them, though tis not long
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 5: since they were imposed, not being under the Turk till
• 2:09:57
  Speaker 5: fifteen sixty six. But perhaps it is as easy to
• 2:10:00
  Speaker 5: obey the grand seignor as the state of Genoa, to
• 2:10:04
  Speaker 5: whom they were sold by the Greek Emperor. But I
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 5: forget myself in these historical touches, which are very impertinent.
• 2:10:11
  Speaker 5: When I write to you, passing the strait between the
• 2:10:15
  Speaker 5: islands of Andros and Achaia now Libadia, we saw the
• 2:10:19
  Speaker 5: promontory of Sunium, now called Cape Colonna, where are yet
• 2:10:24
  Speaker 5: standing the vast pillars of a temple of Minerva. This
• 2:10:28
  Speaker 5: venerable sight made me think with double regret, on a
• 2:10:31
  Speaker 5: beautiful temple of theseus, which I am assured was almost
• 2:10:36
  Speaker 5: entire At Athens, till the last campaign in the morea
• 2:10:40
  Speaker 5: that the Turks filled it with powder and it was
• 2:10:42
  Speaker 5: accidentally blown up. You may believe I had a great
• 2:10:46
  Speaker 5: mind to land on the famed Peloponesus, though it were
• 2:10:50
  Speaker 5: only to look on the rivers of Esoppus, Peneus, Inachus
• 2:10:54
  Speaker 5: and Eurotas, the fields of Arcadia, and other scenes of
• 2:10:58
  Speaker 5: ancient mythology. But instead of demigods and heroes, I was
• 2:11:03
  Speaker 5: credibly informed tis now overrun by robbers, and that I
• 2:11:07
  Speaker 5: should run a great risk of falling into their hands
• 2:11:09
  Speaker 5: by undertaking such a journey through a desert country, for which, however,
• 2:11:14
  Speaker 5: I have so much respect that I have much ado
• 2:11:17
  Speaker 5: to hinder myself from troubling you with its whole history,
• 2:11:21
  Speaker 5: from the foundation of Nicana and Corinth to the last
• 2:11:24
  Speaker 5: campaign there. But I checked the inclination as I did
• 2:11:28
  Speaker 5: that of landing. We sailed quietly by Cape Angelo, once Maleia,
• 2:11:34
  Speaker 5: where I saw no remains of the famous temple of Apollo.
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 5: We came that evening in sight of Candia, it is
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 5: very mountainous. We easily distinguished that of Ida. We have
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 5: Virgil's authority that here were a hundred cities sentum Urbez
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 5: habitant Magnas, the chief of them, the scene of monstrous passions.
• 2:12:00
  Speaker 5: Lettilus first conquered this birthplace of his Jupiter, it fell
• 2:12:04
  Speaker 5: afterward into the hands of I'm running on to the
• 2:12:07
  Speaker 5: very siege of Tandea, and I am so angry with
• 2:12:10
  Speaker 5: myself that I will pass by all the other islands.
• 2:12:14
  Speaker 5: With this general reflection that tis impossible to imagine anything
• 2:12:18
  Speaker 5: more agreeable than this journey would have been two or
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 5: three thousand years since, when after drinking a dish of
• 2:12:25
  Speaker 5: tea with Sappho, I might have gone the same evening
• 2:12:28
  Speaker 5: to visit the temple of Homer in Chios, and pass
• 2:12:32
  Speaker 5: this very voyage in taking plans of magnificent temples, delineating
• 2:12:37
  Speaker 5: the miracles of statuaries, and conversing with the most polite
• 2:12:41
  Speaker 5: and most gay of mankind. Alas art is extinct, here,
• 2:12:47
  Speaker 5: the wonders of nature alone remain. And it was with
• 2:12:51
  Speaker 5: vast pleasure I observed those of Mount Etna, whose flame
• 2:12:54
  Speaker 5: appears very bright in the night, many leagues off at sea,
• 2:12:58
  Speaker 5: and fills the head with a thousand conjectures. However, I
• 2:13:03
  Speaker 5: on a philosophy too much to imagine it could turn
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 5: that of Empedocles and Lucian shall never make me believe
• 2:13:11
  Speaker 5: such a scandal of a man of whom Lucretius says,
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 5: vix humana be detur stirpe creatus. We passed Trinacria without
• 2:13:24
  Speaker 5: hearing any of the sirens that Homan describes, and being
• 2:13:28
  Speaker 5: thrown on neither Scylla nor Cheribdis, came safe to Malta,
• 2:13:33
  Speaker 5: first called Melita from the abundance of honey. It is
• 2:13:37
  Speaker 5: a whole rock covered with very little earth. The Grand
• 2:13:41
  Speaker 5: Master lives here in the state of a sovereign prince,
• 2:13:44
  Speaker 5: but his strength at sea now is very small. The
• 2:13:48
  Speaker 5: fortifications are reckoned, the best in the world, all cut
• 2:13:52
  Speaker 5: in the solid rock with infinite expense and labor. Off
• 2:13:57
  Speaker 5: this island we were tossed by a severe storm, and
• 2:14:00
  Speaker 5: were very glad after eight days to be able to
• 2:14:03
  Speaker 5: put into Porta Farino on the African shore, where our
• 2:14:07
  Speaker 5: ship now rides a tunis. We were met by the
• 2:14:11
  Speaker 5: English consul who resides there. I readily accepted the offer
• 2:14:16
  Speaker 5: of his house for some days, being very curious to
• 2:14:19
  Speaker 5: see this part of the world, and particularly the ruins
• 2:14:22
  Speaker 5: of Carthage, I set out in his chaise at nine
• 2:14:26
  Speaker 5: at night, the moon being at full, I saw the
• 2:14:30
  Speaker 5: prospect of the country almost as well as I could
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 5: have done by daylight. And the heat of the sun
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 5: is now so intolerable tis impossible to travel at any
• 2:14:39
  Speaker 5: other time. The soil is for the most part sandy,
• 2:14:43
  Speaker 5: but everywhere fruitful of date, olive and fig trees, which
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 5: grow without art yet afford the most delicious fruit in
• 2:14:51
  Speaker 5: the world. Their vineyards and melon fields are enclosed by
• 2:14:56
  Speaker 5: hedges of that plant we call Indian fig, which is
• 2:14:59
  Speaker 5: an a honerable fence, no wild beast being able to
• 2:15:03
  Speaker 5: pass it. It grows a great height, very thick, and
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 5: the spikes and thorns are as long and as sharp
• 2:15:11
  Speaker 5: as bodkins. It bears a fruit much eaten by the peasants,
• 2:15:15
  Speaker 5: and which has no ill taste. It being now the
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 5: season of the Turkish Ramazan or Lent, and all here
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 5: professing at least the Mahamedan religion, they fast till the
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 5: going down of the sun, and spend the night in feasting.
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 5: We saw under the trees companies of the country, people eating, singing,
• 2:15:36
  Speaker 5: and dancing to their wild music. They are not quite black,
• 2:15:40
  Speaker 5: but all mulattoes, and the most frightful creatures that can
• 2:15:44
  Speaker 5: appear in a human figure. They are almost naked, only
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 5: wearing a piece of coarse serge wrapped about them. The
• 2:15:52
  Speaker 5: women have their arms to their very shoulders, and their
• 2:15:55
  Speaker 5: necks and faces adorned with flowers, stars, and various sorts
• 2:16:01
  Speaker 5: of figures impressed by dunpowder, a considerable addition to their
• 2:16:05
  Speaker 5: natural deformity, which is, however, esteemed very ornamental among them,
• 2:16:10
  Speaker 5: and I believe they suffer a good deal of pain
• 2:16:12
  Speaker 5: by it. About six miles from Tunis we saw the
• 2:16:16
  Speaker 5: remains of that noble aqueduct which carried the water to
• 2:16:20
  Speaker 5: Carthage over several high mountains the length of forty miles.
• 2:16:25
  Speaker 5: There are still many arches in tire. We spent two
• 2:16:28
  Speaker 5: hours viewing it with great attention, and mister Wortley assured
• 2:16:32
  Speaker 5: me that of Rome is very much inferior to it.
• 2:16:36
  Speaker 5: The stones are of a prodigious size, and yet all
• 2:16:39
  Speaker 5: polished and so exactly fitted to each other. Very little
• 2:16:43
  Speaker 5: cement has been made use of to join them. Yet
• 2:16:46
  Speaker 5: they may probably stand a thousand years longer if art
• 2:16:50
  Speaker 5: is not made use of to pull them down. Soon
• 2:16:54
  Speaker 5: after daybreak and I arrived at Tunis, a town fairly
• 2:16:57
  Speaker 5: built of very white stone, but white without gardens, which
• 2:17:02
  Speaker 5: they say were all destroyed when the Turks first took it,
• 2:17:06
  Speaker 5: none having been planted since. The dry sand gives a
• 2:17:10
  Speaker 5: very disagreeable prospect to the eye, and the want of shade,
• 2:17:13
  Speaker 5: contributing to the natural heat of the climate, renders it
• 2:17:17
  Speaker 5: so excessive that I have much ado to support. It
• 2:17:21
  Speaker 5: tis true here every noon the refreshment of the sea breeze,
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 5: without which it would be impossible to live. But no
• 2:17:29
  Speaker 5: fresh water, but what is preserved in the cisterns of
• 2:17:32
  Speaker 5: the rains that fall in the month of September. The
• 2:17:37
  Speaker 5: women of the town go veil from head to foot
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 5: under a black crape, being mixed with a breed of Renegado's,
• 2:17:44
  Speaker 5: as said to be many of them fair and handsome.
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 5: This city was besieged in twelve seventy by Lewis, King
• 2:17:52
  Speaker 5: of France, who died under the walls of it of
• 2:17:55
  Speaker 5: a pestilential fever. After his death, Philip, his son and
• 2:18:01
  Speaker 5: our Prince Edward, son of Henry the Third raised the
• 2:18:04
  Speaker 5: siege on honorable terms. It remained under its natural African
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 5: kings till betrayed into the hands of Barbarossa, admirin of
• 2:18:14
  Speaker 5: Solomon the Magnificent. The Emperor Charles the Fifth expells Barbarossa,
• 2:18:20
  Speaker 5: but it was recovered by the Turks under the conduct
• 2:18:23
  Speaker 5: of Sinan Pasha in the reign of Sealem the second.
• 2:18:28
  Speaker 5: From that time till now it has remained tributary to
• 2:18:31
  Speaker 5: the Grand Signor, governed by a bay who suffers the
• 2:18:35
  Speaker 5: name of subject to the Turk, but has renounced the subjection,
• 2:18:39
  Speaker 5: being absolute and very seldom paying any tribute. The great
• 2:18:44
  Speaker 5: city of Baghdad is at this time in the same circumstances,
• 2:18:48
  Speaker 5: and the Grand Signor connives at the loss of these dominions,
• 2:18:52
  Speaker 5: for fear of losing even the titles of them. I
• 2:18:57
  Speaker 5: went very early yesterday morning to one night's repose to
• 2:19:01
  Speaker 5: see the ruins of Carthage. I was, however, half broiled
• 2:19:06
  Speaker 5: in the sun, and overjoyed to be led into one
• 2:19:09
  Speaker 5: of the subterranean apartments which they call the stables of
• 2:19:13
  Speaker 5: the Elephants, which which I cannot believe were ever designed
• 2:19:17
  Speaker 5: for that use. I found in them many broken pieces
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 5: of columns of fine marble, and some of porphyry. I
• 2:19:25
  Speaker 5: cannot think anybody would take the insignificant pains of carrying
• 2:19:29
  Speaker 5: them thither, and I cannot imagine such fine pillars were
• 2:19:33
  Speaker 5: designed for the use of stables. I'm apt to believe
• 2:19:36
  Speaker 5: they were summer apartments under their palaces, which the heat
• 2:19:40
  Speaker 5: of the climate rendered necessary. They are now used as
• 2:19:44
  Speaker 5: granaries by the country people. While I sat here from
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 5: the town of tents not far off, many of the
• 2:19:52
  Speaker 5: women flopped in to see me, and we were equally
• 2:19:55
  Speaker 5: entertained with viewing one another. Their posture in sitting, the
• 2:19:59
  Speaker 5: color of their skin, their lank black hair falling on
• 2:20:03
  Speaker 5: each side, their faces, their features, and the shape of
• 2:20:07
  Speaker 5: their limbs differ so little from their country people, the Baboons,
• 2:20:11
  Speaker 5: tis hard to fancy them a distinct race. I could
• 2:20:15
  Speaker 5: not help thinking there had been some ancient alliances between them.
• 2:20:20
  Speaker 5: When I was a little refreshed by rest and some
• 2:20:23
  Speaker 5: milk and exquisite fruit they bought me, I went up
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 5: the little hill where once stood the castle of Bursa,
• 2:20:30
  Speaker 5: and from thence I had a distinct view of the
• 2:20:32
  Speaker 5: situation of the famous city of Carthage, which stood on
• 2:20:36
  Speaker 5: an isthmus, the sea coming on each side of it.
• 2:20:41
  Speaker 5: Tis now a marshy ground. On one side where there
• 2:20:43
  Speaker 5: are salt ponds. Strabo calls Carthage forty miles in circumference.
• 2:20:49
  Speaker 5: There are now no remains of it, but what I
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 5: have described and the history of it is too well
• 2:20:54
  Speaker 5: known to want my abridgment of it. You see, sir,
• 2:20:58
  Speaker 5: that I think you are steep obedience better than compliments.
• 2:21:02
  Speaker 5: I have answered your letter by giving you the accounts
• 2:21:05
  Speaker 5: you desired, and have reserved my thanks to the conclusion.
• 2:21:10
  Speaker 5: I intend to leave this place tomorrow and continue my
• 2:21:13
  Speaker 5: journey through Italy and France. In one of those places,
• 2:21:17
  Speaker 5: I hope to tell you by word of mouth that
• 2:21:20
  Speaker 5: I am your humble servant, et cetera, et cetera. Letter sixteen, Genoa,
• 2:21:28
  Speaker 5: August twenty eighth, o s. Seventeen eighteen. Genoa is situated
• 2:21:34
  Speaker 5: in a very fine bay, and being built on a
• 2:21:38
  Speaker 5: rising hill, intermixed with gardens and beautified with the most
• 2:21:42
  Speaker 5: excellent architecture, gives a very fine prospect off at sea,
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 5: though it lost much of its beauty in my eyes,
• 2:21:49
  Speaker 5: having been accustomed to that of Constantinople. The Genoese were
• 2:21:54
  Speaker 5: once masters of several islands in the archipelago, and all
• 2:21:58
  Speaker 5: that part of Constantinople, which is now called Galata. There,
• 2:22:03
  Speaker 5: betraying the Christian cause by facilitating the taking of Constantinople
• 2:22:07
  Speaker 5: by the Turk deserved what has since happened to them,
• 2:22:10
  Speaker 5: even the loss of all their conquests on that side
• 2:22:13
  Speaker 5: to those infidels. They are at present far from rich,
• 2:22:18
  Speaker 5: and are despised by the French, since their Doze was
• 2:22:21
  Speaker 5: forced by the late King to go in person to
• 2:22:24
  Speaker 5: Paris to ask pardon for such a trifle as the
• 2:22:27
  Speaker 5: arms of France over the house of the Envoy being
• 2:22:30
  Speaker 5: spattered with dung in the night. This I suppose was
• 2:22:33
  Speaker 5: done by some of the Spanish faction, which still makes
• 2:22:36
  Speaker 5: up the majority here, though they dare not openly declare it.
• 2:22:41
  Speaker 5: The ladies affect the French habit and are more genteel
• 2:22:44
  Speaker 5: than those they imitate. I do not doubt, but the
• 2:22:48
  Speaker 5: custom of chichis BeOS has very much improved their heirs.
• 2:22:53
  Speaker 5: I know not whether you ever heard of those animals
• 2:22:57
  Speaker 5: upon my word, Nothing but my own eyes could have
• 2:23:00
  Speaker 5: convinced me there were any such upon earth. The fashion
• 2:23:03
  Speaker 5: began here and is now received all over Italy, where
• 2:23:07
  Speaker 5: the husbands are not such terrible creatures as we represent them.
• 2:23:11
  Speaker 5: There are none among them such brutes as to pretend
• 2:23:14
  Speaker 5: to find fault with the customs so well established and
• 2:23:17
  Speaker 5: so politically founded. Since I am assured that it was
• 2:23:20
  Speaker 5: an expedient first found out by the Senate, to put
• 2:23:24
  Speaker 5: an end to those family hatreds which tore their state
• 2:23:27
  Speaker 5: to pieces, and to find employment for those young men
• 2:23:31
  Speaker 5: who were forced to cut one another's throats. Poor passe latent.
• 2:23:36
  Speaker 5: And it has succeeded so well that since the institution
• 2:23:39
  Speaker 5: of Chiches Bay there has been nothing but peace and
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 5: good humor among them. These are gentlemen who devote themselves
• 2:23:46
  Speaker 5: to the service of a particular lady, I mean a
• 2:23:49
  Speaker 5: married one, for the virgins are all invisible and confined
• 2:23:53
  Speaker 5: to convents. They are obliged to wait on her to
• 2:23:57
  Speaker 5: all public places, such as the plays, operas, and assemblies,
• 2:24:01
  Speaker 5: which are here called conversations, where they wait behind her chair,
• 2:24:06
  Speaker 5: take care of her fan and gloves. If she play,
• 2:24:10
  Speaker 5: have the privilege of whispers, et cetera. When she goes out,
• 2:24:14
  Speaker 5: they serve her instead of lackeys gravely trotting by her chair.
• 2:24:18
  Speaker 5: Tis their business to prepare for her a present against
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 5: any day of public appearance, not forgetting that of her
• 2:24:25
  Speaker 5: own name. In short, they are to spend all their
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 5: time and money in her service, who rewards them accordingly
• 2:24:33
  Speaker 5: for opportunity they want none. But the husband is not
• 2:24:36
  Speaker 5: to have the impudence to suppose this any other than
• 2:24:40
  Speaker 5: pure platonic friendship. Tis true. They endeavor to give her
• 2:24:44
  Speaker 5: a chitches beyo of their own choosing. But when the
• 2:24:47
  Speaker 5: lady happens not to be of the same taste, as
• 2:24:50
  Speaker 5: that often happens, she never fails to bring it about
• 2:24:53
  Speaker 5: to have one of her own fancy. In former times,
• 2:24:57
  Speaker 5: one beauty used to have eight or ten of these
• 2:25:00
  Speaker 5: umble admirers. But those days of plenty and humility are
• 2:25:03
  Speaker 5: no more. Men grow more scarce and saucy, and every
• 2:25:07
  Speaker 5: lady is forced to content herself with one at a time.
• 2:25:12
  Speaker 5: You may see in this place the glorious liberty of
• 2:25:15
  Speaker 5: a republic, or more properly, an aristocracy, the common people
• 2:25:20
  Speaker 5: being here as errant slaves as the French. But the
• 2:25:24
  Speaker 5: old nobles pay little respect to the doge, who is
• 2:25:27
  Speaker 5: but two years in his office, and his wife, at
• 2:25:30
  Speaker 5: that very time assumes no rank above another noble lady.
• 2:25:35
  Speaker 5: Tis true. The family of Andrea Doria, that great man
• 2:25:39
  Speaker 5: who restored them that liberty they enjoy have some particular privileges.
• 2:25:45
  Speaker 5: When the Senate found it necessary to put a stop
• 2:25:47
  Speaker 5: to the luxury of dress, forbidding the wearing of jewels
• 2:25:51
  Speaker 5: and brocades, they left them at liberty to make what
• 2:25:54
  Speaker 5: expense they pleased. I look with great pleasure on the
• 2:25:58
  Speaker 5: statue of that Hero, which is in the court belonging
• 2:26:01
  Speaker 5: to the house of Duke d'ria. This puts me in
• 2:26:05
  Speaker 5: mind of their palaces, which I can never describe as
• 2:26:08
  Speaker 5: I ought. Is it not enough that I say they
• 2:26:12
  Speaker 5: are most of them? The design of Palladio, the street
• 2:26:16
  Speaker 5: called Strada Nova, is perhaps the most beautiful line of
• 2:26:20
  Speaker 5: building in the world. I must particularly mention the vast
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 5: palaces of Durazzo, those of the two Balbi, joined together
• 2:26:29
  Speaker 5: by a magnificent colonnade, those of the Imperiale at this
• 2:26:34
  Speaker 5: village of Saint Pierre d'arena, and another of the Doria.
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 5: The perfection of architecture and the utmost profusion of rich
• 2:26:43
  Speaker 5: furniture are to be seen here, disposed with the most
• 2:26:47
  Speaker 5: elegant taste and lavish magnificence. But I am charmed with
• 2:26:52
  Speaker 5: nothing so much as the collection of pictures by the
• 2:26:55
  Speaker 5: pencils of Raphael, Paolo Veronese, Titian Carracci, Michael Angelo, Guido
• 2:27:03
  Speaker 5: and Correggio, which too I mentioned last as my particular
• 2:27:07
  Speaker 5: favorites I own. I can find no pleasure in objects
• 2:27:12
  Speaker 5: of horror, and in my opinion, the more naturally a
• 2:27:15
  Speaker 5: crucifix is represented, the more disagreeable it is. These, my
• 2:27:21
  Speaker 5: beloved painters, show nature, and show it in the most
• 2:27:24
  Speaker 5: charming light. I was particularly pleased with a Lucretia in
• 2:27:29
  Speaker 5: the House of Booby, the expressive beauty of that face,
• 2:27:33
  Speaker 5: and Bosom gives all the expression of pity and admiration
• 2:27:37
  Speaker 5: that could be raised in the soul by the finest
• 2:27:40
  Speaker 5: poem upon that subject. A Cleopatra, of the same hand
• 2:27:45
  Speaker 5: deserves to be mentioned, and I should say more of
• 2:27:48
  Speaker 5: her if Lucretia had not at first engaged my eyes.
• 2:27:52
  Speaker 5: Here are also some inestimable ancient bustos. The church of
• 2:27:57
  Speaker 5: Saint Lawrence is built of black and white marble, where
• 2:28:00
  Speaker 5: is kept that famous plate of a singlell emerald, which
• 2:28:04
  Speaker 5: is not now permitted to be handled, since a plot
• 2:28:07
  Speaker 5: which they say was discovered to throw it on the
• 2:28:10
  Speaker 5: pavement and break it. A childish piece of malice, which
• 2:28:14
  Speaker 5: they abscribed to the King of Sicily, to be revenged
• 2:28:17
  Speaker 5: for their refusing to sell it to him. The church
• 2:28:21
  Speaker 5: of the Annunciation is finely lined with marble. The pillars
• 2:28:25
  Speaker 5: are of red and white marble. That of Saint Ambrose
• 2:28:28
  Speaker 5: has been very much adorned by the Jesuits. But I
• 2:28:32
  Speaker 5: confess all the churches appeared so mean to me after
• 2:28:35
  Speaker 5: that of Sancta Sophia. I can hardly do them the
• 2:28:38
  Speaker 5: honor of writing down their names, but I hope you
• 2:28:42
  Speaker 5: will own I have made good use of my time
• 2:28:45
  Speaker 5: in seeing so much, since tis not many days that
• 2:28:48
  Speaker 5: we have been out of the quarantine from which nobody
• 2:28:51
  Speaker 5: is exempted. Coming from the levant ours indeed was very
• 2:28:56
  Speaker 5: much shortened, and very agreeably passed in Monsieur Peur D'avenon's
• 2:29:01
  Speaker 5: company in the village of Saint Pierre d'arena, about a
• 2:29:04
  Speaker 5: mile from Genoa, in a house built by Palladio, so
• 2:29:09
  Speaker 5: well designed and so nobly proportioned, twas a pleasure to
• 2:29:13
  Speaker 5: walk in it. We were visited here only by a
• 2:29:16
  Speaker 5: few English in the company of a noble Genoese commissioned
• 2:29:21
  Speaker 5: to see We did not touch one another. I shall
• 2:29:24
  Speaker 5: stay here some days longer, and could almost wish it
• 2:29:27
  Speaker 5: were for all my life, But mine, I fear is
• 2:29:30
  Speaker 5: not destined to so much tranquility. End of Section six,
• 2:29:38
  Speaker 5: End of the Turkish Embassy Letters by Lady Mary Wertley
• 2:29:42
  Speaker 5: Montague