DRESS CHARACTER, AND MANNERS OF THE INHABITANTS OF TURKEY. THE Turks are generally robust and well-shaped, of a good mien, and patient of hardships, which renders them fit for war. They shave their heads, but wear their beards long, except the military and those in the seraglio, who wear only whiskers. They cover their heads with a white linen turban of an enormous size, and never put it off but when they sleep. None but Turks must presume to wear a white turban. Their breeches or drawers are of a piece with the stockings; and they have slippers instead of shoes, which they pull off when they enter a temple or bouse. They wear shirts with wide sleeves, not gathered at the wrists, and over them a vest tied with a sash; their upper garment being a loose gown, something shorter than the rest. The women's dress much resembles that of the men ; only they have a stiffened cap with horns, something like a mitre, on their heads instead of a turban, and wear their hair flowing down. When they go abroad, they are so wrapped up that their faces cannot be seen. The Turks sit, eat, and sleep, according to the custom of the East, on sophas and cushions, mattresses and carpets. Rice is their most general food, and coffee their common drink. Their most usual salutation is to bow their heads a little, laying their right hand upon their breasts; but to persons of rank, they stoop so low as to touch the border of their vest. The women are kept under a rigorous confinement. They have generally delicate skins, regular features, black hair and eyes, with an admirable chest. Many of them are complete beauties. Their cleanliness is extraordinary; for they bathe twice a week, and suffer not the smallest hair or least soil to be upon their bodies. As to the qualities of their minds, they are said to want neither wit, vivacity, nor tenderness, and to be exceedingly amorous. It is no doubt for this reason that the men never suffer their wives' faces to be seen, not even by the dearest friend they have in the world. There is no need of much wit to behave one's self well here; for a good mien and gravity supply the place of merit in the East, and much gaiety would spoil all. Not that the Turks want wit, but they speak little, and pride themselves in sincerity and modesty, more than eloquence. The Turks use no unnecessary words, whereas the Greeks talk incessantly. Though these two nations are born under one climate, their tempers are more different than if they lived in the most distant countries. The Turks make profession of candour and faithfulness, and are charitable good-natured people, jealousy excepted, and very sober. On the other hand, they are extremely proud, insolent and indolent, superstitious and covetous. They are also much addicted to unnatural lusts; and despise all other nations in general, especially those which are not of their own religion. The common appellation they give to Christians is that of-dogs. An uniformity runs through all the actions of the Turks, and they never change their manner of living. They seem to have no kind of genius for the improvement of the arts and sciences, though they live under the influence of the same heaven, and possess the same countries, as the ancient Grecians did. They generally loiter away their time, either among the women in the harem, or in smoking, or in taking opium; and though they herd together, you will observe as little conversation among them as among so many horses in a stable. They seldom travel, or use any exercise or rural sports, and discover little or no curiosity to be informed of the state of their own or any other country: but Turkey, after all, is not without men of parts, probity, and honour; nor without benevolent, liberal, conver sible, and ingenious people. They behave very commendably to their slaves and servants, and frequently better than the Christians do to theirs. There are no hereditary governments, or titles of nobility, in Turkey; and indeed the commonalty there enjoy the greatest liberty. INHABITANTS OF POLAND. WHEN Poland was an independent kingdom or republic, the inhabitants consisted of nobles, citizens, and peasants. The first possessed great privileges, which they enjoyed, partly by the indulgence of their kings, and partly by ancient custom and prescription. Some of them had the title of prince, count, or baron, but no superiority or pre-eminence on that account over the rest, which was only to be obtained by some public post or dignity. They had the power of life and death over their vassals; paid no taxes; were subject to none but the king; had a right to all mines and salt-works on their estates; to all offices and employments, civil, military, and ecclesiastic; could not be cited or tried out of the kingdom; might choose whom they would for a king, and lay him under what restraints they pleased; and none but they and the burghers of particular towns could purchase lands. In short, they were almost entirely independent, enjoying many other privileges and prerogatives besides those we have specified; but if they engaged in trade, they forfeited their nobility. The Poles are personable, and have good complexions. They are esteemed a brave, honest people, without dissimulation, and exceedingly hospitable. They clothe themselves in furs in winter, and over all they throw a short cloak. No people keep grander equipages than the gentry: they consider themselves as so many Sovereign princes; and have their guards, bands of music, and openhouses; but the lower sort of the people were, and we fear still are, in the lowest state of slavery. The exercises of the gentry are hunting, riding, dancing, vaulting, &c. They reside mostly upon their estates in the country; and maintain themselves and families by agriculture, breeding of bees, and grazing. MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE OF PERSIA. THE ancient Persians are known to have been exceedingly voluptuous and effeminate. After the conquest of the empire by Alexander, the Greek discipline and martial spirit being in part communicated to them, they became much more formidable; and hence the Parthians were a match, not only for the Syro-Macedonian princes, but even for the Romans. Of their manners we know little or nothing, but that to their valour and military skill they joined in a surprising degree all the luxury and dissipation of the ancient Persians. The modern Persians, like the Turks, plundering all the adjacent nations for beautiful females, are men of a good stature, shape, and complexion, but the Gawres, or ancient Persians, are homely, ill-shaped, and clumsy, with a rough skin and olive complexions. In some provinces not only the complexions, but the constitutions of the inhabitants, suffer greatly by the extreme heat of the climate. The Persian women are generally handsome and well-shaped, but much inferior to those of Georgia and Circassia. The men wear large turbans on their heads, some of them very rich, interwoven with gold and silver; a vest girt with a sash, and over it a loose garment, something shorter, with sandals or slippers on their feet. When they ride, which they do every day, they wear pliant boots of yellow leather; the furniture of their horses is extremely rich, and the stirrups are generally of silver; whether on horseback or on foot, they wear a broadsword, and a dagger in their sash. The dress of the women does not differ much from that of the men, only their vests are longer, and they wear stiffened caps on their heads, and their hair down. With respect to outward behaviour, says an intelligent traveller, "the Persians differ from the nations of the East. Whilst a rude and insolent demeanour peculiarly marks the character of the Turkish nation towards foreigners and Christians, the behaviour of the Persians would, on the contrary, do honour to the most civilized nations; they are kind, courteous, civil, and obliging. Their usual drink is water and sherbet, as in other Mahometan countries, wine being prohibited; but of all Mahometan nations, they pay the least regard to this prohibition. Many of them drink wine publicly, and almost all of them in private, excepting those who have performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, and men of religion; they are also very liable to be quarrelsome when inebriated, which is often attended with fatal consequences. They eat opium, but in much less quantities than the Turks; and indeed in every thing they say or do, eat or drink, they make a point to be as different from this nation as possible, whom they detest beyond measure, esteeming Jews and Christians superior to them, and much nearer to salvation. They are of the sect of Ali, whom they venerate to a high degree of blasphemy, and exalt even above the Almighty himself." The Schalt of Persia. An officer in the service of Persia gives, in one of his letters, the following details respecting the Schab of Persia, and the town of Teheran, the residence of the court:— "The present Schah, Feth Ali, is about fifty-five years of age. He is of high stature. His demeanour is full of majesty; his countenance pale, and shining like marble; but when he speaks on subjects which animate him, a glowing red mantles in his cheeks. His eyes are black and brilliant; his eye-brows full, and finely arched. His long beard, of the finest black, comes down to his waist: (a long beard has for ages back been the distinguishing mark of the royalty of the Persian sovereigns.) His physiognomy in general expresses sweetness, and his smile is at once noble and gracious. His moral qualities are not inferior to his physical advantages. He is benevolent, generous, and one of the most learned men in Persia. He knows, and perfectly appreciates, European customs, having been almost always surrounded by European officers, both French and English. His policy is not narrow, like that of the Turks. A single instance will suffice to shew how much the policy of the court of Persia differs from that of the Porte. Whilst at Constantinople the princes of the imperial family are imprisoned all their lives in an old seraglio, it is the custom at Teheran to confide the important provinces of Persia exclusively to the princes of the royal blood. "The Persian army is composed, first, of the guards of the king and princes; secondly, of the troops furnished by the Nomadic tribes; thirdly, of the provincial militia, who do no regular nor permanent duty; fourthly, of various corps of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, exercised and clothed nearly the same as European soldiers, without reckoning a corps of bad artillery, called Zemboureh. .... The number of guards is Troops disciplined like European soldiers. Total...... 4,000 80,000 150,000 20,000 ... 254,000 "In time of war, the number of Nomadic troops and militia may easily be doubled. "Tehraun, (falsely called Teheran,) the capital of the empire, is situated in a plain at the foot of the mountains of Elborz. It is surrounded by deep moats, towers, and a wall which embraces an extent of four miles. The streets are narrow and dirty, like those of all the towns of Persia. When a khan or great personage goes out to take an airing, or for any other purpose, he is rarely seen on foot; he mounts a horse, and is followed by thirty or forty domestics on foot. One of these carries his master's pipe; the others are required to make up his suite. The narrators of national histories, surrounded by a group of listeners, are often met with in the streets. They relate, with animated gestures, and changing their tone or voice as the subjects require, sometimes the loves of Khosroo and Shirenee; at others, the exploits of Rustaum, their favourite hero; or sing some verses of Ferdousi, the Homer of their country. Every body takes delight in these amusements, from the peasant to the prince. The Schah, as well as the prince-governors, have each their history-narrator, and they send for them when they are affected with a moment's melancholy. They represent at once, the bards of ancient times,--the troubadours of more modern days,-and the Italian improvisatori of our own age." INHABITANTS OF CALIFORNIA. THE Californians are well made, and very strong. They are said to be extremely pusillanimous, inconstant, stupid, and even insensible. Before the Europeans penetrated into California, the natives had no Each form of religion. The missionaries, indeed, tell us many tales concerning them, but they evidently bear the marks of forgery. nation was then an assembly of cottagers more or less numerous, all confederated by alliances, but without any chief. They were strangers even to filial obedience. No kind of dress was used by the men, but the women made use of some coverings, and were even fond of ornamenting themselves with pearls, and such trinkets as the country afforded. What mostly displayed their ingenuity was the construction of their fishing-nets, which are said by the Jesuits to have even exceeded in goodness those made in Europe. They were made by the women, of a coarse kind of flax, procured from some plants which grow there. Their houses are built of branches and leaves of trees, nay, many of them were only enclosures of earth and stone, raised half a yard high, without any covering; and even these were so small that they could not stretch themselves at length in them. In winter they dwelt in caves under ground. LOMBARDS. THE Lombards were at first a cruel and barbarous nation, but their natural fierceness gradually wore off, especially after they embraced the Christian religion, and they governed with such equity and moderation, that most other nations envied the happiness of those who lived under them. Under the government of the Lombards, says Paulus Diaconus, no violence was committed, no one unjustly dispossessed of his property, none oppressed with taxes; thefts, robberies, murder, and adultery were seldom heard of; every one went without apprehension wherever he pleased. Their laws were so just and equitable, that they were retained in Italy, and observed there some ages after their kingdom was at an end. Their dress was loose, and for the most part linen, such as the Anglo-Saxons wore, being interwoven with various colours; their shoes were open to the end of the foot, and they used to button or lace them. From some ancient paintings, it appears that they shaved the back part of their heads, but that their hair was long before, their locks being parted, and laid on each side their foreheads. MANNERS, CHARACTER, AND CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE OF RUSSIA. THE native Russians are stigmatized by their neighbours as ignorant and brutal, totally resigned to sloth, and addicted to drunkenness, even to the most beastly excess, nay, they are accused of being arbitrary, perfidious, inhuman, and destitute of every social virtue. There is not in their language a phrase analogous to ours-"the manners or the sentiments of a gentleman," nor does gentleman with them express any thing moral; they have no such distinction. Gaming is professed and gloried in by all; and the nobleman who is detected telling a lie is vexed, but not in the least ashamed. In the whole regiment of the marine by Peter the Great, there is not one word addressed to the honour, or even to the probity, of his officers. Hopes, of reward, and the constant fear of detection and punishment, are the |
