Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Goree, and confirmed by nine flaves, who were taken prifoners along with Abdulkader, by the watering-place

in the woods, and carried in the fame fhip with me to the WestIndies.

A LETTER

From a lively TRAVELLER in the North of England. The dire delay fome merriment affords.

Dear Sir,

PERMIT a man, who in travelling always writes currente calamo, to tranfmit you a fheet for next month, which I feel particularly inclined to do, having twice paraded thefe old walls, vifited the church, wondered at the altar-piece, perufed the tomb-ftones, lounged in the milliner's fhops, and in fhort, exhaufted all the curiofities of this venerable place. I have been, forely to my diffatisfaction, detained here three days from no lefs a reafon than inability to get post-horfes. You must know, the demon of confufion drew me to this town on the very morning the Aflizes began; confequently I found the whole town in commotion. I happened to enter the north street at one end, as the Judges entered it at the other, and was an eye and ear witnefs to the variety of noifes their approach occafioned. A peal immediately thundered from the tottering fteeple; the dogs barked; the boys huzza'd; and the trumpeters brayed forth most loyally. I paffed with fome difficulty through booths, crockery ware, querulous old women, and peaceable javelin men, and ordered the poftilion to drive to the White-Lion; that being a houfe I have frequented for many years. I fully expected, upon driving up to the door, to have feen mine hoft waddle forth, with the customary half dozen of waiters at his heels, to let down the ftep, and welcome

me with his ufual obfequious phrafes of " Sir, your most obedient Much obliged to you for your company, Sir How does the corn look in Scotland (I beg pardon for the blunder, Sir, I mean Northumber land)?-Here, fhew the gentleman into No. 4," &c. But my expectations were difappointed: my gentleman was fwollen with the importance of a new wig and an old inn; and, concluding that his own individual merits had brought the guests with whom his houfe was crammed, hardly deigned to notice an infignificant being like me, who travelled with a pair of horfes. My favourite No. 4, I found was deftined to have the honour of containing the Gen、 tlemen of the Long Robe. Determined, however, not to take the less

care

of Number One upon that account, I ordered as good a dinner as the houfe could afford; though I had the profpect of eating it in a tobacco-fcented coffee-room, whose "fanded floor" was not half fo agreeable in reality, as when fwept with the poetical befom of a Goldfmith.

The period between ordering dinner and eating it is variously difpofed of by travellers. Some vifit the larder, and feaft their eyes till they are called upon to feast their palate. Some folace themselves with reading the "Adorable Mifs A's, and the charming Mifs B's" fcrawled upon

the

the windows and fome take up the landlord's time by weighty difcuffions of the roads and weather. Refolved to spend my hour in a more profitable way than any of the above, I joined the train that accompanied my Lords the Judges to church, and had the fatisfaction of liftening to a very fublime and animated difcourfe from the Rev. Mr. Somnus. In the evening, being heartily fatigued with the occurrences of the day (among which the fermon was not the leaft confpicuous) I requeft ed to be fhewn to my chamber; but was informed, to my infinite furprize and mortification, that all the beds in the house were engaged. It was in vain to blufter and look big; nobody feemed to heed me; and even my old acquaintance, Molly, toft up her nofe, and, forgetful of former favors, told me he was pofitive there was not fo much as half a bed in the houfe difengaged. In this extremity I had nothing to do but to follow my landlord's advice, and accommodate myself with a bed at a hair-dreffer's in the neighbourhood, at the moderate price of a guinea per night, hair-dreffing not included.

One would think that trials for life and death were the most amusing things in the world, by the feftivity their approach occafions. The fhopkeepers' daughters here are all decorated in their best attire, and elbow one another at the doors two hours before they are opened, in order to get a place clofe to the Judge. When the time approaches, it is curious to obferve the confufion among the eager multitude to gain admit tance. Hats, caps, and shoes, are loft in the fcuffle: women are thrown dowa; children fcream; and the valiant Efquires, who are appointed to protect the Caftle, cross their jave

lins at the door, and inexorably with ftand the fupplication of the crowd, unless the fight of fome diftreffed beauty foftens their obdurate hearts, and lowers the lifted fpear. Nor is the contagion confined within the walls of the town. The milk maid quits her unfilled pail, the waggoner deferts his steeds on the brow of the hill, and the reaper throws down his fickle, to partake of the general amusement. Whether this univerfal joy extends itfelf to the prifon, and caufes the felons

"To shake their chains, "In transports of rude harmony," I leave you to guefs. I really at firft fuppofed that the words "General Gaol Delivery," printed on the top of a Calendar which was thrust into my hand this morning by a vociferous brat, literally fignified that the prifon doors were to be thrown open, and the felons take to their heels; and that humanity was the cause of the various frolics that were going forward. However, this error was of fhort duration, and gave way to furprize upon being inform. ed that there was to be an Affize Ball, and that the room in which it was to be held, was immediately adjoining the prifon. This is really the climax of abfurdity! An Affize Ball! The very found is contradictory. They might as well tell me of a hop in an hofpital, or a fandango at a funeral: it feems to me to be as odd a mixture of the houfe of forrow and house of joy, as the genius of pantomime ever jumbled together. If I go to it (which curiofity will certainly lead me to do) I expect to be entertained with a hornpipe in chains, like that in The Beggar's Opera, or perhaps the humours of the New Drop, as danced at Newgate with univerfal applaufe.

In croffing the street this morning,

whom

whom should I meet but our old college acquaintance, Frank Fidget? You may remember that Frank, not having capacity to comprehend the first principles, either of languages or mathematics, fairly turned tail; left Eneas to his fate in the midst of the flames of Troy; made a full ftop at the Pons Afinorum; and, throwing afide his books, hired a couple of hunters, and damned all profeffors for a pack of thick-headed blockheads. Being, for these and a few fimilar eccentricities, condemned, in the college phrafe, to rufticate, he repaired to London, and determined to eat his way to preferment at one of the Inns of Court. I hardly recognized Frank at firft; for he had contrived to blend the beau and the barrifter fo oddly together, that I would defy either the one or the other to claim him as one of their fraternity. Being, however, a youth of good temper in poffeffion, and good fortune in reverfion, he is very well liked by his long-robed brethren, to whofe club dinner he infifted upon introducing me; adding, that I fhould find many of them pleasant fellows enough, without any thing of the lawyer about them! As this is a fociety of Gentlemen with whom I have hitherto been little acquainted, I fhall take the liberty of dwelling a little upon the ideas that ftruck me relative to their profeflion and

conduct.

In the first place then, I am of opinion that we muft give them credit for a great fund of genuine patriotifm: you fmile, perhaps, at the affertion; but if men who purfue with unabating affiduity a laborious public employment through life, and bellow for the public with but a flender chance of ultimate emolument, deferve that title, I think the Gentle men of the bar may fairly put in for

it.

Nor is this difinterested conduc confined to those who are young in the profeffion; for I could point out those who are in the receipt of immenfe annual fums, and yet, "Qualis ab inceptò," still continue to take a retaining fee for all the rogues in the kingdom, and heroically facrifice their lungs, and even their characters, for public liberty. You will in the next place allow me to compliment them on the extraordinary nicety of their Love of Virtue; a fact which is obvious from the manner in which they speak of and examine a witnefs in court. The flighteft fault, the moft trifling mifdemeanour, is in their pure notions unpardonable, and draws upon the devoted wretch the thunder of their eloquence; infomuch, that I have fometimes known a man, whom we common mortals might think a respectable character, proved, by their keener capacities, to be a monfter unworthy to exift in civilized fociety in this, perhaps, they carry the matter fomewhat too far; but in the cause of virtue, who would not excufe a little tranfient warmth? The third quality, for which they should receive their due praife, is incorrupti ble impartiality! this, you will confefs, in our heated times, mon virtue. 'Tis the fame thing to them whether they uphold the cause of Defpotifm or Rebellion; whether they prove the fervant a thief, or the mafter a calumniator; whether they banter the beadie, or ftigmatize the ftreet-walker. They feem to confider themfelves (and indeed in many respects are) animals feræ naturæ, the property of the first man that can ftrike them with a fee; and, with a laudable flexibility, are prepared to abufe or extol plaintiff or defendant, which ever is quick enough to retain them firft excellence in this cafe, depending,

no com

depending, like that of Achilles, upon fwiftnefs of heels. The laft of their qualifications, upon which I fhall dwell, is Serenity and Firmness. No difficulty daunts them; no overthrow makes them afhamed; and thofe fagacious followers of Lavater, who trace the emotions of the mind on the countenance, would be puzzled to find the flighteft traits of guilt on the never blushing front of a barrister at law. Whether this proceeds from innate virtue or innate impudence, I will not determine; but will in candour fuppofe the former, though feveral honeft gentlemen can by experience affert the latter.

I will not mention thofe minor qualifications of intriguing and drink

ing, though I believe them to be far from deficient in either. I know that, fince they have drawn more together with the military, no men in his Majefty's fervice difcharge their glaffes and charge again with more rapidity and propriety than they. And of their excellence in gallantry, Tom Fidget gave me a proof: for, upon complaining to him of the dearnefs of my lodging, he gravely advised me to look out for fome female companion, adding, “I always do fo at an Affize Town, and I affure you I find it the cheapest way."

I remain, dear Sir,

[blocks in formation]

ACCOUNT OF GRAND CAIRO.

A PLACE WHICH HAS LATELY BEEN AN OBJECT OF MUCH ATTENTION.

GRAND Cairo, the prefent capi

tal of Egypt, was founded by Giover, Lieutenant to the Caliph Meezledin, Conqueror of Egypt. Its first beginning was a large wall, which ferved only as an entrenchment to fecure the army, encamped within, from the affaults of the enemy. The Caliph, finding this a more agreeable country than that in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, which was at that time the metrop olis of Egypt, after the manner of the Arabs, ordered his tents to be pitched within the entrenchment. This, being now become the place of refidence of the Sovereign, began by degrees to increase by the addition of feveral mofques and houfes built out of the ruins of the adjacent towns and villages, deferted by their inhabitants, who flocked in great numbers to this new capital. It was named by the Caliph El Cahera, which in the Arabian language fig.

nifies the Victorious, in memory his conqueft. This name, by the corruption of fucceeding ages, was changed into Cairo, which, upon account of its great extent, and the incredible number of its inhabitants, was distinguished by the Europeans, under the title of Grand Cairo. This city, comprehending Bulac, is about twelve miles in circuit, fituated upon the eaftern bank of the Nile, about fourteen miles to the north-eaf of the ruins of Memphis. In the ftructure of the city there is little regularity or magnificence; the ftreets being narrow, crooked, and without pavement, and the houses built without any kind of ornament. They are indeed higher than what is ufual in other parts of Turkey, and com pofed of better materials, being uni. verfally either of brick or stone. The apartments within, in fome of them, are fpacious and noble, adorned with variety of gildings and other decora

tions, which are fashionable in thefe countries. The tops of the houfes are all flat, and in the fummer time it is frequent for whole families to fleep upon them, fpreading a light tent over their heads to keep off the dew. They count in Grand Cairo one thoufand mofques, comprehending thofe which are erected over fome of the fepulchres; but they are all far inferior, both in tafte and grandeur, to thofe of Conftantinople. Joining to Jameel Azehar, or the Mofque of Flowers, is a college in which the ftudents are inftructed in logic, aftronomy, judicial aftrology, hiftory, and the principles of the Mahometan religion. There is another mofque, contiguous to which is an hofpital, with very plentiful endowments for two thousand blind men, which number is always complete, there being above half the inhabitants of Egypt, who have fome natural or acquired defect in their fight. The structure of thefe mofques very different from thofe of Conftantinople, the minarets being in quite another taste, and seem to have nothing near the fine effect of thofe made ufe of in the metropolis, which at a distance make the city appear as if it was full of obelisks and fingle pillars. There is in Grand Cairo. one large fquare, called Rumeli Meidani, or the fquare of Romelia, which is between the great mofque and the castle; but it is without any kind of ornament, and is rather a difadvantage to the city than an cmbellishment.

is

The inhabitants of this vaft capital are innumerable; and, notwithftanding the frequent plagues and fickneffes which infeft the country, it undoubtedly maintains itfelf one of the best peopled cities in the world. The inhabitants are comrofed of Turks, Arabs, Jews, and

Chriftians; the greatest part of which are coptes, who are reckoned to amount to the number of thirty thoufand. The city is built on a plain, overlooked by an eminence, on which stands the caftle or citadel, imagined to have been firft founded by the Babylonians, who were established in thefe parts by Semiramis, in order to keep the city of Memphis in fubjection. It is however, a place of very little defence, being commanded by a hill fituate to the eastward, whence an enemy could in a very few hours oblige it to furrender. It is garrifoned by two bodies of militia, the janiffaries and the afaps; who are lodged in different quarters, and have their feparate magazines of armour and ammunition. Thefe afaps are upon a different establishment from thofe in other Turkish provinces, being in Egypt a very confiderable body of infantry, whereas in other parts they are but few in number, and ferve on horfeback.-In this caftle the Pacha, commiffioned by the Grand Signior to act as fupreme governor over all Egypt, makes his refidence. His palace, though it is but an ordinary ftructure, is fpacious, and the inner apart. ments magnificent; it has alfo joining to it a very large hall, ferving as a divan or fenate-house, in which the Pacha fits prefident. But what is moft remarkable in the citadel is the well, commonly called Jofeph's well. It is uncertain who was the author of this grand work; but I am inclined to believe it is not of fo great antiquity as is commonly imagined. The form of it is a fquare of twenty-fix feet, and the whole depth_two hundred and eighty five: it is cut entirely out of the folid rock, through which, by an cafy winding, without the extent of the fquare, you defcend

for

« ZurückWeiter »