RULE OF THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT. 93 answer. to the reform is another question more difficult to decide. The reforms of late years effected by the Porte have been very great, and much improvement has taken place; but whether Turkey as she is can, or even if let alone will, ever take her place amidst civilised nations, is a question difficult to As yet, these reforms have mostly failed. The Turk can only govern as a conqueror-" Once a Turk, ever a Turk," is true to the fact. Many of the reforms projected are never carried into execution; others are so defeated in their execution as to become the organs of positive ill. Then again, a question occurs, the necessity of which must strike any traveller-how much freedom are the people capable of bearing? The tanzimat has now been in force a sufficient number of years to test its working fairly: what do we find? In many places it has literally never come into force at all; in others it is not acted upon, and in many it has produced evils. The power of life and death has been taken from the Pasha; murders have dreadfully increased; the bastinado has been forbidden-it is used as much as ever. The Turk has only one means of governingviolence he governs well with that: he is merciless, VOL. II. : H 94 THE CONSCRIPTION. and, put Islam on one side, just. The people generally consider the concessions granted them as signs of weakness in their rulers, and, as such, incentives to resistance. In Turkey there is one law for the rich, and one for the poor; for the one there is immunity, for the other oppression. The fabric is rotten at the core, nor do I really see any human cure that can purge it. The poor are poorer, the rich, not richer; confidence does not increase, and all that is done seems rather a postponement of the evil, than forward steps to a wholesome change. The conscription produces evils daily augmenting the taxes, high in themselves, are collected so as to make them grievous in the extreme. Would that the Sultan could be told that pleasing saying of Tiberius, when the Prefect remitted him a larger collection than usual, "It is my design," said the noble father of his nation, "not to flay, but to shear my sheep." * And alas! the empire presents an inert mass devoid of vitality, retaining its proportions because none shake her framework. It is curious how readily they adopt the Frankish Xiphilin in Apophthegm. Tiblas. FASHIONS TAKEN FROM STAMBOUL. 95 costume, in spite of their very natural prejudice in favour of the native dress, and their contempt of all belonging to Franks. Not only those whose offices compel them, wear it, but all who can. To dress Lebiss Stanbouli, (for they trace it to Stamboul, and will not call it Frankish,) confers talents, superiority-everything, on a man; and my exclamation of "What an ass so and so is!" is constantly met by "Lebiss Stanbouli ;-dressed Stanbouli fashion,-impossible !" Meanwhile, my room is ready, and I am led up a small flight of mud stairs to it, a long mud place paved with fleas. Here I was put to bed, and being very weak and afraid lest I should die, remained quiet, and did as my kind nurse bade me. The change did me good, and Mr. B. being a liberal doctor, who fed me well, I soon came round, or rather the fever became intermittent, and on the clear hours I had a respite from pain and positive illness. Shortly after my arrival, Mr. Layard's doctor and artist. arrived, both ill; so I had company. In a few days Mr. B. left us to visit the American missions of Urumia in Persia : of these, at our subsequent meeting, he gave me a charming description- but this is his. At his 96 PLEASURE AND ADVANTAGE, OR OTHERWISE, departure he seemed to carry off both health and fair weather, for the rain poured down till the court became a pond, and we all succumbed to the Again Mr. Layard came fever, servants and all. and paid me a visit previous to his return south, and at last the doctor and artist prepared for a start on their way to Stamboul. For myself this was impossible; a start out of bed brought me to the floor. How could one begin a wild journey of three hundred miles, with servants sick into the bargain? It would be difficult to determine between travelling alone, or with company, and much might be said on either side of the question. The difficulty is to find two persons congenial in habits and taste; for, without this, little pleasure can be expected. Alone, perhaps, the traveller omits much which he might, with an agreeable companion, survey with interest; but, then, he is masterperfect master-"lord of himself"-perhaps, as the poet sings, of "a heritage of woe," but often extremely agreeable. Ah, wretched and too solitary he, OF TRAVELLING ALONE. 97 But it is weary, for months and months to travel on without the smallest polished society. The natives, with a very few exceptions, are unintellectual to a degree-"money, money "their only conversation; and I am not sure but that he who travels with his dragoman, without any knowledge of Arabic, has the most enjoyment. For him there is the charm of mystery; he only hears what is said, filtered through translation: he sees the venerable native, a very patriarch ; he sees the granddaughter, a perfect houri : unable to penetrate further, he fills up the picture from fancy, nor finds the one a voracious Jew, the other but a waxen doll. It is, indeed, pleasant, now and then to meet a European, to interchange ideas, and to enjoy the intercourse we enjoy alone in the civilised West. To see and hear open, honest ideas, and enlightened views, is singularly refreshing; after some period of Eastern travel, the mind requires this. As in the days of Sulieman El Ioudee, so now : "A friend sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." With all, there are moments when companionship with one's kind is agreeable, and then the lonely traveller will find the want of a com |
