Lady Mary Wortley Montague - Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M y W y M e

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_Warm'd with poetic transport I survey
Th' immortal islands, and the well known sea.
For here so oft the muse her harp has strung,
That not a mountain rears its head unsung_.

I BEG your pardon for this sally, and will, if I can, continue the
rest of my account in plain prose. The second day after we set sail,
we passed Gallipolis, a fair city, situated in the bay of
Chersonesus, and much respected by the Turks, being the first town
they took in Europe. At five the next morning, we anchored in the
Hellespont, between the castles of Sestos and Abydos, now called the
Dardanelli. These are now two little ancient castles, but of no
strength, being commanded by a rising ground behind them, which, I
confess, I should never have taken notice of, if I had not heard it
observed by our captain and officers, my imagination being wholly
employed by the tragic story, that you are well acquainted with:

_The swimming lover, and the nightly bride,
How HERO lov'd, and how LEANDER died_.

Verse again!--I am certainly infected by the poetical air I have
passed through. That of Abydos is undoubtedly very amorous, since
that soft passion betrayed the castle into the hands of the Turks who
besieged it in the reign of Orchanes. The governor's daughter,
imagining to have seen her future husband in a dream, (though I don't
find she had either slept upon bride-cake, or kept St Agnes's fast)
fancied she saw the dear figure in the form of one of her besiegers;
and, being willing to obey her destiny, tossed a note to him over the
wall, with the offer of her person, and the delivery of the castle.
He shewed it to his general, who consented to try the sincerity of
her intentions, and withdrew his army, ordering the young man to
return with a select body of men at midnight. She admitted him at
the appointed hour; he destroyed the garrison, took the father
prisoner, and made her his wife. This town is in Asia, first founded
by the Milesians. Sestos is in Europe, and was once the principal
city of Chersonesus. Since I have seen this strait, I find nothing
improbable in the adventure of Leander, or very wonderful in the
bridge of boats of Xerxes. 'Tis so narrow, 'tis not surprising a
young lover should attempt to swim, or an ambitious king try to pass
his army over it. But then, 'tis so subject to storms, 'tis no
wonder the lover perished, and the bridge was broken. From hence we
had a full view of mount Ida;

_Where Juno once caress'd her am'rous Jove,
And the world's master lay subdu'd by love_.

Not many leagues sail from hence, I saw the point of land where poor
old Hecuba was buried, and about a league from that place is Cape
Janizary, the famous promontory of Sigaeum, where we anchored. My
curiosity supplied me with strength to climb to the top of it, to see
the place where Achilles was buried, and where Alexander ran naked
round his tomb, in honour of him, which, no doubt, was a great
comfort to his ghost. I saw there the ruins of a very large city,
and found a stone, on which Mr W----y plainly distinguished the words
of _Sigaen Polin_. We ordered this on board the ship; but were
shewed others much more curious by a Greek priest, tho' a very
ignorant fellow, that could give no tolerable account of any thing.
On each side the door of this little church ly two large stones,
about ten feet long each, five in breadth, and three in thickness.
That on the right is a very fine white marble, the side of it
beautifully carved in bas-relief; it represents a woman, who seems to
be designed for some deity, sitting on a chair with a footstool, and
before her another woman, weeping, and presenting to her a young
child that she has in her arms, followed by a procession of women
with children in the same manner. This is certainly part of a very
ancient tomb; but I dare not pretend to give the true explanation of
it. On the stone, on the left side, is a very fair inscription; but
the Greek is too ancient for Mr W----y's interpretation. I am very
sorry not to have the original in my possession, which might have
been purchased of the poor inhabitants for a small sum of money. But
our captain assured us, that without having machines made on purpose,
'twas impossible to bear it to the sea-side; and, when it was there,
his long-boat would not be large enough to hold it.

THE ruins of this great city are now inhabited by poor Greek
peasants, who wear the Sciote habit, the women being in short
petticoats, fastened by straps round their shoulders, and large smock
sleeves of white linen, with neat shoes and stockings, and on their
heads a large piece of muslin, which falls in large folds on their
shoulders.--One of my countrymen, Mr Sands, (whose book I doubt not
you have read, as one of the best of its kind) speaking of these
ruins, supposes them to have been the foundation of a city begun by
Constantine, before his building Byzantium; but I see no good reason
for that imagination, and am apt to believe them much more ancient.

WE saw very plainly from this promontory, the river Simois rolling
from mount Ida, and running through a very spacious valley. It is
now a considerable river, and is called Simores, it is joined in the
vale by the Scamander, which appeared a small stream half choaked
(sic) with mud, but is perhaps large in the winter. This was Xanthus
amongst the gods, as Homer tells us; and 'tis by that heavenly name,
the nymph Oenone invokes it, in her epistle to Paris. The Trojan
virgins used to offer their first favours to it, by the name of
Scamander, till the adventure, which Monsieur de la Fontaine has told
so agreeably, abolish'd that heathenish ceremony. When the stream is
mingled with the Simois, they run together to the sea.

ALL that is now left of Troy is the ground on which it stood; for, I
am firmly persuaded, whatever pieces of antiquity may be found round
it, are much more modern, and I think Strabo says the same thing.
However, there is some pleasure in seeing the valley where I imagined
the famous duel of Menelaus and Paris had been fought, and where the
greatest city in the world was situated. 'Tis certainly the noblest
situation that can be found for the head of a great empire, much to
be preferred to that of Constantinople, the harbour here being always
convenient for ships from all parts of the world, and that of
Constantinople inaccessible almost six months in the year, while the
north-wind reigns.

NORTH of the promontory of Sigaeum we saw that of Rhaeteum, famed for
the sepulchre of Ajax. While I viewed these celebrated fields and
rivers, I admired the exact geography of Homer, whom I had in my
hand. Almost every epithet he gives to a mountain or plain, is still
just for it; and I spent several hours here in as agreeable
cogitations, as ever Don Quixote had on mount Montesinos. We sailed
next night to the shore, where 'tis vulgarly reported Troy stood; and
I took the pains of rising at two in the morning to view cooly those
ruins which are commonly shewed to strangers, and which the Turks
call _Eski Stamboul, i.e._ Old Constantinople. For that reason, as
well as some others, I conjecture them to be the remains of that city
begun by Constantine. I hired an ass (the only voiture to be had
there) that I might go some miles into the country, and take a tour
round the ancient walls, which are of a vast extent. We found the
remains of a castle on a hill, and of another in a valley, several
broken pillars and two pedestals, from which I took these Latin
inscriptions:

DIVI. AUG. COL.
ET. COL. IUL. PHILIPPENSIS
EORUNDEM ET PRINCIP. AM
COL. IUL. PARIANAE. TRIBUN.
MILIT. COH. XXXII. VOLUNTAR.
TRIB. MILIT. LEG. XIII. GEM.
PRAEFECTO EQUIT. ALAE. I.
SCUBULORUM
VIC. VIII.

DIVI. IULI. FLAMINI
C. ANTONIO. M. F.
VOLT. RUFO. FLAMIN.
DIV. AUG. COL. CL. APRENS.
ET. COL. IUL. PHILIPPENSIS
EORUNDEM ET PRINCIP. ITEM
COL. IUL. PARIANAE TRIB.
MILIT. COH. XXXII. VOLUNTARIOR.
TRIB. MILIT. XIII.
GEM. PRAEF. EQUIT. ALAE. I.
SCUBULORUM
VIC. VII.

I do not doubt but the remains of a temple near this place, are the
ruins of one dedicated to Augustus; and I know not why Mr Sands calls
it a Christian temple, since the Romans certainly built hereabouts.
Here are many tombs of fine marble, and vast pieces of granate (sic),
which are daily lessened by the prodigious balls that the Turks make,
from them, for their cannon. We passed that evening the isle of
Tenedos, once under the patronage of Apollo, as he gave it in,
himself, in the particulars of his estate, when he courted Daphne.
It is but ten miles in circuit, but, in those days, very rich and
well-peopled, still famous for its excellent wine. I say nothing of
Tenes, from whom it was called; but naming Mytilene, where we passed
next, I cannot forbear mentioning Lesbos, where Sappho sung, and
Pittacus reigned, famous for the birth of Alcaeus, Theophrastus and
Arion, those masters in poetry, philosophy, and music. This was one
of the last islands that remained in the Christian dominion after the
conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. But need I talk to you of
Catucuseno, &c. princes that you are as well acquainted with as I am.
'Twas with regret I saw us sail from this island into the Egean (sic)
sea, now the Archipelago, leaving Scio (the ancient Chios) on the
left, which is the richest and most populous of these islands,
fruitful in cotton, corn and silk, planted with groves of orange and
lemon trees, and the Arvisian mountain, still celebrated for the
nectar that Virgil mentions. Here is the best manufacture of silks
in all Turkey. The town is well built, the women famous for their
beauty, and shew their faces as in Christendom. There are many rich
families; though they confine their magnificence to the inside of
their houses, to avoid the jealousy of the Turks, who have, a bassa
here: however, they enjoy a reasonable liberty, and indulge the
genius of their country:

_And eat, and sing, and dance away their time,
Fresh as their groves, and happy as their clime_.

Their chains hang lightly on them, tho' 'tis not long since they were
imposed, not being under the Turk till 1566. But perhaps 'tis as
easy to obey the grand signior as the state of Genoa, to whom they
were sold by the Greek emperor. But I forget myself in these
historical touches, which are very impertinent when I write to you.
Passing the strait between the islands of Andros and Achaia, now
Libadia, we saw the promontory of Lunium, now called Cape Colonna,
where are yet standing the vast pillars of a temple of Minerva. This
venerable sight made me think, with double regret, on a beautiful
temple of Theseus, which, I am assured, was almost entire at Athens,
till the last campaign in the Morea, that the Turks filled it with
powder, and it was accidentally blown up. You may believe I had a
great mind to land on the fam'd Peloponnesus, tho' it were only to
look on the rivers of Asopus, Peneus, Inachus and Eurotas, the fields
of Arcadia, and other scenes of ancient mythology. But instead of
demigods and heroes, I was credibly informed, 'tis now over-run by
robbers, and that I should run a great risque (sic) of falling into
their hands, by undertaking such a journey through a desert country,
for which, however, I have so much respect, that I have much ado to
hinder myself from troubling you with its whole history, from the
foundation of Nycana and Corinth, to the last campaign there; but I
check the inclination, as I did that of landing. We sailed quietly
by Cape Angelo, once Malea, where I saw no remains of the famous
temple of Apollo. We came that evening in sight of Candia: it is
very mountainous; we easily distinguished that of Ida.--We have
Virgil's authority, that here were a hundred cities--

_--Centum urbes habitant magnas--_

The chief of them--the scene of monstrous passions.--Metellus first
conquered this birth-place of his Jupiter; it fell afterwards into
the hands of ---- I am running on to the very siege of Candia; and I
am so angry with myself, that I will pass by all the other islands
with this general reflection, that 'tis impossible to imagine any
thing more agreeable than this journey would have been two or three
thousand years since, when, after drinking a dish of tea with Sappho,
I might have gone, the same evening, to visit the temple of Homer in
Chios, and passed this voyage in taking plans of magnificent temples,
delineating the miracles of statuaries, and conversing with the most
polite and most gay of mankind. Alas! art is extinct here; the
wonders of nature alone remain; and it was with vast pleasure I
observed those of mount Etna, whose flame appears very bright in the
night many leagues off at sea, and fills the head with a thousand
conjectures. However, I honour philosophy too much, to imagine it
could turn that of Empedocles; and Lucian shall never make me believe
such a scandal of a man, of whom, Lucretius says,

_--Vix humana videtur stirpe creatus--_

WE passed Trinacria without hearing any of the syrens that Homer
describes; and, being thrown on neither Scylla nor Charybdis, came
safe to Malta, first called Melita, from the abundance of honey. It
is a whole rock covered with very little earth. The grand master
lives here in the state of a sovereign prince; but his strength at
sea now is very small. The fortifications are reckoned the best in
the world, all cut in the solid rock with infinite expence and
labour.--Off this island we were tossed by a severe storm, and were
very glad, after eight days, to be able to put into Porta Farine on
the African shore, where our ship now rides. At Tunis we were met by
the English consul who resides here. I readily accepted of the offer
of his house there for some days, being very curious to see this part
of the world, and particularly the ruins of Carthage. I set out in
his chaise at nine at night, the moon being at full. I saw the
prospect of the country almost as well as I could have done by
day-light; and the heat of the sun is now so intolerable, 'tis
impossible to travel at any other time. The soil is, for the most
part, sandy, but every where fruitful of date, olive, and fig-trees,
which grow without art, yet afford the most delicious fruit in the
world. There vineyards and melon-fields are inclos'd by hedges of
that plant we call Indian-fig, which is an admirable fence, no wild
beast being able to pass it. It grows a great height, very thick,
and the spikes or thorns are as long and sharp as bodkins; it bears a
fruit much eaten by the peasants, and which has no ill taste.

IT being now the season of the Turkish _ramadan_, or Lent, and all
here professing, at least the Mahometan religion, they fast till the
going down of the sun, and spend the night in feasting. We saw under
the trees, companies of the country people, eating, singing, and
dancing, to their wild music. They are not quite black, but all
mulattoes, and the most frightful creatures that can appear in a
human figure. They are almost naked, only wearing a piece of coarse
serge wrapped about them.--But the women have their arms, to their
very shoulders, and their necks and faces, adorned with flowers,
stars, and various sorts of figures impressed by gunpowder; a
considerable addition to their natural deformity; which is, however,
esteemed very ornamental amongst them; and I believe they suffer a
good deal of pain by it.

ABOUT six miles from Tunis, we saw the remains of that noble
aqueduct, which carried the water to Carthage, over several high
mountains, the length of forty miles. There are still many arches
entire. We spent two hours viewing it with great attention, and Mr
W----y assured me that of Rome is very much inferior to it. The
stones are of a prodigious size, and yet all polished, and so exactly
fitted to each other, very little cement has been made use of to join
them. Yet they may probably stand a thousand years longer, if art is
not made use of to pull them down. Soon after day-break I arrived at
Tunis, a town fairly built of very white stone, but quite without
gardens, which, they say, were all destroyed when the Turks first
took it, none having been planted since. The dry land gives a very
disagreeable prospect to the eye; and the want of shade contributing
to the natural heat of the climate, renders it so excessive, that I
have much ado to support it. 'Tis true, here is, every noon, the
refreshment of the sea-breeze, without which it would be impossible
to live; but no fresh water but what is preserved in the cisterns of
the rains that fall in the month of September. The women of the town
go veiled from head to foot under a black crape, and being mixed with
a breed of renegadoes, are said to be many of them fair and handsome.
This city was besieged in 1270, by Lewis (sic) king of France, who
died under the walls of it, of a pestilential fever. After his
death, Philip, his son, and our prince Edward, son of Henry III.
raised the siege on honourable terms. It remained under its natural
African kings, till betrayed into the hands of Barbarossa, admiral of
Solyman the Magnificent. The emperor Charles V. expelled Barbarossa,
but it was recovered by the Turk, under the conduct of Sinan Bassa,
in the reign of Selim II. From that time till now, it has remained
tributary to the grand signior, governed by a _bey_, who suffers the
name of subject to the Turk, but has renounced the subjection, being
absolute, and very seldom paying any tribute. The great city of
Bagdat (sic) is, at this time, in the same circumstances, and the
grand signior connives at the loss of these dominions, for fear of
losing even the titles of them.

I WENT very early yesterday morning (after one night's repose) to see
the ruins of Carthage.--I was, however, half broiled in the sun, and
overjoyed to be led into one of the subterranean apartments, which
they called, _The stables of the elephants_, but which I cannot
believe were ever designed for that use. I found in them many broken
pieces of columns of fine marble, and some of porphyry. I cannot
think any body would take the insignificant pains of carrying them
thither, and I cannot imagine such fine pillars were designed for the
use of stables. I am apt to believe they Were summer apartments
under their palaces, which the heat of the climate rendered
necessary. They are now used as granaries by the country people.
While I sat here, from the town of _Tents_ not far off, many of the
women flocked in to see me, and we were equally entertained with
viewing one another. Their posture in sitting, the colour of their
skin, their lank black hair falling on each side their faces, their
features, and the shape of their limbs, differ so little from their
country-people the baboons, 'tis hard to fancy them a distinct race;
I could not help thinking there had been some ancient alliances
between them.

WHEN I was a little refreshed by rest, and some milk and exquisite
fruit they brought me, I went up the little hill where once stood the
castle of Byrsa, and from thence I had a distinct view of the
situation of the famous city of Carthage, which stood on an isthmus,
the sea coming on each side of it. 'Tis now a marshy ground on one
side, where there are salt ponds. Strabo calls Carthage forty miles
in circumference. There are now no remains of it, but what I have
described; and the history of it is too well known to want my
abridgement of it. You see, Sir, that I think you esteem obedience
better than compliments. I have answered your letter by giving you
the accounts you desired, and have reserved my thanks to the
conclusion. I intend to leave this place to-morrow, and continue my
journey through Italy and France. In one of those places I hope to
tell you, by word of mouth, that I am, Your humble servant, &c. &c.

LET. XLV

TO THE COUNTESS OF ----.

_Genoa, Aug_. 28. O. S. 1718

I BEG your pardon, my dear sister, that I did not write to you from
Tunis, the only opportunity I have had since I left Constantinople.
But the heat there was so excessive, and the light so bad for the
sight, I was half blind by writing one letter to the Abbot ----, and
durst not go to write many others I had designed; nor indeed could I
have entertained you very well out of that barbarous country. I am
now surrounded with subjects of pleasure, and so much charmed with
the beauties of Italy, that I should think it a kind of ingratitude
not to offer a little praise in return for the diversion I have had
here.--I am in the house of Mrs D'Avenant at St Pierre d'Arena, and
should be very unjust not to allow her a share of that praise I speak
of, since her good humour and good company have very much contributed
to render this place agreeable to me.

GENOA is situated in a very fine bay; and being built on a rising
hill, extermixed (sic) with gardens, and beautified with the most
excellent architecture, gives a very fine prospect off at sea; though
it lost much of its beauty in my eyes, having been accustomed to that
of Constantinople. The Genoese were once masters of several islands
in the Archipelago, and all that part of Constantinople which is now
called Galata. Their betraying the Christian cause, by facilitating
the taking of Constantinople by the Turk, deserved what has since
happened to them, even the loss of all their conquests on that side
to those infidels. They are at present far from rich, and are
despised by the French, since their doge was forced by the late king
to go in person to Paris, to ask pardon for such a trifle as the arms
of France over the house of the envoy, being spattered with dung in
the night. This, I suppose, was done by some of the Spanish faction,
which still makes up the majority here, though they dare not openly
declare it. The ladies affect the French habit, and are more genteel
than those they imitate. I do not doubt but the custom of Cizisbei's
has very much improved their airs. I know not whether you ever heard
of those animals. Upon my word, nothing but my own eyes could have
convinced me there were any such upon earth. The fashion began here,
and is now received all over Italy, where the husbands are not such
terrible creatures as we represent them. There are none among them
such brutes, as to pretend to find fault with a custom so well
established, and so politically founded, since I am assured, that it
was an expedient, first found out by the senate, to put an end to
those family hatreds, which tore their state to pieces, and to find
employment for those young men who were forced to cut one another's
throats, _pour passer le temps_: and it has succeeded so well, that
since the institution of Cizisbei, there has been nothing but peace
and good humour amongst them. These are gentlemen who devote
themselves to the service of a particular lady (I mean a married one)
for the virgins are all invisible, and confined to convents: They are
obliged to wait on her to all public places, such as the plays,
operas, and assemblies, (which are called here _Conversations_) where
they wait behind her chair, take care of her fan and gloves, if she
plays, have the privilege of whispers, &c.--When she goes out, they
serve her instead of lacquies (sic), gravely trotting by her chair.
'Tis their business to prepare for her a present against any day of
public appearance, not forgetting that of her own name [Footnote:
That is, the day of the saint after whom she is called.]; in short,
they are to spend all their time and money in her service, who
rewards them accordingly (for opportunity they want none) but the
husband is not to have the impudence to suppose this any other than
pure Platonic friendship. 'Tis true, they endeavour to give her a
Cizisbei of their own chusing; but when the lady happens not to be of
the same taste, as that often happens, she never fails to bring it
about to have one of her own fancy. In former times, one beauty used
to have eight or ten of these humble admirers; but those days of
plenty and humility are no more. Men grow more scarce and saucy, and
every lady is forced to content herself with one at a time.

You may see in this place the _glorious liberty_ of a republic, or
more properly, an aristocracy, the common people being here as arrant
slaves as the French; but the old nobles pay little respect to the
doge, who is but two years in his office, and whose wife, at that
very time, assumes no rank above another noble lady. 'Tis true, the
family of Andrea Doria (that great man, who restored them that
liberty they enjoy) have some particular privileges. When the senate
found it necessary to put a stop to the luxury of dress, forbidding
the wearing of jewels and brocades, they left them at liberty to make
what expence they pleased. I look with great pleasure on the statue
of that hero, which is in the court belonging to the house of duke
Doria. This puts me in mind of their palaces, which I can never
describe as I ought.--Is it not enough, that I say, they are, most
of them, the design of Palladio? The street called Strada Nova, is
perhaps the most beautiful line of building in the world. I must
particularly mention the vast palaces of Durazzo, those of the two
Balbi, joined together by a magnificent colonade (sic), that of the
Imperiale at this village of St Pierre d'Arena, and another of the
Doria. The perfection of architecture, and the utmost profusion of
rich furniture are to be seen here, disposed with the most elegant
taste, and lavish magnificence. But I am charmed with nothing so
much as the collection of pictures by the pencils of Raphael, Paulo
Veronese, Titian, Caracci, Michael Angelo, Guido, and Corregio, which
two I mention last as my particular favourites. I own, I can find no
pleasure in objects of horror; and, in my opinion, the more naturally
a crucifix is represented, the more disagreeable it is. These, my
beloved painters, shew nature, and shew it in the most charming
light. I was particularly pleased with a Lucretia in the house of
Balbi; the expressive beauty of that face and bosom, gives all the
passion of pity and adoration, that could be raised in the soul, by
the finest artist on that subject. A Cleopatra of the same hand,
deserves to be mentioned; and I should say more of her if Lucretia
had not first engaged my eyes.--Here are also some inestimable
ancient bustos (sic).--The church of St Lawrence is built of black
and white marble, where is kept that famous plate of a single
emerald, which is not now permitted to be handled, since a plot,
which, they say, was discovered, to throw it on the pavement and
break it; a childish piece of malice, which they ascribe to the king
of Sicily, to be revenged for their refusing to sell it to him. The
church of the annunciation is finely lined with marble; the pillars
are of red and white marble; that of St Ambrose has been very much
adorned by the Jesuits; but I confess, all the churches appeared so
mean to me, after that of Sancta Sophia, I can hardly do them the
honour of writing down their names. But I hope you will own, I have
made good use of my time, in seeing so much, since 'tis not many days
that we have been out of the quarantine, from which no body is
exempted coming from the Levant. Ours, indeed, was very much
shortened, and very agreeably passed in Mrs D'Avenant's company, in
the village of St Pierre d'Arena, about a mile from Genoa, in a house
built by Palladio, so well designed, and so nobly proportioned, 'twas
a pleasure to walk in it. We were visited here only by a few
English, in the company of a noble Genoese; commissioned to see we
did not touch one another.--I shall stay here some days longer, and
could almost wish it were for all my life; but mine, I fear, is not
destined to so much tranquillity. I am, &c. &c.

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