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

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

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17

A CERTAIN French author says, Constantinople is twice as big as
Paris. Mr W----y is unwilling to own 'tis bigger than London, though
I confess it appears to me to be so; but I don't believe it is so
populous. The burying fields about it are certainly much larger than
the whole city. 'Tis surprising what a vast deal of land is lost
this way in Turkey. Sometimes I have seen burying places of several
miles, belonging to very inconsiderable villages, which were formerly
great towns, and retain no other mark of their ancient grandeur, than
this dismal one. On no occasion do they ever remove a stone that
serves for a monument. Some of them are costly enough, being of very
fine marble. They set up a pillar, with a carved turbant on the top
of it, to the memory of a man; and as the turbants, by their
different shapes, shew the quality or profession, 'tis in a manner
putting up the arms of the deceased; besides, the pillar commonly
bears an inscription in gold letters. The ladies have a simple
pillar without other ornament, except those that die unmarried, who
have a rose on the top of their monument. The sepulchres of
particular families are railed in, and planted round with trees.
Those of the sultans, and some great men, have lamps constantly
burning in them.

WHEN I spoke of their religion, I forgot to mention two
particularities, one of which I have read of, but it seemed so odd to
me, I could not believe it; yet 'tis certainly true; that when a man
has divorced his wife, in the most solemn manner, he can take her
again, upon no other terms, than permitting another man to pass a
night with her; and there are some examples of those who have
submitted to this law, rather than not have back their beloved. The
other point of doctrine is very extraordinary. Any woman that dies
unmarried is looked upon to die in a state of reprobation. To
confirm this belief, they reason, that the end of the creation of
woman is to increase and multiply; and that she is only properly
employed in the works of her calling, when she is bringing forth
children, or taking care of them, which are all the virtues that God
expects from her. And indeed, their way of life, which shuts them
out of all public commerce, does not permit them any other. Our
vulgar notion, that they don't own women to have any souls, is a
mistake. 'Tis true, they say, they are not of so elevated a kind,
and therefore must not hope to be admitted into the paradise
appointed for the men, who are to be entertained by celestial
beauties. But there is a place of happiness destined for souls of
the inferior order, where all good women are to be in eternal bliss.
Many of them are very superstitious, and will not remain widows ten
days, for fear of dying in the reprobate state of an useless
creature. But those that like their liberty, and are not slaves to
their religion, content themselves with marrying when they are afraid
of dying. This is a piece of theology, very different from that
which teaches nothing to be more acceptable to God than a vow of
perpetual virginity: which divinity is most rational, I leave you to
determine.

I HAVE already made some progress in a collection of Greek medals.
Here are several professed antiquaries, who are ready to serve any
body that desires them. But you cannot imagine how they stare in my
face, when I enquire about them, as if no body was permitted to seek
after medals, till they were grown a piece of antiquity themselves.
I have got some very valuable ones of the Macedonian kings,
particularly one of Perseus, so lively, I fancy I can see all his ill
qualities in his face. I have a prophyry (sic) head finely cut, of
the true Greek sculpture; but who it represents, is to be guessed at
by the learned when I return. For you are not to suppose these
antiquaries (who are all Greeks) know any thing. Their trade is only
to sell; they have correspondents at Aleppo, Grand Cairo, in Arabia
and Palestine, who send them all they can find, and very often great
heaps, that are only fit to melt into pans and kettles. They get the
best price they can for them, without knowing those that are valuable
from those that are not. Those that pretend to skill, generally find
out the image of some saint in the medals of the Greek cities. One
of them, shewing me the figure of a Pallas, with a victory in her
hand on a reverse, assured me, it was the Virgin, holding a crucifix.
The same man offered me the head of a Socrates, on a sardonyx; and,
to enhance the value, gave him the title of saint Augustine. I have
bespoke a mummy, which I hope will come safe to my hands,
notwithstanding the misfortune that befel (sic) a very fine one,
designed for the king of Sweden. He gave a great price for it, and
the Turks took it into their heads, that he must have some
considerable project depending upon it. They fancied it the body of,
God knows who; and that the state of their empire mystically depended
on the conversation of it. Some old prophecies were remembered upon
this occasion, and the mummy committed prisoner to the Seven Towers,
where it has remained under close confinement ever since, I dare not
try my interest in so considerable a point, as the release of it; but
I hope mine will pass without examination. I can tell you nothing
more at present of this famous city. When I have looked a little
about me, you shall hear from me again. I am, Sir, Your's, &c. &c.

LET. XXXVI.

TO MR POPE.

_Belgrade Village, June_ 17. O. S.

I HOPE, before this time, you have received two or three of my
letters. I had yours but yesterday, though dated the third of
February, in which you suppose me to be dead and buried. I have
already let you know, that I am still alive; but to say truth, I look
upon my present circumstances to be exactly the same with those of
departed spirits. The heats of Constantinople have driven me to this
place, which perfectly answers the description of the Elysian fields.
I am in the middle of a wood, consisting chiefly of fruit-trees,
watered by a vast number of fountains, famous for the excellency of
their water, and divided into many shady walks, upon short grass,
that seems to me artificial, but, I am assured, is the pure work of
nature--within view of the Black sea, from whence we perpetually
enjoy the refreshment of cool breezes, that make us insensible of the
heat of the summer. The village is only inhabited by the richest
amongst the Christians, who meet every night at a fountain, forty
paces from my house, to sing and dance. The beauty and dress of the
women exactly resemble the ideas of the ancient nymphs, as they are
given us by the representations of the poets and painters. But what
persuades me more fully of my decease, is the situation of my own
mind, the profound ignorance I am in, of what passes among the living
(which only comes to me by chance) and the great calmness with which
I receive it. Yet I have still a hankering after my friends and
acquaintances left in the world, according to the authority of that
admirable author,

_That spirits departed are wondrous kind
To friends and relations left behind:
Which nobody can deny_.

Of which solemn truth, I am a _dead_ instance. I think Virgil is of
the same opinion, that in human souls there will still be some
remains of human passions:

--_Curae non ipsae in morte relinquunt_.

And 'tis very necessary, to make a perfect elysium (sic), that there
should be a river Lethe, which I am not so happy as to find. To say
truth, I am sometimes very weary of the singing, and dancing, and
sunshine, and wish for the smoke and impertinencies in which you
toil; though I endeavour to persuade myself, that I live in a more
agreeable variety than you do; and that Monday, setting of
partridges; Tuesday, reading English; Wednesday, studying in the
Turkish language, (in which, by the way, I am already very learned;)
Thursday, classical authors; Friday, spent in writing; Saturday, at
my needle; and Sunday, admitting of visits, and hearing of music, is
a better way of disposing of the week; than, Monday, at the drawing
room; Tuesday, lady Mohun's; Wednesday, at the opera; Thursday, the
play; Friday, Mrs Chetwynd's, &c. a perpetual round of hearing the
same scandal, and seeing the same follies acted over and over, which
here affect me no more than they do other dead people. I can now
hear of displeasing things with pity, and without indignation. The
reflection on the great gulph (sic) between you and me, cools all
news that come hither. I can neither be sensibly touched with joy or
grief, when I consider, that possibly the cause of either is removed,
before the letter comes to my hands. But (as I said before) this
indolence does not extend to my few friendships; I am still warmly
sensible of yours and Mr Congreve's, and desire to live in your
remembrance, though dead to all the world beside. I am, &c. &c.

LET. XXXVII.

TO THE LADY ----.

_Belgrade Village, June_ 17 O. S.

I HEARTILY beg your ladyship's pardon; but I really could not forbear
laughing heartily at your letter, and the commissions you are pleased
to honour me with. You desire me to buy you a Greek slave, who is to
be mistress of a thousand good qualities. The Greeks are subjects,
and not slaves. Those who are to be bought in that manner, are
either such as are taken in war, or stolen by the Tartars from
Russia, Circassia, or Georgia, and are such miserable, awkward, poor
wretches, you would not think any of them worthy to be your
house-maids. 'Tis true, that many thousands were taken in the Morea;
but they have been, most of them, redeemed by the charitable
contributions of the Christians, or ransomed by their own relations
at Venice. The fine slaves that wait upon the great ladies, or serve
the pleasures of the great men, are all bought at the age of eight or
nine years old, and educated with great care, to accomplish them in
singing, dancing, embroidery, &c. They are commonly Circassians, and
their patron never sells them, except it is as a punishment for some
very great fault. If ever they grow weary of them, they either
present them to a friend, or give them their freedom. Those that are
exposed to sale at the markets, are always either guilty of some
crime, or so entirely worthless, that they are of no use at all. I
am afraid you will doubt the truth of this account, which, I own, is
very different from our common notions in England; but it is no less
truth for all that.--Your whole letter is full of mistakes, from one
end to the other. I see you have taken your ideas of Turkey, from
that worthy author Dumont, who has wrote with equal ignorance and
confidence. 'Tis a particular pleasure to me here, to read the
voyages to the Levant, which are generally so far removed from truth,
and so full of absurdities, I am very well diverted with them. They
never fail giving you an account of the women, whom, 'tis certain,
they never saw, and talking very wisely of the genius of the men,
into whose company they are never admitted; and very often describe
mosques, which they dare not even peep into. The Turks are very
proud, and will not converse with a stranger they are not assured is
considerable in his own country. I speak of the men of distinction;
for, as to the ordinary fellows, you may imagine what ideas their
conversation can give of the general genius of the people.

AS to the balm of Mecca, I will certainly send you some; but it is
not so easily got as you suppose it, and I cannot, in conscience,
advise you to make use of it. I know not how it comes to have such
universal applause. All the ladies of my acquaintance at London and
Vienna, have begged me to send pots of it to them. I have had a
present of a small quantity (which, I'll assure you, is very
valuable) of the best sort, and with great joy applied it to my face,
expecting some wonderful effect to my advantage. The next morning,
the change indeed was wonderful; my face was swelled to a very
extraordinary size, and all over as red as my lady H----'s. It
remained in this lamentable state three days, during which, you may
be sure, I passed my time very ill. I believed it would never be
otherways (sic); and to add to my mortification, Mr W----y reproached
my indiscretion, without ceasing. However, my face is since _in
statu quo_; nay, I am told by the ladies here, that it is much mended
by the operation, which, I confess, I cannot perceive in my
looking-glass. Indeed, if one was to form an opinion of this balm
from their faces, one should think very well of it. They all make
use of it, and have the loveliest bloom in the world. For my part, I
never intend to endure the pain of it again; let my complexion take
its natural course, and decay in its own due time. I have very
little esteem for medicines of this nature, but do as you please,
madam; only remember, before you use it, that your face will not be
such as you will care to shew in the drawing-room for some days
after. If one was to believe the women in this country, there is a
surer way of making one's self beloved, than by becoming handsome;
though, you know that's our method. But they pretend to the
knowledge of secrets, that, by way of inchantment (sic), give them
the entire empire over whom they please. For me, who am not very apt
to believe in wonders, I cannot find faith for this. I disputed the
point last night with a lady, who really talks very sensibly on any
other subject; but she was downright angry with me, in that she did
not perceive, she had persuaded me of the truth of forty stories she
told me of this kind; and, at last, mentioned several ridiculous
marriages, that there could be no other reason assigned for. I
assured her, that, in England, where we were entirely ignorant of all
magic, where the climate is not half so warm, nor the women half so
handsome, we were not without our ridiculous marriages; and that we
did not look upon it as any thing supernatural, when a man played the
fool, for the sake of a woman. But my arguments could not convince
her against (as she said) her certain knowledge. To this she added,
that she scrupled making use of _charms_ herself; but that she could
do it whenever she pleased; and, staring me in the face, said, (with
a very learned air) that no enchantments would have their effects
upon me; and that there were some people exempt from their power, but
very few. You may imagine how I laughed at this discourse; but all
the women are of the same opinion. They don't pretend to any
commerce with the devil; but only that there are certain compositions
adapted to inspire love. If one could send over a ship-load of them,
I fancy it would be a very quick way of raising an estate. What
would not some ladies of our acquaintance give for such merchandize?
Adieu, my dear lady ----. I cannot conclude my letter with a subject
that affords more delightful scenes to the imagination. I leave you
to figure to yourself the extreme court that will be made to me, at
my return, if my travels should furnish me with such a useful piece
of learning. I am, dear madam, yours, &c. &c.

LET. XXXVIII.

TO MRS T----.

_Pera of Constantinople, Jan_. 4. O. S.

I AM infinitely obliged to you, dear Mrs T---- for your entertaining
letter. You are the only one of my correspondents that have judged
right enough, to think I would gladly be informed of the news amongst
you. All the rest of them tell me, (almost in the same words) that
they suppose I know every thing. Why they are pleased to suppose in
this manner, I can guess no reason, except they are persuaded, that
the breed of Mahomet's pigeon still subsists in this country, and
that I receive supernatural intelligence. I wish I could return your
goodness with some diverting accounts from hence. But I know not
what part of the scenes here would gratify your curiosity, or whether
you have any curiosity at all for things so far distant. To say the
truth, I am at this present writing, not very much turned for the
recollection of what is diverting, my head being wholly filled with
the preparations necessary for the increase of my family, which I
expect every day. You may easily guess at my uneasy situation. But
I am, however, comforted in some degree, by the glory that accrues to
me from it, and a reflection on the contempt I should otherwise fall
under. You won't know what to make of this speech; but, in this
country, 'tis more despicable to be married and not fruitful, than
'tis with us to be fruitful before marriage. They have a notion,
that whenever a woman leaves off bringing forth children, 'tis
because she is too old for that business, whatever her face says to
the contrary. This opinion makes the ladies here so ready to make
proofs of their youth, (which is as necessary, in order to be a
_received beauty_, as it is to shew the proofs of nobility, to be
admitted _knights of Malta_) that they do not content themselves with
using the natural means, but fly to all sorts of quackeries, to avoid
the scandal of being past childbearing, and often kill themselves by
them. Without any exaggeration, all the women of my acquaintance
have twelve or thirteen children; and the old ones boast of having
had five and twenty, or thirty a-piece, and are respected according
to the number they have produced.--When they are with child, 'tis
their common expression to say, _They hope God will be so merciful as
to send them two this time;_ and when I have asked them sometimes,
How they expected to provide for such a flock as they desire? They
answered, That the plague will certainly kill half of them; which,
indeed, generally happens, without much concern to the parents, who
are satisfied with the vanity of having brought forth so plentifully.
The French ambassadress is forced to comply with this fashion as well
as myself. She has not been here much above a year, and has lain in
once, and is big again. What is most wonderful, is, the exemption
they seem to enjoy from the curse entailed on the sex. They see all
company on the day of their delivery, and, at the fortnight's end,
return visits, set out in their jewels and new clothes. I wish I may
find the influence of the climate in this particular. But I fear I
shall continue an English woman in that affair, as well as I do in my
dread of fire and plague, which are two things very little feared
here. Most families have had their houses burnt down once or twice,
occasioned by their extraordinary way of warming themselves, which is
neither by chimnies (sic) nor stoves, but by a certain machine called
a _tendour_, the height of two feet, in the form of a table, covered
with a fine carpet or embroidery. This is made only of wood, and
they put into it a small quantity of hot ashes, and sit with their
legs under the carpet. At this table they work, read and very often,
sleep; and, if they chance to dream, kick down the _tendour_, and the
hot ashes commonly set the house on fire. There were five hundred
houses burnt in this manner about a fortnight ago, and I have seen
several of the owners since, who seem not at all moved at so common a
misfortune. They put their goods into a _bark_, and see their houses
burn with great philosophy, their persons being very seldom
endangered, having no stairs to descend.

BUT, having entertained you with things I don't like, 'tis but just I
should tell you something that pleases me. The climate is delightful
in the extremest degree. I am now sitting, this present fourth of
January, with the windows open, enjoying the warm shine of the sun,
while you are freezing over a sad sea-coal fire; and my chamber is
set out with carnations, roses, and jonquils, fresh from my garden.
I am also charmed with many points of the Turkish law, to our shame
be it spoken, better designed, and better executed than ours;
particularly, the punishment of convicted liars (triumphant criminals
in our country, God knows). They are burnt in the forehead with a
hot iron, when they are proved the authors of any notorious
falsehoods. How many white foreheads should we see disfigured! How
many fine gentlemen would be forced to wear their wigs as low as
their eye-brows, were this law in practice with us! I should go on
to tell you many other parts of justice, but I must send for my
midwife.

LET. XXXIX.

TO THE COUNTESS OF ----.

_Pera of Constantinople, March_ 10. O. S.

I HAVE not written to you, dear sister, these many months--a great
piece of self-denial. But I know not where to direct, or what part
of the world you are in. I have received no letter from you since
that short note of April last, in which you tell me, that you are on
the point of leaving England, and promise me a direction for the
place you stay in; but I have, in vain, expected it till now; and now
I only learn from the gazette, that you are returned, which induces
me to venture this letter to your house at London. I had rather ten
of my letters should be lost, than you imagine I don't write; and I
think it is hard fortune, if one in ten don't reach you. However, I
am resolved to keep the copies, as testimonies of my inclination, to
give you, to the utmost of my power, all the diverting part of my
travels, while you are exempt from all the fatigues and
inconveniences.

IN the first place, then, I wish you joy of your niece; for I was
brought to bed of a daughter [Footnote: The present Countess of Bute]
five weeks ago. I don't mention this as one of my diverting
adventures; though I must own, that it is not half so mortifying here
as in England; there being as much difference, as there is between a
little cold in the head, which sometimes happens here, and the
consumption cough, so common in London. No body keeps their house a
month for lying in; and I am not so fond of any of our customs, as to
retain them when they are not necessary. I returned my visits at
three weeks end; and, about four days ago, crossed the sea, which
divides this place from Constantinople, to make a new one, where I
had the good fortune to pick up many curiosities. I went to see the
sultana: Hafiten, favourite of the late emperor Mustapha, who, you
know, (or perhaps you don't know) was deposed by his brother, the
reigning sultan, and died a few weeks after, being poisoned, as it
was generally believed. This lady was, immediately after his death,
saluted with an absolute order to leave the seraglio, and chuse
herself a husband among the great men at the Porte. I suppose
you may imagine her overjoyed at this proposal.--Quite the
contrary.--These women, who are called, and esteem themselves queens,
look upon this liberty as the greatest disgrace and affront that can
happen to them. She threw herself at the sultan's feet, and begged
him to poniard (sic) her, rather than use his brother's widow with
that contempt. She represented to him, in agonies of sorrow, that
she was privileged from this misfortune, by having brought five
princes into the Ottoman family; but all the boys being dead, and
only one girl surviving, this excuse was not received, and she was
compelled to make her choice. She chose Bekir Effendi, then
secretary of state, and above four score years old, to convince the
world, that she firmly intended to keep the vow she had made, of
never suffering a second husband to approach her bed; and since she
must honour some subject so far, as to be called his wife, she would
chuse him as a mark of her gratitude, since it was he that had
presented her, at the age of ten years, to, her last lord. But she
never permitted him to pay her one visit; though it is now fifteen
years she has been in his house, where she passes her time in
uninterrupted mourning, with a constancy very little known in
Christendom, especially in a widow of one and twenty, for she is now
but thirty-six. She has no black eunuchs for her guard, her husband
being obliged to respect her as a queen, and not to inquire at all
into what is done in her apartment.

I WAS led into a large room, with a sofa the whole length of it,
adorned with white marble pillars like a _ruelle_, covered with pale
blue figured velvet, on a silver ground, with cushions of the same,
where I was desired to repose, till the sultana appeared, who had
contrived this manner of reception, to avoid rising up at my
entrance, though she made me an inclination of her head, when I rose
up to her. I was very glad to observe a lady that had been
distinguished by the favour of an emperor, to whom beauties were,
every day, presented from all parts of the world. But she did not
seem to me, to have ever been half so beautiful as the fair Fatima I
saw at Adrianople; though she had the remains of a fine face, more
decayed by sorrow than time. But her dress was something so
surprisingly rich, that I cannot forbear describing it to you. She
wore a vest called _dualma_, which differs from a _caftan_ by longer
sleeves, and folding over at the bottom. It was of purple cloth,
strait to her shape, and thick set, on each side, down to her feet,
and round the sleeves, with pearls of the best water, of the same
size as their buttons commonly are. You must not suppose, that I
mean as large as those of my Lord ----, but about the bigness of a
pea; and to these buttons large loops of diamonds, in the form of
those gold loops, so common on birth-day coats. This habit was tied,
at the waist, with two large tassels of smaller pearls, and round the
arms embroidered with large diamonds. Her shift was fastened at the
bottom with a great diamond, shaped like a lozenge; her girdle as
broad as the broadest English ribband, entirely covered with
diamonds. Round her neck she wore three chains, which reached to her
knees; one of large pearl, at the bottom of which hung a fine
coloured emerald, as big as a turkey-egg; another, consisting of two
hundred emeralds, close joined together, of the most lively green,
perfectly matched, every one as large as a half-crown piece, and as
thick as three crown pieces, and another of small emeralds, perfectly
round. But her ear-rings eclipsed all the rest. They were two
diamonds, shaped exactly like pears, as large as a big hazle-nut
(sic). Round her _talpoche_ she had four strings of pearl--the
whitest and most perfect in the world, at least enough to make four
necklaces, every one as large as the duchess of Marlborough's, and of
the same shape, fastened with two roses, consisting of a large ruby
for the middle stone, and round them twenty drops of clean diamonds
to each. Besides this, her head-dress was covered with bodkins of
emeralds and diamonds. She wore large diamond bracelets, and had
five rings on her fingers (except Mr Pitt's) the largest I ever saw
in my life. 'Tis for jewellers to compute the value of these things;
but, according to the common estimation of jewels, in our part of the
world, her whole dress must be worth a hundred thousand pounds
sterling. This I am sure of, that no European queen has half the
quantity; and the empress's jewels, though very fine would look very
mean near her's. She gave me a dinner of fifty dishes of meat, which
(after their fashion) were placed on the table but one at a time, and
was extremely tedious. But the magnificence of her table answered
very well to that of her dress. The knives were of gold, and the
hafts set with diamonds. But the piece of luxury which grieved my
eyes, was the table-cloth and napkins, which were all tiffany,
embroidered with silk and gold, in the finest manner, in natural
flowers. It was with the utmost regret that I made use of these
costly napkins, which were as finely wrought as the finest
handkerchiefs that ever came out of this country. You may be sure,
that they were entirely spoiled before dinner was over. The sherbet
(which is the liquor they drink at meals) was served in china bowls;
but the covers and salvers massy gold. After dinner, water was
brought in gold basons, and towels of the same kind with the napkins,
which I very unwillingly wiped my hands upon, and coffee was served
in china, with gold _soucoups_ [Footnote: Saucers.]

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17