moft part of them won't like it the worfe for that; and that the regret of this feparation will not render their paradife the lefs agreeable. It remains to tell you, that the vir tues which Mahomet requires of the women to merit the enjoyment of future happiness, are, not to live in fuch a manner as to become ufelefs to the world; but to employ themfelves, as much as poffible, in making litle Muffulmans. The virgins who die virgins, and the widows who marry not again, dying in mortal fin, are excluded out of paradife: for women, fays he, not being capable to manage affairs of ftate, nor fupport the fatigues of war, God has not ordered them to govern or reform the world; but he has entrusted them with an office which is not lefs honourable, even that of multiplying the human race; And fuch as, out of malice, or laziness, do not make it their bufinefs to hear or to breed children, fulfil not the duty of their vocation, and rebel against the commands of God. Here are maxims for you, prodigiously contrary to thofe of your Convents. What will become of your St. Catharines, your St. Therefas, your St. Claras, and the whole bead roll of your holy virgins and widows? who, if they are to be judged by this fyftem of virtue, will he found to have been infamous creatures that paffed their whole lives in a moft abominable libertinifm.

I know not what your thoughts may be concerning a doctrine fo extraordinary with refpect to us; but I can truly inform you, Sir, that Turks are not fo ignorant as we fancy them to be, in matters of politics, or philofophy, or even

of gallantry. 'Tis true, that military difcipline, fuch as is now practifed in Chriftendom, does not mightily fuit them. A long peace has plunged them into an univerfal floth. Content with their condi tion, and accuftomed to boundless luxury, they are become great enemies to all manner of fatigues. But, to make amends, the fciences flourish among them. The Effendis (that is to fay, the learned) do very well deferve this name; they have no more faith in the infpiration of Mahomet, than in the infallibity of the Pope. They make a frank profeffion of Deism among themfelves, or to thofe they can trust; and never peak of their law but as of a politic inftitution, fit now to be obferved by wife men, however at first introduced by politicians and enthusiasts.

If I remember right, I think I have told you in fome former letter, that at Belgrade we lodged with a great and rich Effendi, a man of wit and learning, and of a very agreeable humour. We were in his house about a month, and he did constantly eat with us, drinking wine without any fcruple. As I rallyed him a little on this fubject, he anfwered me, fmiling, that all the creatures in the world were made for the pleasure of man; and that God would not have let the vine grow, were it a fin to tafte of its juice; but that neverthelefs the law, which forbids the use of it to the valgar, was very wife becaufe fuch fort of folks have not fenfe enough to take it with moderation. This Effendi appeared no ftranger to the parties that prevail among us; nay, he feemed to have fome knowledge of our religious difputes, and even of our writers;

and

and I was furprised to hear him afk, among other things, How Mr. Toland did?

My paper, large as it is, draws towards an end. That I may not go beyond its limits, I must leap from religions to tulips, concerning which you also afk me news. Their mixture produces furprifing effects. But what is to be obferved moft furprifing, is, the experiment of which you speak concerning animals, and which is tried here every day. The fuburbs of Pera, Jophana, and Galata, are collections of ftrangers from all countries of the univerfe. They have fo often in termarry'd, that this forms feveral races of people, the oddeft imaginable. There is not one fingle family of natives that can value itfelt on being unmixed. You frequently fee a perfon, whofe father was born a Grecian, the mother an Italian, the grandfather a Frenchman, the grandmother an Armenian, and their ancestors, English Mufcoviles, Afa ticks, &c.

This mixture produces creatures more extraordinary than you can imagine; nor could I ever doubt but there were feveral different fpecies of men fince the Whites, the woolly and the long-hair'd Blacks, the fmall-eyed Tartars, and Chinese, the beardlefs Brafilians, and (to name no more) the oily fkinn'd yellow Nova Zemblians, have as fpecific differences under the fame general kind, as greyhounds, maftiffs, fpaniels, bulldogs, or the race of my little Diana, if nobody is offended at the comparifon. Now, as the various intermixing of thefe latter animals caufes mungrels, fo mankind have their mungrels too, divided and

fub-divided into endless forts. We have daily proofs of it here, as I told you before. In the fame animal is not feldom remarked the Greek perfidioufnefs, the Italian diffidence, the Spanish arrogance, the French loquacity, and all of a fudden he is feized with a fit of English thoughtfulnefs, bordering a little upon dulnefs, which many of us have inhe rited from the stupidity of our Saxon progenitors.

To

But the family which charms me moft, is that which proceeds from the fantastical conjunction of a Dutch male with a Greek female. As these are nature's oppofite in extremes, 'tis a pleasure to observe how the different atoms are perpetually jarring together in the chil dren, even fo as to produce effects vifible in their external form. They have the large black eyes of the country, with the fat, white, fithy flesh of Holland, and a lively air ftreaked with dulnefs. At one and the fame time they fhew that love of expenfivenefs, fo univerfal among the Greeks, and an inclination to the Dutch frugality. give an example of this, young women ruin themfelves, to purchafe jewels for adorning their heads, while they have not the heart to buy new fhoes, or rather flippers for their feet, which are commonly in a tattered condition; a thing fo contrary to the taste of our Englishwomen, that it is for fhewing how neatly their feet are dreffed, and for fhewing this only, they are fo paffionately enamoured with their hoop-petticoats. I have abundance of other fingularities to communicate to you, but I am at the end of both my French and my paper.

A tra

in general.

IT is no unpleafing contemplation to confider the influence which foil and climate have upon he difpofition of the inhabitants, he animals and vegetables of different countries. That among the brute creation is much more vifible than in man, and that in vegetables more than either. In fome places thofe plants which are entirely po.fonous at home, lofe their deleterious quality by being carried abroad; there are ferpents in Macedonia fo harmless as to be ufed as play things for children; and we are told, that in fome parts of Fez there are lions fo very timorous as to be feared away, though coming in herds, by the cries of

women.

I know of no country where the influence of climate and foil is more visible than in England; the fame hidden caufe which gives courage to their dogs and cocks, gives alfo fiercenefs to their men. But chiefly this ferocity appears among the vulgar. The polite of every country pretty nearly refemble each other. But as in fimpling, it is among the uncultivated productions of nature, we are to examine the characteristic differences of climate and foil, fo in an eftimate of the genius of the people, we must look among the fons of unpolished rufticity. The vulgar English, therefore, may be easily diftinguithed from all the reft of the world, by fuperior pride, impatience, and a peculiar hardinefs

of foul.

Perhaps no qualities in the world

fance and eafy deference being fu perinduced over thefe, generally form a great character; fomething at once elegant and majestic, affa ble, yet fincere. Such, in general, are the better fort; but they. who are left in primitive rudeness are the leaft difpofed for fociety with others, or comfort internally, of any people under the fun.

The poor indeed of every country are but little prone to treat each other with tendernefs; their own miferies are too apt to engross all their pity; and perhaps too they give but little commiferation, as they find but little from others. But in England, the poor treat each other, upon every occafion, with more than favage animofity, and as if they were in a ftate of open war by nature. In China, if two porters fhould meet in a narrow freet, they would lay down their burthens, make a thousand excufes to each other for their accidental interruption, and beg pardon on their knees; if two men of the fame occupation fhould meet here, they would firft begin to fcold, and at laft to beat each other. One would think they had miferies enough refulting from penury and labour, not to increase them by illnature among themselves, and fubjection to new penalties; but fuch confiderations never weigh with them.

But to recompenfe this ftrange abfurdity, they are, in the main, generous, brave, and enterprifing. They feel the flighteft injuries with a degree of ungoverned impatience, but refift the greatest calamities with furpriting fortitude.

Thofe