since Achmet Pacha, who defended it against Nadir Shah. The Sultan only confirms the Pacha they themselves have appointed, though he sends a firman naming him to the post as if he had given it him. In Armenia major and all the neighbouring countries, there are whole nations or tribes of independent people, the Crimea &c. The three Arabias do not at all acknowledge his authority. The Pachas of Trebisond, Ahifka &c, care very little for the Porte e; and the famous Haggi-Ali-Yenikti Pacha, who was the sovereign of that country, and who could bring a large army into the field, and bid the Porte defiance. In Europe, the Morea, Albania, and Scutari, are always more or lefs in state of rebellion; Bosnia, Croatia &c, obey the Porte only as long as it suits them; and he reaps little benefit from them. Their troops are good, but they do not choose to go far from home to fight. All the inhabitants of the mountains from Smyrna (where there are Agas independent at the head of armies) quite down to Palestine, never acknowledge the sovereignty of the Porte. She reaps no benefit from Palestine; and the considerable country under the jurisdiction of Saeik Omar il Dikar of Acri, which was subdued by the late captain Pacha, is again independent. * All Egypt is independent. The Pacha the Porte sends to Cairo is only in effect * On the coast of Syria the Porte has only the ports of Latacha, the city of Antioch, Alexandrette (a miserable village) Tripoli and Sidon. The rest a e all independent, but Barut and the country of the Druses, the Metuati who inhabit the country on the back ot Tyre (where there are no houses) the port of Jaffa and few small places. All Palestine is in a manner independent or useless. a prisoner during his government, which is only nominal the Porte draws no revenue from it. In short the Porte draws no money and no troops, but a very few volunteer fanatics, in time of war, from all these countries. Were the Sultan to be driven from Europe he would subdue these provinces and be more powerful by land than he now is. The remainder in our next. ALLADIN THE PERSIAN, AN EASTERN TALE: Revolt in Georgia,-Effects of frankness. ALLADIN had been returned sometime from his travels, when the sultan received the news of the revolt in Georgia: a priest and a lawyer were at the head of it. They had flattered the people with perfect equality, and had persuaded them that they should have no taxes. The vizir at the head of 100,000 men marched in person against the rebels, and signalised himself in the course of his expedition by his cruelties. The authors of the revolt were condemned to the most cruel punishments, and the people to an augmentation of taxes. Such an event did not seem likely to affect Alladin; but the wicked fairy who endowed him with talents, genius, and other great qualities, was well aware of the danger attached to their pofsefsior. Among the papers of the lawyer, who had been one of the chiefs of the revolters, was found a copy of Alladin's work on republics. The vizir was eager to inform the sultan of this discovery; and made ma 289 ny notable observations on the dangers of writing and reading, and the necefsity of keeping mankind in perfect ignorance. The sublime Alcoran, said he, contains every thing important for us to know in this world, and in the next; every man therefore who writes is impious, as his design alone shows that he thinks he has something to teach to those who know the Alcoran. This reasoning made a deep imprefsion on the divan, and the revolt of the Georgians was attributed to the effect of the writings of Alladin on their minds. He was hated by all those who were envious of his talents; and avarice who was eager to divide his spoils, joined herself to envy to complete his ruin. His death was at one moment determined on; but the remembrance of the services of his father induced the sultan to be more moderate, and he was only condemned to be fhut up in a castle on the frontiers of the empire. was taken there loaded with chains; and the smallest pofsible air-hole, which admitted a few rays of light, only served to fhew the miserable prisoner the horror of his situation. It is thus that he expiated during a whole year the crime of having fhewn that he had understanding and learning. The affliction of the Calender was very great when he heard of the misfortune of his friend; but he did not lose courage. Giving himself up to the means of serving him, he sought to introduce himself among those in power, and the favourite courtiers, in order to make use of them as occasions may serve. He felt that if he made any exertions at the first moment he should only render himself suspected, and he VOL. Xviii. Dec. 25. waited until other events fhould have made Alladin's misfortunes forgotten. At last after a month's afsiduous attendance at court, he got acquainted with the favourite slave of the mistrefs of the chief of the eunuchs. This young girl was pafsionately beloved by her mistrefs, who endeavoured with her to deceive the warmth of her pafsions, and whose unfortunate lot it was to give and receive useless carefses. All three embraced a phantom of pleasure which fled from them perpetually, a melancholy effect of the abuses of power and slavery, which changes into a crime the most delicious of pafsions. The chief of the eunuchs had so many things to be pardoned for, that he reckoned it the excefs of good nature, if he escaped contempt. After having gained the friendship of the slave by little presents, the Calender one day offered her a large diamond of great value for her mistress, and another for herself, if by their means he could obtain Alladin's liberty. The eunuch made many excuses from interfering in this business; the pouted, repulsed him, and treated him with contempt during a week, he was obliged at last to come to, and employ his credit in favour of Alladin. He addrefsed himself to a youth who had great power over the Mufti, and persuaded him by the advice of the Calender, that Alladin was one of the most zealous sectaries of Omar. The Mufti was the secret partizan of this doctrine; and the beauty of the youth, added to his enthusiasm for Omar, determined this head of the church. The Calender had thus employed at the same time, the three most powerful agents, and which act the strongest on men. Love, the spirit of party, and selfinterest. Slave, youth, eunuch, priest, woman, all had been seduced by the good Calender, who only obeyed the impulse of friendship, more powerful with him than all other interests. In spite of the junction of so many means, he was not able to obtain entire liberty for his unfortunate friend; he got permifsion for him to leave the dungeon, and he had the fortrefs for his prison. The Calender got letters sent to the governor to recommend Alladin to his attention; and such a recommendation coming from the seraglio, could not fail of producing a good effect; besides the governor, from the goodness of his heart, was naturally inclined to help the unfortunate. He loved society, and soon felt the merits of Alladin, and took every opportunity to alleviate his disgrace; he opened his haram to him, and permitted him to live in a familiar manner with an Egyptian slave, that he was doatingly fond of; her name was Zulma, who returned his love with the tenderest caref ses sweetness was in her eyes, and her voice penetrated the soul; ingenuousness and innocence were in all her actions, and by her language, fhe seemed anxious to find out opportunities of doing good; her eyes were filled with tears, at the mere recital of a generous action. Alladin felt the danger of living with so seducing a person, who forced one to love her by inspiring esteem; he armed himself with all the gratitude he owed to the governor, against so many charms; Zulma reproached him with an in |