afpire. Nothing was allowed to divert their minds from thofe fervile Occupations in which it was in tended that their whole lives fhould be fpent, no liberal idea was prefented to their imaginations that might raise them above the ignoble arts in which they were ever deftined to labour; the smallest familiarity with rangers was deemed a dangerous offence; and any intimacy or connection beyond the walls of their own family, a heinous crime; fince it might engage them to embezzle the houfehold furniture and effects committed to their care and custody. Even the laws of Athens confirmed this miferable degradation of women, holding the fecurity of the hufband's property a matter of greater importance than defending the wife's perfon from outrage, and protecting her character from infamy. By fuch illiberal inflitutions were the most amiable part of the human fpecies infulted, among a people in other respects the most improved of all antiquity. They were totally debarred from thofe refined arts and entertainments, to which their agreeable qualities might have added a new charm. Instead of directing the tate and enlivening the pleasures of fociety, their value was effimated, like that of the ignoblest objects, merely by profit or utility. Their chief virtue was referve, and their point of honour, economy. CHARACTER and MANNERS of the ANCIENT WELSH. TH [From Warrington's Hiftory of Wales.] HE Welf (according to Giraldus Cambrentis, who was himself a native of the country, and wrote in a period when their native manners, were pure and unadulterated by foreign intercourfe) ere a nation light and nimble, and more fierce than ftrong; from the lowest to the highest of the people they were devoted to arms, which the plowman as well as the courtier was prepared to feize on the firit fummons. Their chief employment in works of hufbandry was, that for oats they opened the foil, once only in March and April; and for wheat or rye, they turned it up, twice in the fummer, and a third time in winter, about the feafon of thrashing. "The chief fuftenance of this people, in refpect of their food, was cattle and oats, befides milk, checle, and butter; though they ufually ate more plentifully of flefl meat than of bread. "As they were not engaged in the occupations of traffic either by fea or land, their time was entirely employed in military affairs. They were fo anxious for the prefervation of their country and its liberties, that they esteemed it delightful not only to fight for them, but even to facrifice their lives: and, agreeably to this fpirit, they entertained an idea that it was a difgrace to die in their beds, but an honour to fall in the field. Such was their eager courage, that although unarmed, they often dared to engage with men entirely covered with armour. And in fuch engagements, by their activity and valour, they ufually came uff conquerors. That their activity might not be impeded by any unneceflary incumbrance, they made ufe of light armour; fuch as fmalller coats of mail, fhields, and fometimes of iron greaves; their offenfive weapons were arrows and long fpears. Their bows were ufually made of flight twigs joined or twiffed to ether, and though rude in their form, they difcharged an arrow with great force. The people of North Wales were remarkable for fpears fo long and well pointed, that they could pierce through an iron coat of mail; the men of South Wales were accounted the most expert archers. The chieftains, when they went to war, were mounted on fwift horfes, bred in the country; the lower forts of people, on account of the marshes, as well as the inequalities of the ground, marched on foot to battle; though, whenever the ocation or the place rendered it neceffary for the purpofes either of fighting or flying, the horsemen themfelves difmounted and ferved on foot. "The Welsh either went with their feet entirely bare, or they ufed boots of raw leather, instead of fhoes, fewed together with raw fkin. "In the time of peace, the young men accustomed themfelves to pe netrate the woods and thickets, and to run over the tops of mountains; and by continuing this exerci'e through the day and night, they prepared themselves for the fatigues and employments of war. "Thefe people were not given to excefs either in eating or drinking. They had no fet time appointed for their meals, nor any expenfive riches in their cloaths. Their whole attention was occupied in the fplendid appearance of their horfes and arms, in the defence of their country, and in the care of their plunder. Accustomed to fast from inorning till night, their minds were wholly employed on business, they gave up the day entirely to prudent deliberations, and in the evening they partook of a fober fupper. But if, at any time, it happened, that they were not able to procure any, or only a very fparing repast, they patiently waited till the next morning; and in this fituation, prevented neither by hurger nor cold, they were eager to take advantage of dark and stormy nights for hoftile invafions. "There was not a beggar to be feen among these people; for the tables of all were common to all; and with them bounty, and particularly hofpitable entertainment, were in higher eftimation than any of the other virtues. Hofpitality, indeed, was fo much the habit of this nation, by a mutual return of fuch civilities, that it was neither offered to, nor requested by travellers. As foon as they entered any houfe, they immediately delivered their arms into the cuftody of fome perfon; then if they fuffered their feet to be washed by thofe, who for that purpofe directly offered them water, they were confidered as lodg ers for the night. The refufal of this offered civility, intimated their defire of a morning's refreshment only. The offer of water for the purpofe of wafhing the feet, was confidered as an invitation to accept of hofpitable entertainment. The young men ufually marched in parties, or in tribes, a leader being ap pointed to each; and as they were devoted to arms, or given up to leifure, and were courageous in the defence of their country, they were permitted to enter the houfe of any perfon with the fame fecurity as their own. The strangers who ar D 2 rived rived in the morning were entertained until the evening, w th the converfation of young women, and with the mufic of the harp; for in this country almost every houfe was provided with both. Hence we may reasonably conclude, that the peo ple were not much inclined to jeafoufy. Such an influence had the powers of mufic on their minds, that in every family, or in every tr.be, they esteemed kill in playing on the harp beyond any kind of learning, In the evening, when the vifitors were all come, an entertain ment was provided according to the number and dignity of the perfons, and the wealth of the house, on which occafion the cook was not fatigued with dreffing many difhes, nor fuch as were high feafoned as ftimulatives to gluttony; nor was the houfe fet off with tables, napkins, or towels; for in all thefe things they studied nature more than the v. The guests were placed by threes at fupper, and the dishes at the fame time were put on ruthes, in large and ample platters made of clean grafs, with thin and broad cakes of bread, baked every day. At the fame time that the whole family, with a kind of emulation in their civilities, were in waiting, the maf ter and mistress in particular, were always ftanding, very attentively overlooking the whole At length, when the hour of fleep approached, they all lay down in common on the public bed, ranged lengthwife along the fides of the room; a few rufhes being ftrowed on the floor, and covered only with a coarse hard cloth, the produce of the country. The fame garb that the people were ufed to wear in the day, ferved them alfo in the night; and this confifted of a thin mantle, and a garment or fhir tworn next to the fkin. The fire was kept burning at their feet throughout the night, as well as in the day. "The Welfh were a people of an acute and fubtile genius; and to whatever ftudies they applied their minds, enjoying fo rich a vein of natural endowments, they excelled in wit and ingenuity any other of the western nations. In civil caufes and actions, they exerted all the powers of rhetoric, and, in the conduct of thefe, their talents for infinuation, invention, and refutation, were confpicuous. In rhythmical fongs, and in extempore effufions, they excelled to a great degree, both in refpet to invention and elegance of ityle; and for thefe purpofes poets or bards were appointed. But beyond all other rhetorical ornaments they preferred the ufe of alliteration, and that kind more efpecially which repeats the firit letters or fyllables of words. They made fo much ufe of this ornament in every finished difcourfe, that they thought nothing elegantly fpoken without it. In private company, or in feafons of public feftivity, they were very facetious in their converfation, to entertain the company and difplay their own wit. With this view, perfons of lively parts, fometimes in mild and fometimes in biting terms, under the cover of a double meaning, by a peculiar turn of voice, or by the tranfpofition of words, were continually uttering humorous, or fatirical expreffions. "The lowest of the people, as well as the nobles, were indebted to nature for a certain boldness in fpeech, and an honeft confidence in giving anfwers to great men on matters of bufinefs, or in the prefence of princes. Pride of ancestry and nobility of family were points held in the highest eftimation among the Welfh, and of courfe they were far more defirous of noble than of rich and fplendid marriages. So deeply rooted was this fpirit, that even the very lowcft of the people carefully preferved the genealogy of their families, and were able from memory readily to recite the names, not only of their immediate ancef tors, but even to the fixth and feventh generation, and even to trace them till farther back; in this manner, Rhys ap Griffydh, ap Rhys, ap Tewdur, ap Enion, ap Owen, ap Howel, ap Cadwal, ap Roderic the Great. "A Welshman was confidered as honourable, if among his ancestors there had been neither flave, nor foreigner, nor infamous perfon, yet if any foreigner had faved the life of a Wellman, or delivered him from captivity, he might be naturalized, and was entitled to the rights of Weiflimen. And any foreign family, having refided in Wales for four generations, were alfo admitted to the fame privileges. "The love which they felt for family connections was eager and warm; and of confequence they were keen in their refentments, and revenged deeply any injury committed on their family either of blood or difhonour. They were vindictive and bloody in their anger; and exceedingly prompt to revenge not only recent injuries, but even those which were pat and committed in a remote period. What spread still farther this fpirit of revenge, was a cuftom prevalent among this people, of fending their children to be fostered or nurfed in other families; who, in confequence, regarded themfelves as interefted to promote the welfare of, or revenge any injuries done to, fuch fottered children. This cuftom, it is probable principally prevailed in the families of princes and chieftains. MANNERS of the MODERN EGYPTIANS. [From the First Volume of SAVARY'S LETTERS on EGYPT.] "LIFE is more a paffive than an active existence at Grand Cairo. The body, during nine months of the year, is oppreffed with the exceffive heats. The mind partakes of this ftate of indolence. Far from being continually tormented by the defire of feeing, of acquiring knowledge, and of acting, it highs after calm and tranquillity. Under a temperate fky inactivity is a pain; here, on the contrary, repofe is an enjoyment. The most frequent falutation, therefore, that which is made ufe of on accofting, and repeated on quitting you, is, Peace be with you! Effe minacy is born with the Egyptian, grows up with him as he advances in life, and follows him to the tomb. It is a vice of the climate. It influences his tafte, and governs all his actions. It is to fatisfy this difpofition that the most luxurious picce of furniture in his apartment is the fopha; that his gardens have delightful fhades, convenient feats, and not a fingle alley one can walk in. The Frenchman born in a climate, the temperature of which is continually changing, receives every inftant new impreffions, which D 3 keep keep his foul awake. He is active, impatient, and inconftant as the air he breathes in. The Egyptian, who for two thirds of the year almost invariably experiences the fame degree of heat, the fame fenfation, is flothful, ferious, and pa tient. "He rifes with the fun to enjoy the coolness of the morning. He purifies himself, and goes to prayer according to the precep. He is prefente with a pipe and coffee. He remains foftly repoling on his fopha. His flaves, with their hands crofled on their breafts, ftand in filence at the bottom of the apartment, Their eyes fixed on their mafter, they strive to anticipate all his withes. His children ftanding in his prefence, unless he gives them permiffion to be feated, difplay in all their beha viour the utmoft tenderness and refpect. He gravely careffes them, gives them his bleffing, and fends them back to the haram. He alone interrogates, and is answered with decency. He is at once, the chief, the juge, and the pontiff of the family, which respects in him thofe facred rights. "After breakfast he applies himfelf to his commercial affairs, or to thofe of the place he occupies. As to differences, they are very rare amongst a people where the monfter of chicanery is dumb, where the name of attorney is unknown, where the code of laws is confined to a few clear and well defined precepts of the Coran, and where every man is his own advocate. "If any visitors arrive, the mafter of the houfe receives them without many compliments, but in an affectionate manner. His equals go and feat themfelves by him with their legs croffed; a pofture by no means fatiguing with cleaths which do not fetter the limbs. "His inferiors are on their knees, and feated on their heels. Perfons of great diftinétion fit on an elevated fopha, from which they overlook the company. Thus neas was in the place of honour in the palace of Dido, when feated on a high bed, he related to the queen the difaftrous fate of Troy, reduce ed to afhes. As foon as every one is feated, the flaves bring pipes and coffee, and place in the middle of the chamber a pan with perfumes, the delicious vapour of which fills the whole apartment. They are next prefented with fweetmeats and forbet, "The tobacco made ufe of in Egypt comes from Syria. It is brought in leaves, which are cut in long filaments It has not the pungency of the American tobacco. To render it more greeable, it is mixed with the fcented wood of aloes The pipes, ufually made of jeffamine tipped with amber and frequently enriched with precious ftones. As they are extremely long, the fmoke one inhale is very mild. The Orientals pretend that it tickles agreeably the palate, at the tame time that it gratifies the fmell. The rich fmcke in lofty apartments, with a great number of windows. "Towards the conclufion of the vifit, a flave, holding in his hand a filver plate, on which are burning precious effences, approaches the face of the vifitors, each of whom in his turn perfumes his beard. They then pour rofe-water on the head and hands. This is the lat ceremony, after which it is ufual to withdraw. "The ancient custom of perfuming one's head and beard, cele brated by the royal prophet, fill fubfifts in our days. Anacreon, the father of joy, the poet of the Graces, never ceafes repeating in his odes, |