136 The Antiquarian. [VOL. 4 the exquisite cup which he carried on khan, where the goats disputed his morhis saddle-bow, not choosing to entrust sel of biscuit and cup of milk. Had this his servants with a charge so important. traveller seen a cabin in the Isle of Man, When they had muffled my hands and he would have been at no loss for a comeyes, I was surprised to find no violence parison. In one of this miserable kind offered to my purse, though they lived a poor Englishman, called Philip, seemed to lead my horse a very con- and his wife, whose misfortunes had siderable distance. In about an hour, driven them to seek a sanctuary from a shrill whistle called away my guards; their creditors. Their poverty was exand after a long pause, during which treme, but not sufficient to subdue that I had leisure enough for sublime reso- decent pride which shuns public comlutions, my face and arms were unbound miseration, and their consequent seby one of my friend's tenants, who in- clusion from busy visitors rendered formed me I was very near the place them unacquainted with the favourite from whence we had set out. Without subject of Manx conversation at this entering into the history of the unfortu- period. The woman's name was Ge-nate cup, I told him of the outrage raldine, which implies that her birth offered to his master, and we began had been among a polished class, and a search for him with sufficient as- her countenance had the kind of beauty sistants. We might have spared our which arises not from rosy good-humour, pains. Nothing could be heard of him but from dignified sorrow. Late one till a week had elapsed, when his house- evening, as she sat spinning in her hut, keeper, with great astonishment, found she was alarmed and surprised by her a sack deposited at her hall-door, and husband's long absence, and still more saw her master creep forth in a large by his return loaded with a large basket. red petticoat, a stiff mob-cap, and a Philip informed her, that he had reblack silk calash. Notwithstanding ceived it from the boatswain of an Ensome melancholy reflections on a simi- glish ship them moored in Ramsey-bay, lar event which I have already re- with a present of five dollars for the corded, it was impossible to resist his task of conveying it to the farmer of grotesque countenance, and his com- Kirkmichael. He looked pale, agitated, plaints of the barbarous manner in and thoughtful; and when urged to which his assailants had compelled him execute his commission without delay, to travel on a vile horse, in the still intimated a half-formed wish to see the viler attire of a nurse, above twenty contents, as he had been requested to leagues eiritously, after robbing him detain the basket till the ship had sailed. of the us cup. Of these assailants His wife heard him with inexpressible I dare beno opinion, for my meeting doubts and anguish. During the last with the Gascon in a sailor's garb had month he had regularly absented himnot escaped my memory, and this last self on certain days, and had returned exploit, though disrespectful to the pale and languid, but with a supply of good old judge, had certainly rescued silver for which he refused to account. s both from a dangerous enquiry. At this moment there were red drops But as popular opinion seldom favours visible on his sleeve, and the deadliest a lawyer or a magistrate, the resent- whiteness covered his lips and forehead. inent excited by the robbery soon sunk Geraldine hardly dared warn him against in the laughter which followed our ridi- farther guilt, not knowing how far he culous adventure. It is wise to allow had already plunged. He opened the certain outlets and channels to the ma- basket, and displayed a silver cup, lignity of the vulgar. When the wells which his eyes measured with the eagerare seen to flow, there is no danger of ness of desire. a volcano. M. Chateaubriand, when he visited modern Sparta, told us he had never met with any but so detestable as his lodging in the granary of a Turkish His wife silently observed his movements, and saw him deposit it in a secret corner of their wretched habitation. He ate his portion of bread and water without venturing to meet her eyes, and fell asleep VOL. 4.] The Antiquarian. 137 the epithet Sylla always preferred, because he boasted of having fortune in his pay, as we are told by Pliny, Plutarch, and Appian. The word Felix is here with two E's, according to the to double the vowels in long syllables. We find proofs of this in many inscriptions."-Neither the farmer nor myself could answer these arguments, and the matter was deferred to a second public hearing. But whoever might be the owner of the vase, the public agreed in believing Philip the thief, for his poverty would not allow him to purchase friends, and his pride made him defy his enemies. on his heap of straw. Even his deep with my own hand, as a mark of my slumber added to his wife's horror, as calling."-" A plough colter, man! it it seemed a proof of fixed and fearless is an augur's staff-Faustus, the son depravity, but it favoured her purpose. of Sylla, was an augur; and Felix is In the dead hour of night she took the basket from its place of concealment, and wrapping herself in he cloak, traversed the desolate valley of Kirkmichael, and deposited her burden on the farmer's threshold, as she orthography of the ancients, who used believed unseen. She heard only her own faint breathings as she hastened back to her husband's door, which she had then begun to open, when her cloak was seized by the rough hand of the farmer himself. She rushed in with lo shrieks, by which she hoped to awaken Philip, and intimate the necessity of his flight; but the unhappy man, confused by interrupted slumber, and conscious of a felonious purpose, only hid himselfunder his bed. Tully tells us of a law, or received There he was found in an attitude of custom, which permitted the accusers fear and shame which might have justi- of a man to search out all his former fied the suspicions of a milder judge, defects and errors. As my ill-judged Both were dragged before the north officiousness had increased the perdeemster, who immediately recognized plexity of this case, I thought myself the antique cup found in his own man- bound to reverse the Lex Accusatosion, and claimed it as his property. rium, and enquire into all the good The matter was referred to the chief points of the prisoner's character. I court of criminal law, and I was sum- discovered, that to gain a sum suffimoned by both parties to identify the cient to preserve his wife from famine, unfortunate cup. The farmer sturdily Philip had earned by his midnight appealed to his own inscription on the labours the silver appropriated to the rim-the learned deemster maintained May-Elf of the Isle, and that this was that it was a legend evidently of the the occasion of his mysterious absences Consul Sylla's period, and applied to from home. An explanation so touchme to confirm his opinion. I endea- ing, and the reluctance with which he voured to satisfy my secret sense of gave it, implied too much tender and justice, and to conciliate both oppo- generous feeling to allow any suspinents by observing, that there were cion in my mind that he had been other marks on the vase which had the colleague of robbers, though a not been noticed when we found it strong temptation might have shaken in the haunted mansion." Why there him for a moment. And he steadily now, bless his honour!" said Farmer persisted to me in the account he had Faustuff, "his young judgeship is right given his wife of the unknown sailor," --there is my dame's name at short whom I determined to believe the Gason the flaggon top-ELIZ. FAUS- con in disguise. To the great surprise TUFF but the zed looks rather of the farmer, the deemster, and the like an X."-" Man," interrupted the good people of the Isle, I undertook antiquary, in a rage, "thou reversest the his cause, and obtained his acquittal. inscription-it is manifestly to be read After it had been pronounced, Philip thus-FAUSTUS FEELIX-What and his Geraldine were invited to sup thou mistakest for a second F is an E." with me at the house of my friendly "Lord, Sir! but I cannot mistake antiquarian, who still persisted in prothe plough-colter which I figured there secating his claims to the silver vase ATHENEUM. Vol. 4. S 138 Manners and Customs of the Modern Persians. [VOL. 4 with all the spirit of a Manxman in law. Ah! quels hommes!-what eventments! It was the fifth of the month, and I -Encore I say again, Monsieur, under had begun to congratulate myself on this sky-blue, where I can see the thirthe failure of the Virgilian oracle, teen pear-trees of Homer's old gentlewhich my success on that day had man, (not more venerables than the falsified, when a large packet was pears of le grand Henri at Ivry) I brought to me, bearing on its inner Acognise my absent friend.. There cover the post-mark of Corfu. The letter never was but one dog ingrate here, --but I must copy it all, for no extract and that was a Lancaster puppy: Et or abridgement would do it justice. puis, which I do not know how you say with your English tongue, that villaindog (which l'histoire calls Math) was servant to an English king, and had never seen le grand nation. Accept, Monsieur, assurances of my high consideration. 66 A MONSIEUR-MONS.- LE MARQUIS DE GONFLECŒUR. "I have sent back the silver pipkin." This letter was accompanied by a box containing a rich blue velvet vest, "I pray my very good friend will do me the honour much great of making l'amende honorable for me to Monseigneur le Deemster, for giving him capriole on mine little black horse, and putting monself into his chateau with Monsieur Faustuff's coupe d'argent, which I borrowed for one little occasion. Agreèz, Monsieur, to believe it was not convenience for me to stay in the Man's isle, but I never cannot for- an Albanian shawl and ataghan of get Monsieur's bounty when he help me curious manufacture, and a little of the out of the window. Non, M.-I have soft chalk formerly used to seal letters. come to deposit my cinders at this These articles amply indemnified my Corfou, which they call in antiquity antiquary for the loss of his silver vase, turn-by-turn Drepannum, Macria,Sche- and honest Philip's acquittal was comrie, Corcyre, Cassiopée et meme Argos! plete. I have since heard that the mar-Ulysees was thrown here without his quis is honourably settled as interpreter to a Pacha in the Morea, and I have no coat-Le grand Alexandre when he was baby came to be citizen here-Caton reason to put faith in Virgil's line, rencontred Ciceron in this ile after the "Some days are fortunate-the fifth beware!" kicks of fortune before the Triumvirs. V. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN MODERN PERSIA. From the Literary Gazette, Aug. 1818. A SECOND JOURNEY THROUGH PERSIA, ARMENIA, ASIA MINOR, &C. BETWEEN THE YEARS 1810 AND 1816. BY JAMES MORIER, ESQ. &c. &c. TH LONDON. 1818. HIS is one of the books of travels sive, and performed under circumstanwhich no intelligent person can ces highly favourable to the pursuit of peruse without feelings of entire satis- knowledge; his liberal education and faction. The countries it describes are great acquirements, especially in orienreplete with interest of every kind, from tal literature, furnished the clue to obancient associations, and from modern jects of most importance, and capacity condition. Our religious persuasions, to weigh their pretensions and decide our classical recollections, our present upon their merits. Thus his Journey curiosity, are all engaged in the inquiry; is full of valuable matter, and written in and it is a treat of no common occur- that easy unaffected style which be rence, when we are gratified in all these speaks at once the scholar and the genparticulars by the ability of the author, tleman. That it has afforded us infiwhose pages we fly to consult. Mr. nite pleasure, may be gathered from Morier possessed all the requisites: his these few remarks; and we will not station was eminent, and afforded him delay our readers from partaking with the means of investigation; his travels us, though we are sensible that we canthrough Persia were various and exten- not do any thing like justice to the VOL. 4.] Eastern Astrologers-Aspect of Persia. 139 Dirtiness, solitude, and heat are the chief characteristics, not only of this town, but of all the shores of the Persian Gulf. Altho' Bushire is the principal Persian seaport, yet it does not in connection with Bussora employ annually more than eight ships under English colours, and about six under Muscat, making about 4500 tons of shipping. They have no navy either for war or commerce. work by the extracts and observations are greater predestinarians than the Perwhich we shall be able to produce. Se- sians; and, consequently, take less prelection is not easy, where, by opening cautions to avert what futurity might at any page we should be certain of fall- have in store for them." ing upon something worthy of notice, in a production in which the fruit of six years is compressed into a single volume. The British Mission, it will be recollected, left this country in July 1810, with the Persian ambassador, then returning home from our court, where he had resided nine months. They sailed in the Lion, 64, the ship which carried Lord Macartney to China, touched at Madeira, spent a fortnight at Rio de Janeiro, landed at Cochin, and on the 6th of January cast anchor in Bombay. Thence, after some stay, they sailed up the Persian Gulf, and arrived safely at Bushire on the 1st of March. The Persians are indeed quite timid and apprehensive in their aquatic movements; and even crossing a river in a boat is reckoned a service of danger. The contrast between Persia and England is well painted on the landing of an European : "It was now near two years since the Persian ambassador had quitted his country; and, as it was of great impor- "Accustomed as his eye has been to tance that he should set foot upon it neatness, cleanliness, and a general apunder the most favourable auspices, he pearance of convenience in the exteriors waited until the astrologers had fixed of life, he feels a depression of spirits in upon a lucky moment, which was at beholding the very contrary. Instead three hours after sunrise on the follow- of houses with high roofs, well glazed ing morning, viz. the 3d of March. At and painted, and in neat rows, he finds that hour he quitted the Lion, with all them low, flat-roofed, without windows, the honours due to his rank; and, when placed in little connexion. In vain he arrived close to the beach, he evinced a looks for what his idea of a street may feeling that did honour both to his heart be; he makes his way thro' the narand understanding. Owing to the want rowest lanes, incumbered with filth, of a regular landing place, he was obli- dead animals, and mangy dogs. He ged to be carried out of the boat on hears a language totally new to him, men's shoulders. A number of Persians spoken by a people whose looks and pressed around him, offering their ser- dress are equally extraordinary. Instead vices; but he refused them, and desired of our smooth chins and tight dresses, that the English sailors might bear him he finds rough faces masked with beards on shore, saying, by them he had been and mustachios, in long flapping clothes. brought thus far, and by them he would He sees no active people walking about be landed,—a sort of attention well cal- with an appearance of something to do, culated to gain the hearts of the sailors. but here and there he meets a native "Almost every town in Persia has its just crawling along in slip-slop shoes. munajem, or astrologer; and frequent- When he seeks the markets and shops, ly great men have one attached to their a new and original scene opens upon person, who regulates all the actions of him. Little open sheds in rows, betheir lives. It will be seen, during the tween which is a passage, serving as a course of this narrative, of what univer- street, of about eight feet in breadth, are sal influence this dependence on the to be seen, instead of our closely shut aspect of the heavenly bodies has upon shops, with windows gaily decked. Here the lives of the Persians,-a custom the vender sits surrounded with his which can only be accounted for by antiquity. The belief in astrology is not so universal with the Turks, who wares." Few robberies are committed notwithstanding this apparent insecurity; 140. Manners and Customs in Modern Persia. [VOL, 4 but we discover many curious charac- Prophet of God, and Ali is the Lieuteristics, which more broadly, and some tenant of God; and in virtue of which of them not so honourably, distinguish the child is received among the number. this people from those of European na- of the true believers. But it is retions. Before proceeding from Bushire markable that immediately after this to Shiraz, we shall select a few of they performed a ceremony which may them. Customs at a birth very natu- be supposed to have an indistinct referrally take precedence:- "The Persians look upon a son as a blessing, and its birth is announced with great ceremony to the father. Some confidential servant about the harem is usually the first to get the information, when he runs in great haste to his master, and says, "Mujdeh !" or, good news, by which he secures to himself a gift, which generally follows the Mujdeh.-Among the common people, the man who brings the Mujdeh, frequently seizes on the cap or shawl, or any such article belonging to the father, as a security for the present to which he holds himself entitled. These circumstances may help to illustrate the passage in Jeremiah, xx. 15: "Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, Aman child is born unto thee, making him very glad." When it is recollected that there are no rejoicings on the birth of the daughter, but that on the contrary, every one is as backward to inform the father of it, as they were forward on the birth of a son, the whole force of the passage will be felt; and it will appear they were informed of the event by men, as they are at the present day. "When a woman feels the pains of labour, she not only calls the mamaché, or midwife (who is generally an old woman,) but also all her friends and relations, who gather round the bed until the delivery of the child. They then wash it, clothe it, and swathe it in a long bandage, called the Kandak, that entirely encircles the child from its neck downwards, keeping its hands pinioned to its sides, so that it can stir neither hand nor foot. They then place it under the same bed-clothes with the mother. The midwife then pronounces the Kelemeh Islma in the ear of the child, which is the profession of the Mussulman faith. That which the Shiahs pronounce is, God is God, there is but one God, Mihomed is the ence to Christianity; for in the room where the child is born, the midwife takes a sword, and with the point draws a line upon the four walls of it,— when one of the women in attendance inquires, What are you about? The other answers, I am tracing a tower for Mariam and her child-whence this originates, or why it is retained, I could never learn. ------ The Persians, as Mahomedans, profess indeed some respect for the author of Christianity, though Christians are always dogs to them; and after all, the tower for Mary and her son may be intended as a confinement for them, and to prevent their future influence on the faith of the newborn Shiah. "To a boy they give the breast for two years and two months, and to a female only for two years complete. On the day that the child is to be weaned they carry it to the Mosque, and after having performed certain acts of devotion, they return home, and collecting their friends and relations, they give a feast, of which they make the child also partake. The coincidence with Scripture is here also remarkable. “And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned." Genesis xxi. 8. "The Persian nurses scarcely ever take the bandages off their children; consequently they soon become filthy-they dye their hands and hair with Khena. What they most carefully guard against is the evil eye, which is as much feared in Persia as in other parts of Asia. They hang about the child's neck, or sew in its cap, a bangle, the colour of a turquoise, which they look upon as the most fortunate, and serves to annul the glance of an evil eye. They also insert paragraphs of the Koran, into little bags, which they sew on the child's cap, or on its sleeves, esteeming them great preservatives against sickness. If a visitor should praise the looks of a |