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Felix Alvarez.

[VOL. 4 impeding the rays of the sun, seemed ed as well from the outside as from to hasten him to his bed, bringing within. Proceeding with caution, Feearlier on the night, for the arrfval of lix gently pushed the door open, but which Alvarez and his party so anx- was scarcely able to distinguish clearly iously longed. It came at last, and the the objects that presented themselves, conspiring clouds shot out every twink- from the quantity of smoke which filled ling star, whose ray might have too the great, and almost only room of the soon betrayed the approach of the venta, for the lofts above stairs hardly death-bearing guerillas. They left deserved to be so called; this was a their ambush, and gaining the road combination of the smoke which the they arrived within a few yards of the strong wind prevented from ascending venta unperceived. The soldiers had through the ill-contrived chimney, and retired within it, to their supper; and that which had passed through the apparently mirth presided at the ban- mouths of the soldiers, who were requet, for the rude noise of their loud galing themselves with the tobacco of laughter fell upon the ears of Alvarez which they had robbed Felix. and his companions. The open shed "The noise of their mirth had a by the side of the house was still occu- little abated, or rather was drawn to pied, as when Felix and Julian passed. one point by the attention of the whole The horses of half the detachment were to the song of one man, who was ranged under it, ready for mounting; amusing his comrades and himself, by their bridles only were wanting, and singing a French chanson de table: these were suspended from the pum- and this temporary silence rendered mels of their saddles on one side, more electric the shock which was whilst the sabres of the dragoons hung produced by the pistol of Felix, with on the other. A solitary sentry paced which he effectually and eternally sialong this line of horses, and the clang lenced the voice of the singer. of his empty sabre sheath, as it drawled "The confusion that ensued is not along the ground, responsive to his to be described, and it must be left to measured footsteps, was the only sound the imagination to picture the bloody from without the inn which mingled sacrifice of which it was the prelude; with the indications of mirth from if any are revolted at the scene which within.

"Having ascertained from this circumstance that their horses were guarded but by one man, Felix advanced to the shed with his band.

presents itself to their minds, let it be remembered, that the Spaniards were seeking redress by the law of retaliation, when no other law was respected, and that in the execution of its dictates "Qui vive?' vociferated the sen- of taking life for life, they were puntinel. ishing, by a rapid and almost instanta"The answer was a fatal one. The neous death, those who were delibesoldier fell deprived of the power of rately and wantonly inflicting torture, repeating the question or giving the and committing murder under the most alarm. The horses were quickly bri- aggravating circumstances of cruelty. dled, and the sabres in the hands of Nor can it be said that they were punthe guerillas, who were before only ishing the innocent for the guilty; for armed with such weapons as could be although the dragoons of La Matilla concealed-pistols, knives, and dag- were not perhaps the ravagers of the gers. A sufficient number of the party valley of Almaraz, yet the infection remained with the horses to protect had spread too far in the ranks of the them, whilst others, headed by Julian, French army; the thirst for plunder, went round the house in search of the and the consequent indifference, or other stable, where they expected to delight in the production of human find the remaining horses. Alvarez misery, was too general for any part of led the rest of his men to the venta. it to escape its influence: and Alvarez The door was confined by a wooden felt, as the work of death was going on, latch, which was capable of being rais- that although no hand there had held

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the brand that fired Las Casas, nor wife, though not possessed of personal fixed the fatal knot that deprived his beauty, from her situation as head of father of life, yet, that he was avenging the society in the town, was courted, the destruction of many another village, flattered, and attended by all the French and the fate of many another parent. officers of the garrison. A beautiful and "The guerillas were not long in premature spring day, although in the effecting their purpose. The manner bad season of the year, had tempted in which the soldiers were surprised, Dona Juana, to propose a ride into the and the confusion of mingled friends country, which proposal was agreed to and enemies in the venta, greatly by three French officers, who accomassisted them. Five or six of the men panied her. The day continued fine, who were in the stable with the unsad- the conversation was pleasing; the dled horses, when Julian's party had Senora, flattered by all that was said to attacked them, had opposed no resist her, thought not of returning, and the ance, but saved themselves by flight; ride was lengthened much beyond the of the rest of the detachment, not one distance from the town, at which pruremained to tell the tale: one of the dence would have told them to stop, guerillas had been killed, and two for unescorted parties of French, or slightly wounded. Those who had afrancesados, as the Spanish advocates fled would certainly alarm the troops at of the French cause were called, were Caceres or at Truxillo, and a speedy often attacked and massacred by a retreat was necessary. They posses- crowd of peasants, if they ventured too sed themselves of the horses and arms far from their head-quarters. of their victims, and having taken all that was found of any value about their persons, they assembled round Alvarez to receive his orders."

After this exploit, Alvarez and his patriotic followers secreted themselves in the Sierra, where they gradually increased in numbers and in discipline, to the great terror of the French, and those disloyal Spaniards who adhered to them. The following is a curious instance of guerilla warfare and summary punishment.

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Nothing occurred to excite the idea of danger in the minds of this party, until they met a dragoon at full speed coming towards them; they stopped him, and inquired the cause of his alarm. This man was one of a piquet of four men, which was stationed in a neighbouring village to enforce the performance of a requisition for provisions, which had been sent there. The provisions were ready and loaded on the mules; but they were prevented from commencing their journey by the arrival of Alvarez and his patriots, guided by the information of one of the villagers. Three of the plquet were sacrificed; the fourth escaped by flight, but was closely followed by some of Felix's men. During the time which the dragoon took to tell his story to Dona Juana and the officers, the pursuers appeared in view, and at the sight the dragoon again set forth, accompanied by the three officers and the lady,

Amongst the inhabitants who continued in the different towns occupied by the French, there were found many who not only adhered to the cause of the mock King, but who accepted and performed the functions of civil offices under his government. The excuse of such of these as afterwards thought it necessary to excuse their conduct was, that, being acquainted with the existing laws and customs of their fellow-citizens, and partaking of the evils resulting from all of whom applied every weapon of the intrusion of new ones, they were excitement to the animals which bore more likely to reconcile the old with them. But fear suspended the powers the new state of things, and to render of the lady, and fatigue those of her the burthen less intolerable than a horse; she was left behind by her stranger and a foreigner, not to say a flatterers, and overtaken by the guerilFrenchman. A rich and respectable las. In their hands her life was safe : inhabitant of Xeres was of this number; bat unbappily for her, one of them was he exercised one of the highest civil a townsman of Xeres, to whom she offices in Xeres, under the French. His was well known. Upon recognizing

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Manners, Character, and Customs of the Persians.

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her, he told his companions, in a few towards Xeres, whilst the laughing words, her name, rank, connexion with patriotas galloped off in an opposite the French, and the public employ- direction." ment of her husband. This was too This is no fictitious anecdote: our Aagrant an instance of desertion from author, in a note, assures us, that the the patriotic cause to pass unpunished; report of this story found its way to yet the sex of the criminal forbade the Cadiz, and was the subject of conversummary execution of the punishment sation, at the time it happened, in many which the crime merited. In this dif- societies, where the unfortunate lady to ficulty, one of them suggested an ex- whom it occurred was known. pedient which they instantly proceeded We have not room to follow Alto put into execution having made varez in his various adventures. Sufthe unhappy lady dismount, they tied fice it to relate, that having been seher horse to a tree, and some of them verely wounded, and taken prisoner by proceeded to tie her to the trunk of the French, whom he had pursued too another, with her face to the tree, eagerly on their expulsion, his life was round which her arms were bound: a preserved, he regained his liberty, and number of pieces of sharp prickly furze returned to Seville. Here he meets were then tied together in a bundle, with Ismena, whom affection, and the with which one of the guerillas without report of his danger had brought thithceremony inflicted such chastisement er. Being now mistress of her fortune, upon the raging and blushing Senora she united her fate to his; and the as is not unfrequently administered by wife of El Vengador henceforth para severe pedant to his idle or wicked ticipated in all his toils as commander scholars. Having continued this ope- of the regiment of the Patriotas de la ration until they had rendered it high- Sierra Morena. From this time Alvaly inconvenient, if not impossible, for rez and his regiment were attached to the lady to make use of her horse, ac- the British army, which they accompacompanying their more impressive ar- nied through the remainder of the peguments with a great variety of patri- ninsular war : and their patriotic otic admonitions, they released her achievements only terminated with the from the tree, and politely offered to storming and subsequent capture of assist her to remount; which assist- the fortress of San Sebastian, where ance she was, however, under the Alvarez discovered his long-lost sister, necessity of refusing, and taking her and killed the traitor Mosquera. horse's bridle, she turned her steps

Concluded in our next.

CUSTOMS IN MODERN PERSIA.

From the Literary Gazette, Sept. 1818.

A SECOND JOURNEY THROUGH PERSIA, ARMENIA, ASIA MINOR, &C. BETWEEN THE YEARS 1810 AND 1816. BY JAMES MORIER, ESQ. &c. &c. LONDON. 1818.

TH HE manners of Persia are as singu- grievance was chiefly attributed to larly ehibited in popular move- Mirza Ahady, who, having been remeuts, and in the lesser circumstances leased from prison at Teheran, was perof life, as in their government, religion, mitted to return to Fars, to raise such and superstitions. In the former case, sums on the people as would satisfy indeed, as is not unfrequent in more en- the demands of the King. lightened countries, the innocent often suffer for the guilty, as the following story witnesseth:

Mirza Ahady, in conjunction with the Prince's mother, was believed to have monopolized all the corn of the country, and he had no sooner reached Shiraz, than he raised its price, which of course produced a correspondent advance in that of bread-Ventre affame

"About this time (of the Embassy,) great discontent was manifest at Shiraz, owing to an increase in the price of bread and there were symptoms of insurrection among the people. This n'a point d'oreilles--the people became

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of their hands; some snapped their fingers, making a noise like castagnets, others played the tambourine; and when all this was put into motion, with their voices roaring in loud chorus, the scene was unique.'

outrageous in their misery. As is (Lady's Ousely's accouchement.) His usual, in all public calamities in the dress, when he came to the AmbassaEast, they commenced by shutting their dor, was composed of a felt hat, the shops in the Bazar. They then resort- crown of which was made like ours, ed to the house of Sheikh-el-Islam, the but with two long ears projecting before, head of the law, requiring him to issue and two similar behind. Others of his a Fetwah, which might make it lawful troop were dressed in the same way; to kill Mirza Ahady, and one or two all looking grotesque; and I conjecmore, whom they knew to be his coad- tured that nothing could give one a jutors in oppressing them. They then better idea of satyrs and bacchanalians, appeared in a body before the Prince's particularly as they were attended by a palace, where they expressed their suite of monkeys, headed by a large grievances in a tumultuous way, and ape, which were educated to perform demanded that Mirza Ahady should all sorts of tricks. They carried copbe delivered up to them. Mahomed per drums, slung under the arm, which Zeky Khan was sent out by the Prince they beat with their fingers and the palm to appease them, accompanied by Mirza Bauke, the chief baker of the city, who was one of those whose life had been denounced. As soon as the latter appeared, he was overwhelmed with insults and reproaches, but he managed to pacify them, by saying, "What crime have I committed? Mirza Ahady is the man to abuse. If he sell us corn at extravagant prices, bread must rise in consequence." In the mean time, Mirza Ahady had secreted himself from "At Chors, and indeed at every the fury of the mob; but being coun- village by which they passed, they found tenanced by the Prince's mother, and it the fashion for the Ket Khoda and consequently by the Prince himself, he the inhabitants to come out, stand by let the storm rage, and solaced himself the road side, and make a regular doby making fresh plans for raising native of the village to the Anibassador, more money. The price of bread was by saying, This village is yours, and lowered for a few days, until the com- we are your slaves.' motion should cease; and as it was necessary that some satisfaction should be given to the people, all the bakers in the town were collected together, and publicly bastinadoed on the soles of their feet !!!"

The Looties, or Buffoons, attend at all merry-makings or public festivals, disregarding all delicacy in the style and manner of their wit:

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The people of the country were in general polite and hospitable, though sometimes they Red from the approach of the Embassy in dread of the requisitions for provisions and carriage :

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At an Eelaut encampment of black tents, however, says the author, “As I was making a sketch of them, of the tree, and of the village, an unbreeched urchin, who could scarcely lisp, saluted me with the appellation of Kiupek oglu, a dog's son. Then came an old Shepherd, with grave and suspicious looks, who said, There are some fierce dogs in these tents which will bite you, if "Princes, Governors of Provinces,&c. you stay here much longer. Upon as well as the King, have a band of these which I detained him as a sentinel over fellows in their pay, and they are looked his dogs, of which he did not much apupon as a necessary part of Persian state: prove; for it was easy to discover that they are composed of the most profligate his apprehension for my safety was of men, and can only advance in their only another mode of expressing his jeaprofession by superior ribaldry. Some lousy about a pack of his ragged and of them are endowed with great natural dirty wives in the tent." wit, which was the case with the Looti Basbee, or chief Looti, who attended the Ambassador on this occasion,

Their women are indeed most zealously guarded, as a droll adventure at Tabriz will shew :-

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"The keys of the gates are kept by of which the husband was both a the Governor of the city, and a camp drinker and a vender. But as the was formed without the town. One of Prince had prohibited the sale of this our serjeants going to the camp, having liquor and of wine, under very heavy arrived too late at the gate, went to the penalties, none was sold except in a Governor's house to seek the key. He clandestine manner, and that to persons inquired for the Governor, and was in- well known. The noises that issued formed that he was within; he proceed- from the adjoining houses were quite ed, and unknowingly found himself on characteristic of Persian domestic life. a sudden in the harem, in the midst of In my immediate vicinity lived an old many women, who shrieked out when morose Persian, who daily quarrelled they saw him, and sought to hide them- with his women; and I could distinselves. He there felt himself assailed guish the voice of one particular female, by numerous weapons, that were direct- whose answers, made in a taunting and ed at him by a man as well as by the querulous tone, did not fail to throw women; and finding himself closely him into passions so violent, that they pressed, he aimed a blow at the former, generally terminated in blows, the noise which alighted upon his mouth. The of which, accompanied by correspondsufferer proved to be the Governor in ing lamentation, I could distinctly hear. person, and who in this attack, asserted "Then, bordering on the garden that he had lost two teeth. Remon- wall, scarce twenty yards from where I strances were instantly made to the usually sat, was a society of women, Ambassador for this intrusion of one of five or six in number, the wives and his countrymen into a spot so sacred to slaves of a Mussulman, who were either a Persian; but the whole business was dissolved in tears, sobbing aloud like very good-naturedly forgiven, as soon children, or entranced in the most indeas an explanation had been made that cent and outrageous merriment. Somethe serjeant had erred through ignorance times they sang in the loudest tone, alone." accompanied by a tambourine; and In his lodgings at Tabriz, Mr. Morier then they quarrelled amongst themhad some slight opportunities of observ- selves, using every now and then exing the domestic habits of the natives. pressions of no ordinary indelicacy. Houses are taken without ceremony Accident once gave me a view into their from their owners, and assigned for the yard, where I saw three women surresidence of any persons protected by rounded by children, seated on the bare the court. It was twelve years since stones, smoking the kaleoon. They the owner of the abode provided for wore a large black silk handkerchief the Ambassador, had possessed his round their heads, a shift which deown house, and it was very unlikely scended as low as the middle, a pair of that he would ever occupy it again, as loose trowsers, and green high heeled it is no sooner left by one tenant than slippers; and this I believe may be it is immediately given to another. Mr. considered as a sketch of every Persian Morier's habitation 66 belonged to an woman's dress within the harem, in Armenian family, the head of which hot weather. was a Keshish, or priest: it consisted "But there are noises peculiar to (he proceeds) of several rooms, built every city and country; and none are upon terraces, looking upon two sides more distinct and characteristic than of a square, besides several other small those of Persia. First, at the dawn of unconnected rooms, situated here and day, the muezzins are heard in great there. A garden was attached to it, in variety of tones, calling the people to which were apple, pear, cherry, walnut, prayers from the top of the mosques; and sinjid (jujube) trees, besides rose- these are mixed with the sounds of cowtrees. Beneath my chambers were two horns, blown by the keepers of the under-ground rooms, where lived one hummums, to inform the women who of the priest's sons, and his wife. One bathe before the men, that the baths of the rooms was a magazine for arrack, are heated, and ready for their reception.

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