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Leader (1850-1860), 14th October 1854, Edition Country of 2, Page 17

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      Among Now Works Advertised As Forthcomin...

      Britain , by Mr . H . B . Thomson , Barrister-at-Law ; a Manual of Mercantile Law , by Mr . Lkone Lkvi ; and Four Years at the Court of Henry VIII ., in the form of selections from the despatches of Sebastian Guistinian , Venetian Ambassador at that monarch ' s court , translated by Mr . Rawdon Brown . Another " to be published shortly , " is A new Christmas Book , by Mr . Thackeray , who , by-the-by , it is said , meditates a second lecturing-tour in America as soon as his Newcomes is finished . In the somewhat vague category of ' nearly ready , " we observe , The Fibrous Plants of India , fitted for Cordage , Clothing , and Paper , by Dr . Fokbes Eoyle ; the Literary Remains of Henri / Fynes Clinton ; the Geography of Herodotus illustrated by Modern Researches , by Mr . J . Talboys "Wheeler ; the Traditions and

      Superstitions of the JVew Zealanders , by Mr . 3 £ dwaki » Shoetxand ; a novel called Ethel , or Hie Dotible Error , by Mariax James . Still farther in the distance , apparently , but announced as " preparing for publication , " or under some such head , are , Sir David Bbewster ' s new Life , Writings , and Discoveries of Sir Isaac New ' on ; a collection of the Letters of John Calvin , edited by Dr . Jui . es Bonxet ; a new work by the erratic , seuiimytbical J \ Ir . George Borrow , entitled Romany Rye ( something , we suppose , in the romantic Gipsy vein ); two volumes of translations by the same anomalous personage—one called Songs of Europe , and consisting . of translations from all European languages , the other Kcsni pe Viser , and consisting of legends from the Danish ; a work on

      Polynesian Afythology , hy Sir George Grey ; a Note-look of Adventure in the Wilds of Australia , by Mr . W . Howctt ; a volume entitled Domestic Life during the Civil War , by Mr . 13 ErwoRni Dixon ; a work with the similar title of Town Life of the Restoration , hy Mr . Bell ; a Hand-book for Young Painters , by Mr . Leslie ; Mrs , Jameson ' s Common-place Book ; the concluding volume of Colonel Sabine ' s translation of 11 cmboldt ' s Cosmos ; a book called Habits and Men , by Dr . Doran ; and one entitled Philosophy at the Foot of the Cross , by Mr . J . A . St . John . The public , anticipating advertisements , is expecting Mr . Macauxay ' s new volumes of . his-History of

      England , the concluding volume of Mr . Grote ' s great History of Greece , and the tlird volume of Lord John Russelx's most slovenly issue of the Memorials and Correspondence ofCharles James-Fox ; and Mr . Kate , fresh from the Life of 'Lord' Metcalje , takes up a great subject in the Governors-General of India . Finally , new tales are understood to be in the loom from Mr-Charles Lever , Miss Jewsbuky , Mrs . Mabsh , Mrs . IIubback , and Mrs . Moozdie ; new biographies to be in preparation by Mr . John Fokster and Mr . Dennistoun ; and new pooms , by Mr . Alexander Smith and Mr . Sydney Yendys . Such , so far as we have information , are the literary prospects of the season .

      October 14, 1854.] The Leader. 977

      October 14 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 977

      Mr. Robert Chambers, Of Edinburgh, Has P...

      Mr . Robert Chambers , of Edinburgh , has publicly protested against the manner in which the Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen , which he edited twenty-two years for the Messrs . Bjcackie , of Glasgow , is being now reissued by that firm . The new edition of the -work , it seems , is under the superintendence of other parties than Mr . Chambers ; and , as there have been some criticisms on the new work for its inaccuracy , Mr . Chambers thinks he is injured by the insufficient announcement , or the non-announcement , of that fact on the title-page . He also says , that had he been made aware that a revised reprint of the work was determined on , he " would have claimed some right of interference , " as the original author .

      Turkey—Its History Ani> Progress. From T...

      TURKEY—ITS HISTORY ANI > PROGRESS . From the Journals and Correspondence of Sir- James Porter , Fifteen Years Ambassador at Constantinople . Continued to the Present Time . With a Memoir of Sir James Porter . By his Grandson , Sir George Larpent , Bait . Hurst and Blackett . Sir G-eorgk Larpent , ex-city-inomber , and retiredTnerchant , seems , on leaving business , to have discovered that he had not sold off all his stock — and is accordingly , in a plain mercantile way , bringing all his " papers " into the market . Member of a family which during the last 100 years has been in in

      busy important posts commerce , politics , and the " services , " he appears to have become the depositary of nu enormous mass of manuscripts — memoirs , and letters : and theso ho is engaged in diligently collecting and collating into books—a sort of literature " as per invoice . " lie " did" last year a Larpent , a relative , of course , who was n chief of the commissariat ux tho Peninsular war , and who loft "behind him a variety of anecdotes which were good , of the Duke of Wellington , Lord Hill , and others : and which , strung into connexion with an averugo old newspaper account of the campaigns , constituted a pleasant , gossipping , and , in many resnocts , verv

      usetul ftoolc . lias year wo have a book about Turkey—which comes about in this manner . Tho maternal grand father of Sir George Larpent was bir James Porter , many years the reprcscjntativc—half envoy , half consul — of Eng land at Constantinople . This Sir James Porter , a person of humble Irish family , who crept into diplomacy as a useful man who knew all about commerce at a period when our statesmen knew nothing of it , und had never dreamed of a Board of Trade , seems to have been of an acute character and observant disposition . Blessed with an indillbrenco to ambition , ana an easy fortune acquired ero ho grew old , he retired from diplomacy in time to enjoy a learned and happy leisure , which ho bemuled by recording all that he had learned and all that ho saw of the Turks , and , generall y , by writing Ids anecdoticul reminiscences of his career , which , ^ uunniwiitcn at iunnn \ viion

      - ... « uu ., ^ , v - Alarm Thuresu hnd Kreat difll-««» f } " £ P K ° ? " t ' je great Frederick . These papers Sir George Larpont X ™ . h VV ° rtU > vhlle to Pr o » cnt to th « world : and Turkey being the topio ol tho day , upon theso papers winch lie crushes confusedly into one

      volume , he bases a second volume , even more incoherent , composed of articles of his own , gathered from an extensive " cram , " respecting the present political , social , and commercial condition of the Ottoman Empire . It is , thus , a book of unblushing and not very skilful book-making . But it has its merits . Ignor mt of literary art and tact , and not possessing any profound insight into the historical politics of the " Eastern Question , * Sir George Larpunfc has sit least the advantages , as a man of business , of knowin g what the public wants : and it must be admitted that in this ungainly book is to be found the fullest statement to be obtained anywhere of those particulars respectin" - contemporary Turkey , of which it is desirable that at this moment England should be well informed . In short , it is the sort of book which would la a splendid book—were it only edited . Without , therefore , attempting literary criticism , we make extracts which are serviceable as bringing into view the exact facts of the condition of the state for whose integrity and independence the heights of Alma and the fortresses of Sebastopol have been stormed .

      TUB SOCIAL HIERARCHY . On the first establishment of the Ottoman ' Empire , democracy formed the basis of Mussulman society . Eventually , when Islamism had converted a sect into a state , the dogma of absolute equality , established by Muhammad and scrupulously maintained by the four first Chalifes , necessarily underwent some modifications ; the words of the Koran were relied upon— " Oh , Mussulmans ! subject yourselves to God , the Prop 3 iets ; and those among you who are invested with authority , " in order to establish , not the principle of Divine right ( for tlie responsibility of the sovereign towards his subjects has constantly been admitted by all the surinite nations ) , but the principle of authority , -without which no government is possible . However , the former equality did not cease to exist , even , in fact ; and each of the subjec t s , at the same time as it was allowed him , and even enforced , to call the Chief of the State to account for any transgressions of the laws , continued to exercise certain exorbitant rights inherent in his sLmple quality of Mussulman .

      Hence it follows that , contrary to the opinion received in Europe , there never existed in Turkey a nobility , or privileged classes . On one hand , the ecclesiastical society was not distinct from the religious ; on the other ,- the generally admitted view" of the constant intervention of Deity in the slightest circumstances of life , not only among nations , but -with individuals , rendered it impossible to establish an aristocracy enjoyin g hereditary rights or privileges . Among a people where a man was only regarded as an instrument in the hands of the Supreme Judge , there could only be slight social differences , and honours were only bestowed for life , and were strictly personal . All commenced and ended , consequently ,, with the individual . The empire alone was hereditary , State reasons authorising this departure from the precepts of religion , and from common law . For this reason , the Imperial House is tlie only one in Turkey which has a name , and a direct and recognised dissent . No other family is designated by a peculiar name . Each individual receives , at the moment of his birth , a name which descends to the grave with him . This name , either formed from an

      Arabic epithet , as Muhammad ( praised ) , Mustapha ( chosen ) , Abd-ul-lah ( servant of God ) , Abd-ul-Hamid ( servant of the revered God ) , Salyh ( honest ) , Khalil ( friend ); at other times derived from the Old oi- New Testament , as Ibrahim ( Abraham ) , Yussul ( Joseph ) , Jakoub ( Jacob ) , Ismail ( IshmaeT ) , Daoud ( David ) , Suleiman ( Solomon ) , Isa ( Jesus ) . These are ordinarily accompanied by a soubriquet , derived from some physical defect or quality , in order to distinguish hini from others bearing the same name : Rutchuk ( the little ) , Guenglu ( the squmter ) , Thopal ( the hunchback ) . At Rome , the names of Lentulus , Cicero , & c , had an analogous origin . Sometimes , also , these names are derived from the parentage , place of birth , or profession : Rescind Kutayi ( Resch id of Kutahia ) , Mehemed Oglu Hassan ( Mehemed , son of Hassan ) , & c . On other occasions , tho profession of the father serves as a patronymic to his children , as , Ibrahim Papoutchee Oglou ( Ibrahim , son of the slipper-maker ) , or simply Papoutchou Oglu . This paucity of surnames , however , may lead at times to most unpleasant confusions , as the following anecdote we quote from Captain Slade will sufficiently prove . The gallant captain is describing the scenes which occurred in the Btreets of Constantinople during the reign of Mahraud , and the process by which the

      antirefonners were converted . The accused , without warning or trial , wherever they w ere found , ( if in a public place , if not , in tho nearest ) , were instantly beheaded . The proce ' s'verbal was simple ;—Are you so-and-so , Hassan , or Achmet , or Zadik ?—True , I am Achmet ; what do you want ?—We want your head ; kneel down without disturbance . —Oh ! this is a mistake ; you mean that Achmet , or that : I am not the man . —You are the man ; wo are looking for a certain Achmet with a long nose and large eyes ; you have a long nose and large eyes , and are called Achmet , therefore must be the man who is convicted of treason againBt our Lord . —I protest this is a calumnious falsehood ; I pray you go elsewhere ; I am not the maul—Hear the blasphemer ! not content with conspiring ug & inst our Lord , he denies his guilt , instead of bo-wing at once to our Lord ' s clemency ; kneel , wretch!—liy tho Prophet ! by my father ' s beard , by my soul , I swoar I am innocent ; this h a mistake . Thua saying , falls his head . This exposure to un unpleasant equivoque , renders it fortunate , rather than otherwise , for an Osmanli to have a personal defect which may obtain for him a surname ; as , for example , Selim One-eye , or Mustnpha Crook-back , or Avni Clubfoot , is not liable to become a head shorter through a mistake .

      However , towards the cloao of tho last century , aome families were in existence among the Ulcma who had retained putronyniico , contrary to custom . Such were the three families , Dareh Zade , Peri Zade , ami Dumiit Za < U' ,. whoso descendants enjoyed tho additional and hereditary privilege of being admitted into tUo body of tUo Ulumn , without having taken their degree » in tho Medrcasoa . Tho Kiuprili , who handed down their name to their descendants , nlno form nn exception to the rule . Thoro were also aomo exceptions to those rules in the Asiatic portion of the empire : Hero there woro certain privileged noblemen , culled Derobfcys , which literally menus " Lords of tho Valleys . " They had submitted to Turkish rule on tennH , and held their districts by feudal tenure . One or two of thooo lords of tho valleys were

      ostimablo men , and continued by inheritance a . kind of hereditary oxcollonec from father to soil . Tho ( family of Kara Osman Oglu was long known in Aaia Minor , and all travellers fljicuk of them as improvers of the country , and conferring ft blonwintf on tho district over which thoy presided . Tho rest wore , like all tho oOwpring of sucli a system , potty denpots , abusing the powor conferred upon thorn by tho moat avwl i \ n <\ arbitrary acts , which human nature always indulges in when it linn perfect , impunity , and is not responsible to any tribunal but its own will . Sultan Mahinud limited tho authority of theao independent vanaalfl in a great moiiHuro . Uo rendered them innoxious , by inviting the most distinguished to Btiunboul , und appointed them to placow of honour and proilt .

      This forms nearly tho whole of tho aristocratic daman t whiuh iimkos ita nppiwirancs in the Ottoman society ; or , whomever it made Un uppoaninoo , tho nation and Ilia Imamrt immediately united to combat , it , the former in l ) i « nainoof tho equality written in tho Koran , tlic Imams in tho name of ilia integrity of t » o political power . Tikis circumstance munt not bo omitted iu thu oiimnorntiun of thooausos of tho greatno . sa and decadence of Turkey . If , on tho other hand , it contributed , by tho frco couraiit

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 14, 1854, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14101854/page/17/