sion of the government. Every house at the death of its master is at the grand-signior's disposal; and therefore no man cares to make a great expense, which he is not sure his family will be the better for.1 All their design is to build a house commodious, and that will last their lives; and they are very indifferent if it falls down the year after.2 7 Every house great and 4 small is divided into distinct parts, which only join together by a narrow passage. The first house has a large court before it, and open galleries all round it; which is to me a thing very agreeable. This gallery leads to all the chambers, which are commonly large, and with two rows of windows, the first being of painted glass: they seldom build above two stories, each of which has galleries. The stairs are broad, and not often above thirty steps. This is the house belonging to the lord, and the adjoining one is called the haram, that is, the ladies' apartment (for the name of seraglio is peculiar to the grand-signior); it has also a gallery running round it towards the garden, to which all the windows are turned, and the9 same number of chambers as the other,10 but more gay and splendid, both in painting and furniture. The second row of windows is very low, with grates like those of convents; 11 the rooms are all spread with Persian carpets,12 and raised at one end of them (my chambers are partient au maître. Il commu- To dans ce corps de logis que dans l'autre. 11 Turn, 'The windows of the second row are very small, and with grates (et grillées) like those of our convents;' a full stop here, 12 Les appartements sont tapissés de tapis de Perse. The national adjective is hardly used, in such cases, except when speaking of articles of dress: thus we say, des vins d'Espagne, and un chapeau français. М raised at both ends) about two feet.1 This is2 the sofa, which is laid with a richer sort of carpet, and all round it a sort of couch, raised half a foot, covered with rich silk according to the fancy or magnificence of the owner. Mine is of scarlet cloth, with a gold fringe: round about this are placed, standing against the wall, two rows of cushions, the first very large, and the next little ones; and here the Turks display their greatest magnificence. They are generally brocade, or embroidery of gold wire upon white satin ;-nothing can look more gay and splendid. These seats are also so convenient and easy, that I believe I shall never endure chairs as long as I live.5 The rooms 6 are low, which I think no fault, and the ceiling is always of wood, generally inlaid or painted with flowers. They open in many places with folding-doors, and serve for 7 cabinets, I think, more conveniently than ours. Between the windows are little arches to set pots of perfume, or baskets of flowers. But what pleases me best, is the fashion of having marble fountains in the lower part of the room, which throw up several spouts of water, giving at the same time an agreeable coolness, and a pleasant dashing sound, falling from one basin to another.1 Some of these are very magnificent. Each house has a bagnio, which consists generally in two or three little rooms, leaded on the top, paved with marble, with basins, cocks of water, and all conveniences for either hot or cold baths. 10 You will perhaps be surprised at an account so different from what you have been entertained with by the common voyage-writers, who are very fond of speaking of what they 2 3 don't know. It must be under1 a very particular character, or on some extraordinary occasion, that a Christian is admitted into the house of a man of quality; and their harams are always forbidden ground. Thus they can only speak of the outside, which makes no great appearance; and the women's apartments are always built backwards, removed from sight, and have no other prospect than the gardens, which are enclosed with very high walls. There are none of our parterres in them ;5 but they are planted with high trees, which give an agreeable shade, and, to my fancy, a pleasing view. In the midst of the garden is the chiosk, that is, a large room, commonly beautified with a fine fountain in the midst of it.8 It is raised nine or ten steps, and enclosed with gilded lattices, round which vines, jessamines, and honeysuckles make a sort of green wall.9 Large trees are planted round this place, which is the scene of their greatest pleasures, and where the ladies spend most of their hours, employed by their 10 music or embroidery. 7 In the public gardens there are public chiosks, where people go that are not so well accommodated at home, and drink their coffee, sherbet, &c. Neither are they ignorant of a more durable manner of building :11 their mosques are all of freestone,12 and the public hanns, or inns, extremely magnificent, many of them taking up a large square, built round with shops under stone arches,13 where poor artificers are lodged gratis. They have always a mosque joining to them,14 and the body of the hann is a most noble 9 'round which,' &c., le long desquels se développent , &c., qui font un rideau de verdure. 10 la plus grande partie de leur temps à faire de la. if Les Turcs n'ignorent pas la manière de bâtir solidement. 12 pierres de taille. 18 forment un grand carré, avec des arcades de pierre sous lesquelles se trouvent des boutiques, et.-' a large square built round; see page 60, note 2. 14 Une mosquée y est toujours attachée. 4 hall, capable of holding three or four hundred persons, the court extremely spacious, and cloisters round it,2 that give it the air of our colleges. I own I think it a more reasonable piece of charity than the founding of convents.3 I think I have now told you a great deal5 for once. If you don't like my choice of subjects, tell me what you would have me write upon; there is nobody more desirous to entertain you than, dear Mrs. Thistlethwayte, Yours,' &c. &c. THE BURNING OF MOSCOW. (1812.) On the 14th September, 1812, while the rear-guard of the Russians were in the act of evacuating Moscow, Napoleon reached the hill called the Mount of Salvation, because it is there that the natives kneel and cross themselves 10 at first sight of the Holy City. Moscow seemed lordly and striking as 11 ever, with the steeples of its thirty churches, and its copper domes glittering in the sun; its palaces of Eastern architecture mingled 1 In this sense only, must capable be used, in French, according to the ACADÉMIE, when speaking of things; but this injunction is far from being complied with by any one in many cases. See page 153, note 15. 2 avec une...., et une enceinte cloîtrée. 3 Turn, I own that I find that a foundation much more reasonably charitable than our convents.' 4 See page 7, note 7. 5 With such a construction, in French, every one would at once ask, 'a great deal, of what?' For the sake of more clearness, always use, in such cases, en, 'thereof,' 'thereon,' i. e., on the matter, or subject which has just occupied us. 6 Turn, 'If you don't like the choice of the things which I relate to you, indicate to me others (page 158, note 10) for the future.' 7 Turn, there is nobody that is more desirous (use tenir à, here, and see page 40, noto ) not to tire (ennuyer) you, dear Mrs. T—, than your. 8 Le 14 (quatorze-cardinal number). The first day of a month is the only one which is designated in French by an ordinal number (premier). 9 See p. 55, n. 8, and p. 41, n. 8 with trees, and surrounded with gardens; and its Kremlin, a huge triangular mass of towers, something between1 a palace and a castle, which rose like a citadel out of the general mass of groves and buildings. But not a chimney sent up smoke, not a man appeared on the battlements, or2 at the gates. Napoleon gazed every moment expecting to see a train of bearded3 boyards arriving to fling themselves at his feet, and place their wealth at his disposal. His first exclamation was, "Behold at last that celebrated city!"4-His next, "It was full time.”5 His army, less regardful of the past or the future, fixed their eyes on the goal of their wishes, and a shout of "Moscow ! -Moscow!" passed from rank to rank. 8 When he entered the gates of Moscow, Bonaparte, as if anwilling to encounter the sight of the empty streets, stopped immediately on entering the first suburb. His troops were quartered in the desolate city. During the first few hours 10 after their arrival, an obscure rumour, which could not be traced,11 but one of those which are sometimes found to get abroad before the approach of some awful certainty, announced that the city would be endangered by fire 12 in the course of the night. The report seemed to arise from those evident circumstances which rendered the event probable, but no one took any notice of it, until at midnight, when 13 the soldiers were startled from their quarters, by the report that the town was in flames. The memorable conflagration began amongst the coachmakers' warehouses and workshops in the Bazaar, or general market, which was the most rick district of the city. It was imputed to accident, and the progress 14 of the flames was subdued by the exertions of |