REMARKS. The population of the Islands in the British Seas not having been ascertained in 1801 and 1811, no comparative statement thereof can be given; the existing population of those Islands, when enumerated in the year 1821, appears to have been as follows;-viz. In the Isle of Man 40,084,-In the Island of Guernsey (and its dependent Islets) 20,827,-In the Island of Jersey, 28,600,-In the Scilly Isles, 2,614: In all these Islands, 92,122 inhabi tants. The number of males ascribed to the Army, Navy, &c. in May, 1821, is the nearest estimate that can at present be made of the Regular Army, the Artillery, the Navy, and Seamen employed in Registered Merchant Vessels.None of these classes can be ascribed to particular counties, nor consequently taken into account in the foregoing comparative statement, otherwise than in the general total; nor properly in that, without making allowance for the large number of foreigners (perhaps 100,000) employed as merchant seamen during the war, and consequently taken into account in 1811: nor without considering, that many soldiers and sailors are attributable to Ireland; which consideration would operate proportionally upon the larger number of men serving in 1811, as compared with the smaller number in 1821. In order, therefore, to avoid the uncertainty hereby indicated, the rate of increase has been separately calculated on the respective numbers of Females only, viz. 1801. 1821. Increase 1811. Increase or or 14.02 15.82 And the absolute increase of population in Great Britain (if measured by that of Females only) appears to have been about one million and a half in the first period, two millions in the second period. IRELAND. An abstract of the population of Ireland, according to the late census, printed by order of the House of Commons, makes the number of souls in 1821, in The enumeration of several counties in 1813 is also given; and it is curious to observe, that the increase of population has been beyond proportion greatest in the disturbed counties. The population in Cork County, in 1813, was 523,936 in 1821, it was 702,000. But the most extraordinary increase is that of Limerick; in 1813, it was 103,865; in 1821, it was 214,286—that is, it has more than doubled itself in eight years. THE MAHOMETAN CAPITAL. Constantine. Though aware of certain predictions, about this time to be MR. EDITOR. fulfilled, which wear a threatening asSIR,-At a period when the eyes of pect for the Turk, we decline entering the Christian world are turned to the into any prophetic calculations, not "mighty empire of the Ottoman," now less out of respect to the sacred nature shaking to its base under the united of the subject, than to afford space for strength of the Czar and the Persian, a descriptive picture, with historical with every prospect of its final subver-observations and anecdotes connected sion, it may not be uninteresting to with the "great city" of the East. your readers to cast a retrospective glance at that ancient seat of religion and learning, named after the great No. 39.-VOL. IV. Far from contenting ourselves, like some of your contemporaries' prints, both weekly and monthly, with origiY nal accounts of Constantinople, borrowed from Mary Wortley Montague, and other more recent travellers, we shall look back into ancient authorities, for the antiquitie of Constantinople, and how it became conquered by the Turkes. And for this we shall confess ourselves indebted to a curious old collection of divers matters, by divers authors, on divers subjects; entitled, The Treasurie of Ancient and Moderne Times; containing the learned collections, judicious readings, and memorable observations, not only divine, morall, and phylosophycall; but also poeticall, martiall, politicall, historicall, astrologicall, &c. &c. Translated out of that worthy Spanish gentleman, Pedro Mexio, and M. Francesco Lansouino, that famous Italian. As also of those honourable Frenchmen, Antonio de Vordeir, Lord of Vauprivaz, Logs Gugon, Sieur de la Vauche, Counsellor unto the King, &c. &c. Having thus given our readers every satisfaction in our power, as to the sources from which we draw our information, and which we honestly recom- | mend to all our brother journalists,we shall forthwith present them with this singular and eloquent old Englished Treatise on the merits of the Mahometan Capital. 66 Among all the famous inhabited citties of the world, there was never any (after Rome) that hath beene seene of so great strength and honour, as Constantinople, very highly renowned, bothe by the Greeks and Latines. Strabo calleth it magnificent; Plyny and Justine tearme it most noble; situated in a most excellent and fertile soyle, ennobled with great personages, and sumptuous buildings. It was a long time the cheefe citty and seate of the great empire, wherein have beene held many general couucils, for destroying and extirpation of infinite heresies. Many noble and notable occasions have therein happened, both in the prosperitie and tribulations thereof: and yet as we too well know it is fallen into captivitie, whereof wee will breefely declare the whole history. "It is a cittie in Europe, seated in the countrey of Thrace, being plentifull in fertility, great in circumference, and very mighty in power. Her plot and plantation are on the narrow sea, between Asia and Europe, at the entrance of Pontus or the Euxine, called the great sea. For which cause Ovid calleth it the port of two seas, because it standeth in a narrow, or strait. "It containeth three and forty degrees of latitude, that is to say, that it is distant from the equinoctiall three and forty degrees, there, where the pole is elevated; and in the sixe and fifty degrees of longitude of the meridian, which passeth the Island of the Canaries. The first founders of this cittie, by common opinion of the best authors, were the Lacedemonians. Onosius saith the Spartans, with their captaine and king, Pausanius. "Diodorus and Polybius do say, that it was called Byzantium, after the name of a captaine that laid the foundation thereof. Neverthelesse, Plyny affirmeth, that at the first it was called Ligos, and not Byzantium. Euzebius saith, that it was builded very neere to the time of the thirtieth Olympiade, even then when Tullus Hostilius reigned in Rome. At the first beginning it was but a small thing, as all other new erected townes were wont to be, and for a certainety it was some while subject to the Lacedemonians, or, as others say, to the Athenians, until such time as these two great estates contending together, it had leysure to grow rich, encreasing both in wealthe and power, and by means of their dissention still continuing, it enlarged itselfe to some more greatnesse. "Afterwards, it flourished in such sort with the liberty it had, and the fruitfulnesse of the soyle, that Philip of Macedon, father to the great Alexander, grew enamoured of her beauty and mighty riches, and concluded to conquer it; whereto, for his better attainement, he laid a long time of besiedging, and yet could not take it. One day, Leo, a notable sophister, had conference with King Philip, and the same was afterward written by Philostratus, in the History of the Gymnosophists; for as Philip still continued his enterprize with a very huge army of choice selected men, Leo went from Byzantium and spake to him in this manuer. King Philip, what injury hast thou received from Byzantium, that has moved thee to make warre upon her with such violent fury?'-' I have received,' answered Philip, not any injury of the cittie, whereby to provoke Tell me, me as her enemy; but because she | wherewith this bird had measured out seems more beautifull to me than all a new habitation for him in another country. Whereupon hee concluded to have old ruined Byzantium again re-edified, to honour it with another name, and to make it the cheef cittie of the world. the other citties of Thrace: as enamoured of her perfections I would faine conquer, and make her mine.' 'Kings that are amorous,' answered Leo, and would be beloved where they place affection, doe labour to compasse their intent with sweete music, pleasing speeches, guifts, and such like kinde behaviour; and never strive to enforce them by rough tearmes and rude warre.'-And even so it fell out with this king, for as wee have alreadie saide hee could not compasse his desire, but left it in farre greater strength and liberty than it was before. Afterward, by succession of time, when the Romains began to make warre in Greece, they entred into league and amity with the Byzantians, and many times were supplied with their helpe and kindnesse, in sundry warres and stout foughten battailes, which strengthened stil her flourishing prosperity; and also aug-lived, and soone after, doe say, that mented her buildings and wealth. "A long while after, the Romaine rule coming to the emperors, Severus then raigning, the tyrant Pisenius, enemy to the emperor, tooke possessione of this cittie of Byzantium, so Severus sent thither a great army to besiedge it; but having not strength enough to surprize it by assault, they compelled him by famine to yield himselfe; but first the wals and goodly fortifications were battered, spoiled, and thrown downe unto the ground, and so were all the goodly buildings. "There remained nothing of the former estate but a poor desolate cittie, wherein few or none desired to dwell. The parts and fragments of the destroyed wals and houses, which remained to be seene in lamentable ruins, were of such an excellent kind of stone, cut and squared with such admirable art, that hardly could their joyntes and closures be discerned. "This calamity being overblowne, and the Emperor Constantine raigning at Rome (even hee that was surnamed the greate, son to St. Helena, the Queen that founde the crosse of our Saviour Christ,-he determined to passe into the East, being mooved and merely compelled thereto, by divers augures or wizzards, concerning an eagle which brought him (it is said) a cord between her tallants, "By this means she was restored to her former estate, with such a large surmounting of houses and all faire buildings, that she stoode in contention with Rome for beauty. It was then were erected sumptuous palaces, goodly churches, and high towers: thither also he transported the empire, with his courte; consuls, senators, and all other magistrates and officers. Now halbeit, hee had amplified it in such forme and greatnesse, that it seemed a new Rome, and so hee would have it called, but the voyce of the people so far prevailed, that the name of the emperor must needs be given it, and so it was called Constantinople. The historians who then the greatnes and sumptuous shew thereof was such, as it could not be described without great prolixity. "The Emperor Constantine lived there many years, in the height of pros peritie; so did the other emperors also that succeeded him. There they continued the empire, some in peace, and some in warre, until such time that, (after a large expence of yeares,) by divers fowle sins committed by the citizens, occasioned thorow prosperitie, ease, and ydlenesse; and partly by the weaknesse and negligence of the emperors, the greatnes and power thereof began to decline. So that having endured many misfortunes of fire, pestilence, and terrible earthquakes, there having also passed over eleven hundred yeares of the Christians holding it in possession;-this famous cittie, that alone ruled over so manie nations, that was rich in gold and silver, honoured with approuved ancient excellencies, incomparable churches, admyred monuments, and raised out of the dust of oblivion by God's permission, through Constantine, and afterward by another Constantine, was at last besieged by Mahomet, King of the Turkes ;Lord of the lesser Asia, and of many other regions and provinces; the grandfather's father to Solyman, that lived when I wrote this history; the predecessors of which Mahomet had |