Raynouard. Both are clever men, and the most humble servants of the minister. M. Roger has a place which brings him in thirty thousand francs a year: M. Auger has eleven different places, which, it is said, do not altogether produce more than nineteen thousand francs per annum. But though not so well paid as his rival, M. Auger is nevertheless the devoted admirer of all the little caprices of M. Corbière, the Minister of the Interior, and the persecutor of literature. M. Corbière granted the academicians free permission to choose between MM. Roger and Auger.

The choice devolved on M. Auger, because he is less active than M. Roger, and equally devoted to the ministry. His colleagues thought his indolence a recommendation, as it diminishes the chance of his doing any thing objectionable. M. Auger is chiefly known as the author of a commentary on Molière, which gave occasion to a very humorous letter from a Russian Prince. Perhaps this piece of pleasantry may not be known in England, but, as it is now a year old, I will not venture to repeat it.*

M. Auger has considerable merit as a grammarian; and he is preparing the definitions for the Dictionary of the Academy, which is to appear in 1827. Whenever it is absolutely impossible to flatter the Bourbons or the priests, M. Auger gives with considerable accuracy the different acceptations of the words of the French language. But he is far from possessing the merit of M. de Laveaux, formerly Director of the College of Sainte Barbe. M. de Laveaux has published successively a French Dictionary, and a Dictionary of the Difficulties of the French language. The latter work may be confidently recommended to all Englishmen who wish to read our best authors, and to understand the delicacies of such works as La Bruyère's Caractères, Voltaire's Novels, and Courier's Pamphlets.

The French Academy lost, perhaps, its cleverest member in M. Lemontey, who died some months ago. He was eminently distinguished for that esprit which shines in the works of Montesquieu, Voltaire, &c. With all due deference to you, I believe French esprit is rarely understood out of France. It consists of a multitude of delicate shades, and when foreigners attempt to translate Montesquieu's "Lettres Persanes," or Voltaire's "Facéties," being incapable of seizing these shades, they omit them altogether. Nothing certainly is more convenient, or better calculated to abridge the labour of translation. German, Italian, and English translators all treat French esprit in this way. Only those who read French can therefore form any idea of the merit of M. Lemontey's principal work—“ Raison, Folie, chacun son Mot,” 2 vols. 8vo. It was published, I believe, about the year 1800, while the recollection of the Reign of Terror was still fresh in the public mind. It was at first extremely popular, but it did not keep up its popularity. It would be better if reduced to one volume. M. Lemontey was in the pay of Bonaparte, who, differing from his successors in this as in every respect, showed judgment in the selection of the writers whom he retained in his service. Lemontey wrote for the Emperor the novel of the "Famille du Jura." In this little work five persons are described, proceeding to Paris to be present at the coronation of Napoleon. They are supposed to come from the mountains of the Jura, near Besançon, and each represents by his conversation the sentiments of the five political parties which divided France in 1802. By thus bringing his characters from a remote part of the country, the author is enabled to describe very naturally, the surprise experienced by the mountaineers of the Jura at every thing they see in Paris. The work is free from all extravagance of style, and it betrays considerable taste and talent. This Bonapartist pamphlet is quite the reverse of the Bourbon pamphlets, to which M. de Chateaubriand is indebted for the cordon-bleu, and the peerage. The extravagance of .M. de Chateaubriand has produced more effect than the talent of M. Lemontey. But the public are growing weary of extravagance.

*The Russian Prince pretends to believe that Molière is still living, and he writes to the great dramatist, complaining of the dulness of his commentator.

BUCKINGHAM'S TRAVELS IN MESOPOTAMIA.*

MESOPOTAMIA, or "the country between the rivers," embraces, in its more strict definition, only the region which spreads itself between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates; streams which have their common origin in different parts of the mountains of Armenia; a common course from north-west to south-east; and, after their union, above Bussorah, a common outlet in the Persian Gulf. This is the same country, too, of which, as comprehensive of Irak Arabia, II Jeseerah, Chaldea, and Babylonia, we had occasion, in reference to the Travels of Captain Keppel, to speak in the preceding number of the New Monthly Magazine,† as embracing all the sites which are rendered so interesting to Christian research through their relation with the history of the Jews; and with classical learning, through their connexion with that of the Greeks and Romans.

Of the attraction caused by the biblical interest in the various sites of the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, we spoke in the pages just above referred to; at the same time we also adverted to the increased and increasing familiarity with the part of the globe in question, which is now daily growing upon us, incidentally to our commerce and commercial dominion in India, and to the political positions in which we are placed upon account of our Indian empire.

Mr. Buckingham's overland route to India (pursued, not like that of Captain Keppel's return from the same country, through Russia and Persia, but by way of the Mediterranean and of the Turkish provinces in Asia Minor,) has already furnished to that active observer and investigator, the materials for two volumes, which have been some time in the hands of the public, namely, "Travels in Palestine," and "Travels among the Arab Tribes;" and the third work, just published, and now lying before us, conducts us from Aleppo to the banks of the Euphrates, and thence, from plain to plain, and from city to city, till the author enters Bagdad, and explores the ruins in the vicinity of Hilleh, which ruins are commonly, and apparently with the best reason, considered to be those of the ancient city of Babel or Babylon.

At Aleppo, Mr. Buckingham made an arrangement for travelling to Mardin and Mousul, on the Tigris, with a small caravan, formed by a merchant of the latter city; and, in order to enable him to avoid the exactions imposed upon Frank or European travellers, by the governors at the different stations on the road, it was agreed that he should assume the appearance and language of an Arab, and conform in all things to the directions of Hadjee-Abd-elRackman, the master of the caravan. The route, at the first setting out from Aleppo, lay nearly north, along the eastern bank of the little inland river upon which Aleppo is built. The country, at the slight distance from the river, is barren. At one of the sources of the river, which the caravan reached about sunset, several winding streams, all rising from the same spring, watered a small hollow plain, upon which was encamped a horde of Turcomans, the tents of which people are readily distinguished from those of the Arabs. At a short remove, one of the villages of Oktereen presented specimens (as we presume) of that description of architecture which has been called Cyclopian ; and the extract which we shall make, besides this and several other curious particulars, comprises one of the many testimonials, which are now daily springing up, in vindication of the calumniated narratives of Bruce. It is an easy, and now common-place criticism, to talk of travellers' lies; for nothing

Travels in Mesopotamia; including a Journey from Aleppo, across the Euphrates, to Orfah (the Ur of the Chaldees), through the plains of the Turcomans, &c., and by the Tigris to Mousul and Bagdad; with Researches on the Ruins of Babylon, Nineveh, Arbela, Ctesiphon, and Seleucia. By J. S. Buckingham, author of Travels in Palestine, &c. 4to.

See above, page 121.

March, 1827.-VOL. XIX. NO. LXXV.

P

is more within the reach of those who see nothing, and know nothing, than to dispute the veracity of all whose experience is wider than their own!

"Our course had been nearly north, throughout the whole of the preceding day, but it now bent towards the north-east, in pursuing which direction we reached, in an hour after setting out, a village called Oktereen. There was a smaller one, about a mile to the north of it, which bore the same name, and both were at this moment inhabited by peasants who cultivated rich corn lands on a fine red soil, and of great extent. The style of building in both of these villages, like that of the ruined ones we had already passed, was remarkable, each separate dwelling having a high pointed dome of unburnt bricks, raised on a square fabric of stone; so that, at a little distance, they resembled a cluster of bee-hives on square pedestals.

The

"In the village through which we passed, was a khan or caravanserai of Mohammedan construction, and good masonry, though now seldom resorted to by travellers. Near it was a high round eminence, enclosed by a circular wall, formed of very large masses of unhewn stone, rudely put together without cement. This is called the Castle, but over all the hill there appear no other vestiges of building than this, which I should consider to be a work of the very earliest ages of antiquity. stones are, in general, much too large to be moved by mere manual labour, estimating the strength of man at its present standard; and yet one would conceive, that if the people, by whom they were placed here, used the aid of any instruments for that purpose, they would also have hewn them into regular forms, for additional strength. But, like most other works of ancient labour, the very simplicity of their construction excites problems the most difficult of solution.

"Near the foot of the hill, but without its wall of enclosure, are deep wells, containing excellent water, of which we drank, as we passed, from the pitchers of some women of the neighbourhood. The vessels used by them are broad at the bottom, narrow at the top, and about two feet high, with a thick handle on each side. They are all of copper, tinned within and without; nor did we see a single vessel of earthenware among them. The dress of the females was mostly of blue cotton cloth; some of the younger girls were pretty, and all had fairer and more ruddy complexions than we had lately been accustomed to see.

"From hence, the high range of Mount Taurus was visible on our left, to the north-west, and seemed to be nearly in a line with our route, or to run in a northeast and south-west direction. Many of its rugged summits were covered with snow; and from their appearance, as they intercepted our horizon but slightly in that quarter, it was evident that our own level was also a very elevated one.

"While halting at the well of Oktereen, there came to drink a poor ass of our own caravan, who had lost from the thickest part of his thighs behind, between the knee and the tail, at least an English pound of flesh from each, and yet still walked freely, without any apparent suffering. The blood remained clotted in streams below the wounds; and, on inquiry, it appeared that he had been torn in this manner, only two nights before, by a hyena, while the caravan was encamped at Hailan, a few hours' distance from Aleppo. Bruce's account of the Abyssinians cutting steaks from a live ox, sewing up the wound, and driving the beast on his journey, had always, until now, appeared to me difficult of belief; not from the cruelty of the act, for that would weigh but little with people of their character, but from my conceiving that no animal could, after being so treated, pursue its march. Here, however, I saw before me a similar fact, one which I confess surprised me, but to which I could not refuse credence, as it was confirmed by the evidence of my senses.

"In an hour from Oktereen, we came to another village of the same name, each of these being called by that of the district in which they stand. The pointed dometops to the dwellings were now no longer seen, all the houses being flat-roofed, with terraces."

The subjoined remarkable love-story illustrates a portion of the manners of the Turcomans :

"Their women, who are in general fair, ruddy, and handsome, neither disfigure themselves by blue stains, nor veil themselves, after the manner of the Arabs. The jealousy of the men, regarding their honour, is, however, still stronger. Mr. Maseyk, who, it should be added, is a Dutch merchant of the highest respectability, and has resided at Aleppo for forty years, and made journeys through every part of the surrounding country, told me an instance in proof of this, which I should scarcely have believed, if I had not heard it from his own mouth.

"Two young persons of the same tribe loved each other, and were betrothed in

marriage their passion was open and avowed, and known to all their friends, who had consented to their union, and even fixed the period for its celebration. It happened, one evening, that they met, accidentally, alone, but in sight of all the tents: they stopped a moment to speak to each other; and were on the point of passing on, when the brothers of the girl perceiving it, rushed out, with arms in their hands, to avenge their disgrace. The young man took to flight, and escaped with a musketwound; but the poor girl received five balls in her body, besides being mangled by the daggers of her own brothers, who had aimed to plunge them in her heart; and, when she fell, they abandoned her carcase to the dogs!

"The young man gained the tent of a powerful friend, the chief of another tribe, encamped near them, and told his story; begging that he would assist him with a troop of horse, to enable him to rescue the body of his love from its present degradation. He went, accompanied by some of his own people, and found life still remaining. He then repaired to the tent of her enraged brothers, and asked them why they had done this? They replied, that they could not suffer their sister to survive the loss of her honour, which had been stained by her stopping to talk with her intended husband, on the public road, before her marriage. The lover demanded her body for burial; when her brothers, suspecting the motive, exclaimed, "What, is she not yet lifeless?—then we will finish this work of death ;" and were rushing out to execute their purpose, when the youth caused the troop of horsemen, sent to aid his purpose, to appear, and threatened instant death to him who should first stir to interrupt his design. The young girl was conveyed to his tent, and, after a series of kind attentions, slowly recovered.

"During her illness, the distracted lover, now expelled from his own tribe, came, under cover of the night, to see her; and, weeping over her wounds, continually regretted that he had been so base as to seek his safety in flight, and not to have died in defending her. She as heroically replied, "No! No! It is my highest happiness that I have suffered, and that you have escaped; we shall both live, and Heaven will yet bless us with many pledges of our lasting love.' This really happened; the girl recovered, was married to her impassioned swain, and they are still both alive, with a numerous family of children.

"So romantic a tale of love, jealousy, revenge, fidelity, and heroism, would have been incredible, were it not that all the parties were known to Mr. Maseyk, who related it; that he did so in the presence of many other persons born in Aleppo, and acquainted, by report, with the fact; and that the veracity of the narrator may be regarded as unquestionable."

The short paragraph which follows is a further contribution to the picture of Turcoman manners, and to the illustration of biblical history; and at the same time is so pretty in its particulars, that, even on the latter account alone, it is a gratification to transcribe it :

"In pursuing our way across this plain, we passed a party of husbandmen gathering in the harvest, the greater portion of the grain being now fully ripe. They plucked up the corn by the roots, instead of reaping it, a practice often spoken of in the Scriptures, though reaping seems to be made the earliest and most frequent mention of. On seeing the caravan, one of the labourers ran from his companions, and, approaching us, danced, stood on his hands, with his feet aloft in the air, and gave other demonstrations of joy, when he presented us with an ear of corn and a flower, as an offering of the first-fruits of the year; another remnant also of a very ancient usage in the wave offering" of the sheaf and the ear of corn, commanded to the Israelites by Moses. We returned for it a handful of paras, or small tin coin, and answered the shout of joy which echoed from the field, by acclamations from the caravan."

Journeying now to the eastward, though a little to the north, Mr. Buckingham soon reached and crossed the river Euphrates, at Beer, a small town within the pashalic of Orfah. The river, even at this great distance from the sea, appeared to Mr. Buckingham as broad as the Thames at Blackfriars Bridge. The inhabitants of its banks think it a river of greater magnitude than the Nile; but Mr. Buckingham regards the two rivers as more upon an equal footing, natural as well as historical, with each other. Beer, Bir, or Birtha, was anciently, as well as at present, a frequered pass between Syria, or Canaan, on the west side of the Euphrates, and Mesopotamia, or Chaldea, upon the east. It has the remains of several fortifications; and, among others,

of a castle of imposing appearance, at the summit of the hill upon which the town is built.

From Beer the track to be pursued by the caravan was still continued over the plains of the Turcomans; plains, of which the natural features, according to Mr. Buckingham, have been accurately described by Xenophon; and men who, from the description of their features here before us, belong decidedly to the Tartar, and not to the Arabian family. We collect from the various and interesting statements of Mr. Buckingham, that the manners of the two races are and have been equally distinct; while the ascendency of the religion of the Arabian prophet has had the local effect of blending the one with the other. It seems, at the same time, equally clear to us, that the Jews are of this Turcoman or Tartar descent.

66

Leaving, here, the Euphrates, the caravan proceeded eastward to Orfah, the capital of a country of the same name. This city is spoken of as the " Ur of the Chaldees," and the birth-place of the patriarch Abraham. 'It was the birth-place of Abraham and his wife," says Mr. Buckingham, "as well as several of his family, who went out together from this city, Ur of the Chaldees."-Upon this point, however, we venture to differ slightly from our author. Adverting to the pastoral, and even wandering life of the patriarch, as described to us in Scripture, we should have been disposed to look for the birth-place of himself and his family, not in the "city" of Ur, but in the land or country of which it was the capital, and which then, as now, might be believed to have borne a similar name; we say, that we should have been disposed to look for the birth and original dwelling-place of Abraham, not in the "city," but in the "land" of Ur, even if the text itself had not, to all appearance, been very conclusive upon this particular: "And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abraham, Nahor, and Haran." "And Haran died before his father Terah, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees." Gen. xi. 26, 28. Our notion, then, differs from that adopted by Mr. Buckingham, to this extent, that we imagine Terah and his children to have been natives of the "land" generally, rather than of the "city" in particular, of Ur, or Orfah.

But, be this as it may, the tradition of Abraham is strong in the city of Orfah. The mosque stands on the edge of a lake:

"This lake, which is called Birket el Ibrahim el Khaleel,' from being in the native city of that patriarch, Abraham the Beloved, or the Friend of God,' is filled from a clear spring which rises in the south-west quarter of the town. It then forms a canal, which is two hundred and twenty-five paces long, by twenty-five paces broad; and generally from five to six feet deep. At the west end, where it commences, a room is built to hang over the stream; and at the east, where a small bridge terminates the greater canal, the waters run into a lesser one, which divides itself into many branches, and is dispersed in streams throughout the town, for the convenience of manufactories, private dwellings, and public khans. On the south side of the canal is a long causeway, the brink of which is nearly level with the water's edge; and behind it are gardens full of large white mulberry-trees, as tall and full in foliage as the largest of our English elms. On the opposite side, the eastern half of the northern bank is occupied by the grand façade of the Mosque of the Patriarch whose name it bears; and its foundations are washed by the waters of the lake, which are also considered to be sacred to him.

"The centre of this façade is a square pile of building, from which rise three large domes, of equal size, and a lofty minaret, springing up from amid a cluster of tall and solemn cypress-trees. At each end of this central pile, towards the stream, are flights of steps descending to the water's edge, for the ablutions of the pious, each flight occupying the centre of two corresponding open arcades, composed of several arches each. The wings are terminated by two solid masses of building, perfectly uniform in design, and completing one of the most regular edifices of this kind, to be found, perhaps, in Turkey. Beyond this, and extending to the room at the west end of the lake, is a large garden, filled with mulberry and fig-trees, and having smaller bushes overhanging the water's surface.

"The Birket or Lake, from being considered as consecrated by devotion to the Patriarch, is visited as well from motives of piety as of pleasure, and seldom fails to