om dead, the
vicissitudes of life and death follow each other closely on the
Bosphorus, and the liberal party can better afford than the reactionary
to wait. The death or fall of Abd el Hamid, whenever it may happen,
would immediately decide a movement counter to the Ottoman Caliphate.

FOOTNOTES:

[10] I do not vouch for the entire accuracy of these dates. Turkish
historians place Selim's death in 926 A.H., which should correspond with
our 1520. It would seem doubtful too whether Selim himself took any
higher title with regard to the Holy Places than Khadam el Harameyn,
Servant of the two shrines, though his successors are certainly called
Hami. It was not till five years after Selim's death that Mecca
acknowledged the Ottoman Caliphate.

[11] The original diary of Lascaris, Napoleon's agent with the Arabs,
has, I understand, within the last two years been discovered at Aleppo
and purchased by the French Government. Its publication, whenever that
may be decided on, will, if I am not quite mistaken, throw new and
important light on Napoleon's Egyptian career.

[12] The _Jawaib_ was first started about the year 1860.

[13] In the recent trial of the murderers of Abd el Aziz, Abd el Hamid
has departed from his usual adherence to the Sheriat. It is a lapsus
which may one day be taken hold of against him, should the Ulema need to
depose him. He is said to have yielded to the advice of an European
confidant who directs the details of his diplomacy with Europe.

CHAPTER III.

THE TRUE METROPOLIS--MECCA.

In the last chapter the position of the Ottoman Sultans towards the mass
of Orthodox Islam was sketched, and the foundations were shown on which
their tenure of the Caliphal title rested. These I explained to be
neither very ancient nor very securely laid in the faith and affections
of the faithful; and, though at the present moment a certain reaction in
favour of Constantinople had set in, it was due to accidental
circumstances, which are unlikely to become permanent, and was very far
indeed from being universal. It may be as well to recapitulate the
position.

The Sunite or Orthodox Mohammedan world holds it as a dogma of faith
that there must be a Khalifeh, the ex-officio head of their religious
polity, and the successor of their prophet. In temporal matters, whoever
holds this office is theoretically king of all Islam; and in spiritual
matters he is their supreme religious authority. But, practically, t