been captain of a troop of cavalry in the service of Mehemet Ali,
and on some quarrel with his commanding officer had left the service and
kingdom. He was a person of polished manners, and some education, and
thus enabled to produce agreeably in conversation the results of his
experience of many lands and people. He rather astonished us with the
extent to which he carried _jeune France_ principles, that seem so
entirely incompatible with the holding of Mahomedanism. But wonderful it
is to see how the French spirit circulates in the most apathetic
societies, seeming to find in them a latent vitality suited to its
purpose. The manners of a Mussulman are so stereotyped, and his subjects
of conversation so provided for by law, that it seemed quite an anomaly
to see this Turk drinking wine after dinner, and talking like a man of
the world. It would not seem that such an effect on the personal
character is the invariable result of educating a Turk in Paris, though
such an effect is exactly what we might expect. I have met a native of
Constantinople, who had brought back with him from France only the
language and the personal deportment, retaining withal the
anti-reforming spirit of his orthodox brethren. But this spirit of
resistance to innovation is fast fading away; and as innovation once
begun here must lead to revolution, it is not difficult to foresee that
a few more years only shall have passed, when the character of the Turk
will have become historical, and the scenes that at present embellish
their corner of the world, will have to be sought for in the
descriptions of pen and pencil. Whether the influence emanate from the
throne, or whether the court be following the popular metropolitan
movement, it is difficult to say. But among them is assuredly at work
the spirit of change, that must shortly carry away the mouldering
edifice of their present institutions. This is something too vetust to
abide the shock of any agitation. Let us hope that their changes may be
successively biassed towards the better: may they acquire the urbanity
of our great masters in elegance, without their profligacy; and if they
reject Mahomedanism, may it be to receive in exchange something better
than mere infidelity.

The brother of the _ci-devant_ captain was a quiet, unassuming fellow,
who wanted language to communicate with us freely. Nevertheless he
managed to interest us much, with an account of the sufferings and
trials of his youth. Th