her back, and
their shapes are wholly concealed by a thing they call a _ferigee_,
which no woman of any sort appears without; this has strait sleeves,
that reach to their finger-ends, and it laps all round them, not unlike
a riding-hood. In winter 'tis of cloth, and in summer plain stuff or
silk. You may guess how effectually this disguises them, [so] that there
is no distinguishing the great lady from her slave. 'Tis impossible for
the most jealous husband to know his wife when he meets her; and no man
dare either touch or follow a woman in the street.

"This perpetual masquerade gives them entire liberty of following their
inclinations without danger of discovery. The most usual method of
intrigue is, to send an appointment to the lover to meet the lady at a
Jew's shop, which are as notoriously convenient as our Indian-houses;
and yet, even those who don't make use of them, do not scruple to go to
buy pennyworths, and tumble over rich goods, which are chiefly to be
found amongst that sort of people. The great ladies seldom let their
gallants know who they are; and it is so difficult to find it out, that
they can very seldom guess at her name they have corresponded with above
half a year together. You may easily imagine the number of faithful
wives very small in a country where they have nothing to fear from a
lover's indiscretion, since we see so many that have the courage to
expose themselves to that in this world, and all the threatened
punishment of the next, which is never preached to the Turkish damsels.
Neither have they much to apprehend from the resentment of their
husbands; those ladies that are rich having all their money in their own
hands, which they take with them upon a divorce, with an addition which
he is obliged to give them.

"Upon the whole, I look upon the Turkish women as the only free people
in the empire: the very Divan pays a respect to them; and the Grand
Signior himself, when a pasha is executed, never violates the privileges
of the _harem_ (or women's apartment), which remains unsearched and
entire to the widow. They are queens of their slaves, whom the husband
has no permission so much as to look upon, except it be an old woman or
two that his lady chooses. 'Tis true their law permits them four wives;
but there is no instance of a man of quality that makes use of this
liberty, or of a woman of rank that would suffer it. When a husband
happens to be inconstant (as those things will happen),