Hospitality, as a religious injunction, is carefully practised by the Turks. Dr. Clarke mentions a re markable instance of this virtue, which he himself experienced; and which cost his unknown enter tainers much trouble and no small expense. The Fanariot Greek, formerly quoted, though no friend to the Turks, allows them the possession of this virtue in no common degree. '' At his dinner hour the Mahometan is kind, affable, and circumspect; he makes no display of plate or porcelain. His hi larity is the ornament of his abruptly prepared table. The door of his house is open during din ner, and entrance to his dining room is forbidden to nobody." The domestic life of a Turk is of a dull and in sipid character, compared with the active and arti ficial enjoyments of European society. The greater portion of his time is spent in voluptuous idleness. Reclining on his sofa with his pipe in his mouth, and his imagination heightened by a few grains of .opium, he glides down the stream of existence with fnut reflection or anxiety. Unless when moved by ',he great passions of our nature, his life is an un varied reverie. The active bustle of commerce, i the sweets of patient industry, the ardours of sci ence, and the desire of public distinction, are all unknown and despised by this phlegmatic people." They are, however, fond of conversation, in which many of them excel, possessing all the graces of polished and manly eloquence; and the meddhe or professional story-teller is a favourite in all compa nies. Whether in private assemblies, or in the coffee-houses, which are thronged during the long evenings of the Ramazan, he is listened to with great delight. His tales are often the invention of his own brain, and are sometimes pleasantly mar vellous; sometimes he gives a ludicrous descrip tion of foreign and rustic manners, and sometimes he indulges in political satire; and the interest of his story is heightened by the use of wild and rich imagery, and by his impassioned and graceful ac tion. Another amusement among the Turks is the ombres Chinoises, which supply the place of dra matic entertainments,. and which are an indecent and disgusting representation of male and female figures upon paper, which are sometimes exhibited in the open street, but are chiefly reserved for the more wealthy in their retirements. Their out of door recreations are riding on horseback and throwing the djerid, which are considered necessary accomplishments in a Turkish gentleman; and no Turk of any consequence makes a visit, were it only a few doors from his own, but on horseback.
Little attention is paid either to the appearance or convenience of their habitations; the furniture is simple and the same in all ranks, differing only in fineness of quality and richness of ornament; and their frugal meals are enlivened neither with wine nor conversation. The apartments allotted to the women are distinguished by the name of harem, a word signifying a sacred retreat, and which de notes also the female part of a Turkish family taken collectively. The apartments of the men, which are used for the reception of visiters, are called Selandik. No part of the house is exclusively ap propriated for bed-rooms. They repose on a wool len matress spread upon the floor, which, with its furniture, consisting of a coverlet, a sheet and a pillow, is removed during the day, so that the same chamber serves for all purposes. Three sides of it are occupied by the sofa raised a few inches from the floor, which, according to the season, is cov ered with carpets or Egyptian matting. The din ner is served up in a tray, dish by dish, and is placed on a low stool at a corner of a sofa. The master of the family first puts his right hand into the dish, and the others follow his example. They use neither plates nor knives and forks, all luxury and expense in table furniture being strictly pro hibited by their prophet, who says, " verily the fire of hell will roar like the lowings of a camel in the bellies of those who eat and drink from vessels of gold and silver."
The Turkish women, according to Lady M. W. Montague, are elegant and beautiful. " They walked about with the same majestic grace which Milton describes our general mother with. There are many among them as exactly proportioned as ever any goddess was drawn by the pencil of a Guido or a Titian, and most of their skins shin ingly white, only adorned by their beautiful hair divided into many tresses, hanging on their shoul ders, braided either with pearls or ribands, per fectly representing the figures of the graces." This is corroborated by D'Ohsson, who says, " they seem to inherit acuteness of discernment, and deli cacy of taste and judgment. Their deportment and manners are graceful and amiable, their con versation chaste and unaffected. I have occasion ally met with ladies of quality at the hotels of the ministers or magistrates, and I have admired the purity of their language, their easy elocution, the refinement of their thoughts. the nobleness of their style, and the grace which accompanied their words and actions." Their dresses are made of the richest stuffs of India and Cashmir, and of the finest furs, which, being incapable of being washed, and too costly to be frequently changed, are some times retained longer in use than cleanliness and delicacy warrant. Their walking dress consists of a long loose robe, which covers them from the neck to the ground; over that is a large piece of muslin, which wraps the shoulders and the arms, and another which goes over the head and eyes; but this covering is so thin that it leaves them per fectly free to observe all that is passing around them. They are strictly confined to the society of their own sex; and access to the harem is inter dicted even to their nearest male relations, except upon a few occasions of public or private rejoic ings, when the father and father-in-law, the bro thers and the uncles are admitted to a short and ceremonious visit. But, though deprived of the society of the men, they enjoy considerable liberty. Women of all ranks indulge themselves in frequent parties abroad, on foot, in boats, or in carriages; and at every public exhibition, at which women can with any propriety appear, they form the most numerous part of the spectators. They also enjoy one another's society in giving fetes, where they regale themselves with coffee, and confections, sherbet and perfumes; and indulge their vanity in the display of their dresses and jewels. Some times dancing girls are introduced to these parties, and entertain the company with their exhibitions. The youngest females of the harem occupy their time in working, in embroidering, and in receiving instruction in the elegant arts; and are particular ly taught to express themselves with great purity and correctness of language. " I look upon the Turkish women," says Lady M. W. Montague, " as the only free people in the empire: the very divan pays respect to them, and the grand signior himself, when a pacha is executed, never violates the privileges of the harem, which remains un searched, and entire to the widow. Neither have they much to apprehend from the resentment of their husbands, those ladies that are rich having all the money in their own hands." Although the professors of Islam are permitted by their law to have four wives by nikiah, or civil contract, and a number of slaves, according to their desires or pecuniary resources, yet few avail themselves of this license. Polygamy in Turkey is confined almost entirely to the rich and the great; and in such instances the wives generally are purchased slaves, who rank in estimation ac cording to the number or sex of their children. For when the wife is of equal rank with her hus band, she retains her dignity, and the slaves of the harem are regarded as her servants or compan ions.