BOOKS.
T1TEXISH HISTORIES.* A amnia of Turkey can only be rendered widely and perma- nently attractive by one of two modes,—a graphic narrative, ie which the characters of men, the manners of the people, and the features of the country, are brought vividly before the reader ; or an historical exposition, in which the moral and political princi- ples contained in the story should be continually present to the reader's mind. A rare and perhaps an equal genius is requisite in either case : but, be the genius what it may, the first can only he achieved by a man familiarly acquainted with the original au- thorities, as well as with the countries and peoples of the Rut. Materials for the philosophic history are contained in the events themselves : for whether it be that we have fuller accounts of the Ottomans than of the more distant Asiatic kingdoms, or whether it be that the Turcoman race more distinctly develops the crimes of barbarism and the moral as well as the political evils of Ma- hometanism, there is scarcely a Turkish reign but staringly ex- hibits one or all of the evils inherent in the Ottoman rule. The want of discipline in the national arm, a sort of Bashi-ba. souks, and the uncertainty of controlling them, induced the grand- son of Othrean to institute the body of Janissaries. These Prietorians, soon after their establishment, exhibited the vice of military power pure and simple ; for they were mutinous and dan- gerous to the greatest sovereigns, masters and tyrants over the weaker. Atrocities in war and disregard of engagements were too common in Europe during the prosperous days of the Otto- man empire to be a peculiar crime in the Turks ; and many breaches of capitulation were the deeds of the Janissaries. The Turk, however, carried cruelty and breach of faith to an ex- treme which embraced -the passions of the barbarian and the ferocity of the Turcoman in the highest degrees. The bruit of their abo- minations spreading over the world, popularized attacks against them, and in fact to almost the present generation placed the Turk beyond the pale in the common opinion of Christendom. The supe- riority assigned by the Koran to the tree believer, everywhere caused a social conflict, which with other doctrines, some economical errors, and the pervading despotism of the Government, (these last rather Oriental than peculiarly Turkish,) impoverished and depopulated the countries submitted to the Sultan's rule. "The States of the Church," however, might nearly match the Ottoman empire in this respect, and show that religions bigotry had as much to do with poverty and abasement as the Mahe- metan creed. Domestic horror, the result of polygamy, is a great feature of the Turkish monarchy: Othman, his son, and to some degree his grandson, presesved their Tartar simplicity of man- ners, and respected the laws of blood. With Bajazet began those systematic family murders that cannot be compared but only con- trasted in European countries, unless it be in Russia. The greatest sovereigns were not exempt from this entailed curse. Solyman, the most fortunate, the wisest, the most magnificent monarch of the Ottoman race, exhibited a tragedy in his domestic life to which the incidents of Lear are feeble.
The remoteness and barbarism of the people, to which Johnson ascribed the neglect of so admirable a work as Knolles's _History of the Turks, has probably militated against the production of a modern history of high character. The attention which the late aggression of the Russians and the present war have directed to- wards Turkey has given rise to so-called histories or sketches in plenty, but not of the sort we have been speaking of, or indeed anything beyond the readiest compilation. Turkey, Ancient and Modern, by the Reverend W. B. Fraser, is not a hastily got-up work like several that have lately come before us. The subject has occupied his attention for some years ; he has read much upon Tur- key and its history, though his original authorities seem to have been rather modern than original, Knolles and Gibbon apparently being his chief guides up to the seventeenth century. He had also accumulated materials for his task and apparently begun its com- position, when the pressure of temporary circumstances hastened its completion, "Recent events, however," have induced the author "to commit his manuscript to the press without the polish and con- densation which in some portions he might have been able to give it." That the reason alleged by Mr. Fraser is valid, no one peru- sing the book can doubt. The introductory view of the rise of Mahometanism, and of the earlier period of Ottoman history, much closer in its texture than the latter part of the work ; while the distinguishing traits of the actors and events, if not more clearly seen, are more distinctly impressed in the beginning.
the writer draws towards the end, he often.,copies his authorities, instead of condensing them ; a very good plan as regards docu- ments, if he were treating argumentatively of the war and its pre- vious circumstances, but it militates against the completeness of a history.
Although the book must be considered a compilation in the sense of the material being to a large extent derived from other his- tories, especially for the earlier period, there is a good deal of character about it. Mr. Fraser has read his authors with a dis- cerning eye, and he often presents the spirit as well as pith of the story. A perusal of his narrative will leave upon the reader's • Turkey, Ancient and Modern : a History of the Ottoman Empire from the period of its Establishment to the Present Time. With Appendix. By the Bev. B. W. Fraser, M.A. Published by A. and C. Black, Edinburgh. History of the Ottoman Empire, including a Survey of the Greek Empire and the Crusades. By Samuel Jacob. A.B., Colonel Procter, Rev. J. E. Riddle, MA., and James M'Conechy. Published by Chitin and Co. mi nd a clear idea of the leading features pf Turkish history. He will see its gradual progress xuaderthe first three sovereigns of the house of Othman ; its rapid extension under Bajazet ; the danger of extinc- tion which attended it after that Sultan's defeat by Tamerlane ; the restoration under Amurath the Second; and its full establishment under his son Mohammed the Second, the captor of Constantinople. Mohammed's son and grandson still advanced the greatness of the empire, till it attained its meridian glory under his great grandson, Solyman the Magnificent. Solyman's successor, Selim the Second, apparently upheld it ; but during his reign Turkish power and pres- tige sustained a heavy blow at the battle of Lepanto. Soon after- wards, the power and wisdom, if not the vigour of the empire, began to exhibit symptoms of decline. The Turkish force was no longer so terrible to the Germans, and disasters were suffered in the Persian wars. The last great effort of the empire was the second siege of Vienna, in 1683. After that terrible failure the decay was rapid ; Austria inflicting nearly as much injury upon the Turkish power at the close of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries as the Russians have done since. It must, however, be observed, that the Austrian wars were provoked, those of Russia aggressive.
In point of virtue, (in Turkish estimation,) moderation and gra- vity of character, and the faculties for civil government as well as for military affairs, Solyman must be pronounced the most emi- nent monarch of the Ottoman race. In acquired knowledge and various accomplishments Mohammed the Second was superior to him, and possibly his equal in civil and military capacity ; but he was stained by cruelty, and the grossest private vices, even ac- cording to the ideas of his countrymen ; and his cruelty was not the result of bigotry, since he was an infidel altogether. He had, however, at times a sort of mauvaise plaisanterie, which but for the bloody nature of the business would have raised a smile.
"Almost his first act on succeeding his father was the atrocious murder of his two brothers ; a crime which, as we have already stated, stains the annals of several of his predecessors. One of these, an infant of eighteen months old, he bad brought by its nurse into his presence, and was about to strangle it with his own hands, when Moses, one of his pashas, begged he would not imbrue his hands in his brother's blood, but allow him to put the child to death ; which he immediately did by pouring water into its mouth.
"This child was the daughter of the Princess of Sinope, whom Amurath had espoused. The unhappy mother, learning the death of her child, came into the presence of the young tyrant, and reviled him to his face. He en- deavoured to appease her, by assuring her it was for the good of the state, declaring that he would grant any request she made. She asked to be re- venged on the Pasha ?Joses ; who was at once delivered into her power, bound. Furious at the destruction of her infant, she seized a knife, and, having the pasha stripped, cut an orifice in his right side, and took out his liver piece by piece, and threw it to the dogs, while the miserable sufferer called in vain on his cruel muter to save him."
Mr. Fraser adduces the following story as an example of respect for the law. It seems to be a claptrap; for Mohammed the Second was not the man to pay the slightest attention to Cadi or Koran if either stood in his way. The problem to be solved is as to when the contrivance began, whether before or after the amputation.
"Mohammed II. employed an architect to erect a mosque. His purpose was, that the building should be as high as the mosque of Aya Sofiyah, the celebrated church which on taking Constantinople he bad converted into a mosque. The architect, however, reduced the height of the magnificent columns which were to decorate the new building, which columns were of great value. On being charged by the Sultan with this error, the architect excused himself by saying, that he had reduced the columns two cubits each, to give the building more security in the event of one of those earthquakes not uncommon in Constantinople, and had thus made the mosque lower than Aya Sofiyah. The Sultan, however, not satisfied with the explanation, or- dered the architect's hands to be struck off; which was instantly done.
"The architect appeared on the following day with his family before the judge laid his complaint against the Sultan, and appealed to the sentence of the law. The judge immediately sent his officer to summon the Sultan be- fore him. The conqueror, on receiving the citation, exclaimed, • The com- mand of the Prophet must be obeyed !' and, putting on his mantle and thrusting his mace into his belt, went to the court of law. After offering the usual salutation, the Sultan was about to seat himself ; when the cadi said, Sit not down, 0 prince, but stand up with thine adversary, who has ap- pealed to the law.' The architect then preferred his complaint : My lord, I am a perfect master-builder, and a skilful mathematician ; but this man, because I made his mosque low and cut down two of his columns, has muti- lated me of both hands; which has ruined me, and deprived me of the means of supporting my family : it is thy part to pronounce the sentence of the law.' The judge then addressed the Sultan : What sayest thou, prince ? bast thou caused this man's hands to be cut off innocently ? ' The Sultan admitted the charge, but required the judge to pronounce the sentence of the law. The judge after having stated that if the architect required the law to be rigidly enforced his his (the Sultan's) hands should be cut off; and as he had deprived the architect of the means of his livelihood, sentenced him to support him and his family. The Sultan then offered to give the man a pension from the public treasury ; but the judge declared, that as the Sultan himself had committed the offence, he must be at the expense and ordered bun to pay ten aspers a day. The Sultan immediately said, Lee it be twenty aspers. The architect was fully satisfied ; and the Sultan received a certifi- cate of his entire acquittal. The cadi then apologized to the monarch for treating him as an ordinary suitor ; pleading the rigid impartiality of the law, which required i the to be equally administered to all without distinc- tion, and entreated the Sultan to seat himself on the sacred carpet. Ef- fendi,' said the Sultan, somewhat irritated, and drawing his mace from under Ins robe, if thou hadst shown favour to me, saying to thyself, this is the Sultan, and hadst wronged the architect, I would have broken thee to pieces With this mace ! ' "
The so-called policy of the Ottoman court in destroying or im- muring the near male relatives of the sovereign, has, like other plans of wickedness, given rise to its own punishment, in narrow- ing the mind and emasculating the character of the Sultans. Ibra- him, 1640-1648, neglected public business, gave himself up to de- bauchery, and was at last put to death by decree of the Ulema : but what could be expected from a man who acceded to the throne i.14 this wig° P
"This prince had passed several years immured in a prison, into which neither sufficient light nor-air-could enter, and besettoy.the daily and hourly expectation of being put to death by his brother. It m scarcely posaible to imagine any eondition more miserable, or more likely to weaken a mind even originally strong; but this prince was not gifted by nature with a vigor- ous intellect; and thus, in the miserable solitude to which he had been so long confined, he became the prey of the mutest tortures of suspense and terror.
"When the resolution was formed of elevating him to the throne, the viziers, the officers of the seraglio and their attendants; proeeetied with ac- clamations to the prison to liberal) the wretched recluse, and transfer him from his loathsome confinement to the splendour of a throne. As the crowd of courtiers approached the entrance of the prison, each more ready than the other to pay his homage to the new sovereign, the prince thought that at last the fatal moment had come which he had so long expected, and that the ministers of death were about to seize on him. Life Gould have-pos- sessed few charms for the poor captive, almost deprived of light and air; but even in such circumstances, nay, in those still more hopeless, life is a boon too valuable to be cast away. Ibrahim, therefore, barred and bar- ricaded the door of his apartment against his unexpected visitors. They in- formed him of his elevation ; but he would not credit it, supposing it to be an artifice of his persecutors ; nor was it until he heard the voice of his mother the Sultana assuring him that Amurath was dead, that he admitted his future ministers and received their salutations."
The History of the Ottoman Empire is a revised and in part an extended reprint of several histories connected in subject, from the "Encyclopsedia Metropolitana." The volume contains a rapid sur- vey of the Byzantine Empire from the foundation of Constantinople till its capture ; the rise of the Mahometan power till the downfall of the Seljnkian dynasty, which led the way to the success of Othman; a full account of the Crusades ; and the history of the Ottoman or Turkish Empire proper. The reader who desires to have in a short compass an historioal narrative of the Eastern and Turkish Empires, will find this vo- lume a close and scholarly account of the principal events, with a clear marking of the leading circumstances. This is especially the case with the immediate part before us, the History of the Ottoman Empire. In the course of 150 pages, it presents a very readable and instructive account of the subject, compiled by a mind well stored and independent, without any of that looseness of compo- sition or signs of haste which characterize most of the late publi- cations for the nonce. An addition brings down the narrative from the treaty of Bucharest, in 1812, to the present time.
Previous page
