'22 



their perfection, from the uncultivated minds, and degraded 

 natures, of a race deprest by tyranny. 



We see this plainly, in the accounts which travellers give 

 us, fiom Busbequius and Rycaut, down to Eton, Olivier, 

 and Wittman, of the government, manners, private life, 

 amusements and pleasures of the Turks : all repeat the as- 

 sertion, " that the Turks destroy every thing, and repair no- 

 " thing." Their buildings are semi-barbarous: so are their 

 manners. All their pleasures are insipid; all their magni- 

 ficence is tasteless and tawdry. There is something un- 

 couth in all their notions and productions. Wittman re- 

 lates an anecdote, that strongly evinces the present unen- 

 lightened condition of the Turks, without the exception 

 even of their principal and most distinguished personages. 

 " General Koehler was requested by the Grand Vizier, to 

 " have a map of the world sketched out for him. This 

 " being performed, a conversation ensued, in which the 

 " General, having the map before him, told his Highness, 

 " among other particulars, that the earth was round. This 

 " information caused no small degree of surprise to the 

 " Turkish minister; and he shewed, by his reply, that he 

 '' was disposed to doubt the truth of the assertion. If (he 

 " observed) tlie earth is round, how can the people, and 

 " other detached objects, on the half beneath, be prevented 

 " from falling of? When he was told, that the earth re- 

 " volved round the sun, he displayed an equal degree 

 " of scepticism; observing, that if that was the case, the 



" ships 



