504 
which he broke immediately after- 
wards,. because my impure lips had 
touched it. 
The Turk would have drank out of 
the cup after me without ever rinsing 
it. At his table he drinks, without re- 
luctance, what a European may have 
left in his glass. Nevertheless, he 
speaks of a Christian with contempt. 
He will even scruple to extol his own 
religion to him, lest he should profane 
it. The Turkish flag bears the arms of 
the empire on a ground of green, which 
is the colour consecrated by their re- 
ligious traditions. ‘They have a term 
to express this naval ensign, but they 
take especial care not to use the same 
word when speaking of European co- 
lours. For their own they make use of 
the word bairue (flag), and for those of 
foreign nations of patchaoura (dish- 
clout.) 
‘ The Persian barbers never shave an 
infidel. The Turkish ones serve a 
European with pleasure. 
If an Armenian happens to be over- 
taken by a shower, he is obliged to re- 
turn home. Should he have the mis- 
fortune to touch a disciple of Ali, he 
would be ill-used, through the whimsi- 
eal idea of the Persians, who believe 
that the dampness of the garments is 
contagious, and renders them impure. 
Still this same Persian, so furious to 
an Armenian who touches him, does 
not reproach him for his religion. He 
distinguishes every people, whether 
tributary or not, by their national de- 
‘nomination; while the Ottoman con- 
founds them all under the emphatic ap- 
pellation of Giaour, which is continu- 
ally in his mouth. 
The Persian, though naturally ac- 
tive, accustoms himself to idleness. 
There are to be seen in the anticham- 
bers of the great a vast number of 
lackeys, who prefer serving for a little 
food and clothes to applying themselves 
to agriculture or working at a trade. 
The Turk, whose disposition is indo- 
lent, finds the greatest pleasure in lying 
extended upon a sofa. Limagine that 
the number and size of his habiliments 
contribute to make him take so much 
delight in softness and repose. 
{t is the stupid ferocity of the Turk 
which renders him courageous. He 
goes to the combat with resolution, 
and defends himself to the last extre- 
mity in a besieged place, under the 
idea that he is fighting for his religion, 
and shall obtain the martyr’s crown. 
The Persian believes in predestination 
The Modern Persians and Turks compared. 
[July 1, 
like the Turk, and is as good a soldier, 
but his lighter arms do not protect 
him so well. ‘The Turk fights through 
fanaticism, the Persian through in- 
terest. The latter exposes himself to 
danger only when he is well paid, and 
is not brave until after a victory. 
These two nations rarely present any 
examples of that elevated courage, 
those generous and noble sentiments, 
which strike upon every mind and 
electrify a whole multitude. ‘They are 
never inspired by the love of country. 
Honour is a word unknown amongst 
them. The opinion, received even 
from infancy by the people of Europe, 
that a heartless man is debased, de- 
graded, and no longer worthy to see 
the light, never once entered the minds 
of the Turks and Persians. 
There is, however, a sort of tradi- 
tional courage among the. Janissaries 
which the Persians cannot have, be- 
cause their military organization is en- 
tirely different. The institution of the 
Janissaries, in the end, accelerated the 
ruin of the empire which it had raised ; 
and to it, as much as to the clergy, is 
to be attributed that repugnance to- 
wards the arts and learning of Eu- 
rope which precipitated the unfortunate 
Sultan Selim from the throne. The 
Janissaries always see their ruin in the 
adoption of European customs, This 
obstacle does not exist amongst the 
Persians : thus they have adopted the 
nizamdjedid with as much zeal as the 
Turks have shown in resisting the 
introduction of our tactics. But the 
Persians have not, to defend them- 
selves against the Russians, a corps 
possessing the bravery and devotion of 
an army of janissaries. 
In Persia, the first vizier is generally 
a mirza, and is not expected to com- 
mand the armies. In Turkey, he is 
most frequently a man who has risen 
from nothing, and is obliged to put 
himself at the head of the troops 
whenever war is declared. 
The military virtue of the Persians 
does not prevent them from being in- 
different and cruel. The Turk has a 
sensibility coming from the heart, and 
often takes pleasure in succourinug his 
fellow-creature ; his beneficence ex- 
tends even to animals. The Persian’s 
sensibility is confined to his head: his 
heart is extremely callous; and he 
rarely stretches out a helping hand to 
the unfortunate, or even deigns to be- 
stow a look upon him. 
The Persian is as confident in poli- 
tics 
