Janisch, in his preface to Meninski, who says that they were 

 brought from Paris. This institution was liberally sup- 

 ported by the Sultan Ahmed, but languished under his suc- 

 cessor, and on the death of Ibrahim totally ceased. The 

 whole fruit of its labours, during the fourteen years of its 

 existence, was three-and-twenty volumes. This great in- 

 strument of public instruction could not be introduced with- 

 out the permission of the Ulemas; and they, of course 

 yielding to the wishes of the prince, sanctioned the print- 

 ing of all works in the Turkish, Arabic, and Persian lan- 

 guages, except the Koran, and those of a religious nature. 

 This inhibitory clause, which comprehends three-fourths 

 of oriental learning, and nearly all that the Turks care to 

 read, was necessary, Mr. Thornton says, to preserve reli- 

 gion in its purity ; but we are unable to perceive that there 

 is anything unholy or unclean in the nature of letter-press ; 

 or that religion is kept more pure by bearing a high price. 

 The same writer adds, " that he wants no other evidence 

 of the liberal encouragement given to learning by the Turks 

 than their own unassisted efforts to introduce the art of 

 printing." To this we will reply, that we want no stronger 

 proof of their apathy and hopeless barbarism than the fact, 

 that their rich and populous capital was not able to support 

 the single press, the short-lived existence of which was 

 wholly due to the liberality of the prince, and the talents 

 of a renegade. After an oblivion, however, of more than 

 forty years, the experiment was repeated, and in the year 

 1783 the press was re-established by Abdul Hamid; and 

 shortly after, the accession of the liberal Selim to the throne 

 gave it ampler funds and fresh activity. The French, who 

 at this time were making great efforts to civilise the Turks, 

 co-operated with the Sultan, and a press was also established 

 in the palace of the French ambassador. Several treatises on 

 the art of war, translated from the French, were printed in 

 the Turkish language ; and two little volumes were printed 

 in French, which, from particular circumstances, deserve 

 to be mentioned. The one is entitled " Tableau des Nou- 

 veaux Reglements de I' Empire Ottoman," and appeared in 

 1798 : it was the work of Mahmud Efendi, who had resided 

 some time in England, and cost the author his life in the 



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