defeated the whole force of the empire, and imposed his 

 terms on the humiliated Porte ; yet even his course was 

 marked with the Turkish vices of cruelty and avarice, and 

 his want of moderation alone prevented the early consoli- 

 dation of his power. These are the most distinguished 

 men in the recent history of Turkey, and from these exam- 

 ples it is evident that the genius of the Turks is better fitted 

 to overthrow an empire than to establish one on principles 

 of permanence and stability. 



Few of the Ottoman emperors have been free from the 

 prevailing vices of their nation ; and the present sultan is 

 no less distinguished for his unbounded rapacity than for 

 his disregard of human life. He is the terror of the wealthy 

 bankers, who are seldom fortunate enough to save their 

 lives by the surrender of their properties. He appears, 

 however, to have imbibed some of the leading opinions of 

 his cousin Selim, to whose assiduous care he owes all his 

 instruction ; that unfortunate prince was far from being 

 what the bigoted Toderini styles him, " uno feroce anticris- 

 tiano ;" he knew the superiority of European manners, and 

 was well aware that the imputation of barbarism was cast 

 upon his empire. This was his tender point, and it was 

 by insisting on this that Mr. Arbuthnot obtained in 1807, 

 in the case of the Russian minister, Italinsky, a departure 

 from the practice of confining in the Seven Towers the 

 ambassadors of states which declared war against the Porte. 

 Mahmoud appears to be actuated by similar views but 

 different dispositions, and his conduct at the present 

 moment implies a sulky adoption of the principles of inter- 

 national law. But though willing to treat the Europeans 

 with respect, he is at the same time a rude barbarian ; and 

 his internal administration is energetic without being wise. 

 His avarice has led him to debase the coin to such a degree 

 that the piastre, which at the commencement of the last cen- 

 tury was worth .nearly four shillings, and which when he 

 ascended the throne was reduced to a third of that value, 

 is not at present worth more than four pence ; the same 

 motive has led him to offend the prejudices of his nation 

 in the tenderest points. Alfter the massacre of the Jani- 

 zaries in 1826, he sold by public auction the wives of his 



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