ALE 



' fair.ting on tlie day of Cxfar's death, when licr maids, ap- 

 prdienJiiig that (he was dead, wailed over her. (Biutus, 

 Oper. torn. i. 991.) We alfo learn from Cicero, (de legibus, 

 lib. li. opcr. torn iii. p. 221, cd. Olivet.), that the extrava- 

 gant exclamations of wciiieii atfunenils was prohibited by the 

 twelve tables. See Pr«fic>«:. In a few hours the corpfe 

 is prepared for interment by ablution, and by (lopping all 

 the natural palfages with cotton, fprinkling part? of it with 

 a powder compoled of fpikenard and other aromatic herbs, 

 and wrapping it np in a cotton winding-flieet. Over the 

 bier, at the head of which is fixed a batoon, on which tlie 

 man's turban, or the attire of the female head, is placed, is 

 thrown a black pall, and over this the bell wearing apparel 

 ut the deceafcd. The funeral proceffion is attended by 

 the acquaintance and kindred of the deccafed : a number of 

 tlie fliaiks, fome of whom inceffantly repeat Ullah, Ullah, 

 and others chant verfcs of the Koran ; and one perfon is 

 the chief mourner, who manifells her grief, real or htlitious, 

 by the moll extravagant and frantic cries and geftures. — 

 Other niourners are fometimes hired, who, at intervals, join 

 in the general wuKvaly. A funeral fervice is performed by 

 tlic imam in fome neighbouring mofque, and the corpfe is 

 then dcpofited in the grave, in a reclining poflure, with 

 the head to the well, and the face turned towards Mecca. 

 A handful of earth is then thrown by the imam, or ffieik, 

 after a funeral Icrvice, into the grave, which is alfo done 

 by others who (land near, and who at the fame time pro- 

 nounce a (hort benediclion ; after which the grave is iilled 

 up. The funeral fervice in ufe among the Kurdeens is veiy 

 laconic, and is as foUows : " If thou had taken away, thou 

 (lialt reftore ; if thou hall given, it (hall be reftored to thee ; 

 and if thou doubted this, thou (halt now be convinced." 

 The funeral fervice, recited by the iman at the grave, is as 

 follows : " O man ! from earth thou wad at (irll created, 

 and to the earth thou doft now return : this tranlitory 

 abode being the (irll Hep of thy progrefs to the manfions 

 of eternity. If, in thy aclions in life, thou had been bene- 

 ficent, God will pardon thy ti-anfgrefTions ; and if thou 

 hall not, dill the mercy of God has no bounds. But re- 

 member what thou didll profcfs in this world, that God is 

 thy Lord, and Mahommed thy prophet — and thy belief in 

 all the prophets and apodles, and that God's forgivenefs 

 is amply extended." The fepulehre is vifited by the near 

 relations on the third, feventh, and fortieth day after the 

 interment : they alfo celebrate the anniverfary : folemn 

 prayers are oflFered at the tomb for the repofe of the deceaf- 

 ed, and viftuals and money are didributed to the poor. 

 The tomb is bedr>;wed by the women, in their vifits, with 

 flowers and aromatic herbs ; and the wvdwaly is repeated. 

 The men make no alteration in their drefs as a mode of 

 tnourning ; but the women lay afide their jewels, drefs in 

 their plained garments, and wear on the head an embroi- 

 dered handkerchief of a duiky brick-dud colour. They com- 

 monly mourn i z months for a huftand, and fix for a father. 



The governor of Aleppo is ufually a vizir balhaw, or a 

 badiaw with three tails ; though fometimes the province is 

 conferred on an inferior badiaw of two tails. He feldom 

 remains in of&ce for more than 1 2 months at a time, though 

 the office may be renewed in the fame perfon ; and indances 

 occur, in which he has been continued for feveral fuccelTive 

 years. The regular revenue of the bafhaw is barely fuffi- 

 cient to defray two-thirds of his annual expence, including 

 the fums which he is obliged to remit to Condantinople, in 

 •rder to fecure the intered of friends at the Porte. To 

 this circumdance is owing the nefarious praftice of making 

 avanias upon the people, or raifing money by falfe pre- 

 teijces, io order to fupply the deikiency. According to M. 



ALE 



d'Ai-vIeux, the bafhaw's regular falary was So,ooo dollar?, 

 or above 8,300/. of which .^5,000 is allowed for the main- 

 tenance of his troops, confiding of 4 or 5000 men. But by 

 extortions, prefeiits, and other means, they raife their revenue 

 to 200,000 dollars, or about 25,000/. In 1769, the reve- 

 nue of the badiaw fell Ihort. of 200,000 dollars, though 

 avanias were as common as ever. In 1783, Volney gives 

 nearly the fame account »vith d'Arvieux ; but he men- 

 tions an indance of one bad.aw, who, within 12 or 13 

 years, raifed, by extraordinary extortions, ih 15 months, 

 160,000/. 



A cadi, or judge, appointed by the Porte for one year, , 

 is fent annually from Condantinople, who brings with him 

 his principal oflicer. A deputy, called Naib, (its in the outer 

 court, to hear inferior caufes, while aftairs of moment are 

 decided by the cadi in jicrfon. There aro three or four 

 fubordliiate tribunals in diderent parts of the town, which 

 are farmed of the cadi by certain effendees, who, under 

 his authority, determine petty (uits ; but from thefe an ap- 

 peal lies to the fuperior court of the cadi, or tlie great Mali- ' 

 kamy, which is the name of the old palace, where he re- 

 fides. The cadi has no edabliflicd falai-y ; but he finds 

 means to raife a handfome revenue, though not merely 

 from the legal perquifites of office, which, however, arc 

 ver)' confiderable. The mufti is nominated annually by ' 

 the Porte ; and he gives a fitwa, or an opinion upon all 

 cafes that are laid before him ; for which his fee is little 

 more than a (hilling. The nakub, or chief of the (hereefs 

 or greenheads, is nominated at Condantinople, and either 

 annually confirmed, or changed. He judges in particular 

 cafes, and to his tribunal the fhereefs are amenable. The 

 mohalTil, formerly called difter-dar, is reckoned the fecond 

 perfon of the city in the civil line, and is ufually appointed 

 by the Divan, a temporary governor on the demile of the 

 bafhaw, till orders are received from the Porte. He is far- 

 mer-general of tire land-tax, the cudoms, and the capita- 

 tion-tax ; his influence is extenfive ; he is much courted by 

 the agas or land-renters, as well as by the merchants ; and 

 he lives fplendidly. Volney Hates the mohaffil's annual 

 farm at 40,000/. befides 4 or 5000/. which he is obliged to 

 pay to the officers at the Porte. The balhaw, mohalTil, 

 cadi, mufti, nakub, and fardar or aga of the janizaries 

 are, by their offices, members of the divan, or council. 

 The janizaries of Aleppo are modly perfons who live in a 

 domedie manner, in the exercife of their refpeftive trades. 

 They have no pay, but being enrolled in one of the odas or 

 chambers at Condantinople, they enjoy in time of peace 

 feveral privileges and exemptions. In war-time they are 

 liable to be called out, and are obliged to provide them- 

 felves with arms, and to march to the camp at their own 

 expence, as they receive no regular pay till they arrive there. 

 Out of thefe is formed a city guard, under the command 

 of the fardar, who holds his appointment from the janizary 

 aga of Condantinople. They have a peculiar drefs, and the 

 attendants of the fardar, when he appears abroad, as well 

 as hiinfelf, are dillinguilhed by particular turbans. 



Thefe janizaries were formerly fubjeft to regular exercife 

 and difciphne ; but within the lad 60 or 80 years, fays 

 Volney, there no longer remains the (lighted trace of their j^ 

 ancient good order. When the balhaw or pacha abufes his W 

 authority, they are always the fird to ereft the ilandard of 

 fedition. The Turkilh government revenges itfelf, it is true, 

 by ordering the mod aftive mutineers to be drangled ; but, 

 on the fird opportunity, the janizaries create other chiefs, 

 and affairs return to their ufual courfe. The pachas, thus 

 thwarted, have taken foreign foldiers into their fervice, who 

 have neither friends nor families in the country. Thefe are 

 7 ef 



