TO THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN. 



173 



Poets, and writers on Polite Literature - 79 

 Historians - - - - 42 



Dictionaries and Vocabularies - - 56 



Such, my Lord, is the famous Library of the Seraglio ! respecting 

 which so many falsehoods have been advanced ; but which I am now 

 very clear, both from the manner in which it is secured, the decla- 

 rations of the Turks, and the contradictory accounts of the Franks, 

 was never before subjected to the examination of a Christian. After 

 we had remained in the library as long as decency permitted, we took 

 our leave of the Librarian and quitted the Seraglio. As Youssouf 

 Aga's Kiaia had hinted that his master would wish to see me after I 

 had finished my investigation, I waited upon him on my return. He 

 received me with the greatest attention, and desired to know the 

 success of my researches ; but at the same time expressed his fears, 

 that the neglect in which literature had been held by their ancestors 

 would render every enquiry, at present, after ancient MSS. en- 

 tirely fruitless. I thanked him, in the name of the ambassador, for 

 having been permitted to enter the library at all ; and assured him, 

 that though I had not met with in it those books which were reported 

 to have been deposited there, yet I considered it as no small satis- 

 faction to have ascertained the negative of the question. I observed, 

 that different nations possessed different customs ; that my discovery 

 of one of these ancient authors would be looked upon in England 

 as very important ; and I took the liberty of adding, that no person 

 felt more interested in subjects of this kind than Mr. Pitt. Youssouf 

 Aga replied, that nothing could give them greater pleasure than to 

 gratify the British nation, and particularly Mr. Pitt ; and that if they 

 could give any intelligence where such books were deposited, I should 

 not only have the liberty of inspecting them, but of carrying them 

 along with me to England. This assurance gave me an opportunity 

 of hinting at the other repository of books in the Seraglio, and of 

 expressing my wish, if it were not improper, to be allowed to exa- 

 mine it likewise. The Aga answered in such a manner as gave 



