EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 47 
government and antient prejudices. It was like wife well 
known, that the fecure fituation of the country, little expofed 
to any external attack, would have favoured the ambitious 
defigns of a rival Pafha, 
By an inftitution ftill obferved in fome inftances, he or- 
dained, that the Pafha fhould be contented to fliare the power 
of the Beys, and that the duration of his authority fhould 
depend on their colledive will. The Beys muft neceflarily 
have feparate perfonal interefts, which fometimes lead them to 
inteftine outrage and bloodfhed ; yet, with regard to any exter- 
nal power or influence, their interefts are univerfally the fame. 
As allies or as enemies they form one body and one foul. Selim 
was too confident in the power and fplendour of the Ottoman 
arms, and in his own charader of chief of their religion, to 
entertain any fufpicion that the commands of the Porte would 
ever be treated except with diftinguifhed refpedl. 
The power of the Paftia was at firfl very extenfive ; but has, 
by the intrigues and ambition of the Beys, been gradually 
reduced almoft to a cipher. 
His jurifdidion was rather civil than military. He was 
always prefident of the Divvan, which was held in the caftle 
where he refided. But that council now commonly meets in 
the palace of one of the chief Beys, except when a firman or 
mandate is received from Conftantinople, when the Beys are 
fummoned to the caftle to hear the commands of the Porte. 
The few who attend, as foon as the reading is finiftied, anfwer, 
as 
