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256 
the mild fpirit of the times; but it 
reigns here in full force and terror. I 
faw officers of this cruel court employed in 
boring holes, with red-hot wires,, in the 
ears, nofe. and various parts of the body, 
and then diftending them with the 
weight of metal chains, or ftones, cut 
into a variety of fhapes; fome had in- 
vented a contrivance for cramping the 
feet in fuch a manner, that many are 
lamed by it for their whole’ lives. 
Others I faw, flender and delicate in 
their form, and naturally nimble as the 
young antelope, who were obliged to 
carry conftantly about with them a cum- 
brous unwieldy machine, of a pyramidal 
form, feveral ells in circumference. 
But the moft common,’ and one of the 
svorft inftruments of torture, was a {mail 
machine, armed with fifh-bone and ribs 
‘of ficel, wide at top, but extremely {mall 
at bottom. In this deteftable invention, 
the queen orders the bodies of her female 
fubjeets to be inclofed, it is then, by 
means of filk cords, drawn clofer and 
clofer, at intervais, till the unbappy-vic- 
tim can fearcely breathe; and they have 
found the exact point that can be borne 
without fainting, which, however, not 
unfrequently happens. The fleth is 
often excoriated, and the very ribs 
bent, by this cruel procefs; yet, what 
afionifhed me more than all the refi, 
theic fufferings are borne with a degree 
ef fortitude, which, in a better caufe, 
would immortalize a hero, er canonize a 
faint. The Spartan who fuffered the 
fox to eat into his vitals, did not bear 
pain with greater refolution: and as the 
Spartan mothers. brought their children 
tobe feonrged at the altar of Diana, fo 
do the: mothers here bring their children, 
and chiefly thofe. whofe tender fex, 
one would fuppofe, excufed them from 
fuch exertions, and early inure them to 
this cruel difcipline 3 but neither Spar- 
tan, nor Dervife, nor Bonze, nor Car- 
thufian monk, ever exercifed move unre- 
lenting feverities over their bedies, than 
thefe young zealots; indeed the firft 
jeffon they are taught, is a furrender of 
their own inclinations, and an implicit 
obedience to the commands of the god- 
defs; but they have, befides a more 
folemn kind of dedication, fomething 
fimilar to the rite of confirmation. 
When a young woman approaches the 
marriageable age, fhe is led to the altar, 
her hair, which before fell loofely abour 
her fhoulders, is tied up in a trefs, 
| Fajfbion, a 
ifort. [ April, 
fweetoils, drawn from rofes and fpices, are 
poured upon it, fhe is involved in a cloud 
of fcented duft, and invefted with orna- 
ments under which fhe can fearcely 
move; after this folemn ceremony, 
which is generally concluded by a dance 
round the altar, the young perfon is 
obliged to a ftiil ftri€ter contormity than 
before to the laws and cuftoms of the 
ceurt, and Yny deviation from them is 
feverely punifhed. The courtiers of 
Alexander, it is faid, flattered him by 
carrying their heads cn one fide, becaufe 
he had the misfortune to have a wry 
neck, but all adulation is poor, eompared: 
to what its praétifed in this court; 
fometimes the queen will lifpand ftam- 
mer, and then none of her attendants 
can {peak plain; fometimes fhe choofes 
to totter as fhe walks, and then they are 
feized with fudden lamenefs ; -accord=- 
ingly as fhe appears half undreffed, 
or veiled from head to foor, her fubjeéts 
become a procéifion of nuns, or a treop 
of Bacchenalian nymphs-.--1 could not 
help obferving, however. thatthcfe who 
ftood at the greateit difiance from the 
throne, were the moft extravagant in 
their imitation. I was, by this time, 
thoroughly difgufted with the charaéter 
of a fovereign, at once fo light and fo 
cruel, fo fickle and fo arbitrary, when 
one who ftood next me, bade me attend 
to fill greater contradiétions in her cha- 
radier, and fuch as might ferve to foften 
the indignation I had conceived: He 
took me to the back of the throne, and 
made me take notice of a number of 
induftrious poor, to whom the queen 
was fecretly diftributing bread. I faw 
the Genius of Commerce doing her 
homage, and difcovered the Britith crofs 
woven into the infignia of her dignity. 
While I was mufing on thefe things, 
a murmur arofe among the crowd, 
and*I was told that a young vetary was 
approaching ; I turned my head, and faw 
a light figure, the folds of whofe 
garment fhowed the elegant turn of the 
limbs they covered, tripping along with 
the flep of anymph. I foon knew it 
to be yourfelf---I faw you led up to 
the -altar---I faw your beautiful hair 
tied in drtificial treffes, and its bright 
glofs ftained with coloured duft—I even 
fancied | beheld produced the dreadful 
inftfuments of torture—my emotions 
increafed—I cried out, ‘Oh, fpare 
her! fpare my Flora!’ with fo motch 
yehemence, that I awaked. 
3 > Ge 
