Yet scarcely, perhaps, one hour before I had
been wanting my bill, and ringing for waiters, in a shrill and busy
hotel.
In the Ottoman dominions there is scarcely any hereditary influence
except that which belongs to the family of the Sultan, and wealth,
too, is a highly volatile blessing, not easily transmitted to the
descendant of the owner. From these causes it results that the
people standing in the place of nobles and gentry are official
personages, and though many (indeed the greater number) of these
potentates are humbly born and bred, you will seldom, I think, find
them wanting in that polished smoothness of manner, and those well-
undulating tones which belong to the best Osmanlees. The truth is,
that most of the men in authority have risen from their humble
station by the arts of the courtier, and they preserve in their
high estate those gentle powers of fascination to which they owe
their success. Yet unless you can contrive to learn a little of
the language, you will be rather bored by your visits of ceremony;
the intervention of the interpreter, or dragoman as he is called,
is fatal to the spirit of conversation. I think I should mislead
you if I were to attempt to give the substance of any particular
conversation with Orientals. A traveller may write and say that
"the Pasha of So-and-so was particularly interested in the vast
progress which has been made in the application of steam, and
appeared to understand the structure of our machinery - that he
remarked upon the gigantic results of our manufacturing industry -
showed that he possessed considerable knowledge of our Indian
affairs, and of the constitution of the Company, and expressed a
lively admiration of the many sterling qualities for which the
people of England are distinguished." But the heap of commonplaces
thus quietly attributed to the Pasha will have been founded perhaps
on some such talking as this:-
Pasha. - The Englishman is welcome; most blessed among hours is
this, the hour of his coming.
Dragoman (to the traveller). - The Pasha pays you his compliments.
Traveller. - Give him my best compliments in return, and say I'm
delighted to have the honour of seeing him.
Dragoman (to the Pasha). - His lordship, this Englishman, Lord of
London, Scorner of Ireland, Suppressor of France, has quitted his
governments, and left his enemies to breathe for a moment, and has
crossed the broad waters in strict disguise, with a small but
eternally faithful retinue of followers, in order that he might
look upon the bright countenance of the Pasha among Pashas - the
Pasha of the everlasting Pashalik of Karagholookoldour.
Traveller (to his dragoman). - What on earth have you been saying
about London? The Pasha will be taking me for a mere cockney.
Have not I told you ALWAYS to say that I am from a branch of the
family of Mudcombe Park, and that I am to be a magistrate for the
county of Bedfordshire, only I've not qualified, and that I should
have been a deputy-lieutenant if it had not been for the
extraordinary conduct of Lord Mountpromise, and that I was a
candidate for Goldborough at the last election, and that I should
have won easy if my committee had not been bought.
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