this victory, I discovered that he dreaded that she would return to the combat, and that the suspension of hostilities would end with my visit.

There can be no situation, however elevated, that will insure continual happiness; nor any so abject as to be without enjoyment; indeed happiness and misery seem so necessarily united, that they are equally dispersed through all ranks of society; and though we cannot persuade ourselves we are content or happy, we wish to conceal from others every appearance to the contrary; we derive happiness from being thought to possess it; and comfort ourselves in wretchedness if we can disguise it from others.

I shall conclude my examples of seeming contentment with a letter from one, who can have little reason to disguise the sense of his melancholy situation: it is from a criminal under sentence of twelve months confinement in a solitary cell of a county prison; he is without friends, without property, without character, and without any necessary of life except the scanty allowance which hard labour procures amidst the horrors of a dungeon; yet he wrote the following letter, and delivered it to the keeper, to be forwarded to á brother at a distance.

"DEAR JACK,-This comes with my kind love, hoping it will find you in good health and spirits, as it leaves me at this present writing, thanks to nobody for it; I live in a pleasant part of the kingdom here, and only for the distance between us not so much amiss; the people are not over and above sociable, and so I never mixes with none of 'em; work is in great plenty here, and provisions cost us nothing; the house I live in is newly built, and they say 'tis one of the best of the sort in all England, for they can make better than forty separate bed-rooms every night. I was sorry to hear poor Bob was catched out last assizes; but no matter for that, they say Botany Bay is a rare country, and worth while to go on purpose to see, for 'tis quite another world. And so hoping we may all go there one time or other, this concludes me, dear Jack,

"Your's, till death, TOM FILCH. "P. S.-Direct to me, at A*** Bridewell, where I have fallen into a job of work, that will hold me best part of next winter."

V**Y.

STATE OF MUSIC AMONG THE TURKS.

IT was not till the reign of Amurat, that this science was cultivated or known among the Turks. That prince having ordered a general massacre of the Persians at the taking of Bagdad, was so moved by the lugubrious and tender air of a Persian harper,* that he retracted his cruel order, and put a stop to the slaughter. The musician was conducted, with four of his brother minstrels, to Constantinople; and by these the harmonious art was propagated among the Turks.

Under Mahomet the Fourth it flourished, and was almost brought to its perfection, principally through the exertions of Osman Effendi, who was himself a great master of the art, and formed a number of able scholars.

The first, however, that applied notes to Turkish airs, was Prince Cantemir. His book was dedicated to Sultan Achmet II., and is become very rare.

Although the Turks highly prize this work, they seldom use or imitate it; contenting themselves to compose and execute memoriter, according to their ancient custom: so difficult, it seems, is it to reduce to a regular scale of notation the theory of Turkish music: not that it is without scientific rules and principles, as some have too rashly advanced; it has all the times and tones that our's has; and is richer in semi-tones,† and consequently more melodious than our's is.

Niebuhr was misinformed when he wrote, that the Turks of rank would think themselves dishonoured by learning music. So far from this, it makes an usual part of their education. It is only in public that they disdain to sing or play.

* The Abaté Toderini, from whose valuable work the materials for this sketch are taken, used every means to find this celebrated piece of Sach-Cule (for that is the name of this Persian Timotheus.) But it was never noted, it seems, and is only played by the greatest masters from tradition. In the Poetical Register, Vol. VIII. there is an ode by the late Eyles Irwin, on the triumph obtained by the Persian musician over the ferocity of Amurath.

It is to be observed, that every one of our tones, is divided by the Turks into four semi semi-tones.

N

Guer, and after him other writers, have affirmed, that in the infirmary of the seraglio there is a concert of vocal and instrumental music from morning to night, for the purpose of soothing the sufferings, and exhilerating the spirits of the sick and valetudinarian. But this is absolutely false; as the Abaté Toderini was assured, by a person who had been twenty years a physician of the seraglio.

The musical instruments used by the Turks are, 1. The Keman, resembling our violin.

2. The Ajakli-keman; a sort of bass viol.

3. The Sine-keman, or the viol d'amour.

4. The Rebab; a two-stringed bow instrument, almost in the form of a sphere; but now little used.

5. The Tambour; an eight-stringed instrument; with a long handle, on which the scale of tones is marked. It is played upon with a small flexible plate of tortoise-shell.

6. The Nei; which is a kind of flute made of cane, the sound of which approaches to that of the German flute, and sometimes to that of the human voice. This is the fashionable instrument among persons of rank. 7. The Ghirif; a flute of a smaller size.

8. The Mescal is composed of twenty-three cane pipes of unequal length, each of which gives three different sounds from the different manner of blowing it.

9. The Santur, or psaltery, is the same with ours, and played upon in the same manner.

10. The Canun, or psaltery with catgut strings, on which the ladies of the seraglio play, with a sort of tortoise-shell instrument.

These are all chamber instruments. The following are military ones.

1. The Zurna, a sort of oboe.

2. The Kaba Žurna, a smaller species of the same. 3. The Boru, a tin trumpet.

4. The Zil, a Moorish instrument. It is composed of two roundish plates of tin, with a small hemispherical cavity in the middle of the inner side. On the convex side there are two handles, by means of which the one plate is struck against the other.

5. The Daul is a large kind of tambour, beaten with two wooden sticks.

6. The Tombalek, a small tympanum, or drum, of which the diameter is little more than half a foot.

7. The Kios, a large copper drum, commonly carried on a camel.

The band of the sultan is truly grand, composed of all the best musicians in Constantinople. They all play in unison, a part in the lower, and a part in the higher

octave.

THE BLESSINGS OF PAPER AND LAW. THIS is a Paper Age, for mutual conveniency.-Nine parts out of ten of the trade of this country is carried on through the medium of accommodation paper.

The Golden, the Silver, and the Iron Ages are long since past-the two former never to return!-We are now happily arrived at the Paper Age.

The abuse of which paper is a further consideration, as it regards usurious discounters, and harpy money lenders, prodigal borrowers, and needy tradesmen.

In all which cases, were the parties cited to appear face to face, they could satisfy the court in a few minutes, better than a chancery bill of twelve hours long, or all the wrangling lawyers in the kingdom.

'Well, if you are disappointed in our court, I am sorry for you. But, heaven be praised! we have more courts than one.

"Our forefathers, many of whom were lawyers, have provided us with an ample portion of law!

"No free-born Englishman (say they) shall want law! -'tis his birthright! his best heritage, (Coke calls it) -as long as he has any money in his pocket."

'We have a court-the peculiar blessing of which it is, to mitigate the severity, and abate the rigour of common law courts; wherein the nicest matters are investigated, and weighed with learned and just distinction-from which tribunal, to the honour of a long succession of great and able presidents be it spoken, few causes, very few indeed, have been repealed and reversed, in comparison of the number of equitable decrees established. But it is rather expensive carrying the business through.'

But wherefore lead me a dance through many courts?

Why refer me to another; when I stand here for justice and my right? Is not this a court of justice? "Doubtless---'tis a court of common law.'

6

Is not a court of common law a court of justice? Unquestionably---every court of law is a court of

justice.

Well, then, what hinders ?

Nay, 'tis all over with you here---your relief must now lie in equity.'

What is that? Is not common law, justice; and justice, equity?

They are all the same in one sense; and yet they differ widely.'

JUSTICE and EQUITY differ widely! How can that be?

No, no: they are the same---all but the difference--which proceeds from their having (what shall I call them?) a kind of different principles.'

Different principles, proceeding from one and the self-same immutable principle!---I don't understand you!

This error lies in your want of comprehension. Know, then, that the justice of common law is one thing, and the justice of equity another!'

Justice, and equity, and common law !--- You confound me! and, I fear, you confound yourselves.

'If you mean to obtain your right, you must pursue it closely, and resolutely fight through the weapons of your defence! But, if you desert your property, you will have nobody to blame but yourself.'

Justice, and equity, and common law, I begin to consider as different expedients for fleecing individuals!

'Why loiter then? Why not pursue it, when I can lead you to the very spot where it lies, carefully and curiously wrapt up in a napkin of many folds?'

Because I foresee that I am in pursuit of a chimera, which has sufficiently drained me already; and should have lost heart long ago, were it not that I observe those gentlemen, my upright counsel and most disinterested attorney, are so zealously bent upon doing me right, that they will not give it up-as long as I have a guinea left. J. B. S.