Modern Turkey

Preface

IN the first part of this work, I have endeavoured to point out the benefits to health that may be derived from a residence in Syria. My views on the subject are not theoretical, as I experienced those benefits in my own person. Indeed, I believe that a great many of the ailments to which the inhabitants of Northern and Western Europe are liable would almost infallibly obtain relief from a residence in the clear, dry, exhilarating atmosphere of Beyrout, and in the midst of the lovely scenery to be found on and around Mount Lebanon ; notably, the earlier stages of consumption, and chronic chest complaints. Dyspepsia, hypochondriasis, and other affections of the digestive system, are

Vlll PREFACE.

also relieved or cured by the united tonic effects of the mountain air and out-of-doors life that the charming climate almost compels one to lead; while shaken nerves and exhausted brains are restored to energy by a combination of the various influences of climate, scenery, travel, and absence from the causes of those conditions which have been left behind. Besides, in favour of Beyrout and Mount Lebanon, it may fairly be taken into account that they are near the site of the Garden of Eden, the cradle of the human race, and in a part of that country where the Jews, the chosen people of God, were specially directed to reside.

The account of the Empress Eugenie's visit to Constantinople was contributed by me, at the time, to the Daily News, but, considering the estimation in which that illustrious lady is held in this country, I have thought it desirable to preserve — though in a condensed form — a record of an historical event the like of which never occurred before, and may, probably, never occur again.

A portion of the second, and nearly the whole

PREFACE. IX

of the third part of this volume was written during my recent residence at Constantinople; and I have to acknowledge, with thanks, the valuable suggestions and kindly aid of the Editor of the Levant Herald. I have required no other book of reference than the pages of the Levant Herald — a weekly journal which ought to be in the hands of every one interested, politically, commercially, or financially, in Turkey.

Imperial Ottoman Consulate, Bristol, May, 1872.

Part I. Chap

I. BEYROUT .....

II. BEIT-MIRY . . . . . .17

III. MOUNT LEBANON . . . . ,23

IV. TRAVELLING IN SYRIA AND PALESTINE . .41 V. A DAY WITH THE BEDAWINS . . . .52

VI. SYRIA, PAST AND PRESENT . . . .60

Part II

I. THE EMPRESS EUGENIE'S VISIT TO CONSTANTINOPLE 69

II. THE SUEZ CANAL . . . . .104

III. TURKISH WOMEN . . . . .113

IV. TURKISH ARMAMENTS . . . 134 V. PUBLIC INSTRUCTION . . . 150

VI. THE CAPITULATIONS ..... 160

VII. TURKEY AS A FIELD FOR EMIGRATION . . 177

Xll CONTENTS.

Part III

CHAP. Page.

I. BRITISH INTERESTS IN TURKEY . . . 193

II. TUBKISH FINANCES ..... 202

HI. THE STOCK EXCHANGE . . . .217

IV. GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE EMPIRE, &c. . 224

V. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS .... 231

VI. FISHERIES . . . , . .248

VII. MINES . 257

VIII. PETROLEUM . . . . . .267

XL RAILWAY TO THE PERSIAN GULP . . . 306

XII. DOCKS AND HARBOURS ..... 324

XIII. PUBLIC WORKS . . . . . .336

Chapter I. Beykout

IT has often been to me a matter of surprise that, considering the number of persons who yearly seek the south of France or Italy for the benefit of their health, so few choose Syria as a winter residence. The climate, particularly of Beyrout, is superior to many places in Europe frequented by invalids ; while, for those predisposed to pulmonary complaints, it affords advantages that can hardly be found elsewhere. Hyeres has long enjoyed the reputation of being an excellent locality for persons suffering from bronchial affections ; yet it is much exposed to the mistral, in consequence of the absence of protecting hills on the north-west, and, in Winter, Spring, and Autumn, the cold north-easterly winds prevail to a considerable extent. Nice

B 2 has enjoyed a still higher celebrity, although the inconstancy of the winds is very great, — the temperature being subject to violent changes which are extremely trying to delicate or nervous organizations. The invalid is tempted out of doors by a brilliant sun, and then attacked by a cold piercing wind that neither clothes nor flannel can keep out. Dr. Meryon, who passed a season at Nice, declares that " there are more natives who die of consumption at Nice than in any town in England of the same amount of population." Naples, although possessing many advantages, cannot boast much of its climate, which is exceedingly changeable during Winter.* Cold, cutting winds prevail in the spring, while the scirocco, by its relapsing and paralysing influence, renders persons incapable, during its continuance, of either mental or bodily exertion. Even Madeira, which has long been considered the paradise of invalids, is not so favourably situated as is popularly supposed. Drs. Heineken and Gourlay, who practised in the island, state that no disease was more common among the native population than con-

* The 1st of December, 1870, at Naples, was like a day in July. On the 2nd, a bitter cold north-east wind set in ; during the night it froze hard, and on the third it snowed heavily.

BEYEOUT. 0

sumption ; and Dr. Mason says that " affections of the digestive organs are a frequent cause of death with the majority of the inhabitants, and there are few places where the system is more liable to general disorder." The climate of Beyrout, on the contrary, is always moderate, and subject to less change than any of those places I have named. Asthma, bronchitis, and pulmonary disorders are unknown ; the tempera^ure is not subject to sudden vicissitudes of cold and heat; and the wind, from whatever quarter it may blow, never possesses any bleakness or ungenial chill. January and February are the only unpleasant months in the year, as then the heavy rains come on ; but the air is always balmy, and the blue sky is seldom obscured for any considerable length of time. March and April are delightful months, as all nature, refreshed by the showers, looks bright and cheerful; the "green herb and the emerald grass" are once more renewed, the cactus overhangs the roads with its clustering blossoms, and the orange-tree puts forth its chaste and simple flower, loading the air with perfume. May and June resemble our finest Summer weather, while the climate, in October, November, and December, is much like that of May in

England. The months of July, August, and September are very hot in Beyrout ; but the vicinity of Mount Lebanon affords means of varying the temperature to any extent that may be desired. Some of the foreign residents remain in Beyrout during the entire Summer, but the greater number send their families to the villages of Beit-Miry, Brumanah, or Shemlin. Beit-Miry is distant about one hour and a half, Brumanah two, and Shemlin five hours.*

Beyrout is a place of great antiquity, and became of considerable importance under the Eoman emperors. Justinian called it the Nurse of the Law, and conferred on it the privilege of teaching Roman jurisprudence in its schools. Traces of the magnificent baths and theatre, erected by Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, were to be seen, some few years ago, on the north of the town ; and even now, portions of tesselated pavement and columns of perfect finish are found in the gardens and on the sea-shore. The Romans gave the name of Felix to the

* There are three routes by which travellers can reach Beyrout from London: — First, vid Brindisi to Alexandria, and thence by steamer. Second, vid Vienna to Trieste, and thence by the Austrian Lloyds line of packets. Third, via Paris and Lyons to Marseilles, and thence by French steamer.

BEYROUT. 7

city, and after its destruction by Tryphon, it was rebuilt by Augustus, who thought it worthy to bear the name of his favourite daughter Julia.

The view of Beyrout, as the traveller approaches from the sea, is very fine. While still at a distance, the peaks of Mount Lebanon are seen in mid-air, surrounded by the bold outline of its undulating ridges. Gradually the outline becomes more and more distinct. Yast ravines are seen between the chasms that divide rock from rock, and huge masses loom forth like sudden creations out of chaos. Specks appear on the mountain side that presently expand into hamlets and villages ; while, on higher points, the towers of numerous monasteries stand aloft in bold relief against the sky. The mountainous surface of the interior slowly spreads out like a diorama, and, as the steamer holds her way, the scene seems to unfold itself as if by enchantment. The houses scattered over the plain gleam in the morning sun from amidst their surrounding foliage, and the breeze from the shore comes laden with sweets from groves of citron and of orange. To the left, in the distance, is the snow-capped summit of Jebel-Sunnin ;* and

* Jebel . . . Mountain. Deir . . . Monastery.

Nahr . . . Eiver Ras . . . Cape.

in front, Beyrout herself, charmingly situated on the slope of a hill, her head, as it were, in the clouds, her feet bathed by the sea.

The houses, with their slender arches and flat roofs, surmounted with embrasures of stone or balustrades of wood; the picturesque rocks along the shore ; the white-mulberry gardens and orange and citron groves ; the terraces filled with flowers ; the palms towering towards the sky ; the various and lively colours of the walls ; the minarets of the mosques ; the grand and noble mountain ; the atmosphere serene and bright ; — all blend into a picture the most beautiful I ever beheld. In fact, there are but few places that can compete with Beyrout in the various inducements which it offers both to the traveller and the invalid. The country, too, all around is historical. There is scarcely a spot on which the foot treads, or over which the eye wanders, that is not rich in the brilliant memories of the past. Cyprus, on the one side, recalls the classic days of old when the lovely goddess arose out of the sea at Paphos; Tyre, on the other, awakens visions of princely argosies at anchor beneath marble palaces stretching to the water's edge. Farther on is Acre — before the mind's eye the red Cross of the Crusader sinks beneath the Crescent of Salah-ed-

BEYROUT. 9

din. Opposite is Carmel, whose " flowery top perfumes the skies;" and six hours thence is Nazareth, Mount Tabor, and Genesareth. Twelve hours from Beyrout is Damascus the beautiful ; Baalbek is but forty miles distant ; the Druse and Maronite villages of Mount Lebanon are in the vicinity ; a visit to the Cedars forms a pleasant excursion ; while the Nahr-el-Kelb and cave of St. George are only an afternoon's ride.

Life and property are perfectly secure in Beyrout. Murder, robbery, and other crimes so frequent in European cities, are nearly unknown, and a visitor might travel over all the surrounding country without the least danger of molestation. During my residence in Beyrout, I rented a small house, for the months of May and June, completely isolated on the borders of the Little Desert, and a considerable distance from any European habitation. My horse was picketed at night in the open air ; my servant went home in the evening to his family, and I slept with much more security, probably, than I should have done under similar circumstances, in the suburbs of London. I have often, too, ridden by moonlight, attended only by an Arab groom, from the Nahr-el-Kelb (Dog-River) to Beyrout; and, at other times, from Beyrout to Beit-Miry with, certainly, no fear, and, decidedly, more safety than in many rural districts of England.

The society of Beyrout, although limited, is agreeable. The foreign residents are very hospitable ; many of the married ladies having a special evening in each week for receptions. There are two principal hotels ; one in the town, the other, some little distance on the shore, at Ras-el-Beyrout. The latter, although not comparable with English hotels, is exceedingly clean and comfortable. The terms are ten shillings per day, everything, except wine, included. The house is beautifully situated, commanding an uninterrupted view of the sea ; and on the right, looking from the balcony towards Lebanon, over the town and St. George's Bay, there is a picture of surpassing loveliness which I have never seen exceeded. Rents at Beyrout vary from twenty-five to sixty pounds a year, and furniture of a plain description is easily procured. Servants' wages are — for a good cook about two pounds, and a groom (Egyptians are the best) twenty-five shillings a month. A serviceable horse may be purchased for eight to twelve pounds, and, as barley is cheap, it can be kept for about two pounds per month. The necessaries of life are all very moderate.

BEYKOUT. 1 1

Those animals that minister to the wants of man are abundant, while carnivorous and destructive animals are rare. The goats are large, and yield milk of superior quality. The sheep attain an unusual size, and their tails, terminating in a ball of fat, become so heavy that they can hardly drag them along : their flesh is excellent. Fish and game are plentiful. Grouse, partridge, snipe, quail, and wild duck are abundant in the season. Vegetables of every description abound ; — beans, peas, lettuces, onions, melons, cucumbers, &c. The gardens are filled with the citron and orange. Aleppo sends the far-famed pistachio to market. Jaffa produces the delicious water-melon ; Damascus — plums, cherries, peaches, and above all,, the apricot, called, by the Persians, the seed of the Sun. In short, everything is there in profusion to satisfy material wants, to soothe the senses and charm the imagination. In its ethereal atmosphere, mere existence becomes enjoyment, for you have only to live to be happy; only to open your eyes to behold the brightest sky and loveliest landscapes ; only to stretch out your hand to pluck the sweetest and fairest flowers, and gather the most delicate and luscious fruits.

To the stranger, everything in Beyrout contrasts remarkably with what he has been accustomed to in England. The Maronite, Armenian, and Druse ; the Turk, Greek, and Arab ; the Bedawins, with their picturesque costume and wild restless eyes ; the novel pictures of Eastern life daily seen in the bazaars ; — all afford an ever-changing scene of amusement. In nothing, however, is the contrast greater than in the climate ; November in London and November in Beyrout ; from damp, and fog, and copper-coloured stifling vapour to blue sky, clear atmosphere, and bright sunshine.

If all were free,

Who would not, like the swallow, flit, and find What season suited him ? In Summer heats Wing northward; and in Winter build his home In sheltered valleys nearer to the sun.

Syria has manifold attractions; but, after all, her great charm is the sun. Until you visit the East, you can hardly say you have ever seen the sun ; comparatively, there is but twilight elsewhere. In Syria, you see and feel it ; your heart is, as it were, filled with it — it is reflected everywhere. All your sensations give token of the change ; and every feeling, every thought, becomes brighter and gayer. The cares which may have hitherto beset you appear to be lifted

BEYROUT. 13

from off your heart; you feel raised above the earth, and breathe, in reality, the air of heaven. There is no glare, for the sun shines with a soft and mellow light that makes the landscape look as if it calmly slept. No wonder the Parsees worshipped him.

The favourite walk is to the west of the town, along the sea-shore at Ras-el-Beyrout. There, at the various cafes, the pedestrian can observe the picturesque costumes of the people, as they sip their coffee, or inhale the fragrant tobacco of Djebail ; some seated at the doors, others reclining on the grass, or on the rocks overhanging the sea, — everywhere forming groups the most various and picturesque. The hotel, I have mentioned, is situated on the Ras-el-Beyrout, and thence, towards evening, one of the finest views of the town and mountains may be obtained.

Now upon Syria's land of roses Softly the light of eve reposes, And, like a glory, the broad sun Hangs over sainted Lebanon; Whose head in wintry grandeur towers,

And whitens with eternal sleet, While Summer, in a vale of flowers,

Is sleeping rosy at his feet.

At this hour, nothing can exceed the beauty of the view. To the west, the sky is one sheet of burnished gold, shedding its brightness for miles over the waters. Here and there, the descending sun throws streaks of light across the many- coloured houses of Beyrout, and beyond, the varied and ever-changing tints of the mountains,— now bright green, now purple ; at one moment, the deep gorges revealed to the eye, the next, lost in impenetrable shade; here the monasteries standing out in bold relief, there lost to view as if by magic, — form a picture which even Poussin or Claude Lorraine have never realised. Passing the Hotel de Belle Vue, a narrow path winds along the rocky shore until, arriving at the potteries, it becomes wider and then forms a delightful promenade to the extreme point of Ras-el-Beyrout where the cliff rises two hundred feet above the level of the sea. The walk is pleasantly varied by proceeding over the sands and through the winding lanes, bordered by the cactus and numerous flowering shrubs, to the Grande Place and the barracks whence there is a beautiful view, overlooking the town, St. George's Bay, the Nahr-Beyrout and Lebanon. Often, from the barrack hill, have I admired the wonderful light and shade on the mountains, and the various changes in

BEYIIOUT. 15

the colour of the sea. In the morning the mountain casts its immense shadow over the waves, which then appear of a deep blue, lightly tipped with foam ; at mid-day they are like billows of gold in the distance, and silver in the foreground ; in the evening, when the breeze lulls and the sun declines, the sea is one vast mirror where the gigantic forms of the mountains are drawn with a softness of shading and a distinctness of outline most remarkable and perfect. Then, as the sun sinks more and more, the waves change from blue to violet, from violet to purple, through every gradation of colour, until, at length, darkness comes with tropical suddenness upon the scene, and all is wrapped in gloom.

The greatest benefit, perhaps, which an invalid can derive from a residence in Beyroufc is the facility of taking constant exercise in the open air. The early morning walk, when the birds begin their song, is healthful and invigorating ; the sun is not then too powerful ; the air is cool, and the flowers, refreshed by the dew, give forth an exquisite perfume. In the afternoon, again, about two hours before sunset, a breeze from the west springs up which is exceedingly refreshing, and then every one is on horseback

16 MODEBN TUEKEY.

or donkeyback in the Pine Forest, — the Rotten- Row of Beyrout. Dr. Lee, whose works on climate are well known, says, " A principal advantage which invalids derive from a Winter's residence in a favourable climate is that they are enabled to take daily and sufficient exercise in the open air ; which, by causing free expansion of the lungs, by improving the functions of digestion, and exciting those of the skin to greater activity than would be the case in persons who remained in-doors, as also by inducing a more cheerful tone of mind, tends materially to rectify any abnormal condition of the blood, and by these means, better than by any other, to obviate the consequences of such abnormal condition when they have not been allowed to proceed too far." The climate of Beyrout appears to me to fulfil all those requirements for the invalid, as its mildness and beauty attract him constantly into the open air ; and, when not walking nor on horseback, he can sit on the terrace of his hotel, or on the rocks overlooking the mountains, lulled into a peaceful and delicious reverie by the low murmur of the tideless sea.

Chapter II. Beit-miry

"DEIT-MIRY, one of the " mixed villages " of •*-* Mount Lebanon — inhabited by Druses and Maronites — is the favourite Summer resort of the European residents of Beyrout. During the months of July, August, and September, when the heat in the plains is excessive, a sojourn, even for a few weeks, at Beit-Miry is of great advantage to health. The air, particularly at night, is cool and invigorating, and the change of temperature bracing and agreeable. The scenery, too, all round this part of the mountain is grand and impressive. Deep ravines and rising eminences on all sides, the latter clothed with the richest vegetation ; — the fig and the olive ; the oak and the cedar ; the fir-tree and the aloe ; the citron and orange ; the mulberry and the vine. All the paths over these hills are flanked with the vine

o

18 MODEEN TUKKEY.

and fig-tree, which flourish in wild luxuriance without any assistance from man. Often, when riding from Beit-Miry to Brumanah, I have plucked the clustering grapes from branches so closely festooned overhead as to almost shut out the sun at mid-day. Even in more elevated parts of Mount Lebanon, where nature seems to afford nothing for the sustenance of the people, numerous Christian villages flourish, and every inch of ground is utilized. Fruit trees, mulberry plantations, vineyards, and fields of grain abound, though there is scarcely a natural plain of twenty feet square to be seen. The inhabitants, however, meet this difficulty by building terraces, and thus, while retaining the water requisite to irrigate their crops, secure a portion of level ground sufficient to prevent the earth from being swept down by the Winter rains. By dint of skill and labour, the Maronites have compelled a rocky soil to become fertile. To avail themselves of the waters, they have made channels by means of a thousand windings on the declivities, or arrested the streams by embankments and reservoirs in the valleys. At other places, they have propped up the earth by terraces and walls, so that the mountain presents the appearance of a staircase or amphitheatre, each tier of which is a row of vines or

BEIT-MIRY. 1 9

mulberry trees, and of which one hundred to one hundred and twenty tiers may be counted from the bottom to the top of a hill.

It is enchanting to sit upon the brow of a hill at Beit-Miry, sheltered from the sun by a fig-tree or vine, and contemplate the sublimity of nature apparent on every side.

For now the noonday quiet holds the hill : The grasshopper is silent in the grass : The lizard, with his shadow on the stone, Bests like a shadow, and the cicala sleeps, The purple flowers droop : the golden bee Is lily cradled.

To the west, the plain of Beyrout stretches out before the eye, covered with the orange, the date, the pomegranate, and the banana ; the palms, here and there, rearing their tall stems and slender branches in the air ; the pines, so dark and solemn, contrasting with the bright colour of the sands ; the hills around rising higher and higher, dotted with villages and monasteries ; and, to the north, the Jebel-Sunnin rearing its snowy crest towards heaven. Few places, indeed, can compete with that glorious plain of Beyrout. There is the orange-tree, whose flowers have been compared to silver, and its fruit to gold ; the fig, with its foliage of glossy velvet; the plane, with its rich

c 2 and brilliant bark ; the luxuriant growth of the pine ; the graceful flexibility of the palm ; the rich verdure of the humbler plants, and prairies bright with the colours and fragrant with the scent of hyacinths, anemonies, and gillyflowers. Beyond are the hills, with their varying tints, their contrasts of light and shade ; afar off is the sea, with its glittering wave-crests and deep azure, reflecting on its surface every hue that fleets over the sky ; while, standing out in bold relief against the clear horizon, are the frowning masses of the mountains bounding the prospect in the distance. Towards evening, when the wind sets in from the sea, a curious phenomenon, forming the most exquisite dissolving views, is sometimes observable at Beit-Miry. Vast layers and wreaths of cloudy mist rise from the waters and the plains, and, as they increase, unite, and thicken, they take the appearance of irregular accumulations of foam, or enormous heaps of wool that Titans, or Cyclops, or some fabled giants might be supposed to have shorn from multitudinous flocks, numerous as the sands on the sea-shore. Everything beneath is hidden from sight. After a time, these misty clouds descend gradually as they arose ; — the hills and trees, villages and monasteries, appear-

BEIT-MIRY. 21

ing to rise up out of a sea of foam, as if in the magical phantasmagoria of a dream.

In some of the valleys near Beit-Miry, the vegetation is so thick, and so completely covers the sloping sides, that it seems as if the very mountains were alive with herbage and verdure. An intermingled mass of fragrant plants, shrubs of delicate foliage, bunches of heather, and tufts of fern, are twined together with innumerable creepers, whose tendrils stretch everywhere and cling where they extend, their festoons hanging from branch to branch or from stone to stone ; while, here and there, the ivy mats itself into a thick green coating up the side of the rock. In some places are little spots covered with lichens, growing in one dense mass, — the ground often covered afoot deep with a soft and close vegetable carpet, varied with every shade and hue, and far surpassing, in vividness and beauty, the fantastically figured fabrics of Turkish looms. All through the valleys, too, spring up, in wild profusion, the most beautiful flowers, whose lively colours and exquisite perfume diversify the landscape and embalm the atmosphere. The myrtle and oleander are there substitutes for our holly and thistles. The hyacinths, jonquils, and tulips fill the parterres ; the lilies, so extolled in Scripture for their purity; the anemone, said by the poets to have sprung, near this very spot, from the blood of Adonis ; and the Narcissi, —

The fairest among them all, Who gaze on their eyes in the stream's recess Till they die of their own dear loveliness.

Each feature of the landscape seen from Beit-Miry is lovely and sublime in itself, and all taken together make up one fascinating and incomparable tableau. The diversified surface of plain, valley, and mountain, with every variety of light and shade, every possible tint and colour of foliage and of rock, every form of tree and herbage ; the river of Bey rout wandering like a silvery serpent through the vale ; the wide expanse of sea, with its rocky nooks along the shore ; the eternal and stupendous mass of Lebanon, with its crags and forests; the snowy peaks that shoot up and gleam in the sun like silvery steeples ; the joyous though inarticulate voice of birds, and the hum of innumerable insects ; the distant lowing of kine, and the strange bleat of the camel; the vast azure canopy of the firmament, against which the crags of the mountain, and the giant trees that seem to emulate the hills, stand out in dark and prominent relief, are all mixed and blended into a gorgeous scene that might be taken for fairy-land.

Chapter III. Mount Lebanon

rilHE southern portion of Mount Lebanon, called the Chouefat, the Chouf, and the Meten, — " mixed districts," inhabited by Druses and Maronites — is that generally visited by travellers. The Kesrawan, or northern portion, inhabited exclusively by Maronites, is less known, although its scenery is not at all inferior to that in the vicinity of Zahleh, Zibdany, Djezzin, or Deir-el- Kamr. Frequent excursions can be made from Beyrout to every part of the mountain, but there is one excursion — to Ghazir, Harisa, and Antoura in the Kesrawan — which will be found of especial interest. I remained only one night at each of these places, but I should advise any person that may follow the route indicated in the present chapter, to spend, at least, an entire day at Ghazir and Beit- Cash-Bow, as well as at Harisa and Antoura, thus extending the excursion to seven or eight days instead of four.

It would take months to travel over the Lebanon, to stop at all its beautiful sites, and visit all its romantic villages. It is everywhere mountainous, it is true, but some variety or some new feature is always presenting itself. I know of nothing more curative in its effect, or more likely to benefit the health of a dyspeptic invalid than a residence at Beyrout, and an occasional ride over those beautiful hills. It is well known that impressions made upon the mind are influenced, materially, by the condition of the body, and the one constantly re-acts upon the other. It is proverbial that the objective world takes the tone and tinge of our mind — that the sun has no brightness and the flower no beauty for the unhappy ; while, if the heart is light, hope sanguine, and our prospects brilliant, the deepest gloom of a Winter night cannot sadden us. Every one of any sensibility must have experienced this, and we have well-known illustrations of the fact in such instances as the imbecile torpor into which the great Chatham fell when the hereditary malady that had so long racked his body seemed to retire inwards and paralyse his mind — when he retired to Hayes, and could not even hear business mentioned without an attack of the nerves; in the anecdote about Ravaillac, or some other regicide, who declared that, if he had taken the cooling medicine he required, he should not have attempted the king's life : so true it is that