took to flight likewife in his turn, and Acre remained in the poffeffion of the Mamlouks. "It would have been difficult to forefee the confequences of this revolution, but the unexpected death of its author rendered it, of a fudden, of no effect. The flight of the Egyptians, leaving free the country and capital of Daher, he loft no time in returning; but the ftorm was by no means appeafed. He foon learnt that a Turkish fleet, under the command of Haffan, the celebrated captain Pacha, was laying fiege to Saide. He then difcovered too late the perfidy of the Porte, which had lulled his vigilance by profeffions of friendship, while he was concerting with Mohammed Bey the means of his. deftruction. During a whole year that the Turks had been difengaged from the Ruffians, it was not difficult to forefee their intentions from their motions. Still, however it was in his power to endeavour to prevent the confequences of this error; but, unfortunately, even this he neglected. Degnizla, bombarded in Saide without hope of fuccour, was constrained to evacuate the town; and the captain Pacha appeared inftantly before Acre. At fight of the enemy, a confultation was held how to escape the danger, and this led to a quarrel, which decided the fate of Daher. "In a general council, Ibrahim gave his opinion to repel force by force his reafons were, that the captain Pacha had but three large veffels; that he could neither make an attack by land, nor remain at anchor, without danger, before the caftle; that there was a fufficient force of cavalry and Mograbian infantry to hinder a defcent, and that it was almost certain the Turks would relinquish the enterprize without attempting any thing. In oppolition to him, Degnizla declared for peace, because reiistance could only prolong the war; he maintained it was unreasonable to expofe the lives of so many brave men, when the fame object might be effected by lefs valuable means, that is by money; that he was fufficiently acquainted with the avidity of the captain Pacha, to affert he would fuffer himfelf to be corrupted; and was certain not only that he could procure his departure, but even make him a friend, for the fum of two thousand purfes. This was precifely what Ibrahim dreaded; he therefore exclaimed againft the mcafure, protesting there was not a medin in the treafury. Das her fupported his affertion. "The Shaik is in the right," replied Degnizla; "his fervants have long known that his generofity does not fuffer his money to stagnate in his coffers; but does not the money they obtain from him belong to him? And can it be believed that thus entitled to them, we know not where to find two thousand purfes?” At thefe words Ibrahim interrupting him, exclaimed, that as for himfelf, no man could be poorer. "Say bafer," refumed Denizla, tranfported with rage. "Who is ignorant, that for the last fourteen years, you have been heaping up enormous treasures? that you have monopolized all the trade of the country; that you fell all the lands, and keep back the payments that are due; that in the war of Mohammed Bey, you plundered the whole territory of Gaza, carried away all the corn, and left the inhabitants of Yafa without the ne ceffaries of life?" He was proceeding, when the Shaik, com manding manding filence, protefted the innocence of his minister, and accufed Degnizia of envy and treachery. Degnizla inftantly quitted the council, and aflembling his countrymen, the Mograbians or Barbary Arabs, who compofed the chief strength of the place, forbid them to fire upon the captain Pacha. Daher, however, determined to stand the attack, made every neceflary preparation; and, the next day, Hatian, approaching the caftle, began the cannonade. Daher anfwered with the few pieces near him; but in fpite of his reiterated orders, the others did not fire. Finding himself betrayed, he mounted his horfe; and, leaving the town by the gate which opens towards the gardens on the north, attempted to gain the country; but, while he was paffing along the walls of thefe gardens, a Mograbian fol. dier fhot him with a mufquet in the loins, and he fell from his horfe, when the Barbary Arabs, instantly furrounding his body, cut cut off his head, which they carried to the captain Pacha, who, according to the odious cuftom of the Turks, loaded it with infults while he furveyed it, and had it pickled, in order to carry it to Conftantinople, as a prefent to the Sultan, and a ipectacle to the people. "Such was the tragical end of a man, in many refpects, worthy of a better fate. It is long fince Syria has beheld among her chiefs fo great a character. In military affairs, no man poffeffed more courage, activity, coolnefs, or resources. In politics, the noble frankness of his mind was not diminished even by his ambition. He was fond only of brave and open measures; and heroically preferred the dangers of the field to the wily intrigues of the cabinet; nor was it till he had taken Ibrahim for his minifter that his conduct was blemished with a fort of duplicity which_that Chriftian called prudence. The reputation of his juftice had established throughout his ftates, a fecurity unknown in Turkey; difference in religion occafioned no difputes on this head: he poffeffed the toleration, or, perhaps, the indifference of the Bedouin Arabs. He had alfo preferved the fimplicity of their customs and manners. His table was not different from that of a rich farmer; the luxury of his drefs never exceeded a few peliffes, and he never wore any trinkets. The greatest expence he incurred was in blood mares, for fome of which he even paid as high as twenty thousand livres, (eight hundred and twentyfive pounds). He likewife loved women; but was so jealous of decency and decorum, that he ordered that every one taken in the act of gallantry, or offering infult to a woman, fhould fuffer death: he had, in fhort, attained the difficult medium between prodigality and avarice, and was at once generous and economical." MAN MANNERS OF NATION S. NUPTIAL and FUNERAL RITES of the ANCIENT MEXICANS. [From the First Volume of the Abbé CLAVIGERO'S Hiftory of Mexico, tranflated by CHARLES CULLEN, Efq.] 7ITH refpect to the mar "WITH riages of the Mexicans, although in them, as well as in all their customs, fuperftition had a great fhare, nothing, however, attended them which was repugnant to decency or honour. Any mar riage between perfons related in the first degree of confanguinity or al liance, was ftrictly forbid, not only by the laws of Mexico, but alfo by the laws of Michuacan, unless it was between coufins. The parents were the perfons who fettled all marriages, and none were ever executed without their confent. When a fon arrived at an age capable of bearing the charges of that ftate, which in men was from the age of twenty to twenty-two years, and in women from fixteen to eighteen, a fuitable and proper wife was fingled out for him; but before the union was concluded on, the diviners were confulted, who, after having confidered the birth-day of the youth, and of the young girl in tended for his bride, decided on the happiness or unhappiness of the match. If from the combination of figns attending their birth, they pronounced the alliance unpropítious, that young maid was abandoned, and another fought. If, on the contrary, they predicted 3. happiness to the couple, the young girl was demanded of her parents by certain women amongst them called cihuatlanque, or folicitors, who were the most elderly and refpectable amongst the kindred of the youth. These women went the first time at midnight to the houfe of the damfel, carried a prefent to her parents, and demanded her of them in a humble and refpectful ftyle. The first demand, was, according to the custom of that nation, infallibly refufed, however advantageous and eligible the marriage might appear to the parents, who gave fome plaufible reasons for their refufal. After a few days were past, thofe women returned to repeat their demand, ufing prayers and arguments alfo, in order to obtain their request, giving an account of the rank and fortune of the youth, and of what he would make the dowry of his wife, and alfo gaining information of that which the could bring to the match on her part. The parents replied to this fecond request, that it was neceffary to confult their relations and connections, and to find out the inclination of their daughter, before they could come to any refolution. Thefe female folicitors returned no more; as the parents them themfelves conveyed, by means of they never ftirred, except to obey other women of their kindred, a decifive anfwer to the party. "A favourable anfwer being at laft obtained, and a day appointed for the nuptials, the parents, after exhorting their daughter to fidelity and obedience to her husband, and to fuch a conduct in life as would do honour to her family, conducted her with a numerous company and music, to the houfe of her father. in-law; if noble, fhe was carried in a litter. The bridegroom, and the father and mother-in-law, received her at the gate of the houfe, with four torches borne by four women. At meeting, the bride and bridegroom reciprocally offered incenfe to each other; then the bridegroom taking the bride by the hand, led her into the hall, or chamber which was prepared for the nuptials. They both fet down upon a new and curioufly wrought mat, which was fpread in the middle of the chamber, and clofe to the fire which was kept lighted. Then a priest tied a point of the huepilli, or gown of the bride, with the tilmatli, or mantle of the bridegroom, and in this ceremony the matrimonial contract chiefly confifted. The wife now made fome turns round the fire, and then returning to her mat, fhe, along with her husband, offered copal to their gods, and exchanged prefents with each other. The repaft followed next. The married pair eat upon the mat, giving mouthfuls to each other alternately, and to the guests in their places. When thofe who had been invited were become exhilerated with wine, which was freely drank on fuch occafions, they went out to dance in the yard of the houfe, while the married pair remained in the chamber, from which, during four days, 1787. the calls of nature, or to go to the oratory at midnight to burn incenfe to the idols, and to make oblations of eatables. They paffed these four days in prayer and fafting, dreffed in new habits, and adorned with certain enfigns of the gods of their devotion, without proceeding to any act of lefs decency, fearing that otherwife the punishment of heaven would fall upon them. Their beds on thefe nights were two mats of rufhes, covered with fmall fheets, with certain feathers, and a gem of Chalchibuit in the middle of them. At the four corners of the bed green canes and fpines of the aloe were laid, with which they were to draw blood from their tongues and their ears in honour of their gods. The priests were the perfons who adjusted the bed to fanctify the marriage; but we know nothing of the myf tery of the canes, the feathers, and the gem. Until the fourth night the marriage was not confummated; they believed it would have proved unlucky, if they had anticipated the period of confummation. The morning after they bathed them felves and put on new dieffes, and thofe who had been invited, adorn ed their heads with white, and their hands and feet with red feathers. The ceremony was concluded by making prefents of dreffes to the guests, which were proportioned to the circumftances of the married pair; and on that fame day they carried to the temple the mats, fheets, canes, and the eatables which had been prefented to the idols. "The forms which we have dea fcribed, in the mariages of the Mexicans were not fo univerfal through the empire, but that fome provinces obferved other peculiar D ities. ities. In Ichcatlan, whoever was defirous of marrying prefented himself to the priests, by whom he was conducted to the temple, where they cut off a part of his hair before the idol which was worshipped there, and then pointing him out to the people, they began to exclaim, faying, this man wishes to take a wife. Then they made him defcend, and take the first tree woman he met, as the one whom hea ven defined to him. Any woman who did not like to have him for a hufband, avoided coming near to the temple at that time, that he might not fubject herself to the neceffity of marrying him: this mar riage was only fingular therefore in the mode of feeking for a wife. "Among the Otomies, it was lawful to ufe any free woman before they married her. When any perfon was about to take a wife, if on the first night he found any thing about his wife which was difagreeable to him, he was permitted to divorce her the next day; but if he fhewed himself all that day content with having her, he could not afterwards abandon her. The contract being thus ratified, the pair retired to do penance for pit of. fences twenty or thirty days, dur. ing which period they abtained from most of the pleafures of the fenfes, drew blood from themselves, and frequently bathed. wives only, and that with the rest the effential rite of tying their garments together was fufficient. "The Spanish theologists and canonifts, who went to Mexico immediately after the conqueft, being unacquainted with the customs of thofe people, raised doubts about their marriages; but when they had learnt the language, and properly examined that and other points of importance, they acknowledged fuch marriages to be just and lawful. Pope Paul III. and the provincial council of Mexico, ordered, in conformity to the facred canons, and the ufage of the church, that all thofe who were willing to embrace chriftianity, fhould keep no other wife but the one whom they had first married. As "However fuperftitious the Mexicans were in other matters, in the rites which they obferved at funerals they exceeded themfelves foon as any perfon died, certain mafters of funeral ceremonies were called, who were generally men advanced in years. They cut a number of pieces of paper, with which they dreffed the dead body, and took a glafs of water with which they fprinkled the head, faying, that that was the water ufed in the time of their life. They then dreied it ina habit fuitable to the rank, the wealth, and the circumstances attending the death of the party. If the deceafed had been a warrior, they clothed him in the habit of Huitzilopochtli; if a merchant, in that of Jacatuetli; if an artist, in that of the protecting god of his art or trade: one who had been drown. ed was dreffed in the habit of Tla"They permitted polygamy in loc; one who had been executed the Mexican empire. The kings for adultery, in that of Tlazoltect!; and lords had numerous wives; but and a drunkard in the habit of it is probable, that they obferved all. Tezcatzoncatl, god of wine. -the ceremonics with their principal flort, as Gomara has well obferved, Among the Miztecas, befides the ceremony of tying the married pair together by the end of their garments, they cut off a part of their hair, and the hufband carried his wife for a little time upon his back. they |