Fortune-telling is practised in all Eastern countries, to a great extent,
to the present day. Some pretend to foretell events by the stars and
planets, some by charms, cards, the palm of the hand, or a lock of hair;
the latter is the most vulgar mode, and commonly followed by the gypsies.
When the fortress of Ismail was besieged, in 1790, by the Russians, Prince
Potemkin, the commanding officer, began to grow impatient, after nearly
two months' resistance, though he was surrounded by all the comforts and
luxuries of an Eastern prince--by courtiers and beautiful women, who
employed the most exciting and voluptuous means to engage his attention.
Madame De Witt, one of the females, pretended to read the decrees of fate
by cards, and foretold that the prince would only take the place at the
expiration of three more weeks.
"Ah," exclaimed the prince, with a smile, "I have a method of divination
far more infallible, as you shall see;" and he immediately despatched
orders to Suwarof _to take Ismail within three days_. The brave but
barbarous hero obeyed the order to the very letter.