good health, at Peterwaradin; having suffered so little from the
rigour of the season, (against which we were well provided by furs)
and found such tolerable accommodation every where, by the care of
sending before, that I can hardly forbear laughing, when I recollect
all the frightful ideas that were given me of this journey. These, I
see, were wholly owing to the tenderness of my Vienna friends, and
their desire of keeping me with them for this winter. Perhaps it
will not be disagreeable to you, to give a short journal of my
journey, being through a country entirely unknown to you, and very
little passed, even by the Hungarians themselves, who generally chuse
to take the conveniency of going down the Danube. We have had the
blessing of being favoured with finer weather than is common at this
time of the year; though the snow was so deep, we were obliged to
have our own coaches fixed upon traineaus, which move so swift and so
easily, 'tis by far the most agreeable manner of travelling post. We
came to Raab (the second day from Vienna) on the seventeenth instant,
where Mr W---- sending word of our arrival to the governor, the best
house in the town was provided for us, the garrison put under arms, a
guard ordered at our door, and all other honours paid to us. The
governor, and all other officers immediately waited on Mr W----, to
know if there was any thing to be done for his service. The bishop
of Temeswar came to visit us, with great civility, earnestly pressing
us to dine with him next day; which we refusing, as being resolved to
pursue our journey, he sent us several baskets of winter fruit, and a
great variety of Hungarian wines, with a young hind just killed.
This is a prelate of great power in this country, of the ancient
family of Nadasti, so considerable for many ages, in this kingdom.
He is a very polite, agreeable, cheerful old man, wearing the
Hungarian habit, with a venerable white beard down to his
girdle.--Raab is a strong town, well garrisoned and fortified, and
was a long time the frontier town between the Turkish and German
empires. It has its name from the River Rab, on which it is
situated, just on its meeting with the Danube, in an open champaign
(sic) country. It was first taken by the Turks, under the command of
bassa Sinan, in the reign of sultan Amurath III. in the year fifteen
hundred and ninety-four. The governor, being supposed to have
betrayed it, was afterwards beheaded by the emperor's command. The
counts of Swartzenburg; and Palsi retook it by surprise, 1598; since
which time it has remained in the hands of the Germans, though the
Turks once more attempted to gain it by stratagem in 1642. The
cathedral is large and well built, which is all I saw remarkable in
the town. Leaving Comora on the other side the river, we went the
eighteenth to Nosmuhl, a small village, where however, we made shift
to find tolerable accommodation. We continued two days travelling
between this place and Buda, through the finest plains in the world,
as even as if they were paved, and extremely fruitful; but for the
most part desert and uncultivated, laid waste by the long wars
between the Turk and the Emperor; and the more cruel civil war,
occasioned by the barbarous persecution of the protestant religion by
the emperor Leopold. That prince has left behind him the character
of an extraordinary piety, and was naturally of a mild merciful
temper; but, putting his conscience into the hands of a Jesuit, he
was more cruel and treacherous to his poor Hungarian subjects, than
ever the Turk has been to the Christians; breaking, without scruple
his coronation oath, and his faith, solemnly given in many public
treaties. Indeed, nothing can be more melancholy than in travelling
through Hungary, to reflect on the former flourishing state of that
kingdom, and to see such a noble spot of earth almost uninhabited.
Such are also the present circumstances of Buda (where we arrived
very early the twenty-second) once the royal seat of the Hungarian
kings, whose palace was reckoned one of the most beautiful buildings
of the age, now wholly destroyed, no part of the town having been
repaired since the last siege, but the fortifications and the castle,
which is the present residence of the governor general Ragule, an
officer of great merit. He came immediately to see us, and carried
us in his coach to his house, where I was received by his lady with
all possible civility, and magnificently entertained. This city is
situated upon a little hill on the south side of the Danube. The
castle is much higher than the town, and from it the prospect is very
noble. Without the walls ly (sic) a vast number of little houses, or
rather huts, that they call the Rascian town, being altogether
inhabited by that people. The governor assured me, it would furnish
twelve thousand fighting men. These towns look very odd; their
houses stand in rows, many thousands of them so close together, that
they appear, at a little distance, like old-fashioned thatched tents.
They consist, every one of them, of one hovel above, and another
under ground; these are their summer and winter apartments. Buda was
first taken by Solyman the Magnificent, in 1526, and lost the
following year to Ferdinand I, king of Bohemia. Solyman regained it
by the treachery of the garrison, and voluntarily gave it into the
hands of king John of Hungary; after whose death, his son being an
infant, Ferdinand laid siege to it, and the queen mother was forced
to call Solyman to her aid. He indeed raised the siege, but left a
Turkish garrison in the town, and commanded her to remove her court
from thence, which she was forced to submit to, in 1541. It resisted
afterwards the sieges laid to it by the marquis of Brandenburg, in
the year 1542; count Schwartzenburg, in 1598; General Rosworm, in
1602; and the duke of Lorrain, commander of the emperor's
forces, in 1684, to whom it yielded, in 1686, after an obstinate
defence, Apti Bassa, the governor, being killed, fighting in the
breach with a Roman bravery. The loss of this town was so important,
and so much resented by the Turks, that it occasioned the deposing of
their emperor Mahomet IV. the year following.
WE did not proceed on our journey till the twenty-third, when we
passed through Adam and Todowar, both considerable towns, when in the
hands of the Turks, but now quite ruined. The remains, however, of
some Turkish towns, shew something of what they have been. This part
of the country is very much overgrown with wood, and little
frequented. 'Tis incredible what vast numbers of wild-fowl we saw,
which often live here to a good old age,--and _undisturb'd by guns,
in quiet sleep_.--We came the five and twentieth, to Mohatch, and
were shewed the field near it, where Lewis, the young king of Hungary
lost his army and his life, being drowned in a ditch, trying to fly
from Balybeus, general of Solyman the Magnificent. This battle
opened the first passage for the Turks into the heart of Hungary.--I
don't name to you the little villages, of which I can say nothing
remarkable; but I'll assure you, I have always found a warm stove,
and great plenty, particularly of wild boar, venison, and all kinds
of _gibier_. The few people that inhabit Hungary, live easily
enough; they have no money, but the woods and plains afford them
provision in great abundance; they were ordered to give us all things
necessary, even what horses we pleased to demand, _gratis_; but Mr
W----y would not oppress the poor country people, by making use of
this order, and always paid them to the full worth of what we had.
They were so surprised at this unexpected generosity, which they are
very little used to, that they always pressed upon us, at parting, a
dozen of fat pheasants, or something of that sort, for a present.
Their dress is very primitive, being only a plain sheep's skin, and a
cap and boots of the same stuff. You may easily imagine this lasts
them many winters; and thus they have very little occasion for money.
The twenty-sixth, we passed over the frozen Danube, with all our
equipage and carriages. We met on the other side general Veterani,
who invited us, with great civility, to pass the night at a little
castle of his, a few miles off, assuring us we should have a very
hard day's journey to reach Essek. This we found but too true, the
woods being very dangerous, and scarce passable, from the vast
quantity of wolves that hoard in them. We came, however, safe,
though late to Essek, where we stayed a day, to dispatch a courier
with letters to the bassa of Belgrade; and I took that opportunity of
seeing the town, which is not very large, but fair built, and well
fortified. This was a town of great trade, very rich and populous,
when in the hands of the Turks. It is situated on the Drave, which
runs into the Danube. The bridge was esteemed one of the most
extraordinary in the world, being eight thousand paces long, and all
built of oak. It was burnt, and the city laid in ashes by count
Lesly, 1685, but was again repaired and fortified by the Turks, who,
however, abandoned it in 1687. General Dunnewalt then took
possession of it for the emperor, in whose hands it has remained ever
since, and is esteemed one of the bulwarks of Hungary. The
twenty-eighth, we went to Bocorwar, a very large Rascian town, all
built after the manner I have described to you. We were met there by
colonel ----, who would not suffer us to go any where but to his
quarters, where I found his wife, a very agreeable Hungarian lady,
and his niece and daughter, two pretty young women, crowded into
three or four Rascian houses, cast into one, and made as neat and
convenient as those places are capable of being made. The Hungarian
ladies are much handsomer than those of Austria. All the Vienna
beauties are of that country; they are generally very fair and
well-shaped, and their dress, I think, is extremely becoming. This
lady was in a gown of scarlet velvet, lined and faced with sables,
made exact to her shape, and the skirt falling to her feet. The
sleeves are strait to their arms, and the stays buttoned before, with
two rows of little buttons of gold, pearl, or diamonds. On their
heads they wear a tassel of gold, that hangs low on one side, lined
with sable, or some other fine fur.---They gave us a handsome dinner,
and I thought the conversation very polite and agreeable. They would
accompany us part of our way. The twenty-ninth, we arrived here,
where we were met by the commanding officer, at the head of all the
officers of the garrison. We are lodged in the best apartment of the
governor's house, and entertained in a very splendid manner by the
emperor's order. We wait here till all points are adjusted,
concerning our reception on the Turkish frontiers. Mr W----'s
courier, which he sent from Essek, returned this morning, with the
bassa's answer in a purse of scarlet satin, which the interpreter
here has translated. 'Tis to promise him to be honourably received.
I desired him to appoint where he would be met by the Turkish
convoy.--He has dispatched the courier back, naming Betsko, a village
in the midway between Peterwaradin and Belgrade. We shall stay here
till we receive his answer.--Thus, dear sister, I have given you a
very particular, and (I am afraid you'll think) a tedious account of
this part of my travels. It was not an affectation of shewing my
reading that has made me tell you some little scraps of the history
of the towns I have passed through; I have always avoided any thing
of that kind, when I spoke Of places that I believe you knew the
story of as well as myself. But Hungary being a part of the world,
which I believe quite new to you, I thought you might read with some
pleasure an account of it, which I have been very solicitous to get
from the best hands. However, if you don't like it, 'tis in your
power to forbear reading it. I am, dear sister, &c.
I AM promised to have this letter carefully sent to Vienna.
LET. XXIV.
TO MR POPE.
_Belgrade, Feb_. 12. O. S. 1717.
I DID verily intend to write you a long letter from Peterwaradin,
where I expected to stay three or four days; but the bassa here was
in such haste to see us, that he dispatched the courier back (which
Mr W---- had sent to know the time he would send the convoy to meet
us) without suffering him to pull off his boots. My letters were not
thought important enough to stop our journey; and we left
Peterwaradin the next day, being waited on by the chief officers of
the garrison, and a considerable convoy of Germans and Rascians. The
emperor has several regiments of these people; but, to say the truth,
they are rather plunderers than soldiers; having no pay, and being
obliged to furnish their own arms and horses; they rather look like
vagabond gypsies, or stout beggars, than regular troops. I cannot
forbear speaking a word of this race of creatures, who are very
numerous all over Hungary. They have a patriarch of their own at
Grand Cairo, and are really of the Greek church; but their extreme
ignorance gives their priests occasion to impose several new notions
upon them. These fellows, letting their hair and beard grow
inviolate, make exactly the figure of the Indian bramins (sic). They
are heirs-general to all the money of the laity; for which, in
return, they give them formal passports signed and sealed for heaven;
and the wives and children only inherit the house and cattle. In
most other points they follow the Greek church.--This little
digression has interrupted my telling you we passed over the fields
of Carlowitz, where the last great victory was obtained by prince
Eugene over the Turks. The marks of that glorious bloody day are yet
recent, the field being yet strewed with the skulls and carcasses of
unburied men, horses, and camels. I could not look, without horror,
on such numbers of mangled human bodies, nor without reflecting on
the injustice of war, that makes murder not only necessary but
meritorious. Nothing seems to be a plainer proof of the
_irrationality_ of mankind (whatever fine claims we pretend to
reason) than the rage with which they contest for a small spot of
ground, when such vast parts of fruitful earth lie quite uninhabited.
'Tis true, custom has now made it unavoidable; but can there be a
greater demonstration of want of reason, than a custom being firmly
established, so plainly contrary to the interest of man in general?
I am a good deal inclined to believe Mr Hobbs, that the _state of
nature_ is a _state of war_; but thence I conclude human nature, not
rational, if the word reason means common sense, as I suppose it
does. I have a great many admirable arguments to support this
refection; I won't however trouble you with them, but return, in a
plain style, to the history of my travels.
WE were met at Betsko (a village in the midway between Belgrade and
Peterwaradin) by an aga of the janizaries, with a body of Turks,
exceeding the Germans by one hundred men, though the bassa had
engaged to send exactly the same number. You may judge by this of
their fears. I am really persuaded, that they hardly thought the
odds of one hundred men set them even with the Germans; however, I
was very uneasy till they were parted, fearing some quarrel might
arise, notwithstanding the parole given. We came late to Belgrade,
the deep snows making the ascent to it very difficult. It seems a
strong city, fortified on the east side by the Danube; and on the
south by the river Save, and was formerly the barrier of Hungary. It
was first taken by Solyman the Magnificent, and since by the
emperor's forces, led by the elector of Bavaria. The emperor held it
only two Years, it being retaken by the grand vizier. It is now
fortified with the utmost care and skill the Turks are capable of,
and strengthened by a very numerous garrison of their bravest
janizaries, commanded by a bassa seraskier (i.e. general) though this
last expression is not very just; for, to say truth, the seraskier is
commanded by the janizaries. These troops have an absolute authority
here, and their conduct carries much more the aspect of rebellion,
than the appearance of subordination. You may judge of this by the
following story, which, at the same time, will give you an idea of
the _admirable_ intelligence of the governor of Peterwaradin, though
so few hours distant. We were told by him at Peterwaradin, that the
garrison and inhabitants of Belgrade were so weary of the war, they
had killed their bassa about two months ago, in a mutiny, because he
had suffered himself to be prevailed upon, by a bribe of five purses
(five hundred pounds sterling) to give permission to the Tartars to
ravage the German frontiers. We were very well pleased to hear of
such favourable dispositions in the people; but when we came hither,
we found the governor had been ill-informed, and the real truth of
the story to be this. The late bassa fell under the displeasure of
his soldiers; for no other reason, but restraining their incursions
on the Germans. They took it into their heads, from that mildness,
that he had intelligence with the enemy, and sent such information to
the grand signior at Adrianople; but, redress not coming quick enough
from thence, they assembled themselves in a tumultuous manner, and by
force dragged their bassa before the cadi and mufti, and there
demanded justice in a mutinous way; one crying out, Why he protected
the infidels? Another, Why he squeezed them of their money? The
bassa easily guessing their purpose, calmly replied to them, that
they asked him too many questions, and that he had but one life,
which must answer for all. They then immediately fell upon him with
their scimitars (without waiting the sentence of their heads of the
law) and in a few moments cut him in pieces. The present bassa has
not dared to punish the murder; on the contrary, he affected to
applaud the actors of it, as brave fellows, that knew to do
themselves justice. He takes all pretences of throwing money among
the garrison, and suffers them to make little excursions into
Hungary, where they burn some poor Rascian houses.
You may imagine, I cannot be very easy in a town which is really
under the government of an insolent soldiery.--We expected to be
immediately dismissed, after a night's lodging here, but the bassa
detains us till he receives orders from Adrianople, which may,
possibly be a month a-coming. In the mean time, we are lodged in one
of the best houses, belonging to a very considerable man amongst
them, and have a whole chamber of janizaries to guard us. My only
diversion is the conversation of our host, Achmet Beg, a title
something like that of count in Germany. His father was a great
bassa, and he has been educated in the most polite eastern learning,
being perfectly skilled in the Arabic and Persian languages, and an
extraordinary scribe, which they call _effendi_. This accomplishment
makes way to the greatest preferments; but he has had the good sense
to prefer an easy, quiet, secure life, to all the dangerous honours
of the Porte. He sups with us every night, and drinks wine very
freely. You cannot imagine how much he is delighted with the liberty
of conversing with me. He has explained to me many pieces of Arabian
poetry, which, I observe, are in numbers not unlike ours, generally
of an alternate verse, and of a very musical sound. Their
expressions of love are very passionate and lively. I am so much
pleased with them, I really believe I should learn to read Arabic, if
I was to stay here a few months. He has a very good library of their
books of all kinds; and, as he tells me, spends the greatest part of
his life there. I pass for a great scholar with him, by relating to
him some of the Persian tales, which I find are genuine. At first he
believed I understood Persian. I have frequent disputes with him
concerning the difference of our customs, particularly the
confinement of women. He assures me, there is nothing at all in it;
only, says he, we have the advantage, that when our wives cheat us,
nobody knows it. He has wit, and is more polite than many Christian
men of quality. I am very much entertained with him.--He has had the
curiosity to make one of our servants set him an alphabet of our
letters, and can already write a good Roman hand. But these
amusements do not hinder my wishing heartily to be out of this place;
though the weather is colder than I believe it ever was, any where,
but in Greenland.--We have a very large stove constantly kept hot,
and yet the windows of the room are frozen on the inside.--God knows
when I may have an opportunity of sending this letter: but I have
written it, for the discharge of my own conscience and you cannot now
reproach me, that one of yours makes ten of mine. Adieu.
LET. XXV.
To HER R. H. THE PRINCESS OF WALES
[Footnote: The late Queen Caroline.]
_Adrianople, April_ 1. O. S. 1717.
I HAVE now, madam, finished a journey that has not been undertaken by
any Christian since the time of the Greek emperors: and I shall not
regret all the fatigues I have suffered in it, if it gives me an
opportunity of amusing your R. H. by an account of places utterly
unknown amongst us; the emperor's ambassadors, and those few English
that have come hither, always going on the Danube to Nicopolis. But
the river was now frozen, and Mr W---- was so zealous for the service
of his Majesty, that he would not defer his journey to wait for the
conveniency of that passage. We crossed the deserts of Servia (sic),
almost quite over-grown with wood, through a country naturally
fertile. The inhabitants are industrious; but the oppression of the
peasants is so great, they are forced to abandon their houses, and
neglect their tillage, all they have being a prey to the janizaries,
whenever they please to seize upon it. We had a guard of five
hundred of them, and I was almost in tears every day, to see their
insolencies (sic) in the poor villages through which we
passed.--After seven days travelling through thick woods, we came to
Nissa, once the capital of Servia, situated in a fine plain on the
river Nissava, in a very good air, and so fruitful a soil, that the
great plenty is hardly credible. I was certainly assured, that the
quantity of wine last vintage was so prodigious, that they were
forced to dig holes in the earth to put it in, not having vessels
enough in the town to hold it. The happiness of this plenty is
scarce perceived by the oppressed people. I saw here a new occasion
for my compassion. The wretches that had provided twenty waggons for
our baggage from Belgrade hither for a certain hire, being all sent
back without payment, some of their horses lamed (sic), and others
killed, without any satisfaction made for them. The poor fellows
came round the house weeping and tearing their hair and beards in a
most pitiful manner, without getting any thing but drubs from the
insolent soldiers. I cannot express to your R. H. how much I was
moved at this scene. I would have paid them the money out of my own
pocket, with all my heart; but it Would only have been giving so much
to the aga, who would have taken it from them without any remorse.
After four days journey from this place over the mountains, we came
to Sophia, situated in a large beautiful plain on the river Isca, and
surrounded with distant mountains. 'Tis hardly possible to see a
more agreeable landscape. The city itself is very large, and
extremely populous. Here are hot baths, very famous for their
medicinal virtues.--Four days journey from hence we arrived at
Philippopolis, after having passed the ridges between the mountains
of Haemus and Rhodope, which are always covered with snow. This town
is situated on a rising ground near the river Hebrus, and is almost
wholly inhabited by Greeks; here are still some ancient Christian
churches. They have a bishop; and several Of the richest Greeks live
here; but they are forced to conceal their wealth with great care,
the appearance of poverty [which includes part of its inconveniencies
(sic)] being all their security against feeling it in earnest. The
country from hence to Adrianople, is the finest in the world. Vines
grow wild on all the hills; and the perpetual spring they enjoy makes
every thing gay and flourishing. But this climate, happy as it
seems, can never be preferred to England, with all its frosts and
snows, while we are blessed with an easy government, under a king,
who makes his own happiness consist in the liberty of his people, and
chuses rather to be looked upon as their father than their
master.--This theme would carry me very far, and I am sensible, I
have already tired out your R. H.'s patience. But my letter is in
your hands, and you may make it as short as you please, by throwing
it into the fire, when weary of reading it. I am, madam,
With the greatest respect, &c.
LET. XXVI.
TO THE LADY ----.
_Adrianople, April_ 1. O. S. 1717.
I AM now got into a new world, where every thing I see appears to me
a change of scene; and I write to your ladyship with some content of
mind, hoping, at least, that you will find the charms of novelty in
my letters, and no longer reproach me, that I tell you nothing
extraordinary. I won't trouble you with a relation of our tedious
journey; but must not omit what I saw remarkable at Sophia, one of
the most beautiful towns in the Turkish empire, and famous for its
hot baths, that are resorted to both for diversion and health. I
stopped here one day, on purpose to see them; and, designing to go
_incognito_, I hired a Turkish coach. These voitures are not at all
like ours, but much more convenient for the country, the heat being
so great, that glasses would be very troublesome. They are made a
good deal in the manner of the Dutch stage-coaches, having wooden
lattices painted and gilded; the inside being also painted with
baskets and nosegays of flowers, intermixed commonly with little
poetical mottos. They are covered all over with scarlet cloth, lined
with silk, and very often richly embroidered and fringed. This
covering entirely hides the persons in them, but may be thrown back
at pleasure, and thus permits the ladies to peep through the
lattices. They hold four people very conveniently, seated on
cushions, but not raised.
IN one of these covered waggons (sic), I went to the bagnio about ten
o'clock. It was already full of women. It is built of stone, in the
shape of a dome, with no windows but in the roof, which gives light
enough. There were five of these domes joined together, the outmost
being less than the rest, and serving only as a hall, where the
portress stood at the door. Ladies of quality generally give this
woman a crown or ten shillings; and I did not forget that ceremony.
The next room is a very large one paved with marble, and all round it
are two raised sofas of marble, one above another. There were four
fountains of cold water in this room, falling first into marble
basons (sic), and then running on the floor in little channels made
for that purpose, which carried the streams into the next room,
something less than this, with the same sort of marble sofas, but so
hot with steams of sulphur proceeding from the baths joining to it,
'twas impossible to stay there with one's cloaths (sic) on. The two
other domes were the hot baths, one of which had cocks of cold water
turning into it, to temper it to what degree of warmth the bathers
pleased to have.
I WAS in my travelling habit, which is a riding dress, and certainly
appeared very extraordinary to them. Yet there was not one of them
that shewed the least surprise or impertinent curiosity, but received
me with all the obliging civility possible. I know no European
court, where the ladies would have behaved themselves in so polite a
manner to such a stranger. I believe, upon the whole, there were two
hundred women, and yet none of those disdainful smiles, and satirical
whispers, that never fail in our assemblies, when any body appears
that is not dressed exactly in the fashion. They repeated over and
over to me; "UZELLE, PEK UZELLE," which is nothing but, _Charming,
very Charming_.--The first sofas were covered with cushions and rich
carpets, on which sat the ladies; and on the second, their slaves
behind them, but without any distinction of rank by their dress, all
being in the state of nature, that is, in plain English, stark naked,
without any beauty or defect concealed. Yet there was not the least
wanton smile or immodest gesture amongst them. They walked and moved
with the same majestic grace, which Milton describes our general
mother with. There were many amongst them, as exactly proportioned as
ever any goddess was drawn by the pencil of a Guido or Titian,--and
most of their skins shiningly white, only adorned by their beautiful
hair divided into many tresses, hanging on their shoulders, braided
either with pearl or ribbon, perfectly representing the figures of
the Graces.