In the romance of _Trancred_, Mr. D'Israeli mentions the Ansareys, one of
the tribes of Lebanon, as worshipping the old heathen gods, Jupiter,
Apollo, and Astarte, or Venus. A writer of fiction is certainly not
expected to be bound to fact; but in such a matter as the present religion
of an existing people, I feel doubtful whether to suppose this religion his
own invention, or if he has any authority for it, and its connexion with
pagan Antioch. A people to-day retaining the worship of the old gods of
Greece and Syria, is a matter of great interest. I have looked into
Volney's _Travels in Syria and Egypt_, and in some later writers, but none
of them state the paganism of Tancred to be the religion of the Ansareys.
It is, however, said to be a mystery, so not impossibly the account in
_Tancred_ may be the reality. In the same work, the Sheikhs of Sheikhs, and
his tribe, the Beni-Rechab children of Rechab, are said to be Jews on
horseback, inhabiting the desert, and resembling the wandering Arabs in
their mode of life. This also is curious, if there be such a people; and
some of your readers acquainted with the history and manners of Syria may
give information on these matters. The other tribes of Lebanon are singular
and equally interesting:--the Maronites, Christians of the Roman Catholic
sect, who, however, allow their priests to marry; the Metualis, Mahomedans
of the sect of Ali; and the Druses, whose religion is unknown, and, as
Lamartine tells us, was entirely so to Lady Hester Stanhope, who lived
years in the middle of them. Volney divides the Ansareys {170} in several
sects, of whom one worshipped the sun, another a dog, and a third had an
obscene worship, with such lewd nocturnal meetings as were fabled of the
Yesedee.