THE SULTAN ABDUL-MEDJID.

On the 1st of July 1839, "the black camel which kneels at every door," that is to say, death, stopped before the kiosk of Tchamlidja. There expired, six days after the fatal defeat of his army at Nezib, the sultan Mahmoud II. (rendered notorious by his abolition of the order of the Janizaries), from the attack of a disease which his physicians had at first named, whether through ignorance or a state falsehood, "tubercular consumption;" but which Dr. Milligen, Lord Byron's physician, had no difficulty in declaring to be "delirium tremens," the result of excessive indulgence in the use of ardent spirits. The padíschah (emperor) was fifty-four years old, and had reigned thirty-one years.

Abdul-Medjid, called to the perilous inheritance of the Ottoman throne, was the twenty-first son of the deceased sultan. He was born at Constantinople 19th April 1823, so that he was in his sixteenth year.

The aged Khosrew, and Halil, brother-in-law of the new sovereign, were the first to announce the news, and to do homage by kissing the imperial babouche (slipper). He entered with them into the kiosk, in which were lying the still-warm remains of the reformer; and there, whilst the ministers of religion were washing the corpse, the new sultan received the congratulations of his family, all shedding tears, soon to be dried up by the necessity of action. He signed, on the spot, the appointment of Halil to the post of seraskier (commander of the forces) and that of Khosrew to the office of grand vizier. The doors were then opened. Abdul-Medjid came out of the kiosk and stepped into an eight-horsed calèche (Turkish carriage), which conveyed him, amid the acclamations of his troops, drawn up in the line of his progress, to the harbour of Harem-Skelessi, where he embarked in a state barge, to go and take possession of the throne of his ancestors, in the palace of Top-Kapou. He there received the homage of the great dignitaries of the empire; while, throughout the whole of Constantinople, public heralds proclaimed-with the accompaniment of salutes from all the batteries of the forts and of the harbour-"His highness, our most magnificent lord and master, the sultan Abdul-Medjid has mounted the throne! God grant that his

reign may promote the happiness of his people!" In France, at no distant period, the exclamation under similar circumstances was, "The king is dead-Long live the king!" In Turkey, the living only is mentioned; everything which would tend to recal the memory of the dead being scrupulously avoided as of evil omen.

This reign, which was to be a marked one in the annals of Turkey, commenced under mournful auspices. Four days afterwards, on the 5th of July namely, tidings reached Constantinople of the defeat and total rout of the army of Hafiz, and the capture of the camp of Nezib, with all the baggage, &c., of the routed army, by the Egyptians under Ibrahim-Pacha, who were now on the point of passing Mount Taurus. But two days after, and news arrived of the defection of the fleet, which had been taken to Alexandria, and delivered up to the pacha of Egypt by Ahmed-Fewsi-Pacha, sworn enemy of Khosrew, apprehensive of the well-known vindictiveness of the aged vizier. A sudden blow might have laid Constantinople at the mercy of the powerful vassal of the Sublime Porte, now become master both by sea and by land. At this crisis, since the convention of Unkiar-Skelessi gave to Russia a right of protectorate, and circumstances in a measure justified, or even demanded, the exercise of this dangerous right, alarmists might well anticipate that the day was near at hand when the new throne, held in double check, would find itself hemmed in, and, as it were, crushed between the forces of the Czar and those of MehemetAli.

Russia, fortunately, did not then judge it either prudent or expedient to avail itself of its exclusive protectorate: Europe stepped in, and diplomatic efforts brought matters to such a state that Ibrahim could not follow up the advantages of his signal victories. The Ottoman Empire took breath.

Critical as was his position, it did not prevent the young padischah from declaring himself, from his very accession, a partizan and resolute promoter of the reform undertaken by the destroyer of the Janizaries. Previously to a former revolt of these dangerous men, Mahmoud II. had been obliged, from motives of personal safety, to order his brother Mustafa-Khan to be strangled. Mohammed III. in one day had put to death his nine brothers. Abdul-Medjid shook off the yoke of this prudential barbarism, by leaving to his younger brother AbdulAziz his life and liberty. When he repaired to the mosque

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of Eyoub, in order to gird himself, according to solemn custom, with the sabre of Othman, as an emblem of power, in the ancient ceremony called Taklidiseif, an important question was raised, whether the sultan would appear in the sacred enclosure, wearing on his head the kaouk (turban) or the fez (the red cap with a blue tassel). The Sheikh-ul-Islam, and the ulemas* pronounced themselves unanimously in favour of the old custom. No sultan had yet been consecrated without the traditional kaouk. What would the empire think? What would be the opinion of the holy descendants of the prophet, charged as they were with the conduct of the ceremony, of an innovation so manifestly contrary to the spirit of Islam and the majesty of the Caliphate? The dowager sultana Validé took the same view. But all was ineffectual to alter the decision of Abdul-Medjid, and the inflexible resolution of the aged Khosrew, who said to the chief of the ulemas: "By the prophet's beard, you shall be present at the consecration of his highness with a fez, or I will have thee beheaded this very night!" This programme was carried out. To save appearances, the teachers of the law received permission to show themselves at the ceremony in the ancient costume, and to exhibit in open day their voluminous white turbans, decked with stripes of gold.

As another pledge of his attachment to the faith, the sultan had caused to be poured into the Bosphorus, with much ostentation, several thousand bottles of wine and liqueurs, surreptitiously introduced into the seraglio in the preceding reign by the chief of the eunuchs; and had given orders for the removal of certain figures carved on the pendants of his palace. But he appeared at Eyoub dressed in the Frank pantaloons and frock-coat under the imperial mantle, and wearing on his head the fez, surmounted by a heron's plume attached by a jewel of brilliants. His appearance excited not so much of enthusiasm as of uneasy sympathy. His figure was tall and thin, his features pale and delicate, and every one, when he saw him, asked himself how this frail boy could support the heavy burden so suddenly laid on his youthful shoulders.

The sultan is never saluted; and as his appearance had in it. little of manliness, but few cheers were heard. The women only who were interested in his air of mildness and his great youth threw much warmth into the exclamation with which they

* The ulemas are the officers of Turkish law and religion, and are presided over by the Sheikh-ul-Islam.

greeted him on his way-"Mach Allah Padischah!" equivalent to our English "God save the King."

Four months from this date (3rd November 1839) was published to the empire the famous hatti-chérif, which has justly been called the charter of Ottoman rights. It was solemnly read in the presence of the dignitaries of all classes, and numerous deputations in the interior of the seraglio, and in a large plain, attached to the kiosk of Gul-Khané (palace of roses). It was written in a simple and manly style, and declared the thenceforth state of the law on the following material points: first, a guarantee to all subjects of the Porte, insuring them perfect security of life, honour, and fortune; secondly, a regular system of assessing and levying taxes; thirdly, a regulation for the levy of troops and their term of service.

This memorable act has exempted itself (among other bitter criticisms which it is not worth while to refute) from the accusation of being nothing but an idle placard, the actual deeds of Abdul--Medjid having given a sufficient answer to this charge.

It cannot be denied that the civilization of a people composed of many different races, none far removed from barbarism, must be a gradual process. But a great step in advance was made by the ordinance in question. As an example of which, we may mention that the very same troops, which fifteen years ago Ibrahim chased before him like savages, have recently proved themselves not unworthy antagonists of the Muscovite armies.

The navy, the treasury, the courts of justice, and education, have also advanced. The condition of the rayahs (native Christians) has also improved. Their evidence is already received in courts of justice; and there is every reason to believe that the karradj (poll-tax) imposed on this class, as a substitute for military service, will be abolished.

The manifesto of Gul-Khané was immediately translated into Greek, and transmitted by the patriarch to the several archbishops and bishops of the provinces. A commission was issued for carrying into execution the new laws (Tanzimat), and a kind of parliamentary system introduced into the supreme council, which was thus transformed into a sort of legislative assembly.

On the occasion of the next Turkish festival of Beiram, the sultan, by a firman addressed to the several provincial governments, confirmed his previous promises, and used the following remarkable words: "From my vizier to the humblest shepherd, every one of my subjects may dispose of his property according

to his own will, without let or hindrance." These promises have hitherto been kept, as far as the circumstance of the times would permit.

When, in 1848, the Danubian Provinces, participating in the revolutionary spirit which traversed Europe, rose and demanded the direct nomination of their hospodars (governing princes), a representative system, the abolition of serfdom, of forced labour, &c., the sultan showed himself more disposed to favour than resist these demands, acknowledging their justice, irregular though they were in form. He might at any time have occupied, as the Czar has since done, the Danubian Provinces; but if the movement of the Roumanian patriarchs failed there, the sultan at least abstained from harsh measures against them, and showed once more a spirit of liberality rare, indeed, with Ottoman princes, and displayed the truly regal virtue of magnanimity.

More recently, when the Hungarian insurgents were compelled, by the surrender of Georgey, to take refuge in the Turkish territory, every one knows how nobly the sultan sheltered them; and Europe has not forgotten the courage that he displayed in his resistance to the demands and menaces of Austria, supported as she was by her formidable ally. Abdul-Medjid has not his father's impatient temper, but is characterised by prudence and forbearance. His policy is marked both by caution and boldness, the latter quality being eminently displayed, if the imperial or national honour is at stake, as recent events cannot fail to have shown. He has now nearly attained his thirty-first year, but his dark beard and a certain pensive expression in his features give him the appearance of being somewhat older. His personal bearing is dignified, his figure slight but well formed. He has a brilliant eye, features tolerably regular, indicating, perhaps, at the first glance, somewhat of melancholy and irresolution, qualities, however, which are not actually found in his character. He is slender, and marked with the small-pox; but this latter defect is scarcely visible, and is remedied, according to the custom of the harem, on days of public ceremonies, by the application of cosmetics. His appearance when he is on his way to the mosque, on a Friday, is thus described by M. Gautier :

"His pale face denoted supreme self-satisfaction; and consciousness of irresistible power gave to his features, otherwise scarcely regular, the calm expression of being carved in marble. His eyes, fixed, motionless, piercing and melancholy, seeing everything and looking at nothing, were not like the eyes of man. A short, scanty, dark-brown beard, encircled this