to labour, which the great plenty indulges. These gardeners
are the only happy race of country people in Turkey. They furnish
all the city with fruits and herbs, and seem to live very easily.
They are most of them Greeks, and have little houses in the midst of
their gardens, where their wives and daughters take a liberty, not
permitted in the town, I mean, to go unveiled. These wenches are
very neat and handsome, and pass their time at their looms, under the
shade of the trees.

I No longer look upon Theocritus as a romantic writer; he has only
given a plain image of the way of life amongst the peasants of his
country; who, before oppression had reduced them to want, were, I
suppose, all employed as the better sort of them are now. I don't
doubt, had he been born a Briton, but his _Idyliums_ had been filled
with descriptions of threshing and churning, both which are unknown
here, the corn being all trode (sic) out by oxen; and butter (I speak
it with sorrow) unheard of.

I READ over your Homer here, with an infinite pleasure, and find
several little passages explained, that I did not before entirely
comprehend the beauty of; many of the customs, and much Of the dress
then in fashion, being yet retained. I don't wonder to find more
remains here, of an age so distant, than is to be found in any other
country, the Turks not taking that pains to introduce their own
manners, as has been generally practised by other nations, that
imagine themselves more polite. It would be too tedious to you, to
point out all the passages that relate to present customs. But, I
can assure you, that the princesses and great ladies pass their time
at their looms, embroidering veils and robes, surrounded by their
maids, which are always very numerous, in the same manner as we find
Andromache and Helen described. The description of the belt of
Menelaus, exactly resembles those that are now worn by the great men,
fastened before with broad golden clasps, and embroidered round with
rich work. The snowy veil that Helen throws over her face, is still
fashionable; and I never see half a dozen of old bashaws (as I do
very often) with their reverend beards, sitting basking in the sun,
but I recollect good king Priam and his counsellors. Their manner of
dancing is certainly the same that Diana is _sung_ (sic) to have
danced on the banks of Eurotas. The great lady still leads the
dance, and is followed by a troop of young girls, who imitate