g this compliment; but I
only do it, as I think it very well turned, and give it you as an
instance of the spirit of her conversation. Her house was
magnificently furnished, and very well fancied; her winter rooms
being furnished with figured velvet, on gold grounds, and those for
summer, with fine Indian quilting embroidered with gold. The houses
of the great Turkish ladies are kept clean with as much nicety as
those in Holland. This was situated in a high part of the town; and
from the window of her summer apartment, we had the prospect of the
sea, the islands, and the Asian mountains.--My letter is insensibly
grown so long, I am ashamed of it. This is a very bad symptom. 'Tis
well if I don't degenerate into a downright story-teller. It may be,
our proverb, that _knowledge is no burden_, may be true, as to one's
self but knowing too much, is very apt to make us troublesome to
other people. I am, &c, &c.

LET. XL.

TO THE LADY ----.

_Pera, March_ 16. O. S.

I AM extremely pleased, my dear lady, that you have, at length, found
a commission for me, that I can answer, without disappointing your
expectations; though I must tell you, that it is not so easy as
perhaps you think it; and that if my curiosity had not been more
diligent than any other stranger's has ever yet been, I must have
answered you with an excuse, as, I was forced to do, when you desired
me to buy you a Greek slave. I have got for you, as you desire, a
Turkish love-letter, which I have put into a little box, and ordered
the captain of the Smyrniote to deliver it to you with this letter.
The translation of it is literally as follows: The first piece you
should pull out of the purse, is a little pearl, which is in Turkish
called _Ingi_, and must be understood in this manner:

Ingi, Sensin Uzellerin gingi
_Pearl_, _Fairest of the young_.

Caremfil, Caremfilsen cararen yok
_Clove_, Conge gulsum timarin yok
Benseny chok than severim
Senin benden, haberin yok.

_You are as slender as the clove!_
_You are an unblown rose!_
_I have long loved you, and you have not known it!_

Pul, Derdime derman bul
_Jonquil_, _Have pity on my passion!_

Kihat, Birlerum sahat sahat
_Paper_, _I faint every hour!_

Ermus, Ver bixe bi