ppearance of a very fine
town,) are divided from it by the sea, which is not above half so
broad as the broadest part of the Thames; but the Christian men are
loth to hazard the adventures they sometimes meet with amongst the
_levents_ or seamen, (worse monsters than our watermen) and the women
must cover their faces to go there, which they have a perfect
aversion to do. 'Tis true, they wear veils in Pera, but they are
such as only serve to shew their beauty to more advantage, and would
not be permitted in Constantinople. These reasons deter almost every
creature from seeing it; and the French ambassadress will return to
France (I believe) without ever having been there. You'll wonder,
madam, to hear me add, that I have been there very often. The
_asmack_, or Turkish veil, is become not only very easy, but
agreeable to me; and, if it was not, I would be content to endure
some inconveniency, to gratify a passion that is become so powerful
with me, as curiosity. And, indeed, the pleasure of going in a barge
to Chelsea, is not comparable to that of rowing upon the canal of the
sea here, where, for twenty miles together, down the Bosphorus, the
most beautiful variety of prospects present themselves. The Asian
side is covered with fruit-trees, villages, and the most delightful
landskips (sic) in nature; on the European, stands Constantinople,
situated on seven hills.--The unequal heights make it seem as large
again as it is, (though one of the largest cities in the world)
shewing an agreeable mixture of gardens, pine and cypress-trees,
palaces, mosques, and public buildings, raised one above another,
with as much beauty and appearance of symmetry, as your ladyship ever
saw in a cabinet, adorned by the most skilful hands, where jars shew
themselves above jars, mixed with canisters, babies and candlesticks.
This is a very odd comparison; but it gives me an exact idea of the
thing. I have taken care to see as much of the seraglio as is to be
seen. It is on a point of land running into the sea; a palace of
prodigious extent, but very irregular. The gardens take in a large
compass of ground, full of high cypress-trees, which is all I know of
them. The buildings are all of white stone, leaded on the top, with
gilded turrets and spires, which look very magnificent; and, indeed,
I believe there is no Christian-king's palace half so large. There
are six large courts in it, all built round, and set with trees,
having galler