ccuse me of hypocrisy, when I tell you 'tis with regret, but as I am
used to the air, and have learnt the language, I am easy here; and as
much as I love travelling, I tremble at the inconveniencies attending
so great a journey, with a numerous family, and a little infant
hanging at the breast. However, I endeavour, upon this occasion, to
do, as I have hitherto done in all the odd turns of my life; turn
them, if I can, to my diversion. In order to this, I ramble every
day, wrapped up in my _serigee_ and _asmack_, about Constantinople,
and amuse myself with seeing all that is curious in it. I know you
will expect that this declaration should be followed with some
account of what I have seen. But I am in no humour to copy what has
been writ so often over. To what purpose should I tell you, that
Constantinople is the ancient Byzantium? that 'tis at present the
conquest of a race of people, supposed Scythians? that there are five
or six thousand mosques in it? that Sancta Sophia was founded by
Justinian? &c. I'll assure you, 'tis not for want of learning, that
I forbear writing all these bright things. I could also, with very
little trouble, turn over Knolles and Sir Paul Rycaut, to give you a
list of Turkish emperors; but I will not tell you what you may find
in every author that has writ of this country. I am more inclined,
out of a true female spirit of contradiction, to tell you the
falsehood of a great part of what you find in authors; as, for
instance, in the admirable Mr Hill, who so gravely asserts, that he
saw, in Sancta Sophia, a sweating pillar, very balsamic for
disordered heads. There is not the least tradition of any such
matter; and I suppose it was revealed to him in vision, during his
wonderful stay in the Egyptian catacombs; for I am sure he never
heard of any such miracle here. 'Tis also very pleasant to observe
how tenderly he and all his brethren voyage-writers lament the
miserable confinement of the Turkish ladies, who are perhaps more
free than any ladies in the universe, and are the only women in the
world that lead a life of uninterrupted pleasure, exempt from cares;
their whole time being spent in visiting, bathing, or the agreeable
amusement of spending money, and inventing new fashions. A husband
would be thought mad, that exacted any degree of economy from his
wife, whose expences are no way limited but by her own fancy. 'Tis
his business to get money, and hers to spend it: and this n