n Turkish women--She becomes
acquainted with the practice of inoculation--Her son engrafted--Her
belief in the operation--She later introduces it into England--Dr.
Richard Mead--Richard Steele supports her campaign--Constantinople--Lady
Mary homesick--Exposes the British ignorance of Turkish life--Montagu
recalled--Addison's private letter to him--Lady Mary gives birth to a
daughter--The return journey--The Montagus at Paris--Lady Mary sees her
sister, Lady Mar.

The Montagus returned to Vienna for the new year (1717), but late in
January went to Peterwaradin, thence to Belgrade, and arrived at
Adrianople at the end of March. It was in Adrianople that Lady Mary made
acquaintance with the Turkish Bath, which so impressed her that she sent
home a long account of it. It was not until about 1860 that they became
popular in England, a century and a half later.

"I went to the bagnio about ten o'clock. It was already full of women.
It is built of stone, in the shape of a dome, with no windows but in the
roof, which gives light enough, There were five of these domes joined
together, the outmost being less than the rest, and serving only as a
hall, where the portress stood at the door. Ladies of quality generally
give this woman the value of a crown or ten shillings; and I did not
forget that ceremony. The next room is a very large one paved with
marble, and all round it, raised, two sofas of marble, one above
another. There were four fountains of cold water in this room, falling
first into marble basins, and then running on the floor in little
channels made for that purpose, which carried the streams into the next
room, something less than this, with the same sort of marble sofas but
so hot with steams of sulphur proceeding from the baths joining to it,
it was impossible to stay there with one's clothes on. The two other
domes were the hot baths, one of which had cocks of cold water turning
into it, to temper it to what degree of warmth the bathers have a mind
to.

"I was in my travelling habit, which is a riding dress, and certainly
appeared very extraordinary to them. Yet there was not one of them that
shewed the least surprise or impertinent curiosity, but received me with
all the obliging civility possible. I know no European court where the
ladies would have behaved themselves in so polite a manner to a
stranger. I believe in the whole, there were two hundred women, and yet
none of those disdainful smiles, or satir