NAPOLEON.

In spite of all the clamorous complaints, that fortune is fickle and not to be relied on, yet it is, perhaps, the better that she is so. Were things never to change, but go on in one dull, monotonous course, what would be the state of affairs? Men who might otherwise rise from low obscurity to hold distinguished stations, would linger out their dreary days in changeless forgetfulness; the gay beauties of nature would cease to call forth the admiration of men, and youthful genius, drooping her new-fledged pinions, would sink to rise no more. But she is delusive and changeable, and the contrary is true. No matter whether genius be bred in the low hovels of poverty and wretchedness, or in the towering temples of the rich; it may, by the aid of fortune, shine with equal lustre. He who has genius need not fear the raging of false accusers of fortune; she herself will lead him from his gloomy meditations on his future lot, and publish the refutation of her conspiring enemies. Napoleon, for instance, presents a lively example of the goodness of fickle fortune.

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the last sad days of his illustrious life to be spent. | is turned up at the day of resurrection, and And the rocky isle of St. Helena will be marked lucky is he if his legs are able to carry him into in history as the rugged rock, where breathed Paradise. If we consider the nature of Al Sirat, his last, the great and mighty Napoleon, against it is evident that he must have great difficulty in whose memory the billows of English hatred will keeping his footing upon that very narrow pass. dash, but to recoil upon the deceitful authors of The code (and it may be observed that its mere their motion. existence proves the great consideration of Oxford, O. women in Persia) contains numerous enforcements of this great principle, some of which we proceed to lay before the reader, premising that there are four degrees of obligation mentioned-Wajib, necessary; mustahab, desirable; sunnat, according to the law and traditions of the Prophet; and sunnat Mu'akkad, an imperative duty of religion.

CUSTOMS AND MANNERS OF PERSIAN

WOMEN.*

This, we do not hesitate to say, is the most important work that has ever been published in the East. Whether it has been honoured with a royal or gold medal, does not appear; but that it contains more information respecting the state of society in Oriental countries, (which are all as much influenced by Persia as the continent was by France,) more solid wisdom, pure morality, and judicious rules of life, than any other profane volume of the same size, will not be doubted by those who read it. The false notions, in particular, which have prevailed about the "slavery" of women in the East, are completely blown away.

IMPERATIVE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF WOMEN.

"1. A husband should give his wife money without limit. Allah forbid that she should die of sorrow and disappointment! in which case her blood would be on the head of her husband. The learned conclave are unanimous in declaring that many instances have occurred of women dying from the barbarous cruelty of their husbands in this respect; and if the husband be even a day-labourer, and he does not give his wages to his wife, she will claim them on the day of judgement. It is incumbent on the husband to bestow on the wife a daily allowance in cash, (not yearly or quarterly, but daily,-this is a decided improvement on pin-money;) and he must also allow her every expense of feasting, and of excursions, and the bath, and every other kind of recreation. If he has not generosity and pride enough to do this, he will assuredly be puished for all his sins and omissions, on the day of resurrection."

This is not all. He is accountable, not only for his own soul, but his wife's. As in this country, so in the other world, any debts she contracts be becomes liable for; and they are exhibited on the debit side against him, upon the day of judgment.

It seems that a royal commission was directed (we do not accurately know when, or by whom) to five ladies of distinguished breeding and quality, empowering them to draw up a complete code of laws for the women of Persia; and, in the prosecution of their labours, to call in, as often as their advice might be necessary, two other women of great distinction and learning to aid their deliberations, precisely as the judges are sometimes required to deliver their opinions to Parliament on difficult questions of law. The names of the first five are, Kulsum Naneh (President,) Shahr-Banu Dadeh, DadehBazm Ara, Bagi Yasmin, Khala Gul-bari. The assessors or judges are, Khala Ian Agha, Bibi Ian Afroz; And the work before us is the pandect of laws collected, arranged, and settled by them. As we proceed, it will be seen how erroneous were the opinions that regarded freedom, pin-money, separate maintenance, divorce, &c., as peculiar privileges of Western women. It will, on the contrary, be made manifest, that these have come, like the Cholera, Light, &c., How pleasant it would be, if, on the eve of an from the East; and that the circle of a Persian Election, a cry of Atheism could be raised alady's amusements, though the links may be ap-gainst a candidate, because he did not allow his parently different, is as large as that of any woman of fashion here; while the ties of morality are equally strict in both countries. If the one has her private box at the opera, church, the race-course, the ball, the carriage; the other has her bath, mosque, litter, pipe, and Almehs, who dress and dance as voluptuously as Taglioni herself. But one circumstance deserves notice: The good treatment of women here is secured partly by sentiment, and partly by law. In Persia, besides law and sentiment, they have religion on their side. A man who abuses his wife is not only exposed to the tongues of all her friends, and a bastinado from the Kazi; but he

"2. As long as he will not allow his wife the fees for the bath, and she is thus prevented from performing her ablutions, so long will fasting and prayer be of no use."

wife a private box at the Opera? If Sir James Scarlet could introduce such a doctrine from Persia, he might then indeed pen luscious addresses to the ladies of Norwich. How much the salvation of a Persian woman's soul depends on the due use of the bath, will be plain from the following extract. Particular attention is requested to the nature of the figures; especially to those of the sun, moon, and beasts. Had not the writer overlooked that essential point, we might have been spared his concluding absurd remark, as he would have seen that the whole is religious in an extreme degree. The correct view is taken by the Wise Women.

"The Persian ladies regard the bath as the place of their greatest amusement. They make appointments to meet there; and often pass seven or eight hours together in the carpeted saloon, telling stories, relating anecdotes, eating sweetmeats, sharing their kolyouns, and em

CUSTOMS AND MANNERS OF PERSIAN WOMEN.

bellishing their beautiful forms with all the fancied perfections of the East; dyeing their hair and eyebrows, and curiously staining their fair bodies with a variety of fantastic devices, not unfrequently with the figures of trees, birds, and beasts, sun, moon, and stars.

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a woman remain in the house of her husband, who is continually opposed to those recreations to which her whole soul is devoted?"

This, to us, seems conclusive. Indeed, the husband who can digest so powerful an argument, must have a stomach at least equal to that of an ostrich. But the Learned Women leave no loophole for escape.

"9. Dadeh Bazm Ara says, I have proved, from the instructions of my master Iblis, (a great eastern philosopher, not to be confounded with Eblis, Saten,) that the man who does not allow his wife to visit holy places and mosques, and the house of her friends, male and female, and who prohibits other innocent and agreeable proceedings, such as we have deemed proper and expedient for her own satisfaction and comfort; that man, I say, will be damned hereafter." Nothing can be more clear or satisfactory than this. The crimes, however, of the husband, do not escape punishment in this world:"Should his wife die of a broken heart, he and his relations are liable to pay the expiatory mulct, as in cases of wilful murder."

3. On the last Friday of the blessed month of Ramazan, the women ought to dress superbly and perfume themselves, and put on their best ornaments, and go to the porticoes of the mosques; because young men of cypress forms, with tulip cheeks, and amorous demeanour, assemble there in greater numbers than at other places. There they must sit down and stretch out their feet, and every one must light twelve tapers; and in doing this, care must be taken to lift the hand high above the head, so as to raise up the veil, as if by accident, and thus display their beautiful faces. Their crimson-tinted toes must also be exposed, in order that the young men may see and admire them with wounded hearts; but it would be an unlucky omen if one of the tapers were left unlighted. Bibi lan Agha, and the rest of the learned conclave, are unanimous in this opinion. Further, it is not at This great right of women to innocent amuseall necessary that, in lighting the tapers, si-ments is further insisted on; and the precise lence should be observed. On the contrary, mode of the husband's perdition explained, in lovely women should always let their sweet another article of the code. It appears that he is to be accused and condemned at the day of resurrection, by the Seven Learned Women.

voices be heard."

This must be understood to be an important religious ceremony. It will be rendered plainer presently.

SCIENTIFIC DIVISION OF MEN.

"4. Should a favourable opportunity occur for The proper Man, the Half Man, and the the beautiful young girls to remain with the Hupul-hupla.-"There are three sorts of men: young men for a short time, and especially if 1. A Proper Man; 2. Half a Man; 3. A Hupultheir intercourse arises from mutual affection, hupla. A Proper Man at once supplies whatthere can be nothing wrong in the indulgence of ever necessaries or indulgencies his wife may their attachments. Indeed, it is a fortunate cir- require: he never presumes to go out without his cumstance, and, upon the whole, more gratify-wife's permission, or do any thing contrary to ing and satisfactory to them than fasting the her wish." whole year.

"5. And whenever the young women visits their female friends upon that blessed day, for the purpose of meeting their lovers, they may be permitted, without any violation of decorum, to remain till a late hour."

The love here meant is Platonic love.

“6. If a woman's husband presumes to ask where she has been, and why returned so late, it is highly reprehensible on his part; for, through the sacred influence of that blessed day, she stands acquitted of all impropriety."

"7. Dadeh-Bazm Ara, Bagi Yasmin, and Shahr-Banu Dadeh, are of opinion, that when a woman applies the end of a taper to the tips of the toes of her right foot, and, at the time of lighting it, displays the beautiful shape of her leg, she will undoubtedly be in no danger of hell-fire."

The Seven Wise Women are careful to lay down axioms, as the ground-work of their reasonings on every subject. The preceding is

one.

It strikes us, that this is the character, which, in these countries, is called "A Jerry Sneak." In the East he seems to be held in high honour. "2. Your Half Man is a very poor, snivelling wretch, always meddling, with but little furniture in his house, and just bread and salt enough for bare subsistence; never on any occasion enjoying the least degree of comfort. The wife sits in his house, and works, and all she earns is applied to procure food and light. It is, therefore, wajib in that industrious woman to reply harshly to whatever he says: and if he beats her, it is wajib to bite and scratch him, and pull his beard, and do every thing in her power to annoy him. If his severity exceeds all bounds, let her petition the Kazi, and get a divorce."

These rules carry on them such a stamp of wisdom and reasonableness, that it is unnecessary to express our full concurrence in their perfect propriety. There can be little doubt that they will soon be used to enrich the law of Doctors' Commons. And to whom can the task of improving the social condition of our country"8. And Kulsum Naneh, the President of the women be more safely intrusted, than to the Council, is decidedly of opinion, that no woman man who had struggled, with such purity of can entertain the least hopes of heaven, whose motive, for the happiness of the woman of India husband forbids the things that are herein com--Dr. Lushington? The right side of the quesmanded, and considered proper for her pleasure and happiness in this world. For, with what comfort (it is logically and forcibly asked) can

tion, important as it is, may, without hesitation, be confided to him, unless he get money to advocate the opposite side.

But in the case last extracted, there seems an omission on the part of the Seven Learned Women:-Should the husband see the street door open, and a young man, of cypress form, &c., come out, might be, in that case, provided it was not the blessed month Ramazan, suspect that there was any thing suspicious in the case? We confess we should like to hear Kulsum Naneh, or a grave Mollah on that point. Our present leaning decidedly is, that he might ask the young man, of the cypress form, &c., what was his business in that house.

OF LIFTING THE VEIL FOR STRANGERS.

"1. The Seven Learned Women declare that, their features to be seen by men not wearing among the forbidden things, is that of allowing turbans, unless, indeed they are handsome, and have soft and captivating manners; in that case their veils may be drawn aside. But they must scrupulously and religiously abstain from all such liberties with mullans [priests] and Jews; since, respecting them, the prohibition is imperative."

It would be unjust to omit noticing the judi- | reverential awe to his better half; and the Suncious mode in which the Seven Learned Women nat Mu'akkad, or, as we might say, the Martyr. direct a wife to resist her husband. We allude more particularly to the application to be made to his beard. In this point, Eastern women have a decided advantage over the women of the West. For here, unless a woman's husband happen to wear large whiskers, there is nothing on which she can fasten. Then the whiskers may be false ones; and as to mustachois, we are assured that they afford no grip whatever. But in the East, independently of the fact, that both hands may at once be stuck in it, and that with a powerful purchase, the beard is the seat of honour, and is looked up to with profound veneration by both sexes. Without a large black beard a man is nobody; he is a being whom, as Hajgi Baba says, "a hundred dogs may make a corner-stone of, and bring their friends." The respect in which any individual is held, varies in the compound ratio of his own length, and that of his beard. Madden, in his very instructive and amusing travels, tells of a French serjeant-major, who, by a portly person, and a huge mane to his chin, obtained great consideration in Constantinople. He was an Effendi, a Prince, a Sultan, to them. As soon as Napoleon's career of victory in Egypt commenced, the most extravagant stories were circulated about his stature and his beard. The Turks declared that he was a giant, with a beard as large as the three tails of a Pasha! and, accordingly, they resolved to submit to such a Child of Destiny; but as soon as they actually saw that he was even under the middle size, and, instead of the phenomenon represented, had no beard whatever, they cried out that he was an infidel; and the rebellion in Cairo was the consequence. The veneration paid to the beard must not be understood to arise merely from motives of personal vanity. It is a part of that mass of religious prejudices which is so firmly rooted in the Eastern mind. Men swear by it as some thing mysterious and holy. The most dreadful insult, therefore, that can be offered to an Oriental, is any disparagement to, much more manual intermeddling with his beard. The pity of the Janizaries for Charles XII., at Bender, was converted into fury when he ordered their

beards to be cut off.

"3. The Hupul-hupla has nothing; no friends. He wants to dress and live luxuriously, but is totally destitute of means. If the wife of such a man absents herself from his house even for ten days and ten nights, he must not, on her return, ask her where she has been; and, if he sees a stranger in the house, he must not ask who it is, or what he wants. Whenever he comes home and finds the street door shut, he must not knock, but retire, and not presume to enter till he sees it open."

in this article of the code. Indeed the learned There is as much liberality as sound judgment women seem rather beyond their age; for Madden says, that none spit farther or oftener at him than women. Captain Franklin says, that being one day beyond the walls of Constantinople, sketching some senery, a Turkish lady came up, with, we believe, a child; and, having ascertained his employment, sat opposite to him, lifted trait. As she was young and very handsome, her veil and made signs to him to draw her porthe Captain began with pleasure. But after some time, growing apprehensive that the Turks for such things there are summary modes of about the place might notice this tete-a-tete, (and proceeding on the Bosphorus,) he ceased sketchthe pencil towards his fair sitter. At this she ing, and began to blow kisses from the end of coloured up to the temples, and drew her hand several times violently across her throat, a hint which the gallant Captain thought was not to be neglected, at least within the sound of the Euxine. The cause of this dislike depends, no doubt, somewhat on national prejudices; but in a far greater degree on the want of a beard. The angular European dress, to their notions, (but surely without any just grounds,) tight and inshaven face, on which even a goat may look decent, is another powerful obstacle; but the with contempt, is the greatest. Mahmoud, for with the blood-stained knave of Egypt, has done a Turk, a great man, and not to be compared much to remove those prejudices, and approximate Europe and Asia. A few years since, it was death upon the spot for any man, even by tan's harem; but, not long ago, an English travchance or necessity, to have seen one of the suleller, without the slightest danger, beheld one of Mahmoud's daughters standing at the window

Should he be a person of so violent a temper as to think there was any thing in all this, his wife must get divorced instanter; as evidently it would be impossible for any prudent or virtuous woman to live with so suspicions a husband. of the palace at Buyukdere. No stronger proof Considering the Proper Man as the pivot, and could be given of a change in opinion, than that the Half Man and Hupul-hupla as the descend- furnished by the Seven Wise Women. ing part of the series, the ascending would be the Sunnat, (or Godly Man, who looks up with The learned women next lay down, with judg

OF PRAYER.

CUSTOMS AND MANNERS OF PERSIAN WOMEN.

ment and clearness, the occasions on which | for him, and his pillow a pillow of stone; so that prayers may be dispensed with. at last he becomes weary of life, and is glad to acknowledge her authority. On the other hand, should these resources fail, the wife may privately convey from her husband's house every thing valuable that she can lay her hands upon; and then go to the Kazi, and complain that her husband has beaten her with his shoe, and pretend to show the bruises on her skin. She must state such facts in favour of her case as she knows cannot be refuted by evidence, and pursue every possible plan to escape from the thraldom she endures. For that purpose, every effort, of every description, is perfectly justifiable, and according to law."