and, I may add, she is perfectly idolized here, and has great power with the Ottoman Porte and the pachas. Many anecdotes might be introduced of her ladyship, did my limits permit. It may be briefly mentioned, that she was the first British female who paid a visit to Palmyra, where she was actually crowned queen, and with some degree of ceremony. One cause which has been assigned for her retirement, is a disappointment in her attachment to a gallant commander, who fell in Spain, and on expiring desired her relative to remember him to her. On one of her dragomen being sacrificed by some Arabs, she made a representation to the Grand Seignor; and he threatened to punish some of the shieks or principal authorities of the place where the event occurred, should they not find the assassin, which always occurs in case of murder. It is said, also, that a French colonel travelling here was waylaid in the adjoining mountains, which she had warned him to avoid, and was murdered; on which a powerful body of men, led by this heroine, proceeded to the spot, and discovered the criminals. Attempts have been made to invade her own demesne, and even some of those she patronised were sacrificed; in short, she has been exposed to the greatest dangers, which she has resisted with the courage of a lioness, brandishing sword in hand. Her domestics were at one time numerous, but have gradually paired off, tired of a monotonous life. Although living, in general, most retired, yet she is not at all ignorant of what is going on in Great Britain or Europe, as to politics or otherwise; and her mind is stored with interesting anecdotes of the most distinguished members of both houses of parliament she had met with at the late prime minister, Pitt's. Her correspondence with the lamented duke of York was voluminous, and uninterrupted for years. In short, if she has kept a journal of all her extraordinary adventures, and those incidents which have occurred during her sojourn here, and it

should happen to be published after her death, it would perhaps form one of the most interesting works on the east that could appear from the pen of any one.

Lady Stanhope is nearly allied to the late Mr. Pitt, and to many families of rank. She long directed her attention to his domestic concerns, lived under his roof, and still enjoys a handsome pension from the British government, which I should conceive, on a calculation of the value of money and prices of articles, may be of nearly three times the value here that it is England. This enables her to stretch forth her hand to promote the happiness and comfort of many around her. No person, in short, can be held in higher estimation, and more beloved; her name, even to the very lowest class, is always in the mouth of the tribes of Arabs, by whom she is sometimes styled "Princess," and at another, "My Leddie;" and thousands of them would, upon an emergency, be at her command, and lay down their lives in her cause. In short, her benevolence is extensive and judicious; and in every place I visited, for it will be remarked her ladyship has travelled over the Holy Land, I found the name of Stanhope mentioned, either in one way or other, with the highest veneration and respect. Any letter of recommendation, indeed, under her hand, in favour of travellers, may be considered as a sufficient passport, and sure to meet with proper attention; indeed I should be as satisfied in travelling in this country with her passport as with the firman of the Grand Seignor.

Should it excite surprise that her ladyship, who is of a highly cultivated mind, and an English woman by birth and education, prefers to live in this remote corner of the earth, widely separated from her friends in England,and sarcastic sneers have been most reprehensibly thrown out on this account,-may it not be asked, if she is not unquestionably the most competent judge to choose a cli-. mate suited to her own health and circumstances, and

where she may contribute most to the happiness and comfort of her fellow creatures? How can her right to this election be called in question, any more than that the reader or his friends of either sex should be blamed for fixing upon any particular spot on the continent or elsewhere, as a permanent residence, either for the benefit of health, economy, retrenchment, the promotion of benevolent objects, or other proper considerations? Committing herself to Him whose dominion extends to every corner of the earth, her ladyship might exclaim,—

Should fate command me to the farthest verge
Of the green earth, to distant barbarous climes,
Rivers unknown to song;-'tis nought to me,
Since God is ever present, ever felt,

In the void waste as in the city full.

I have only further to state, that, among other marks of attention, she transmitted to me a note, mentioning that if I was desirous of looking at her stud, considered to be the best in Arabia, orders would be given to her domestics to lead them out upon the road I intended to take on proceeding for Damascus, upon naming the hour when I should proceed thither.

After returning my acknowledgments by the dragoman to Lady Stanhope for her politeness, and presenting the consul with an opera glass for the hospitality shown me during the two days I had been under his roof, I bid adieu on the forenoon of the 18th of March to Sidon, which it may be added is fifty miles south-west of the famous city of Damascus, and where I was now to direct my steps.

On the eve of my departure from Sidon the interpreter called with her ladyship's compliments, and mentioned that, in reference to her communication, domestics would be found in waiting with her stud about two miles from the town, where he had been directed to attend me.

In consequence of this I proceeded to the spot, and found a train of servants gorgeously dressed in the oriental style, who were leading up and down several most beautiful animals. On alighting from my mule, which was miserable in the extreme, he put into my hand a note from her ladyship, descriptive of the names and pedigrees of some of the best of this noble stud. To one of these, called Diamond, she directed my particular attention, since it was her intention to send it as "a humble offering to his royal highness the duke of York, whose name," her ladyship added, “she could never utter without an impression of gratitude." Their description was as follows;

Aba El Haster-Slave of thy Will-the black horse. The young horse; three years

Almaz Diamond

old next June.

Asfound-The Bird- the white mare; race of the

famous Duher El Omer, of whose name Volney speaks.

Bint Asfound-Daughter of the Bird- One year and six weeks old.

I only regretted I had not seen her ladyship mounted on her favourite "Juliet of the East," which was pointed out as "her mare."

It may be proper here to observe, that Arabia has for one thousand years maintained its reputation for a pure race of horses, exceeding all others in form and qualifications. The Arabians are very exact in preserving the pedigrees of these animals, with their alliances and genealogy, distinguishing each breed by different names, and dividing them into three classes. When a mare brings forth a foal, a certificate is written and signed in presence of a shiek or magistrate, and this document is given with the animal, in the same way as the title of an estate when disposed of. Fleet as the Arabian horses are, yet they cannot overtake the antelope. The earliest period when attention was directed to the amendment of the breed of horses in England, was in the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII.*

After being highly gratified with a view of the whole of this princely stud, and giving some piastres to the servants, I proceeded on my journey, taking an eastern direction, and after a short way I struck off to the right hand, and ascended the mountains. It is impossible to convey a de

* During the time of the Israelites it was forbidden to breed many horses. (Deut. xvii. 16.) Solomon, on his marriage, procured them from Egypt, (1 Kings, x. 28, 29. 2 Chron. i. 16, 17. ix. 28.) and even carried on a traffic with them. When Zedekiah, also, (Ezek. xvii. 15.) was about to rebel, he sent to Egypt for cavalry. These noble animals always bring to my mind an anecdote of our revered sovereign, George the Third. A fine horse having been bought for him, he mounted it, and, after a few paces, asked his equerry the opinion he entertained of it, who answered he was no judge, but that at present it bore an excellent character.