their illiberal profecutions; and thus by his bold and determined behaviour, outbraved the danger. The teftimony of his colleague Virginius too had its own weight, as he generoufly fhared with him the honour of the fuccefs: but what turned the fcale entirely in his favour, was their flame for the fentence they paffed on Menenius, fo much was their diipofition changed upon reflection.'

It is to be obferved, that Mr. Gordon in the volumes before us, has only prefented the public with the first fix books of Livy. He threatens, however, to give more; and if his perfeverance is equal to the opinion he seems to entertain of his abilites, he may probably proceed to the conclu fion of his undertaking. It is fomewhat remarkable, that two Scotchmen of the name of GORDON fhould have prefumed to lacerate and mangle two authors of antiquity of the highest capacity and genius. We allude, to the culprit now before us, and to Mr. Thomas Gordon, the tranflator of Tacitus.

ART. IV. Memoirs of the Baron de Tott. Containing the State of the Turkish Empire and the Crimea, during the late War with Ruffia. With numerous Anecdotes, Facts, and Obfervations, on the Manners and Cuftoms of the Turks and Tarters. Tranflated front the French. 2 vols. 8vo. 10s. 6d. boards. Robinson. 1785.

ΤΗ

(Concluded from the Review for Auguft.)

HE Baron, in his fecond part, begins with an ac count of his journey to the Crimea, whether he was fent by the Duke de Choifeul, as Refident to the Cham of the Tartars. The picture he there draws of Turkish defpotifm, and Moldavian degradation is beyond the conception of a Briton. It merits our utmost attention, as every little circumftance is detailed and the whole together excites more horror and deteftation than could be infpired by the ftrongeft reafoning, or the most forcible eloquence. If a Turk withes to have any of his wants fupplied, he begins by knocking the Moldavian down. Refiftance is never thought of, and would be fatal. And indeed, fo far has the habit of flavery degraded the latter, under the level of man, that, according to the author, he feems incapable of being influenced by any thing, except this "battering". argument. The reader will find this, ftrongly exemplified in the fecond part of the firft volume, in a dialogue between the Baron, his conductor Ali Aga, and the mayor of a Moldavian village. Yet this fpaniel-like difpofition is accompanied by a pride and vanity equally ridiculous and oftentatious, among the higher ranks of this wretched nation. How much, and how frequently they must be morti fied by the infolence of Turkish power will be best conceived from the conduct of Ali Aga, at Yaffi, the capital of Moldavia. The reader will obferve that this Turk was

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only an inferior domeftic of an inferior Pacha; and was fent with Mr. de Tott, as a kind of courier and guide. While I was admiring the filly pride with which he fwelled, Ali Aga entered and deranged every thing by his prefence. His free manner of treating the Moldavian peafants has been before remarked, but I imagined his prerogatives and importance would have been lef fened at Yaffi. This however, was a fresh wrong I did him; I faw him appear with a fine robe, a grave carriage, and a commanding He feemed a courtier, who, capable of becoming Vifir, and creating Princes of Moldavia, thought himself already their fuperior. In this fpirit; he began by treating the Governor of the town' very cavalierly, becaule the Mafter of the Horfe had not fent the attendants neceffary to conduct him to the audience of the Prince. In vain, did the Governor alledge this neglect was no fault of his. You are one as bad as the other, replied Ali Aga, but I will work a reform. Happily the defired attendance, appeared: it confifted of a horfe, properly caparifoned, and four of the Prince's Tchoadars to accompany Whom? The Tchoadar of the Pacha of Kotchim; who was himself only a Pacha of the fecond order. But there are no degrees in rank between a Turk and a Greek; the first is every thing, the fecond nothing.'

Quitting Moldavia, the Baron proceeds through the country of the Noguais Tartars, in general a vast and melancholy plain, interfected by deep vallies, to Bactecheferay, the re fidence of the Cham. His obfervations in this route are entertaining and judicious; the face of the country is de fcribed; and we are brought acquainted with the customs, manners, commerce, &c. of the inhabitants, as far as cir cumstances would permit him to examine them. The following extract will prefent the reader with a delineation of manners very different from thofe of Europe.

We arrived before noon at the first valley, and while the Mirza enquired for thofe whofe office it was to procure us fresh horses, I approached a group of Noguais affembled round a dead horse they had just skinned. A young man about eighteen, who was naked, had the hide of the animal thrown over his fhoulders. A woman who performed the office of taylor, with great dexterity, then began by cutting the back of this new drefs, following with her fciffars the round of the neck, the fall of the fhoulders, the femi-circle which formed the fleeve, and the fide of the habit which was intended to reach below the knee. There was no neceffity to fuftain a kind of stuff, which by its humidity, naturally adhered to the fkin of the youth. The female leather-cutter proceeded, with equal eafe, to form the two fore-flaps and the cuffs; which operation ended our almost-man, who ferved as a mould, crouched on his hams, while the pieces were stitched together; fo that, in lefs than two hours, he had a good brown bay coat, which only wanted to be tanned by continual exercise. This feemed to be his first care; for I saw him leap lightly on the bare back of a horse, to go and join his compa

nions, who were bufy in collecting the horfes we wanted, and of which we had not yet enough by far.'

The predominant feature in the Noguais character is avarice, of which the author gives the following inftances.

No people are more abftemious; millet and mare's milk are their habitual food, and yet they are exceedingly carnivorous. A Noguais might wager that he would eat a whole fheep and gain his bet, without danger of indigeftion. But their appetites are reftrained by their avarice, which is fo great, that they generally debar themfelves of every thing they can fell. If any accident kills one of their cattle, they then only regale upon his flesh; and this not unless they find it time enough to bleed the dead animal. They follow this precept of Mahomet, likewife, with refpect to beasts that are diftem. pered they carefully obferve each ftage of the difeafe, that they may feize the moment, when their avarice condemned to lofe the value of the beat, their appetite may ftill afford them fome confolation, by killing it an infant before its natural death.

The fairs of Balta, and others established on their frontiers, are the emporiums to which they annually bring their immenfe flocks and herds. The corn they grow in fuch abundance, finds a ready vent by the Black Sea, as well as their fleeces, whether they confift of the whole produce of their flocks or only the pelades. To these objects of commerce are added fome bad hides, and great quantity of hare fkins.

'Thefe different articles, united, annually procure the Tartars confiderable fums, which they only receive in ducats of gold, Dutch or Venetian; but the ufe they make of these annihilates every idea of wealth, which fuch numerical enormity prefents. Conftantly augmenting, without turning any part of their ftore into circulation, åvarice feizes and engluts thefe treasures, while the plains in which they are buried affords not the leaft indication or guide to future refearch. The numerous Noguais who have died, without telling their fecret, have already occafioned the lofs of vaft fums; hence it may be presumed these people are perfuaded, that were they forced to abandon their country, they might leave their money without lofing their property. In fact, it would be the fame to them at five hundred leagues diftance, fince they only poffefs it in idea but this idea is to powerful among them, and fo delightful, that a Tartar is frequently known to feize the object he covets for the fole pleasure of enjoying it a moment. Soon obliged to restore it, he is likewife obliged to pay a confiderable fine; but he has had his with and is fatisfied. The avarice of a Tartar never stays to calcu late eventual lofs, but enjoys the momentary gain.'

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After a journey of nine hundred and thirty leagues, Mr. de Tott arrives at the place of his deftination, where, after being obliged to become architect, joiner, turner, white-fmith, &c. he finds himself at laft lodged with toleable comfort. He is well received by the Cham MackfoodGueray, is admitted to his parties, and amufes him with fire-works and electricity. Having entertained us with the ceremonial

ceremonial of the court, and fome account of the chief minifters and courtiers, he proceeds to give a fketch of the natural history of the country, its extent, population, go vernment. For what he has faid on thefe fubjects we mutt refer the reader to the work. Mr. de Tott favours the opinion which now begins, to gain ground, viz. that the high lands of Tartary were the firft inhabited fpot on our globe, the fource of population, religion, arts, and fciences. We have to regret, that he did not fucceed in purchasing the Tar tar manufcript, containing the hiftory of that extraordinary people; we fhould then have been better acquainted with a nation of which we know but little, and concerning which, from every motive that ought to excite laudable curiofity, information of every kind is highly defirable. Twelve hundred pounds offered by the author for this manuscript were refufed, and circumftances deprived him of time to obtain extracts. Now that the Crimea is under the dominion of Ruffia, this interefting work may probably make its appearance.

Krimi

The troubles in Poland, and the difputes of the Porte with Ruffia, produced a revolution in the Crimea; Mackfood-Gueray was depofed, Krim-Gueray fucceeded him, and the Tartars took the field with two hundred thousand men, We are here prefented with all the horrors of a Tartar campaign amidst froft and fnow. Such was the feverity of the weather, that more than three thousand men and thirty thousand horfes perished in one day by the cold. Gueray, is reprefented as a man of understanding, and humanity, foftening as much as poffible the rigours of war, and endeavouring to preferve order and difcipline among his troops. The feverity he was obliged to exercife for this purpofe will beft appear from the following extract, which at the fame time affords us an instance of rugged firmness, and blind fubmiffion almost unparalleled. A Noguai Tartar was caught marauding in a Polish village, contrary to orders, and brought before the Cham.

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Interrogated by his Sovereign, the culprit confeffed his fault, allowed he knew with what rigour it was forbidden, pleaded nothing in his favour, afked no pity, endeavoured to intereft no one in his behalf, but coolly waited his fentence, without discovering either timidity or pride.

Let him alight, and be tied to a horfe's tail: there let him be dragged till he expires; and let a crier accompany him to inform the army why he is thus punished.

The Cham pronounced this fentence, and the Noguai, without replying, quitted his horfe, and went to the Seimens, by whom he was to be tied.

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Neither cord nor thong was to be found, and while they were in fearch of fome, I ventured a word in his behalf. Krim-Gueray made no answer, but by impatiently commanding them to make ufe of a bow-ftring. They objected that it was too fhort. Let him put his head through the bow bent, faid he. The Noguai obeyed, followed the horfeman who dragged him, but not able to go fast enough, fell, and efcaped from the hold.

A new order from the prince remedied the accident. Let him hold the bow with his hands, cried he, and the culprit immediately croffing his arms, this fentence was performed! A fentence which condemned the malefactor to be his own executioner, and which, without doubt, is an inftance of the most extraordinary fubmiffion It furpaffes all that has been related, moft ftrange, concerning the blind obedience paid to the orders of the old man of the mountain.' After a fatiguing campaign the Cham arrives at Bender; where he is poifoned by a Greek chymift, probably employed by the Grand Vifir. His behaviour in his laft moments, proves that a Tartar may behold his end approach with all the philofophic compofure of Socrates himfelf.

'He pointed to the papers that furrounded him. Behold, faid he, my last labour, to you (Mr. de Tott) I have devoted my last moment. But foon perceiving that all my efforts could not fubdue the grief by which I was overwhelmed-Let us part, faid he; your fenfibility is catching, and I wish to go to fleep more gaily. He then made a fign to fix muficians, at the farther end of the apartment, to begin their concert; and I learnt an hour after, that this unfortunate Prince had juft expired to the found of inftruments.'

The death of the Cham induces the author to go to Conftantinople, where he arrives after having vifited the new Tartar prince at Seray, in Romelia; which province is an appanage of the Zinguifian family, bestowed upon it by the Grand Seignor, In this route, he followed the tract of the Turkish army, which had just preceded him. The defcription he gives of the enormities committed by this disorderly and brutal people excite horror and deteftation. He informs us, that ravage, defolation, and murder marked their steps to the very walls of Conftantinople.

The fecond volume and third part of this work opens with the difplay of the ftandard of Mahomet, &c. a ridiculous ceremony, called by the Turks alay, the triumph. The war with the Ruffians gave occafion to this abfurd exhibition, which concluded with deeds of the most atrocious cruelty. Chriftians of every age and fex were dragged by the hair, and murdered by the fanatic multitude, because they had profaned by their prefence the holy ftandard of the prophet! A feries of blunders are then related, occafioned by ignorance, venality, and a want of exertion in government, which altogether exceed conception. Numerous armies take the field only to be defeated, to perish by famine and every kind of mifmanagement,