may, perhaps, with more propriety be omitted than prosecuted. Honours, originally conferred upon the meritorious, are afterwards often inherited by their descendants, or bestowed on them by wealth and vanity. Hence the monuments originally erected to commemorate the worth of the great and good have become the receptacles of the remains of their infantile or degenerate descendants. The bones of the latter do not indeed so clearly evince their character, as those of the former do their size and age; but both being found lying indiscriminately, or in different strata in the same place, it may reasonably be inferred that this was the place of family burial, or the practice changed for the more religious and interesting one introduced by Christians. Many of the large heaps of stones, or cairns, observable throughout the country, appear evidently and for like reasons, to have been appropriated to the same purpose as the laws; and it is very remarkable, that the latter are not in situations more remote, nor in greater numbers, than the former. Hundreds of our countrymen, who have acted either in civil or military capacities in the East Indies, can give oral testimony of the existence of innumerable cairns in that remote country, which are viewed by the native Hindus with reverence, and never passed without some other mark of respect besides casting on them an additional stone. Some peculiarity in the sentiments of those particular tribes, or families, abundantly trifling, perhaps, in itself, by whom cairns were first raised, or even a scarcity of the materials of which laws are composed, might have given rise to the preference of the one to the other; but whatever may be in this conjecture, still cairns are found to contain the remains of the dead, and bear marks of fire having been kindled on their summit; an incontrovertible proof of their having been raised for the same purpose, and viewed in a similar light as the laws. Upon a great and total change of opinion, men often go in correlative, altho' lesser matters, to the opposite extreme. This was remarkably the case, both in the civil and religious revolutions that took place some centuries ago in our own country; and cannot be reasonably supposed to have been less so at the complete change from Paganism to Christianity; practices in themselves of no very essential moment, but which had been familiar and respected in the one case, came to be abolished or abhorred in the other. Accordingly, when the places and modes of burial, at present common, were first universally established among Christians, those of their Pagan ancestors came naturally to be viewed with aversion or disgust, and appropriated to such as by their conduct had excited these emotions. Hence suicides and murderers, shockingly atrocious, have been, by law and practice, denied the privilege of Christian burial and their remains consigned to a cairn, or something still more dishonourable. The honourable style of the ancient Pagans, erected over the respected and honoured dead, became, by a change of sentiment, the infamous stakes of modern Christians, driven into the graves, or even through the bodies of those whose conduct they meant to mark with abhorrence. Some practices that may be considered as inconsistent with, or even deviations from the preceding remark, may be observed: but as the ocean, which has been long and much agitated by a storm, does not, instantly, nor even equably subside, when the cause of its swelling ceases; so practices which have been long and universally followed, do not instantly and universally cease, when the opinions on which they were founded are laid aside. The vulgar and ignorant, al though though fickle and capricious in their opinions and personal attachments, are often strongly wedded to longestablished, or superstitious practices. Cairns are not only numerous in the highlands and islands of Scotland, but are still held in a considerable degree of veneration by some of the inhabitants. A promise to pay a lasting and honourable tribute to the dead, is conveyed by, or implied in the familiar proverb, "I will cast a stone to your cairn;" an undeniable proof that this had once been considered as one of the greatest and most durable marks of respect. Viscount Dundee, who closed his eyes in the arms of victory, at the pass of Killykranky, had a cairn raised to his memory, by his admir. ing and grateful followers; and had success so far followed his enterprise as to entitle him to the appellation of a leader in a revolution, or restoration; it is not improbable that the more civilized and refined, who had been benefited or honoured by his success, would have called forth the exertions of the ablest sculptors to erect a monument to his memory among the most venerable and honoured repositories of the dead. Few of the human race can, with perfect indifference, look upon the receptacles of the relicts of their fellow creatures, particularly if they have been distinguished for their piety, or acts of public benefit; by the superstitious and ignorant, they are beheld with religious veneration and respect. Ashes, undistinguishable from common earth, and inanimate bones mouldering fast to the same condition, cannot be supposed of themselves to inspire such sentiments. Notwithstanding this, their presence never fails to call up a variety of interesting associated recollections to the mind; which, at the same time, cannot be induced to believe that these are all that now remains of what was once so exalted and noble. That principle which once animated and directed the now senseless and ruined frame, did not appear affected by its decay, and cannot therefore be supposed to have been involved in its dissolution.These, and a variety of other sugges tions, have naturally occurred to men, and in a great measure convinced them of their soul's immortality.Every where this belief may be found to prevail. The place where its mortal companion was deposited, or the scenes where they shone mutually conspicuous, are naturally supposed to be more interesting and dear, than any other sublunary spot, to the dislodged spirit. With what takes place there it is supposed to be well acquainted, and to take in it a deep interest. Hence the cemeteries containing the ashes of the great and good, have always been peculiarly revered, and whatever was transacted among them, or in their presence, deemed religiously sacred and binding. From such considerations, when these situations conveniently occurred, the tribunal of justice has been erected on them; or when this was not the case, all that could be brought placed under it; men unquestionably believing, that judges would be overawed into greater circumspection and impartiality in the presence of the relicts of a legislator, an hero, or a saint; and an oath administered over these relicts, considered as more sacred and binding than when taken in any other place. Altho' an increase of knowledge and refinement has greatly modified, or partly effaced such sentiments, they are not, perhaps even yet, universally without effect; and undeniable evidence of their former existence, and powerful influence, might be easily adduced.From whatever cause it may have happened, it is certain, that in one portion of these realms, the supreme courts of justice at present meet on, or in the immediate neighbourhood of, an ancient burying ground and in all all the other parts of them, oaths are often administered over the sacred volume. Delegated representation, either for the purpose of making laws, or administering justice, is altogether a modern practice, and of comparatively late introduction. The ingenious Greeks, and warlike Romans, manifested their tumultuary freedom on such occasions by meeting collectively in a shady grove, or an open area. Our Gothic ancestors, no less jealous of their liberty than either the Grecks or Romans, although greatly inferior to them in gardening and architecture, assembled on a law, or in its immediate neighbourhood, for deliberating on public measures, framing regulations for the commonweal, and settling such differences as might have arisen betwixt near neighbours, or contiguous clans. The situations and purposes to which they were applied, might be very suitable to each other in private cases, or even when communities were of very circumscribed extent and limited numbers; but as their numbers multiplied, or when those formerly separated became united, they could not, at their public meetings, find either room, sunshine, or shelter, on the comparatively diminutive tumuli, or laws, which contained the visible remains of those they respected and admired, and where they were formerly accustomed to meet. Necessity would therefore induce a change. The associations which occur to, and influence rude minds, often appear to the more cultivated, faint and feeble. Natural eminences, resembling laws in their conical form, and insulated situation, might, to men destitute of all historical record, and incapable of, or unaccustomed to, much research, appear to have been appropriated by a former, and, perhaps, more gigantic race, to funereal purposes; at any rate, they were superior to them in respect to the purposes wanted. Conical hills thus became the seats of legislators, and of judges, and from this circumstance, naturally received the appellation Law, which distinguished places formerly applied to the same purpose. Others apart sat on a HILL retir'd, fate; Fix'd fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute. PAR. LOST, Book 2. line 1558. Although these eminences were certainly not accumulated by art, it might be very doubtful if they really contained any relicts of the dead; their being had recourse to for the same public purposes as those that were both, seems naturally to account for their receiving the name Law, which is applied to a conical hill in the neighbourhood of North Berwick, and one at Largs, at Dundee, and two on the opposite ends of the Lomond hills in Fife, and a variety of other places in Scotland. A+B-Y. Z. Description of the Present State of the Seraglio at CONSTANTINOPLE. (From Clarke's Travels, Vol. II.) E left Pera, in a gondola, about seven o'clock in the morning, embarking at Tophana, and steering towards that gate of the Seraglio which faces the Bosphorus on the south-eastern side, where the entrance to the Seraglio gardens and the gardener's lodge are situated. A Bostanghy, as a sort of porter, is usually seated with his attendants within the portal. Upon entering the Seraglio, the spectator is struck by a wild and confused assemblage of great and interesting objects: among the first of these are, enormous cypresses, massive and lofty masonry, neglected and broken, sarcophagi, high rising mounds, mounds, and a long gloomy avenue, leading from the gates of the garden between the double walls of the seraglio. This gate is the same by which the sultanas come out for the purpose of an airing; and the gardener's lodge is on the right hand of it; the avenue, extending from it towards the west, offers a broad and beautiful, although solitary walk, to a very considerable extent, shut in by high walls on both sides. Directly opposite this entrance of the seraglio is a very lofty mound, or bank, covered by large trees, and traversed by terraces, over which, on the top, are walls with turrets. On the right hand, after entering, are the large wooden folding-doors of the Grand Signior's gardens; and near them lie many fragments of ancient marbles, appropriated to the vilest purposes: among others a sarcophagus of one block of marble, covered with a simpłe, tho' unmeaning bas-relief. Entering the garden by the folding-doors, a pleasing coup d'œil of trellis - work and covered walks is displayed, more after the taste of Holland than that of any other country. Various, and very despicable jets d'eau, straight gravel walks and borders disposed in parallelograms, with the exception of a long greenhouse filled with orange trees, compose all that appears in the small spot which bears the name of the Seraglio Gardens. The view on enfering is down the principal gravel walk, and all the walks meet at a central point, beneath a dome of the same trellis work, by which they are covered. Small fountains spout a few quarts of water into large shells, or form parachutes over lighted bougies, by the sides of the walks. The trellis work is of wood, painted white, and covered by jasmine: and this, as it does not conceal the artificial frame by which it is supported, produces a wretched effect. On the outside of the trellis-work appear small parterres, edged with box, containing very common flowers, and adorned with fountains. On the right hand, after entering the gardens, appears the magnificent kiosk, which constitutes the sultan's summer residence ; and farther on is the orangery before mentioned, occupying the whole extent of the wall on that side.Exactly opposite the garden gates is the door of the Charem, or palace of the women belonging to the Grand Signior; a building not unlike one of the small colleges in Cambridge, and inclosing the same kind of cloistered court. One side of this building ex. tends across the upper extremity of the garden, so that the windows look into it. Below these windows are two small green-houses, filled with very common plants, and a number of Canary birds. Before the charem windows, on the right hand, is a ponderous, gloomy, wooden door; and this, creaking with massive hinges, opens to the quadrangle, or interior court of the charem itself. We will keep this door shut for a short time, in order to describe the seraglio garden more minutely, and afterwards open it, to gratify the reader's curiosity. Still facing the Charem on the left hand, is a paved ascent, leading through a handsome gilded iron gate, from the lower to the upper garden. Here is a kiosk, which I shall presently describe. Returning from the charem to the door by which we first entered, a lofty wall on the right hand supports a terrace with a few small parterres; these, at a considerable height above the lower garden, constitute what is now called the Upper Garden of the seraglio, and, till within these few years, it was the only one. Having thus completed the tour of this small and insignificant spot of ground, let us now enter the kiosk, which I first mentioned as the sultan's summer residence. It is situated on the sea shore, and commands one of the finest views the eye ever beheld beheld, of Scutary and the Asiatic coast; the mouth of the canal, and a moving picture of ships, gondolas, dolphins, birds; with all the floating pageantry of this vast metropolis, such as no other capital in the world can pretend to exhibit. The kiosk itself, fashioned after the airy fantastic style of Eastern architecture, presents a spacious chamber, covered by a dome, from which, towards the sea, advances a raised platform, surrounded by windows, and terminated by a divan. On the right and left are the apartments of the Sultan and his ladies from the centre of the dome is suspended a large lustre, presented by the English ambassador; above the raised platform hangs another lustre, of smaller size, but more elegant. Immediately over the sofas, constituting the divan, are mirrors engraved with Turkish inscriptions; poetry and passages from the koran; the sofas are of white sațin, beautifully embroidered by the women of the seraglio. Leaving the platform, on the left hand is the Sultan's private chamber of repose, the floor of which is surrounded by couches of very costly workmanship; opposite to this chamber, on the other side of the kiosk, a door opens to the apartment, in which are placed the attendant Sultanas, the Sultana Mother, or any ladies in residence with the Sovereign.This room corresponds exactly with the Sultan's chamber, except that the couches are more magnificently embroidered. A small staircase leads from these apartments to two chambers below, paved with marble, and as cold as any cellar here a more numerous assemblage of women are buried, as it were, during the heat of summer: the first is a sort of antichamber to the other; by the door of which, in a nook of the wall are placed the Sultan's slippers, of common yellow Morocco, and coarse workmanship. Having entered the marble chamber, immediately below the koisk, a marble bason presents itself, with a fountain in the centre, containing water to the depth of about 3 inches, and a few small fishes. Answering to the platform mentioned in the description of the kiosk, is another exactly of a similar nature, closely latticed, where the ladies sit during their residence in this place. I was pleased with observing a few things they had carelessly left upon the sofas, and which characterized their mode of living: among these was an English writing box, of black varnished wood, with a sliding cover, and drawers: the drawers containing coloured writing paper, reed pens, perfumed wax, and little bags made of embroidered satin, in which their billets-doux are sent by negro slaves, who are both mutes and eunuchs. That liqueurs are drunk in these secluded chambers is evident, for we found labels for bottles, neatly cut out with scissars, bearing Turkish inscriptions, with the words "Rosoglio," "Golden Water," and "Water of Life.". Having now seen every part of this building, we returned to the garden, by the entrance which admitted us to the kiosk. Our next and principal object, was the examination of the Charem; and as the undertaking was attended with danger, we first took care to see that the garden was cleared of Bostanghies, and other attendants, as our curiosity, if detected, would, beyond all doubt, have cost us our lives upon the spot. A catastrophe of this nature has been already related by Le Bruyn. Having inspected every alley and corner of the garden, we advanced, half breathless, and on tip-toe, to the great wooden door of the passage which leads to the inner court of this mysterious edifice: we succeeded in forcing this open, but the noise of its grating hinges, amidst the silence of the |