to say he loves and reverences you; he were a dog | the vizier's surprise, he found the young Turk not to do so." "Peckè." "He cannot live, Effendi, he cannot live, he bids me say, unless assured you still hold him in your favour, and that you believe him to be ever devoted to you and to the sultan." "Peckè, pecke," said the vizier, in a manner that seemed to imply, "You are doing your own part very well, any how;" and then a pause took place. "Most excellent vizier," resumed the messenger, in a different key to that in which he had as yet spoken, as a singer having disposed of the recitative commences upon the aria," Vizier Effendi," whispered he, looking furtively in the direction of the attendants, "Sineis Pacha wishes much to hear that your son is well." "Peckè," murmured Bayazeid, and now it meant "He is very well." "When it pleases you that he should marry," continued the holder of pipes, "Sineis bids me say there lives in his harem, a wife not unsuitable to him, our master the sultan having no daughters. Effendi, this matter would he not send by a nubian, for he looks upon it as a matter that concerns our holy faith, knowing as he does, how wise-how good "The Pacha prepared to rise. "I may then, Excellence, say that you think well of this matter? " but he did not say The grand vizier arose, "Peckè." "By my head!" said the diplomatic bearer of delicate messages and shiraz tobacco; "By my head!" cried he, hastening to his feet, "Sineis loves you much, and would do, or assist in doing anything you wished him.-I have said it." "Pecke," muttered the Vizier Bayazeid with a frown, but this time it was interrogatory, amounting to "would he though?" "By my life, which is nothing-by the prophet's beard, he will do all you can require of him." "Poco! poco!" roared the prince vizier, snatching away his robe and walking into his tent, and by Poco he expressed the uncomplimentary desire that Sineis, the pipe-holder's principal, and Pacha of Nicopolis in Roumelia might-eat dirt!" Back to Nicopolis went the moody messenger, and bore to Sineis this account of his rejected addresses. The Pacha vowed revenge, and well he kept his oath. Meanwhile the grand vizier walked into his tent, and thus resumed his musings: : "The dog of a traitor, to wish to wed his daughter with the son of Bayazeid, grand vizier of Mahomet-Shaw of all the Osmanli Pachas. Sineis, whom I am enjoined to watch like an unchained tiger! Here again, oh, wretched man that I am! my duty to my sultan is at war with my own interest, for certainly my son would perhaps do well to have Sineis' interest hereafter, &c. &c." Bayazeid, together with the youthful Amuruth, returned to Brusa, where Mahomet I. held his court. After receiving the sultan's thanks for the courage and conduct he had displayed, he sought his son Ali, the subject of Sineis' overture. To already acquainted with the proposal, and to his mortification, that he entertained it in a far different light to what his father had done. I wish this desire to gain his only love sprung from his only hate could be traced to some chance firstsight and consequent first-love; but fidelity to national habits, as well as history, obliges me to acknowledge the fact, that he had never seen the young lady in question in the whole course of his life; and considering he was sixteen and the maiden six years younger, this was not to be wondered at: Neither did the son of Bayazeid Vizier fall in love altogether from description, so that with our sixth Harry he might exclaim to the emissary who canvassed him on the subject, "Your wondrous rare description, noble sir, Do breed love's settled passions in my heart!" Love, I am sorry to say, had nothing to do with it, so we must refer the passion he professed for Sineis' daughter to ambition. The plans suggested to Ali, and which, upon this occasion he revealed to his amazed parent, were essentially oriental. The jealousy of the Mahommedan sultan towards his Christian neighbour Manuel of Constantinople was to be excited, and in consequence his two younger children transferred to Sineis' keeping, under escort of Ali, who was eventually to feign disobedience to his father, and revolt actually from the sultan : then joining himself to the Pacha of Nicopolis, await the issue of his dark and devious policy, receiving at the same time the promised hand of his daughter. Bayazeid, we have seen at the commencement, spurned this state villany as far as he was concerned, but with his headstrong son, a youth elated with the implied importance of being necessary to a state plot, he appears to have exerted his persuasive, as also his parental power to no purpose. On the third day after his arrival, Ali departed suddenly from Brusa and joined his father's bitterest foe. The faithful Bayazeid was the first to carry to the sultan the news of his son's disaffection, and the public designs of Sineis. Mahomet, it is said, almost repented him of the mercy he had shown him when Pacha of Smyrna, and the Vizier received orders to cross over into Europe and invest the town of Nicopolis: but the army he had just brought from Ephesus being wanted in northern Annatolia, he was dispatched into Syria and instructed to make head against the aspiring Pacha at the town of Aleppo, and proceed leisurely from thence, by the Cilician passes, along the southern coasts of the Peninsular, confirming as he best might, the wavering fealty of the intervening states and Sangiacs. This was not of course the work of a single summer; meanwhile, in the very act of diligently and faithfully serving the sultan, the Vizier unearthed a cockatrice that had like to have proved a dangerous enemy to the state, being no less a personage than Mustapha Pretender. In the number of Timariots raised at Aleppo for the service of Bayazeid, there happened to be a certain Spahi, named by the historians Griuli Eben Sagran; he appears to have been one of those persons destined by Providence to perform a remarkable part on the theatre of the world, without the slightest pretensions to abilities, sense, virtues, or indeed, to any but adventitious circumstances: there consisted in his having the ill or good for tune to lose his wife on the first day of their nuptials, and bearing a close resemblance to a deceased prince. It was on the day and at the hour that the grand vizier passed over the moat of the city of Aleppo, even where the troops of Timour are said to have slain their fugitive foes, three at each stroke of the javelin, in order to review the supplies mustered, for the service of his master, that Griuli Eben Sagran, the Timariot, darted from a building of but mean pretension, without the walls, habited in the costly attire of a bridegroom, but distracted in appearance. He rushed furiously amongst his companions, who were drawn up in arms to receive the grand vizier, and regardless of that great officer's presence, uttered discordant yells, accompanied with extravagant gesticulations of joy. The only coherent expressions he used were "Yes she is--she is-I saw her in Eden!" "What means this?" cried the grand vizier of Mahomet, riding into the crowd that surrounded Griuli, now foaming on the ground, "Is he mad?" Now this inquiry was rather complimentary than otherwise, wherefore, perhaps, it ought to be rendered, "Is he inspired?" "Truly, Effendi," said they, standing about, we know not; of a truth we accompanied him home to that chiosque last evening, with shouts of joy, for did he not bear upon his camel Syntana Fissa herself?" "And who is Syntana Fissa?" said Bayazeid. "A daughter of Paradise-a blessed Hourithe loved of the Holy Phophet!" cried Griuli, still grovelling on the ground." "She is the daughter of Selicitur Aga," commenced one of the spahis. "She was, she was, unbelieving dog-now she is the favoured of him who rode from Mecca Marshallah! Hear me, most gracious shadow of our sultan! These, my friends, accompanied me last night to the oda of yon building. I entered it with Syntana Fissa in my hand; none else was there, Effendi. I swooned, Effendi. I lay entranced even until now; but I slept not,-it pleased the heavenly messenger that I should see the glories vouchsased me. Behold, I saw the pleasant walks in the garden of Eden, and she, Syntana, walked next Mahomet the prophet, hand in hand! Even now I awoke, and she was not near me-no, she is in Paradise-in Paradise-a miracle! a miracle!" "A miracle! a miracle!" shouted the byestanders, and forthwith, and to this day, Syntana Fissa, who of course was never heard of again, was enrolled in the Turkish calendar as, I believe, the first and only female saint. For centuries afterwards, the poor in the streets of Aleppo begged alms in the name of Syntana Fissa.* The worst of Turkish miracles is, they are so short-lived. In the early part of the last century, this miracle was well known in Europe as well as Leave we now, Bayazeid Vizier, to traverse the extent of Asia Minor as he best may, stumbling over the rocky uplands of Syria, threading the difficult passes of Taurus, and skirting Phrygia and Carainania, until he attains the Sangiac of the Troad, his troops were rife for war and plunder, and no doubt followed not the less willingly from the treat they had just had in the supernatural. Wonders however, like misfortunes, seldom come single. Though Giruli really could not boast of any thing interesting or preternatural in himself, excepting the matter of his miraculous divorce, his companions were determined to descry some startling fact, and, after the delay of a few days, this was recognized in a very marvellous similitude, in form and feature, to the late Sultan. This the Vizier imagined was carrying the joke too far, wherefore he dispatched Giruli on escort service with a Kowass he deemed it necessary to send before him to Sineis Pacha-a well-intentioned, but unfortunate step. Sineis, in the meanwhile, had received the fugitive son of the man he had sworn to destroy, with every appearance of affection and esteem. He introduced him to his intended wife-a very unusual step-and then proceeded to attach him to his fortunes by every specious illusion his art could devise. Sull, the justly-offended parent was drawing nearer and nearer, and the rebellious Pacha began to fear lest his more experienced followers might question the wisdom of his disaffection, when the arrival of the Kowass from the Grand Vizier, accompanied by Giruli Eben Sagran, gave to the garment of rebellion, "A fine colour that might please the eye Of fickle changelings and poor discontents.' Of course it was not long before the faithful communicated to each other the miracle and the brevet canonization of Syntana Fissa, and also the rumoured likeness her favoured husband was thought to bear to Bajazet the 2nd. Of this latter idea Sineis immediately availed himself; the Kowass he dismissed, with promise of submission; but he retained Giruli. He then departed suddenly from Lampsacus, taking only such troops as he could rely upon, and passing the ocean stream repaired to his pachalick; here he remained for some time in comparative retirement, instructing, it is supposed, Giruli Eben Sagran in the parts he intended him to perform, and feeding in Syria. Having repeated all the circumstances to a Turk of to-day, he will nod to you his confir mation to each turn, but seldom contribute any additional matter himself. There are some freethinking fellows among them who hesitate not to deride such traditions pretty freely. I have known some officers feel themselves and their nation scandalized by the pranks of a mad Dervish, though under the Seraskier's peculiar patronage; and the soldiers of Ibrahim Pacha, in the last account we have of the ceremonies at Mecca, are described as ridiculing the over zealous display of the pilgrims. the weak Ali with delusive hopes of future distinction. Lapsacus and the Asiatic Sangiacs submitted to Bayazeid, who returned to Brusa, where he also remained inactive until it pleased Mahomet to send the angel of death for his namesake, when he continued grand vizier to his successor, Amuruth II. The next or third outbreak of Sineis was in the commencement unsuccessful. Amuruth marched against him and the pretender in person; their rude undisciplined force were quickly scattered, and the Pacha of Nicopolis and Mustapha (Giruli), who dreading the turn things would take had kept in the very outskirts of the battle, escaped to the nearest stronghold of the Greeks. These, for the sake of weakening their natural enemies, the Turks, affected to believe Mustapha's preten sions well founded, and under this idea were deaf to the threats and entreaties of Amuruth. Manuel allowed them to take shelter in Lesbos, then belonging to the Christians, a classic but somewhat barren isle very conveniently situated for neutral purposes; and thither repaired Mustapha as to another Elba, with Sineis and the unfortunate Ali, who waited in vain for the completion of the promises made to him at the commencement of Sineis' second rebellion. The two armies were encamped near to each other. The grand vizier offered battle, but the wily Sineis had other objects in view. Every day, Mustapha, attended by a slight guard, rode from post to post along the outward lines of the vizier's encampment, and entered freely into conversation with the soldiers who occupied them: "No Mussulman," he used to exclaim, "shall perish on my account. I call Allah and his prophet to witness I am the true son of Bajazet, who was prisoner to Timour. If I were an impostor, would I present myself before you, who would strike me dead? But you see I have no fear-you are as my own soldiers. Come to my tent, talk with my followers, and return if you choose. Who shall prevent you? By Mahomet! the vizier shall come and return if he think fit." The effect of those speeches was to draw over daily hundreds of his opponent's followers, and the soldiers being allowed, nay, enjoined to return to their own tents in the evening, took with them most favourable accounts of the generosity and imperial qualities of Mustapha, "who declined," said they, "to receive any as deserters, since he knew the time was not far off when the grand vizier would be prompted by Allah to renounce the usurper Amuruth, and come to his side." Willing, if possible, to detach from Mustapha Poor Bayazeid seems, as usual, to have effected his sole stay in the Pacha of Nicopolis, Bayazeid, the worst ends with the best intentions. He was shortly after Mahomet's death, with the full sanc-privately, but treacherously informed, and of course tion of his successor, Amuruth, dispatched his own brother-in-law, Khalil, to Lesbos, with full power to sanction the alliance originally proposed by Sineis between his daughter and Ali. But the plans of Sineis were altered, and while he amused Khalil and Ali with various excuses and delays, he matched his daughter with a chieftain of the main land, who was endeavouring to maintain a sort of independence in the interior. Ali, ashamed to return to his father, disappeared none knew whither, and Khalil, after throwing a brave defiance in Sineis' teeth, joined his brother-in-law. It is very evident these matters were almost of a personal nature, for we read of the grand vizier immediately marching against the preferred bridegroom, defeating and using him with great cruelty; the only act of mere revenge the grand vizier seems ever to have been guilty of. Meanwhile Manuel, Emperor of the Greeks, in compliance with the treaty made between him and Mahomet, demanded the infant children of that Sultan, and the grand vizier, by order of Amuruth, sent a distinct refusal. The Christian emperor, after some reverses, thought of his protegees at Lesbos; for them he sent, and once again Mustapha and Sineis saw themselves at the head of considerable armies, the pacha giving his whole time and military experience-and the latter seems to have been considerable-to disciplining their followers, and the former by adding to their number by profuse promises and studied suavity of manner; or, as the historian has it, "having nothing, promising everything." Against these marched Bayazeid, the grand vizier, a sad man; for, in endeavouring to satisfy and faithfully serve his two masters, he had lost his son, and made bitter enemies to himself at home and abroad. by means of Sineis himself, that there existed a coldness between Mustapha and his general; and that it was his, Sineis' intention, to seize on the person of Mustapha, and declare for Amuruth. At the same time Mustapha sent him word openly by means of the soldiers, who now passed and repassed unmolested from camp to camp, that should he, Bayazeid, come over, he would immediately accredit him grand vizier, and commander of both armies, and leave his pretensions to be judged of by the heads of their holy religion. It is not likely an experienced general like Bayazeid was altogether deceived by such specious promises, still the fact of his personal enemy Sineis being ready to seize on the very position offered him, and the conviction he felt that his, the Vizier's downfall was the grand object of Sineis life, he determined on complying with Mustapha's wishes. He rode out of his encampment at the head of the Beys and Agas belonging to his suite, and approached the tent of Mustapha, where that personage sat in great state, and, as ottomite etiquette merely required him to sit perfectly still, and look composed, no doubt he became the carpetjure, as well as a legitimate emperor, for his face and features being after all those of a Turk were as such "Well skilled to hide All but unconquerable pride." On this occasion, however, he did speak, and to to the following purpose: “Vizier—Grand Vizier of the Ottomites, beloved of the soldiers, and dread of our enemies, speak to me the words of truth; didst thou, when thou first beheld me when riding over the broken walls of Aleppo, didst thou, or didst thou not, recognize E any similitude to the father of him you then served? speak, for there my friends would fain hear the word of an independent soldier like to you, and one who rememberest well my father." This was a very trying question to the unfortunate Vizier; not to have recognized Mustapha in Griuli, was merely disavowing him at once, and to have recognized him, and have left to others the asserting his rights, was not likely to be better approved of; he got out of the matter by an ingenious combination or confusion of matters. "Great Sultan," he thought as he was so for the present, there was no use mincing matters; Great Sultan, your likeness to your father, doubtless, is more easily discernible, and those who remember you in early life, are assured of all matters being true that you have said, and that you are indeed Mustapha Sultan ! But you remember, great sir, that I met you, even as you recovered from the trance, wherein you saw Syntana Fissa walking-" 66 Enough-enough," interrupted he of the heavenly spouse, who, strange to say, cared not to make this great mark of the prophet's personal favour the subject of general conversation; " you know me now and will accept my grace, favour, and protection?" "I will! I do, Great Sultan!" exclaimed Bayazeid, prostrating himself at his feet, and seizing the hem of his garment. This was signal of complete submission, and the Beys and Agas bent to the ground and uttered the cry" Mustapha Sultan!" When they rose, it was to see Bayazeid in the hands of two gigantic Arabs, and Sineis standing behind the couch of Mustapha, regarding his enemy with joyous malice. The silence, which for an instant came upon the bewildered assembly, was broken by the unfortutunate Vizier. "I hold the garment of grace and mercy, who will assault me in the presence of my lord and Sultan?" "Sineis Pacha!" exclaimed that fierce leader; "Sineis Pacha, whom you have wronged and insulted, I offered my daughter to the dog your son-you refused-you since sought her for him yourself, and because in turn refused, you destroyed the happiness of him to whom I had given her. Mustapha Sultan, I will have this man's head!" In vain did the pretender endeavour to assert his right of protecting the Grand Vizier; in vain did the Beys interchange dark looks of anger and disapprobation. The Arabs tore from his grasp the hem of the Sultan's robe, and dragged him from the presence through part of the encampment until they arrived at the outside of Sineis' tent, and there, where in the meantime the other had seated himself, they struck off the aged bead of one, who, during a long life, seems ever to have taken the wrong course, just seeing the right too late to be of any expediency to himself or master. The death of Bayazeid, and the submission of his army, left the conspirators in the undisputed possession of European Turkey, at that time of no very considerable extent, for the Venetians were strong in the Peloponessus, and Constantinople still obeyed a Christian ruler. Mustapha Pretender is now described as a child of fortune beginning to repose on the bosom of prosperity. He appears to have been loved by his soldiers, supported in his pretensions by the Greek Emperor, and, possessed of immense resources-but they were less stable than their appearance promised-by a life of open profligacy, he quickly dissipated his means, and Amuruth very soon found means of detaching from his interest Sineis, who hesitated not to enact the traitor for the fourth time. Discomfited in the first engagement, he fled as before in the direction of the Christian powers, by whom it is very doubtful if he would have been received, but it was not destined he should try their amity. The pipe-holder, well fitted for such employment, by orders of Sineis remained next his person; at his instance he drew bridle at a remote village in Macedonia, where he called for wine, as he was known to be unorthodox in this practice, the villages needed no denouncement from the pipebearer; his person was instantly seized, and ere the next day's sun had set, at the feet of the youthful Amuruth lay the head of Mustapha Pretender. STANZAS. BY MRS. F. B. SCOTT. Thy face sweeps o'er my midnight dreams, Glowing with radiance-purely bright, But not to me its glory sent, Are not from me removed "LE DESESPOIR." BY CALDER CAMPBELL. Oh, hail to the sunshine of hope, Though but for a moment it glow; Oh, hail to the heart-cheering rays that can cope With the gloom-shedding shadows of woe. And hail to the flowrets, that but for an hour Diffuse their sweet odours around; And hail to the music, that rings through a bower Rarely blest with one joyous sound. The moments of joy are all fled, The smile of affection is gone; I feel a dull void in the crowd of the world, THE FAIRY CHAIN. BY MISS ANNA FLEMING. "Please your majesty, two of your majesty's subjects are fighting so, there is no doing anything with them." The Queen of the fairies frowned, shook her little head, and said, angrily "Fighting! there is too much of this. Not a day passes but I am disturbed with complaints against some of you. Who is it now?" "Two of the mountain troop, your majesty." "Well, let them be bound and brought to me immediately." The fairy page bowed low, and flew away. In a short time, the queen's commands were obeyed. The two refractory little people who had incurred her displeasure appeared before her, sorrow-stricken and tearful. All the court crowded round to listen. "What is the matter?" asked the queen, with as much dignity as she was able to command. "Why, your majesty," said one," as long as she is to be on the mountain, I can't live there, and I declare I won't." "And if your majesty would be pleased to exile her from the dominions—" "Silence; I will have no reproaches. Is there any particular cause of dispute between you? If there is, let it be produced." At this, a rattling noise was heard on the staircase without; and the above-mentioned page entered, drawing after him a slender chain of fine gold, which he laid at her majesty's feet. earth, and you to traverse the upper and lower regions—the air and the water-seeking, each of you, as you go, a chain far more beautiful and more enduring than the one in question," "But how are we to find such a chain, your majesty?" "Seek diligently all around you, and link by link you will find it. Deem nothing too small, nothing too great. Go now! I wait your return in a year from to-day.' Mourufully and sadly, the fairies turned away and set out on their separate paths. "Where," said one of them to herself-the one whose travels were to be upon earth" where can I ever find such a chain. Our queen said it would be link by link. If I could but see the first one! I will look about for it." The scene was a forest. Tall trees raised their heads high in the air, higher than she could see, and the use of her wings was denied her now. The gnarled and twisted roots crossed the little pathway repeatedly, and in one place she saw that they formed a circle. "Our queen said we must deem nothing too small, so for want of a better, I will make this my first link. Now for a second." And stooping down, she saw upon the ground innumerable little insects hastening hither and thither, backwards and forwards, in search of food, forming ring after ring in their various courses from tree to tree, so that by evening she had completed some yards of the chain; and climbing a flower, she slept soundly till morning. By sunrise she was up, and, crossing a stile into a flower garden, was soon busy again. At the gate, a little boy had hung a string of birds' eggs over the topmost rail. The gardener was trimming the beds into various fanciful curved forms; an untrained vine with its curled branches hung on "Where did this come from?" asked the queen, surveying it with admiration. "It seems to be of mortal make, though beautiful enough for fairy-the ground, and on the top of a smooth-shaved land." “I found it in the grass, your majesty." "Will you hold your tongue? It was I found it, your majesty." "Hush, can't you! I saw it first, gracious sovereign." "But I picked it up.” 66 My children," said the queen, "you have done very wrong. Instead of following my peaceful example, you have, from what I hear, been disturbing those around you by quarrelling and disputing, to which even my presence has not put an end. To this you have added the sin of covetousness, one which, I fear, is increasing in my dominions. To prevent its speading further, I will confiscate the article in question to my own use. Let it be taken to my treasury." The page stepped forward and removed the chain; as he did so, a murmur ran round the assembly; the queen thought it was applause. The two criminals, although biting their lips for disappointment, rejoiced secretly, each in the other's discomfiture. "But this is not all;" said the queen, "your conduct needs severer punishment. Listen, then -I exile you both from fairyland for the space of one year: I condemn you to wander over the holly bush a snake was coiled up fast asleep. When the wind blew in the fields, the corn swayed backwards and forwards in graceful circles, meeting, intertwining, and receding. A woodman felt something stay his axe;-it was the fairy's hand, busy with the rings that the growth of years had laid upon the half-chopped tree. The fairy came to a village. At the very entrance there was a circle of footsteps, where some merry children had been playing. Unseen to mortal eyes, she walked up the little street, and in every house, in every room, she found new rings, links of the great chain she was discovering so speedily. We could not tell them all if we were to try; but anybody who, like the fairy, will look, may see them. And here there were some more spiritual links disclosed to her-the kind deed returning to bless the doer, the bread cast upon the waters to return after many days. Frightened with the noise and bustle, she sojourned for a time in cities; but here, for some distance, the links were of art-man's work upon God's materials. And the other fairy her sister-where was she all this time? Immediately upon receiving the queen's command, she raised her wings and |