officers, and he fubjected the whole corps to a chief, called an aga, who, by his credit and authority, became one of the first officers of the empire. As Amurath wished to give this corps of infantry the renown of great valour, he resolved to confecrate it by religion. The firft enrolled were fent to a dervis, whofe holy life rendered him recommendable. As foon as these new foldiers were proftrated before him, the folitary man, affecting a prophetic tone, and placing the fleeve of his garment on the head of the firft of them: Be their name janiffaries," faid he, " be their countenances fierce, their hands always victorious, their fwords always sharp, their lances always ready to ftrike at the head of an enemy, and their courage the cause of their conftant profperity." Since this period, they have always retained the name of janiffaries, which fignifies new foldiers, and their cap has retained the form of a fleeve. This foldiery became, as we fhall fee in the fequel, very useful to the Ottoman empire, and fometimes fatal to its mafters."

The name of Mahomet II. ftands high among his countrymen, on account of his conquefts; though, as the prefent writer obferves, he was one of the moft perfidious and fanguinary princes that hiftory has handed down to us. The reduction of Conftantinople, and the extinction of the Greek empire, extended his fame to Europe; and the complexion of that fame may be conceived from the following ftory, of his behaviour after the capture of Conftantinople; which we produce merely as a curiofity:

A young Greek lady of noble birth, called Irene, hardly feventeen years old, fell into his hands. A bafhaw had just made her his flave; but ftruck with her exquifite beauty, thought her a prefent worthy of the fultan. The eaft had never before given birth to fo charming a creature; her beauty was irrefiftible, and triumphed over the favage Mahomet; rough as he was, he was forced to yield himfelf entirely to this new paffion; and in order to have fewer avocations from his amorous affiduities, he paffed feveral days without permitting his minifters and the principal officers of the army to fee him. Irene followed him afterward to Adrianople, where he fixed the refidence of the young Greek. As for himself, on whatever fide he turned his arms, he would often, in the midft of the most important expeditions, leave the command to his generals, and return on the wings of love to Irene. It was foon perceived that war was no longer his reigning paffion: the foldiers, who were inured to plunder, and accustomed to find booty in following him, murmured at the change. This diffatisfaction fpred and became contagious: the officers, as well as the foldiers, complained of his effeminate life: yet his wrath was fo terrible, that no body durft undertake to speak to him on that subject. At length, as the difcontents of the foldiery were just going to break out, Muftapha bafhaw, confulting only the fidelity which he owed his mafter, was the firft that gave him notice of the difcourfes which the janiffaries held publicly to the prejudice of his glory.

* Dr. Samuel Johnfon made choice of this story, as the subject of his only dramatic compofition.

The fultan continued fome time in a fullen and deep filence, as if he was confidering in himself what refolution he should take; the enly anfwer Muftapha received was, an order to fummon the bashaws to affemble the next day, with all the guards, and the troops that were pofted about the city, under pretence of a review; after which he went into Irene's apartment, and stayed with her all the night.

Never did the young princefs appear fo charming in his eyes; never too had the prince given her fuch tender marks of his love before: and in order, if poffible, to bestow new luftre on her beauty, he defired her maids to exert all their care and skill in dreffing her. When fhe was thus fet out and adjusted to appear in public, he took her by the hand and led her into the middle of the affembly; when, tearing off the veil that covered her face, he haughtily asked the bafhaws around, if they had ever feen a more perfect beauty. All the officers, like true courtiers, were lavish of their praises, and congratulated him on his felicity. Upon which, Mahomet, taking the fair Greek by the hair with one hand, and drawing his fword with the other, at one stroke, feparated her head from her body; then turning about to his grandees, with eyes rolling and flashing with fire: This ford, faid he to them, whenever I please, can cut afunder the ties of love. The whole affembly was ftruck with horror, and shuddered at the fight: the dread they were all feized with, of being treated in the like manner, made the moft mutinous of them tremble: every one thought he faw the fatal fword lifted over his own head; but if they escaped his fanguinary temper at that moment, it was only to have his revenge the better. Muftapha, as a reward for his faithful advice, was firft facrificed, and on a flight pretence; he caufed him to be strangled in the feraglio; and in the long wars in which he was afterward engaged, and that lafted as long as his reign, he had the cruel pleasure of difpatching moft of the janiffaries one after another, who, by their feditious cries, had interrupted his pleafures, and awaked his fury. Tranflator.'

This affecting anecdote is added by the tranflator, and if we understand the paragraph preceding it, is derived from Vertot; Mr. Gibbon, in his fixth volume, hints at it among other ftories, that he does not believe; and yet it can scarcely be rejected for being injurious to the memory of Mahomet. It is by no means clear, whether the tranflator who produces it, believes it or not; for after relating Mahomet's brutal treatment of the Governor of Negropont and his daughter, he adds, in an unintelligible note, This fact, which the continuator of Calcondilus reports from the notes of that hiftorian, has given place perhaps to the ftory of Irene, which no ancient hiftorian has ever Spoken of*

It is but feldom that the uniform dry details of unjust and merciless wars, and of the brutal intrigues of the feraglio, are enlivened with any thing of a fentimental or inftructive nature;

but the dictates of common fenfe will fometimes even force their way into the palaces of defpots, though to very little purpose, as in the following inftance:

During the first years of the reign of Achmet, he was in continual fear of being depofed. The examples of Muftapha his brother, and of Mahomet IV. his father, were always prefent in his imagination. Though the profound peace which the Ottoman empire enjoyed rendered it no way difficult to govern, and the body of the nation, fatigued with the violent fhocks which it had experienced, feemed to relish a neceffary repofe, the fultan could not fee fome foldiers and effendis affembled, without fuppofing plots or conSpiracies. All the blood which he had spilt to punish the depofition of his brother, and to fecure the fceptre in his own hands, could not remove his fears for the future. In fine, Achmet experienced on his throne that fear and perplexity which are the lot of tyrants. He renewed the ordinance that forbade the foldiers, or even the citizens, to walk more than four together in the streets. The offenders were liable to a fevere baftinade: fome even were put to death on flight fufpicions. The emperor, always full of frightful ideas, fent one day for the mufti and fome of the mollacs of moft reputation, to afk of them the interpretation of a dream. He faid that he had seen his palace all in flames; and as he was making vain efforts to extinguish this terrible fire, and was himself on the point of becoming a prey to it, he awoke with terror. "Great prince," replied the mufti to him," calm the uneafinefs with which you are agitated; give over fhedding blood and terrifying yourfelf, and then you will have lefs frightful dreams."

This was the fultan who fo hofpitably received Charles XII. of Sweden at Bender; and the ftrange freaks of Charles at this place of refuge, profeffedly copied from Voltaire, form by far the moft entertaining part of this hiftory.

The French author candidly exhibits his authorities, and appears to have had recourfe to refpectable affiftance, to render his work deferving of the public attention: but an European reader is little interested in revolutions brought about by Women and Eunuchs.

N

ART. IV. An historical Effay on the Dress of the ancient and modern Irish: To which is fubjoined, a Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish. By Jofeph C. Walker, Member of the Royal Irish Academy, Correfpondent Fellow of the Antiquarian Society of Perth, and Honorary Member of the Etrufcan Academy of Cortona. 4to. pp. 200. 18s. Boards. Elmfley. 1788.

THE

HE antiquarian library is confiderably enriched by this publication, as Mr. Walker feems to have fpared no pains in the investigation of his fubject; having, he fays, in purfuit of information, vifited the couch of the aged, and patiently liftened to "the tale of other times;" trimmed the midnight lamp over many a dry annalist, and pored with unremitting at

tention

tention on many a mufty manufcript. I explored the moulder ing walls and long founding ifles" of cloiftered fanes, for figures illuftrative of my fubject; nay, I even unbarred the gates of death, and entered the tomb in queft of evidences!'

The work feems in part to confift of effays read before the Royal Irish Academy, and is comprised under the following heads: An hiftorical Effay on the Drefs of the Irish. A Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish. And an Appendix, divided into five articles; befide a number of additions and corrections.

In treating the firft head, Mr. Walker fays he will not take upon him to determine how foon after the arrival of the Milefians, the Irish threw off their clothing of fkins; but he is inclined to think that the drefs which prevailed among them for fo many centuries, and even to latter times, was introduced inte Ireland by thofe bold invaders: he then proceeds to defcribe the ancient drefs of the Irifh, with the different alterations which it underwent, in fashion, materials, and ornament.

The drefs of the ancient Irifhmen, fays he, confifted of the Truis, or ftrait Bracca; thefe were ftriped or plaid trowfers, being breeches and ftockings all in one, fitted close to the limbs, The Cota was a garment fimilar to that which we call a waiftcoat, open before, and falling fo far below the waist as to admit of being occafionally folded about the body, and made faft by a girdle round the loins; the fleeves were fometimes long and fometimes fhort. This garment was dyed yellow, with faffron, or rather a kind of lichen, that grows on the rocks. The reafon for its being fo dyed, was to prevent the appearance of foil, contracted by long wearing. Lord Bacon, in his Effays, affigns another reafon. The Irish, fays he, wear faffroned linen thirts, which continue long clean, and lengthen life; for faffron being a great binder, oily and hot, without fharpnefs, is very comfortable to the skin.

The Cochal, or Cocula, was a kind of long cloak with a large hanging collar or hood of different colours; this garment only reached as low as the middle of the thigh: it was fringed with a border like fhagged hair, and, being brought over the shoulders, was faftened by a buckle or broche. In the field of battle, it was made to ferve as a fhield, by being wrapped feveral times about the left arm. The inhabitants of Connaught, for many ages, wore no other covering on their heads than the hood of the Cochal.

The Canabbas, or Fillead, was another loofe garment, much refembling the Cochal, made of coarfe woollen cloth. Thes Irish romance writers of the middle ages give this garment to royal perfonages, reprefenting it of a flowing length, and like the regal robes of the Eaft, of a crimson colour.

The

The Barrad was a conical cap, with the point hanging down behind. The Scotch bonnet was alfo formerly used in Ireland. The Druids wore on their heads, behind an oak-leaved crown, a golden crefcent, with buttons at the extremities, through which a ftring was drawn to faften it; feveral of these crefcents have been found in the bogs.

The Brog, or Brogue, was a kind of fhoe without a heel; it was made of the skins of beasts, faftened to the foot, by a latchet or thong. The ancient Irish wore also a kind of bufkin, or fhort boot made of a raw fkin, the hair outwards; it was laced on, before, with thongs of leather.

The early Irish cherished the beard with much folicitude; nor did they restrain the growth of their hair, but, throwing it back from their forehead, allowed it to flow about the neck in fufpended locks, which they called Coluns, or Gibbs. A ftatute of Henry VIII. which obliged them to cut off their locks, gave occafion to a fong, the air of which is now univerfally admired.

Mr. Walker fays nothing of the ancient drefs of the women, except that one of their ornaments was the bodkin for fastening their hair; these bodkins were also fometimes used as needles, in which cafe they had an eye.

The first innovation in the ancient drefs took place in the reign of Tigheramas, A. M. 2815, when that prince made a fumptuary law, according to which the different claffes of people were to be diftinguished by the number of colours in their garments. Under the reign of Mogha Nuadhad, who was flain A. D. 192, a code of fumptuary laws was enacted, and the prices of the clothing of the different ranks was estimated, chiefly according to the value of cattle. From the will of Cormac, King of Munfter, and Bishop of Carlisle, in the 10th century, we learn that the Irish were then poffeffed of veftments of filk, and others embroidered with gold, filver, and jewels; they had likewife gold chains, and other coftly ornaments.

Mr. Walker then gives descriptions of the drefs of the Irish at different periods, from the authority of monuments, ftatutes, and the testimony of contemporary writers: among these are Giraldus Cambrenfis; the ftatute of Kilkenny, temp. Edw. III. Froiffart; the ftatute 24 Hen. VIII. Spencer, Camden, Sir James Harrington, Fynes Morrison, and Speed.

In the memoir on the armour and weapons, the author informs us that the defenfive armour worn by the ancient Irish was the Cailmbion, a covering for the head, made of the skin of a beaft. On the introduction of iron, helmets of that metal were ufed. The flat helmet of the time of Henry II. was introduced into Ireland, but gave place to the Salet *. After the conqueft of Ireland by the English, the common Irish trufted to the re

* A kind of military cap. See Capt. Grofe on Ancient Armour.

fiftance