The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-11-07 00:00:00

The history from which we have made the Sub-
joitiedemstrect is a fr &ern! num both et itestrne-
nun and mmusentect. It embraces a, great variety
` of particulars, vehicle, being combined, form a weak
diottokutabed by a perishes Arrwe and cakreefisess
of taste. The following is ea account of some of
the religious frailest* of the Nissen, of •which
thee have a great number, in celebration of she birth
med-death artier, Prophets and Saints, the principal
mysteries of their faith, and the meet memorable
events of their religion :
" The Aid-et-tor bon. or festival of the sscriAte,
is arleitile'd with great rejoiciogs. It has.been initi-
toted in matinees's:wee of Abraham, who, out of
°berth nee to the'Alinighty, would hove sacrificed
his son 14'1..0, alums the Arabs regard as their pro.
;4eriitor. and whom they substitute in this instance
fur Isaac. Some days before the maw every fa-
mily boys • sheep, without spot or defect, au em-
blem of the corporeal and spiiitual • purity of
Ishmael. Oil the day of the festival, this victim
is dee-mated with ribbons, pearls, and ornaments of
evetv kind ; its forehead, feet, end other parts of
the body are stained with hew, • powder made of
the leaves of the went*. After being thus adorned
and paraded about, it is slaughtered, and pieces of
the flesh are sent by the Nosily to its friends and
the poor.
4' lii large cities, instead of a sheep, the governor
slaughters • camel ; end the ceremony is performed
out of the town, on a spot appropriated to the pur-
pose. The governor inflicts the first blow; on
which the by-smolders isistently fall upon the vie-
'ties. and cut it in pieces; sod happy are they who
dill secure one of them for their share, because it is
• pledge of good luck. •
" On the return of the people from the sscr fire,
ecaffolds are erected before the governor's palace,
in the public places, and in the streets, and rope-
duncers, wrestlers, musician., singers. and dancers,
amuse the multitude there during the rest of the
day.
"On the 41st of %mason • solemn 'festival is
held in honour of Alt. far this purpose a covered
gallery is constructed somewhere out of the tows.,
where the chief MVO of the plate take their station.
In front of this gallery is • kind of pulpit.. eight
•feet high, covered with cloth. Here the preacher
appointed to pronounce the panegyric of the
sacred personage, reads for au hour or two in a
book entitled Moceehwieh (Book of the Murder),
containing • history of the death of Ali, chanting
without intermission in u loud. clear, and doleful
voice. There are certain passages of ehich be pm.
nounces only the first word, leaving some of the
congregation to fluish. At the end of each passage
they repeat this imprecation—' May the curse of
God be upon the murderer of Ali !' and all the
people respond, ' Rather more than less.' It is
rarely that the assembly is not melted ioto teats,
when the preacher draws the effecting piastre of
Ali, apprising his children that he shall soon fall ily
the hand of one of his servants, and receiving Ge
fatal blow in the mosque while engaged in prayer.
After the sermon, the people retort' is procession to
the town : three camels bear representations of the
tomb of Ali, and his two sons, Nassau and Hossein.
These ere followed by three chests, covered with
blue cloth, coots'
they wrote ; horses carrying bows, turbans, aud flags,
and men beanng on their heeds little boxes, covered
with feathers and flewertood containing the Koran.
The procession is closed by musicians, and young
men performing • variety of dances.
" The first ten do)e of the month of Mohaerem
ere devoted to • solemn mourning in memory of the
death of Ali. During this period the Persians
dress themselves in mourning, affect all the external
appearances of sorrow, übstitin from shaving their
heads, from bathing, anal even from changing their
clothes. On the eve of the first of Moherrem, the
mosques are hung sith black. The next day the
pulpits are dressed in the same manlier; the alehond
and pith-mamas, inferior !Moister, of religion, as-
cend them, and narrate the particulars of the mur-
der of Hossein, with all the inflexions of voice that
are calculated to resider them more pathetic. The
congregation from time to time beat their breasts,
ejaculating, 'Ya Horsens ! Es Hossein, /NV."
(0, Hoasem ! Alas, Hoarsens !) Parts of the his-
tory of this Imam are in verse, and are chanted to a
doleful tune. Various episodes of this history are
daily represented by itinerant minstrels, as the cir-
cumstances of the passion of Christ are exhibited in
the Catholic countries of Europe. Banners, to
which are fastened pictures, relating to this history,
are carried about the streets, followed by a concourse
of men and boys, some pommeling Hossein's sol-
diers, and others his enemies. The two parties
sometimes come to blows, nod these sham fights
terminate in the death of one or two or the combo-
tarts.

"The representation of the martial,. of young
Casson, Harsates sun, with the daughter of his
uncle. Hossein, forms ooe of the amusing incidents
of this funeral festival. A young man acts the
part of the bride, who is attired in a rich wed-
ding dress, and accompanied by her relative.,
who sing a mournful elegy on the dead!' of the
bridegroom ; for it should he observed that the
Loam Cassell was slain before the consum-
mation of the marriage. At pitting with his bride
to go to the fight Caseem, takes • most of
farewell of her ; and with ■ pecientiment of his fate
he gives her in token of his love a mourning robe,
which she puts ou. At this moment the people,
transported with rage, rush upon the effigy of the
Calif Yezid, the murderer of the Ali family, and
tear it in pieces.

1, It is impossible to give an adequate description
of the fanatic frenzy of the Persians during the
days of mourning ; nay, it could scarcely be cre-
dited, did not history teach us that the thimmi mind
knows no booods to its aberration► Death then
@pirates • blessing of Heaven, and those•who perish
in the combats which take place are accounted
martyrs. On the last day of the festival their bodies
are deposited in sepulchres. which are !motherly
decorated, and carried with great pomp to the
cemetery. Many Prestons even inflict voluntary
wounds on themselves, in commemoration of the
sufferings of the It anse,ond in expiation of their
own sins. •

" On the 48th of Jefer the death of Imam
Hawes. brother of Hossein. is celebrated. bat with
leas pomp. thoogh with the some erremouiev.
•t. Mr. Scott Witten sentious a festival Me-