Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-11-17

5 or 5000 dollars. Mr.. Peabody is also
great sufferer. Mr.. Hastings states
his loss to consist chiefly Of Isinglass,
which was in the upper story Of the
building, and worth 2 or 5000 dollars.
THE LIBRARY OF THE sERAGLIo At coz.
srANIINoPLE.
In periodical work published at
Bologna. (Bollet, Univers. di Science,
Lettere, Arti, S'c. are contained some
curious particulars respecting the
Wallachian family Of Carazza, and the
contents ofthe impe'ia! library at Con.
stantinopIe, obtained from Prince Con.
stanIino Carazza, son Of the Hospodar
of Walachia The editor Of the work
referred to, during the residence ofthe
Prince of Bologna, applied to him, in
order to ascertain whether certain facts,
stated in an article entitled the Libra.
ry Of the Seraglio,' in a French Jour.
nal, (relating 10 the history of Sultan
Mustapha, the Carazza family, and the
contents of the celebrated library
were to be depended upon. The Prince
returned the following reply:
"In the first place, it las been gener.
ally believed, and with some degree Of
certainty, that Sultan Mustapha, who
is spoken Of, was poisoned previous to
his accession to the throne Of the Otto
mans; and that the dos Of poison, al
though too weak to cause his immedi-
ate death, was sufficiently powerful to
affect materially his whole animal e.
economy. IL is certain that Scarlat,i
Chat is Carlo Carazza) then enjoyed
the whole favour OF the Sultan; and
that for several years he devoted his
whole attention to effect the Princes
cure. The advanced age of Carlo Ca
razza, however, did not permit that
constant assiduity, and personal atten-
ton 10 his august patient which dis
order Of this nature demanded; and he
accordingly requested and obtained
from the Sultan, leave to substitute as a
medical attendant, his son Giorgio, a
Young man who possessed great zeal,
knowledge, and talent, and who had re-
Gently returned from Holland, where
he had completed his studies in medi-
cine. The young physician, following
the course ottreatment commenced by
his father, had the happiness Of resto-
ring the Sultan to health, who, to re-
ward his eminent services, nominated
him chief interpreter, (drogoman) TO
the Sublime Porte, in the exercise Of
which Office he died just wien he was
about 10 be elevated to the throne Of
Walachia. The grand Seignor, con-
sidering that he had not sufficiently
discharged his obligation towards the
Carazza family, granted to the vener-
able Carlo. father to the deceased, the
vacant Office Of chief interpreter, con-
ferring upon him, besides the title of
Prince of Nalachia; he dispensed with
his discharging the functions Of this
dignity, on account of his great age,
which was upwards of 100. The. two
Caracas here mentioned were the an
cestors one the grand father, the
other the father) Of Prince Giovanni
Carazza, ak-Hospodar OF Walachia.
"That Carlo and Georgia Carazza
took advantage ofth Sultan's malady
to obtain from him permission to pene-
trate into the library of the Seraglio, is
mere fable, invented, according to
custom, by some traveller; it contains
not shadow of truth. No Christian
that am aware Of, has ever been able
to enter this library; and all which has
been related by authors OF more or less
credibil,y upon this subject, must be
included in the thousand and one tales
which are daily forged and propagated
respecting country SO little knownby
Europeans.
"The persons at ConstantinopIe best
acquainted with the interior of the Sc
raglio are 81 opinion, thar the library
consists merely Of a small number of
ascetic works in Greek, Latin, or Ara
bic, as we'll as some ancient treatiscs
in Latin, upon Medicine; and that not
single classical work is to be found
in it. This opinion is confirmed by
the observation thai the books given by
different Sultans by way Of presents, at
various periods, have been always Of
one or Other Of the before mentioned
kinds. Sultan Selim gave to the Pa
triarch Of Jerusalem Bible and Psal-
tar in Arabic.-He made similar pre-
sents, invariably ascetic works, to GER
tain Ambassadors, or Ministers, o! Eu-
| ropean Powers. One exception is 10
be made in favor Of General Sebastiana,
who received as a present, copy of
Ptoiemy in perfect preservation, con-
tanning chart, and a MS. Of the Old
and New Testament OIL parchment,
which, according to an inscription
which it bears, is as old as the reign of
the Emperor Marcian.
Sultan Mustapha, spoken Of already,
had purchased two cases CT French
books. Previous to his death, he re-
commanded h;c con ,f,e ru,., Je S,I,,n