The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-10-23

verttAble Mahometan, ana regarded tne
6ner part of creation with sentiments
peculiar TO the race ofIslam. He antic-
ipated and waited patiently for perfect
happiness in the society of the beautiful
girls of paradise, called from their large
dark eyes, Hur al oyun; these celestial
beings recline in the shade Of the tree
Tuba-they 'say that the boughs of
this tree will spontaneously bend down
to the hand of the person who would
gather of its fruits, and that il will supply
the faithful not only with food, but also
with silken garments, and beasts tn ride
upon already snddled and bridled and
adorned with rich trappings, which will
burst forth from all its fruit" This tree
Is SO large that person mounted on
the fleetest horse would not be able to
gallop from one end Of its shade to the
other in one hundred years. AS plenty
Of wafer is a great addition to the pleas
antness of any place, the Koran often
speaks of the rivers of paradise as a
great ornament. Some of these rivers,
they say. flow with water, some with
milk, some with wine, some others with
honey, all taking their rise from the root
Of the Tree Tuba.
The winning graces and enticements
Of the resplendent beauties who compose
Mahonet's retinue were lost on one who
had ever gazcd with apathy on those as
semblages Of charms which are facina-
ting to the eye alone, Regularity Of
feature unless illuminated with the rays
Of genius and intelligence, were to him
objects of indifference rather than love.
1t is little wonder ,hat Mahomst with
these senti ments avoided the society of
his iiiiterate and insipid coun:ry-women.
The conquest of this proud heart (if ad.
miration without affection deserves the
name Of love) was reserved for the beau
tiful and unfortunate Irene.
At the capture of Istampol by the
Turks in 1853, Irene became the captive
Of Mahomet. Her extraordinary beau
ty and accomplishments had been the
prolific them Of many Grecian bard,
g. had reserved her f,r a fate more dread
ful than death. She was the antithesis
of the Turkish ladies in every thing but
beauty, and in this aud love, she shone
the peerless queen. Her form is describ-
ed as perfect model Of symmetry
there was the lofty brow of her. race, the
beauteous casket that told Of the tran
scendent gem within; the eyes of life and
light which. as the rays Of Cynthia. hal
lowed every thing they sllone upon. She
was the Venus de Medici, animated by
the fire of Prometheus.
~. .L.oL Ill ,,..lo .,;sk an h.... .r r.-,L
Mounting at times to a transparent glow,
Asif her veins ran lightning"
II is not surprising that the unrivalled
beauty of Irene, whose countenance
beaming with love and innocence. should
when contrasted with the inanimate fea-
lures of the Turkish ladies', inspire Ma
homet with admiration. He re garded the
mind as the standard Of superiority, and
with this criterion he viewed Irene as
the only terrestrial being that could bear
a comparison with the black-eyed honris
of paradise.
The seraglio at Constantinople, at the
time we write, was delightfully."- situated
between the Archipelago and Black Sea:
it extended out on the promontory Chry-
socerus, and commanded a magnificent
view of one of the finest harbours in the
world. Its form was triangular, and
comprising the gardens attached to it,
covered surface Of three miles in cir
cumferencc. Although within the CITY it
was remarkable for its exclusiveness.
Externally, the seralio was a jumble of
various orders of architecture, without
any regard to method. or arrangement;
consequently it had an irregular and un.
pleasing appearance to classic eye.
The Turks however, viewed it as par
agon of architectural beauty.
The apartments were capacious, and
adorned with oriental sumptuousness:
the drapery of the walls was composed
ofthe most splendid and costly materials;
silk of gold and purple pending in the
most profuse and exuberant folds couch
es Of down whose voluptuous appearance
invited to repose, were disposed through
out the apartments; carpets of gorgeous
dyes, on whose buoyant surface a steed
might vault wi,hout waking an echo in
the canopied ceiling; even the light of
heaven was mellowed and softened be-
fore it found admission into this fairy a.
bode il beamed through lattices of
stained glass. shedding glow around.
which gave the place the appearance Of
enchantnent rather then that Of sober
reality.
Then the view-on one side the ex-
panse Of ocean studded with innumera-
BILE islands the barks, seeming like things
Of life, gliding over the undulating wave;
opposed to thls--the gardens Of the Sc
raglio, filled with colossal trees that had