Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1833-10-31

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"Her cheek all purple, with the beam of youth
Mounting at times to transparent glow,
As if her veins ran lightning"
1t is not surprising that the unrival.
led beauty of Irene, whose countenance
beaming with love and innocence, should
when, contrasted with the inanimate
features of the Turkish ladies, inspire
Mahomet with admiration. He regard.
ed the mind as the standard of superior
ity, and with this criterion he viewed
Irene as the only terrestrial being that
could bear a comparison with the black
eyed hours of paradise.
The seraglio at Constantinople, at
the time we write, was delightfully."- sit
uated between the Archipelago and the
Black Sea. Itextended out on the pro-
montory Chrysocerus, and commanded
magnificent view of one of the fine st
harbors in the world. Its form was
triangular, and, comprising the gar
dens attached to it, covered q surface
of three miles in circumference-al.
though within the city it was remarka.
bic for its exclusiveness. Externally,
the seraglio was jumlle of various
orders of architect; without any regard
to method or arrangements; consequent
ly it had an irregular and unpleasing
appearance to classic eye. The
Turks, however, viewed it as a para.
gon of architectural beauty.
The apartments were capacious, and
adorned with oriental sumptuousness;
the drapery of the walls was compo-
sed of the most splendid and costly ma
terials; silks of gold and purple ending
in the most profuse and exuberant
fields; touches of down, whose volup-
tuous appearance invited to repose,
were disposed throughout the apart
ments; carpets of gorgeous dyes; on
whose buoyant surface a s:eed might
vault without making an echo in the
canopied ceiling; even the light of hea-
ven was mellowed and softened before
it found admission into this fairy abode;
it beamed through lattices Of stained
glass, shedding Il glow around, which
gave the place the appearance of en-
chantment rather than that Of sober
| reality.
Then the view: On one side the ex.
panse of ocean studded with innumera-
BILE islands; the banks, seeming like
things of life, gliding over the undula-
ting wave; opposed to this--the gar
dens of the seraglio, filled with colos-
sal trees that had been ages in attain
ing their towering altitude; whilst in
digenous flowers of every hue and fra
GRANGE delighted the eye and loaded
the air with odorous sweets. AS if
Flora had been niggard of her fairy
! gifts in this sunny cline, and that MOTH
| ing should be defective, Mahomet had
augmented the train of Flora with exo-
tics from every land, Flowers were
transplanted from the wilderness, and
blossomed as freshly in their new abode
as if they had never known the offici-
Gus care Of man. Birds of gorgeous
plumage warb!ed forth their intrusive
melody from many an orange bough,
and in the gushing fountains the Lydian
bard,
| WIN arched neck,
Between her white wings mantiing. proudly
Tow'd
Her state with oary feet"
| The pelucid rill, murmuring soft mu-
sic, DER it's pebbly bed--the solitude,
the balmy air surcharged with fra.
GRANGE from thousand insense. breath.
ing fowers--all contributed to render
the gardens of lstampol--a fairy spot
on earth, and a meet resort for the
Fays and Naiades with which oriental
, superstition had invested them.
On a couch of cygnet's down, sat
; or rather recined the undisputed lore
of the enchanted palace and gardens o.
5 Istampol. He was reused from the
: revcrie into which he had fallen by the
l presence Of his trusted slave, who stood
: before him in an attitude Of the deepes
l humility.
: "lf one of the humbles; of thy slaves
! said he, "be permitted to speak anC
, live in the presence of the commando
= of the Ia.
t "Speak! and let thy words be brief,
j exclaimed Mahomet, suddenly inter
d rupting his followers ceremonious ad
$ dress. Thus reprimanded, the slav'
:. stated as concisely as possible, tina
s the Grecian whom he had preserves
/ from the swords of his soldiers, AM
had ordered to be conveyed to tn
70 seraglio, awaited his pleasure.
!. 0Ha!" cried Mahomet, rising fror
v his recumbent posture, conduct he
n hither without delay--my fair Greek
N how could forget the vision Of beaut
te that moved as an angel of paradise {
as midst the carnage and slaughter whic