Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-01-22
with a singular recklessncss of me, alone
remains 10 mark their descent



Marco Polos was the first to furnisl
some curious accounts of the Ansayrii
and Of the discipline and catcchism of tn,
Fedavie: we hope that Mr. Walpole, il
his promised volume. will add 10 the many
vindica,ions which that brave old travel
Ter has received from time to time. Blu
at the sack of Alamut. in 1857. all the As
sassins' books Except the koran) were
burned as impious; and all that now re
mains Of their doctrines must be tradition
al. We have dwelt thus long on the An
sayrii in order TO display the interest tha
belongs to that secluded and mystcriou,
people, and the importance Of any move
intelligence respecting them. Before we
proceed to illustrate their country from
Mr.. Walpolc's volumes, we must fine
! space for some ecconnt Of the manner il
which the imitation Of the Assassins is said
to have been performed. The two grea
sirongholds of the Order where the castle
of Alamut in Irak, and that of Massiat near
Lataka in the Lebanon. These fortress
es, stern and impregnabe in themselves
are said TO have been surrounded with ex.
quisitc gardens, enclosed from all vulgar
gaze by walls Of immense height These
gardens were filled with the most delicate
flowers and delicious fruits. Stream.
flowed, and fountains sparkled brightly
through the grateful gloom Of luxuriani
foliage Bowers of roses. and porcelain.
paved kiosks, and carpets from the richest
looms of Persia, invited TO repose the sen,
ses heavy with luxury. Circassian girls
bright as the hours Of Paradise, served
the happy guests with golden goblcts Of
Schiraz wine, and glances yet more intox
icatlng. The music Of harps, and wo-
mans sweetest voices, sent fascination
through the ear as well as eyes. Every
thing breathed rapture and scnsualiiy, in
tensIfed by seclasion and deep calm. Til,
youth, whose energy aud courage seemed
to qualify him for the Office of tcdarie. was
invited 10 the table Of the grand master
lat lrak } or the graniprior, Cat Massat
He was there intoxicated with the mad
denIng, and yet delightful hashjshc. lr
his insensible state he was transported tc
the garden. which, lie was told was Par
| adisc and which he as too ready to TAX,
| FOR the scene of eternal delight, as he
revellcd in all the pleasure that Eastern
voluptuousness could devise. He wa,
there lulled into sleep once more, and thcr
transported back to the grand master.
side. As lie awokc, numbers of uniniiia.
ted youths we're admitted to hear his ac-
count ofthe Paradise which the power Of
the Old Man had permitted him to taste
And thus tools were found and formed for
the execution of the widest projects
That glimpse of Paradise forever haunted
the iniiamed Imagination Of the novces,
and any death appeared welcome that
could restore them to such joys.
Such is the theory of this singular pco-
pie, as maintained by Won Hammer. " hich
It remains for future discovcries-now that
Mr.. Walpole has opened the way for
thcm-to vindicatc or rcfutc. There arc
also some remnants Of the Persian tribes
of this people, an account of which, by
Mr.. Bad ger, we are Informed, is soon to
appear; the Syrians scarcely know ofther
existence. The Syrian Ansayrii AMOUNT
as we have said, including IsmayIis, to
about forty thousand souls: they have al
ways preserved their sccusion inviolatc;
setting at nought tie various tyrannes
that have harrassed the neighboring states
denying the authority of the Sultan, and
blasphcming the prophet, while they out
wardly conform to his rites. They occu-
Py the northernmost range Of the Leba.
non, from Tortoise and Laiaka, as far as
| Adana.
The Ismaylis, concerning whose wo.
man-worship and peculiar habits sucl
strange stories have been whispered. live
among the southern mountains of the
Ansayrii. They amount only to five
thousand souls, and appear TO be a DIFF
fercnt tribe, probably Arab grated upon
them, and gradually, by superior vigour,
possessing themselves of the strongest
places in the mountains. These people
hold creed quite distinct from the An.
sayrii, among whom they dwell; and the
extraordinary prayer, Or address used by
them seems fully to bear on the long
questioned assertion Of their ophrodi8ial
worship.