The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-21
Lights of tho Hareln.

1t must not be supposed that eunuchs
ere particularly Turkish or Moham-
medan institution. They were known
III the East and formed portion Of the
household OF Oriental monarchs long
before the Arabian prophesies Of the
| turks wer eyeer heard of. Such guar
dans were to be found even at the
| Court Of the Byzantine Emperors and
| the founders Of the Ottoman Empire
adopted them with other attributes of
| sovereign State in throwing off all sem
blance Of subsection to tie Seliuckian
Sultans. Aping the example of their
soVereigns, the great Pachas went in for
the same custom, placing the care of
| tnelr females under one or more such
qualified guardians. OF late years the
employment of eunuchs has gone great
~ out OF fashion, ordinary male attend
ants being sent in charge Of the ladies'
when taking their walks abroad. This
Is due Ill measure, I fancy, to the
more humane and enlightened ideas
with regard to their family life that set
III with the advent to the throne of
Abdul AZiz. lie abrogated the cruel
law by which none of the male children
born Of Sultans were allowed to sur
vive their birth, and no princess to have
sons that might become possible preten-
ders to the throne. The birth of his
own son, Gusuf IZzedin, was kept care
fully concealed, and when this became
no longer necessary he rejoiced the
hearts of his sisters by allowing them
the same privileges as all Moslem wo-
men, whose greatest desire is to become
the mother.Of a male child.
The time, however, is within the re-
collection of many persons Mt Constanti-
nople, when no carriage with Turkish
ladies was to be seen unaccompanied by
mounted eunuchS, armed with keen cut
ting scimitars, which they were apt to use
on the slightest provocation. There is
Il gentleman still to be met, with out
here who obtained a handsome indem-
nifty from the Porte for the severe pun
lshment he received at the hands Of a
eunuch for what the latter considered
lmpertinent glances thrown by a
HGliaour" in the direction of the fair
Irue believers" promenading the
sweet waters under his care. 10 re-
turn, however, to the subject of the
"Darusseadet- -Oghasse." This high
Office was only instituted in the reign of
Sultan Mulad ILL.,, and the first person
appointed was Il negro called Mehmet
Agha. Ills successor was white
elmuch, for it was the fashion to have
these guardians of both col0rs.
Several of the keepers of the "Gate of
Felicity" have been men Of marked
ability, and some Of them Of considera-
Die attainments, SO that it is not sur
prising to find they should occasionally
tic 10 tnep ptfDTIc serS'f3l e." la,,,o
ment, however, has never fallen to the
lot Of other than white eunuchs. Two
of these latter even became grand viz
iers-the one certain Khadum Messih
Pacha in the reign Of Selim I, and the
other Knrdjis Mehemct Pacha in that
of the first Sultan Achmet. Others
again, have had the title of Sadr-Azane
Grand ViZier) bestowed upon them
without the Office, and were styled high
ness, just as Beiram Agha is in the
present day. While the "Gate of Fell
city" has thus lei to great hOnors in
the past to some of it's guardians it mas,
i'll the case of others. but proved the
portal Of death by the bowstring and
yatagllan, for Ottoman m0narchs were
mighty jealous of their honor, and the
slightest suspicion Of anything being
wrong in the harem was wont to send
many an inmate to the bottom of the
Bosphorus, together with those who
were supposed to have shown a lack Of
vigilance. The chief e,nuch enjoys
great power in the harem, and although
the days of the "sack" and "bowstring"
are past it is decidedly bad for the lady
who falls out with the guardian of the
gate, for he can make her close pris-
oner and deprive her of all comfort.