We might have made our readers tell eventually. And these are dumerry with the picture of German rable effects. Even as respects the prose; but we must not linger. It minor purpose of information, better is enough to say, that it offers the it is, by a thousand-fold, to have read counterpole to the French style. Our three score of books (chosen judicious. own popular style, and (what is worse) ly) with severe attention, than to have the tendency of our own, is to the raced through the library of the VatiGerman extreme. For those who read can at a newspaper pace. But, as German there is this advantage-that respects the final habits acquired, German prose, as written by the mob habits of thinking coherently, and of of authors, presents, as in a Brobdigna- judging soundly-better that a man gian mirror, the most offensive faults of should have not read one line throughour own.

out his life, than have travelled through But these faults are they in prac- the journals of Europe by this random tice so wearisome and exhausting as process of “reading short." we have described them? Possibly Yet, by this Parthian habit of aim. not; and, where that happens to be the ing at full gallop-of taking flying case, let the reader ask himself if it is shots at conspicuous marks, and, like not by means of an evasion worse in Parthians also, directing their chance its effects than any fault of style could arrows whilst retreating, and revolting ever prove in its most exaggerated with horror from a direct approach to form. Shrinking, through long ex- the object,—thus it is, that the young perience, from the plethoric form of and the flexible are trained amongst cumulation and periodic' writing in us under the increasing tyranny of which the journalist supports or ex- journalism. A large part of the evil, plains his views, every man who puts therefore, belongs to style: for it is a business value upon his time, slips this which repels readers, and enforces naturally into a trick of short-hand the short-hand process of desultory reading. It is more even by the effort reading. A large part of the evil, and tension of mind required, than by therefore, is of a nature to receive a the mere loss of time, that most readers remedy. are repelled from the habit of careful It is with a view to that practical reading. An evil of modern growth part of the extensive evil, that we have is met by a modern remedy. Every shaped our present notice of popular man gradually learns an art of catch style, as made operative amongst ouring at the leading words, and the car. selves. One single vice of periodic dinal or hinge-joints of transition, syntax, a vice unknown to the literwhich proclaim the general course of ature of Greece, and, until Paterculus, a writer's speculation. Now it is very even of Rome, (although the language true, and is sure to be objected—that, of Rome was so naturally adapted where so much is certain to prove to that vice), has with us countermere iteration and teasing tautology, balanced all possible vices of any other little can be lost by this or any other order. Simply by the vast sphere of process of abridgement. Certainly, as its agency for evil, in the habits of regards the particular subject concernmind which it produces and supports, ed, there may be no room to apprehend such a vice merits a consideration a serious injury. Not there, not in which would else be disproportionate. any direct interest, but in a far larger Yet, at the same time, it must not be interest-indirect for the moment, but forgotten, that if the most operative the most direct and absolute of all in- of all vices, after all it is but one. terests for an intellectual being, the What are the others ? reader suffers a permanent debilitation. It is a fault, amongst many faults, He acquires a factitious propensity, of such works as we have on this subhe forms an incorrigible habit of de- ject of style—that they collect the list sultory reading. Now, to say of a of qualities, good or bad, to which man's knowledge, that it will be shal- composition is liable, not under any low, or (which is worse than shallow) principle from which they might be will be erroneous and insecure in its deduced à priori, so as to be assured foundations, is to say little of such a that all had been enumerated, but by habit : it is by reaction upon a man's a tentative groping, a mere conjectufaculties, it is by the effects reflected ral estimate. The word style has with upon his judging and reasoning us a twofold meaning ; one sense, the powers, that loose habits of reading narrow one, expressing the mere syn.

manner.

thesis onomaton, the syntaxis or com- the effects upon style even of that one bination of words into sentences; the slight addition to the resources of logic. other of far wider extent, and express- Previously, a man was driven to depend ing all possible relations that can arise for his security against misunderstand. between thoughts and words - the ing upon the pure virtue of his syntotal effect of a writer, as derived from tax. Miscollocation or dislocation of

Style may be viewed as an related words disturbed the whole organic thing and as a mechanic thing. sense : its least effect was, to give no By organic, we mean that which, being sense ; often it gavea dangerous sense. acted upon, reacts--and which pro- Now, punctuation was an artificial pagates the communicated power machinery for maintaining the inte« without loss. By mechanic, that grity of the sense against all mistakes which, being impressed with motion, of the writer ; and, as one consequence, cannot throw it back without loss, and it withdrew the energy of men's anxiea therefore soon comes to an end. The ties from the natural machinery, human body is an elaborate system of which lay in just and careful arrangeorgans: it is sustained by organs. But ment. Another and still greater mathe human body is exercised as a ma- chinery of art for the purpose of main. chine, and, as such, may be viewed taining the sense, and with the effect in the arts of riding, dancing, leaping, of relaxing the care of the writer, lay &c., subject to the laws of motion and in the exquisitely artificial structure of equilibrium.. Now the use of words the Latin language, which, by means is an organic thing, in so far as lane of its terminal forms, indicated the guage is connected with thoughts, and arrangement, and referred the proper modified by thoughts. It is a me. predicate to the proper subject, spite chanic thing, in so far as words in of all that affectation or negligence combination determine or modify each could do to disturb the series of the other. The science of style, as an logic or the succession of the syntax. organ of thought, of style in relation Greek, of course, had the same advanto the ideas and feelings, might be tage in kind, but not in degree; and called the organology of style. The thence rose some differences which science of style, considered as a ma- have escaped all notice of rhetoricians. chine, in which words act upon words, Here also would properly arise the and through a particular grammar, question started by Charles Fox, (but might be called the mechanology of probably due originally to the constyle. It is of little importance by versation of some far subtler friend, what name these two functions of such as Edmund Burke,) how far composition are expressed. But it is the practice of foot-notes--a practice of great importance not to confound purely modern in its form-is recon. the functions; that function by which cilable with the laws of just composis style maintains a commerce with tion: and whether in virtue, though thought, and that by which it chiefly not in form, such foot-notes did not communicates with grammar and with exist for the ancients, by an evasion words. A pedant only will insist we could point out. The question is upon the names- -but the distinction clearly one which grows out of style in the ideas, under some name, can in its relations to thought-how far, be neglected only by the man who is viz., such an excrescence as a note careless of logic.

argues that the sentence to which it We know not how far we may be is attached has not received the bene. ever called upon to proceed with this fit of a full developement for the condiscussion: if it should happen that we ception involved; whether, if thrown were, an interesting field of questions into the furnace again and re-melted, would lie before us for the first part, it might not be so re-cast as to absorb (the organology.) It would lead us the redundancy which had previously over the ground trodden by the Greek flowed over into a note. Under this and Roman rhetoricians; and over head would fall not only all the differthose particular questions which have ential questions of style and composi. arisen by the contrast between the tion between us and the ancients, but circumstances of the ancients and our also the questions of merit as fairly own since the origin of printing. Punc- distributed amongst the moderns com. tuation, trivial as such an innovation pared with each other. The French, may seem, was the product of typo. as we recently insisted, undoubtedly graphy; and it is interesting to trace possess one vast advantage over all

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other nations in the good taste which creative faculty of the imagination, governs the arrangement of their sen. There are many other researches tences; in the simplicity (a strange belonging to this subtlest of subpretension to make for any thing jects, affecting both the logic and French) of the modulation under the ornaments of style, which which their thoughts flow; in the ab. would fall under the head of organsence of all cumbrous involution, and ology. But for instant practical use, in the quick succession of their pe- though far less difficult for investi. riods. In reality this invaluable merit gation, yet, for that reason, far more tends to an excess; and the style coupé tangible and appreciable, would be all as opposed to the style soutenu, flip the suggestions proper to the other head pancy opposed to gravity, the sub- of mechanology. Half-a-dozen rules for sultory to the continuous, these are' evading the most frequently recurring the too frequent extremities to which forms of awkwardness, of obscurity, of the French manner betrays men. misproportion, and of double meaning, Better, however, to be flippant, than, would do more to assist a writer in by a revolting form of tumour and per. practice, laid under some necessity of plexity, to lead men into habits of in- hurry, than volumes of general distellect such as result from the modern quisition. It makes us blush to add, vice of English style. Still, with all that even grammar is so little of a its practical value, it is evident that perfect attainment amongst us, that the intellectual merits of the French with two or three exceptions, (one style are but small. They are chiefly being Shakspeare, whom some aifect negative, in the first place; and, to consider as belonging to a semisecondly, founded in the accident of barbarous age, we have never seen their colloquial necessities. The law the writer, through a circuit of prodiof conversation has prescribed the gious reading, who has not sometimes model of their sentences : and in that violated the accidence or the syntax law there is quite as much of self-inter- of English grammar. est at work as of respect for equity.

Whatever becomes of our own posHanc veniam petimusque damusque sible speculations, we shall conclude vicissim. Give and take is the rule, with insisting on the growing necesand he who expects to be heard must sity of style as a practical interest of condescend to listen ; which necessity, daily life. Upon subjects of public for both parties, binds over both to be concern, and in proportion to that brief. Brevity so won could at any concern, there will always be a suitrate have little merit; and it is certain able (and as letters extend, a growing) that, for profound thinking, it must competition. Other things being sometimes be a hinderance. In order to equal, or appearing to be equal, the be brief, a man must take a short sweep determining principle for the public of view: his range of thought cannot choice will lie in the style. be extensive ; and such a rule, applied German book, otherwise entitled to to a general method of thinking, is respect, it was saidmer lässt sich nicht fitted rather to aphorisms and maxims lesen, it does not permit itself to be as upon a known subject, than to any read: such and so repulsive was the process of investigation as upon a style. Among ourselves, this has long subject yet to be fathomed. Advancing been true of newspapers : they do still further into the examination of not suffer themselves to be read in style as the organ of thinking, we ex!enso, and they are read short-with should find occasion to see the prodi- what injury to the mind may be gious defects of the French in all the guessed. The same style of reading, higher qualities of prose composition. once largely practised, is applied uniOne advantage, for a practical purpose versally. To this special evil an imof life, is sadly counterbalanced by provement of style would apply a spenumerous faults, many of which are cial redress. The same improvement faults of stamina, lying not in any cor- is otherwise clamorously called for by rigible defects, but in such as imply each man's interest of competition. penury of thinking, from radical inapti. Public luxury, which is gradually contude in the thinking faculty to connect sulted by every thing else, must at itself with the feeling, and with the length be consulted in style.

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NO, CCXCVII. VOL. XLVIII,

CICALA-PASHA-A CHAPTER OF TURKISI HISTORY.

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Ar the death of Soliman the Magni- vast dominions won by the sabres of ficent in 1566, the Ottoman empire, his ancestors, were consolidated by then at its zenith of triumph and Soliman, whose legislative enactments grandeur, presented a system of mili- and municipal institutions continued, tary and political organization supe. till the late innovations, to be recog. rior to any wbich the world had wit- nised and acted upon as the standard nessed since the decay of Roman of the political and social relations of power. A regularly paid and highly the Turks, who commemorate their disciplined standing army, with a anthor (known only as a conqueror to numerous and effective artillery, and the nations of the West) by the veneaided at the same time by an inex. rable title of Soliman the Laugiver. haustible supply of timariots, or local But with the succession of the enertroops holding land by the tenure of vated Selim II., the vigour and energy military service, combined, in a great of the imperial line expired ; and, measure, the advantageous points of though the impulse previously comthe feudal and modern systems, be- municated preserved the empire for tween which the rest of Europe was some years from manifesting any exthen in a state of transition; and en- ternal tokens of disorganization, the abled the Sultan to advance with con- forty years which followed the death fident superiority to the encounter of of Soliman, are evidently a period of the raw levies, or tumultuous bands of suspense between the progressive admercenaries, which then constituted vance in territory and strength which the bulk of the German armies; bad been previously maintained, and while an assured and ample revenue, the gradually accelerated descent such as no other European prince of which marks the bistory of the seventhat age enjoyed, gave him the power teenth and eighteenth centuries. of exhausting his opponent by the in- But, independent of the personal definite prolongation of the war, if im. superintendence and activity of the mediate success proved unattainable. first ten sultans, the continual success, The personal qualifications of the which had raised the monarchy to princes of the dynasty of Othman, had such a point of prosperity, was but in been, moreover, remarkably adapted small proportion due to the heads or for attaining and securing this emihands of native Turks. The janizanence of power : from the foundation ries, whose scimitars were directed to of the monarchy in 1299 to the ac- the subversion of the faith in which cession of Selim II., the sceptre of the themselves had been born, were, till Osmanlis had been swayed, in an un- long after the institution of the corps, broken series from father to son, by recruited exclusively from youthful ten sultans, all (with the single excep- Christian captives trained up in the tion of Bayezid II.) distinguished by Moslem faith ; while those in whom military capacity and personal energy indications of superior talent were apin a degree of which the annals of no parent, were educated in the palace of other sovereign house furnish so many the Sultan, and destined, on attaining successive examples ; while the extra- manhood, to fill the high offices of the ordinary average duration * of their state and army: and so rigidly was reigns prevented the frequent changes this rule originally observed, that the of policy incident to a rapid succession, fact of Pyrrhus or Piri-Pasha, the first and enabled each ruler to carry out vizir under Soliman, being a Turk by to their accomplishment the schemes birth, is remarked by historians as exof conquest and aggrandizement which traordinary. But as the fame of the had been planned by himself. The splendour and munificence of the Os.

* The first ten reigns of the Ottoman line, from Othman to Soliman, gave an ave. rage length of 26 years; or, as nearly as possible, twice the average duration of the twenty succeeding, from Selim II. to Mahmood II, inclusive.

† The very existence of municipalities in the Ottoman empire was unknown to European statesmen a few years since, and their true nature and importance are still far from being adequately understood. Those of Greece, under the Turkish rule, are described and ably commented upon by Mr Parish, at the commencement of his “ Diplomatic History of the Monarchy of Greece.”

manli emperors became more widely ration valuable in the sudden descents extended, renegades of a more mature and hazardous enterprises which chaage were not wanting, who were at racterize the Mediterranean warfare tracted from all parts of Europe, to of that period; and his assistance was range themselves under the banner accordingly secured by the Hospitalwhich flew victorious from the Danube lers, (then, 1531, just landed on their to the Tigris and the Nile, and to desert island-home of Malta,) in the barter their religion and their country armament by which they hoped to posfor the dazzling rewards which were sess themselves of the important port at the disposal of the Commander of of Modon in the Morea. Two Greek the Faithful. Of the ten grand renegades betrayed the mole and the vizirs who supported by their prowess fortifications of the harbour to the and wisdom the throne of Soliman, no party detached to the attack; but the less than eight were of this class :- enterprise, after the assailants had and of the naval commanders of the gained possession of the streets, was same epoch, the famous Piali was a defeated by the insubordination of the Hungarian, Kilidj-Ali (Occhiali), a Italian soldiers, who dispersed themCalabrian, and Salih an Ionian Greek; selves in search of plunder instead of and the comparatively mature age at assaulting the citadel which commands which he became a Moslem, (thoughed the lower town, till the advance of he afterwards underwent a regular the Pasha of the Morea rendered a course of discipline and instruction,) speedy retreat inevitable; when the justifies our ranking with these valiant knights and gentlemen who had joined renegades the famous Sinan-Pasha the squadron, perceiving all hope of Jaghalah-Zadah, who, under the suc- permanent occupation at an end, staincessors of Soliman, supported the ban- ed their chivalry by sharing in the purner of the Crescent in almost every suit of spoil: every house was ranquarter of their realms; and who, sacked of its most valuable effects; and meriting by his ferocity, as well as his eight hundred Turkish ladies, torn from courage, the epithet often conferred their homes for slavery or ransom, on him of Arslan or Lion, was beyond formed a somewhat incongruous addispute one of the most energetic and dition to the booty carried off by an undaunted, though not the most fortu- order in whose statutes celibacy was nate, of the generals who upheld for a most rigidly enjoined! One of these time the renown of the empire, when fair prizes, a Turkish girl of surpassing the glories of Soliman and his lieu. beauty, who fell to the lot of Cicala, so tenants had passed away.

won upon the fierce heart of the rover, The father of this famous rene- that, on his arrival at Messina, he gade was the Viscount de Cicala or offered to enfranchise and marry her, Cigala, a Genoese of noble family on condition of her abjuring her faith. settled in Sicily,* who followed the She was accordingly baptized by the. profession of a privateer or mari- name of Lucrezia, and became the time partisan against the Moham- wife of Cicala ; and from this strangemedans ; cruising with three or ly assorted union sprung Scipio de four galleys, sometimes on his own Cicala, who was destined, in the account, but more frequently asso- changes of his subsequent career, to ciating himself with the Venetians exact heavy retribution from the Chrisor the Knights of St John, in the tians for the desolation inflicted by marauding expeditions with which them on the homes of his maternal an. they continually devastated the hos- cestors. tile coasts, and which, it should al. Such is the story of his birth reways be borne in mind, first gave lated by Vertot. Scipio was the rise, on the principle of retaliation, youngest of several brothers, and was to the system of Barbary piracy, on eighteen years of age* when he fell, the horrors of which so much has with his father, into the power of the been said and written. The naval skill Turks, at the disastrous defeat of the and daring of Cicala made his co-ope- Christian armament by the Capitan

The Prince de Castel Cicala, Neapolitan ambassador extraordinary to England, descends, we believe, from the same house.

† Von Hammer.–Picart says he was only twelve years old at this time; “el famosissimo Capitan Viscoude Cigala, con su hijo menor Don Scipion de edad de doce anos,"