Page images
PDF
EPUB

"Do you hear that bell, sir?" said Lord de la Zouch, moving away. Delamere bowed, and with a brisk step, a flushed cheek, and an elated air, betook himself to his dressingroom, to prepare for dinner.

Shortly after dinner, Mr Parkinson made his appearance, and, to his infinite amazement, was invested instantly with the character of agent for Mr Delamere, as candidate for the borough! After he and the Earl had heard the following address read by Delamere, they very heartily approved of it. Mr Parkinson took it home with him; it was in the printer's hands that very night, and by seven o'clock in the morning, was being stuck up plentifully on all the walls in Grilston, and, in fact, all over the borough:

"To the Independent Electors of the Borough of Yatlon.

"Gentlemen,

"I hope you will not consider me "presumptuous, in venturing to offer "myself to your notice as a candidate "for the honour of representing you "in parliament. In point of years, I "am, I acknowledge, even younger "than the gentleman whom I have "come forward to oppose. But, in"deed, for the fact of his being per"sonally a comparative stranger to

66

you, I should have paused long "before contesting with him the re"presentation of a borough on which "he has unquestionably certain legi"timate claims. The moment, how"ever, that I read his Address, I re"solved to come forward and oppose "him. Gentlemen, the chief, if not "the only ground on which I come "forward is, that I disapprove of the "tone and spirit of that Address, and "hold opinions entirely opposed to "all those which it expresses, and "which I consider to be unworthy of "any one seeking so grave a trust as "that of your member of Parliament. "As for my own opinions, they are in "all essential respects identical with "those of the gentlemen who have, du"ring a long series of years, represent"ed you, and especially with those of

66

my highly honoured and gifted "friend Mr Aubrey. Gentlemen, 66 my own family is not unknown to "you, nor are the opinions and prin"ciples which for centuries they have

[ocr errors]

66

[ocr errors]

consistently supported, and which are also mine.

"I am an affectionate and uncom"promising friend of our glorious and "venerable Established Church, and "of its union with the State; which "it is my inflexible determination to support by every means in my "power, as the most effectual mode "of securing civil and religious li"berty. I am disposed to resist any "further concessions either to Roman "Catholics or Dissenters, because I "think that they cannot be made "safely or advantageously. Gentle"men, there is a point at which tole"ration becomes anarchy; and I am "desirous to keep as far from that "point as possible.

"I earnestly deprecate putting our "Agricultural or Commercial and "Manufacturing interests into compe"tition with each other, as needless "and mischievous. Both are essen"tial elements in the national welfare; "both should be upheld to the utmost: "but if circumstances should unhap"pily bring them into inevitable con"flict, I avow myself heart and soul a "friend to the Agricultural interest.

"Gentlemen, I know not whether "it would be more derogatory to 66 your character, or to mine, to ex"act or give pledges as to my con"duct on any particular measure,

66

great or small, which may come be"fore Parliament. It appears to me "both absurd and ignominious, and "inconsistent with every true prin"ciple of representation. One, how"ever, I willingly give you that I "will endeavour to do my duty, by "consulting your interests as a part "of the general interests of the na❝tion. I trust that I shall never be "found uncourteous or inaccessible; " and I am confident that none of you "will entertain unreasonable expec"tations concerning my power to "serve you individually or collec❝tively.

"Gentlemen, having entered into "this contest, I pledge myself to fight "it out to the last; and, if I fail, to "retire with good-humour. My "friends and I will keep a vigilant "eye on any attempts which may be "made to resort to undue influence "or coercion; which, however, I can"not suppose will be the case.

"Gentlemen, this is the best ac"count I can give you, within the

return. When she did, Mrs Aubrey made a faint effort to rally her; but each, on observing the traces of each other's recent and strong emotion, was silent, and with difficulty refrained from bursting again into tears.

"limits of such an Address as the
"present, of my political opinions,
"and of the motives which have in-
"duced me to come forward; and I
"shall within a day or two proceed to
"call upon you personally and in
"the meanwhile I remain,
"Gentlemen,

"Your faithful servant,
"GEOFFRY LOVEL DELAMERE.

"Fotheringham Castle,
7th Dec. 18-."

Two or three days afterwards, there arrived at Mr Aubrey's, in Vivian Street, two large packets, franked "DE LA ZOUCH," and addressed to Mr Aubrey, containing four copies of the foregoing" Address," accompanied by the following hurried note:

"MY DEAR AUBREY,- What think you of this sudden and somewhat Quixotic enterprize of my son? I fear it is quite hopeless--but there was no resisting his importunities. I must say he is going into the affair, (which has already made a prodigious stir down here,) in a very fine spirit. His Address is good, is it not? The only thing I regret is, his entering the lists with such a little miscreant as that fellow Titmouse-and, moreover, being beaten by him.-Yours ever faithfully and affectionately,

"DE LA ZOUCH. "P.S.-You should only see little Dr Tatham since he has heard of it. He spins about the village like a humming-top. I hope that, as far as his worldly interests are concerned, he is not acting imprudently. Our dear love to the ladies. (In great haste.)

"Fotheringham, 8th Dec. 18—,"

Equally strong emotions, but of a very different description, were excited in the bosoms of certain persons at Yatton Hall, by the appearance of Mr Delamere's Address. 'Twas Mr Barnabas Bloodsuck, (junior)—a middlesized, square-set young man, of about thirty, with a broad face, a very flat nose, light frizzly hair, and deep-set grey eyes—a bustling, confident, hardmouthed fellow,-who, happening to be stirring in the main street of Grilston early in the morning of the 8th Dec. 18-, beheld a man in the act of sticking up Mr Delamere's Address against a wall. Having prevailed on the man to part with one, Mr Bloodsuck was within a quarter of an hour on horseback, galloping down to Yatton-almost imagining himself to be carrying with him a sort of handgrenade, which might explode in his pocket as he went on. He was ushered into the breakfast room, where sate Mr Gammon and Mr Titmouse, just finishing breakfast.

"My stars-good-morning! gents, -but here's a kettle of fish!" quoth Mr Bloodsuck, with an excited air, wiping the perspiration from his forehead; and then plucking out of his pocket the damp and crumpled Address of Mr Delamere, he handed it to Mr Gammon, who changed colour on seeing it, and read it over in silence. Mr Titmouse looked at him with a disturbed air; and, having finished his mixture of tea and brandy, "Eh

stammered "what's in the wind? Pon my soul, you look-eh?"

"Nothing but a piece of good fortune, for which you are indebted to your distinguished friend, Mr Phelim O' Something," replied Gammon, bitterly, "whose Address has called forth an opponent whom you would not otherwise have had."

This letter was read with almost-e-eh, Gammon!—I—say”—he suspended breath by Mr Aubrey, and then by Mrs and Miss Aubrey. With still greater emotion were the printed enclosures opened and read. Each was held in a trembling hand, and with colour going and coming. Miss Aubrey's heart beat faster and faster; she turned very pale-but with a strong effort recovered herself. Then taking the candle, she withdrew with a hasty and excited air, taking her copy of the Address with her to her own room; and there burst into tears, and wept for some time. She felt her heart dissolving in tenderness towards Delamere: it was some time before she could summon resolution enough to

"Hang Mr O'Doodle!" exclaimcd Titmouse; " I, 'pon my precious soul, I always thought him a-a fool, and a knave. I'll make him pay me the money he owes me!" and he strode up and down the room, with his hands thrust furiously into his pockets. "You had perhaps better read this

"By jingo! you don't say so! Why, he's a hundred thousand a-year," interrupted Titmouse, turning very pale.

Address," quoth Mr Gammon, with a blighting smile," as it slightly concerns you;" and handing it to Titmouse, the latter sate down to obey him.

"That cock won't fight, though, eh?" enquired Mr Bloodsuck, as he resumed his seat after helping himself to an enormous slice of cold beef at the side table.

"I think it will," replied Gammon, thoughtfully; and presently continued, after a pause," it is useless to say any thing about the haughty intolerant Toryism it displays; that is all fair; but is it not hard, Mr Bloodsuck, that when I had written an Address which would have effectually"

"Mr Phelim O'Doodle owes me three hundred pounds, Gammon, and I hope you'll get it for me at once; 'pon my soul, he's a most cursed scamp," quoth Titmouse furiously, looking up with an air of desperate chagrin, on hearing Gammon's last words. That gentleman, however, took no notice of him, and proceeded, addressing Mr Bloodsuck-" I have weighed every word in that Address; it means mischief. It's evidently been well considered; it is calm and determined and we shall have a desperate contest, or I am grievously mistaken."

"E-e-eh? E-h? What, Gammon?" enquired Titmouse, who, though his eye appeared to have been travelling over the all-important document which he held in his hand, had been listening with trembling anxiety to what was said by his companions.

"I say that we are to have a contested election for the borough; you wont walk over the course as you might have done. Here's a dangerous opponent started."

"What? 'Pon my soul-for my borough? For Yatton ?"

"Yes, and one who will fight you tooth and nail."

"Pon-my-precious soul! What a cursed scamp! What a most infernal black-Who is it?"

"No blackguard, sir," interrupted Gammon, very sternly; " but-a gentleman every way equal to yourself," he added, with a cruel smile, "the Honourable Mr Delamere, the son and heir of Lord de la Zouch."

"Oh, that he has, at least," interposed Mr Bloodsuck, who had nearly finished a tremendous breakfast; "and two such bitter Tories you never saw or heard of before-for like father, like son.".

"Egad! is it?" enquired Titmouse, completely crestfallen. "Well! and what if-el, Gammon? Isn't it?" "It is a very serious business,” quoth Gammon.

"By Jove-isn't it a cursed piece of-impudence! What? Come into my borough? He might as well come into my house! Isn't one as much mine as the other? It's as bad as housebreaking-but we're beforehand with him with those prime chaps at Gr" Mr Bloodsuck's teeth chattered; he glanced towards the door; and Gammon gave Titmouse a look that almost paralyzed him.

"They'll bleed freely?" said Bloodsuck, with a desperate effort to look concerned-whereas he was in a secret

ecstasy.

"Lord de la Zouch could not have entered into this thing if he had not some end in view which he considers attainable-and as for money"

"Oh, as for that, ten thousand pounds to him is a mere drop in a bucket."

"O Lord! O Lord! and must I spend money too?" enquired Titmouse, with a look of ludicrous alarm.

"We must talk this matter over alone, Mr Bloodsuck," said Gammon, anxiously-" shall we go to Grilston, or will you fetch your father hither?"

"'Pon my soul, Gammon, those cursed Aubreys, you may depend on't, are at the bottom of all this"

"That there's not the least doubt of," quoth Bloodsuck, as he buttoned up his coat with a matter-of-fact air: but the words of Titmouse caused Mr Gammon suddenly to look first at one, and then at the other of them, with a keen penetrating glance; and presently his expressive countenance showed that surprise had been succeeded by gloomy thoughtfulness

A FOURTH CHAPTER OF TURKISH HISTORY.

THE WARS WITH THE MAMLUKES.

SCARCELY any period within the scope of recent history has attracted less attention from modern writers in general, than the two centuries and a half of the independent domination of the Mamlukes in Egypt and Syria. Notwithstanding the singular form of government under which these countries were then administered, and the historical importance of the events with which their annals abound, they have been uniformly neglected by the oriental students of Europe;-and though the gallant contest which the Mamlukes maintained in the last days of their existence against the French invaders, and their extermination in 1811 by the treachery of the present ruler of Egypt, have made their name familiar to us since the commencement of the present century, their ancient glories still remain unchronicled and unknown in the literature of the West, with the exception of a few pages in the various histories of the crusades, and a short sketch in the great work of De Guignes. Yet the Grand Soldans of Babylon (as the Mamluke sovereigns were termed by contemporary writers and travellers) were the acknowledged heads of the Moslem world, while the power of the Ottomans was yet in its infancy; it was by the arms of these warriorprinces, whose throne was both gained and held more frequently by the right of the sword than by hereditary descent, that the Mogul hordes of Jenghiz and his descendants were checked and finally repelled in the career of devastation and bloodshed which had overspread almost the whole of Asia during the first half of the thirteenth century: and at the end of the same century, the last relics of the Christian sway in Palestine disappeared before their attacks, and the fall of Acre in 1291, closed with a final scene of slaughter the bloody drama of the Crusades. At the zenith of their power, the realm of the monarchs of Cairo extended from the mountains of Armenia and Koordistan, to Yemen and Abyssinia; the holy cities of Mekka and Medinah acknowledged them as their protectors and sove

VOL. XLIX. NO. CCCII.

reigns; and the senate of Venice courted by frequent embassies the potent alliance of the Sultan, whose armaments, issuing from the ports of the Red Sea, afforded zealous and powerful aid to the Moslem princes of Guzerat in their struggle against the encroachments of the Portuguese, the commercial rivals of the Adriatic republic. But this mighty fabric of empire rested, not on the arms and energies of the Arab population, nearly the whole of whose tribes were comprehended within its limits, but on the ferocious valour of a foreign militia, drawn from distant countries to maintain and defend the throne of a prince, who was equally with themselves an alien in blood and language from the people whom he governed: and when the Syro-Egyptian kingdom was incorporated by conquest with the dominions of the Osmanli sultans, the change was unfelt by the people at large, who merely exchanged the yoke of the Circassian Bey for that of the Turkish Sandjak or Pasha. But before we proceed to recount the incidents of the warfare, the event of which doubled the territory of the Ottoman empire, and united under the sceptre of the same sovereign, (though it failed in amalgamating,) the Turkish and Arab races of Western Asia, it will be necessary to give some previous details relative to the origin and organization of that remarkable body of men who so long held Egypt in thraldom, and whose discipline and manners are scarcely known except by the description of recent tourists, who viewed them long after the decay of their ancient predominance.

The word Mamluke literally implies one who is possessed by, or the property of, another; and the term (though popularly restricted in European parlance to the renowned corps whose rule in Egypt and Syria first gave celebrity to the appellation) appears, from a period soon after the first ages of Mohammedan history, employed to designate a military slave or armed household retainer. The Turkish guards of the caliphs of Bag

C

dad (whose authority the seditions of these mutinous prætorians, during the the reigns of Motawakel and his successors, mainly tended to subvert) were the first instance of a domestic force of this description; but the custom of raising Mamlukes to eminent dignities in the army and the state soon became prevalent throughout the East, particularly in dynasties of Tartar or Turkish origin. The sovereigns of these races, indeed, having themselves generally sprung from the Mamlukes of the antecedent dynasty, seem to have employed slaves of this description as their generals and ministers, in preference to free men of the conquered or even of the conquering nation. Originally selected for the appearance of valour or sagacity, and trained to arms under their master's eye, the Mamlukes of a despotic monarch were the most able and unscrupulous agents of his will; while, as they derived their existence and advancement from the sovereign alone, and were unconnected by ties either of birth or relationship with the country into which they had been transplanted, the power lodged in their hands was considered less likely to be turned against its donor, than if entrusted to nobles supported by alliances with each other, and presuming on their hereditary claims to distinction and authority.

But in the course of degeneracy and decay which seems inseparable from the history of the decline of an oriental reigning house, the Mamlukes of the falling race in whose hands the command of the provinces and the armies had been vested, often seized on the power which their feeble masters were unable longer to retain, and commenced a new empire, generally destined to be dissolved in a few gene. rations by the same causes which had operated in the destruction of the preceding. Thus, at the close of the tenth century of our era, the warlike dynasty of the Ghaznevides in Eastern Persia occupied, almost as lawful heirs, the dominions which had fallen from the grasp of their own former lords, the princes of the exhausted and effete line of Saman: the Ghaznevides were in their turn supplanted by their vassals, the Turkish chiefs of the race of Seljook; and the sway of the mighty Seljookians themselves, after a long career of conquest and glory, was

overthrown by the arms of the Shah of Kharasm, whose ancestor in the fourth generation had been a Mamluke in the household of Malek Shah, the third sultan of the Seljooks; while Ak. Sankar Bourski, another Mamluke of the same prince, laid in the provinces west of the Euphrates the foundation of a kingdom, which his grandson, the famous sultan Noored-deen, extended over Egypt and nearly the whole of Syria, but which at the death of Noor-ed-deen fell almost wholly, according to the apparently inevitable law of Asiatic suc cession, into the power of his mighty lieutenant, the illustrious Salah-eddeen (Saladin.)

Under the successors of Salah-eddeen, the Ayoobite princes who divided and disputed the vast inheritance which he bequeathed to them, the Mamluke system received a degree of developement and organization far exceeding the extent to which it had hitherto been carried, and the numbers of this domestic soldiery were augmented beyond all former precedent. But the famous corps of the Baharite or maritime Mamlukes, (so called from their having been originally charged with the defence of the coast,) owe their origin to Malek-alSalah, or Nodjm-ed-deen, a grandnephew of Salah-ed-deen, who became Sultan of Egypt A.D. 1240. In a war which he had waged in early life against his relative the sovereign of Damascus, the failure of Nodjm-eddeen had been occasioned by the desertion of his troops, who went over in a body to the standard of his rival; his Mamlukes alone remained loyal; and this unshaken fidelity was deeply remembered by their grateful master. On his subsequent accession to the throne of Cairo, he erected a fortification on the Isle of Roudha, in the Nile, the custody of which was entrusted solely to his faithful slaves; and abandoning the citadel of the city, which had been the usual abode of the sovereign, he there took up his residence in the midst of his Mamlukes, from whose ranks all military offices were exclusively filled up, while their numbers were continually recruited by the purchase of many thousand slaves to be trained to arms, principally Kharasmians and Tartars of Kapchak, with whom the victories of the Moguls had inundated the slave◄

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »