columns, from whose capitals sprang the arches which supported the dome, with lateral ones forming a colonnade walk beneath. Within the square enclosure under the dome was wirework, inclosing cases fitted with books. They were ranged horizontally, presenting the end each way, inclosed in its own case, covered at the exposed end with a flap containing the title. When a volume was wanted, the case was taken out, and by means of a cord the book was made to issue from it. They were both printed and MS., but the latter were much more numerous. I inquired particularly for Sydenham's works, translated into Arabic, which were said by Toderini to be in this library. A work was shown us, called the New Physician,' which was in such high repute, that the Hekim Bashy of the Seraglio came constantly to consult it. Though not entered in the catalogue under the name of Sydenham, they did not know but that it might have been the same work. There were at least 2,000 books in the cases, but none written in the European languages; several were the works of Hafiz and other Persian poets, and they were highly ornamented and beautifully transcribed. Round the room were cushions, and forms before them, and we found ten or twelve persons reading or copying, and among others some dervishes. The room was lighted by windows opened below to admit the air, and others above of ground glass, which shed a pleasing subdued light, and lamps were suspended from the ceiling.

"We came here impressed with an idea that the Turks were exceedingly jealous and indisposed to suffer European Christians to inspect their books. Both Toderini and Sestini were compelled to take refuge in the house of an Armenian, for attempting to look into a Turkish book at a bazaar; and Spon and Wheler complained of the same treatment. We found no such feelings here. The librarian was civil and attentive, showed every book we wished to see, and freely suffered us to examine them; and finding I was an Imam attached to the Elchi Bey, he even invited me to come and read whenever I was disposed."

Great accessions have been made to the public libraries since the press has been revived, and, beside the periodicals, new works are continually announced. A most important one was published in Dr Walsh's time by Isaak Effendi, formerly Dragoman of the Porte, but afterwards first professor of the Academy of Engineers. It was a Cyclopædia of Mathematical Science, in four volumes, including arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, conic sections, mechanics, hydraulics, optics, electricity, astronomy, and chemistry. Another circumstance which formed an epoch in Turkish literature about the same time was a prospectus for publishing works by subscription. An announcement appeared in the newspapers of the capital of an intended publication, Ankudes Servakis, which signifies "blossoms of grapes." It was a

philological work, on which the publisher passed a high eulogium, and proved that the act of puffing had been introduced into the infant literature of the Turks as an early European improvement.

A few years back the Porte intrusted to an employé of the Takvim-Khané the duty of drawing up a catalogue of all the volumes, both in MS. and printed, contained in the different libraries of Constantinople. This gave a result of about 40,000 volumes for the libraries we have described above.

THE STATE OF LITERATURE.

BEFORE quitting the subject of education, and the branches connected with it, we will take a hurried glance at the present condition of Turkish literature, which is divided by the Turkish Hierarchy into five sections; theology, jurisprudence, philosophy and science, poetry, history.

The most considerable branch, through the number and extent of the works composed of it, comprises: 1. The dogma; of which the fundamental work is the Minaroul enwar of the Sage Ebil Berekiat Abdullah, better known by the name of Nesefi, and who died in the year 710 of the Hejira: 2. The Exegesis, or commentaries, glosses, and interpretations of the Koran, at the head of which is the treatise of Beedhawi, entitled "the Light of Revelation, and the Mysteries of the Interpretation," which serves as the basis for the studies in the Medressè: 3. The oral traditions or hadis, of which we have already made mention.

The next most numerous collection is that of Jurisprudence, which contains: 1. Works on theoretical jurisprudence; the most ancient treatise of this description is the Hedayet of Sheikh Bourhan-ed-din of Maragha, with its seven commentaries, which was composed about three centuries previous to the great Ottoman compilations of the Multequa. 2. Practical Jurisprudence, which is composed of collections of fetvas.

The third class is that of Philosophy and the Sciences, comprising: metaphysics, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, physics, natural history, chemistry, medicine, astronomy, astrology, and music.

The most important works referring to the three first branches, go back to the age of the Chalifes of Bagdhad, and form part of the Arabic literature. The others, more modern, and especially the treatises on jurisprudence, belong peculiarly to the Ottomans, who are justly considered the jurists and politicians of Islamism, while the Arabs were the Apostles and romance writers. Still the majority of these works, though by Ottoman authors, were originally written in Arabic, which is still regarded as the learned, and consequently official, language of the Mussulman countries, either because it forms the text of the Koran, or in consequence of the brilliancy which it attained under the Abassides.

Poetry, which occupies the fourth place, is more