LORD FRANCIS EGERTON 5 MEDITERRANEAN SKETC HR 5.
IN the autumn of 1839, Lord FRANCIS EGERTON was advised to undertake a Mediterranean voyage ; and, after touching at Portugal and Spain, he proceeded to Syria and visited Jerusalem ; but his progress to Damascus was cut short by the state of the country. On the subject of his Palestine Pilgrimage he wrote a poem, in the Spenserian stanza ; to which he has appended a variety of notes from his journal. It is of these two productions that the Mediterranean Sketches consist ; a few occasional poems being added, chiefly on Italian or Spanish subjects.
The merits of "The Pilgrimage" are clearness of expression, elegance of sentiment, and harmony of versification. Its want is the general want—force, spirit, and originality. The clearness of diction does not impress either the images or sentiments upon the reader ; the elegance is that of a well-bred, right-thinking, and right feeling man—the elegance of a class, not of a native and pecu- liar grace of mind ; whilst the versification is of prosody and the school—the science, not the music of verse—harmony, not melody. The general character of the poem, moreover, is reproduction. "The Pilgrimage" of Lord FRANCIS EGERTON is a " Childe Harold" redivivus. Had Bums not written, Lord FRANCIS might still have versified his Syrian tour, but it would have been in an- other style. ROBERT POLLOK was wroth with some London re- viewer of "The Course of Time," who charged him with imita- tion, and he defied particular proofs ; not seeming to comprehend that his poetical existence was altogether imitative. This state of "charmed life" is indeed not easy for the individual to under- stand; and when the mind receives tone, colour, and even percep- tion, (so far as perception affects the choice of subjects, and influ- ences the manner of regarding and presenting them,) from one peculiar model, mechanical skill and careful execution only render the resemblance to the prototype closer. The occasional poems are better than "The Pilgrimage " ; partly because they are less entirely imitative in their character ; partly, perhaps, from being shorter, and requiring less strength of pinion to sustain the flight. Of these the best is a story told of an old member of the French branch of the house of COURTENAY, alluded to by Ginnos in his celebrated Digression in the Decline and Fag and given with effect in one of the pseudo French memoirs. The prose extracts from the writer's journal, although taking the form of illustrative notes to " The Pilgrimage," are by far the most valuable part of the volume. A mere passing tour through some of the most frequented parts of Palestine, with a lady in com- pany and a gentleman's attendance en suite, is not the best means of travelling to make new discoveries ; nor is there any thing of novel information in Lord FRANCIS EGERTON'S piecemeal account of his travels. But there is interest in the matter, attraction in the style, and a distinct mental character pervading the whole ; all which are wanting in the poetry. His rank, the presence of Lady FRANCIS, and perhaps less of Anglo-Saxon fastidiousness than is usual with Anglo-Saxon tourists, brought our traveller into closer contact and more intimate relations with the families of the people ; and, not- withstanding the number of travels we have read of late, the isolated extracts from this journal give the most natural view of the in- habitants of Asia Minor that we have met with. There is also a gentlemanly pleasantness in the author's manner and descrip- tions; not deep or keen, perhaps somewhat insufficient, but observ- ing the salient points and presenting them with a quiet elegance. It is probable that the ample extracts of this volume, by exhibiting only the pith of the journal, may be more attractive than the whole ; but we think a prose narrative of the voyage and journey would have produced a better volume than these Mediterranean Sketches. A fair, perhaps a favourable specimen of Lord FRANCIS as a travel- ler, will be found in the following passages.
HASBYA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS.
The town of that name occupies one of the most picturesque sites in Syria, suspended on high cliffs, and with the snows of Hermon above it at no great distance. Its population must amount to some thousands; and I had seen no buildings so respectable since Nahlous. Our ascent lay on the other side, however, of the ravine ; which became more narrow and precipitous as we mounted. It Has a holyday ; and as the Queen of England's reputation had preceded her, [Lady Francis,1 the inhabitants poured out in great numbers, and in their best dresses to see her pass. It was the gayest scene I had wit- nessed in Syria. Some aged females went so far as to burn incense before her
horse's nose, and others presented her with flowers. • * •
The conflux of natives to the Frank stranger's camp, though highly amusing from the great richness and variety of the costume of the three sects, which seem much mingled here, was at times oppressive. Besides the population of the neighbouring village, the parties from Hasbya, who came up and established themselves for the day to stare at us, were numerous, and comprised probably the whole beauty and fashion of that place. The race is a fine one, and there WAS no lack of the former commodity. One young woman, evidently, by the value of the jewellery she wore, a person of rank, was as lovely a creature as eye could behold. She had walked up from Hashya; but had met with some repulse in approaching Lady Francis' tent, and, not having the persever- ing impudence of many others, was mourning her hard fate apart when I heard of her case, and procured her the introduction she desired and deserved. The Druse young ladies behaved unfairly, pressing noisily and eagerly upon our privacy, but playing every trick of coquettes with their veils whenever we returned their fire. I found the best receipt at last was to sketch them ; when they usually giggled and fell back. One, however, stood the shot, holding her born on high, and seated like a queen on a throne of loose stones, one bare leg protruding from her drapery below, her silver bracelets shining in the sun, and her dark eyes still brighter flashing over the veil she held up—foolish woman! —to her pretty nose. Another Drum lady, who visited Lady Francis, con- sented without difficulty to disclose the mysteries of the horn, and, removing its veil, showed us the manner in which it was fastened and worn. This visi- ter, a handsome and stately woman, besides the silver bracelets and other orna- ments of that metal commonly worn, wore jewellery and precious stones of some value. As Franks, and especially as English, we had little right to com- plain. How would a provincial town in England behave to a New Zealand chief in full costume ? or how did London behave to the Cossack of 1814?
It should be borne in mind, that the journey of Lord FRANCIS EGERTON was made during the time of the Syrian disturbances, which gave rise to Lord PALMERSTON'S interference—who "by de- cision more embroiled the fray," after the fashion of the " anarch old." The allusion in the following interview is to this unsettled state.
7A TURKISH CHIEF, AND APOLOGY FOR TURRISHRESK We were now informed that his Highness was prepared to give us an inter- view. We crossed a handsome inner court, and mounting a stair to a long gallery open to the court, found the Emir Beschir at one end—a venerable figure. The conversation was of no interest : the wily veteran was not likely to make us the depository of his intentions; which, for the present, were a sub- ject of intense interest and busy speculation, the question probably being less whether it was in his power to raise, than to prevent, a general insurrection. Whether he had any doubt or misgiving of our object as travellers in such a country at such a time, I cannot tell; very likely not. He was well enough acquainted with Englishmen to know our roving propensities, arid could hardly imagine that spies or emissaries would travel with so many incumbrances. The subject of the insurrection was never mentioned.
As the venerable-looking old man sat quietly conversing on topics of trifling moment, our recollection was naturally called to the vicissitudes of his long life, soon about to close, perhaps as it had begun, in scenes of blood and danger, or in the exertion to the last of those powers of craft and intrigue which had saved him through many perils, and raised and retained him where we found him. Memory also reverted to many acts of cruelty and violence which de- face the page of his history, and which may be collected from the pages of Burckhardt. Recollections such as these create odd sensations in Europeans when brought into contact with the despots of the East—men of the sabre and the bowetnng ; and there are probably few travellers who have not felt such when in their presence. I do not mean sensations connected with the circum- stance often noticed, that the life of the visiter himself depends upon a nod or other gesture of the cross-legged gentleman on the divan. " If I speak the word," says the Baillie to Rob Roy. "Ay, but you'll never speak that word," replied his Highland cousin; and as matters stand in the countries of which I speak, there is as little chance of any violent proceeding on the part of Pacha or Ennr. Neither, as it seems to me, is the interest of the same class and de- senption as that which takes persons of figure and fashion to the cell or scaf- fold, and procures locks of hair and autographs from Greenacre or Courvoisier. With such we feel nothing in common ; for we can no more imagine the cir- cumstance' which would lead ourselves to such acts of hazard as well as wicked- ness, than a sane and prosperous person can realize to himself the feelings of a 'mimic or a suicide. In the case of the Eastern despot, sympathy is at work; and we may feel as if in his position our own exercise of power might, like his, have been bloody and capricious. Uncivilized by literature, the barbarian who sits be us has the advantage of his European 'jailers in many outward particulars,
1.n grace of attitude, richness of costume, and dignity of manners. He is generally in the latter a personification of mildness, gravity, and good humour. We ask our- selves, why should not we be able, like him, to leap at once the narrow boun- ry which separates this apparent placidity from the wildest excesses of vio- lence and crime ? May not the outward gloss of civilization and humanity adhere as loosely to the Englishman as the Turk ? One answer of general application may be given—that we have been nurtured under that Christian
dispensation which embraces in its insensible influence even those who reject its evidences. And yet the time is not long gone by when, in the game of English politics, heads of the statesmen players were the stake. I really know, however, no other security against a sudden orientalization of our habits. As we departed from the Emir's presence, we were pleased with the spectacle of the procession of two of his sons on their way to their morning visit to their father; which, I was told, they never omitted. There is something always agreeable in these acts of adult respect and attention to age ; and I rather fear we see less of them in England than not only in the East, but in France or elsewhere.
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