formed from the Persian word seraw, or Turkish word farai, which signifies a house, and is commonly used to express the house or palace of a prince. In this sense it is frequently used at Constantinople; the houses of foreign ambassadors are called seraglios. But it is commonly used by way of eminence for the palace of the grand signior at Constantinople, where he keeps his court, and where his concubines are lodged, and where the youth are trained up for the chief posts of the empire.

It is a triangle about three Italian miles round, wholly within the city, at the end of the promontory Chryssoceras, now called the Seraglio Point. The buildings run back to the top of the hill, and from thence are gardens that reach to the edge of the sea. It is inclosed with a very high and strong wall, upon which there are several watch towers: and it has many gates, some of which open towards the sea side, and the rest into the city; but the chief gate is one of the latter, which is constantly guarded by a company of capochees, or porters; and in the night it is well guarded towards the sea. The outward appearance is not very beautiful, the architecture being irregular, consisting of separate edifices in the form of pavilions and domes.

The ladies of the seraglio are a collection of beautiful young women, chiefly sent as presents from the provinces and the Greek islands, most of them the children of Christian parents. The brave prince Heraclius hath for some years past abolished the infamous tribute of children of both sexes, which Georgia formerly paid every year to the Porte. The number of women in the harem depends on the taste of the reigning monarch or sultan. Selim had 2000, Achmet had but 300, and his successor had nearly 1600. On their admission they are committed to the care of old ladies, taught sewing and embroidery, music, dancing, and other accomplishments, and furnished with the richest clothes and ornaments. They all sleep in separate beds, and between every fifth there is a preceptress. Their chief governess is called Kutan Kiaga, or governess of the noble young ladies. There is not one servant among them, for they are obliged to wait on one another, by rotation; the last that is entered serves her who preceded her and herself. These ladies are scarcely ever suffered to go abroad, except when the grand signior removes from one place to another, when a troop of black eunuchs conveys them to the boats, which are inclosed with lattices and linen curtains; and when they go by land they are put into close chariots, and signals are made at certain distances, to give notice that none approach the roads through which they march. The boats of the harem, which carry the grand signior's wives, are manned with 24 rowers, and have white covered tilts, shut alternately by Venetian blinds. Among the emperor's attendants are a number of mutes, who act and converse by signs with great quickness, and some dwarfs, who are exhibited for the diversion of his Majesty.

When he permits the women to walk in the gardens of the seraglio, all people are ordered to retire, and on every side there is a guard of black eunuchs, with sabres in their hands, while others go their rounds in order to hinder any person from seeing them. If, unfortunately, any one is found in the garden, even through ignorance or inadvertence, he is undoubtedly killed, and his head brought to the feet of the grand signior, who gives a great reward to the guard for their vigilance. Sometimes the grand signior passes into the gardens to amuse himself when the women are there; and it is then that they make use of their utmost efforts, by dancing, singing, seducing gestures, and amorous blandishments, to ensnare the affections of the monarch. It is not permitted that the monarch should take a virgin to his bed, except during the solemn festivals, and on occasion of some extraordinary rejoicings, or the arrival of some good news. Upon such occasions, if the sultan choose a new companion to his bed, he enters into the apartment of the women, who are ranged in files by the governesses, to whom he speaks, and intimates the person he likes best; the ceremony of the handkerchief which the grand signior is said to throw to the girl that he elects, is an idle tale, without any foundation. As soon as the grand signior has chosen the girl that he has destined to be the partner of his bed, all the others follow her to the bath, washing and perfuming her, and dressing her superbly, conducting her singing, dancing, and rejoicing, to the bed chamber of the grand signior, who is generally, on such an occasion, already in bed. Scarcely has the new-elected favourite entered the chamber, introduced by the grand eunuch who is upon guard, than she kneels down, and when the sultan calls her, she creeps into bed to him by the foot of the bed, if the sultan does not order her, by especial grace, to approach by the side: after a certain time, upon a signal given by the sultan, the governess of the girls, with all her suite, enters the apartment, and takes her back again, conducting her with the same ceremony to the women's apartments; and if by good fortune she becomes pregnant, and is delivered of a boy, he is called asaki sultane, that is to say, sultane's mother; for the first son she has the honour to be crowned, and she has the liberty of forming her court. Eunuchs are also assigned for her guard, and for her particular service. No other ladies, though delivered of boys, are either crowned or maintained with such costly distinction as the first; however, they have their service apart, and handsome appointments. After the death of the sultan, the mothers of the male children are shut up in the old seraglio, from whence they can never come out any more, unless any of their sons ascend the throne. Baron de Tott informs us, that the female slave who becomes the mother of a sultan, and lives long enough to see her son mount the throne, is the only woman who at that period alone acquires the distinction of sultana-mother; she is till then in the interior of her prison with her son. The title of bache kadun, principal woman, is the first dignity of the grand signior's harem; and she has a larger allowance allowance than those who have the title of second, third, and fourth woman, which are the four free women the Koran allows.

This is a description of the grand signior's seraglio; we shall now add an account of the seraglio or harem, as it is often called, of the emperor of Morocco, from the very interesting tour of Mr Lempriere. This gentleman being a surgeon by profession, was admitted into the harem to prescribe for some of the ladies who were indisposed, and was therefore enabled to give a particular account of this female prison, and, what is still more curious, of the manners and behaviour of its inhabitants.

The harem forms a part of the palace. The apartments, which are all on the ground floor, are square, very lofty, and four of them inclose a spacious square court, into which they open by means of large folding doors. In the centre of these courts, which are floored with blue and white chequered tiling, is a fountain, supplied by pipes from a large reservoir on the outside of the palace, which serves for the frequent ablutions recommended by the Mahometan religion, as well as for other purposes. The whole of the harem consists of about twelve of these square courts, communicating with each other by narrow passages, which afford a free access from one part of it to another, and of which all the women are allowed to avail themselves.

The apartments are ornamented on the outside with beautiful carved wood. In the inside most of the rooms are hung with rich damask of various colours; the floors are covered with beautiful carpets, and there are matresses disposed at different distances, for the purpose of sitting and sleeping.

Besides these, the apartments are furnished at each extremity with an elegant European mahogany bedstead, hung with damask, having on it several matresses placed one over the other, which are covered with various coloured silks; but these beds are merely placed there to ornament the room. In all the apartments, without exception, the ceiling is wood, carved and painted. The principal ornaments in some were large and valuable looking-glasses, hung on different parts of the walls. In others, clocks and watches of different sizes, in glass cases, were disposed in the same manner.

The sultana Lalla Batoom and another favourite were indulged with a whole square to themselves; but the concubines were only each allowed a single room.

Each female had a separate daily allowance from the emperor, proportioned to the estimation in which they were held by him. The late emperor's allowance was very trifling: Lalla Douyaw, the favourite sultana, had very little more than half-a-crown English a-day, and the others less in proportion. It must be allowed, that the emperor made them occasional presents of money, drefs, and trinkets; but this could never be sufficient to support the number of domestics and other expenses they must incur. Their greatest dependence therefore was on the presents they received from those Europeans and Moors who visited the court, and who employed their influence in obtaining some particular favour from the emperor. This was the most successful mode that could be adopted. When Mr Lempriere was at Morocco, a Jew, desirous of obtaining a very advantageous favour from the emperor, for which he had been a long time unsuccessfully soliciting, sent to all the principal ladies of the harem presents of pearls to a very large amount; the consequence was, that they all went in a body to the emperor, and immediately obtained the wished-for concession.

The ladies separately furnish their own rooms, hire their own domestics, and, in fact, do what they please in the harem, but are not permitted to go out without an express order from the emperor, who very seldom grants them that favour, except when they are to be removed from one palace to another. In that case, a party of soldiers is dispatched a little distance before them, to disperse the male passers-by in particular, and to prevent the possibility of their being seen. This previous step being taken, a piece of linen cloth is tied round the lower part of the face, and afterwards these miserable females cover themselves entirely with their haicks, and either mount mules, which they ride like men, or what is more usual, are put into a square carriage or litter, constructed for this purpose, which by its lattice-work allows them to see without being seen. In this manner they set off, under the charge of a guard of black eunuchs. This journey, and sometimes a walk within the bounds of the palace, with which they are, however, seldom indulged, is the only exercise they are permitted to take.

The late emperor's harem consisted of between 60 and 100 females, besides their domestics and slaves, which were very numerous. Many of the concubines were Moorish women, who had been presented to the emperor, as the Moors consider it an honour to have their daughters in the harem; several were European slaves, who had either been made captives, or purchased by the emperor; and some were Negroes.

In this group the Europeans, or their descendants, had by far the greatest claim to the character of handsome. There was one in particular, who was a native of Spain, and taken into the harem at about the same age as Lalla Douyaw, who was indeed a perfect beauty. Nor was this lady quite singular in that respect, for many others were almost equally handsome.

The eunuchs, who have the entire charge of the women, and who in fact live always among them, are the children of Negro slaves. They are generally either very short and fat, or else tall, deformed, and lame. Their voices have that particular tone which is observable in youths who are just arriving at manhood; and their persons altogether afford a disgusting image of weakness and effeminacy.

The same gentleman gives us a very curious account of the manners and ignorance of these immured females, from his own observation, when visiting the prince's harem. "Attended by an eunuch (says he), after passing the gate of the harem, which is always locked, and under the care of a guard of eunuchs, we entered a narrow and dark passage, which soon brought us to the court, into which the women's chambers open. We here saw numbers of both black and white women and children; some concubines, some slaves, and others hired domestics.

"Upon their observing the unusual figure of an European, the whole multitude in a body surrounded me, and expressed the utmost astonishment at my dress and appearance. Some stood motionless, with their hands lifted up, their eyes fixed, and their mouths open, in the usual attitude of wonder and surprize. Some burst into immoderate fits of laughter; while others again came up, and with uncommon attention eyed me from head to foot. The parts of my dress which seemed most to attract their notice were my buckles, buttons, and stockings; for neither men nor women in this country wear any thing of the kind. With respect to the club of my hair, they seemed utterly at a loss in what view to consider it; but the powder which I wore they conceived to be employed for the purpose of destroying vermin. Most of the children, when they saw me, ran away in the most perfect consternation; and on the whole, I appeared as singular an animal, and I dare say had the honour of exciting as much curiosity and attention, as a lion or man-tiger just imported from abroad, and introduced into a country town in England on a market-day. Every time I visited the harem, I was surrounded and laughed at by this curious mob, who, on my entering the gate, followed me close to the very chamber to which I was proceeding, and on my return universally escorted me out.

"The greatest part of the women were uncommonly fat and unwieldy; had black and full eyes, round faces, with small noses. They were of different complexions; some very fair, some fallow, and others again perfect Negros.

"One of my new patients being ready to receive me, I was desired to walk into her room; where, to my great surprize, I saw nothing but a curtain drawn quite across the apartment, similar to that of a theatre which separates the stage from the audience. A female domestique brought a very low stool, placed it near the curtain, and told me I was to sit down there, and feel her mistress's pulse.

"The lady, who had by this time summoned up courage to speak, introduced her hand from the bottom of the curtain, and desired me to inform her of all her complaints, which she conceived I might perfectly do by merely feeling the pulse. It was in vain to ask her where her pain was seated, whether in her stomach, head, or back; the only answer I could procure was a request to feel the pulse of the other hand, and then point out the seat of the disease, and the nature of the pain.

"Having neither satisfied my curiosity by exhibiting her face, nor made me acquainted with the nature of her complaint, I was under the necessity of informing her in positive terms, that to understand the disease it was absolutely necessary to see the tongue as well as to feel the pulse; and that without it I could do nothing for her. My eloquence, or rather that of my Jewish interpreter, was, however, for a long time exerted in vain; and I am persuaded she would have dismissed me without any further inquiry, had not her invention supplied her with a happy expedient to remove her embarrassment. She contrived at last to cut a hole through the curtain, through which she extruded her tongue, and thus complied with my injunction as far as it was necessary in a medical view, but most effectually disappointed my curiosity.

"I was afterwards ordered to look at another of the prince's wives, who was affected with a scrophulous swelling in her neck. This lady was, in the same manner as the other, at first excluded from my sight; but as she was obliged to show me her complaint, I had an opportunity of seeing her face, and observed it to be very handsome."

It is curious to observe the strange and childish notions of persons who have been wholly secluded from the world. All the ladies of the harem expected that our author should have instantly discovered their complaints upon feeling the pulse, and that he could cure every disease instantaneously. He found them proud and vain of their persons, and extremely ignorant. "Among many ridiculous questions, they asked my interpreter (says Mr Lempriere) if I could read and write; upon being answered in the affirmative, they expressed the utmost surprize and admiration at the abilities of the Christians. There was not one among them who could do either; these rudiments of learning are indeed only the lot of a few of their men, who on that account are named Talbes, or explainers of the Mahometan law."

It is melancholy to reflect on the situation of these unfortunate women. Being considered as the mere instruments of pleasure, no attention is paid to the improvement of their minds. They have no employment to occupy their time. Their needle-work is performed by Jewelles; their food is dressed, and their chambers taken care of, by slaves and domestics. They have no amusement but a rude and barbarous kind of melancholy music, without melody, variety, or taste; and conversation with one another, which must indeed be very confined, uniform, and inanimate, as they never see a new object. Excluded from the enjoyment of fresh air and exercise, so necessary for the support of health and life; deprived of all society but that of their fellow-sufferers, a society to which most of them would prefer solitude itself; they are only to be considered as the most abject of slaves—slaves to the vices and caprice of a licentious tyrant, who exacts even from his wives themselves a degree of submission and respect which borders upon idolatry, and which God and nature never meant should be paid to a mortal.