ADDENDA AND ERRATA.
Page 2, line 14, after “stand point,”add“This statement is made neither with a view to disarm nor to provoke criticism. Some of the learned may not disdain to look into the ‘Personal Impressions’ which the East—its scenes, its associations, and present condition, made upon even a common-place English tourist of ordinary intelligence and observation, if original and honestly expressed. My aim is, so far as I may, to interest in the East ordinary readers like myself, those especially to whom time is important, and thus induce them to read the larger works of the great writers—some, perhaps, in view of undertaking a similar tour, to see for themselves. I believe that these countries will now more and more command public attention, and hence my anxiety to make my little book at leastreadable. If very condensed, and so sententious asat first sight to seempresumptuous in style, the reader will kindly keep in view that it neither is nor pretends to be the work of a Historian, a Traveller, a Philosopher, or a Literateur, but only the personal impressions of a casual Tourist—not an imitator, but an admirer of all the four.”
Page 3, line 15,read“Rome is not disappointing, even at first sight, as most of the Wonders of the World are,”—&c.
Page 5, line 14,read, “Of the paintings I came to appreciate in such measure, I suppose, as an eye uneducated to art may, ‘The Transfiguration,’ ‘The St Cecilia,’ one of the ‘Madonnas,’ a ‘St Agnes,’ and the ‘Ecce Homo,’—Guido’s, I think.”
Page 12, line 20,for“The most remarkable feature of the city,”read“To a stranger just landed from England, the most novel feature of the streets is, I think,” &c.
Page 13.—“Pompey’s Pillar.”—This paragraph shouldreadthus:—“Neither the Pompey’s Pillar nor the Cleopatra Needle of our schooldays exists. The very fine pillar, formerly misnamed ‘Pompey’s’ is a Corinthian monolith of red granite, standing upon a small elevated rock, considerably outside the modern city on the south, and is the most prominent object in the landscape, and a landmark for ships. It was erected in honour, not of Pompey, but of the Emperor Diocletian, as appears from a Greek inscription upon its base. The so called “Needle” obelisk, which lies prostrate on the margin of the Mediterranean waves and its erect companion adjacent, are also granite monoliths, considerably smaller—about seven feet on the side, at the base. It has been ascertained that they date many centuries before the days of Cleopatra, and probably as far back as the ancient Pharaohs.”
Page 39, last line, after “otherwise,”read“called On, and sometimes Aven (as in Ezekiel, where also Memphis is called Noph)” &c.
Page 77, last sentence, after “the Arabs,”add“In Arabia there is no national government; but the country is held by several States or Tribes, powerful and independent; and while of these the Wahabees are the strictest and most intolerant of all Moslems, the others are generally in religion just the reverse—indeed, it appears that of all Moslem countries Arabia, the birthplace of Mahomet, is at heart the least Mahomedan! The people are ready to receive new ideas; but despising all idolatry, and extremely jealous of foreigners, especially of Europeans. The consequence being that this, in part extremely fertile country is shut against the world, and barred against all progress and even internal improvement.”
Page 114, line 13,for“position”read“portion.”
Page 124, line 19,for“east”read“west.”
Page 136, line 16, after “was”read“I somedays thought like riding over a stone quarry or alternately climbing and descending great stair steps—as often at an angle of thirty-five degrees or more as otherwise.”
Page 158, last line,for“north-eastward”read“north-westward.”
Page 169, line 5, after “visible.”add“At all events, we the mere scholars, should, I think, wait with patience until our great masters of science (not their apprentices) have discussed and agreed generally upon some system which we can at least study with deliberation.”
Page 238, line 9, after “East.”add“Not a politician certainly, but a very private citizen, I wish to ask my readers to consider whether Great Britain has not been all along inadvertently maintaining a monstrous incubus of delusion and tyranny upon many millions of oppressed peoples. Two Napoleons tried to act the part of a Providence to France; we know the result! Is there no risk of the Turks supposing that our great country is so acting and must continue so to act for them—no matter what our professions to the contrary, or even our wishes, may be?”
Page 249, line 3, after “indulgence”add“Their bravery and fearlessness of death in the field of battle frequently noticed, is, as has been remarked, not surprising when we consider that every sincere Moslem is assured that, if he falls in battle, fighting for the true faith, he is immediately admitted into paradise—a paradise, too, exactly suited to his taste. Some other religious give a similar assurance, but then there is the fear of some dread purgatory to pass through! This assurance formerly made the Moslem armies almost invincible, but now if, as many think, their soldiers are no longer unanimously inspired with the old strong faith and zeal, they will probably prove less formidable warriors in the future.”
⁂ Had the rapidly rising excitement about Turkish affairs been foreseen, some of the foregoing pages would not have been published in so “off-hand” a style, or without some corroborative evidence—not because they are untrue or were then unwarranted; but simply because, to some readers who do not observe their date, they may seem very uncalled for, and the presumptuous attempt of a non-literary pen to enter the lists in a great controversy in which the ablest minds and pens on both sides will be employed. So, to strengthen and confirm the several assertions he has made regarding Turkish oppressions and misrule and their causes, he begs reference to “Palgrave’s Arabia,” Macmillan, 1866.[18]That book he has not seen till now, and is gratified to find how very much that great work agrees with this little tourist book, confirming its views especially on that subject, most amply; and perhaps no one has had better means of observation than this accomplished English Traveller and Eastern Linguist.
FOOTNOTES[1]SeeNote A.[2]SeeNote B.[3]SeeNote C.[4]SeeNote D.[5]SeeNote E.[6]SeeNote F.[7]SeeNote G.[8]SeeNote H.[9]SeeNote I.[10]SeeNote J.[11]SeeChapter vi.—Postscript.[12]SeeNote K.[13]SeeNote L.[14]SeeNote M.[15]SeeNote J.[16]SeeNote J.[17]Page 202.[18]Vol. I pp. 24, 31, 128, 175, 276, 299, 369, 377, 433, 435. Vol. II pp. 9, 157, 168, 184, 291, 309.
FOOTNOTES
[1]SeeNote A.
[1]SeeNote A.
[2]SeeNote B.
[2]SeeNote B.
[3]SeeNote C.
[3]SeeNote C.
[4]SeeNote D.
[4]SeeNote D.
[5]SeeNote E.
[5]SeeNote E.
[6]SeeNote F.
[6]SeeNote F.
[7]SeeNote G.
[7]SeeNote G.
[8]SeeNote H.
[8]SeeNote H.
[9]SeeNote I.
[9]SeeNote I.
[10]SeeNote J.
[10]SeeNote J.
[11]SeeChapter vi.—Postscript.
[11]SeeChapter vi.—Postscript.
[12]SeeNote K.
[12]SeeNote K.
[13]SeeNote L.
[13]SeeNote L.
[14]SeeNote M.
[14]SeeNote M.
[15]SeeNote J.
[15]SeeNote J.
[16]SeeNote J.
[16]SeeNote J.
[17]Page 202.
[17]Page 202.
[18]Vol. I pp. 24, 31, 128, 175, 276, 299, 369, 377, 433, 435. Vol. II pp. 9, 157, 168, 184, 291, 309.
[18]Vol. I pp. 24, 31, 128, 175, 276, 299, 369, 377, 433, 435. Vol. II pp. 9, 157, 168, 184, 291, 309.