I w a s exceedingly angry, but weak in health and fpirits ;
befides, I defpifed the Imam heartily, and was determined
to be filent. But dirertly addreffing himfelf to me, which
he hitherto had not done, “ I wonder, fays he, how a Kafr
like you, a man o f no more worth than the duft under a
mulTulman’s feet, fhould dare to wear a white turban,
which none are permitted to do but true believers,'and men
-of confideration in learning, or in the law !” I could hold
no longer. “ Kafr ! faid I, do you call me ? You are a Kafr
yourfelf. I worihip God as you do, and Jefus Chrift, whom
Mahomet calls Rouch U llah.the Spirit o f God. Kafrs worfhip
Rones and trees, are ill-bred, and rude in manners, fuch as
you are. Sir, faid I to the Aga, I demand o f you i f the grand
fignior, whole firman you have in your hand, when writing
o f me, calls me Kafr? Does Ali,Bey,and the Porte o f Janizaries,
ufe fuch opprobrious expreffions? If they do not, you
fuffer me to be affronted in contempt o f their orders, in a
fortrefs which you command in the grand fignior’s name
which is not to your credit either as a muffulmanor a fol-
dier.”— 1“ He is right,” fays an old man, who feemed to be a
fecretary. “ Moullah, fays the Aga, I did not expert this
from you ; I did not think you could be fo abfurd as to aik
any man, returning from fo dangerous a journey as his;
the reafon o f the colour o f his turban.”— “ I do not refer
that to his difcretion, faid I, there is my firman; I infift upon
its being read at the divan, and I will afterwards drefs.
my head and my body in any colour that is permitted me
therein; and that I kn ow is every fort o f colour*, and I
infift that my firman may be read in the Divan.”.
M o u l l a h ,
* It is always tie' part o f a firman from the Porte, that the bearer is at liberty to wear
what colour, drels, or arms he pleafes.
“ M o P lla h , fays Hagi Ifmael, addreffing himfelf to the
Imam, who had twice attempted to fpeak but could not
get permiffion, you put me in mind o f thefe liars and
thieves at T e aw a ; all their turbans were white or g re en ;
they call themfelves muffulmen, and fheraffe,.and men o f
learning like you ; but I fwear, greater Kafrs than they
were never in hell. I wiih you may not be fomething o f
that kind. Hagi Ifmael was Handing behind. He had a
barracan like us, a red cap and no turban, and the Moullah,
I believe, did not know he was a Turk, and ftill lefs
that he was a iherriffe ; I fancy he rather took him fo r a
Greek, from the bad manner in which he pronounced the
Arabic. “ Friend, faid the prieft, take this piece o f advice
from me, and fpeak more reverently o f your betters, or
you may have a chance to get your tongue fcraped.” Hag
i Ifmael was never Hefted with much temper. He was
•very honeft; but, though feventy years old, was as paffion-
ate as a child, and the more fo, as he did not underftand
the language. He was an officer in the Porte o f Janizaries,
befides being a iherriffe j had been fent, as I have already
faid, by the Bey to efcort the Abuna to Abyffihia.. Unlu
ck ily at this time he underftood what was faid diftinftly,
and came up clofe to the Moullah, faying, in a violent paf-
fion, “ Kafr Meloun Ibn kelb, i. e. Pagan accurfed, and
race o f a d o g !” do you threaten me, a iherriffe, with a grey
beard ? Who are my betters ? The Aga is not my fuperior,
were he a iherriffe, which he is not. He is an officer o f the
janizaries as I am ; he commands me to-day, and I command
him to-morrow ; but, i f it was not for -his prefence,
I Would not leave that beard o f yours till I had fhaken
your head from your fhoulders.”
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