A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill].

  • Hill, Aaron, 1685-1750.
Date:
1710
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I ought not to omit, ( fince I have here fo fair an Opportunity ) the do- An Obfen-a. mg jfujtice to our Late-Vnited Gallant Brothers of NORTH-BRITAIN, who are fo effectually Senfible of the Advantages, abovenam’d, that their Gentle¬ men are commonly the Beft Bred, and moft Learn’d of Chrijlendom, and do not only Travel much, but to much Purpofe alfo; for we feldom fee a Celebrated Court of Europe, but the Civil fometimes, fometimes Military Offices thereof, are not alone Poffeft’d, but Ornamented greatly by the Natives of that Coun¬ try. HOWEVER, I may fpare the Pains of Searching for the Caufes of fo Travelling Groundlefs a NegleCt, fince there appears a Brisker Turn than Formerly, to :n animate the Genius of the Englifb Nation, who within fome few Tears paft, have feem’d to feek more earneftly than heretofore, the Benefits of Travel¬ ling. I will therefore only rvijb for the Improvement of a Cuftorn, fo Fraife-Wor¬ thy, and proceed to give the Hints, I promis’d, in relation to the Methods, they fhoud Vfe in Travelling. I am not for the fpeedy fending Touth abroad, before their judgment is Mature enough, to give them a diftinguifhing Idea of the Vfe, as well as Profpect of the Things, they meet with ; Eighteen Years of Age is more too At w{iat. Age Early than too Late, for a Toting Man to think of leaving England : This I Young Men know by Perfonal Experience, having been beholding to my Latter Travels, fhou*d rtavei* for a Full Digefiion, and Improvement of the Unripe Obfervations, vainly ga¬ ther’d in my Former. I T is a Fault, too Common in our Modern Praclice, to fend Toung Men A^Error Abroad, to fee the Rarities of Italy, and other Countries, before they are at all common ;n acquainted with Domeflick Curiofities, and Things as well deferving Obfer- vation, in the Heart of our own Kjngdom, as he poffibly can meet with, in the Places, he muft Travel thro’. besides, it is a kind of unaccountable Simplicity, to think a Man is its Follies. Qualified for Convention in a Foreign Land, before he Underftands, or has the fmalleft Notion of the Government, or any Part of the Whole Conflitution, or Condition of his Native Country: For fuch an Ignorance muft necelfarily render him unfit for an Inquifitive, or Learn’d Society in any Place, he comes to and confequently hinder him of all Advantages,- he might have Reap’d from the Improvements ot his Journey. ANOTHER Error, and no frnall one, is that moft Toung Men are fent Abroad, entirely Ignorant of German, Dutch, Italian, and too often French, Eulu or any Foreign Languages : This renders them depriv’d of even a Pojfibility of Living, as they ought, in Fnendfhip and Acquaintance with their Equals or Superiors, where they come ; for Yis but feldom any Tongue but French, is thought worth bringing Home, or if fome Few have Souls, and Memory enough to Compafs more, by that time, they have learn’d to fpeak them tolerably, the fhort Space, allotted for their AbJ'ence, is expir’d, and they muft return, to put an End to their Vain Journey, juft as they are grown Capacitated to improve themfelves by its Advantages. THERE are a kind of Gentlemen, call’d Tutors, generally fent Abroad AthirdEn-or. with a Commiffion to Diretf, and Govern their Toung Travellers: Thefe are fometimes Frenchmen, fometimes Englijhmeu, but always of an Age by far Superior, and an Humour, often Oppofite to thofe, they have the Charge of. THIS