DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4372#0046
30
too precipitate, aiming at being restored to their property and pri-
vileges, even before the French were out of the country. But the
misunderstanding which caused the greatest difficulty to explain,
arose from a circumstance peculiar to the politics and govern-
ment of Egypt. For the last seventy years these have been in
such a constant state of anarchy and change, from which the in-
habitants, though unconcerned in the revolutions, never failed to
suffer, that there has been gradually introduced a custom for
the great men of all parties to give their protection to different
individuals, who were thus secured against the vexations of all
others, except those in the most open hostility to their protec-
tor. As the Beys looked on this principle as the most sacred point
of honour, Elfi considered the violation of it, in the instance of
his friends, as exaggerating the heinousness of the crime on the
part of the Turks, and as tending to convict the English of care-
lessness and neglect.
It was needless to state to a prejudiced Mussulman the advan-
tages of living in a country where the poor and the rich were
equally protected by and subject to the law. lie would allow
us no credit for confiding in the promises of those he knew to be
deceitful; and he loved to harangue on the uncharitable dispo-
sition of the European, who would withhold his protection
from a fugitive and outlaw, until he had ascertained his innocence
Of his guilt, and who would resent the insolence of the hungry
traveller, who should seat himself at his table without compli-
ment or introduction *.
In my intercourse with Mahometans I have frequently had oc-
* The long journeys performed in the cast, the frequency of pilgrimages, the policy
of the merchant, who eludes the robber under the disguise of poverty, and the want of
accommodation for travellers, have rendered necessary a practice which to us appears to
exceed the bounds of a rational liberality.
casion
too precipitate, aiming at being restored to their property and pri-
vileges, even before the French were out of the country. But the
misunderstanding which caused the greatest difficulty to explain,
arose from a circumstance peculiar to the politics and govern-
ment of Egypt. For the last seventy years these have been in
such a constant state of anarchy and change, from which the in-
habitants, though unconcerned in the revolutions, never failed to
suffer, that there has been gradually introduced a custom for
the great men of all parties to give their protection to different
individuals, who were thus secured against the vexations of all
others, except those in the most open hostility to their protec-
tor. As the Beys looked on this principle as the most sacred point
of honour, Elfi considered the violation of it, in the instance of
his friends, as exaggerating the heinousness of the crime on the
part of the Turks, and as tending to convict the English of care-
lessness and neglect.
It was needless to state to a prejudiced Mussulman the advan-
tages of living in a country where the poor and the rich were
equally protected by and subject to the law. lie would allow
us no credit for confiding in the promises of those he knew to be
deceitful; and he loved to harangue on the uncharitable dispo-
sition of the European, who would withhold his protection
from a fugitive and outlaw, until he had ascertained his innocence
Of his guilt, and who would resent the insolence of the hungry
traveller, who should seat himself at his table without compli-
ment or introduction *.
In my intercourse with Mahometans I have frequently had oc-
* The long journeys performed in the cast, the frequency of pilgrimages, the policy
of the merchant, who eludes the robber under the disguise of poverty, and the want of
accommodation for travellers, have rendered necessary a practice which to us appears to
exceed the bounds of a rational liberality.
casion