The great schools for the Moorish gentry are the chanceries of theBashaws, where the youthful men learn the arts of dissimulation andduplicity in the greatest perfection, and become, somewhat, early suchgreat adepts in these valuable acquirements, that in my opinion theyare fully able to cope with Monsieur Talleyrand, and the bestpoliticians at the court of St. Cloud. They are somewhat dexterous alsoin the art of temporizing with an enemy, and deluding him by athousand little expedients. It is therefore fortunate for Europe, thatthe Moors are so indolent a set of people; for the immense power thisempire might have; were it peopled by an industrious and ambitiousrace of men, would render it the most formidable in the world.

I shall now return to my own affairs, from the period at which theywere left off in a former letter. The Emperor had requested me toreport to him, personally, every morning, the state of his favouriteSultana; I therefore waited upon him regularly at five o'clock, andwas extremely happy that I always was enabled to make the report more welcomeeach day. After this visit to His Imperial Majesty, I daily paid mydevoirs to the blind prince, the only remaining brother of the Emperornow in Barbary, and who took no part in the disputes of former times;and I then called upon the great officers of state.