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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa79e33 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50837 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50837) diff --git a/old/50837-8.txt b/old/50837-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f21d743..0000000 --- a/old/50837-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6239 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The story of my struggles: the memoirs of -Arminius Vambéry, Volume 2 (of 2), by Arminius Vambéry - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The story of my struggles: the memoirs of Arminius Vambéry, Volume 2 (of 2) - -Author: Arminius Vambéry - -Release Date: January 3, 2016 [EBook #50837] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS ARMINIUS VAMBERY, VOL 2 *** - - - - -Produced by Albert László, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -THE STORY OF MY STRUGGLES - - - - -_BY THE SAME AUTHOR._ - - -ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY: - -His Life and Adventures. - -Imperial 16mo, cloth, 6s. Boys' Edition, crown 8vo, cloth gilt, gilt -edges, 5s. - - -THE STORY OF HUNGARY. - -Fully Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth, 5s. (THE STORY OF THE NATIONS -SERIES.) - -LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN. - - -[Illustration: VAMBÉRY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM CENTRAL ASIA. - -_Photographed in Teheran, 1863._ - -_Frontispiece to Vol._ II.] - - - - -THE STORY OF MY STRUGGLES - -THE MEMOIRS OF ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY - -PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES -IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BUDAPEST - -VOLUME II - -[Illustration: Logo] - -LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN -PATERNOSTER SQUARE . 1904 - - -(_All rights reserved._) - - - - -Contents - - -CHAPTER VII. - PAGE -FROM LONDON TO BUDAPEST 237 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -MY POLITICAL CAREER AND POSITION IN ENGLAND 283 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE TRIUMPH OF MY LABOURS 317 - - -CHAPTER X. - -AT THE ENGLISH COURT 329 - - -CHAPTER XI. - -MY INTERCOURSE WITH SULTAN ABDUL HAMID 343 - - -CHAPTER XII. - -MY INTERCOURSE WITH NASREDDIN SHAH AND HIS -SUCCESSOR 391 - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE STRUGGLE'S END, AND YET NO END 411 - - -APPENDICES 459 - - - - -Illustrations - - -PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM -CENTRAL ASIA _Frontispiece_ - -PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY AND HIS TARTAR, 1864 _Facing page_ 393 - - - - -From London to Budapest - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -FROM LONDON TO BUDAPEST - - -I have often been asked how it was that, after the bitter disappointment -I had experienced in my native land on my return from Asia, and after -the brilliant reception accorded to me in England, I yet preferred to -settle down permanently in Hungary. - -People have been surprised that I should choose a quiet literary career, -whereas my many years of intimate intercourse with various Eastern -nations might have been turned to so much better account, and a -practical, active career would have been so much more in keeping with my -character. All these questions were asked of me at the time in London, -but filled as I then became with a sense of oppression and a great -longing for home I could not give a satisfactory answer to these -queries. Now that the cloud has lifted, and my vision is clear, now that -sober reflection has taken the place of former rapture and exultation, -the causes which influenced my decision are perfectly clear. I see now -that I could not have acted differently; that the step I took was -partly the result of my personal inclination and views of life, and -partly influenced by the circumstances of my birth and bringing up, and -the notions then generally prevailing in Hungary; nor have I cause or -ground to regret my decision. - -In the first place I have to confess that in England, notwithstanding -the noisy, brilliant receptions I had, and all the attention paid to me, -no one ever made me any actual proposal with a view to my future -benefit, and no one seemed at all disposed to turn to account my -practical experiences in the service of the State or of private -enterprise. The Memorandum about the condition of things in Central -Asia, written at the time in Teheran at the request of the British -Ambassador there, had duly found its way to Lord Palmerston, the Prime -Minister. The gray statesman received me most kindly; I was often a -guest at his private house, or dined with him at Mr. Tomlin's, of -Carlton House Terrace, or at Sir Roderick Murchison's, of 16, Belgrave -Square. At his initiative I was invited to other distinguished houses, -for the merry old gentleman was much entertained by my lively -conversation and my anecdotes from Asia, which I used to relate after -dinner when the ladies had retired. My stories about the white ass of -the English Embassy at Teheran, of diplomatic repute, and similar -amusing details of court life in Persia and the Khanates of Central -Asia, tickled the fancy of the most serious, sober-minded of these high -lords, and went the round in the fashionable West End circles. But for -all that they saw in me merely the "lively foreigner," the versatile -traveller, and if here and there some interest was shown in my future, -it amounted to asking what were my latest travelling plans, and when I -thought of setting out in search of fresh discoveries. As if I had not -been on the go for two-and-twenty years, ever since I was ten years old! -as if I had not battled and struggled and suffered enough! And now that -for the first time in my life I had lighted on a green bough and hoped -to have accomplished something, was I again straightway to plunge into -the vague ocean of destiny? "No, no," I reflected; "I am now thirty-two -years old, without for one moment having enjoyed the pleasures of a -quiet, peaceful life, and without possessing enough to permit myself the -luxury of resting on my own bed, or of working comfortably at my own -table." This uncertain, unsatisfactory state of things must come to an -end sometime; and so the desire for rest and peace necessarily overruled -any inclination for great and ambitious plans, and nipped in the bud all -projects which possibly might have made my career more brilliant, but -certainly not happier than it afterwards turned out. - -The kind reader of these pages who is familiar with the struggles and -troubles of my childhood, who has followed me in thought on the thorny -path of early youth, and knows something of my experiences as -self-taught scholar and tutor, will perhaps accuse me of dejection, and -blame me for want of perseverance and steadiness of purpose. Possibly I -have disregarded the golden saying of my mother, "One must make one's -bed half the night, the better to rest the other half." I did give way -to dejection, but my resolve, however blameworthy it may be, should be -looked upon as the natural consequence of a struggle for existence which -began all too early and lasted sadly too long. Man is not made of iron, -too great a tension must be followed by a relaxation, and since the -first fair half of my life began to near its ending, my former iron will -also began to lose some of its force. The wings of my ambition were too -weak to soar after exalted ideals, and I contented myself with the -prospect of a modest professorship at the University of my native land -and the meagre livelihood this would give me. - -In England, where a man in his early thirties is, so to speak, still in -the first stage of his life, and energy is only just beginning to swell -the sails of his bark, my longing for rest was often misunderstood and -disapproved of. In London I met a gentleman of sixty who wanted to learn -Persian and start a career in India; and I was going to stop my -practical career at the age of thirty-two! The difference seems -enormous, but in the foggy North man's constitution is much tougher and -harder than in the South. My physical condition, my previous sufferings -and privations, may to some extent account for my despondency; I had to -give in, although my object was only half gained. - -Emotions of this kind overpowered me even in the whirl and rush of the -first months of my stay in London. Before long I had seen through the -deceptive glamour of all the brilliancy around me; and as I very soon -realised that my personal acquaintance with high society and the most -influential and powerful persons would hardly help me to a position in -England, I endeavoured at least to use the present situation as a step -towards a position at home, in the hope that the recognition I had -obtained in England would be of service to me in my native land, where -the appreciation of foreign lands is always a good recommendation. First -of all I set to work upon my book of travels, an occupation which took -me scarcely three months to accomplish, and which, written with the -experiences all yet fresh in my mind, resolved itself chiefly into a dry -and unadorned enumeration of adventures and facts. The introduction of -historical and philological notes would have been impossible in any -case, as my Oriental MSS. were detained in Pest as security on the money -loan, and also because in England everything that does not actually bear -upon political, economical, or commercial interests is looked upon as -superfluous ballast. When the first proof-sheets appeared of my -_Travels in Central Asia_ many of my friends regretted the brevity and -conciseness of the composition, but the style was generally approved of, -and after its publication the various criticisms and discussions of the -work eulogised me to such an extent, that my easily roused vanity would -soon have got the better of me, had I not been aware of the fact that -all this praise was to a great extent an expression of the hospitality -which England as a nation feels it its duty to pay to literary -foreigners. This, my literary firstfruits, necessarily contributed a -good deal to increase my popularity, and enlarged the circle of my -acquaintance in high society to which I had been semi-officially -introduced by my Asiatic friends. My fame now spread to all scientific, -industrial, and commercial circles all over England. I had no time to -breathe. The post brought me double as many invitations as before; I was -literally besieged by autograph hunters and photographers; and it is no -exaggeration to say that for months together I had invitations for every -meal of the day, and that my engagements were arranged for, days and -weeks beforehand. - -Wearisome and expensive as this enjoyment of popularity was--for in my -outward appearance and bearing I could not neglect any of the prescribed -forms which mark the "distinguished foreigner"--my position afforded me -the opportunity of studying London society, and through it the aims and -objects of the highest representatives of Western culture, in a manner -which might otherwise not have come within my reach. When in my youth I -journeyed Westward I never went beyond the frontiers of Austria, and it -was always only in literary pursuits that I came in contact with Western -lands: hence I never saw any but the theoretical side of things. And now -I was transplanted from the depths of Asia, _i.e._, from the extreme end -of old-world culture and gross barbarism into the extreme of Western -civilisation and modern culture; and overpowering as was the impression -of all that I saw and experienced, equally interesting to me was the -comparison of the two stages of human progress. - -What surprised me more than anything was the wealth, the comfort, and -the luxury of the English country houses, compared to which the rich -colouring of Oriental splendour--existing as a matter of fact mostly in -legends and fairy tales--cuts but a poor figure. As for me, who all my -life had only seen the smile of fortune from a distance, I was struck -with admiration. Most difficult of all I found it to get used to the -elaborate meals and the table pomp of the English aristocracy. I could -not help thinking of the time of my Dervishship, when my meals consisted -sometimes of begged morsels and sometimes of _pilaw_ which I cooked -myself. Now I had to eat through an endless series of courses, and drink -the queerest mixtures. During this period of my lionship it was -strangest of all to think of the miseries of my childish days and the -time when I was a mendicant student. It was the realisation of the fairy -tale of the beggar and the prince; and with reference to this I shall -never forget one night which I spent at the magnificent country house of -the Duke of A., not far from Richmond. I was guest there together with -Lord Clarendon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other English -notabilities. After dinner the company adjourned to the luxuriously -furnished smoke-room, and from there shortly before midnight every guest -was conducted to his respective bedroom by a lacquey preceding him with -two huge silver chandeliers. When the powdered footman dressed in red -silk velvet had ushered me into the splendidly furnished bedroom, -provided with every possible comfort and luxury, and began to take steps -to assist me in undressing, I looked at the man quite dumbfounded and -said with a friendly smile, "Thank you, I can manage alone." The footman -departed. I feasted my eyes upon all the grandeur around me. It was like -a cabinet full of precious curiosities and overflowing with silver -articles and wonderful arrangements of all sorts. When I turned back the -brocaded coverlet and lay down on the undulating bed, my fancy carried -me back twenty years, and I thought of my night quarters in the Three -Drums Street at Pest with the widow Schönfeld, where I had hired a bed -in company with a tailor's apprentice, he taking the head and I the -foot of the bed. Musing upon the strange alternations of man's lot, and -the difference between my condition then and now, I could not go to -sleep, but tossed about half the night on my silken couch. It was after -all merely a childish reflection, for, though now in splendour, I was -but a guest. But it is difficult to divest oneself of the impression of -the moment, and as often as I found myself in a similar position the -comparison between the mendicant student suffering want and the petted -lion of English society has brought me to a contemplative mood. - -More even than by the wealth and prosperity I was struck by the spirit -of freedom which, notwithstanding the strictly aristocratic etiquette of -society, must surprise the South-Eastern European, and more still any -one who from the inner Asiatic world finds himself suddenly transplanted -to the banks of the Thames. Formerly, in my native land it was always -with unconscious awe and admiration that I looked up to a prince, a -count, or a baron, and afterwards in Asia I had to approach a Pasha, -Khan, or Sirdar with submissive mien, sometimes even with homage. And -now I was surprised to notice how little attention was paid to dukes, -lords, and baronets in the clubs and other public places in England. -When for the first time I went into the reading-room of the Athenæum -Club, and with my hat on stood reading the _Times_ opposite to Lord -Palmerston and at the same desk with him, I could hardly contain myself -for surprise, and my eyes rested more often on the strong features of -"Mister Pam" than on the columns of the city paper. Later on I was -introduced in the Cosmopolitan Club to the Prince of Wales, then -twenty-three years old. This club did not open till after midnight. When -I saw the future ruler of Albion sitting there at his ease, without the -other members taking the slightest notice of him, I fairly gasped at the -apparent indifference shown to the Queen's son. I could but approach the -young Prince with the utmost reverence and awe; and it was entirely -owing to the great affability and kindness of heart of this son of the -Queen that I plucked up courage to sit down and hold half an hour's -conversation with him. Since that time this specially English -characteristic of individual freedom and independence has often struck -me forcibly, and could not fail to strike any one accustomed to the -cringing spirit of Asia and the servility of Eastern Europe. Truly a -curious mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous, of really noble and -frivolous impressions, marked these first months of my sojourn in -England. Feelings of admiration and contempt, of delight and scorn -alternated within me; and when I ask myself now what it was that I -disliked about England, and drove me to unfavourable criticism, I would -mention in the first place the rigid society manners, utterly foreign to -me, which I found it hard to conform to and consequently detested. The -straitjacket of etiquette and society manners oppresses the English -themselves more than they care to acknowledge; how, then, must it affect -the Continental and the wanderer fresh from the Steppes of Asia? The -second reason which made the idea of a longer stay in London quite -impossible for me was the dislike, nay, the absolute horror I had of the -incessant hurrying, rushing, bustling crowds in the thoroughfares; the -desperate efforts to gain honour and riches, and the niggardly grudging -of every minute of time. Standing at the corner of Lombard Street or -Cheapside, or mixing with the crowds madly hurrying along Ludgate Hill, -I felt like a man suddenly transported to pandemonium. To see how these -masses push and press past one another, how the omnibus drivers swing -round the corners, regardless of danger to human life, for the mere -chance of gaining a few coppers more, and to realise how this same -struggle for existence goes on in all stages of society, in all phases -of life, relentless, merciless, was enough to make me think with longing -of the indolent life of Eastern lands; and, without admitting the -Nirvana theory, all this fuss and flurry seemed out of place and far too -materialistic. My nature altogether revolted against it. - -Of course this view was quite erroneous. For what has made England great -was, and is, this very same prominent individuality, this restless -striving and struggling, this utter absence of all fear, hesitation, and -sentimentality where the realisation of a preconceived idea is -concerned. But unfortunately at that time I was still under the ban of -Asiaticism; and although the slowness, indolence, and blind fanaticism -of the Asiatics had annoyed me, equally disagreeable to me was the -exactly opposite tendency here manifested. I wanted to find the "golden -middle way," and unconsciously I was drawn towards my own home, where on -the borderland between these two worlds I hoped to find what I sought. - -And now, after the lapse of so many years, recalling to mind some -personal reminiscences of London society, I seem to recognise in the -political, scientific, and artistic world of those days so many traits -of a truly humane and noble nature, mixed with the most bizarre and -eccentric features which have been overlooked by observers. - -The gigantic edifice of the British Empire was then still in progress of -building, the scaffolding was not yet removed, some portions still -awaited their completion; and as the beautiful structure could not yet -be viewed in its entirety, and an impression of the whole could, -therefore, not be realised, there was in the nation but little of that -superabundant self-consciousness for which modern times are noted. They -listened to me with pleasure when I spoke of England's mighty influence -over the Moslem East, they heard with undisguised gratification when I -commended England's civilising superiority over that of Russia, but yet -they did not seem to trust their own eyes, and to many my words were -mere polite speeches with which the petted foreigner reciprocated their -hospitality. The interest shown by a foreigner in a foreign land must -always seem somewhat strange, and my appreciative criticisms of England -may have appeared suspicious to many of my readers. Only later -statements by such men as Baron Hübner in his _Travels in India_, or -Garcin de Tassy's learned disquisitions on the influence of English -culture on Hindustan, have lent more weight to my writings. - -Of all the leading statesmen of the time I felt most attracted towards -Lord Palmerston. I recognised in him a downright Britisher, with a -French polish and German thoroughness; a politician who, with his -gigantic memory, could command to its smallest details the enormous -Department of Foreign Affairs, and who knew all about the lands and the -people of Turkey, Persia, and India. He seemed to carry in his head the -greater portion of the diplomatic correspondence between the East and -the West; and what particularly took my fancy were the jocular remarks -which he used to weave into his conversation, together with _bon-mots_ -and more serious matters. In the after-dinner chats at the house of Mr. -Tomlin, not far from the Athenæum Club, or at 16, Belgrave Square with -Sir Roderick Murchison, where I was an often invited guest, he used to -be particularly eloquent. When he began to arrange the little knot of -his wide, white cravat, and hemmed a little, one could always be sure -that some witty remark was on its way, and during the absence of the -ladies subjects were touched upon which otherwise were but seldom -discussed in the prudish English society of the day. I had to come -forward with harem stories and anecdotes of different lands, and the -racier they were the more heartily the noble lord laughed. The Prime -Minister was at that time already considerably advanced in years. The -most delicate questions of the day were freely discussed, and I must -confess that it pleased me very much when they did not look upon me as -an outsider, but fully took me into their confidence. Lord Granville, -afterwards Minister of Foreign Affairs, treated me also with great -kindness. He was a little more reserved, certainly, but an intrinsically -good man, and it always pleased him when I was at table with him to hear -me converse with the different foreign ambassadors in their native -tongue. His sister, Mrs. James, an influential lady in high life, -provided me with invitations from various quarters, and it was she who -urged me to settle in London. Similar encouragements I also received -from Sir Justin Sheil, at one time British Ambassador in Persia, and his -wife, most distinguished, excellent, people, who instructed me in the -ways of fashionable life, and taught me how to dress and how to comport -myself at table, in the drawing-room and in the street. Blunders against -the orthodoxy of English customs were resented by many; and once a lady -who had seen me on the top of an omnibus, from where the busy -street-life of London can best be observed, said to me in full earnest, -"Sir, take care not to be seen there again, otherwise you can no longer -appear as a gentleman in society." Admittance into society is everything -in England. One is severely judged by the cut and colour of one's -clothes. Society ladies demand that hat, umbrella, and walking-stick -come from the very best shop, and most important is the club to which -one belongs, and of course also the circle of one's acquaintances. When -I was able to give as my address, "Athenæum Club, Pall Mall," the -barometer of my importance rose considerably. - -One can easily understand that all these trifles were little to my -taste. I had always been fond of simplicity and natural manners. All -these formalities and superficialities were hateful to me, but at that -time I had to yield to necessity and make the best of a bad job; nay, -even be grateful to my instructors for their well-meant advice in these -matters. - -Honestly speaking, I have found among these people some very -noble-minded friends who, from purely humane motives, interested -themselves in me, and whose kind treatment I shall not forget as long as -I live. Amongst these I would especially mention Lord Strangford, -already referred to, a man of brilliant scientific talents, and -possessing a quite extraordinary knowledge of geography, history, and -the languages of the Moslem East. He had lived for many years on the -banks of the Bosphorus as Secretary to the Embassy, and was not only -thoroughly acquainted with Osmanli, Persian, and Hindustani, but also -with the Chagataic language, then absolutely unknown in Europe. He could -recite long passages from the poems of Newai. He was as much at home in -the works of Sadi, Firdusi, and Baki as in Milton and Shakespeare, and -well informed as regards the ethnography and politics of the Balkan -peoples, and the various tribes of Central Asia and India. Lord -Strangford, indeed, was to me a living wonder, and when he shook his -long-bearded, bony head in speaking of Asia and criticising the politics -of Lord Palmerston, I should have liked to note down every word he said, -for he was a veritable mine of Oriental knowledge. It is very strange -that this man was not used as English Ambassador at one of the Oriental -courts, and it has often been laid to Lord Palmerston's charge that he, -the illustrious Premier, was not well disposed towards his Irish -countryman, who sometimes expressed his resentment of the slight in the -columns of the _Pall Mall Gazette_, the _Saturday_, or the _Quarterly -Review_. As far as I am concerned Lord Strangford was always a most kind -and considerate patron, one of the best and most unselfish friends I -had in England, and his early death was a great grief to me. He died of -brain fever, and, as Lady Strangford afterwards wrote to me, holding in -his hand the volume of my Chagataic Grammar which I had dedicated to -him. - -Next to the noble Lord Strangford I would mention the great -mathematician, Mr. Spottiswoode, who often asked me to his house; also -Sir Alexander Gordon, in Mayfair, whose sister, knowing something of -Egypt, took a special interest in my travels. I was also a welcome guest -at Lord Houghton's, both in town at Brook Street and in the country at -Ferrybridge, Yorkshire. The lunch parties at his town residence were -often of a peculiarly interesting nature. The master of the house, a -lover of sharp contrasts, used to gather round his table the fanatical -admirer of Mohammedanism, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and the equally -fanatical Protestant Bishop of Oxford, Dr. Wilberforce known as "Soapy -Sam." Most lively disputes took place at times in defence of the -teachings of Christ and Mohammed, in which the disputants did not deal -over-gently with one another, and their forcible attacks upon each -other's convictions sometimes caused the most ridiculous scenes. Still -finer were the meetings at Ferrybridge, Lord Houghton's country seat. -During one visit there I made the acquaintance of such celebrities as -Lord Lytton, afterwards Viceroy of India; the poet Algernon Swinburne, -who used to read to us passages of his yet unpublished poem, _Atalanta -in Calydon_, over which the slender youth went into ecstasies; and last, -but not least, of Burton, just returned from a mission in the North-West -of Africa. Burton--later Sir Richard Burton--was to spend his honeymoon -under the hospitable roof of the genial Lord Houghton. The company, -amongst which Madame Mohl, the wife of the celebrated Orientalist, Jules -Mohl, specially attracted my attention, had met here in honour of -Burton, the great traveller, and as he was the last to arrive, Lord -Houghton planned the following joke: I was to leave the drawing-room -before Burton appeared with his young wife, hide behind one of the -doors, and at a given sign recite the first _Sura_ of the Koran with -correct Moslem modulation. I did as arranged. Burton went through every -phase of surprise, and jumping up from his seat exclaimed, "That is -Vambéry!" although he had never seen or heard me before. In after years -I entertained the most friendly relations with this remarkable man, whom -I hold to be, incontestably, the greatest traveller of the nineteenth -century, for he had the most intimate knowledge of all Moslemic Asia; he -was a clever Arabic scholar, had explored portions of Africa together -with Speke, and gone through the most awful adventures at the court of -Dahomey; he had explored the unknown regions of North and South America, -and also made himself a literary name by his translations of the -_Lusiade_ and _The Thousand and One Nights_; in a word, this strangely -gifted man, who was never fully appreciated in his own country, and -through his peculiarities laid himself open to much misunderstanding, -was from the very first an object of the greatest admiration for me. His -contemporary and fellow-worker, Gifford Palgrave, I also reckoned among -my friends. He was a classical Englishman, first belonging to the -Anglican and afterwards to the Roman Catholic Church. For some time he -was in the service of the Society of Jesus, as teacher in the mission -school at Beyrût; and as he was quite at home in the Arabic language, he -under-took a journey into the then unknown country of Nedjd, the chief -resort of the Wahâbis, about whom his book of travels contains many -interesting new data. Being a classical orator, he used to fascinate his -audience with his choice language, and what Spurgeon has been in the -pulpit and Gladstone in Parliament, that was Palgrave in the hall of the -Geographical Society. I liked the man fairly well, only a peculiar -twinkle of the eye constantly reminded me of his former Jesuitism. In -David Livingstone, the great African explorer, I found a congenial -fellow-labourer, whose words of appreciation, "What a pity you did not -make Africa the scene of your activity!" sounded pleasant in my ears. - -Other travellers, such as Speke, Grant, Kirk and others, I was also -proud to reckon among my friends; and in the field of literature I -would mention in the first place Charles Dickens, whose acquaintance I -made at the Athenæum Club, and who often asked me to have dinner at the -same table with him. Dickens was not particularly talkative, but he was -very much interested in my adventures, and when once I declined his -invitation for the following evening with the apology that I had to dine -at Wimbledon with my publisher, John Murray, he remarked, "So you are -going to venture into the 'Brain Castle,' for of course you know," he -continued, "that Murray's house is not built of brick but of human -brains." Among politicians, artists, actors, financiers, generals--in -fact in all classes and ranks of society--I had friends and -acquaintances. I had no cause to complain of loneliness or neglect; any -one else would no doubt have been supremely happy in my place, and would -have made better use also of the general complaisance. But I was as yet -absolutely new to this Western world; I was as it were still wrapped in -the folds of Asiatic thought, and, in spite of my enthusiasm for modern -culture, I had great difficulty in making myself familiar with the -principal conditions of this phase of life, with its everlasting rushing -and hurrying, the unremitting efforts to get higher up, and the cold -discretion of the combatants. In fact, my first visit to England made me -feel gloomy and discouraged. - -This depression was yet enhanced by the disappointment in regard to the -material results of my book, and the rude awakening out of my dreams of -comparative prosperity. To judge from the enthusiastic reception of my -work both in Europe and America, and after all the laudatory criticisms -of the Press, I expected to get from the sale of the first edition a sum -at least sufficient to ensure my independence. The newspapers talked of -quite colossal sums which my publisher had paid or would pay me, and I -was consequently not a little crestfallen when at the end of the year I -received the first account, according to which I had made a net profit -of £500, a sum of which I had spent nearly a third in London. The modest -remainder, in the eyes of the former Dervish a small fortune, was as -nothing to the European accustomed to London high-life, and not by a -long way sufficient for the writer, anxious to make a home for himself. -The vision of all my fair anticipations and bold expectations vanished -as a mist before my eyes, and after having tasted of the golden fruit of -the Hesperides, was I to go back to my scantily furnished table, nay, -perhaps be reduced again to poverty and the struggle for daily bread? -After twenty years of hard fighting I was back again where I was at the -beginning of my career, with this difference, that I had gained a name -and reputation, a capital, however, which would not yield its interest -till much later. - -I am therefore not at all surprised that in my desperate frame of mind -I clutched at a straw, and looked upon a professorship at Pest and the -doctor's chair of Oriental languages as the bark of salvation upon the -still turbulent ocean of my life. True, my cold reception at home had -somewhat sobered me, and made the realisation of even this modest -ambition not quite so easy of attainment, but my longing for my native -land and for a quiet corner admitted of no hesitation, no doubt. With -incredible light-heartedness I disengaged myself from the embrace of the -noisy, empty homage of the great city on the Thames and sped to Pest to -present myself to my compatriots after my triumphal campaign in England -and crowned with the laurels of appreciation of the cultured West. As -may be supposed, my reception was somewhat warmer but not much more -splendid than on my return from Asia. Small nations in the early stages -of their cultural development often follow the lead of greater, -mightier, and more advanced lands in their distribution of blame or -praise. The homely proverb, "Young folks do as old folks did," can also -be applied to whole communities, and, especially where it concerns the -appreciation and acknowledgment of matters rather beyond the -intellectual and national limits of the people, such copying or rather -echoing of the superior criticism is quite permissible and excusable. On -my return from England my compatriots received me with marked -attention, but Hungary was still an Austrian province, and in order to -attain the coveted professorship I had to go to Vienna and solicit the -favour of an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor Francis Joseph, a -noble-minded monarch and exceptionally kind-hearted--who was not -unjustly called the first gentleman of the realm--received me most -graciously, asked some particulars about my travels, and at once granted -me my request, adding, "You have suffered much and deserve this post." -He made only one objection, viz., that even in Vienna there are but few -who devote themselves to the study of Oriental languages, and that in -Hungary I should find scarcely any hearers. On my reply, "If I can get -no one to listen to me I can learn myself," the Emperor smiled and -graciously dismissed me. - -I shall always feel indebted to this noble monarch, although, on the -other hand, from the very first I have had much to bear from the -Austrian Bureaucracy and the fustiness of the mediæval spirit which -ruled the higher circles of Austrian society; perhaps more correctly -from their innate ignorance and stupidity. The Lord-High-Steward, Prince -A., whom I had to see before the audience, regardless of the -recommendations I brought from the Austrian Ambassador in London, -received me with a coldness and pride as if I had come to apply for a -position as lackey, and while royal personages of the West, and later -on also Napoleon, had shaken hands with me and asked me to sit down, -this Austrian aristocrat kept me standing for ten minutes, spoke roughly -to me, and dismissed me with the impression that a man of letters is -treated with more consideration in Khiva and among the Turkomans than in -the Austrian capital. - -And this, alas! hurt me all the more, as the social conditions at home -in my native land were no better. Here also the wall of partition, class -distinctions and religious differences rose like a black, impenetrable -screen adorned with loathsome figures before my eyes, and the monster of -blind prejudice blocked my way. The enormous distance between the -appreciation of literary endeavours in the West and in the East grew in -proportion as I left the banks of the Thames and neared my native land; -for although the public in Hungary warmly welcomed their countryman, -re-echoing the shouts of applause from England and France, nay, even -looked upon him with national pride, I could not fail to notice on the -part of the heads of society and the leading circles a cold and -intentional neglect, which hurt me. - -The fact that this Hungarian, who had been so much fêted abroad, was of -obscure origin, without family relations, and, moreover, of Jewish -extraction, spoiled the interest for many, and they forcibly suppressed -any feelings of appreciation they may have had. The Catholic Church, -that hotbed of intolerance and blind prejudice, was the first in attack. -It upbraided me for figuring as a Protestant and not as a Catholic, as -if I, the freethinker, took any interest in sectarian matters! - -I was the first non-Catholic professor appointed according to Imperial -Cabinet orders to occupy a chair of the philosophical faculty at the -Pest University. Thus not to give offence to this University--unjustly -called a Catholic institution--by appointing a so-called Protestant, -_i.e._, a heretic, the title of professor was withheld from me, and for -three years I had to content myself with the title of lector and the -modest honorarium of 1,000 florins a year--a remuneration equal to that -of any respectable nurse in England when besides her monthly wages we -take into account her full keep! Truly, from a material point of view, -my laborious and perilous travels had not profited me much! - -To justify this humiliation certain circles at home took special care to -depreciate me at every possible opportunity. Wise and learned men, for -instance, professed to have come to the conclusion that my travels in -the Far East, and the dangers and fatigues I had professed to have gone -through, were a physical impossibility on account of my lame leg. "The -Jew lies; he is a swindler, a boaster, like all his fellow-believers." -Such were the comments, not merely in words, but actually printed in -black and white; and when I introduced myself officially to the Rector -of the University, afterwards Catholic bishop of a diocese, I was -greeted with the following gracious words, "Do you suppose we are not -fully informed as to the treacherousness of your character? We are well -aware that your knowledge of Oriental languages is but very faulty and -that your fitness to fill the chair is very doubtful. But we do not wish -to act against His Majesty's commands, and to this coercion only do you -owe your appointment." Such was the gracious reception I had, and such -were the encouraging words addressed to me after the learned -Orientalists of Paris and London had loaded me with praise and honour, -and after I had accomplished, in the service of my people, a journey -which, as regards its perilousness, privations, and sufferings, can -certainly not be called a pleasure trip. - -As it is only natural that small communities on the lower steps of -civilisation are either too lazy or too incapable to think, and are -guided in their opinion by the views of the higher and leading ranks of -society, I am not surprised that in certain circles of Hungary for years -together I was looked upon with suspicion, and that my book of travels, -which in the meantime had been translated for several Eastern and -Western nations into their mother-tongue, was simply discredited at -home. Similar causes have elsewhere, under similar conditions, produced -similar effects. When the nickname of "Marco Millioni" could be given -to the celebrated Venetian who traded all over Asia, why should I mind -their treatment of me in Hungary, where, apart from national -archæological considerations, nobody evinced any great interest in the -distant East? Among the millions of my countrymen there was perhaps no -more than one who had ever heard the names of Bokhara and Khiva, and -under the extremely primitive cultural conditions of those days -geographical explorations were not likely to excite very great interest. -The nation, languishing in the bonds of absolutism, and longing for the -restoration of Constitutional rights, was only interested in politics; -and, since the few scientists, who in their inmost minds were convinced -of the importance of my undertaking, had become prejudiced by the -reception I had received abroad and were now filled with envy, my -position was truly desperate, and for years I had to bear the sad -consequences of ill-will. When the first Turkish Consul for Hungary -appeared in Budapest he was asked on all sides whether it was really -true that I knew Turkish, and when he replied that I spoke and wrote -Turkish like a born Osmanli, everybody was greatly surprised. One of my -kind friends and patrons said to me in reply to my remark that I should -talk Persian with Rawlinson, "You can make us believe this kind of -thing, but be careful not to take in other people." A few weeks later -Rawlinson took me for a born Persian, but at home they said it was -unheard of for a Hungarian scientist to be able to speak Persian. So -deplorably low was the standard of Hungarian learning in those days! - -Under these conditions the reader may well be surprised, and I must -confess that I am surprised myself now, that my deeply-wounded ambition -did not revolt against these saddest of all experiences, but that I -meekly bore these constant insults and calumnies. This extraordinary -humility in the character of a man who in every fibre of his body was -animated by ambition and a desire for fame, as I was in those days, has -long been an enigma to me. I have accused myself of lack of courage and -determination, and I should blush for shame at the memory of this -weakness if it were not for the extenuating circumstance that I was -utterly exhausted and wearied with my twenty years' struggle for -existence, and that my strong craving for a quiet haven of rest was a -further extenuation. What did I care that my supposed merits were not -appreciated at home, since in the far advanced West the worth of my -labours had been so amply recognised? Why should I trouble myself about -the adverse criticism of my rivals and ill-wishers since I had at last -found a quiet corner, and in possession of my two modestly furnished -rooms could comfort myself with the thought that I had now at last found -a home, and with the scanty but certain income of some eighty florins -per month I could sit down in peace to enjoy the long wished-for -pursuit of quiet, undisturbed literary labour? When I had completed the -furnishing of my humble little home, and, sitting down on the -velvet-covered sofa, surveyed the little domain, which now for the first -time I could call my own, I experienced a childish delight in examining -all the little details which I had provided for my comfort. Thirty-three -years long I had spent in this earthly vale of misery, a thousand ills, -both physical and mental, to endure, before it was granted me to -experience the blissful consciousness, henceforth no longer to be tossed -about, the sport of fortune, no longer to be exposed to gnawing -uncertainty, but quietly and cheerfully to pursue the object of my life, -and by working out my experiences to benefit the world at large. To -other mortals, more highly favoured by birth, my genuine satisfaction -and delight may appear incomprehensible and ridiculous: one may object -that I longed for rest too soon, and that the small results were -scarcely worthy of all the hard labour. But he whom Fate has cast about -for years on the stormy ocean hails with delight even the smallest and -scantiest plot of solid land, and he who has never known riches or -abundance enjoys his piece of dry but certain bread as much as the -richest dish. - -Such were the feelings which animated me when I settled down in -surroundings altogether apart from my studies, my desires and views of -life, and such also were the feelings which made me proof against all -the attacks and slights of a criticism animated more by ignorance than -intentional ill-will. I simply revelled in the enjoyment of these first -weeks and months of my new career. The healthy hunger for work acted -like a precious tonic, the old indestructible cheerfulness returned, and -when after my daily labour of eight or ten hours I went for a walk in -the country I fancied myself the happiest man on earth. On account of -the marked difference of treatment I had received in England and in -Hungary, and in order not to subject myself to unnecessary slights, I -had at home avoided all social intercourse as far as I possibly could. -Thus on the one hand I had all the more leisure for my work, and on the -other hand, through my large correspondence with foreign countries, I -was led to remove the centre of gravity of my literary operations and -the chief aim and object of my pursuits to foreign lands. At first this -necessity troubled me; but the remark of my noble patron, Baron Eötvös, -that Hungary never could be the field of my literary labours, and that I -should benefit my native land far more by putting the products of my pen -upon the world's market in foreign languages soon comforted me. I wrote -mostly in German and English, and enlarged my mind in various branches -of practical and theoretical knowledge of Asiatic peoples and countries. -Two years had scarcely passed before my pen was the most in request on -subjects of the geographical, ethnographical, philological, scientific, -and political literature of Central Asia--in fact, of the whole Moslemic -East. During this period I saw the realisation of the boldest ideas of -my early days, and only now began to reap the benefit of my studies. I -read the different European and Asiatic languages without the help of a -dictionary, and as in most of them I had had practical experience, I -could understand them the more easily, and also write in them. Gradually -I had got together a small library of special books, and on account of -the lively correspondence I kept up with my fellow-literati and friends -of Oriental study, I was enabled to work with energy far from the centre -of my studies as linguist, ethnographer, and editor. Now and then the -want of intellectual stimulus and personal intercourse with my -fellow-labourers made itself felt. I longed particularly for an -interchange of ideas with authorities on the East, as in Pest itself I -could only meet with a few orthodox scholars of Ural-Altaic comparative -philology; but in the zeal and enthusiasm for one's undertaking one -easily dispenses with encouragement, and with the device, "_Nulla dies -sine linea_," which I always conscientiously followed, I must ultimately -reach the goal and overcome all obstacles. - -With industry and perseverance, energy and untiring zeal, I could -conquer anything except the stupidity of human nature galled by envy. -The more I worked to keep up my literary repute and the repute I had -gained as traveller, the more furiously raged my opponents, and the more -they endeavoured to discredit me, and to accuse me of all imaginable -mistakes and misrepresentations. Once when I complained about this to -Baron Eötvös, this noble and high-minded man rightly remarked, "The -regions of your travels and studies are unknown in this land, and you -cannot expect society to acknowledge its ignorance and incapacity to -understand. It is far easier and more comfortable to condemn one whom it -does not understand as a liar and a deceiver." Now this was exactly my -position; all the same it grieved me to meet with so much opposition on -every side. Not in any period of my life, when some public -acknowledgment on the part of the Academy or of the newly-established -Hungarian Government would have been such a help to one of my almost -childish sensitiveness, had I ever received the slightest token of -appreciation of my labours. Twelve years after my return from Central -Asia I was elected ordinary member of the Academy, and then only after -several quite insignificant men had preceded me, and I simply could not -be passed over any longer. Others of higher birth, but without any -literary pretensions, were made honorary members or even placed on the -directing staff. As regards the State's want of appreciation of my work, -although I may now look upon it as of no significance, it made me feel -very sore at the time, especially during the Coronation festivities -when Hungarian literati and artists were picked out and I was utterly -ignored. At other times they were glad enough to distinguish me as the -only Magyar who had brought Hungarian knowledge on to the world's stage, -and had been instrumental in making the name of the Hungarian Academy -known to the Western world. I could give many other proofs of this -intentional neglect and ignoring of my claims, but why should I weary -the reader any longer with revelations of wounded vanity? The conviction -that I had become a stranger in my own land impressed itself more and -more upon me; the false position in which I was placed must necessarily -become more and more conspicuous. No wonder, then, that I grew -indifferent towards the place which formerly had been the object of all -my desires, and I now began to long for England, the foreign land where -I was better understood and more appreciated, and where I had found more -interest in my studies and more encouragement of my efforts. - -Nothing, therefore, was more natural than that in these circumstances I -should undertake a journey abroad, to cheer and comfort myself by -personal contact with congenial society. These motives drew me towards -Germany, France, and particularly England. In Germany I made the -acquaintance of distinguished Orientalists whose theoretical knowledge -excited my admiration as much as their practical incapacity and -awkwardness surprised me. They were kind, modest, worthy men, who, since -I was outside their particular set, met me very pleasantly, but they -looked very doubtful when I seemed not to be acquainted with their -theories or betrayed an insufficient knowledge of their treatises, -notes, and glossaries. They listened to me, but I saw at once that they -looked upon me as a dilettante, outside the pale of learning. This -opinion of my literary accomplishments was not altogether unjust, for I -was and remained always a practical Orientalist, and these theorists -might have remembered that a mere bookman could not possibly have -travelled through so many Islamic lands as Dervish and faced all dangers -and vicissitudes in close intercourse with the people. - -In France I fared somewhat better. Here the political situation had -revealed the necessity of practical knowledge of Asiatic conditions, and -side by side with the theoretical guardians of Oriental science there -had at all times been a considerable number of practical authorities on -Asia, who now received me very warmly. Of the personages with whom I -became acquainted in Paris I will mention in the first place Napoleon -III., who admitted me to an audience more because it was the fashion -than to satisfy his scientific curiosity. When I entered the Tuileries -in company with Prince Metternich, then Austrian Ambassador at Paris, -and caught sight of the Emperor before the Pavillon de l'Horloge as he -was taking leave of Queen Christina of Spain, the vision of this -thick-set man, with his flabby features and pale, faded eyes, made a -miserable impression upon me. And still more lamentable was the result -of my half-hour's interview with him. He appeared to have been preparing -himself for my visit, for on his writing-table, covered with papers and -documents, I saw spread out the map which accompanied the English -edition of my _Travels_, and, after the usual ceremonies, he told me to -sit down by him and began to converse about Hungary. When I remarked -that I had undertaken these travels into the interior of Asia at the -request of the Academy, the Emperor replied he had heard a good deal in -praise of Hungary, and after receiving some information as to the -intellectual efforts of Hungary, he led the conversation on to Central -Asia. At first he attempted to give the conversation a more scientific -character, and, with reference to his _Jules César_, which had just -appeared, he began to talk about the ethnical origin of the Parthians. -Gradually he dropped into a consideration of the political condition of -Central Asia, and put to me the question whether in the Memorandum I had -presented to Lord Palmerston I had touched upon the politico-economic -relations between Central Asia and India, and wherein lay the danger for -England. My explanations did not seem to suit his preconceived notions, -for he tried to refute my views as regards the danger to English -interests by pointing out the strong position England held in India, so -gloriously maintained in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, while Russia was only -just beginning to make conquests in Central Asia. When I replied that -Russia's object was not so much to conquer India, but rather to cripple -the English military forces, in order to tie the hands of one of the -chief opponents of Russia's designs upon Constantinople, the Emperor was -driven into a corner and said: "Such an eventuality is a long way off -yet, and as to this point in the Oriental question, there are yet other -factors to be considered." Leaving the discussion of politics, which did -not seem to please the Emperor, he suddenly turned the conversation -again upon my travels, and began to compliment me on my adventures and -the linguistic proficiency which had so helped me to success. He said, -"You have evidently a great talent for acting, and the fact that you, -with your physical weakness (hinting at my lameness), have been able to -go through so many fatigues, is altogether astonishing." - -I had occasion later on to meet the Emperor in the salon of the Princess -Mathilde, but I must honestly say that I could not discern a trace of -that greatness of which for years I had heard so much. He could be -affable and pleasant; between taciturnity and gravity he simulated the -deep thinker, but his pale eyes and artificial speech soon betrayed the -adventurer who had been elevated to his exalted position by the -inheritance of a great name and the wantonness of the nation. His -minister, Count Drouyn de Lhuys, was somewhat more inquisitive and -better informed; but the most interesting personality of my Parisian -acquaintance was decidedly the great Guizot, to whom I was introduced in -the Rue de Bac at the salon of Madame Mohl. The old gentleman, then in -his 78th year, was full of sparkling humour, and his memory was quite -marvellous. He seemed to be most amused to hear me hold a lively -conversation in various European and Asiatic languages, and he made a -point of bringing me in contact with several more nationalities with the -object of confusing me. Monsieur Guizot took a warm interest in me; at -his suggestion I was invited to the various salons, but all these -civilities could not chain me to the Parisian world. In the leading -themes, belle lettres, music, and plastic art, I was an ignoramus and -had not a word to say; the superfine manners of society worried me, for -I missed here the lively interest in things Asiatic which in the London -circles, in spite of the no less strict etiquette, was constantly -evinced. Men such as Barthélemy de St. Hilaire, Garcin de Tassy, Pavet -de Courteille, and other experts, had a strong fascination for me, but -generally speaking France left me cold, for I missed even the great -cosmopolitan ideas, the lively interest in the movements of mankind in -the far-away corners of the globe, and I realised that national vanity -would not so easily admit a stranger to its platform. - -On the other side of the Channel it was quite different, and in course -of time the oftener I came to England the more I felt at home there, and -the closer became the ties of friendship in various classes of society. -When in London I was often invited to the provincial towns to give -public lectures on some one or other subject of Inner-Asiatic -conditions, and thus became acquainted with the principal centres of -industry. My lectures were mostly limited to the description of those -Central Asiatic lands where I had resided for some considerable time, -and dealt with commerce, industry, natural products, and other such -practical points. In many places, as, for instance, in Birmingham, I was -asked to bring my costume bought in Central Asia, to give the -manufacturers an insight into the colour, material, and fashion of the -national costume, and, as I learned afterwards, similar goods of English -manufacture have since been imported into Bokhara by the way of -Afghanistan. In other places again, I had to speak of my travelling -adventures in connection with geographical and ethnographical interests, -and even in the smallest towns I always found an attentive and -interested audience. I also used to touch upon the political side of my -travelling experiences, and the more I railed against Russia the louder -was the applause. Sometimes there were comical episodes during my -lectures. After I had finished, the public always addressed various -questions to me, and once the learned entomologist, Mr. D., asked -whether I could not oblige him with some Central Asiatic lice, as he had -made a special study of these insects, and was on the point of -publishing a large book on the subject. On my reply that in Central Asia -I had been in quite too close contact with these creatures, but that -now, thank Heaven, there was a great distance between us, the scientist -asked whether, perhaps, my Tartar could oblige him with a few specimens. -He explained that he had various kinds, Chinese, Siamese, and other -lice, but he had not been able to procure any from Central Asia. Again, -I had to reply in the negative, but the enthusiastic entomologist would -not yet give in. "Could not," he suggested, "a European louse (a -Hungarian one in this case) be brought into contact with my Tartar? it -would be interesting to note what transformation would take place." -Needless to say, I did not perform this charitable duty to science, but -this little episode with Mr. D., who soon afterwards published a work in -two thick volumes upon _pedicula_, has often amused me. My lectures in -England have always had an exhilarating effect upon me. Commencing in -1868, I visited in this manner, with short intervals, many different -towns of the United Kingdom. Bath, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, -Bradford, Leamington, Norwich, Kendal, York, Wakefield, Edinburgh, -Belfast, Halifax, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Newcastle-on-Tyne, -Brighton, Cardiff, and other places, were visited once, twice, and even -oftener. Everywhere I enjoyed the hospitality of the most distinguished -and richest inhabitants of the place, and thus I got an insight into the -social, religious, ethical, and political standing as well as the -prevailing ideas and notions of the British people which increased my -admiration and enthusiasm for this remarkable nation. After two years of -uninterrupted sojourn in Hungary I always felt the need for what the -French call, "me retremper dans l'esprit européen," and to strengthen my -nerves and refresh my ideas by a trip to England. Just as on my journey -home from the East I felt that step by step I was advancing in Western -ways of living and thinking, in Western manners and customs, until they -reached their culminating point in England, so also when returning home -from thence I felt that each step was bringing me nearer to Eastern -notions of life, and to the errors, abuses, and superstitions of the Old -World. Year after year I made the same disappointing observation. It -always struck me in the same unpleasant manner; and if in spite of all -this I did not follow the promptings of my heart to make my permanent -home in the centre of Western thought and culture, so much more -congenial to my own conceptions of life, the fault lies not with me, but -with various external causes. In the first place the immediate contact -with these factors of Western culture, the incessant buzzing and -whirring of the machinery, had a stunning and exhausting effect upon me. -I realised that this restlessness, this everlasting mad rushing and -wrestling was unavoidable and indispensable to the attainment of the -object in view, but I preferred to watch the grotesque spectacle from a -distance, and to renew my strength by occasional visits to the field of -action. In the second place, notwithstanding all the many contradictions -and oppositions in which I constantly found myself with my countrymen on -account of my different views and notions of life, I clung far too -strongly to the soil of my native land to separate myself from it -altogether, and finally break with so many homely manners and customs -yet dear to me. And in the third place I was a Hungarian and had -presented myself to the world as the explorer of the early history and -language of my people. As such, an expatriation might reasonably have -shed a doubtful light upon my character as man and writer. My fate -compelled me to remain at home, to persevere, and to make myself as -comfortable as I could in the uncongenial surroundings. A hard struggle, -an everlasting self-denial, a constant incognito seemed to be my -appointed lot both in Europe and in Asia. Here, as there, my -surroundings were foreign and uncongenial to me, and while for many -years I accommodated myself to the necessity, and silently bore all -manner of mental injuries, I had always the consolation of work; for in -literary occupation I forgot everything else and was supremely happy. - -I have often been asked why I did not from a patriotic point of view -join the national political endeavours, and take part in the movement of -1867? From a utilitarian point of view, and considering my eminently -practical views of life, my entering the Hungarian Parliament seemed to -commend itself; but serious considerations held me back. In the first -place I had no taste for this career. I had never studied Hungarian law, -and my knowledge of the political and economical conditions of the land -were far too slight for me to occupy a position as practical Hungarian -politician worthy of my ambition. And secondly, if these difficulties -could have been overcome, there were yet many other obstacles in the -way, which made a successful career such as I desired, practically -impossible. In Hungary, and elsewhere on the European Continent, birth -and origin play an important part in public life. The saying, "_Boni -viri vinique non quæritur origo_," is and always will be only a figure -of speech; and although, perhaps, the strong spirit of liberalism which -marked the commencement of Hungary's constitutional era might have -favoured my ambition--which I doubt, as so far not a single citizen of -Jewish extraction has succeeded in becoming a leading statesman--it was -not very likely that the highest circles of Vienna society would brook -a breach of their old conservative notions. I was bound to reckon with -this circumstance, and as my ambition could tolerate no half measures -and limitations, I preferred to keep altogether aloof from the political -arena of Hungary. - - - - -My Political Career and Position in England - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -MY POLITICAL CAREER AND POSITION IN ENGLAND - - -Many people have wondered how the various professions of Orientalist, -ethnographer, philologist, and political writer could all be united in -one and the same person, and that I applied myself to all these literary -pursuits has often been made a matter of reproach. Personally, I cannot -see either virtue or advantage in this odd mixture of study, but I have -gone on with it for years, and I will now shortly mention the reasons -which induced me thereto. I have already related how, during my first -stay in Constantinople, I became a Press correspondent, and how, through -constant intercourse with the political world, I entered the list of -writing politicians. My interest in political affairs has never flagged; -indeed, it rose and became more active when, on account of my personal -experiences in Persia and Central Asia, I became, so to speak, the -authority for all such information concerning them as related to the -political questions of the day, and of which even initiated politicians -were ignorant. The traveller who keeps his eyes open necessarily takes a -practical view of all that goes on in social, political, and -intellectual life, and it is perfectly impossible that the wanderer, -entirely dependent upon his own resources for years together, and mixing -with all classes and ranks of society, should cultivate merely -theoretical pursuits. To me the various languages were not merely an -object, but also a means, and when one has become practically so -familiar with foreign idioms in letter and in speech that one feels -almost like a native, one must always retain a lively interest in their -respective lands and nations, one shares their weal and woe, and will -always feel at home among them. Of course, it is quite another thing for -the theoretical traveller, whose object is of a purely philological or -archæological nature. To him land and people are secondary matters, and -when he has procured the desired theoretical information, and left the -scene of operation, he forgets it all the sooner, since he has always -remained a stranger to his surroundings, and has always been treated as -such. - -This could never be the case with me. I had so familiarised myself with -Osmanli, Persian, and East Turkish that I was everywhere taken for a -native. In those three languages my pen has always been busy up to an -advanced age, and I believe there is hardly another European who has -kept up such varied correspondence with Orientalists in distant lands. - -When, on my return from Asia, I took part in the discussion of the -political questions of the day, and, as eye-witness of current events, -was questioned by the leading statesmen of the day, I could not with the -best will in the world have escaped entering upon a political career. -Lord Palmerston gave me the first incentive by requesting me, through -Sir Roderick Murchison, then President of the London Geographical -Society, to draw up a memorandum. I did as I was asked, and handed in my -report about the position of Russia on the Yaxartes, and the state of -political affairs in Central Asia, with the necessary digressions into -the regions of Persian and Turkish politics. All this was easy enough to -me, for at the Porte I had been an eye-witness of the political -movements. I had already been actively employed as political -correspondent, and both in Teheran and in Constantinople I had -constantly been in contact with the diplomatic circles. During the many -interviews which Lord Palmerston granted me, he always took all my -remarks jokingly, and never appeared the serious diplomatist. He told me -that I looked at things through the spectacles of anti-Russian patriotic -Magyarism, that Hungarians and Poles were hot-brained, and that the -Thames would discharge a good deal more water before the Cossacks -watered their horses at the Oxus. When, a few months after my arrival -in London, the news came of the taking of Tashkend by Chernayeff, and -soon after the celebrated Note of Gorchakoff was presented at Downing -Street, the jocular character of the English Premier toned down -somewhat. In influential political circles I was questioned more -frequently about the defensive strength of the Emir of Bokhara, about -the high-roads, and the public opinion of the Central Asiatics. But even -then Lord Palmerston, always cheerful in spite of his advanced age, -would not allow his real motives to transpire. He feigned an Olympic -quietness or an icy indifference, and the only sign of interest he -showed me was his encouragement to continue writing my letters to the -_Times_, and to enlighten the English public concerning the land and the -people of Central Asia. - -But the press and the public in England behaved quite differently. The -great majority, of course, was optimistic. The terror of the Afghan -Campaign in 1842 still filled all hearts with dismay, and after the -unsuccessful termination of the Crimean War they easily drifted into the -Ostrich policy, said that the advance of Russia towards the frontiers of -India was a chimera, and laughed at my firm and consistent assertions -that there was danger threatening from the side of Russia. If I were now -to publish all the newspaper articles, essays, and parliamentary -speeches which appeared at the time to contradict my views, and to -pacify the public in England and India, it would display indeed a sad -picture of self-deception and a wilful lulling to sleep in fancied -security. On my side were only a few staunch Conservatives, since this -party, decidedly anti-Russian, had stood out for an energetic policy; -but personally I took no notice either of the indifference of the masses -or of the scorn and mockery of the optimists. The more they laughed at -my ideas the more fervently and zealously did I defend them. I spared -neither time nor trouble to bring forward the most striking proofs. I -kept up my relations with Central Asia and Persia by constant -correspondence. I read the Russian papers industriously, and so I had -always an important weapon of defence at hand. The columns of the -_Times_ and the fashionable monthly and weekly periodicals were open to -me, and I had little difficulty in displaying such activity in writing -as would impress even my political opponents, and finally break down the -indifference of the great reading public. Many looked upon me as a -Magyar thirsting for revenge on Russia, others again were pleased to -find in me, a foreigner, a zealous defender of British State interests; -and this caused the more surprise, as such concern for foreign State -interests is always a rarity, and in England, much envied and little -beloved on the Continent, had never been heard of before. Had I been -seeking to obtain a public appointment in England, and had I settled -there, no doubt my efforts would have appeared in quite another light, -and the attention and subsequent acclamation I received would doubtless -have been pitched in a lower key. But since, in my humble function of -professor, I abode in Hungary, and as a foreigner continued in a foreign -land, without ostentation or hope of material preferment, to carry on -the defence of British interests on the Continent of Europe, and even -persevered in influencing public opinion in England itself, I succeeded -in banishing all suspicion of self-interest, and finally in disarming -even the bitterest political opponents. Amongst the few who particularly -disliked my political energy was Mr. Gladstone, the zealous advocate of -an Anglo-Russian alliance in Church and politics. And yet I have been -told that he had remarked to a friend, "Professor Vambéry's agitation -seemed at first suspicious to me, but since I have heard that he is a -poor man I believe in his fanaticism." The insular separatist, the proud -Englander, had in the end to submit to a foreigner mixing himself up -with his national concerns, giving his unbidden opinion about Great -Britain's foreign policy, and finally, by dint of perseverance, -influencing public opinion in England. - -Of course all this was not the work of a few weeks or months, but of a -whole series of years. Between 1865 and 1885 I published a quantity of -letters, articles, and essays on political and politico-economic affairs -in Central Asia, Persia, and Turkey in English, German, French, -Hungarian, and American periodicals, which, if collected, would make -several volumes. In England it was chiefly in the _Times_, and sometimes -in other daily papers, as also in periodicals such as the _Nineteenth -Century_, the _Fortnightly Review_, the _National Review_, _Army and -Navy Gazette_, the _New Review_, the _Journal of the Society of Arts_, -the _Asiatic Quarterly Review_, the _Leisure Hour_, and _Good Words_. In -Germany I wrote in the _Münchener_ (formerly _Augsburger_) _Allgemeine -Zeitung_, _Unsere Zeit_, _Die Deutsche Rundschau_, _Die Deutsche Revue_, -_Welthandel_, and in a few other daily and monthly papers, long since -discontinued. In Austro-Hungary I often wrote in the _Pester Lloyd_, but -only seldom in the _Neue Freie Presse_ and in the _Monatschrift für den -Orient_, while in France I contributed to the _Revue des deux Mondes_, -and in America to the _Forum_ and the _North American Review_. Only when -the Central Asiatic question became acute--as, for instance, on the -occasion of the taking of Samarkand in 1868, the campaign against Khiva -in 1873, the conquest of Khokand in 1876, and the Pendjdeh affair--was -my pen in actual request. For the rest I had to force myself upon the -public, and not only on the Continent, but in England also, I often had -difficulty in getting a hearing. As long as the Russians had not so far -consolidated their power that it was dangerous for foreign travellers to -be admitted in the conquered districts I was able to maintain myself as -chief and only authority on Central Asiatic affairs. Later I had -gradually to relinquish this privilege. The number of writers versed in -Central Asiatic concerns constantly increased, but my knowledge of the -Oriental and Russian languages, and also my prolonged and intimate -acquaintance with the theme, always gave me a certain amount of -advantage over my literary competitors. From time to time, when the -Central Asiatic question came to the foreground, I entered the arena -with larger, more substantial essays. Thus, for instance, my _Power of -Russia in Asia_, which appeared in German and Hungarian, depicted the -gradual progress of the Russian conquests in Asia. As foundation for my -article I used MacNeil's _The Progress and Present Position of Russia in -the East_, which appeared at the time of the Crimean War. This I -elaborated with new facts and data. Like my predecessor, I preached then -(1871) to deaf ears. People troubled themselves very little about -Russia's Asiatic politics. They called me a blinded Russophobe, and -now--since the Northern Colossus has thrown his polyp-like arm over the -half of Asia, and is looked upon as the peace-breaker of the Western -world--when I remember the scornful laughter of the great politicians, I -cannot help thinking what a pity it was that timely precautions were not -taken to ward off the coming danger, and that people did not realise -that the power gained in Asia might one day stand Russia in good stead -in its dealings with Europe. - -The second independent book about political matters which I brought out -was entitled, _Central Asia and the Anglo-Russian Frontier Question_, -published in English and German. It was, correctly speaking, a -collection of my different political articles published in various -periodicals. This book, coming out at the time of the Khiva campaign, -when people showed a much keener interest in what took place in the -inner Asiatic world, found a good sale, and although not of much -material advantage to me, gave me a good deal of moral encouragement. - -Of great effect was my article about _The Coming Struggle for India_, -published in 1885, at the time when the question of the rivalry between -the two Colossi in Asia had reached a seething-point, and after the -affair at Pendjdeh nearly involved England and Russia in a war. This -booklet, which I wrote in twenty days, and issued simultaneously in -English, French, German, Swedish, and Guzerati (East Indian language), -caused a great sensation far beyond its intrinsic worth. It proved also -a lucrative speculation. - -_The Coming Struggle for India_, which was the English title of the -book, brought me quite a stream of commendatory grateful letters from -England, America, and Australia; I was eulogised as a prophet, and held -up as an English patriot whose merits would never be forgotten nor too -highly thought of in Albion. On this occasion I also received some less -flattering communications from English Socialists and Anarchists, who in -the first place reproached me with interfering in the affairs of their -country, and in the second place endeavoured to prove how unjust and -inhuman it was for England to waste life and money on the civilising and -conquest of foreign nations, while at home hundreds of thousands of -their compatriots were perishing of poverty and distress. The colonial -policy enriches the aristocrats who revel in luxury, while the labourer, -oppressed by the capitalist, is left to starve. Thus complained one of -my unbidden correspondents. - -The middle classes and the aristocracy of England thought differently, -however. Regardless of all scornful and derisive remarks I had now for -twenty years pursued my political campaign with unremitting zeal, and -had always had the interest of England at heart. Many, therefore, looked -upon me as a true friend, and although I was stamped by some as a -fanatic, an Anglomaniac, or even a fool, the majority saw in me a writer -who honestly deserved the respect and recognition of the country; a man -who in spite of his foreign extraction should be honoured as a promoter -of Great Britain's might and power. Cold, proud, and reserved as the -Britisher generally appears before strangers, I must confess that at my -public appearances both in London and in the provinces I have always -been received with the utmost cordiality and warmth. - -Many were struck with the pro-English spirit of my writings, and I have -frequently been asked how it was that I, far from the scene of action, -was often more quickly and better informed about current events than the -English Government which had Embassies and secret agencies at its -disposal. The reason is clear enough. In the first place I had personal -experiences at my disposal, and, supported by my correspondents in the -Far East, many of my views have thus in course of time been justified by -events. Secondly, I had paid far greater attention to the communications -of the Russian press than the politicians in England, where the Russian -language was not much known yet. I was surprised myself to find that my -political activity was even discussed in the English Parliament and led -to interpellations. On the 22nd of May, 1870, Mr. Eastwick asked the -Government: "Whether there was any truth in the rumours, mentioned in -Mr. Vambéry's letter published in the _Times_ on the 18th of this month, -that Herat had been taken by Yakub Khan?" Lord Enfield, then Secretary -of State, denied my statement; nevertheless I was right, for Herat was -actually in the hands of the rebel son of Shir Ali Khan. On the 3rd of -June, 1875, Mr. Hanbury asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, "Whether -his (the minister's) attention had been called to a letter of Mr. -Vambéry's in the _Times_ of the 2nd of June relating to a new Russian -expedition to hitherto unknown districts of the Upper Oxus; whether the -purpose of the expedition had been communicated to the English -Government, and whether, as stated by Mr. Vambéry, the diplomatist, Mr. -Weinberg, was a member of the expedition, and whether it was of a -political as well as of a scientific character?" To this Mr. Bourke, -then Secretary of State, replied in Parliament: "That he had read Mr. -Vambéry's letter with great interest, but that Government had not yet -received any information regarding the matter therein mentioned." Again -I was on the right side and had the priority in point of information; -thus naturally the weight of my writings continually increased. - -Without desiring or seeking it I was acknowledged in England as the -Asiatic politician and the staunch friend of the realm. Year after year -I received invitations to give lectures about the present and the future -condition of England in Asia, and when, tired of writing, I longed for a -little change and recreation, I travelled to England, where in various -towns--London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, -Edinburgh, Glasgow, &c.--I gave lectures for a modest honorarium. On -these occasions I drew the attention of the public to their commercial -and political interests in the Orient, and urged them to exercise their -civilising influence over Asia. Foreigners who for years together -concern themselves about the weal or woe of a land not their own belong -certainly to the rarities, and consequently I was received everywhere in -England with open arms and made much of by all classes of society. - -This was very patent during the critical time in the spring of 1885, and -the ovations I received in London and other towns of the United Kingdom -I shall never forget. On the 2nd of May I gave a lecture in the great -hall of Exeter Hall about the importance of Herat. On my arrival I found -the house full to overflowing with a very select audience. Lord -Houghton, who presided at this meeting, thanked me in the name of the -nation, and the next day almost all the newspapers had leading articles -about the services I had rendered, and the resoluteness with which I -always met the woeful optimism and blunders of leading politicians led -astray by party spirit. - -A few days later I spoke under the auspices of the Constitutional Union, -before an aristocratic Conservative gathering in Willis's Rooms, on the -subject, "England and Russia in Afghanistan, or who shall be lord and -master in Asia?" The heads of English aristocracy were present, and when -on the platform behind me I recognised a duke, many lords, marshals, -generals, ex-ministers, and several famous politicians and writers of -Great Britain I was really overcome. - -My thoughts wandered back into the past. I remembered the chill autumn -night, which I, a beggar, spent under the seat on the promenade at -Presburg. I thought of the scorn, the contempt, and the misery to which -I had been exposed as the little Jew boy and the hungry student, and -comparing the miserable past with the brilliant present, I could not -help marvelling at the strange dispensations of fate. Modesty forbids me -to speak of the manner in which Lord Hamilton, Lord Napier of Magdala, -Lord Cranbrook, and others expressed themselves both before and after my -lecture about my person and my work, but I repeat it, my modesty is not -the feigned, hateful modesty of the craft. Suffice it to say that I had -the satisfaction of warning the proud English aristocracy against the -sinful optimism of the Liberals then in power. If this episode stands -out as the crowning point of my political labours it also shows the -magnanimity and noble-mindedness of the Englishman (so often condemned -for his insular pride) where it concerns the impartial acknowledgment of -merit and the interests of his fatherland! - -In the zeal with which I had taken up the political questions of England -all these points did not present themselves to me till afterwards. There -was one incident with regard to this matter which deserves mention. -When, after the conclusion of the last Afghan War, 1880, the Liberal -party came into power, they did all they could to upset the politics of -their opponents, and decided to give back to the Afghans the important -frontier station, Kandahar. I then addressed an open letter to Lord -Lytton, at that time Viceroy of India, in which I warned him against -this step, and pointed out the danger which would ensue. This letter was -reproduced by the whole Press, and a few days after I read in the German -papers the following despatch: - - -"LONDON, _22nd February_. - -"An important meeting being held to-day in favour of the continuance of -the occupation of Kandahar, a letter of Vambéry's to Lytton has come -very opportunely. It is therein stated that to give up Kandahar would do -irreparable damage to England's prestige in Asia, for the Asiatics could -look upon it only as a sign of weakness. Vambéry further asserts that -the occupation of Kandahar under safe conditions would decidedly not -show a deficit, but, on the contrary, be profitable to India, for the -Kandaharis are the best traders of all Central Asia. Finally, Vambéry -points out that the Russians, even without the occupation of Merv, would -within a few years stand before the gates of Kandahar." - - -Lord Lytton himself wrote to me as follows about this matter.-- - - -"KNEBWORTH PARK, -"STEVENAGE, HERTS, -"_February 22, 1885_. - -"DEAR PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY,--"I am very much obliged to you for your -interesting and valuable letter about Kandahar, and you have increased -my obligation by your permission to publish it, of which I have availed -myself. I little thought, when I had the honour of making your -acquaintance many years ago at Lord Houghton's [_see_ p. 255], that I -should live to need and receive your valued aid in endeavouring to save -England's Empire in the East from the only form of death against which -not even the gods themselves can guard their favourites--death by -suicide. I fear, however, that its present guardians, who have Moses and -the prophets, are not likely to be converted--even by one of the dead. -At least, the only form of conversion to which they seem disposed, is -one which threatens to reverse the boast of Themistocles by converting a -great Power into a little one. - -"Believe me, dear Professor Vambéry, -"Very sincerely yours, -"LYTTON." - - -In non-English Europe great statesmen seldom or never condescend to -write in such terms to mere journalists! And where such encouragements, -characteristic of a free nation, are bestowed on the ambitious writer, -they urge him on with still greater enthusiasm. And, further, what must -be the feelings of the writer who knows all about England's glorious -doings in Asia, and from his earliest youth has dreamed of political -freedom; who, hampered hitherto by the mediæval prejudices still -prevalent in Austria, finds himself all at once able to move and act -without restraint, and has not to be ashamed of his low birth? One may -say what one likes against the English (and they have no doubt some very -glaring faults), but this one thing must be allowed--before all things -they are men, and only after that are they British. In the enlightened -nineteenth century they have made more progress than any, and a part -such as that played by Disraeli and others would be perfectly impossible -not only in Germany and Austro-Hungary--still more or less imbued with -the spirit of mediævalism--but even in liberty-boasting France. And I -further ask who could possibly remain indifferent while keenly watching -the _rôle_ played on the world's stage by this small group of islands, -how it rules over several hundred millions of people of all colours, -tongues, and religions, and educates them up to better things! - -This extraordinary and almost phenomenal energy must surely excite the -admiration of any thinking man interested in the history of humanity. -When even Rome in the zenith of its glory impresses us with the -magnitude of its power, how could the actions and operations of Albion, -so infinitely greater, mightier and more impressive, leave us -indifferent? These and similar ideas from the very first attracted me -towards England; I felt interested in all her doings, and when it came -to the question of the Anglo-Russian rivalry in Asia, I naturally -always took the side of England. Besides, could I, or dare I, have acted -differently considering the outrageous interference of Russia in the -Hungarian struggle for independence in 1848, and also mindful of the -fact that the government of the Czar, that frightful instrument of -tyranny, that pool of all imaginable slander and abuse, that disgrace to -humanity, must on no account be strengthened and supported in its thirst -for conquest? In proportion as the dominion of the Czar grows in Asia, -so do his means increase for checking the liberty of Europe, and the -easier will it be for Russia to perform acts of benevolence and -friendship towards those of our sovereigns who long for absolutism. -England's greatness can never damage, but rather profit us; as the -worthy torch-bearer of nineteenth-century culture no liberal-minded man -will follow her successful operations in Asia with envious eyes. - -And so my literary activity was a thorn in the eyes of the cunning -Muscovites, and the ways and means they used to counteract it are not -without interest. One day in Pest I received a visit from a well-known -Russian statesman, who introduced himself to me with the following -remark, "When the great Greek General fled to Persia, he presented -himself before Cyrus the greatest enemy of the Greeks. I have come to -Hungary to pay my respects to you." Of course I received him as -pleasantly as possible, and when the wily diplomatist looked round my -poor abode he remarked with a smile, "You work a great deal, and yet you -do not appear to be very well off. _You would probably be in better -circumstances if you did not work so much._" I replied, also with a -smile, that I had accustomed myself to a Dervish life in Asia, that it -suited me admirably both morally and physically, and that with reference -to the intellectual result, I felt no desire or need to make any change. -"Just so," remarked the Muscovite, looking me straight in the face, and -soon turned the conversation on to other subjects. Various other -attempts were made to turn me aside from the path I pursued and to -discredit me in the eyes of England and of the Continent. But their -trouble was all in vain, for the bitter hostility of a despotic -Government and their venomous darts must remain without effect against -the expressed approval of a free nation and the approbation of the whole -liberal West. - -In the spring of 1885, during my stay in London, I received invitations -to various other towns. A war between England and Russia was then -pending in consequence of the Pendjdeh affair. The number of letters and -telegrams I daily received became so numerous, that I could only master -them with the assistance of a private secretary, who had offered his -services gratis, from purely patriotic motives. I accepted invitations -only to some of the principal provincial towns, as the labour of -travelling every day to be honoured every evening with a public -reception in a different place, give a lecture and attend a banquet, was -too tiring and proved too much for my physical strength. As the most -memorable evenings of this tour I would mention my _début_ at -Newcastle-on-Tyne and at Brighton. In the first-named great industrial -town of the North of England, I gave my lecture, or rather my discourse, -in the large theatre. The house was filled to the top, one could have -walked over the heads, and the galleries were full to overflowing. -Tailor's apprentice, servant, tutor, Effendi, Dervish, I have been -pretty well everything in my life, but a stage hero I was now to be for -the first time, and although not seized with the fever of the -footlights, the masses before me and their enthusiastic reception had an -unusual effect upon me. I spoke for an hour and a half, often -interrupted for several minutes at a time by loud applause, and when, -referring to the danger which threatened the Indian Empire, I called out -to my audience, "The spirits of the heroes fallen in the struggle for -India, who have enabled this small island to found one of the greatest -Asiatic Empires, who have made you mighty and rich, their spirits ask -you now, Will you allow the fruits of our labour to perish, and the most -precious pearl of the British crown to fall into the enemy's hand?" the -frantic, "No! No!" from all parts of the house almost moved me to -tears, and I saw with astonishment what a pitch of excitement these -people of the foggy North can be led up to. A similar scene awaited me -at Brighton, where my speech had also a wonderful effect upon my -hearers. At the close of the lecture many, as usual, pressed forward on -to the platform to shake hands. Among others an elegantly dressed, -elderly lady came up to me, took both my hands and said in a choking -voice: "Oh, my dear, precious England, you have indeed done it good -service. Sir, it is a glorious, golden land; continue to promote its -welfare; God in heaven will reward you." The poor woman trembled as she -said this, and as long as I live I shall never forget the look of -agitation depicted on her face. - -I must not omit to mention some of the very characteristic proofs of -friendship I received on this lecturing tour from private individuals -hitherto absolutely unknown to me. At several railway stations the door -of my compartment suddenly opened and dainty luncheon baskets -plentifully filled were pushed in with inscriptions such as: "From an -admirer," or, "from a grateful Englishman." The most remarkable of all -these tokens of appreciation was the hospitality shown me by Mr. Russell -Shaw in London. He offered it me by letter in Budapest, and on my -arrival in London I was met at the station by a footman, who handed me a -letter, in which Mr. Shaw put his carriage at my disposal. The footman -looked after my luggage, we drove to the West End, stopped at No. 26, -Sackville Street, and I was led to the richly furnished apartments made -ready for my reception. Here I found everything that could make me -comfortable; the finest cigars, liqueurs, a beautiful writing-table, -stamps, &c.; everything was put at my disposal, and I had scarcely -finished my toilet when the cook came to ask what were my favourite -dishes, and what time I wished to lunch and to dine. Not until afternoon -did my host appear, after he had begged permission to introduce himself. -Of course I received Mr. Shaw in the most friendly manner in his own -house. He left me after having asked me to invite as many guests as I -liked, and freely to dispose of his kitchen, cellar, and carriage. For -three weeks I remained in this hospitable house. Mr. Shaw hardly ever -showed himself, and only on the day of my departure he paid me another -visit, asked if I had been comfortable and satisfied about everything, -and, wishing me a prosperous journey, he left me. I have never seen him -again. He was unquestionably a true type of English amiability! - -Is it surprising, then, that these and other spontaneous expressions of -appreciation made my political labours appear to me in quite a different -light from what I had ever thought or expected? I realised, of course, -that it was not only my political writings which made me of so much -weight, but that it was founded on my purely scientific labours, which, -although unknown to the public at large, had won me credit with the -influential and governing circles of England. Political writings, after -all, can only be appreciated as an excursion from the regions of more -serious literature; and just as newspaper writing in itself is naturally -not highly rated, so strictly and exclusively theoretical writing bears -rather too often the character of sterility. True, not every science can -be animated and popularised by practical application, but when the study -has to be kept alive by active intercourse with far distant nations, -politics, as the connecting link between theory and practice, become an -absolute necessity, and the lighter literary occupation is as -unavoidable as it is energising and beneficial in its effect upon the -mind. - -After I had spent a few hours with comparative grammars and -text-editions, or had been occupied with purely ethnographical studies, -I always felt a desire to write a newspaper article, and to refresh -myself from the monotony of word-sifting in the field of political -speculation. The best time of the day, that is to say, the morning -hours, I spent exclusively in serious study, and at the age between -thirty and fifty I could also devote a few hours in the evening to -graver study. In the forenoon, between ten and twelve, and in the -afternoon, between two and five, I used to apply myself to politics and -journalism, with the help of a secretary. Through practice and custom I -had now got so far that I could dictate two or even three leading -articles or other matters in different languages at the same time. When -I approached the fifties, however, such _tours de force_ gave me -headaches and congestion, and I had to abandon them; but long after I -had passed the fifties I continued to dictate extempore--in fact, I -generally wrote and worked from memory even in my scientific studies. -Except the notes I wrote down during my Dervish tour in Arabic letters -and in the Hungarian language, I have never had a notebook, and -consequently never collected notes for future writings. Of course as was -the material, so was the work produced, and it would be arrant -self-deceit to try to conceal the blunders and defects under which so -many of my literary productions laboured because of my mode of working. -No, vanity has not altogether blinded me. Uncommon and curious as my -schooling had been, equally curious was my subsequent literary -productivity, and if there be anything to make me reflect with -satisfaction upon those twenty years of literary activity, it is my -untiring zeal and the strict adherence to my device "_Nulla dies sine -linea_," in which I spent the beautiful summer of my life. Nothing of -any kind or description either in my private or public life has ever -made me break this rule, and no pleasures of any kind could ever replace -for me the sweet hours of study or deter me from my once formed -resolution. - -I had the good fortune never to have sought or known what is vulgarly -called entertainment, recreation, or diversion. As in the years of my -trying apprenticeship I had to spend eight or ten hours a day in -teaching, and devoted six hours to my private studies, so, thanks to my -perfectly healthy constitution, I have been able till close upon the -sixties to work at first for ten and later on for six hours daily, apart -from the time spent in reading the newspapers and scientific -periodicals. During the whole of my life I have only very rarely visited -the theatre, and concerts were not in my line either, as I had no -knowledge of the higher art of music. Social evenings, where I might -have refreshed myself in conversation with my fellow-labourers, and have -profited by an interchange of ideas, would have been very welcome to me, -but in my native land, where society had only political aspirations and -ideals at heart, there was no one who cared for the practical science of -the East, no one interested in the actual condition of Asia, and with -the few scholars, mostly philologists, who in the evenings used to -frequent the ale-houses, I could not associate, because spirituous -drinks and excess of any kind have always been obnoxious to me. A -home--a "sweet home"--in the English sense of the word, has never fallen -to my lot, even on ever so modest a scale, for my wife, a homely, -kind-hearted, and excellent woman, was ill for many years, and if it had -not been for the beautiful boy with whom she presented me, I should -never have known what domestic happiness was. My study and my library -were the stronghold of my worldly bliss, the fortress from which I -looked upon three continents, and by a lively correspondence with -various lands in Europe, Asia, and America, could maintain my personal -and scientific relationships. Mentally I lived continually in the most -diverse lands and tongues, and through my correspondence with Turks, -Persians, Ozbegs, Kirgizes, Germans, French, English, and Americans, I -could remain conversant with the different idioms, and also continually -be initiated in the smallest details of the political, commercial, and -religious relationships of those distant lands. My post was, as it were, -the link of union between the distant regions in which I had lived, and -where I always loved to dwell in fancy. - -I attribute it more to this than to my inborn linguistic talent, that -after more than a quarter of a century I was able to speak correctly and -fluently the various Asiatic and European languages. Hungarian, German, -Slovak (Slav), Serbian, Turkish, Tartar, Persian, French, Italian, and -English were all equally familiar to me, and the greater or lesser -perfection of accent and of syntactic forms depended chiefly upon the -longer or shorter practice I had had in speaking with natives. I cannot -say the same for the writing in these languages. Here the Latin proverb, -"_Quot linguas calles, tot homines vales_," did not hold good, for -although I could write in several languages, I cannot say that I could -write any one language ready for the Press, _i.e._, without any -mistakes. In former days I used to write Hungarian a good deal and -fairly well. But afterwards I wrote mostly in German and English, and -all that I have published since 1864 has been written in one or other of -these two languages. In order to obtain more fluency of expression, -_i.e._, to feel more at home in a foreign tongue, I used at one time to -read for half an hour or more a day in the particular language. Thus I -became familiar with the manner of speaking, or rather the peculiarities -of expression in that tongue, and when I had thus learned to think -fluently in English, German, or Turkish, I also managed to obtain a -certain amount of fluency in writing. I fear there can be no question -with me of a mother-tongue, and the argument that the language in which -one involuntarily thinks is one's real mother-tongue I cannot agree -with, were it only for this one reason, that long practice and custom -enabled me to think in any language with which I had been familiarised -for some length of time. From my earliest youth I had read a good deal -of German. I had studied in that language; and afterwards in Hungary of -all foreign languages I came most in contact with German, and it seemed -to come most easy to me. But afterwards I wrote English quite as -easily--that is to say, after I had spent a few weeks in England, and -although I never got so far as to be taken for a native, as was the -case with Turkish, French, German, and Persian, I had the satisfaction -of reading in the criticisms at the time that the absence of the foreign -accent in my conversation and my idiomatic style were remarkable. - -From these observations about the linguistic conditions and changes -during the fairly long term of my literary activity I will now pass on -to a subject which has given rise to various conjectures in the circle -of my acquaintance, and will not be without interest to the general -reader. I refer to the material benefits derived from my literary -labours, which, on account of their many-sidedness, and the -international character of my pen, have been considerably overrated. I -have already mentioned how much I made by my first book of travels -published by Murray, and expressed at the time the bitter disappointment -I experienced, how different was what I had hoped for and what I got. -Subsequent English publications fared not much better; none of them -brought me in more than £200 sterling, most of them barely half that -sum. In Germany the honorarium paid for literary work was still poorer -and closer, and 500 thaler (£75) was the highest sum ever paid me for -any of my popular writings. I purposely say "popular," because for -purely scientific works I received nothing, and my two volumes of -Chagataic and Uiguric studies and my "Sheibaniade" alone have cost me -some thousand florins, not reckoning the expenses incurred with my -_Ursprung der Magyaren_ and _Türkenvolk_, for which I never received a -penny. - -Journalism was a good deal more profitable, especially in England, where -some periodicals paid twenty or thirty guineas per sheet. I came to the -conclusion that one hour of English article-writing pays better than six -hours of German literary work, with this difference, however, that -German periodicals lend themselves to the most theoretical, widely -speculative subjects, while the English Reviews, in their eagerness for -_matter of fact_, accept only practically written articles of immediate -interest. German Review literature seems only lately to have realised -that it is possible to write essays about serious matters without -wearying the reader with a heavy style and endless notes, and one -frequently meets now in the German periodicals with attractively written -articles about the political and commercial relations of distant -countries and people. - -This was not the case when I began my literary career. German -Orientalists, unquestionably the most learned and solid in the world, -have always occupied themselves preferably with the past of the Asiatic -civilised world, with textual criticisms of well-known classical works -and grammatical niceties in the Semitic and Aryan tongues, while the -practical knowledge of the East, until quite lately, for want of -national political interest, was not at all encouraged. England, on the -other hand, on account of her Indian Empire, and her many commercial -ties all over the Asiatic continent, has for long enough evinced a -lively interest in the manners and customs of the Orientals, and since -English writers have dealt largely with these, the general public has -been interested mostly in this branch of Oriental literature. Of course -the former traveller, once retired into his library, cannot so easily -come forward with new practical suggestions. It is but seldom that he -can offer a new contribution, and in spite of the excellent honorarium, -the productions of his pen become gradually less, and do not give him a -secured existence as is the case, for instance, with literary writers, -or scholars who can write in an interesting and popular style upon some -subject which is of all-engrossing interest in everyday life. - -Taking everything into consideration, I must look upon my many years of -literary labour only from the moral standpoint, and as such my reward -has been rich and abundant. A collection of criticisms and discussions, -which, quite accidentally, came into my possession, contains very nearly -two hundred articles in German, French, English, Italian, Hungarian, -Turkish, Russian, and Modern Greek, which make laudatory mention of my -literary work. The number of criticisms of which I have never heard may -possibly run into many hundreds more; witness the many letters I have -received from all parts of the world, and which on the whole have -rather burdened than edified me. In spite of gross mistakes and many -shortcomings, my literary labour has secured me a position far beyond my -boldest expectations, and would justify the saying, "_Et voluisse sat -est_." Work has kept me in good health, it has made me happy and -therefore rich, and work is consequently to my mind the greatest -benefactor and the greatest blessing in the world. - - - - -The Triumph of my Labours - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE TRIUMPH OF MY LABOURS - - -From reading the preceding pages the reader will easily gather how it -was that, after so many years of hard fighting and struggling, my labour -brought its own triumph and gave me the gratification of my dearest -wishes. - -The psychological problem is clear enough, and the solution is not hard. -Other children of men, animated by a desire to produce something new, -give themselves neither rest nor peace in the pursuit of their object, -but they hide the true motive which instigates them under a mask of -modesty; they pretend to be the unwilling instruments of fate. I frankly -admit that what animated me was the indomitable ambition to do something -out of the common, something that would make me famous. I think I must -have been born with this fire in my veins, this devil in my flesh. The -confession brings no blush of shame to my face, for now in my seventieth -year, looking back upon the thorny path of my life, I am fully convinced -it was this longing for fame and the insatiable thirst for activity in -the early stages of my career which were at the bottom of all the -inconsistencies of my life. On the one hand, the desire to put to some -practical use the experience and the knowledge I had gained urged me on -to take an active part in whatever was going on in Europe or Asia, -while, on the other, my natural propensities, or, perhaps more -correctly, the poverty and simplicity of my bringing up, made me lean -more towards a quiet, contemplative life and the retirement of my own -study. The severe rules of etiquette and the demands of society, where -everybody is so important in his own eyes, have ever been distasteful to -me, and often when I mixed with the leading people of the diplomatic -world or of high life I felt wearied with the empty talk and hollow, -would-be importance of these folks. These feelings were not calculated -to lit me for a diplomatic career, for, notwithstanding my eminently -practical turn of mind, I was anything but a man of the world. - -Possibly--in fact, probably--these feelings would have become -considerably modified in process of time if at the commencement of my -public life, _i.e._, on my return from Central Asia, I had had the -chance of entering upon an active career instead of contenting myself -with purely scientific pursuits. I had always had a secret longing for -public activity, as I mentioned before, but at that time insurmountable -obstacles and difficulties stood in my way. In England I was certainly -a _distinguished foreigner_, but still I was a foreigner, and not likely -to receive the nation's unreserved confidence in important matters of -State. In Austria every chance of coming to the front was cut off for me -by ancient prejudices; and as for Hungary, its foreign affairs being -entirely managed in Vienna, there can even to this day be no question of -diplomatic activity. In bureaucratic and nobility-crazed Prussia the -prejudices against plebeian descent had already been somewhat mitigated, -and in so far overcome that the Iron Chancellor found for nearly all -German travellers who had gained experience in foreign lands some -employment in the diplomatic service. Nachtigal and Rohlfs have been -entrusted with missions to West and North Africa, for Emin Pasha there -was a regular fight, and Brugsch, who in company with Minutoli made only -one journey to Persia, was appointed First Secretary to the German -Embassy at Teheran. In spite of my excellent reception in England and -the rest of Europe, in spite of my energetic publicistic activity in -Asiatic politics, I was so absolutely unknown in Austria that when the -Ministry for War once had the unlucky idea of publishing a map of -Central Asia, obtained by secret means, and wanted to have it revised by -an expert, they submitted it to Kiepert in Berlin. He advised the -gentlemen in Vienna to refer the matter to one of their compatriots who -had visited the scene, and only after that the Military Geographical -Institute thought of me. This wilful and persistent ignoring of me -lasted for several years. When Austria sent its first Embassy to -Teheran, and the Press mentioned my name, an application of mine met -with the reply that I had not and could not come into consideration, -because in point of social rank I was not even a _Truchsess_ (_i.e._ -chairbearer) at court; and yet, as I learned afterwards, the Shah and -his Government had received the newspaper report with pleasure. When -Austria, before the Bosnian occupation, sent a mission to Constantinople -to intercede for an amicable settlement of this affair, nobody thought -of me, although, as was afterwards clearly shown by my personal -intercourse with Sultan Abdul Hamid, no one could more easily than I -have brought about a conciliation, saving the country thousands of human -lives and millions of money, which the occupation campaign ultimately -claimed. At the critical period of the last Russo-Turkish War it was -considered advisable for the country to be represented at the Bosphorus -by a non-diplomatic ambassador. The choice fell on an aristocrat held to -be exceptionally cunning and clever, who before this was supposed to -have displayed his sagacity in various ways; but of Oriental affairs he -had not the faintest notion, and through ignorance and simplicity he -committed some gross mistakes. The fact that my many years' personal -intercourse with the Porte, my familiarity with the national customs, -languages, and conditions, and my personal acquaintance with the Sultan, -might have served the country far better, never entered anybody's mind; -not even my own countryman, Count Andrássy, who was then at the head of -foreign affairs, thought of me. Ridiculous! The very idea of it would -have been preposterous in the eyes of Austria. A Jew, a plebeian by -birth, how could he be admitted into the diplomatic service? Knowledge -and experience are of second or third-rate importance; and as for -literary proclivities, these had always been looked upon rather as a -crime than a virtue in Austria. Birth, position, rank, and the art of -dissimulation and cringing are worth more than all knowledge, and the -proverbial stupidity of Austria's diplomacy best illustrates how -strongly this mediæval spirit has asserted itself there. - -In these circumstances it would have been only reasonable if, after -settling down in Austro-Hungary as a writer, I devoted myself henceforth -solely to literary pursuits. Quietly seated at my writing-table I -learned to appreciate the sweet fruits of liberty and independence. Here -I was safe against the chicaneries and whims of superior persons and the -constraint of social forms; the moral reward which honest work never -withholds was worth more to me than all the vain glamour of rank and -position coveted by all the world round me. Without wishing it, perhaps -against my own will, the force of circumstances finally landed me on -the right track, and I found a vocation more in keeping with my past -career. An active participation in Asiatic affairs might possibly have -made me richer and more noted, but certainly not happier or more -contented, for although I am not blind to the fact that literary fame -can never, either with the public at large or in the higher circles, -boast of the same recognition which birth and position claim as their -due, I have nevertheless noticed with satisfaction that the fruit of -intellectual labour is more real and lasting, more worth fighting for -than all the pomp and vanity people are so fond of displaying. Whatever -may be said in disparagement of writing, it remains true that the pen is -a power, and its victories greater, more durable, and nobler than the -advantages which other careers, be they ever so brilliant, have to -offer. The pen needs not the gracious nod of high personages; it depends -on none save on the hand that wields it; and if, in the face of the -amount of general and light literature produced in our days, some might -incline to think that the pen has lost its power, that its influence is -gone, and that for a writer to rise from obscurity and the lowest -position to the pedestal of esteem and appreciation is no longer -possible, the story of my life will help to reveal the fallacy of such -views. Even as the strenuous labour of my younger days raised me, the -quondam servant and Jewish teacher, to attract the attention of all -cultured Europe, even so my unremittent efforts in literary work have -secured me a position far beyond my merits and surpassing my wildest -expectations. - -I have already mentioned the widespread popularity of my writings, -extending over three continents; I will only add here that, with regard -to some exclusively literary works, certain circles--not ordinarily -given to express admiration--could not help expressing their -appreciation of them, and the Press of England, which for years had -laughed at my political utterances, had at last ruefully to admit that I -was right, that I had rendered the State great service, and that I had -contributed many a brick to the building up of the wall of defence -around the Indian Empire. During a lecture which I delivered in 1889 in -Exeter Hall the late Commander-in-Chief of India, Sir Donald Stewart, -remarked that my writings had often stimulated the sinking courage of -the officers in India and stirred them up to endure to the end. -Frequently I received letters of appreciation from various parts of -India thanking me for my watchfulness over occurrences in Central Asia, -and the constant attacks I made on English statesmen who were so easily -rocked to sleep in false security. - -There is a peculiar charm in the literary success attained after many -years of persistent work--a success which hostile criticism in vain -tries to minimize; for, in spite of an occasional disproportion between -the battle and the result, the pen leaves traces behind which often, -after many years, come back to us as the echo of long-forgotten -exploits. As I have just spoken of my political activity, I will here -mention, by way of curiosity, that Prince Reuss, late ambassador of the -German Empire on the Neva, drawing my attention to the effect produced -by my leading article published in the _Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung_, -said to me at the house of the German Consul-General Boyanowsky at -Budapest: "You do not seem to know how much importance the Asiatic -Department in St. Petersburg attaches to your enunciations in regard to -Central Asiatic politics. Your articles served the Russians at the time -not only as guides, but also as encouragement, and you have rendered but -a problematic service to England by their publication." Personal -experience on the scene of action, a constant, keen interest in the -development of events in the inner Asiatic world, and the stimulus of -ambition may have helped to give me a bolder and more far-reaching view -than this body of statesmen possessed, but that my writings should carry -so much weight I never thought. Comical episodes are not wanting either; -they are sure to occur in any public career pursued for many years -together. When the despatch of the German Emperor to Krüger, at the time -of the Jameson Raid in the Transvaal, caused such tremendous excitement -in London, and everybody was talking about the increasing Anglophobia in -Germany, I discussed this question, of course from the point of view -favourable to England, in a letter dated the 12th of January, 1896. The -_Times_ saw fit to publish my letter, which took up a whole column of -its front page, and on a Saturday, too, so that the letter might lie -over all the longer. Of course this article, signed "A Foreigner," -attracted much attention in the German Press. Just at that time Leopold -II., King of the Belgians, happened to be in London, and the German -papers hit on the curious idea of connecting his Belgian Majesty with -the "foreigner." Of course all were up in arms against the "Coburger," -and the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_ of January 21, 1896, delivered -quite a peppered sermon against him. It could not leave me quite -indifferent to see a crowned head taken to task for my utterances, and I -communicated the real state of affairs to the Belgian Ambassador in -Vienna, but this _quid pro quo_ has never been made public, for the -_Times_ never betrays its co-operators. One would scarcely believe how -much the influence of the Press is felt, even in the remotest corners of -the earth. In consequence of the expression of my views about the -Islamic nations, either in Turkish or Persian, I received letters not -only from all parts of the Ottoman Empire, but also from the Crimea, -Siberia, Arabia, and North Africa, and hardly ever did a Moslem, or -Dervish, or merchant pass Budapest without coming to see me to assure me -of the sympathy of his fellow-countrymen. - -The Mohammedans of India[1] were particularly friendly, on account of -my relations with the Sultan, and invited me to give lectures in some of -their towns, an invitation which tempted me very much, as I was rather -curious to see the effect of a Persian speech delivered by a European -among these genuine Asiatics. An open letter to the Mohammedans of India -did much to strengthen these friendly feelings, and if it had not been -for the sixty years which weighed on my shoulders I should long ere now -have made a trip to Hindustan. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] See Appendix III. - - - - -At the English Court - - - - -CHAPTER X - -AT THE ENGLISH COURT - - -In proportion as my works found consideration in the most obscure parts -of the Old and of the New World, their effect in Europe was felt even in -the highest Government circles, and it is not surprising that the -travelling staff and the pen brought the obscure author into contact -with sovereigns and princes. In England, where, in spite of the strict -rules of Court etiquette, the genealogical relations of the self-made -man are not considered of such great importance, my ardent defence of -British interests could not be overlooked. - -After the appearance of my book, _The Coming Struggle for India_, I was -invited by Queen Victoria, whom I had already met on the occasion of my -stay at Sandringham with the Prince of Wales, to visit her at Windsor, -and the reception this rare sovereign accorded me was as great a -surprise to the world in general as it was to me. - -It was in the year 1889, on the occasion of my stay in London, that I -received a card bearing the following invitation.-- - - - THE LORD STEWARD - has received her Majesty's command to invite - PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY - to dinner at Windsor Castle on Monday, the 6th - May, and to remain until the following day. - WINDSOR CASTLE, _5th May_, 1889. - - -I had already been informed of the intended invitation by telegram, and -as, for political reasons, it was not thought wise to invite and do -honour to the anti-Russian author without further reason--it would have -seemed like a direct challenge to the Court at St. Petersburg--the -telegram bore the further message: "To see the library and the sights of -the Castle." When I read these words I reflected that if the Czar, -Alexander III., could receive and mark out for distinction the -pro-Russian author, Stead, without further ado, this excuse was almost -superfluous, and Queen Victoria could very well receive the -representative of the opposite party. However, I paid no further heed to -these needless precautions, but went down to Windsor. A royal carriage -awaited me at the station, and I drove to the Castle, where I was -received by the Lord Steward, Sir Henry Ponsonby, an amiable and -noble-minded man, who greeted me warmly and conducted me to the -apartment prepared for me. I had hardly got rid of the dust of the -journey when Sir Henry Ponsonby re-entered the room and, according to -the custom at Court, brought me the royal birthday book, requesting me -to enter my name, with the day and year of my birth. - -It was a noble company in whose ranks my name was to figure, for the -book was full of signatures of crowned heads, princes, great artists, -learned men, and noted soldiers of the day. As I prepared to comply with -the request the uncertainty of the date of my birth suddenly occurred to -me, and as I gazed hesitatingly before me Sir Henry asked me with a -pleasant smile the reason of my embarrassment. - -"Sir," I said, "I do not know the exact date of my birth, and I should -not like to enter a lie in the royal book." - -When I had told him the circumstances written on the first page of these -Memoirs he took me by the hand, remarking pleasantly, "You need not be -ashamed of that. Her Majesty lays less weight upon the birth of her -guests than upon their actions and merits." - -So I entered the conventional date of the 19th of March, 1832, and am -quite sure that among the many guests at Windsor there was never another -to whom the day and year of his entry into this world were unknown. - -With the exception of this rather unpleasant, but otherwise comical, -episode my stay at Windsor was a most pleasant one. The Court officials, -whose acquaintance I made at lunch, vied with each other in their -amiability to the foreign defender of British interests in Asia, and -this was especially the case among the military officers, who soon -struck up a political conversation with me. An Englishman, be he -courtier, soldier, or an ordinary mortal, speaks unreservedly of his -political opinions without any consideration for the party in office, -and I was much surprised to hear one of the higher Court officials, an -ardent admirer of Mr. Gladstone, speak in very sharp terms of the -politics of the Conservative, Lord Salisbury, even drawing me into the -criticism. - -My apartments were in one of the round towers of the Castle, so full of -historical memories, and as I gazed at the lovely landscape, with the -Thames winding in and out among the trees, and remembered the ideas I -had formed of this royal castle when I read Shakespeare, I was deeply -moved at the wonderful change in my position. If some one had told me in -the days gone by that I, who was then living in the poorest -circumstances, and even suffering hunger, should one day be the honoured -guest of the Queen of England and Empress of India at Windsor, that men -in high position would lead me through the ancient halls, show me the -royal treasures, and that I should sit next but two to the Queen at -table, I should, in spite of my lively imagination, have thought him a -fool and have laughed in his face. The crown jewels never dazzled me to -such an extent as to force me to worship their wearer. But every one -must agree that the natural simplicity of Queen Victoria's manner, her -rare amiability and kindness of heart, and the way in which she knew how -to honour Art and Science, had a most fascinating effect on those who -came into contact with her. It is a great mistake to imagine that this -princess, placed at the head of the monarchical republic, as England may -be called on account of its constitution, was only the symbolical leader -of the mighty State, having no influence on its wonderful machinery. -Queen Victoria had a remarkable memory; she knew the ins and outs of -every question, took a lively interest in everything, and in spite of -her earnest mien and conversation, sparks of wit often lighted up the -seemingly cold surface and reminded one of the fact that she was a -talented princess and a clever, sensible woman. - -Queen Victoria has often erroneously been depicted as a woman cold in -manner, reserved, and of a gloomy nature, who, with her carefully worded -questions and answers made a rather unfavourable impression on her -visitor. This idea is quite incorrect. She certainly was a little -reserved at first, but as soon as her clever brain had formed an opinion -as to the character and disposition of the stranger, her seeming -coldness was cast aside, and was replaced by a charming graciousness of -manner, and she warmed to her subject as her interest in it grew. - -When, at Sandringham, I had the honour of walking in the park next to -her little carriage drawn by two donkeys, she seemed at first to be -paying scant attention to my conversation with the gentleman-in-waiting -who accompanied us, but when I began to speak about my adventures and -experiences in Central Asia, her interest visibly increased, and she -made inquiries as to the smallest details. What most surprised me was -that she not only retained all the strange Oriental names, but -pronounced them quite correctly, a rare thing in a European, especially -in a lady; she even remembered the features and peculiarities of the -various Asiatics who had visited her Court, and the opinions she formed -were always correct. - -One evening, I think it was at Sandringham, she conversed with me for a -long time about the East, chiefly about Turkey. She remembered all the -Turkish ambassadors of half a century, and after having spoken for some -time about Fuad Pasha, I took courage, and asked her if the following -anecdote which I had often heard in the East were true:-- - -"They say," I began, "that during one of his missions to the English -Court, Fuad Pasha brought your Majesty a beautiful brooch as a present -from the Sultan, Abdul Medjid, and that some years afterwards your -Majesty had a pair of earrings made of it. When on another mission Fuad -Pasha saw and admired the earrings, your Majesty is said to have -remarked: 'N'est ce pas, sa Majesté le Sultan sera bien faché -d'entendre, que j'ai gâté la broche dont il m'a fait cadeau?' Fuad Pasha -is said to have given the following witty answer: 'Au contraire, Madame, -mon souverain sera enchanté d'entendre que votre Majesté prête l'oreille -à tout ce qui vient de sa part.'" - -The Queen listened silently, then remarked-- - -"It is a pretty story, but it is not true." - -I found that this princess had more sense of the importance of -strengthening British power in Asia, than many of her noted ministers; -and the Shah of Persia, on the occasion of his visit to Budapest, told -me astonishing stories of the Queen's familiarity with Oriental affairs. -I was not a little surprised when she, at the age of seventy, told me of -her studies in Hindustani, and showed me her written exercises in that -tongue. The two Indian servants, with their enormous turbans and wide -garments, who waited on the Queen at table and accompanied her on her -excursions, were a living proof of the interest the Empress of India -took in the establishment of British power in Asia; and when I saw with -what devotion and respect these long-bearded Asiatics waited on a woman, -and what is more, a _Christian_ woman, handing her food and drink, and -watching for the least sign from her, I could hardly refrain from -expressing my admiration. The knowledge that the most powerful sovereign -in the world, who guides the destinies of nearly four hundred million -human beings, stands before you in the form of a modest, unassuming -woman is overwhelming. And when I saw in the Royal Library at Windsor -the numerous addresses and Presentations, and assurances of devotion -from the Emir of Afghanistan and other Asiatic potentates, written on -scrolls of parchment in large golden letters, or when I admired the -crowns, sceptres, and Oriental arms, preserved in the Royal Treasury at -Windsor, I could never tire in my admiration of the power and greatness -of Britain. - -Discretion forbids me to say more of Queen Victoria, and I will only add -that the graciousness with which she received me, and the words in which -she acknowledged my literary efforts on England's behalf, will always be -more precious to me than all the orders and treasures with which -sovereigns think to have repaid the author. - -After the Queen's death in 1901 her successor, Edward VII., showed me -many marks of favour. I had made his acquaintance (as I remarked on p. -248) in 1865, and during all the time he was Prince of Wales he never -missed an opportunity of showing his appreciation of my literary -efforts. Of all the monarchs of Europe and Asia not one has visited and -studied other countries and nationalities of the Old and of the New -World as he has done; consequently he is very capable of leading the -politics of the giant kingdom he rules over. When, in the course of -conversation with him, I touched upon the situation in Turkey, Persia or -India, I found him quite familiar with all these subjects, and his -opinion was never influenced by differences in race or in religion. -Having noticed during his visit to Budapest that the Hungarian -aristocracy did not pay the same honour to the man of letters as was -done in London, he gave an evening party, and appeared in the -drawing-room arm in arm with the present writer, whom he introduced to -the assembled guests as "My friend, Professor Vambéry!" - -King Edward is at once a clever writer and a good orator, as is proved -by the book entitled, _Speeches and Addresses of H. R. H. The Prince of -Wales_, 1863-1888, London, 1889. When I visited him in 1901, shortly -after his accession to the throne, I found, greatly to my satisfaction, -that the possession of a crown had caused no change in his character. He -was as amiable as before, and begged me to visit him as often as I came -to England. He also proved his nobleness of mind on the occasion of my -seventieth birthday, when I received the following telegram from the -King's private secretary, Lord Francis Knollys: "The King commands me to -send you his warmest congratulations on the seventieth anniversary of -your birthday." - -A few days later I received the following communication.-- - - - "MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, - - "PALL MALL, S. W., - - "_March 18, 1902._ - - "Dear PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY,--I am commanded by the King to inform you, - that he has much pleasure in conferring upon you the third class - (Commander) of the Victorian Order on your 70th birthday, as a mark - of his appreciation of your having always proved so good and - constant a friend to England, and as a token of His Majesty's - personal regard towards you. - - "I beg to remain, dear Professor Vambéry, - - "Yours very faithfully, - - "FRANCIS KNOLLYS." - - -This proof of royal favour naturally caused a sensation abroad, and also -at home, where Government had taken but scant notice of my festival, and -it was generally highly appreciated. As to why Hungary on this occasion -again tried to prove the truth of the adage that no man is a prophet in -his own country I have spoken in another part of this book. - -All I wish to prove now is that King Edward VII. has always shown a -lively appreciation of literary efforts and aspirations, and in spite of -his exalted position does not allow himself to be influenced by -difference in rank or religion. Directly after his accession he -requested the representatives of foreign powers in London to introduce -to him all the foreign artists and authors who might come to London, as -he wished to make their acquaintance. Thus he proves himself to be a -true son of liberal Albion, and filled with the democratic spirit of our -century. - -As though to prove the truth of the proverb, "The fruit never falls far -from the tree," the present Prince of Wales distinguishes himself in the -same way, and by his amiability he has already won all hearts. At the -time of my visit to Sandringham I lived in the apartments of the late -Duke of Clarence, who was absent at the time, and thus I became the -neighbour of Prince George, as he was then called. One afternoon, while -I was occupied with my correspondence, I received an invitation from the -Queen to join her in the garden; as I wished to wash my hands before -going down I rang several times for warm water, but no one came. At -length the young Prince came to my door, and asked me what I wanted. I -told him, and he disappeared, returning in a few minutes with a large -jug in his hand, which he placed, smiling, on my washstand. - -Not at all bad, I thought, for the poor Jewish beggar-student of former -years to be waited upon by a Prince! I have often laughed at the -recollection of this incident, and have since dubbed the future -sovereign of Great Britain, "The Royal Jug-bearer." - -The King's other children also resemble him in this respect, and I -often think of the following episode. One evening, at Sandringham, a -gala-dinner was given in honour of Queen Victoria, and I was to take -Princess Louise in to dinner; the Prince of Wales, now Edward VII., took -a glance at the assembled guests, then approached me, saying: "Vambéry, -why did you not put on orders?" - -I was just going to make some excuse when the Princess (the present -Duchess of Fife) remarked: "Why, Papa, Professor Vambéry ought to have -pinned some of his books on to his coat; they would be the most suitable -decorations." - -It was a thoroughly democratic spirit which reigned in the home of the -present King when he was Prince of Wales--a spirit which he has -introduced into Buckingham Palace to the no small anger of many -narrow-minded aristocrats. King Edward VII. understands the spirit of -his times better than many of his brother sovereigns, and his popularity -in England and America is a very natural result. - - - - -My Intercourse with Sultan Abdul Hamid - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -MY INTERCOURSE WITH SULTAN ABDUL HAMID - - -Speaking of royal appreciation, I cannot leave unmentioned the reception -I had from the Sultan of Turkey, a curious contrast indeed to my former -life in Constantinople. - -My personal acquaintance with Sultan Abdul Hamid dates from the time -that I lived in the house of Rifaat Pasha, who was related to Reshid -Pasha. The son of the latter, Ghalib Pasha, who had married a daughter -of Abdul Medjid, wanted his wife to take French lessons, and I was -selected to teach her because it was understood that, being familiar -with Turkish customs, I should not infringe upon the strict rules of the -harem. Three times a week I had to present myself at the Pasha's palace, -situated on the Bay of Bebek, and each time I was conducted by a eunuch -into the Mabein, _i.e._, a room between the harem and the selamlik, -where I sat down before a curtain behind which my pupil the princess had -placed herself. I never set eyes upon the princess. The method of -instruction I had chosen was the so-called Ahn-system, consisting of -learning by heart small sentences, gradually introducing various words -and forms. I called through the curtain, "Père--baba; mère--ana; le père -est bon--baba eji dir; la mère est bonne--ana eji dir," etc., and the -princess on the other side repeated after me, and always took trouble to -imitate my pronunciation most carefully. Fatma Sultan, as the princess -was called, had a soft, melodious voice, from which I concluded that she -had a sweet character, and she was also considerate and kind-hearted, -for after the lesson had been going on for some time she told the eunuch -by my side, or more correctly, stationed in the room to keep watch over -me, to bring me some refreshments, and afterwards she inquired after my -condition and private circumstances. It was during these lessons in the -Mabein that amongst the visitors who entered from time to time I was -particularly struck by a slender, pale-looking boy; he often sat down -beside me, fixed his eyes upon me, and seemed interested in my -discourse. I asked what his name was, and learned that it was Prince -Hamid Effendi, a brother of my pupil, and that he distinguished himself -among his brothers and sisters by a particularly lively spirit. In -course of time this little episode, like many others, faded from my -memory. - -After my return from Central Asia, when I found other spheres of work, -I kept aloof from Turkey, and I only remained in touch with the Ottoman -people in so far as my philological and ethnographical studies had -reference to the linguistic and ethnical part of this most Westerly -branch of the great Turkish family. In my political writings, chiefly -taken up with the affairs of inner Asia, the unfortunate fate of the -Porte has always continued to touch me very deeply. The land of my -youthful dreams, to which I am for ever indebted for its noble -hospitality, and where I have felt as much at home as in my own country, -could never be indifferent to me. Its troubles and misfortunes were -mine, and whenever opportunity offered I have broken a lance for Turkey; -without keeping up personal relations with the Porte, I have always -considered it a sacred duty with my pen to stand up for the interests of -this often unjustly calumniated nation. My Turkophile sympathies could, -of course, not remain unknown on the banks of the Bosphorus, and when, -after the opening of railway communication with Turkey, I went to -Stambul, I received from the Turks and their ruler a quiet, -unostentatious, but all the warmer and heartier reception. Our mutual -relationship only gradually manifested itself. On my first journey I -remained almost unnoticed, for after a space of thirty years only a few -of my old acquaintances were left, and the _ci-devant_ Reshid Effendi, -under which name I was known at the Porte, was only remembered by a -few. My second visit was already more of a success, and my reappearance -in public revived the old memory, for my fluency of speech had lent "the -foreigner" a new attraction in Turkish society. Wherever I appeared in -public I was looked at somewhat doubtfully, for many who had not known -me before imagined from my real Turkish Effendi conversation that I was -a Turkish renegade. Thanks to my old connections, the problem was soon -solved. The Turkish newspapers gave long columns about my humble person, -and extolled the services which, in spite of many years' absence, I had -rendered to the country. - -Sultan Abdul Hamid, a watchful and enlightened ruler, full of national -pride, although perhaps a little too anxious and severely absolute, was -certainly not the one to lag behind his people in acknowledging merit; -and as an unpleasant incident prevented him from showing me his -sympathies on my first visit, I was invited a few months later to pay -another visit to the Turkish capital as his special guest. To make up -for former neglect I received an almost regal reception. The slope up to -Pera which in 1857 I had climbed a destitute young adventurer, I now -drove up in a royal equipage accompanied by the court officials who had -received me at the station; and when I had been installed in the -apartments prepared for me by the Sultan's command, and was soon after -welcomed by the Grandmaster of Ceremonies on behalf of the sovereign, -that old fairy-tale-feeling came over me again. My first quarters at -Püspöki's, swarming with rats; my _rôle_ of house-dog in the isolated -dwelling of Major A., my _début_ as singer and reciter in the -coffee-houses, and many other reminiscences from the struggling -beginning of my career in the East, flitted before my eyes in a cloudy -vision of the past. - -On the morning after my arrival I could have stood for hours gazing out -of the window on the Bosphorus, recalling a hundred different episodes -enacted on this spot, but I was wakened out of these sweet dreams by an -adjutant of the Sultan who called to conduct me to an audience at the -Yildiz Palace. As I passed through the great entrance hall of the -Chit-Kiosk, where the Sultan was wont to receive in the morning, -marshals, generals, and high court officials rose from their seats to -greet me, and on many faces I detected an expression of astonishment, -why, how, and for what their imperial master was doing so much honour to -this insignificant, limping European, who was not even an ambassador. -When I appeared before the Sultan he came a few steps towards me, shook -hands, and made me sit down in an easy chair by his side. At the first -words I uttered--of course I made my speech as elegant as I -could--surprise was depicted on the face of the Ruler of all True -Believers, and when I told him that I remembered him as a -twelve-year-old boy in the palace of his sister, Fatma Sultan, the wife -of Ali Ghalib Pasha, attending the French lesson which I was giving the -princess, the ice was broken at once, and the otherwise timid and -suspicious monarch treated me as an old acquaintance. At a sign the -chamberlain on duty left the hall, and I remained quite alone with -Sultan Abdul Hamid--a distinction thus far not vouchsafed to many -Europeans, and not likely to be, as the Sultan is not acquainted with -European languages, and therefore, according to the rules of court -etiquette, cannot hold a face-to-face interview with foreigners. The -conversation turned for the greater part upon persons and events of -thirty years past, upon his father, Sultan Abdul Medjid, to whom I had -once been presented, Reshid Pasha, Lord Stratford Canning, whom the -Sultan remembered distinctly, and many other persons, questions, and -details of that time. As the conversation progressed the splendour and -the nimbus of majesty disappeared before my eyes. I saw merely a Turkish -Pasha or Effendi such as I had known many in high Stambul society, only -with this difference, that Sultan Abdul Hamid, by his many endowments, a -wonderful memory, and a remarkable knowledge of European affairs, far -surpasses many of his highly gifted subjects. Of course I became -gradually freer in my conversation, and when the Sultan offered me a -cigarette and with his own hand struck a match for me to light it, I was -quite overcome by the affability of the absolute Ruler, Padishah, and -Representative of Mohammed on earth, or "Shadow of God," as he is also -called. - -The first audience lasted over half an hour, and when, after being -escorted to the door by the Sultan, I again passed through the entrance -hall crowded with high dignitaries, the surprise of these men was even -greater than before, and for days together the topic of conversation in -the circles of the Porte at Stambul, and in the diplomatic circles of -Pera, was the extraordinary familiarity existing between the generally -timid and reserved Sultan and my humble self. As this intimacy has also -been commented upon and explained in various ways in Europe, I will -shortly state what was the real motive of the Sultan's attentions to me, -and why I have been so anxious to retain his favour. - -First of all I must point out that I was the first European known to the -Sultan who was equally at home in the East as in the West, familiar with -the languages, customs, and political affairs of both parts of the -world, and who, in his presence, was not stiff like the Europeans, but -pliant, like the Asiatics of the purest water. I always appeared before -him with my fez on; I greeted him as an Oriental greets his sovereign; I -used the usual bombastic forms of speech in addressing him; I sat, -stood, went about, as it becomes an Oriental--in a word I submitted to -all the conventionalities which the Westerner never observes in the -presence of the Sultan. Moreover, he was impressed by all my -experiences, and in his desire for knowledge he was pleased to be -instructed on many points. All these things put together were in -themselves enough to attract his attention towards me. The second reason -for the friendship and amiability shown me by Sultan Abdul Hamid was my -Hungarian nationality, and the Turcophile character of my public -activity, of which, however, he did not hear more fully till later. The -friendly feelings exhibited by Hungary during the late Russo-Turkish war -had touched the Sultan deeply, and his sympathies for the Christian -sister-nation of the Magyars were undoubtedly warm and true. Now as to -the possible merits of my writings, the Sultan, like the Turks in -general, was well aware of my Turcophile journalistic activity, but none -of them had the slightest conception of my philological and ethnological -studies in connection with Turkey. They had never even heard of them, -and when I handed the Sultan a copy of my monograph on the Uiguric -linguistic monuments, he said, somewhat perplexed, "We have never heard -of the existence of such ancient Turkish philological monuments, and it -is really very interesting that our ancestors even before the adoption -of Islam were many of them able to write, as would appear from these -curious characters." With regard to the skill and tact of Sultan Abdul -Hamid I will just mention in connection with the subject of the old -Turkish language, that he, recognising at once my keen interest in -everything of an old Turkish nature, drew my attention to some pictures -in his reception-room, the one of Söyjüt in Asia Minor (the cradle of -the Ottoman dynasty), and the other of the Mausoleum of Osman; and he -told me with some pride that these pictures were the work of a Turkish -artist. He also told me that in the Imperial household, which lives in -strict seclusion from the other Osmanli, a considerable number of -Turkish words and expressions are used quite unknown to the other -Osmanli more accessible to outside influences. The Sultan quoted some -specimens, and, as I recognised in them Azerbaidjan, _i.e._, Turkoman -linguistic remains, the Sultan smiled, quite pleased, thinking that with -these monuments he could prove the unadulterated Turkish national -character of the Osmanli dynasty. This vanity surprised me greatly, as a -while ago the Turks were rather ashamed of their Turkish antecedents, -and now their monarch actually boasted of them! - -The third, and perhaps the most valid, reason for the Sultan's -attentions to me lay in the international character of my pen, and more -especially in the notice which England had taken of my writings. Sultan -Abdul Hamid, a skilful diplomatist and discerner of men, one of the most -cunning Orientals I have ever known, attached great importance to the -manner in which he was thought and talked of in Europe. Public opinion -in the West, scorned by our would-be important highest circles of -society--although they cannot hide their chagrin in case of unfavourable -criticism--has always seemed of very great moment to the Sultan; and in -his endeavours to incline public opinion in his favour this clever -Oriental has given the best proof that he has a keener insight into the -political and social conditions than many of his Christian -fellow-sovereigns. Fully conscious that his ultimate fate depends on -Europe, he has always endeavoured to make himself beloved, not at one -single court, but by the various people of Europe, and is anxious to -avoid all cause of blame and severe criticism. England's opinion he -seemed to think a great deal of; for although he simulated indifference -and even assumed an air of hostility, in his innermost mind he was -firmly convinced that England from motives of self-interest would be -compelled to uphold the Ottoman State, and at the critical moment would -come to the rescue and lend a helping hand. To hide this last anchor of -hope he has often coquetted with France, even with Russia, in order to -annoy the English and to make them jealous; but how very different his -real inmost feelings and expectations were I have often gathered from -his conversations. Sultan Abdul Hamid has always been of a peculiarly -nervous, excitable nature; against his will he often flew into a -passion, trembled in every limb, and his voice refused speech. On one -occasion he told me how he had been brought up with the warmest -sympathies for England, how his father had spoken of England as Turkey's -best friend, and how now in his reign, through the politics of Gladstone -and the occupation of Egypt, he had had to undergo the most painful -experiences. Then every appearance of dissimulation vanished, and I -could look right down into the heart of this extraordinary man. - -It was during a conversation about the advisability of an English -alliance in the interests of the Ottoman State, that the Sultan in the -fire of his conversation told me the following: "I was six or seven -years old when my blessed father commanded my presence, as he was going -to send me to one of my aunts. I found him in one of his apartments, -sitting on a sofa in intimate conversation with an elderly Christian -gentleman. When my father noticed me, he called to me to come nearer and -kiss the hand of the stranger seated by his side. At this behest I burst -out in tears, for the idea of kissing the hand of a Giaour was to me in -my inexperience absolutely revolting. My father, generally so -sweet-tempered, became angry and said: 'Do you know who this gentleman -is? It is the English Ambassador, the best friend of my house and my -country, and the English, although not belonging to our faith, are our -most faithful allies.' Upon this I reverently kissed the old gentleman's -hand. It was the Böyük Eltchi, Lord Stratford Canning. My father's words -were deeply engraved upon my mind, and so I grew up with the idea that -the English are our best friends. How bitterly I was disillusioned when -I came to the throne! England left me in the lurch, for the -demonstration of the fleet in the Sea of Marmora, as was said in -Constantinople, was instigated more by the interests of England than of -Turkey, which is not right. Her ambassadors--_i.e._, Elliot and -Layard--have betrayed me, and when I was in want of money and asked for -a small loan of £150,000, I received a negative reply. So that is what -you in the West call friendship, and thus the beautiful dreams of my -youth have come to naught," cried the Sultan with a deep sigh. My -explanation that in England, without the consent of Parliament, no large -sums of money can be lent or given away did not in the least enlighten -the Sultan. Oriental sovereigns do not believe it even now, for to them -constitution and Parliament are mere names, invented to mislead the -public. To born Asiatics, moreover, the liberal methods of Governments -of the West are altogether unreasonable, and Feth Ali Shah said to the -English Ambassador, Malcolm, these well-known words: "And you call your -sovereign a mighty ruler, who allows himself to be dictated to by six -hundred of his subjects (the members of Parliament), whose orders he is -bound to follow? A crown like that I would refuse," said this king of -all Iran kings; and my friend Max Nordau is much of the same opinion, -for in his _Conventional Lies_ he suggests that all genuine -constitutional sovereigns of Europe should be sent to the lunatic -asylum, because they imagine themselves to be rulers and are ruled over -by others. - -Like Feth Ali Shah, and even more than he, Sultan Abdul Hamid hated all -liberal forms of government. He never made a secret of this opinion, and -during the many years of our acquaintance the Sultan repeatedly -expressed his views on this matter frankly and without palliation. In -one way, as already mentioned, it was my thorough Turkishness in -language and behaviour--he always addressed me as Reshid Effendi and -also treated me as such--which led him to make these confidences and to -overcome his innate timidity and suspicion. Then, again, my relations -with the successor to the English throne carried weight with him, and -the invitation I had received from Queen Victoria induced him to see in -me something more than an ordinary scholar and traveller; in fact, he -looked upon me as a confidant of the English court and Government--two -ideas which to him were inseparable--to whom he might freely and safely -open his heart. - -"I am always surrounded by hypocrites and parasites," he said to me one -day; "I am weary of these everlasting laudations and this endless -sneaking. They all want to take advantage of me, all seek to gratify -their private interests; and all that come to my ears are base lies and -mean dissimulations. Believe me, the truth, be it ever so bitter, would -please me better than all these empty compliments to which they feel -bound to treat me. I want you to speak frankly and openly to me; you are -my superior in years and experience; you are at home both in the East -and in the West, and there is much I can learn from you." This candid -speech, of a sort not very usual with Oriental potentates, naturally -encouraged me still more, and during the hours spent in confidential -_tête-à-tête_ with Sultan Abdul Hamid I could touch upon the tenderest -and most delicate points of the home and foreign politics of his court -and the characteristics of his dignitaries. The Sultan always surprised -me with his sound remarks. He bitterly complained of the -untrustworthiness of his first ministers, called them not very -complimentary names, and from the confidences of this apparently mighty -autocrat I caught a faint glimmer of his impotence and utter loneliness. -Once when I called his attention to the ignoble conduct of his chief -courtiers, he appeared to be specially excited, and cried, "Do you think -I do not know every one of them, and am not aware of it all? Alas! I -know but too well. But whence can I procure other and better people in a -society which for centuries has wallowed in this pool of slander? Only -time and culture can do salutary work here; nothing else can do it." -And, indeed, contrary to all previously conceived notions, the Sultan -had admitted into his immediate surroundings such young people as had -distinguished themselves in the schools, and were in no way connected -with the leading families. His object was to create a circle of his own -round him, and like these confidants at home, he wanted me, abroad, to -show him my friendship by sending him at least twice a month a report -written in Turkish about public opinion in Europe; about the position of -the political questions of the day; about the condition of Islam outside -Turkey, and to answer the questions he would put to me. - -I readily promised my services, but soon realised that with all his -apparent frankness, these confessions of a monarch brought up in -strictly Oriental principles were not to be taken in real earnest, for -when one day, in the heat of conversation, I made some slightly critical -remarks, and ventured to question the expediency or the advisability of -certain measures and plans of his Majesty, I noticed at once signs of -displeasure and surprise on his countenance, and from that time little -clouds have darkened the horizon of our mutual intercourse. And how -could it be otherwise? Potentates, and above all Orientals, are far too -much accustomed to incense; the coarse food of naked truth cannot be to -their taste; and when an absolute ruler is superior to his surroundings, -not only in actual power but also in intellectual endowments, an adverse -opinion, no matter how thickly sugared the pill may be, is not easily -swallowed. From the very beginning of his reign Sultan Abdul Hamid has -never tolerated any contradiction; apparently he listened patiently to -any proffered advice, but without allowing himself to be shaken in his -preconceived opinion; and when some Grand-Vizier or other distinguished -himself by steadfastness to his own individual views, as was the case, -for instance, with Khaired-din Pasha, Kiamil Pasha, Ahmed Vefik Pasha, -and others, they soon have had to retire. True, through his -extraordinary acuteness the Sultan has mitigated many mistakes resulting -from his defective education. In conversation he hardly ever betrayed -his absolute lack of schooling, although he was not even well versed in -his own mother-tongue. He said to me frequently, "Please talk ordinary -Turkish!" His excellent memory enabled him to turn to good account a -thing years after he had heard it, and his flowery language deceived -many of his European visitors. But, taking him altogether, he was a -great ignoramus and sadly needed to be taught, though in his sovereign -dignity and exalted position of "God's Shadow on Earth," he had to fancy -himself omniscient. Thoroughly convinced of this, I have, in my -subsequent intercourse with the Sultan, exercised a certain amount of -reserve; I learned to be ever more careful in my expressions, and when -the Sultan noticed this I replied in the words of the Persian poem-- - - - "The nearness of princes is as a burning fire," - - -which he took with a gratified smile. In a word, I was a dumb -counsellor, and I much regret that the European diplomats on the -Bosphorus did not look upon my position in this light, but laid all -sorts of political intrigues to my charge; and that my relations to the -Sultan, who had me for hours together in his room--and when I was there -kept even his most intimate chamberlain at a distance--necessarily gave -rise to a good deal of speculation. The long faces, the frowns, the -despairing looks which the court officials in the Sultan's immediate -vicinity showed me, and the way they measured me when after a long -audience I crossed the hall or the park, often startled me and made me -feel uncomfortable. These simple folks took me for the devil or some -magic spectre personified who had ensnared their sovereign, and was -leading him, God only knows whither. There were but few who had a good -word for me, and many were quite convinced that at every visit I carried -away with me into the land of unbelievers quantities of treasures and -gold. When later on through my intercourse with the Moslem scholars and -Mollas at court I had made a name as a practical scholar of Islam, and -became conspicuous on account of my Persian and Tartar conversational -powers, they were still more astonished, and the head-shaking over my -enigmatic personality became even more significant. They took me for a -deposed Indian prince, a Turkestan scholar exiled by the Russians, but -most often for a dangerous person whom it had been better for the -Sultan never to have known. To the European circles of Pera I was -likewise a riddle. Sometimes alone, sometimes in company with Hungarian -academicians, I used to search in the Imperial treasure-house for -remains of the library of King Mathias Corvinus, captured by the Turks -in Ofen and brought over to Constantinople. I discovered many things, -but I was branded as a political secret agent of England. A well-known -diplomatist said, "Ce savant est un homme dangereux, il faut se défaire -de lui." But the good man was mistaken. I was neither _dangereux_ nor -secret agent of any State; for, in the first place, my self-esteem -revolted against the assigned _rôle_ of dealer in diplomatic secrets; -and, moreover, what Cabinet would think of employing a secret agent -outside their Legation, maintained at such great expense? I do not for a -moment wish to hide the fact that in my conversations with the Sultan -about political questions I always took the side of Austro-Hungary and -England; that I was always up in arms against Russia, and launched out -against the perfidy, the barbarism, and the insatiable greed for land of -the Northern power. More anti-Russian than all Turks and the Sultan -himself, I could not well be, and the more I could blacken Russia -politically the better service did I fancy I rendered to our European -culture. To obviate any suspicion, the Sultan once wanted to invite me -to a court dinner together with the Russian Ambassador Nelidoff; -however, I begged to be excused. Of the various ambassadors I have only -attended a public court dinner with the Persian Ambassador (Prince -Maurocordato), the plenipotentiary of Greece, and with Baron Marshal von -Bieberstein, and these diplomatists were not a little surprised to -notice the attention with which the Sultan treated me. - -For several years I thus enjoyed the Sultan's favour and occupied this -exceptional position at his court. As long as the Grand Seigneur saw in -me a staunch Turcophile and defender of Islam, who, led by fanaticism, -palliated all the mistakes and wrong-doings with which Europe charged -all Oriental systems of government; as long as I regarded Turkey as an -unwarrantably abused State, and European intervention as unjustifiable -at all times, he gave me his undivided confidence and astonished me by -his unfeigned candour. - -Many years of experience in Turkish society had taught me that the -Sultan is regarded as an almost Divine being, and consequently this -extraordinary affability was all the more surprising. He treated me, so -to speak, as a confidential friend, talked with me about State concerns, -and the interests of his dynasty, as if I had been an Osmanli and -co-regent of the empire. He conferred with me about the most delicate -political questions, with a candour, which he never displayed even -before his Grand-Vizier and his Ministers; and consequently my letters -to him from Budapest were free and unrestrained, and such as this -sovereign had probably never received before. - -Now, if there had only been questions of purely Turkish interests, -internal reforms and improvements, there would have been no occasion to -shake the Sultan's confidence in me, but Sultan Abdul Hamid's mind was -always busy with foreign politics, and because in regard to these I -could not always unconditionally agree with him, this was bound to lead -in process of time, if not to an absolute rupture, at any rate to a -cooling of our former warm friendship. For some time the Egyptian -Question was the chief point of discussion. The Sultan often complained -to me about the unlucky star which ruled over his foreign politics; that -he had lost so many of the inherited provinces, that the loss of the -Nile-land, that precious jewel of his crown, was particularly grievous -to him, and that the faithlessness of the English troubled him above all -things. As a matter of course he vented his wrath especially upon the -English Government; and although he was not particularly enamoured of -any of the European Cabinets, nay, I might say, hated and feared them -all alike, it was the St. James's Cabinet which, whether Liberal or -Conservative, had always to bear the brunt of his ire. He was on very -bad terms with the two English Ambassadors who shortly before and -shortly after his accession to the throne represented the Cabinet of St. -James's in Constantinople. Once, Lady Layard sent me for presentation -to the Sultan, a picture of herself in a very valuable frame, and when I -delivered it on the occasion of an evening audience the Grand Seigneur, -generally so completely master of himself, became quite excited, and -pointing to the portrait he said to me, "For this lady, whom you see -there, I have the greatest respect; for during the war she has tended my -wounded soldiers with great self-sacrifice, and I shall always feel -grateful to her; but as for her husband," he continued, "I have torn him -out of my heart, for he has shamefully abused my confidence." Thereupon -he tore at his breast as if he would pull something out, and slinging -his empty hand to the ground, he tramped excitedly on the floor, as if -he were demolishing the heart of the absent delinquent. This act of -passionate emotion I have noticed more particularly among Turkish women, -and there are many traits in the Sultan's character which speak of the -harem life. I tried to pacify the angry monarch by reminding him that -Layard, as ambassador, had but done his duty in delivering the message, -and that those gentlemen alone were to blame who had allowed such -confidential communications to become public property. I quoted, -moreover, the Koran passage which says, "La zewal fi'l sefirun" ("The -envoy is not to be blamed"); but it was all in vain, the name of this -deserving English diplomat had quite upset the Sultan; he was unwilling -and unable to distinguish between the actions of the statesman and of -the private gentleman. - -One cannot altogether blame the Sultan either, when we think of the -bitter experiences he so often has had to undergo; but in politics, -justice and fairness have quite a different meaning from what they have -in ordinary life, and Sultan Abdul Hamid most decidedly acted -imprudently when, without taking into consideration England's most vital -interests, he demanded of this State a policy which, on account of the -altered general aspect of affairs, and on account of the growing insular -antipathy against Turkey, had become impossible. That the Conservatives, -in spite of all Mr. Gladstone's Atrocity-meetings, dared to appear with -a fleet in the Sea of Marmora, to prevent Russia from taking -Constantinople, has never been appreciated by the Sultan. He had always -before his eyes the comedy of Dulcigno and Smyrna, instigated by the -Liberal Government of England, and the occupation of Egypt appeared to -him more perfidious than the challenge of Russia, and all the injury he -had sustained from the Western Power. - -In course of time the relations between the Porte and the Cabinet of St. -James were bound to become cooler. _Inter duos litigantes_, Russia was -the _tertius gaudens_; and when in addition to the previous coldness the -Armenian difficulties arose, the two great European Powers completely -changed places in Asia, for the Russian arch-enemy became the bosom -friend and confidant of the Turkish court (not of the Turkish nation), -and England was looked upon as the _diabolus rotæ_ of the Ottoman -Empire. With regard to the Armenian troubles Sultan Abdul Hamid's anger -against England was not altogether unfounded; for although in London -good care was taken to keep aloof publicly from the disturbances in the -Armenian mountains, the agitation of English agents in the North of Asia -Minor is beyond all doubt. The Sultan was carefully informed of this -both foolish and unreasonable movement. Whatever the Hintchakists and -other revolutionary committees of the Armenian malcontents brewed in -London, Paris, New York, Marseilles, &c., full knowledge of it was -received in Yildiz; the Armenians themselves had provided the secret -service. As early as the autumn of 1890 the Sultan complained to me -about these intrigues, and twelve months later he made use of the -expression, "I tell you, I will soon settle those Armenians. I will give -them a box on the ear which will make them smart and relinquish their -revolutionary ambitions." With this "box on the ear" he meant the -massacres which soon after were instituted. The Sultan kept his word. -The frightful slaughter in Constantinople and many other places of Asia -Minor has not unjustly stirred up the indignation of the Christian -world, but on the other hand the fact should not have been lost sight of -that Christian Russia and Austria in suppressing revolutions in their -own dominions have acted, perhaps, not quite so severely, but with no -less blood-thirstiness. That his drastic measures roused the public -opinion of all Europe against the Sultan was no secret to him. He was -aware of the beautiful titles given to him, "Great Assassin," "Sultan -Rouge," "Abdul the Damned," &c., and once touching upon the Western -infatuation against his person, he seemed in the following remark to -find a kind of apology for the cruelties perpetrated in his name. "In -the face of the everlasting persecutions and hostilities of the -Christian world," the Sultan said, "I have been, so to speak, compelled -to take these drastic measures. By taking away Rumenia and Greece, -Europe has cut off the feet of the Turkish State body. The loss of -Bulgaria, Servia, and Egypt has deprived us of our hands, and now by -means of this Armenian agitation they want to get at our most vital -parts, tear out our very entrails--this would be the beginning of total -annihilation, and this we must fight against with all the strength we -possess." In truth, notwithstanding all the evident signs of a total -downfall the Sultan still nursed high-flown ideas of regeneration and -security for his Empire. He often spoke of the cancelling of -capitulations and of the certain advantages to be derived from his -Alliance schemes. He has always placed great confidence in the -Panislamic movement which he inaugurated, and which he certainly -directed very skilfully. His agents traverse India, South Russia, -Central Asia, China, Java, and Africa; they proclaim everywhere the -religious zeal, the power and the greatness of the Khaliph; up to the -present, however, they have succeeded only in making the birthday of the -Sultan a day of public rejoicing throughout Islamic lands, and in -preparing the threads wherewith to weave the bond of unity. One day, as -we were talking about these plans, he denied them altogether, and -pretended to be very much surprised. These schemes for the future were -his particular hobby; he spoke of them only to his most intimate -servants and court officials, and to no one besides, not even to his -ministers. The latter he called fortune-hunters, who deserve no -confidence. "How can I believe my ministers?" he said at one time. "When -a while ago I sent for my police minister, he came into my presence -quite intoxicated. I drove the swine out of the room and dismissed him -next day." That he encouraged the evil, that with his strictly -autocratic and absolutist ideas he prevented the growth of capable -statesmen, that no clever politicians could possibly thrive under -him--all this he would never realise, although I often hinted at it and -reminded him of the Prophet's warning, "Ye shall consult one another." -He was and always will be an incorrigible Arch-Turk, who in the shadow -of his Divine reputation would have free disposal of all things; and -when his First Secretary told him that I had been a _protégé_ of the -late Grand-Vizier Mahmud Nedim Pasha, the friend of Ignatieff, he said, -turning to me, "Yes, Mahmud Nedim Pasha was a singularly clever man, a -true Turk and Moslem, and a faithful servant to his master." - -I soon came to the conclusion that with a sovereign of this kind, there -was not much good to be done, and without flatly contradicting him, I -quietly adhered to my own political views. As I look at things now, it -seems quite natural that I excited his displeasure, and that he looked -askance at my English predilections. The Sultan expected of me -unconditional approval of his political views; he wanted to have in me a -friend, absolutely Turkish in my views, as opposed to the Christian -world, and willing, like many a prominent man in Europe, to hold up the -East as noble, sublime, humane, and just, and to put down the West as -reprobate, crude, and rapacious. No, that was expecting a little too -much of my Turkish sympathies! I have always been too much imbued with -the high advantages of our Western culture, too fully convinced of the -beneficial influences of nineteenth-century ideas, to lend myself to -sing the unqualified praises of Asia--rotten, despotic, ready to -die--and to exalt the Old World over the New! No, neither imperial -favour nor any power on earth could have induced me to do this, and when -the Sultan realised that, he began to treat me with indifference; he -even told me once that he did not like children who could cling to two -mothers, and without actually showing me any hostility or dislike, as -my international penmanship was not quite a matter of indifference to -him, he dismissed me, to all appearance, graciously. He was undeceived, -but I remained what I always have been, a friend of Turkey. - -How it came about that, in spite of his ill-will, the Sultan for many -years after still showed me favour, and even invited me more than once -to visit Constantinople, I can only explain by the fact that, although -distrusting everybody, even himself, he did not lose sight of the use my -pen could be to him. Sultan Abdul Hamid, as I said before, had an -indescribable dread of the public opinion of Europe, which he took into -account in all his transactions; he always wanted to act the -enlightened, liberal, patriotic, order-loving, and conscientious ruler. -He always wanted to show off the very thin and light varnish of culture -which a very defective education and a flying visit through Europe -(1868) had given him. Without knowing French he would often interlard -his Turkish conversation with French words and sayings, to impress the -ambassadors and other exalted guests, just as in company with Moslem -scholars he made a special point of introducing theological and -technical terms, without ever rising above the level of a half-cultured -Moslem. Thanks to his remarkable memory, he was never at a loss for such -terms, but his actual familiarity with either European or Asiatic -culture was very slight, since his kind-hearted but far too lenient -father had never kept his children to their books. Kemal Effendi, the -tutor of the imperial prince, told me in the fifties quite incredible -things about the indolence of his imperial pupil. Reshad Effendi, the -heir presumptive, had a taste for Persian and Arabic, and had at an -early age made some attempts at Persian poetry, but Hamid Effendi, the -present Sultan, was not so easily induced to sit on the school bench. -Harem intrigues and harem scandal were more to his liking, and if one -wanted to know anything about the secrets of individual members of the -imperial _gynécée_, one had but to go to Hamid Effendi for information. -It is a great pity that this lively and really talented prince had not -received a better education in his youth. Who knows but what he might -have made a better sovereign on the throne of the Osmanlis? - -My intercourse with this man was to me of exceptional interest, not so -much in his capacity of prince, but rather as man and Oriental. When in -the evening I was with him alone in the Chalet Kiosk we used to sit -still, trying to read each other's thoughts, for the imperial rogue knew -his man well enough; and after we had thus contemplated one another for -some time, the Sultan would break the silence by some irrelevant remark, -or occasionally he would ask me something about my Asiatic or European -experiences. As it is not seemly for a Khaliph, _i.e._, a lawful -descendant of Mohammed, to hold intimate conversation with an -unbeliever, or, what is worse, to ask his advice, the Sultan used to -treat me as an old, experienced, true believer, called me always by my -Turkish name, Reshid Effendi, and particularly emphasised the same when -at an audience pious or learned Moslems happened to be present. Sultan -Abdul Hamid, one of the greatest _charmeurs_ that ever was, knew always -in some way or other how to fascinate his guests. He delighted in paying -compliments, lighting the cigarette for his guest, with a civility -vainly looked for amongst ordinary civilians. - -Of course, his one aim and object was to captivate and charm his -visitors with this extreme affability. Sometimes also he was quite -theatrical in his demeanour; he could feign anger, joy, surprise, -everything at his pleasure, and I shall never forget one scene provoked -by a somewhat animated discussion of the Egyptian Question. In order to -pacify his anger against England, I ventured to remark that after the -settling of the Egyptian State debt the yearly tribute would be paid -again. The Sultan misunderstood me, and concluding that I was speaking -of redemption money, he jumped up from his seat and cried in a very -excited voice, "What! do you think I shall give up for a price the land -which my forefathers conquered with the sword?" His thin legs shook in -his wide trousers, his fez fell back on his neck, his hands trembled, -and almost ready to faint he leaned back in his seat. And yet all this -excitement was pretence, just as when another time in his zeal to -persuade me to enter his service and to remain permanently in Stambul, -he grasped both my hands, and with assurances of his unalterable favour, -promised me a high position and wealth. What induced the sly, suspicious -man to this extraordinary display of tenderness was undoubtedly my -practical knowledge of Islamic lands and of Turkey in particular. More -than once he said to me, "You know our land and our nation better than -we do ourselves." My personal acquaintance with all circles of the Porte -of former days was not much to his liking, neither did he like my -popularity with the Turkish people, the result of many years of friendly -intercourse with them; yet he had to take this into account, and _nolens -volens_ must keep on good terms with me. Curiously enough, devoted as he -was to his severely despotic principles, this monarch sometimes had fits -of singular mildness and gentleness. Once I was sitting with him till -far into the night in the great hall of the Chalet Kiosk. It was the -height of summer, and in the heat of the conversation his Majesty had -become thirsty, and called to the attendant in the ante-room, "Su -ghetirin" ("Bring water"). The attendant, who had probably fallen -asleep, did not hear. The Sultan called twice, three times, clapped his -hands, but all in vain, and when I jumped up and called the man, the -Sultan said to him, almost beseechingly, "Three times I have asked for -water, and you have not given it me; I am thirsty, very thirsty." With -any other Oriental despot the servant would have forfeited his head, but -Abdul Hamid's character was the most curious mixture imaginable of good -and bad qualities, which he exhibited according to the mood in which he -happened to be. - -Honestly speaking, these _tête-à-têtes_ with the Sultan were anything -but unmixed pleasure. Notwithstanding his pleasing manners and outward -amiability, his sinister and scrutinising look had often a very -unpleasant effect upon me. One evening, seated as usual alone with the -Sultan in the Chit Kiosk, sipping our tea, I fancied my tea was not -quite sweet enough, and while talking I stretched out my hand towards -the sugar basin, which stood near the Sultan. He gave a sudden start and -drew back on the sofa. The movement suggested that he thought I had -intended an attack upon his person. Another time, it was after dinner, I -was taking coffee in his company. I noticed that in the ardour of his -conversation he was suddenly seized with an attack of shortness of -breath. He actually gasped for air. The sight of his oppression was -painful, and I could not help thinking what would be my fate if in one -of these attacks the Sultan were to choke. One may say it is foolish, -and call me weak, but any one knowing something of life in an Oriental -palace will agree with me that the situation was anything but a joke. -Apart from this I got my full share of the moodiness of Oriental -despotism; sometimes it was almost too much for my much-tried patience. -In spite of politely worded invitations I often had to wait for days -before I was received in audience. Four, six, eight days together did I -wait in an antechamber, until at last I was told, "His Majesty extremely -regrets, on account of pressing business, or on account of sudden -indisposition, to have to delay the reception till the next day." The -next day came, and again the same story, "the next day." I remember -once, during a visit to Constantinople, to have packed and unpacked my -effects five times, awaiting permission to return home. Complaints, -entreaties, expostulations, all were of no avail, for the Muneddjim -Bashi (Court Astrologer) regulates his Majesty's actions, and these -ordinances are most strictly adhered to. My intercourse with the Sultan -was certainly not perfectly harmonious. I did my utmost to preserve my -influence over him, but at last I had to realise that all my trouble was -in vain, and that my efforts would never bear any fruit. - -And it could not well have been otherwise. His policy was partly of a -purely personal nature, as with all Oriental despots; such policy, -strictly conservative in tendency, was concerned with the maintenance -of an absolutely despotic _régime_. Partly, also, it was of necessity -influenced by the temporary political constellations of the West. The -indecision which characterises his least action is a result of the -spirit which prevails in the imperial harem, where no one trusts -another, where every one slanders his neighbour, and tries to deceive -and annihilate him, where everything turns round the sun of imperial -favour. Our diplomatists on the Bosphorus have often had to pay dearly -for this characteristic of Abdul Hamid. At the time of the negotiations -about the Egyptian Question Lord Dufferin once had to wait with his -secretary in the Yildiz Palace for the Sultan's decision from ten -o'clock in the morning till after midnight. Six times the draft of the -treaty was put before him to sign, and each time it was returned in -somewhat altered form until the English Ambassador, wearied to death at -last, lost his patience, and at two o'clock in the morning returned with -his suite to Therapia. Lord Dufferin had already retired to bed, and was -fast asleep when he was roused by the arrival of a special messenger -from the Sultan to negotiate about another proposal, but the English -patience was exhausted and the fate of Egypt sealed. On other occasions -there were similar and often more dramatic scenes, and even with simple -dinner invitations it has often occurred that the ambassadors in -question received a countermand only after they had already started _en -grande tenue_ on the way to Yildiz. - -As regards the distrust displayed by the ruler of Turkey, worried as he -was on all sides, some excuse may be found for him, for true and -unselfish friendships are unknown quantities in diplomatic intercourse. -But Sultan Abdul Hamid behaved in the same manner towards his Asiatic -subjects. He has always been a pessimist of the most pronounced type; he -scented danger and treason wherever he went, and everything had to give -way before his personal interests. "The future of Turkey and the -well-being of the Ottoman nation are always being discussed, but of me -and my dynasty nobody speaks," he said to me one day. To all intents and -purposes he always behaved as if he were master and owner of all Turkey, -and as nothing in the world could make him see differently, I very soon -saw the fruitlessness of my endeavours, and in future I acted only the -_rôle_ of onlooker and observer. - -A sovereign who for well-nigh thirty years has ruled and governed with -absolute power, who has succeeded in carrying autocracy and absolutism -to their limits, while the greatest as well as the very smallest -concerns of the State and of society pass through his hands, such a -sovereign runs great danger of becoming conceited and proud, since his -servile surroundings continually extol and deify him beyond all measure. -Sultan Abdul Hamid imagines it is owing to his statesmanship that -Turkey, after the unfortunate campaign of 1877, has not been completely -annihilated, and that at present it not only exists, but is sought after -by the Powers as their ally. Laughing roguishly, he said with reference -to this, "There is no lack of suitors; I am courted by all, but I am -still a virgin, and I shall not give my heart and hand to any of them;" -but all the while he was in secret alliance with Russia. What Sultan -Abdul Hamid is particularly proud of is his relation to the German -Emperor, which is, as a matter of fact, his own work, and not at all -approved of by the more cautious portion of his people. The confidential -_tête-à-tête_ between the Osmanli and the gifted Hohenzollern is unique -in its kind and abounds in interesting incidents. The Emperor William -II. admires the talent of the ruler in his friend, which in its -autocratic bearing he would like to imitate if it were possible; but he -is clever enough to discount the reward for this admiration in various -concessional privileges, &c. Well-paid appointments for German officers, -consignments of arms, concessions for railway lines, manufactures, &c., -the German Emperor has obtained playfully, as it were, and he will get -more still, for in the Imperial German the Sultan sees his only -disinterested, faithful, and mighty protector, and he is firmly -convinced that as long as this friendship continues no one will dare to -touch him, although Turkey, _stante amicitia_, lost Crete after the -victorious termination of the war with Greece. The patriotic and -progressive Turk, however, thinks otherwise. He has not a good word to -say for the German Emperor, for he looks upon him as one of those -friends who encourage the Padishah in his arrant absolutism, whose -visits diminish the treasures of State, and who has checked the national -development of free commercial life, taking all for Germany and leaving -Turkey nothing but some high-sounding compliments which flatter the -Sultan's pride. - -And so this political accomplishment of Abdul Hamid is most severely -censured in Turkey itself, and the much extolled alliance with Germany -may, in the event of a change on the throne, meet with quite unexpected -surprises. With me the Sultan never discussed this relationship, only -his favourite son, Burhaneddin, told me of his sympathies for the -Kaiser, whose language he was learning. No true friend of Turkey, I -think, can have much against an alliance with Germany; it would work -very well, only Germany should advise the Sultan to introduce certain -reforms in his country to raise the spirit of the nation, and instead of -this wild absolutist _régime_, to work at the cultivation of capable -officials. I have often told the Sultan so in writing, but lately my -memoranda have remained without effect, for we have been deceived in one -another. I have come to the conclusion that, with all my science and all -my ambition, I can never be of much use to Turkey; and the Sultan has -realised that he could not make a willing tool of me, and that therefore -I am of no use to him. I must not omit to mention, however, that the -greatest obstacle to a mutual understanding between the Sultan and -myself lies in the political views we hold as to the most beneficial -alliance for Turkey. While the Sultan, by his personal relations with -the Emperor William II., thinks to screen himself securely against all -possible danger, and as far as appearances go, likes to be exclusively -Germanophile, he has not forgotten that the Russian sword of Damocles -hangs over his head. He knows but too well that Russia has her thumb on -his throat, that Asia Minor from the side of Erzerum is open to the -troops of the Czar, that the Russian fleet could sack Constantinople -within two or three days, and that this imminent danger, if not entirely -warded off, would at any rate be considerably mitigated by submissive -humility and feigned friendliness. Hence his peculiar complaisance and -amenableness towards the court of St. Petersburg, and his behaviour -altogether as if he were a vassal already of the "White Padishah on the -Neva." Considering this state of affairs, it is not very astonishing -that the rumour spread in Europe of a secret treaty between Turkey and -Russia--a treaty according to which the Sultan had engaged himself not -to fortify the Bosphorus at the entrance of the Black Sea, and not to -erect new fortifications in the north of Asia Minor, and other similar -concessions. This treaty is said to bear the date 1893, and when the -matter was discussed by the European Press, and I asked for information -from the First Secretary of the Sultan, Sureja Pasha, the latter wrote -me in a letter dated September 3, 1893, as follows:-- - - - "VERY HONOURED FRIEND!--His Imperial Majesty, my sublime Master, - has always held in high esteem your feelings of friendship in the - interests of Turkey, and your attacks on Russia, which has done so - much harm to Turkey, have not remained unnoticed. But you know full - well that nothing in this world happens without cause, and that the - war Russia waged against us was also founded on certain causes. All - this belongs to the past. To-day the Sublime Porte is on the best - of terms with _all_ the Powers; there is no necessity for any - private treaties, and when the newspapers speak of a private treaty - between Turkey and Russia, this is nothing more or less than a - groundless and idle invention. In case such a treaty had been - necessary, Turkey, being in no way restricted in its movements, - would have notified and published the facts." - - -Later on I also touched upon this subject in conversation with the -Sultan. We were speaking about the comments made in Europe regarding -the negligence in the fortifications at the entrance to the Black Sea, -when the Sultan interrupted me and said, "Why should Europe criticise -this? I have a house with two doors; what does it matter to anybody if I -choose to close the one and open the other?" In a word, the Sultan has -given me several irrefutable proofs that the persistent anti-Russian -tendency of my publications was inconvenient to him, and that he would -be better pleased if I attacked England or kept quiet altogether. Of -course he would like best of all to banish pen and ink altogether from -the world, and as it was impossible for me to support him in his -absolute autocratic principles, a cooling of our mutual relationship was -unavoidable. - -The breach between us was made still wider by the publication of my -pamphlet _La Turquie d'aujourd'hui et d'avant quarante ans_, Paris, -1898, in which I tried to refute the thesis--so constantly and -erroneously advanced in Europe--that the Turks as a nation are incapable -of being civilised, by comparing the state of their culture as it is now -and as it was forty years ago. Naturally in a study of this kind I had -to draw the connection between the progress of culture and the political -decline of the land, and the question why, if the Turks are really -advancing in culture, they should politically be overtaken by Rumania, -Servia, Bulgaria, and Greece, I could only answer by pointing to the -autocratic and absolutist tendencies of the Sultan. Only the court and -the unconscionable clique reigning there are to blame for the present -decline of Turkey. With this article I increased my popularity in -Turkey, but at court they were, of course, anything but pleased. -Nevertheless the Sultan invited me to pay him a visit; I did so, and the -reception I had was highly characteristic. While the Padishah thanked me -for the service I had rendered to the Turkish nation, the offended -autocrat took my measure with angry looks, without, however, betraying -his anger. It was interesting to watch the internal struggle of the -offended tyrant, and I consider it only reasonable that henceforth he -would have no more to do with me. - -Thus ended my intimate intercourse with Sultan Abdul Hamid. The only -benefit it has been to me was a rubbing up of my impressions of life in -the Near East, a renewal of old relationships, and the editing of a few -valuable old Slav manuscripts which I found in the treasure-house of the -Sultan, and which were lent me for a considerable length of time. But -the renewal of my acquaintance with the Orient was void of that charm -which it had for me on my first visit. The East and myself are both -thirty years older; the East has lost much of the glory of its former -splendour, and I have lost the vigour of my youth. I fancied myself an -elderly man who, after thirty years meeting again the adored beauty of -his youthful days, misses the wealth of her locks, the fire in her eyes, -the brightness of her rosy cheeks. Old Stambul, the Bosphorus, and -Pera--everything was changed. The Sultan's mad love of extravagance, the -unfortunate war of 1878, and above all the loss of Bulgaria--in fact -nearly the whole of Rumania--had reduced the dominating class almost to -beggary. Gone were the rich Konaks in Stambul, empty the once glorious -yalis (villas) on the Bosphorus, and of the Effendi world, flourishing -and well-to-do in my time, only a few miserable vestiges remained. - -The Christian element, as compared with the Moslem, has increased -enormously; the European quarter of the city is full of life and -animation, and the Turk, always wont to walk with bowed head, now bends -it quite low on his breast as he loiters among the noisy, busy crowds of -the Christian populace. He is buried in thought; but whether he will be -able to pull himself together and recover himself is as yet an open -question. - -When speaking of my renewed visits to Turkey and my personal intercourse -with the Sultan, I made mention of my English sympathies; and I feel -bound to say a word about the rumours then prevalent, which made me out -to be a secret political agent of England, the more so since a member of -Parliament, Mr. Summers, has questioned the Conservative Government -regarding this matter. I have never at any time stood in any official -relation to the English Government. My intercourse with the Conservative -and Liberal statesmen on the Thames and on the Hugli (Calcutta) has -always been of a strictly private nature, and, just as my utterances in -the daily papers were taken notice of by the public, so my occasional -memoranda to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been accepted as the -private information of an expert, friendly to the cause of -England--information for which nobody asked me, and for which labour -therefore I could claim no compensation from anybody. This anomalous -position of mine was touched upon by the Central Asiatic writer, Mr. -Charles Marvin, in his _Merv, the Queen of the World_[2] issued, in -1881. He there blames the English Government for having neglected me, -and for leaving me in poverty, in spite of all my services. As regards -this, I must say that I had at one time a modest yearly income, while -working with all my might for the defence of India, a possession from -which England derived in commercial profits alone many million pounds -sterling; but I never suffered actual poverty, and it never entered my -mind to take steps to obtain material acknowledgment of my services. -English statesmen least of all thought of making any such -acknowledgment. They looked upon me merely as a writer in pursuit of a -purely platonic object, and this English cynicism went so far that when -I published, in 1885, my Osbeg Epic, the "Scheibaniade," entirely at my -own cost, and asked for a subscription for twenty copies, the India -Office declined the offer, although this work furnished so many data for -the history of Baber, the founder of the Mongol dominion in India. The -supposition, therefore, that my journalistic labours, although -appreciated in England, ever met with any material recognition on the -part of the Government, is altogether false. In after years I had an -offer to enter the English service, but this I never entertained for a -moment; and when on the Bosphorus I furthered English interests, I did -so from the standpoint of European peace, as an opponent of the -overbearing power of despotic Russia, and as a Hungarian whose native -land has common interests with England in the Near East. Of course such -motives bore no weight with the Sultan. He judges everybody by his own -standard; and when I tried to defend myself against such accusations, -and even one day quoted to him the saying of Mohammed, "_El fakru -fakhri_" ("Poverty is my pride"), he took the remark with a diabolical -smile, and turned the conversation into another channel. - -I must confess the character of Sultan Abdul Hamid has always been a -riddle to me. I strained every nerve to penetrate him, but all in vain. -Brilliant qualities and incredible weaknesses were always at strife in -him. The man and the ruler were constantly at war with one another, and -in the same manner his Oriental views always came into collision with -the ever more pressing demands of modern civilisation. Fear and -suspicion were naturally at the bottom of this moral condition, and if -from time to time he would have recovered himself, and listened to the -dictates of his heart--for I did not find him heartless, as he is -generally supposed to be--the instruments of his despotic arbitrariness -kept him back, and made him commit deeds which in the eyes of the world -were rightly condemned. In keeping with his own character was also the -quality of the officials around him, who after the decline of the Porte -acted as ministers of State. Divided into various cliques according to -their personal interests, the secretaries, adjutants, chamberlains, -court-marshals, body-servants, &c., have created quite a chaos of -intrigues, plots, and calumnies round the person of their ruler, which -he was quite able to cope with when in the full vigour of his manhood, -and with his marvellous perspicacity could fathom at a glance. But even -Sultan Abdul Hamid could not be expected to do superhuman things; -physically never very strong, his nervous system at last grew -perceptibly weaker, and in the thirtieth year of his reign he became -very infirm. The reins of government fell from his hands, and gradually -he sank from a ruler to being ruled over, and he fancied himself secure -against all danger only in the mutual envy, malice, and hatred which he -had provoked among those immediately surrounding him. In this terrible -position the Sultan himself was most to be pitied, and this doleful -picture of the so-called autocrat I have often had occasion to -contemplate at close quarters. Great State cares, pressing financial -troubles, the threatening grouping of the European Powers, and the -fearful phantom of an internal revolution, all of which tormented the -Sultan, left him neither rest nor peace. The Sultan's fear of Young -Turkey was exaggerated, for in Turkey revolutions are not instigated by -the masses, but by the upper classes, and since these were quite -impoverished and dependent on their official position, a revolt against -the Crown is not very probable nowadays, especially as the old party of -the time of the forcible dethronement of Abdul-aziz exists no more, and -the Osmanlis darkly brooding about the future of their land cannot so -easily be roused from their sleep. If Sultan Abdul Hamid had been a -little less despotic, and had taken account a little more of the liberal -ideas of the more enlightened Osmanlis, he would have saved himself much -trouble and many a sleepless night. But he is stubborn and firmly -resolved to persevere with the _régime_ of terrorism he has instituted. -Hence his misfortune, hence his suffering. Indeed, the man had deserved -a better fate. He is not nearly such a profligate as he is represented -to be. He is more fit than many of his predecessors; he wants to benefit -his land, but the means he has used were bound to have a contrary -effect. I have received from Sultan Abdul Hamid many tokens of his -favour and kindness, and I owe him an everlasting debt of gratitude. It -grieves me, here, where I am speaking of my personal relations with him, -to have to express opinions which may be displeasing to him, but writers -may not and cannot become courtiers, and even in regard to crowned -heads, the old saying still holds true, "_Amicus Plato, sed magis amica -veritas._" - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] Pp. 19-21. - - - - -My Intercourse with Nasreddin Shah and his Successor - - -[Illustration: PROF. VAMBÉRY AND HIS TARTAR, 1864. - -_To face Page 393._] - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -MY INTERCOURSE WITH NASREDDIN SHAH AND HIS SUCCESSOR - - -Following up my intercourse with the Sultan of Turkey, I must not omit -to relate the episode of my second meeting with the King of Persia. It -was on the occasion of the Shah's third visit to Europe that I met him -in Budapest. - -Thirty years ago I had been presented to him as a Dervish who had -visited Central Asia and spent many years among the Turcomans, at that -time held in great fear by the Persians. I now appeared before him as -representative of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and was not -surprised that he did not at once recognise me. When at the head of the -Academicians I welcomed him in a Persian speech in the pillared hall of -the Academy palace, the good Persian monarch was quite amazed and -hastily turning to his courtiers, inquired, "_In kist?_" ("Who is -that?"). They told him my name and function, and made some comments in a -low voice, whereupon the cunning Persian exclaimed, "_Belli! belli!_" -("Of course"), "Vambéry!" He maintained (which I take the liberty to -doubt) that he remembered me; but he warmly shook hands with me, and -said to the Hungarian Minister standing at his side, "_Il parle bien, -très bien notre langue!_" I do not wonder that my speech, in the Shirazi -dialect and delivered in true Oriental style, took him by surprise, for -as he afterwards told me, on the whole Continent he had not met with any -scholar who could speak Persian idiomatically and without foreign -accent. What did seem to me somewhat odd was a remark in his Journal (p. -378) that there were, even in Persia, few orators who for elegance and -force of speech could compete with me, a compliment which struck me as -particularly strange from the mouth of the Persian king. I remained -three days in attendance on Nasreddin Shah, and had ample opportunity to -admire the marvellous progress made by this Oriental since the time when -I knew him at Teheran in 1864. Nasreddin Shah was the first sovereign of -the True Believers who had learned to speak French tolerably well, and -if he did make a little too much show of this accomplishment, seeing -that his knowledge was but very superficial, it must be admitted that -his judgment in matters of art, his knowledge of geography and -palæontology, and his acquaintance with the genealogical relationships -of the various kingdoms of Europe was most astonishing. In any case, he -surpassed in knowledge of our countries and towns, our manners and -customs, all magnates and princes of the Moslem East, not excepting even -the Khedive Ismail Pasha and the late Sir Salar Jung. As we saw more of -one another he did not hesitate to express his opinion about many of our -social and political views. So, for instance, being an Asiatic _pur -sang_ he detested Liberalism, and if it had not been for the dangerous -nearness which made him turn against Russia, he would have looked upon -the Czar as the model of sovereign greatness and the Russian _régime_ as -the ideal form of government. Naturally, the French republic was an -abomination to him, the most woeful absurdity, and he could not -understand how a society where, as he maintained, no one commands and no -one obeys, a land without a ruler, _i.e._, a sovereign, can possibly -exist. - -In his political utterances he was a good deal more cautious; he always -made an evasive answer to my insinuations. Once, sailing on the Danube, -I remarked that the Karun is wider but not so long as the Danube, the -Kadjar prince looked gravely at me and said, "Thank God, no!" ("_If it -had been the English would before now have taken Teheran_," was my -mental comment.) But in spite of his great reserve and cautiousness in -political matters, I got a pretty clear insight into his political -views. He had not for the future of his land the same bold confidence as -his royal brother on the throne of the Osmanli, for while the latter's -plans reach far into the future, and to all appearances, at least, are -of a very exalted nature, especially those relating to Panislamism, the -Kadjar monarch devotes all his energies to the welfare of his dynasty, -or rather of his own person. "_L'État c'est moi_" is also Sultan Abdul -Hamid's motto, but the glorious past of his dynasty and his people -awakens in him great and exalted ideas, the accomplishment of which he -never doubts, while Nasreddin Shah, as the offspring of a Turcoman -family, only lately come into power, and, intimidated by the danger -which surrounded him on all sides, hardly dared to think of the distant -future. In their personalities they are also very different. Sultan -Abdul Hamid, although inferior in European culture to his _cher frère_ -on the throne of Persia, is shy and timid by nature, more affable and -generous than Nasreddin Shah, who, in spite of all his European manners, -remained the Asiatic despot and comported himself with all the peculiar -pride and strictness of the Oriental ruler. His Grand-Vizier had -sometimes to stand for hours before him, and when he wanted some -information or other from me, I was often kept standing for a -considerable time, regardless of my great fatigue; and he used closely -to scrutinise my face if I dared to express an opinion different from -his. In his character he certainly was more Oriental than the Sultan, -and considered this severity as indispensable to his sovereign dignity. - -I was very much amused with the airs the Persian king put on, as he -went about bedizened with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other jewels. -Although his dynasty had been founded by a condottiere of the lowest -rank, viz., Mehemmed Aga Khan, and as grandson of Feth Ali Shah, a -cousin of this Aga Khan's, he was only the fourth Kadjar on the throne -of Iran, he always wanted to parade the antiquity of his race. Before me -he especially prided himself on his descent from the Mongol chief, -Kadjar Noyan, and when I dared to question the correctness of this -genealogy, merely brought forward by Persian historians to flatter their -monarch, he looked at me quite angrily and ejaculated that "the -sovereigns of the West were nothing but parvenus compared to their -brother monarchs of the East." Persia, in fact, is the only land in -Moslem Asia which can boast of a hereditary nobility, in a miserable -condition, it is true, for not only Khans and Mirzas, but even royal -princes may be found as drivers, house servants, and artisans of various -kinds, but this does not prevent one from being proud of one's noble -blood, and when Nasreddin Shah was in a good temper he expressed his -astonishment that European counts, princes, and dukes attempted to be on -a familiar footing with him, who could find his equal only among crowned -heads. It is curious that the Turks even, who on account of their -nomadic antecedents have never had any hereditary nobility, always try -to make themselves out as aristocrats. Sultan Abdul Medjid was highly -pleased when the French poet Lamartine, whom he had invited to his court -and afterwards presented with a country seat near Brussa, called his -attention to the fact that after the Bourbons the Osmanli was the oldest -dynasty in Europe. The high dignitaries of the Porte, frequently tracing -their descent from simple peasants, labourers, or shepherds, had at one -time serious thoughts of setting up coats-of-arms, and much regretted -the religious restriction which forbids their taking some animal for -their device. Human weakness is after all the same in the East and in -the West, and in spite of the strongly democratic tendencies of the -Arabian prophet, we may yet live to see Islam adopting hereditary -nobility with many other evils of European culture. In the personality -of Nasreddin Shah I have always detected this curious mixture of East -and West, of the old and the new aspect of life which we find in so many -neophytes of European culture in the Moslemic East. The Iranian despot -held in particular favour Malcolm Khan and Jahya Khan, and the Europeans -who for a time were physicians in ordinary to his Majesty. - -Doctors Cloquet, Polak, and Tholozan instructed him in many things, and -point for point the influence of one or the other could be detected in -his manners and behaviour. That he always wanted to act the Grand -Seigneur, and ostentatiously displayed his Frenchified airs, must -chiefly be attributed to his Iranian boastfulness; he always wished to -appear as the perfect European gentleman, and there was a time when at -the court no one but his Majesty was allowed to wear a starched European -shirt. Nasreddin Shah inherited many characteristics from his -grandfather, Feth Ali Shah--I refer here especially to his love of show -and tyrannical arbitrariness--but he lacked his grandfather's affability -and kindly generosity. Nasreddin Shah was sometimes even particularly -miserly, hence the story, circulated during his lifetime, of his -fabulous private wealth, of which, however, after his death very little -was to be found. - -The European Press has delivered most unjustly severe criticisms upon -the personality of this Oriental prince, and made fun of his Oriental -manners. It is only natural that he should commit occasional mistakes of -etiquette, for what Western sovereign or prince when visiting at an -Eastern court would not be guilty of similar blunders? It is said that -in Berlin, after dining at the royal table, he turned to the Emperor -William and the Empress Augusta and loudly belched, which in Central -Asia is an expression of gratitude for the hospitality received and -always acknowledged with good grace. At dinner with the Prince of Wales -at Marlborough House he is said to have thrown the asparagus stumps over -his back on to the floor, and, in order not to shame his guest, the -Prince, now King of England, and all the other guests immediately did -the same, greatly to the disgust of the attendants. Quite a collection -of similar anecdotes were at the time in circulation about him, but I -think they must be grossly exaggerated, for Nasreddin Shah never -neglected to make strict inquiry into the customs of the lands he -visited, and more than once I have given him information upon minor -details. The Persian king felt much freer in Europe than in his own -land. In Teheran, when he went out for a drive, a long row of attendants -marched on either side of him, who, armed with long staves, cleared -every one out of the way. In Budapest it happened that a poor labourer's -wife pressed up quite close to him to admire the great diamonds on his -coat. I motioned to the woman to go out of the way, but the King said, -"Let her come; she wants to see my jewels close to." He even stopped a -minute or two to let the woman stare at him to her heart's content. In a -word, the man was better than his reputation, and when in May, 1896, a -day before the Jubilee of his fifty years' reign, he fell a victim to -the murderous bullet of Riza Khan, I thought to myself the man deserved -a better end, for as a matter of fact he had to pay with his life for -the tyranny of his officials. At first it was supposed that Riza Khan -belonged to the secret society of the Babis, but, as was proved later -on, he took this means to revenge himself for the unheard-of injustice -of the Governor of Kerman, against which he had vainly sought -protection. - -Eleven years after my meeting with Nasreddin I met with his son, -Mozaffareddin Shah, who in 1900 on his return from Paris passed through -the capital of Hungary. From my _Wanderings and Experiences in Persia_ -the reader will recall that I had made the acquaintance of the young -ruler in Tabris in 1862, where, a nine year old boy and the -heir-apparent to the throne, he occupied the position of Governor of -Azerbaidshan. Physically weak and insignificant as he was then, I found -him now sickly and quite broken down. Contrexéville and Marienbad were -resorted to in vain to relieve his intense suffering, and the undeniable -signs of disease impressed upon his features clearly revealed the -desperate struggle that he fought within himself. The poor prince was -really worthy of a better fate. - -Being by nature timid and reticent, the very strict education which his -father had deemed it necessary to give him had robbed him of all energy. -He liked best to lose himself in quiet contemplation, and in his -childish simplicity was hardly a fit ruler for a land so miserably -desolate as Persia, nor was he likely to carry out his good intentions -of leading his people into the way of modern culture. He was very -pleasant with me, more so than his father had been. He hardly remembered -our meeting at Tabris, but he had carefully read the memoirs of his -father's travels, in which my small personality had received most -laudatory mention, and so he was prepared to meet me long before he -arrived at Budapest. On the journey from Vienna to Budapest he had asked -several times if I was still alive, and if he would be sure to see me at -Budapest. Arrived at the station, where he was received by the son of -the Archduke Joseph and the Hungarian State Ministers, he looked round -inquiringly and said, "_Vambéry kudjast?_" ("Where is Vambéry?"). I was -called; he pressed my hand in the friendliest manner, and straightway -invited me to come with him to the hotel. I did as he asked me, and -during his stay in the Hungarian capital was frequently with him. These -visits led to a more intimate intercourse, and I found out (1) that the -much-to-be-pitied-king was very ill, and that the throne of Iran was not -at all the right place for him; (2) that he had the best intentions in -the world, was quite alive to the superior advantages of modern culture, -and had a great desire to reform his country if only he had the -necessary energy, money, and men. But all three unfortunately failed -him, as well as all other means, and when I gave him a picture of -Persia's future in its regenerate condition, with railways, streets, -manufactories, and similar advantages of modern culture, he looked -straight before him and said, "_Belli, belli! leikin wakit mikhahed_" -("Very well, very well, but that will take time"). Also in discussing -political questions I found him less close than his father, who loved to -give himself the appearance of a Persian Bismarck. Mozaffareddin -expressed himself quite freely and frankly about the political condition -of his land, and when I remarked jokingly that in Europe he was looked -upon as a partisan of Russia, because in Tabris as heir to the throne he -had complied with all Russia's demands, he laughed out loud and said, -"Am I the only one who in default of counter-arms has feigned friendship -for this mighty, ambitious opponent?" He had not much to say in favour -of England, although he agreed with me that this country would never do -any harm to Persia. "But," said he, "Britain's friendship is cold as -ice, and has always expressed itself in empty words." And perhaps he was -not altogether wrong. He was very much down on the politics of Lord -Salisbury, who had declined his support to a contemplated Persian loan -in London, Persia thus being compelled to borrow money from Russia. -Referring to the riskiness of this step, the king remarked, "What were -we to do? When my father died it was said that he had left private means -to the amount of about four million pounds, and that these moneys were -packed away in chests in the cellar. There was not a word of truth in -all this. Instead of money my father left debts, and when I came to the -throne I was unable to pay not merely the State officials, but even the -court expenses and the servants. I was forced to get a loan from -somewhere, and England drove me into the arms of Russia." - -Taking it altogether, Mozaffareddin Shah earnestly desired to reform -his land thoroughly, and in its internal arrangements to introduce many -of the modernisations which had particularly struck him in his European -travels. Unfortunately the good man did not know where to begin and what -means to use to attain his object. Discouraged and embittered by the -everlasting wrangling and quarrelling in his immediate _entourage_, he -seemed to stand in mortal dread of his Grand-Vizier, Ali Asghar Khan. -This man, the son of a Georgian renegade from the Caucasus, had -practically made the Shah the unwilling tool of his intriguing and rare -abilities. He comported himself as a servant, but was in reality the -master of his master and the ruler of Persia. I was often an eye-witness -when the two were together. The Shah, apathetically seated in his easy -chair, would speak with as much authority as the words of his first -minister were servile and submissive; but scarcely had he felt the -piercing glance of the latter than he would suddenly stop short and sink -back in his armchair. Behind the door listened his secretary and -faithful servant, who occasionally made his presence known by a low -cough, upon which the Vizier would angrily turn towards the door, and -strongly accentuating the submissive words continue his harangue. Master -of the situation and with an insatiable desire for power and gain, the -Grand-Vizier might possibly have been useful to the country if the -violent opposition of his many rivals had not occupied all his energy, -and the secret hostility of high dignitaries and the rivalry of European -ambassadors at court had not effectually frustrated all attempts at any -healthy reform. Even as Nasreddin's various journeys to Europe remained -fruitless for Persia, so it was with the efforts made by his son. After -his return from Europe the Shah hastened to change the cut and the -colour of the uniform of certain court officials. High-flown orders were -issued, but not followed up; the money borrowed from the Russians soon -came to an end; anarchy, misery, and confusion were bound to increase -apace. - -To complete the above notes about my intercourse with the Oriental -princes and grandees, I will attempt to throw some light upon their -private life and mental condition, points which would not be open to a -foreigner in their intercourse with them, but which could not be hidden -from me, the supposed Asiatic. The personality of the Oriental ruler is -still more or less a curiosity in Europe; he is still gazed at and -admired as something out of the common; and naturally so, for the -attributes of Oriental Majesty are always extravagantly magnified, and, -candidly speaking, our minds are still somewhat under the spell of the -"Thousand and One Nights" stories, although current literature has here -and there somewhat ruthlessly torn away the magic veil which surrounds -these demigods of our imagination. Demigods they are no longer to their -own subjects even, for their crowns have lost too many of the jewels -whose brilliancy dazzled the eyes of the beholders, and the source is -dry which furnished the means wherewith the faithfulness and loyalty of -their subjects could be secured. I have been on intimate terms with two -Sultans, two Shahs, and several Khans; I have watched them closely, and -I must honestly say that I consider their position anything but an -enviable one; for with a few exceptions they are more ruled over than -ruling, and in spite of their apparent omnipotence, the fear with which -they inspire those nearest them is not nearly so great as the fear to -which they themselves are exposed in their constant anxiety about their -personal safety. When late in the evening I was sitting quite alone in -one of the apartments of the Yildiz Palace, and in the stillness of the -night was startled by the echo of the dull, heavy step of the patrol -passing close under the windows, I often thought to myself "What in all -the world can compensate for such a terrible existence?" I will admit -that Sultan Abdul Hamid is more anxious and timorous than many of his -Oriental brother sovereigns, for his exaggerated precautions are rightly -ridiculed, but from the fact that he never feels safe by day or by -night, never sleeps peacefully, that with all he eats and drinks he -thinks of poison, and that on all occasions and everywhere he scents -danger, for such an existence the greatest power and majesty, all the -glory in the world and all its submissive homage are but a poor exchange -and in nowise adequate compensation for all the quaking and trembling -that it involves. A quiet and peaceful life is practically impossible at -an Oriental court, considering the everlasting quarrelling, intriguing, -and jealousy prevailing among the servants and officials. All covet the -favour of the unfortunate autocrat, each one tries to outdo the other, -each one seeks the destruction of his neighbour, and when to this -pandemonium are added the intrigues of the womenfolk in the harem, it is -easy to see how little joy there is in the life of an Oriental despot, -nay, rather how deplorable is the fate of such a monarch. - -In cases where conceit has a stronger hold upon the senses, where the -ruler in his diseased fancy behaves himself like a superhuman being, as, -for instance, Sultan Abdul Aziz, such an one knows but little fear and -in the shelter of his imaginary security manages to make his existence -fairly tolerable. The story is told of this latter Sultan that during -his European journey in 1867, when making a pleasure trip on the Rhine -to Coblentz, he asked of those with him whether this canal had been dug -for his special benefit, and when in Budapest on board one of the Danube -steamers the Turkish Consul, Commandant A., a cultured officer educated -in Europe, met him and saluted in European fashion, the Sultan in my -presence turned to Fuad Pasha and remarked: "Why did not this rude -fellow kiss my feet?" This Sultan, half mad as he was, who decorated -horses, dogs, and rams, who spent many millions on useless buildings, -was little troubled with anxiety and fear, up to the memorable night -when he was informed of his deposition; but other despots are in -constant dread of their lives. Nasreddin Shah, even in his hunting lodge -in Djadjerud, never neglected to have his couch surrounded by a company -of soldiers; and his son, Mozaffareddin Shah, now on the throne, keeps -awake for whole nights together for fear of being attacked and murdered. -Can anything be more awful? - -Of late years Oriental despots have come to the conclusion that in -foreign lands, among the unbelievers, they are safer, freer, and -altogether happier than in their own country. Abdul Ahad, the Emir of -Bokhara, visits the Russian baths of Pyatigorsk in preference to any -other, and from the frequent visits of the Persian kings to Europe it is -very evident that the Shehinshahs of Iran, notwithstanding their Asiatic -despotism, find in the land of the Franks--whose very touch defileth, in -the eyes of the Shiites--more of pleasure and recreation than they can -ever enjoy at home. In Teheran when the Shah rides or drives out, two -long rows of Ferrashes (attendants) precede him as already mentioned, -armed with long staves, to keep the beloved subjects at a safe distance -and to clear the way. Windows and doors are tightly shuttered and -curtained to prevent any one from setting eyes on their lord and master; -the sanctity (otherwise security) of the ruler's sublime person demands -this. When the Shah comes to a European city crowds of curious -Westerners receive him; he is cheered and welcomed, and the homage of -the public pleases him, and makes him feel stronger and more confident -than before. And then there is the courtesy he meets with at our courts; -he fancies himself on equality with the powerful sovereigns of the West; -all this increases his self-respect, and therein lies the special charm -of his European travels. - -If here in Europe we have been under the impression that the experiences -gained in these visits to Western lands would be used in the interests -of Western culture and for the civilising of his own land, we have been -far too sanguine in our expectations, for these pleasure trips of -Oriental sovereigns have never benefited their respective countries. On -the contrary, they drain the land's resources. With his three journeys -to Europe Nasreddin Shah has utterly ruined the finances of Persia, -already in a very unsound condition. They did not lead to any profitable -innovations, and it is a well-known fact that the travels of his son -Mozaffareddin Shah were paid for by a Russian loan, originally intended -for the economic and administrative amelioration of the land. - -No, these Asiatic demigods do not lie on a bed of roses. Their life is -bare and lonely, their enjoyment full of anxiety and fear, the hundreds -of thousands who writhe before them in the dust and do them homage with -bombastic titulations are their greatest enemies, and the worst victims -of despotism are the despots themselves. Can one be surprised that I -brought no rosy reminiscences from the Oriental courts? - - - - -The Struggle's End, and yet no End - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE STRUGGLE'S END, AND YET NO END - - -The preceding autobiographical notes give in broad outline the -experiences and varied fortunes of my career from childhood to old age. -They give, so to speak, the material picture of an unusual life, with -all its varieties of light and shade, the struggles and adventures of -the tailor's apprentice, private tutor, student, servant, Effendi, -Dervish, and international writer. The details of this picture are, -after all, but the outside wrappings, the shell, not the core or inner -substance. They do not depict adequately the mental struggles and -sufferings which have marked all these different phases of my existence, -and which each in their turn have deeply influenced my thoughts and -reflections. The enumeration of certain facts may, to some extent, -gratify one's personal vanity, but since the empty satisfaction of -self-glorification is hardly an adequate return for all the bitter -sufferings of my past life, I must complete my story by giving -expression to my reflections resulting from a careful comparison of -certain institutions, manners, and customs in Asiatic and European -society. These reflections, the chief factors of the transformation of -my mental life, are very possibly shared by many others, and explained -in various ways, but the manner in which I gained my experience was -rather out of the ordinary, for before me no European or Asiatic ever -acted so many different parts on the world's stage in two continents, -and I will therefore endeavour to draw a comparison between some -institutions, manners, and customs of society in Asia and Europe. I will -reveal a picture of my mental condition when, saturated with Asiatic -ways of thinking, I made the acquaintance of various European countries, -and how, when comparing the two worlds, I came to the conclusion that -here, as there, shortsightedness, prejudice, prepossession, and want of -objectiveness prevented the forming of sound and just opinions. - -When first I left the West to enter the Asiatic world I had but a vague -theoretical knowledge of the lands and peoples of Europe, gathered from -a study of the literatures of the various Western nations, but I had no -practical acquaintance with any of them. My first experiences of Turkish -society in Stambul--which, in spite of the introduction of many Western -customs, still at bottom bears a decided Asiatic stamp--together with -the charm of novelty and my decided Oriental predilections, were in many -respects of a pleasing nature. The kindly reception and the friendly -treatment extended to the stranger regardless of his antecedents, are -bound to charm and captivate the recipient. One feels at once at home -everywhere, and a cursory comparison of the two kinds of culture is -decidedly in favour of the Old World. Afterwards--that is, when one has -spent some time among the Asiatics, and has obtained an intimate -knowledge of their views of religion, men, and the world in general--a -certain feeling of monotony, indifference, and sleepiness creeps over -us. Our blood becomes sluggish, we yawn and fidget while the Oriental, -always imperturbable, sits unmoved, with evident satisfaction, gazing up -at the sky. - -Gradually, the more I became familiar with the inner Asiatic world, -these feelings took possession of me. In Persian society these -thoroughly Asiatic features worried me, but in Central Asia, where the -world is eight hundred years older, I positively shuddered at what I -saw. The very things which, on my first acquaintance with Asiatic life, -had pleased me, I now recognised as the causes of its decay, its -tyranny, and its misery. The Old World, never at any time free from the -defects and vices which now, in its ruined condition, stare us in the -face, became despicably mean in my estimation, and unworthy of men, and -with longing eyes I turned to the West again. I cannot describe the -feeling of delight with which I crossed the Eastern borders of our -modern world; with each day's journey I breathed more freely. I rejoiced -to see the last of the ruins, the misery, the sterility of the older -world, and the pictures which to my heated imagination, partly because -of their novelty, had had so much fascination for me in my younger days, -now made me shudder when I thought of them. - -Such was my state of mind on returning from Asia. If before starting on -my Oriental travels I had been in a position to obtain a deeper insight -into the religious, social, and political conditions of Europe than lay -within the reach of the poor, self-taught scholar, my impressions and -estimate of Asia might have been different, and the result of my -comparative study of the two cultures might have been more of an -objective nature. But there, as here, I came as a man, who, under the -magic of the first impression, saw everything in a rosy light, and was -pleased with everything, and only afterwards, when the cold light of -reality and of clearer perception showed me everything in its right -light, I began to look upon Europe with quite different eyes, and my -opinion about the actions of the Western world became considerably -modified. And now, in the evening of my life, roaming the horizon of -rich experience with unprejudiced eyes, and noting the light and shady -sides of both the Old and the New World, of Asiatic and European -culture; now that no personal interests and no prejudices obscure my -vision, now I see and judge quite differently, and I count it my duty to -acquaint the reader with these modified views, the more so as I know by -experience how astonishingly small is the number of critics who, free -from the trammels of religion and nationality, have devoted themselves -to the comparative study of the old and the new culture. The clatter of -the chains can always be heard in the praise or disapproval of our -critics. On this side, as on the other, partiality has blocked the way -to truth; and since the new century has, in many respects, opened the -way to free thought, we can now unreservedly and without fear discuss -the good and the evil, the advantages and disadvantages, of the two -worlds. Those who have read my travels, and realise the miseries, -sufferings, and vicissitudes to which I was exposed through the -barbarism, anarchy, and desolation of the Asiatic world, will be -surprised that I discovered large spots on the highly-praised sun of our -modern culture, and saw caricatures where we expected to find noble -ideals for the benefit of humanity. Considering many of my earlier views -on these matters, I may be accused of precipitancy and inconsistency, -but the judgment of mature age easily redeems the errors of youth, and -improvement and perfecting are generally the outcome of former mistakes -and errors. After these few remarks I will now try to put into words the -impressions made upon me by particular instances of our manners and -customs, our religious, social, and political life, all of which have -given me much food for thought. - - -1. RELIGION. - -Asia is a religious world _par excellence_. Religion animates all phases -and fibres of human existence. It does not confine itself to the -relations between Creator and creature, but it also governs political -and social life; it penetrates everything; it enters into the most -secret thoughts and aspirations of the human mind; it rules the course -of the earthly body; it creates laws and orders daily life; it teaches -us how to dress, feed, and comport ourselves; also in what manner we -must eat, drink, and love--in a word, it is the one all-pervading -instrument to secure happiness and to ennoble life. Coming back to -Europe after a sojourn of many years under these Asiatic influences, one -cannot fail to be struck by the looseness of the religious structure and -by the constant efforts made by the State, the Church, and sometimes -also by society to strengthen and keep upright the frail, shaky building -tottering on its foundation. In Asia this is not necessary. With the -exception of the Motazilites and other freethinkers during the first -centuries of the Hejira, scepticism and free thought have found no -adherents in Islam, and in modern times less than ever. The great masses -of the Mohammedans are strictly religious; all discussion in matters of -religion is prohibited, except perhaps to the Shiite Mollahs, and highly -edifying to me were the hours spent in Ispahan under the plane-trees in -the garden of Medressei Shah, where I could converse freely and openly -with the Persian clerics about the Divine tradition of the Koran, the -immortality of the soul, &c., &c. With Moslems of other nationalities -the principle _noli me tangere_ governs all matters of religion, and -when we leave this stronghold of faith and come to Europe, where the -struggle between faith and knowledge has been going on for hundreds of -years, where Spinoza, Voltaire, Gibbon, Draper, Buckle, and many other -modern thinkers have been successfully employed on the demolition of the -religious structure; where attempts are made to supplant the worship of -God with the worship of humanity; the hypocrisy and dissimulation -prevailing in our world must strike us painfully. What Christianity and -Judaism give us to behold passes all description. In spite of Strauss -and Renan, Büchner and Huxley, millions of Westerners pretend to be -either Christians or Jews without even believing that there is a God. -The majority of Churchmen are so enlightened by modern science that -they, least of all, believe in the doctrines they preach and fight for, -and the traveller from Asia to Europe must, perforce, ask himself the -question, "Why all this hypocrisy, all this dissimulation? Why this -persistent closing of one's eyes against the rays of light which our -culture, after a hard struggle with the prevailing darkness, has at last -revealed?" This incomprehensible love of pretence has in Europe -attained to such a pass that in certain leading circles hypocrisy, the -religious lie and false pretence are held up as a virtue worthy of -imitation, and a meritorious example! This perversity, this vice, I -might say, is as incomprehensible to the thoughtful mind as it is -unworthy of, and humiliating amid, the much vaunted achievements of -Western civilisation. In the circles where these despicable notions are -tolerated and extolled as worthy of imitation we hear most of the mighty -influence exercised by religion upon the social status of humanity, -while it is asserted that the world without this moral police could not -exist, because society, even in its lowest state--the savage -state--could not exist without its fetish and totem. - -During my many years' intercourse with people of various religions, -living amongst them in the incognito of Catholic, Protestant, Sunnite, -Shiite, and for a short time also as Parsi, I have come to the -conclusion that religion offers but little security against moral -deterioration, and that it is not seemly for the spirit of the twentieth -century to take example by the customs and doings of savages. Not only -Lombroso, but many other thinkers, have clearly proved that the majority -of criminals are religiously disposed, and that, for instance, the -robber-murderer in Spain, before setting to his work, offers a prayer to -his patron saint, St. James. In Asia I have noticed the same thing. The -most cruel and unprincipled Turkoman robbers were always the first, -before setting out on a marauding expedition, to beg from me, the -supposed Sheikh, or from some other pious man, a Fatiha (blessing). In -the towns of Central Asia, Persia, and Turkey I have found in the -thickly-turbaned men of God some of the most consummate villains and -criminals, while the plain Osbeg and Osmanli, who only knows religion in -its external form, shows himself a man full of generosity and goodness -of heart. In all the Islamic world Mecca and Medina are known as the -most loathsome pools of wickedness and vice. Theft, murder, and -prostitution flourish there most wantonly. I have noticed the same in -the large pilgrim haunts, Meshed and Kum, and it is a well-known saying, -"He who wants to forsake his Christianity should make a pilgrimage to -Jerusalem or Rome." - -With us in Europe the relation between morality and religion is a -similar one, and how it is possible that, in the face of the revealed -facts, states and societies give themselves the trouble to discover in -religion a panacea against vice and a standard of morality must remain a -mystery to any thinking man. - -Remarkable and inexplicable it certainly remains why in Western lands, -with the prevailing scepticism in the cultured world, far more tolerance -or indifference is shown towards the freethinker than towards people who -hold different religious views from our own. In Asia the hatred of and -fanaticism against those of another creed are the outcome of strong -faith, and since these are fostered and upheld by the Government, -antagonistic feelings, though probably deeper rooted, do not express -themselves so vehemently or so frequently as with us. Our laws and our -notions of decency guard against the outbreak of passion, but they -cannot break the power of prejudice even in the breast of the most -cultured. When we consider the relations of the Christian West towards -the Moslemic East, it will strike us that the sympathies of Europeans, -however unprejudiced they may think themselves, when it comes to the -political questions of the day will always be more on the side of the -Christian than of the Mohammedan subjects of Turkey, although the -Mohammedan subjects of the Porte have to suffer more from the despotism -of the Government than the Christians under the protection of the -Western Powers. The European still looks upon the Mohammedan, -Brahmanist, Buddhist, &c., as an inferior being whose faith he ridicules -and blackens and whom he could not under any circumstances regard as his -equal, and in spite of the protection extended by our laws to those of -another creed, the follower of the doctrines of Mohammed, Buddha, and -Vishnu feels always uncomfortable, strange, and restricted in Western -lands. And the Jews do not fare much better, although they have adopted -the language, manners, and customs of the various lands of Europe. - -In the history of the Moslemic East, for instance, persecutions and -violent outbreaks against the Jews are far less frequent than with us in -the West, not merely in the Middle Ages but even in quite modern times. -Enlightened Europe, mocking at the fanaticism of Asia, has of late years -published, under the title of Anti-Semitism, things against the Jews -which defy repetition; they form one of the darkest stains on the -escutcheon of the modern world of culture. Even our most eminent -freethinkers, agnostics, and atheists are not without blame in this -matter; and the absurd excuse that the Jews are hated and persecuted not -on account of their belief, but on account of their exclusiveness and -strongly marked nationality, is ridiculous on the face of it, for all -over Europe the Jew adopts the national proclivities of his native land, -and often, _plus catholique que le pape_, he shows himself more -patriotic than his Christian countryman. In consideration of these facts -it is surprising that the Jew, treated as a stranger everywhere in -Europe, still persists in ingratiating himself into the national bond. -Why does he not accept the fact and simply say, "Since you want none of -me I remain Jew, and you can brand me as a cosmopolitan if you like." -There is no doubt that this innate prejudice of the Christian world -finds its root in those virtues and characteristics which have enabled -the Jews to accomplish so much, and which as the natural result of -oppression may be seen in all oppressed people. "He who violently -throws down the flaming torch to extinguish it will burn his fingers at -the fiercer burning flame," as a German poet pithily remarks. Tyrants -generally harm themselves most by their tyranny, and when the ruling -Christian world considers itself justified in taking up arms against the -professedly more highly gifted, more energetic, and persevering children -of the so-called Semitic race, it is grossly mistaken. The Jew in -Turkey, Persia, and Central Asia is more purely Semitic, more staunchly -religious than his co-religionist in Europe, and yet I do not know any -more miserable, helpless, and pitiful individual on God's earth than the -_Jahudi_ in those countries. Where is the Semitic sharpness, the Semitic -energy and perseverance, which the European puts down and fears as -dangerous racial characteristics? The poor Jew is despised, belaboured -and tortured alike by Moslem, Christian, and Brahmin, he is the poorest -of the poor, and outstripped by Armenians, Greeks and Brahmins, who -everywhere act the same part which in Europe has fallen to the lot of -the Jew for lack of a rival in adversity. I repeat, Anti-Semitism in -Europe is a vile baseness, which cannot be justified by any religious, -ethnical, or social motives, and when the Occident, boasting of its -humaneness and love of justice, always tries to put all that is evil and -despicable on to poor, starved, depraved Asia, one forgets that with us -the sun of a higher civilisation truly has dawned, but is not yet risen -high enough to illumine the many dark points and gloomy corners in this -world of ours. - -Why deny it? In my many years' intercourse with the people of both these -worlds, religion has not had a beneficial influence upon me. I have -found in it nothing to ennoble man, not a mainspring of lofty ideals, -and certainly no grounds for classifying and incorporating people -according to their profession of faith or rather according to their -interpretation and understanding of the great vital question as to the -exact manner in which one should grope about in the prevailing darkness. -If the division into many nationalities of people belonging to the same -race and living under the same sky is an absurdity, how much more -foolish is it to be divided on the point of a fanciful interpretation of -the inscrutable mystery, and a fruitless groping into the unfathomable -problem? The question of nationality will be further discussed -presently, and as regards religion I will only add here that the ethical -standard of faith, although much higher in Asia than in Europe, can -after all have but a problematic influence, and only on intellects whose -culture enables them to form high ideals, and to whom, being of a poetic -or sentimental or indolent temperament, a roaming in loftier spheres -seems a necessity. Beyond this, religion in Asia as in Europe reveals -itself in outward show, miracles and mysteries, and where these are -absent there is no true religion. Many of the ceremonies, usages, and -superstitions which as an Orthodox Jew I practised in my youth I have -discovered again one by one in faithful counterfeit amongst Catholic and -Orthodox Christians, Moslems, Fire-worshippers, and Hindus, and nothing -to my mind is more ridiculous than the revilings of one religion against -another about these childish external things. So, for instance, as a -pious Jew, I was always careful on Saturdays not to pass the Ereb, -_i.e._, the line which marks the closer limit of the town, with my -wallet full. Overstepping this cordon might be looked upon as a business -transaction and a violation of the Sabbath; with a handkerchief on my -loins and my eyes fixed on a bit of twine hanging between two sticks, I -ventured, however, to take my walks abroad on the Sabbath day. Many -years later I travelled from Samarkand to Herat in company with some -Hindustani, who, having transacted some financial business in Bokhara, -now with full pouches were returning to their sunny home on the Ganges. -These Vishnu-worshippers, with the yellow caste-sign on their brow, used -at night at the halting-place to separate themselves from the rest of -the caravan. Small sticks about a finger in length were stuck in the -ground to form a circle round them with a thin twine stretched from -point to point, (for, like the Ereb, this line represented the cordon -between them and the world of unbelievers), and behind this imaginary -wall they prepared and ate their food without any fear of its being -defiled by the glances of the heathen. As a child I was taught to look -with disgust upon swine's flesh, and later, as Mohammedan, I had to -feign horror and aversion at the very mention of the word Khinzir -(swine). In my youth the wine prepared by a Christian was Nesekh -(forbidden), as a Shiite, notwithstanding my ravenous hunger, I could -not touch the food which the hand of a Christian had handled. Not only -among Jews and Asiatic religionists, however, but even Christianity, -whether in Europe or in Asia, is full of such flagrant superstitions and -absurdities which are thrown in the teeth of those of another -persuasion. The Abbé Huc tells us in his Book of Travels, that once on -the borders of Tibet he sought a night's quarter and was directed to the -house of a Buddha-maker. This led the French missionary to make some -scoffing remark about the manufacturing of gods in Buddhism. I had a -similar experience at St. Ulrich's in the Grödnerthal, in strictly -Catholic Tyrol, for in my search for a house to put up at in that -charmingly situated Alpine place I was directed successively to a -Mary-maker, a God-maker, and a Christ-maker, for in this district live -the best-known manufacturers of crosses and saints. In the Mohammedan -world, knowing that I was acquainted with Europe, I have often been -asked whether it was really true that the Franks worshipped a god with a -dog's head, practised communism of wives, and such like things. In -Tyrol, on the Achensee, where I lived among the peasants, I was asked -if on my many travels I had ever visited the land of the Liberals, where -the goat does duty as god, as the anti-Liberal minister had given the -simple peasants to understand. - -In many other respects the religions of the East and of the West agree -in point of degeneracy, and it is incomprehensible how and with what -right our missionaries manage to convince the Asiatics of the errors of -their faith and to represent Christianity as the only pure and -salvation-bringing religion. If our missionaries could point to our -Western order and freedom as the fruit of Christianity, their insistence -would be somewhat justified, but our modern culture has developed not -_through_ but _in spite of_ Christianity. The fact that Asia in our days -is given up as a prey to the rapacity of Europe is not the fault of -Islam or Buddhism or Brahminism. The principles of these religions -support more than Christianity does the laws of humanity and freedom, -the regulations of State and society, but it is the historical -development and the climate, the conditions of the soil, and, above all, -the tyrannical arbitrariness of their sovereigns which have created the -cliffs against which all the efforts of religion promotors must be -wrecked. - -After all this I need not comment any further upon my own confession of -faith, which is contained within the pages of this autobiography. To my -thoroughly practical nature one grain of common sense is of more value -than a bushel of theories; and it has always been trying to me to go -into questions the solution of which I hold _à priori_ to be impossible, -and I have preferably occupied myself with matters of common interest -rather than with the problems of creation, the Deity, &c., which our -human understanding can never grasp or fathom. I have honoured and -respected all religions in so far as they were beneficial and edifying, -_i.e._, in so far as they endeavoured to improve and ennoble mankind; -and when occasion demanded I have always, either out of respect for the -laws of the land, or out of courtesy to the society in which I happened -to be, formally conformed to the prevailing religion of the land, just -as I did in the matter of dress, although it might be irksome at times. -In matters of secondary importance, religious and otherwise, I have -strictly adhered to the principle, "_Si fueris Romæ romano vivito -more_," and to the objections raised by religious moralists to my -vacillating in matters of religion I can but reply: A vacillating -conviction is, generally speaking, no conviction at all, and he who -possesses nothing has nothing to exchange. Nothing to me is more -disgusting than the holy wrath with which hypocrisy in Europe censures -and condemns a change of religion based on want of conviction. Are the -clergy, pastors, and modernised rabbis so fully convinced of the -soundness of the dogmas they hold, and do they really believe that their -distortions of face, their pious pathos and false enthusiasm can -deceive cultured people of the twentieth century? When certain Europeans -in their antiquated conservatism still carry high the banner of -religious hypocrisy, and although possessing a good pair of legs prefer -to go about on the crutches of Holy Scripture, we have no occasion to -envy them their choice. The idea of carrying the lie with me to the -grave seems to me horrible. The intellectual acquisitions of our century -can no longer away with the religion of obscure antiquity; knowledge, -enlightenment, and free inquiry have made little Europe mistress of the -world, and I cannot see what advantage there can be in wilfully denying -this fact, and why, in the education of the young, we do not discard the -stupefying system of religious doctrine and cultivate the clear light of -intellectual culture. Those who have lived among many phases of -religion, and have been on intimate terms with the adherents of Asiatic -and European creeds, are puzzled to see the faint-heartedness and -indecision of the Western world; and if there be anything that has -astonished me in Europe, it is this everlasting groping and fumbling -about in matters of religion and the constant dread lest the truth, -acknowledged by all thinking men, should gain the victory. For governing -and ruling the masses religion may perhaps remain for some time to come -a convenient and useful instrument, but in the face of the progress in -all regions of modern knowledge and thought it becomes ever clearer and -more evident that this game of hide-and-seek cannot go on very much -longer. The spirit of the twentieth century cries, "Let there be light!" -The light must and shall come! - - -2. NATIONALITY. - -Frail and brittle as is the foundation of the partition wall dividing -the religions of Europe, the same may be said of the boundaries of -nationalities which separate people into various corporations. If -nationality were a question of common origin, based on consanguinity, -_i.e._, on natural proclivities, there would be nothing to say against -the idea of unity and cohesiveness. Mankind would be divided into -different families separated by certain conspicuous racial -characteristics; such separation, based on natural causes, would be -quite justifiable. But in the various nationalities, as we now see them -in Europe, there is not a symptom of any such idea; their ethnical -origin lies in obscurity. These nations are an agglomeration of the -greatest possible mixture of kindred and foreign elements, and, -according to the longer or shorter process of development, it is at most -their common language, customs, and history which constitute the -so-called national stamp. If we observe a little more closely the -European nations of our time we shall find that the older the influence -of culture the sooner the national crystallisation of such a country -began, and consequently is still in process in the later-developed -Eastern portion of Europe. The French are a mixture of Iberians, -Ligurians or Gauls, Kelts, and eventually also Phoenicians, and the -German Franks, who found this ethnical conglomeration in ancient Gaul -and gave it the present national name. In the German national -corporation there are many nationalities whose German origin is by no -means proved. A large portion of Eastern Germany was Slavonic; Berlin, -Leipsic, Dresden, Chemnitz, &c., point to a Slavonic origin, and the -oldest inhabitants of Steiermark, Kärnten, and the Eastern Tyrol were -Slavs. In Italy we find a most curious mixture of Etruscans, Latins, -Greeks, Slavs, Arabs, and Germans, which in course of time Church and -State have amalgamated and impressed with the stamp of linguistic unity, -although the typical features of the various fragments are not -obliterated even now. In Hungary Ural-Altaic fragments have mixed with -Slavs and other Aryans, and in spite of numerical minority the Magyar -element, through its warlike propensities, has for centuries maintained -the upper hand and gradually absorbed the foreign elements. The real -ground-element of the Magyar nation, however, it would be almost -impossible to discover. - -The strongly mixed character of the English people is universally known, -and when we look a little more closely at the gigantic Russian Empire we -shall find that in the small nucleus of the Slavonic provinces, Tartars, -Bashkirs, Kirghiz, Buriats, Votiaks, Cheremiss, Suryanes, Shuvashes, -Greeks, Ostiaks, Voguls, Caucasians, &c., have been swallowed up. The -growth of the Russian nation is of comparatively modern date and still -in process. At the time of Peter the Great the entire population of -Russia was estimated at thirty millions; _now_ the number of Russians -alone is over eighty millions. - -And now I ask, in the face of all the above difficulties, can there be a -question of consanguinity in the various nationalities, and what is -there to insure a feeling of brotherly fellowship? Those who argue in -favour of this point bring forward the national peculiarities, the -outcome of their common language, customs, and historical antecedents, -all of them psychical causes, and nationality is represented as a moral -and not as a material conception. Very well, we will accept this, only -let us remember that language, like all other psychical things, is -subject to changes, and we must not be astonished if Islam, ignoring all -former national restrictions, seeks to classify the human race only -according to profession of faith, and has advanced the thesis, "All true -believers are brothers." In the Mohammedan organisation the various -shades of nationality practically do not exist, in obedience to the -maxim: "_Hubb ul watan min el iman_." Patriotism proceeds from religion; -at any rate they are always of secondary importance. When Islam, -inspired by such lofty ideas, can accomplish this, why cannot we, under -the powerful protection of our modern culture, produce some equivalent -in our Western lands, and, putting aside national restrictions, create a -cultural bond and united corporation, excluding all national hatred and -discord? This indeed would be one of the most ideal forms of national -life, and its realisation in the distant future is not at all an -impossibility. But as yet, alas! we have not reached this exalted -station of peace and happiness. Behold in our cultured West the -uninterrupted struggle of great and mighty nationalities against smaller -and weaker ones--a struggle in which Darwin's theory of the "survival of -the fittest" is fully justified. No one likes to act the part of the -weaker, doomed to destruction; none wants to be absorbed by others, and -the inferior in numbers have to defend their claim for existence as a -political nation upon historical grounds. It is the rapacity and the -tyranny of the great nations which have called forth and justify the -fight for existence in the smaller ones, for why should not all want to -preserve their individuality, all want to be entirely free in promoting -the intellectual and material development of their own commonwealth? And -this being so, there can, for the present, be no question of -cosmopolitan tendencies. This fact becomes more conspicuous where it -concerns a small ethnical island surrounded by the wild waves of a -mighty ethnical sea, which threaten to destroy it, as we see -exemplified in Hungary. Encompassed by German, Slav, and Roman elements, -it has for centuries skilfully and successfully held its own, and the -preservation of its national independence is an absolute necessity, as -otherwise a collision between the three large national bodies just -mentioned would be unavoidable, and the existence of a buffer-state must -therefore be hailed as a fortunate coincidence. All lovers of peace and -of quiet expansion of Western culture in the East must hail with joy the -buffer afforded by the Hungarian State, and all true friends of culture -must heartily desire the growth of Hungary. In this spirit I have always -preserved my Hungarian patriotism, and will do so to the end of my days, -although for many decades of years I have occupied myself with questions -of universal interest, and have kept aloof from home politics. It is not -surprising that the patriotism of a cosmopolitan differs considerably -from that of his stay-at-home compatriots. But the keen interest in the -affairs of the various nations with whom the traveller comes into -contact hardly ever succeeds in suppressing or weakening in him his -warmer feelings for the weal and woe of his native land. The tears I -have shed in my younger days over the cruel sufferings and -mortifications inflicted upon my native land by Austria's absolutism -would have promoted a more luxurious growth of the plant of patriotism, -if I had always remained at home and had had intercourse with -Hungarians only. But even when one's horizon has widened one may still -cling lovingly to one's native sod. One does not so lightly agree with -Tolstoy, who maintains that patriotism is a crime, for although there -are proverbs such as "_Ubi bene ibi patria_," or its English equivalent, -"If you happen to be born in a stable, it does not follow that you are a -horse," the cosmopolitan, be he ever so infatuated, always in the end is -glad to get home again. - -If there be anything likely to weaken or shake one's patriotism, it is -the narrow-mindedness and ridiculous prejudice of the Christian West -against its fellow-countrymen of a different creed. I will take my own -case as example. I was all ablaze with enthusiasm when in my childhood I -became acquainted with the life of the national heroes of Hungary. The -heroic epoch of 1848 filled my youthful heart with genuine pride, and -even later in 1861, when I returned from Constantinople by the Danube -boat, on landing at Mohacs I fell on my knees and kissed the ground with -tears of true patriotic devotion in my eyes. I was intensely happy and -in a rapture of delight, but had soon to realise that many, nay most -people questioned the genuineness of my Hungarianism. They criticised -and made fun of me, because, they said, people of Jewish origin cannot -be Hungarians, they can only be Jews and nothing else. I pointed to the -circumstance that in matters of faith, like most cultured people, I was -really an agnostic and had long since left the precincts of Judaism. - -I spoke of the dangers I had faced in order to investigate the early -history of Hungary, surely a test of patriotism such as but few would be -able to show. Many other arguments I brought forward, but all in vain; -everywhere and on all occasions an ominous sneer, an insidious shrug of -the shoulders, an icy indifference, or a silence which has a more deadly -effect than any amount of talk. Add to this the deep and painful wound -inflicted by the adverse criticism at home upon me and my travels, and I -would ask the reader, Could I under these conditions persist in my -national enthusiasm, could I stand up to defend Hungarian patriotism -with the same ardent love of youth when as yet I had no anticipation of -what was to happen to me? Even the most furious nationalist could not -easily answer this question in the affirmative. Not his Jewish descent, -but the prejudiced, unreasonable, and illiberal Christian world is to -blame when the man of Jewish origin becomes cosmopolitan; and I am not -sure whether those Jews who, in spite of the blunt refusals they -receive, persist in pushing themselves within the national framework -must be admired as martyrs or despised as intruders. The law, at all -events, makes no difference, but usage and social convenience do not -trouble themselves much about the law; and in this all European -countries are alike, with the exception of England, where liberalism is -not an empty term, where the Jew feels thoroughly English and is looked -upon as such by the true Briton. I frankly admit that the weakening and -ultimate loss of this warm national feeling deprives us of one of the -most noble sentiments of humanity; for, with all its weakness and -prejudices, the bond of national unity possesses always a certain charm -and attraction; and through all the painful experiences of my life, the -thought that the short-sightedness of society could not deprive me of my -national right to the soil of my birth has comforted and cheered me. The -land where I saw the light of day, where my cradle stood, and where I -spent the golden days of childhood, is, and ever remains my Fatherland. -It is my native soil, its weal and woe lie close to my heart, and I have -always been delighted when in some way or other I could help a -Hungarian. - - -3. SOCIETY. - -If my ideas about religion and nationality are at variance with the -prevailing notions in Western lands, this is still more the case with -regard to our social standing. The European who has been in Asia for -some length of time feels freer and less restricted there than in -Europe, in spite of the anarchy, barbarism, and tyranny prevailing in -the East. In the first place, as stranger and guest he has less to -suffer from the despotism of the Government and the oppressive national -customs. He stands under the protection of the dreaded West and is not -subject to the laws of the land. He lives as an outlaw truly, and has -to look after himself, but then he has the advantage of not being bound -by any party spirit; no class prejudice exists here. In the East the -highest in the land has to condescend to his inferiors, even princes are -not exempt from this law, which is in accordance with the patriarchal -spirit of the Government. I have witnessed simple peasants rebuking -their landlord, without the latter daring to say a word of protest. With -us in Europe the tax-paid official behaves not as the servant but the -master of the public, and his arrogance is often very offensive. But -still more objectionable is the conduct of the uneducated born -aristocrats, who, on the strength of the problematic services of their -forefathers, often without the least personal merit, exhibit an amount -of pride as if the course of the universe depended upon them. I have -never quite been able to understand why the born aristocrat should claim -this exceptional position, which nowadays is not so much a matter of -national law as of public opinion. If these privileges are a recognition -and reward for services rendered, and to be continued from generation to -generation, the harm done to society is incalculable, for the offspring -only very seldom possess the intellectual heirloom of their ancestors, -very seldom come up to the position they occupy, and moreover stand in -the way of those better fitted to fill it. Of course in opposition to -these views the succession theory is advanced, and in my discussions on -this point I have often been met with the argument that as in the -vegetable and animal kingdom there are superior species, this natural -law also applies to the human race. The maxim, "_Fortes creatur -fortibus_," is quoted, but one forgets that human strength, thanks to -the advanced spirit of the age, consists now no longer in physical but -in psychical qualities, and that greatness and perfection of -intellectual power can be obtained only by study, zeal, and persevering -intellectual labour--not exactly a favourite pastime of the born -aristocrat, generally speaking. _Vir non nascitur sed fit_, says the old -proverb; and although admitting advantages of birth in horses, dogs and -other quadrupeds, we cannot do the same for the human race of the -twentieth century. - -What has been accomplished so far in literature, art, science and -intellectual advancement generally is for the greater part the work of -people not favoured by birth, but who in the hard struggle for existence -have steeled their nerves and sharpened their wits. In the dark ages of -crude thought, when the greatest amount of hereditary physical strength -displayed in plundering, murdering and pillaging bore away the palm, -there was some sense in hereditary aristocracy, but in modern times -privileges of birth are nonsense, and where they do exist they are a -disgrace to humanity, and a melancholy sign of the tardiness of society -in certain countries. Curiously enough, even in our days people try to -justify the existence of hereditary nobility by referring to the -historical development of certain States. For instance, the decay and -retrogression of Asiatic nations is attributed to the lack of an -hereditary aristocracy, and Japan is quoted as an example of the mighty -influence of inherited nobility. But the example is not to the point. -The fact that Japan, in spite of the great natural endowments of its -people, was up to the middle of the nineteenth century closed against -all influences from the West, is due solely and entirely to the strictly -feudal system of the land; and any one studying the struggle between the -Daimos and Mikado-ism will perceive that in this Albion of the Far East -modern civilisation and the elevation of the State have been introduced -against the will and in spite of the nobility. If pedigreed nobility is -really so essential to the well-being of a State, how can we account for -the lamentable decay of Persia, where there has always been such a -strongly pronounced aristocracy? - -Holding such views it is only natural that I could never quite fit into -the frame of Hungarian society, where aristocratic predilections -predominate. In the springtime of 1848 the Hungarian Parliament, -infected by the prevailing spirit of the age, did indeed abolish the -rights of hereditary nobility, and, as was supposed, quite voluntarily. -But as the middle class element has always been feebly represented in -Hungary, and consequently public opinion never could exercise much -persuasive force, this law is little more than a show-piece, and has -never been really effective. As in the Middle Ages the tone-giving -elements were looked upon as the real representatives of the Hungarian -race in the motley chaos of nationalities, and therefore _ipso facto_ -belonged to the nobility, so it is now the social tendency of the -country to look upon genuine Hungarian descent as an undeniable sign of -nobility, and since the Government takes no measures to put a stop to -the mischief--in fact, is not particularly chary in the grant of letters -of nobility--every one who possibly can do so tries to prove his genuine -unadulterated Hungarian descent by procuring a letter of nobility. This -tendency, far from being a healthy sign, reminds one forcibly of a -return to mediæval ways; it nips in the bud all notions of freedom; it -cannot be to the benefit of our beautiful land and our gifted nation; it -cannot help forward its healthy development, that much at least is clear -as the day. Just as in the natural law a body cannot find a solid basis -on a pointed but only on a flat surface, so also the peace, safety, and -well-being of a State can not be securely founded on the heads of -society but on the broad basis of the people. The present tendency of -Hungarian society is, therefore, not at all to my liking. However, as -autobiographer, I will not enter into any social-political discussions, -but I cannot help saying that I, the self-made man, could not possibly -live in close communion with such a society. He who has fought the hard -fight and, _per aspera ad astra_, has endeavoured to succeed, does not -find satisfaction for his ambition in a closer union with a caste which -has long since lost its original significance. _Altiora peto!_ And this -worthier and higher recognition we are all entitled to claim, when we -are conscious of having rendered ever so slight a service to our -fellowmen and have contributed ever so little to the intellectual or -material well-being of our country or of humanity in general. The chase -after orders and decorations, the natural outcome of this aristocratic -tendency, although quite the fashion not only in Hungary but in other -countries of Europe as well, has never been my ambition either. If -sovereigns were pleased to confer such distinctions upon me I have -respectfully locked them up in my box, because a public refusal of them -seemed to me making a useless parade of democracy, and because no one is -entitled to respond to a courtesy with rudeness. I have never been able -to understand how certain men, grown old in wisdom and experience, can -find pleasure in bedizening themselves from head to toe with decorations -and parading their titles. One calls it apologetically, "The vanity of -scholars." But the learned should not commit themselves to such -childish, ridiculous weakness. Official distinctions are very much like -a command on the part of the State, "Honour this man!" which is quite -superfluous, for he who is really worthy of honour will be honoured -without any such authoritative command. But enough of this; all these -and many other social peculiarities both at home and abroad have never -had any attraction for me. To respect a man according to the length of -his pedigree, or to honour him according to the superiority of his -official dignity, is a thing beyond the capacity of the self-made man. -Only the prerogatives of mind and heart command respect, they only are -genuine, for they are not dependent on the whim or favour of others, but -are based on character or honest labour. - -It should also be noted that in Hungary society is far more absorbed in -politics than is generally the case, and that science and intellectual -labour of any kind are of secondary importance. From the point of view -of utility my countrymen are perfectly right, for Hungary, in spite of -its glorious past as an independent State, has a hard battle to fight -with its neighbour, Austria; and since it is necessary for a nation to -establish itself politically before it can take part in the labour of -improving mankind at large, it is very natural that the mind of the -nation should be set on political matters, and politics be looked upon -as an eminently national question. But apart from this I could never get -on with my literary studies at home because my favourite subject, the -practical knowledge of the East, never excited much interest in Hungary. -What does Hungary care about the rivalry between England and Russia in -Central Asia, and what possible benefit can it derive from the literary, -historical, and ethnographical details of inner Asiatic nations? -Whatever my labours have yielded of interest in regard to the primitive -history of Hungary, I have given to the public; but as the greater part -of my literary activity was the result of my practical knowledge of -Asia, the products of my pen have received far more notice outside of -Hungary than at home. I have often been asked why as Hungarian by birth -I did not confine myself exclusively to Hungarian topics, and why I -entered the region of international literature? At home also I have -often been blamed for this, but my critics seemed to forget that my -preparatory and my later studies were international in themselves, and -that with the best will in the world I could not have confined myself to -purely national interests. And so it came about that mentally I remained -a stranger in my native land, and in the isolation of the subject of my -studies I lived for years confined to my own society, without any -intellectual intercourse, without any interchange of ideas, without -recognition! It was not an enviable position. I was a stranger in the -place where I had passed my youth; a stranger in Turkey, Persia and -Central Asia; as a stranger I made my _début_ in England, and a stranger -I remained in my own home; and all this because a singular fate and -certain natural propensities forced me to follow a career which, -because of its uncommonness, put me into an exceptional position. Had I -persevered in the stereotyped paths of Orientalism, _i.e._, had I been -able to give my mind exclusively to the ferreting out of grammatical -niceties, and to inquiring into the speculations of theoretical -explorers, I could have grown my Oriental cabbages in peace in the quiet -rut of my professional predecessors. But how can one expect that a man -who as Dervish, without a farthing in his pocket, has cut his way -through the whole of the Islam world, who on the strength of his -eminently practical nature has accommodated himself to so many different -situations, and at last has been forced by circumstances to take a -sober, matter-of-fact view of life--how can one expect such a man to -bury himself in theoretical ideas, and to give himself up to idealistic -speculations? A bookworm I could never be! When I was young, and fancy -carried me away into higher spheres, I could derive a certain amount of -pleasure from abstract questions, but in after years, when the bitter -gravity of life forced me to take a realistic view of things, I -preferably chose that region of literature where not merely laurels, but -also tangible fruits, were to be found. I took into consideration that -in the face of the expected opening up of Asia, and the animated -interest of our world in the occurrences of the East, the discussion of -the practical questions of the day would be more to the purpose, more -likely to attract attention, and to be appreciated by the world at -large than the theoretical investigation of past events, however -significant in themselves. This is the reason why at an early date, -without giving up my linguistic studies, I devoted myself to Asiatic -politics. - -Orthodox and narrow-minded philologists may object to this divergence -from the trodden path, but I say, "_Chacun à son gout_," and every man -has a perfect right to exert himself in the direction best suited to his -tastes and his necessities. To me it was of the greatest moment not only -to gain experience and fame, but above all, independence. I have never -quite understood why the desire to become independent through the -acquisition of earthly goods should be so objectionable in a scholar, -for surely independence is the first requirement of human existence. - -Strictly adhering to the principle, "_Nulla dies sine linea_," my pen -has in the end procured me the material means for loosening the bonds in -which the poor writer had languished for so many years. Sixty years had -to pass over my head before I could declare, "Now at last I am free from -all material care, henceforth no Government, no princely favour, no -human whim, can check my thoughts." For the pursuit after filthy lucre, -however humiliating and despicable it may appear, is, and ever has been, -a cruel necessity, indispensable to the attainment of even the loftiest, -noblest ideals. I cannot explain how or why, but in my inmost mind, in -every fibre of my nature, I have always been a passionate, fanatical -supporter of independent ideas. An English writer, Sidney Whitman, says -that this passion is an outcome of my Jewish origin, because the Jews -have always been conspicuous for their notions of independence. -Possibly; but I attribute it in my case rather to the oppression, the -ignominy, the insults to which I was exposed in my youth. Nor did I fare -much better in after years. Everywhere and always I have had much to -suffer from poverty, social prejudice, and the tyranny of Governments; -and when at last, having overcome all, I attained to intellectual and -material independence, I felt supremely happy in the enjoyment of my -dearly bought liberty, and in this enjoyment found the only worthy -reward for the hard struggle of my life. I have made no concealment of -my views as to the prejudices, the weaknesses, the obscurantism, and the -ignorance of society, and I did not care when on account of my views -about religion, nationality, aristocracy, &c., so contrary to the -generally conceived notions, I was looked upon as eccentric, -extravagant, sometimes even as not quite in my right mind. I held, and -ever will hold, to my principles, purified in the hard struggle for -existence. And if the struggle for my material wants is at an end the -mental struggle goes on always, and will probably continue to the last -breath of my life. - - -"The Struggle's End, and yet no End." Thus I have entitled this last -portion of my autobiography. And I am not sorry that it should be so, -for what would life be worth without struggle, especially for those who -from their earliest youth to their old age have trodden the rough paths -of life, and been accustomed to fight hard for the smallest ray of -sunshine on their work. Yet after all I must honestly confess that there -is more pleasure in the actual strain and effort than in the final -accomplishment. Amid the pangs of hunger and all the sad circumstances -of my adventurous life, work has been my only comfort, hope, and solace; -it always came to my rescue, and I owe to it all that I have -accomplished in this world. In this full assurance I have gladly -sacrificed all pleasures, both private and social, for the sake of work. -In spite of my joviality I was never a society man--I mean, cared for -drawing-room life or for the social evenings of scholars and -writers--because I found that in the former mostly frivolous, useless -matters were discussed, and in the latter with much instructive and -intellectual conversation, spirituous drinks--which I have always -abominated--play an important part. Only very rarely have I visited the -theatre, for when I was young I should have liked to go, but had not the -means, and as I advanced in years the theatre lost its attraction for -me, and being an early riser, I made it a rule to go to bed at nine -o'clock. Generally speaking, I kept the question of utility in the -foreground, and if a thing did not commend itself as particularly -profitable or beneficial, I left it alone. In this manner and with these -views of life I have finished a somewhat fantastic career. I have often -been asked whether from the very first I worked with some particular -purpose in view whether the certain hope of success bore me along, or -whether I was surprised at the final result. To those really interested -in my destiny I reply as follows: At first naturally the instinct of -self-preservation urged me on, for with an empty stomach one may be able -to indulge in dreams, but one cannot work. The world's literatures, read -in their respective languages, were a great delight to me, but with an -empty stomach and teeth chattering with cold the desire for intellectual -food is soon subdued by a longing for physical nourishment and a warm -corner. In course of time all this was changed. As I was able to satisfy -my material wants, in that same measure the desire for knowledge -increased, and ambition grew with it. To outstrip my fellow-labourers -with a higher degree of knowledge, to make myself prominent by certain -intellectual qualities, to pose as an authority, and by some special -accomplishment to excite the admiration and the applause of the -public--all this led me into the devil's clutches. For years I wildly -pursued this course with feverish restlessness, and during this time -fell my incognito life in Stambul, my dangerous journey to Samarkand, -and my _début_ in England and the rest of Europe. One may well say, -"Surely such varied and unexpected results made you pause for a moment, -surely you stopped to reflect and to ask yourself the question, 'What -will all this lead to?'" No, I never stopped to think. One by one the -different phases of my almost romantic career were left behind; the poor -Jew boy became a European celebrity; but I cared not. Forward, ever -forward, for ambition is insatiable; it leaves one no time for -reflection, nor is retrospection one of its favourite pastimes; it is -not the past, but the future, which occupies all our thoughts. With such -ideas in my mind, my sojourn on the shores of the beautiful Danube was -of necessity only in appearance a _buen retiro_, but certainly no _otium -cum dignitate_. Apart from my studies, which occupied several hours a -day, my active pen, often against my will, brought me in contact with -the most distant regions of the globe. I kept up a lively correspondence -with people of various rank and degree in Turkey, Persia, Central Asia, -India, China, Japan, America, and Australia; and were I to mention the -different occasions which called forth this interchange of letters, it -would give a true and amusing picture of the joys and the sufferings of -a literary worker. Sometimes it was a Japanese politician who urged me -on to have a dig at Russia, pointing out the common danger which -threatened both Hungary and Japan if Russia's power were allowed free -growth. Then, again, a malcontent Hindustani blamed me for having taken -the British tyrant under my wing; while another Hindustani praised me -for duly acknowledging the spirit of liberty and justice which animated -the Raj, _i.e._, the English Government. A Persian who has read in the -diary of his sovereign about my personal relations with the king, asks -me for my recommendation and protection, and while one Turk showers -praise upon me for my Turcophile writings, another Turk insults me for -having accepted the hospitality of the hated Sultan Abdul Hamid. A -Tartar from Yalta, who addresses me as the opponent of Russia and the -student of Moslem dithyrambs, begs for a copy of my _Sheibaniade_, as he -has not the means to buy one. So it goes on day after day, but worst of -all the poor international writer fares at the hands of the Americans. -The number of autograph collectors is astonishing, and many are kind -enough to enclose an American stamp or a few cents for the reply -postage. And then the questions I am asked! Could I inform them of the -hour of my birth, in order to account for my adventurous career? And I -do not even know what year I was born! An American surgeon asks me to -send him a photograph of my tongue, that from its formation he may draw -his conclusions as to my linguistic talent, and so on, and so on. As -most of these letters have to be answered, one may readily imagine the -amount of time and patience this often awkward correspondence absorbs, -and it is more in after life that this side of international authorship -becomes such a nuisance. - -This reverse side of the medal one has to put up with, however; it -supplies some bright interludes also. Questions referring to my motley -career require more careful consideration. Many of my friends and -acquaintances have been curious to know how I bore the enormous -difference between my present position and the naked misery of my -childhood, and whether, generally speaking, I often thought of all my -past sufferings and struggles. Well, to tell the truth, the -recollections of the past form the sweetest moments of my life. It is -quite like a novel when I think of the beginning of my career and then -look at the end, but as the transformation has been a gradual and slow -progress, and as I have never doubted the intimate connection between -labour and wages, the steady progress from worse to better has but -seemed natural to me, and the really wonderful part in it was the -disposition of a kind destiny. "_Labor omnia vincit_" has always been my -device, not forgetting the other saying, "_Sors bona, nihil aliud_"; for -that on my journey through the Steppes I did not die of thirst, that I -was able to undergo the fatigues of those long marches on foot through -the deep sand with lame legs, and that I escaped the executioner's axe -of the tyrants of Khiva and Bokhara, I attribute solely to my lucky -star. Without this star all my perseverance, patience, ambition, -linguistic talent, and intellectual activity would have been fruitless. -But as concerns the recollection of those past sufferings and struggles -I must honestly say that a retrospective glance has always given me the -greatest pleasure; the more so where, as in my case, I have both -mentally and physically an unbroken view of my past career. In spite of -the seventy years which have gone over my head, I feel physically -perfectly composed and in good health, and without complaining with Sadi -that:-- - - - "Medjlis tamam shud ve b'akhir resid umr," - - -_i.e._, "the measure of my years is full, and only now fortune begins to -smile." I have in the prime of my life enjoyed to the full all the -spiritual and worldly pleasures of existence. If there be anything which -makes the approaching evening of one's life empty and unpleasant it is -the grief henceforth no longer to be fit for work and labour. The desire -to overcome the unconquerable is gone; the beautiful delusive pictures -on the rosy horizon of the future have disappeared; henceforth it is the -past only which offers me the cup of precious, sweet delight. No wonder, -then, that I can spend hours by myself in pleasant retrospection, -enjoying the visions of my brain. I see myself as the schoolboy of Duna -Szerdahely, hurrying along towards the Jewish school, leaning on my -crutch and warming my half-numbed fingers on frosty winter mornings -with the hot potatoes which I carried in my pocket for breakfast. Again -I see myself laden with distinctions at the royal table in the palace of -Windsor or Yildiz; dining from massive golden plates, and honoured by -the highest representatives of Western and Eastern society. Then there -arises before my mind the picture of my miserable plight as mendicant -student spending the cold autumn night under the seat on the promenade -at Presburg, and trembling with cold and fear; and scarcely has this -gloomy picture faded from my view when I behold in its place the -meeting-hall in London where the heads of England's proud aristocracy -listen to my speech on the political condition of affairs in Central -Asia, and loudly applaud. Seated all alone in my lonely room I see -myself once more in the turmoil of life, and gazing in the -richly-coloured kaleidoscope I am now intoxicated with bliss, then again -trembling with fear. In clear outline, in the smallest details I enjoy -those blissful moments of delivery from terrible distress, the -threatening danger of lifelong slavery, or a martyr's awful death, which -so often have stared me in the face. Whenever the scene of my audience -with the Emir of Bokhara, or of the agonies of thirst in the Khalata -desert, and the terrible image of Kulkhan, the Turcoman slave-dealer, -come before me in my dreams, even to this day I look anxiously round and -rejoice when I find that it is only a dream and not reality. - -Fate has truly played me many queer tricks. And now, in the evening of -my life, looking back upon the dark and the bright moments of my long -career, I say with the English that my life has been "a life worth -living," and would gladly go through the whole comedy again from -beginning to end, and for a second time undergo all the labour, the -fatigues, the mortal dangers.... So mighty and overpowering is the -thirst for adventure in one's youth, and the consciousness of a -fortunate escape from threatening danger is so deliciously exciting, -that even in one's old age one can gloat over the recollection of it. - -Once having tasted the charms of a life of adventure, the longing for it -will ever remain, and a calm sea never seems as beautiful and sublime as -the furiously whipped waves of a stormy ocean. There are natures not -made for rest, they need perpetual motion and excitement to keep them -happy. I belong to this latter category. I never did care for a quiet, -peaceful existence, and I am glad to have possessed these qualities, for -through them I have gained the two most precious jewels of human -life--experience and independence--two treasures inseparably connected, -and forming the true nucleus of human happiness. And now the evening of -my life has come; the setting sun is casting warning shadows before me, -and the chilliness of the approaching night becomes perceptible, I sit -and think of all the dangers, difficulties, and troubles of the day that -it is past and in the possession of my two jewels I feel fully rewarded -for all I have gone through. It has been my good fortune to contribute -my mite to the enlightenment and improvement of my fellow-creatures; and -when I made the joyful discovery that my books were being read all over -Europe, America, and Australia, the consciousness of not having lived in -vain filled me with a great happiness. I thought to myself, the father -professor of the gymnasium at St. Georghen was wrong after all when he -said, "Moshele, why dost thou study? It would be better for thee to be a -butcher!" But more precious than all these good things is my -dearly-bought experience. - -My eye is still undimmed and my memory still clear, and even as in past -years, so now two worlds with all their different countries, peoples, -cities, morals, and customs rise up before my eyes. As the bee flies -from one flower to another, so my thoughts wander from Europe to Asia -and back again; everywhere I feel at home; from all sides well-known -faces smile recognition; all sorts of people talk to me in their -mother-tongue. Thus encompassing the wide world, feasting one's eyes on -the most varied scenery--this, indeed, is a delight reserved for -travellers only, for travelling is decidedly the greatest and noblest -enjoyment in all the world. And so I have no reason to complain of my -lot, for if my life was hard the reward was abundant also, and now at -the end of it I can be fully satisfied with the result of my struggles. - - - - -Appendices - - - - -APPENDIX I - -EUROPEAN AND ASIATIC ECHOES OF MY INCOGNITO TRAVELS - - -In spite of all the slights I had to put up with, the first years after -my return from Asia passed very pleasantly in beautiful Budapest. It -gave me keen pleasure to see my books about my travels, and my -ethnographical and political essays before me, in various European and -Asiatic languages; and the voice of criticism, whether favourable or -otherwise, had ceased to trouble me. But one thing was of special -interest to me, viz., the effect which the reports of my travels would -have in the Far East--that is, in Central Asia--for I felt sure that the -news of the happy conclusion of my incognito would reach the borders of -the Zerefshan, by way of India, or of Russia. That I was not mistaken in -my supposition was proved by news received in later years from that -neighbourhood. The first information came from the Russian diplomatist, -Herr von Lankenau, who, shortly after the victory of the Russian arms at -Samarkand, was sent by General Kauffmann to Bokhara to negotiate with -the Emir, Mozaffareddin. Herr von Lankenau settled the principal -conditions of the peace between Russia and Bokhara, and then spent some -time in the Khanate near the Zerefshan. - -He had also been an eye-witness of the events that had taken place -there, including the revolt of the Crown Prince of Bokhara, Kette Töre, -who was overcome in 1869; and four years later, when he returned to -Germany, he published some of his experiences in the _Frankfürter -Zeitung_ of June, 1872, entitled, _Rachmed Inak, Moral Pictures from -Central Asia; from the Russian of H. von Lankenau_. In No. 11 of the -above-named paper we read the following: "In the whole of the Khanate -he (viz., Rachmed Inak) was the only person not deceived by the -disguise of the foolhardy Vambéry. This traveller says that when he -presented himself before Rachmed, who was then managing the affairs of -the whole of Bokhara, in the absence of the Emir, he could not look that -sharp-sighted governor in the eyes without fear and trembling, knowing -that his secret was either discovered or in danger of discovery. When we -once asked Rachmed Inak (a title bestowed on him later) if he remembered -a pious pilgrim Hadji, with a very dark face, and lame, who had gone to -Bokhara and Samarkand five years before, he replied, smiling, 'Although -many pilgrims go to those holy places every year, I can guess which one -you mean. He was a very learned Hadji, much more so than all the other -wise men in Bokhara.' - -"We now told him that the pilgrim was a European, and showed him -Vambéry's book, translating to him the part in which the noted traveller -speaks of Rachmed himself. - -"'I was quite aware of the fact,' answered Rachmed, 'but I knew too that -he was not dangerous, and I did not want to ruin such a learned man. It -was the Mollahs' own fault that they did not guess whom they had with -them. Who told them to keep their eyes and ears shut?'" - -Now this Rachmed (more correctly Rahmet), whom I mentioned before (see -page 207), appears to have risen in rank since my departure from Central -Asia, for Herr von Lankenau speaks of him as "Bek" (governor) of Saadin, -a district in the Khanate of Bokhara. I find it quite natural that he -should have remembered me, but his statement that he spared my life on -account of my erudition must be taken _cum grano salis_. I do not wish -to affirm that I was not suspected by a good many; the number of efforts -made to unmask me prove the contrary; but no one really detected me on -account of my fortunate talent for languages, just as in Turkey and -Persia I was hardly ever taken for a European. Had the people of Bokhara -discovered my identity I should certainly not now be in a position to -write my memoirs! - - -Many years later, in 1882, I received the second piece of information as -to the effect of my incognito on the inhabitants of Central Asia, -through the publications of Mr. Edmund O'Donovan, a correspondent of -the _Daily News_, who travelled in Asia from 1879 to 1881, and after his -return to England published in 1882 a book of two volumes, entitled, -_The Merv Oasis: Travels and Adventures East of the Caspian during the -Years 1879 to 1881, including Five Months' Residence among the Tekkes of -Merv_. - -In the first volume of this book, on page 221, we find the following: "I -usually confined myself to my dwelling" (the author is speaking of his -stay among the Yomuts in Gömushtepe, where I myself had been), "making -notes or conversing with the numerous visitors who invaded Durdi's -residence. This was the same in which Vambéry had lived, for, -notwithstanding that he succeeded in passing through unrecognised, as a -European, the inhabitants afterwards learned his true character, -doubtless from the Russians of the naval station at Ashurada close by. I -heard of the famous Hungarian from a person named Kan Djan Kelte, the -son of Kocsak, his former host. He described the traveller as being like -Timsur Lenk, the great Central Asian conqueror, _i.e._, somewhat lame. -Of course this knowledge of Vambéry was not arrived at until some time -after his departure from among the Yomuts, as otherwise it might have -fared badly with him, and he certainly would not at that time have been -allowed to pass on. The most singular fact in connection with this -matter was, that when I asked for the date of Vambéry's arrival at -Gömushtepe my informer could give me only a very vague reply. This is -characteristic of the Turkomans." - -Of course this notice by the English traveller interested me very much. -Kan Djan (the Khandjan mentioned in my book) had not the slightest idea -of my disguise. He and the other Turkomans imagined me to be a genuine, -pious, and inspired Osmanli from Constantinople, from whom many people -begged letters of introduction to the Ottoman Embassy at Teheran, -letters which I willingly gave. Two of them were given back to me after -my return, by Haidar Effendi, then ambassador at the Persian Court, and -I treasure them as valuable mementos. - -There is no doubt there would have been little hope for me had my -identity been discovered, and I learned later from pilgrims who stopped -at Khandjan how vexed the Turkomans were at being cheated out of such a -windfall. But they were certainly much mistaken, for though the Shah, at -the instance of the Emperor Napoleon III., had to pay 12,000 ducats -ransom for Monsieur de Bloqueville, who was captured at Merv while in -the Persian service, no one would have paid a penny for my ransom; and -as, on account of my infirmity, I was useless for the slave market, a -strong ass being worth more than a lame Hadji, it would not have been -worth while to capture me. - -Quite recently I heard of the third effect of my incognito in -Afghanistan, and I must own I was not a little astonished. Readers of my -book about my travels may remember that I had a strange adventure in -Herat, when the governor of the province, Prince Yakub Khan, a son of -Shir Ali Khan, then Emir of Afghanistan, who had already seen many -Englishmen, distinguished my European features from those of all my -Tartar companions, and tried to unmask me. That he should have found me -out has always been a marvel to me, for in the poor student, in whose -eyes only hunger and misery were visible, there was really very little -to show European origin. - -Now the mystery has been solved. Yakub Khan, who succeeded to his -father's throne after so many vicissitudes, was so unfortunate that at -the very beginning of his reign the English ambassador, Sir Louis -Cavagnari, with his whole suite, was murdered by a fanatic mob in Kabul. -Upon this the English took possession of his capital. Yakub Khan was -taken to India as prisoner, and in the escort which accompanied the -dethroned prince was Colonel Robert Warburton, a very able officer, and -decidedly the one who best knew the border tribes, and who had been -posted for years at the entrance to the Khyber Pass. - -This officer (later Sir Robert Warburton), after his return to England, -published his experiences in a book entitled _Eighteen Years in the -Khyber (1879 to 1898), with Portraits, Maps, and Illustrations_. London: -John Murray, 1900. In this book we read on pp. 89-90 the following:-- - -"After being introduced to Emir Yakub Khan, and seeing that all his -wants were satisfied, I ventured to ask a question harking back to the -time when Arminius Vambéry, after having seen Khiva and Bokhara, arrived -at Herat and appeared in Sardar Muhammed Yakub Khan's presence. Mr. -Vambéry, in his book, states that, having given the benediction, he sat -down next to the Sardar, and pushed his wazir to one side with a good -deal of violence. - -"The young Sardar, peering into his face, said: '_Walla au billa -Faringhi hasti_.' This Vambéry denied, and the conversation was then -changed. Having reminded Amir Yakub Khan of the above circumstance, I -asked him if he had identified Mr. Vambéry as a European, and on what -grounds. The ex-Emir said: 'I was seated in an upper chamber watching a -parade of my troops, and the band was playing on the open ground in -front of my window. I noticed a man beating time to the music of the -band with his foot. I knew at once that he must be a European, as -Asiatics are not in the habit of doing this. Later on, when this man -came into my darbar, I charged him with being a Faringhi, which he -denied. However, I did not press the matter, being afraid that if -suspicion had been roused against him, his life might not have been -safe.' - -"The same circumstance has been told to me by Sardar Muhammed Hassan -Khan, six weeks before Emir Yakub Khan's arrival at Jellalabad. It may -be noted that Sardar Yakub Khan and he were both at Herat when Mr. A. -Vambéry journeyed there after his wonderful adventures and vicissitudes -in Central Asia. Strange it must seem to have associated hourly for -months throughout his dangerous travels in Khiva and Bokhara with his -Dervish companions, to have shared in all their meals and joined in all -their prayers, and yet to have defied all detection; and then to have -been discovered by one keen-eyed observer for beating time with his foot -to the music of an improvised European band, playing in the glacis of -the fortress of Herat!" - -Yes, Sir Robert Warburton's surprise is quite justified. I am astonished -myself that such a thing should have happened to me, and that Melpomene -should have betrayed me. I can only explain this by the fact that I, who -have always been a lover of music, upon hearing the strains of European -music for the first time after many years, unconsciously began to beat -time with my foot. Under the influence of those sounds recalling the -West, I had entirely forgotten hunger, misery, and the dangers that -threatened me especially among the fanatic Afghans, so forcible an -impression did these tones from home make upon me in that foreign -country. - - -Besides these three authentic bits of news, which I heard by chance, I -also received other vague information through pilgrims from Central Asia -who visited the Bokhara-Tekkesi (monastery) in Constantinople. My -incognito travels have become quite legendary in Turkestan. - -Hadji Bilal, my most intimate friend in the pilgrims' caravan with which -we travelled, who visited Mecca and Medina in the seventies, remained -firm in his belief in my Moslemism; he even asserted that if I had -adopted an incognito at all, it was decidedly rather in Europe than in -Asia, and that my _Christianity_ was apocryphal. How far he was right in -his supposition the reader of these memoirs can judge for himself. - -In the matter of prejudice, superstition, and fanaticism, there is only -this difference between the West, which is so proud of its civilisation, -and uncultivated Asia, that in the West human passions are restrained by -the laws of more advanced civilisation, and the adherents of foreign -religious or political opinions, are exposed to less dangers in public -life than in Asia where lawlessness and anarchy afford no protection. - -Unfortunately I made bitter experiences in this respect. Where my origin -was unknown, my career so full of struggles found much more -acknowledgment than in those circles in which I, as a Jew, was defamed, -and from the very beginning marked as a liar and deceiver. It was the -same with my political opinions. Until the Franco-Russian alliance was -strengthened I had many friends in France, but I lost them all the -moment I took up my position as anti-Russian writer, in England's -interest in Asia. Even in England I was made to feel the effect of -political quarrels amongst the various parties. Mr. Ashton Dilke, a -furious Liberal and a pro-Russian, in conjunction with Herr Eugen -Schuyler, secretary to the American Embassy at St. Petersburg (whose -ancestor took a prominent part against England in the American War of -Independence), took it into his head to represent my journey through -Central Asia as fiction, and attacked me in the _Athenæum_ No. 2,397. He -asserted that I, a connoisseur of Oriental languages, had never been in -Bokhara nor Samarkand, and had written my book with no other foundation -than the facts I had collected in the Bosphorus, and as a proof of this -assertion it was said that I had described the famous nephrit stone on -the tomb of Timour as green, whereas in reality it was blue. Little or -no notice was taken of this attack by my friends in England, and I was -not a little surprised when the noted Russian orientalist, Mr. W. -Grigorieff, declared in _Russki Mir_ that this attack on the -authenticity of my journey was ridiculous and inadmissible, and -designated me as an audacious and remarkable traveller of recent date, -though he had sharply criticised my _History of Bokhara_ some time -before. - -Considering my strongly marked opposition to Russia, this trick of -holding out a saving hand seems rather strange; but the kindness evinced -missed its aim, for my political works continued to be anti-Russian. - -Also Mr. Schuyler, the American diplomatist, in spite of the hatred he -bore to England, changed his tone in time; for when he visited Budapest -in 1886, I received the following letter from him:-- - - - "BUDAPEST, HOTEL KÖNIGIN VON ENGLAND, - "_Monday, November 8, 1886_. - - "DEAR MR. VAMBÉRY,-- - - "If you are willing to overlook some hasty criticisms of mine when - I was in Central Asia, and will receive me, I shall be most happy - to call upon you. - - "Believe me, dear sir, yours most sincerely, - "EUGENE SCHUYLER." - - -Of course I overlooked the "hasty criticisms," gave Mr. Schuyler a warm -reception, and have corresponded with him ever since. I have only -mentioned this incident to prove how very unstable criticism sometimes -is, and how very often the private interests of religion or of politics -can lead to the attack on a man's character and his honour. - -A certain Professor William Davies (?) took it into his head to give -lectures as pseudo-Vambéry, and for the sake of greater resemblance even -feigned lameness, but was unmasked by my deceased friend, Professor -Kiepert, on the 22nd of January, 1868; others again tried to represent -me as an impostor, and discredited the result of my dangers and -privations from personal motives. - -I have had endless opportunities of studying human nature in all its -phases. It seemed as though an unkind fate refused to remove the bitter -chalice from my lips, and if, in spite of all, I never lost courage, nor -my lively disposition, I have only my love of work to thank for it; it -drew a veil over all that was unpleasant, and permitted me to gaze -joyfully from my workroom on the outside world. Unfavourable criticism, -which no man of letters can escape, least of all an explorer who has met -with uncommon experiences, never offended or hurt me. But what was most -unpleasant was the thorn of envy the pricks of which I was made to feel, -and the attacks made with evil designs, in which the Russian press -excelled. - -Madame de Novikoff, _née_ Olga Kireef, did her utmost to discredit me in -England, and in order to blunt the point of my anti-Russian pen, she -suddenly discovered that I was no Hungarian, but a fraudulent Jew who -had never been in Asia at all, but only wished to undermine the good -relations between England and Russia. This skilled instrument of Russian -politics on the Thames, rejoiced in the friendship of Mr. Gladstone, but -her childish attacks on me have had little effect in shaking my position -and reputation among the British public. - -With the exception of such incidents I had reason to be content with the -criticism of my adventurous journey. - - - - -APPENDIX II - -MY SCIENTIFIC-LITERARY ACTIVITY - - -My many years of practical study of the Asiatic world, of which I have -attempted to give an account in the preceding pages, were necessarily -followed as soon as I had leisure and quiet by a period of literary -activity. During those years of travel such a vast amount of material -had been accumulating that I must needs put some of it in writing, and -relate some of the things I had seen and experienced. And now that the -beautiful summertime of my life is past, and I look back upon that -period of literary work, I must preface my account of these labours by -stating that in point of quantity, quality, and tendency these -productions were quite in keeping with my previous studies. A -self-educated man, without any direction or guidance in my studies, -without even a definite object in view, my literary career must -necessarily also be full of the weaknesses, faults, and deficiencies of -the self-made man. Just as there are poets by nature, so I was a scholar -by nature, but as there is not and could not be a "_scientifica -licentia_," in the same way as there is a "_poetica licentia_," so the -difficulties I had to fight against were proportionally as great as the -deficiencies and blunders which criticism rightly detected in my works. -Hasty and rash as I had been in acquiring knowledge (for which a -powerful memory and a fiery zeal are chiefly to blame), I was equally -impatient to accomplish the work on hand. When once I had begun to write -a book, I gave myself neither rest nor peace until I saw it finished and -printed on my table, regardless of the saying, "_Nonum prematur in -annum_." Unfortunately my labour lay chiefly in as yet unfrequented -regions of philology and ethnography, consequently the authorities at my -disposal were very limited, and the few that were available were hardly -worth consulting, so I did not trouble with them. - -Besides, to make a thorough study of ancient authorities went quite -against the grain with me. I did not care to be always referring to what -others had said and done and to enter into minute speculations and -criticisms in regard to them. To use the expression--I objected to chew -the cud that others had eaten. From a strictly scientific point of view -this was no doubt a grave fault in me. It has always been the novel, the -unknown, and untold which attracted me. Only quite new subjects took my -fancy, only in those regions did I burn with desire to earn my literary -spurs, and although I had not much fear of any one overtaking me in the -race, I was for ever hurrying and hankering after novelty and -originality, not to say fresh revelations. I was always in a rush, and -so did not give the necessary care and attention to the work on hand. -When in the biographical notices about my insignificant person, which -have appeared from time to time, I see myself described as a learned -man, this most unfitting qualification always surprises me, for I am -anything but learned in the ordinary sense of the word, and could not -possibly be. To be a scholar one needs preparation, schooling, and -disposition, all of which I lacked; of a scholar one can say, "_Non -nascitur sed fit_," while all through my life, in all my sayings and -doings I have always acted under the influence of my naturally good or -bad qualities, and have been solely guided by these. The dark side and -the disadvantages of such a character do undoubtedly weigh heavily, but -the mischief done is to a certain extent rectified by its very decided -advantages. Lack of caution makes one bold and daring, and where there -is no great depth, there is the greater extension over the area one has -chosen for one's field of operation. In this manner only can it be -explained why my literary activity encompassed such various regions of -Oriental knowledge, and why I could act as philologist, geographer, -ethnographer, historian, ethnologist, and politician all at once. Of all -the weaknesses and absurdities of the so-called learned guild, the -conventional modesty of scholars has always been the most hateful and -objectionable to me. I loathed nothing so much as the hypocritical -hiding of the material advantage which scholars as much as, if not more -than other mortals have in view, and nothing is to my mind more -despicable than the professed indifference to praise and recognition; -for we all know that scholars and writers are the vainest creatures -born. - -Since I am not a professional scholar, I need not be modest according to -the rules of the trade, and as I am about to speak of my literary -activity, and discuss and criticise my own work, I will leave scholarly -modesty quite out of the question, and freely and frankly give my -opinion on the products of my pen. - - -1. _Travels in Central Asia._ - -This work, which appeared in several editions in various European and -Asiatic languages, is interesting reading because of the curious methods -of travel and the novelty of the adventures. Incognito journeys had been -made before my time to Mecca and Medina by Burton, Burckhart, Maltzan, -Snouck-Hurgronje, and others, but as a Dervish living on alms, and -undergoing all the penalties of fakirdom, I was certainly the first and -only European. However interesting the account of my adventures may be, -the geographico-scientific results of my journey are not in adequate -proportion to the dangers and sufferings I underwent. Astronomical -observations were impossible, neither was I competent to make them. -Orography and hydrography were never touched upon. The fauna and flora -were closed books to me, and as for geology, I did not even know this -science by name before I came West. But on the other hand, I can point -out with pleasure that in certain parts of Central Asia I was the first -European traveller, and have contributed many names of places to the map -of the region, and furnished many facts hitherto unknown about the -ethnographical relations of the Turks in these parts. What made my book -of travels popular was unquestionably the account of my adventures and -the continual dangers in which I found myself. The European reader can -hardly form any conception of my sufferings and privations; they evoked -the interest and the sympathy of the cultured world; but he who has read -the preceding pages, and is acquainted with the struggles of my -childhood and youth, will not be surprised that the early schooling of -misery and privation I underwent had sufficiently hardened me to bear -the later heavy struggles. The difference between the condition of a -poor Jew-boy and a mendicant Dervish in Central Asia is, after all, not -very great. The cravings of hunger are not one whit easier to bear or -less irksome in cultured Europe than in the Steppes of Asia, and the -mental agony of the little Jew, despised and mocked by the Christian -world, is perhaps harder than the constant fear of being found out by -fanatical Mohammedans. As my first publication was so much appreciated, -I enlarged, at the instigation of my friends, my first account, and -published-- - - -2. _Sketches from Central Asia_, - -in which on the one hand I elaborated the account of my adventures with -fresh incidents, and on the other introduced those ethnographical, -political, and economic data which I was unable to incorporate in my -traveller's account written in London, as the documents needed for this -were left behind at home in Pest. With this book, likewise translated in -several languages, I attracted more attention in scientific circles, in -consequence of which I was nominated honorary member of a geographical -society; but still from a scientific point of view this book does not -deserve much attention, for in spite of many new data, it is altogether -too fragmentary, and bears the unmistakable stamp of _dilettantism_. To -be an expert ethnologist I ought to have known much more about -anthropology and anatomy, and particularly the want of measurements -indispensable to anthropological researches, made it impossible for me -to furnish accurate descriptive delineations. Only the part about the -political situation, _i.e._, the rivalry between England and Russia in -Central Asia, was of any real value. This part, which first appeared in -the columns of the periodical _Unsere Zeit_, was freely commented upon -and discussed in official and non-official circles. To this article I -owe my introduction into political literature, and at the same time the -animosity of Russia, I might say the violent anger which the Russian -press has ever since expressed at the mention of my name. In Chapter -VIII. I have referred more fully to this part of my literary career, and -will only mention here that I did not enter upon this course with any -special purpose in view, or with any sense of pleasure. All I cared for -was to make known my purely philological experiences, and accordingly as -soon as I returned from London I set to work upon my-- - - -3. _Chagataic Linguistic Studies._ - -The fact that I, a self-taught man, with no scholastic education--a man -who was no grammarian, and who had but very vague notions about -philology in general should dare to venture on a philological work, and -that, moreover, in German; that I should dare to lay this before the -severe forum of expert philology--this, indeed, was almost too bold a -stroke, wellnigh on a par with my journey into Central Asia. Fortunately -at that time I was still ignorant of the _furor teutonicus_, and the -spiteful nature of philologists. I was moving, so to speak, on untrodden -ground, for with the exception of the specimen Chagataic passages -published by Quatremere in his _Chrestomathie Orientale_, and what was -published in the original by Baber and Abulghazi, East Turkish was an -entirely unknown language to Western Orientalists. I began by giving -specimens of national literature, proverbs, and the different dialects -of Turkish inner Asia. Then I gave a whole list of East-Turkish books of -which no one in Europe had ever heard, and I published the first -East-Turkish dictionary which the French scholar Pavel de Courteille -incorporated in his later issued work, _Dictionnaire Turk-Oriental_. He -says in his preface, "J'avoue tout de suite, que j'ai mis à contribution -ce dictionnaire, en insérant dans mon travail autant que je le pouvais, -le livre le plus instructif qui fait grand honneur à son auteur," as he -called this my first philological production (Preface, p. xi.). But -still more did it surprise me to find that the Russian Orientalist, -Budagow, who was so much nearer akin to this branch of philology, used -my work in his elaborate dictionary; and so, although the critical press -took little notice of my first philological efforts, I was nevertheless -encouraged to persevere, and began to realise that without being a -scholarly linguist one can yet do useful work in this line. "It is but -the first step that costs," says the proverb. My Chagataic linguistic -studies were soon followed by isolated fragments on this subject, and -the more readily they were received the deeper I endeavoured to -penetrate into the ancient monuments of the Turkish language. As a -result of these efforts appeared my-- - - -4. _Uiguric Linguistic Monuments_, - -which was one of the hardest and best paying labours I accomplished in -Turkology, and which advanced me to the title of specialist in Turkish -languages. From the _Turkish Grammar_ by Davids, and an article of -Joubert's in the _Journal Asiatique_, I had heard of the existence of a -mysterious Uiguric manuscript, and when Lord Strangford, moreover, drew -my attention to it, and advised me to try and decipher it, I burned with -ambition, and did not rest until I had secured the loan of this precious -manuscript from the Imperial Library at Vienna. The faint, uncertain -characters, the value of which I had to guess in many cases, the curious -wording, and the peculiarly original contents of the text, exercised an -overpowering charm over me. For more than a year I gazed daily for hours -at the sybillic signs, until at last I succeeded bit by bit in reading -and understanding the manuscript. My joy was boundless. I immediately -decided to publish the deciphered portion, and when, after much trouble -and expense, for the type had first to be made, I saw the imposing -quarto before my eyes, I really believed I had accomplished an important -work. I was strengthened in this idea by the extremely appreciative -comments of my colleagues, and yet it was but a delusion, for my -knowledge of the dialects in the northern and north-easterly frontier -districts of the Turkish languages, was not sufficient to enable me to -understand the entire manuscript, and to accomplish the deciphering of -the entire document. My better qualified and more thoroughly versed -successor, Dr. W. Radloff, was able to show better results at once, and -the only satisfaction that remains to me from this laborious task is the -fact that to me belongs the right of priority; and that Dr. Radloff, -following in my footsteps, attained after thirty years a higher -standpoint and wider view, is due in a large measure to the fact that in -course of time he managed to secure a copy of the _Kudatku Biliks_ -written in Arabic characters, and consequently more legible. - -And so my _Uiguric Linguistic Monuments_, in spite of many faults and -defects, ranks among the showpieces of my scientific-literary activity. -In any case I had proved that without being a schooled philologist one -can be a pioneer in this line. Following up this only partially -successful experiment, I continued for some time my researches in the -field of Turkology. I wrote an-- - - -5. _Etymological Dictionary of the Turkish Language_, - -the first ever written on this subject of philology, in which, without -any precedent, I collected, criticised and compared, until I succeeded -in finding out the stems and roots, and ranged them into separate -families. On this slippery path, on which even the greatest authorities -in philology sometimes stumble, and by their awkward fall bring their -colleagues with them and amuse the world, I, with my inadequate -knowledge of the subject, stumbled and slipped all the oftener. In spite -of all this, however, even my bitterest rival could not deny that I had -succeeded in unravelling the etymology of a considerable number of -Turkish words, and in giving a concrete meaning to many abstract -conceptions. So mighty is the magic charm of discovery that for months -together, by day and by night, I could think of nothing but Turkish -root-words, and as I generally worked from memory, and never in my life, -so to speak, took any notes, it was a real joy to me to follow up the -transitions and changes of an idea to its remotest origin. As a matter -of fact this kind of study, apart from my inadequate knowledge, was not -at all in keeping with my tendencies. Under the delusive cover of -etymological recreation the dry monotony of the study soon became -irksome, and I was quite pleased when this etymological pastime led me -to the investigation of the-- - - -6. _Primitive Culture of the Turko-Tartar People._ - -Here I felt more at home and stood on more congenial ground, for here -philology served as a telescope, with which I could look into the -remotest past of Turkish tribe-life, and discover many valuable details -of the ethnical, ethical and social conditions of the Turk. As I have -made up my mind to be entirely frank and open in this criticism of my -own work, I am bound to say that I consider this little book one of the -best productions of my pen. It abounds in valuable suggestions, mere -suggestions unfortunately, about the ethnology of the Turk, which could -only flow from the pen of a travelling philologist who united to a -knowledge of the language, a penetration into the customs, character and -views in general of the people under consideration, and who had it all -fresh in his mind and could speak from practical experience. The -recognition which this little book received from my fellow-philologists -was most gratifying to me, and was the chief cause which led me to write -about-- - - -7. _The Turkish People in their Ethnological and Ethnographical -Relationship._ - -In this work, planned on a much larger scale, I endeavoured to -incorporate my personal experiences of the Turks in general, and also -to introduce the notes and extracts gleaned on this subject from -European and Asiatic literature. In both these efforts I had certain -advantages over others. In the first place no ethnographer had ever had -such long and intimate intercourse with members of this nation, and -secondly, there were not many ethnographers who could avail themselves -as well as I could of the many-tongued sources of information. Here -again I found myself on untrodden paths, and the accomplished work had -the general defects and charms of a first effort. On the whole it was -favourably criticised, and I was therefore the more surprised that the -book had such a very limited sale. I flattered myself I had written a -popular book, or at least a book that would please the reading public, -and I was grievously disappointed when, after a lapse of ten years, not -three hundred copies had been sold. I came to the conclusion that the -public at large troubles itself very little about the origin, customs -and manners, the ramifications and tribal relationships of the Turks, -and that geography and ethnography were only appreciated by the reading -public as long as they were well flavoured with stirring adventures. In -my book about the Turkish people I gave a general survey of all the -tribes and branches of the race collectively, and although no such work -had ever been written about any other Asiatic tribal family, I was -mistaken as to its success. In spite of my favourable literary position -in England, all my endeavours to issue an English edition of this work -were in vain. - -East Turkish, both in language and literature, being one of my favourite -studies, and always giving me new thoughts and ideas, I published -simultaneously with my _Turkish People_, an Ösbeg epic poem entitled-- - - -8. _The Sheibaniade_, - -which I copied from the original manuscript in the Imperial Library at -Vienna during several summer vacations, and afterwards printed at my own -expense. The copying was a tedious business. The writing of 4,500 double -stanzas tried my eyes considerably, but the historical and linguistic -value of the poem were well worth the trouble. It is a unique copy. -Neither in Europe nor in Asia have I ever heard of the existence of a -duplicate, and it was therefore well worth while to make it accessible -for historical research. The beautiful edition of this work, with -facsimile and a chromo-photographic title page, cost me nearly fourteen -hundred florins, and as scarcely sixty copies were sold I did not get -back a fourth of the sum laid out upon it. The scientific criticism was -limited to one flattering notice in the _Journal Asiatique_. The rest of -the literati, even Orientalists, hardly deigned to take any notice of my -publication, for the number of students of this particular branch of -Oriental languages was, and is still, very small in Europe; even in -Russia it does not yet receive the attention it so richly deserves. - -I can therefore not blame myself that I was urged on in this branch of -my literary career by the hope of moral or material gain; it was simply -my personal liking and predilection which made me pursue these subjects. -Only occasionally, when forced thereto by material needs, perhaps also -sometimes for the sake of a change, I left my favourite study and turned -to literary work which could command a larger public and give me a -better chance of making money by it. - -Thus it came about that soon after my return from Central Asia I -published the account of my-- - - -9. _Wanderings and Experiences in Persia._ - -But this was familiar ground, fully and accurately described elsewhere, -both geographically and ethnographically. It was at most my exciting -personal adventures as pseudo-Sunnite amongst the Shiites which could -lay claim to any special interest, perhaps also to some extent its -casual connection with my later wanderings in Central Asia; for the -rest, however, this volume has little value, and with the exception of -England, Germany, Sweden, and Hungary, where translations appeared, it -has attracted no notice to speak of. Not much better fared my-- - - -10. _Moral Pictures from the Orient._ - -This had already appeared in part in a German periodical, _Westermann's -Monthly_, and was further enlarged with sketches of family life in -Turkey, Persia, and Central Asia, interspersed with personal -observations on the religious and social customs of these people. As far -as I know there are, besides the original German edition, a Danish and a -Hungarian translation of this work, but although much read and -discussed, this book has not been of much, if any, material benefit to -me, beyond the honorarium paid me by the "Society of German literature." -With this book I have really contributed to the knowledge of the Orient -in the regions named just as with my-- - - -11. _Islam in the Nineteenth Century_ - -I directed the attention of the reading public to those social and -political reforms which our intervention and our reformatory efforts in -the Moslem East have called forth; but practically both the one and the -other were failures. It was not at all my intention to write a sort of -defence of Islam, as was generally imagined, but I endeavoured, on the -contrary, to show up the mistakes, weaknesses and prejudices which -characterised this transition period, indeed I ruthlessly tore away the -veil; but on the other hand I did not hesitate to lay bare our own -neglects and faults. My object was to correct the judgment of Europe in -regard to the Moslem society of Asia, and to point out that with -patience and a little less egotism and greed we should accomplish more; -that we are not yet justified in looking upon Islam as a society -condemned to destruction, and in breaking the staff over it. As a purely -theoretical study, perhaps also on account of my very liberal religious -notions expressed therein, I have not been able to publish this book in -England; hence the circle of readers was very limited, but all the more -select, and I had the satisfaction of having stirred up a very serious -question. - -A book which, to my great surprise, had an extraordinary success was my -publication in English of the-- - - -12. _Life and Adventures of Arminius Vambéry, written by Himself_, - -which in a very short time passed through seven editions, and was -extraordinarily popular in England, America and Australia. It is in -reality one of my most insignificant, unpretentious literary efforts, -written at the request of my English publisher, and is by no means -worthy of the reception it had. This made me realise the truth of the -proverb: "_Habent sua fata libelli_," for the book is nothing but a -recapitulation of my wanderings, including my experiences in Turkey and -Persia, which were now for the first time brought before the English -public. But what chiefly secured its friendly reception was a few short -paragraphs about my early life, a short _resumé_ of the first chapter of -the present work, and these details from the life of a self-made man did -not fail to produce an impression upon the strongly developed -individuality of the Anglo-Saxon race. I am not sure how many editions -it went through, but I have evident proofs of the strong hold this book -had upon all ranks and classes of English-speaking people. Comments and -discussions there were by the hundred, and private letters expressive of -readers' appreciation kept flowing in to me from the three parts of the -world. - -Curiously enough this book excited interest only with the Anglo-Saxons; -to this day it has not been translated in any other foreign language, -not even in my Hungarian mother-tongue. Society in Eastern Europe still -suffers from the old-world delusion that nobility of blood is -everything, and considers that it could not possibly condescend to be -edified by the experiences of a poorly-born man of obscure origin; but -the Anglo-Saxon with his liberal notions revels in the story of the -terrible struggles of the poor Jewish boy, the servant and the teacher, -and of what he finally accomplished. This is the chief reason which made -the most insignificant of my books so popular with the Anglo-Saxons, a -book with which I promulgated more knowledge about Moslem Asia than with -all my other works put together, more even than many highly learned -disquisitions of stock-Orientalists. - -I will not deny that the unexpected success of this book was my -principal inducement in writing the present Autobiography. - -In my various literary productions I had chiefly aimed at a diffusing of -general knowledge about the Moslem East, but at home (in Hungary) I had -often been reproached with absolute neglect as regards the national -Magyar side of my studies. I therefore decided to publish my views about -the-- - - -13. _Origin of the Magyars_ - -in a separate volume. In different scientific articles I had already -hinted at the manner in which I intended to treat this still open -question. I pointed out that Árpád and his warriors who, towards the -close of the ninth century founded what is now Hungary, were most -certainly Turkish nomads forming a north-westerly branch of the Turkish -chain of nationalities; that they pushed forward from the Ural, across -the Volga, into Europe, and established in Pannonia what is now the -State of Hungary. The ethnology and the language of the Magyars is a -curious mixture of dialects, for the Turkish nomads during their -wanderings incorporated into their language many kindred Finnish-Ugrian -elements, and in the lowlands of Hungary they came upon many -ethnological remains of the same original stock. All these various -elements gradually amalgamated and formed the people and the language of -Hungary as it is now. Considering this problematic origin, and the -elasticity of philological speculation, it stands to reason that much -has been written and argued in Hungary about the origin of the nation. -Many different views were held, and at the time that I joined in the -discussion, the theory of the Finnish-Ugrian descent of the Magyars held -the upper hand. My labour, therefore, was directed against these, for on -the ground of my personal experiences in the manner of living and the -migrations of the Turkish nomads in general, based upon historical -evidence, I endeavoured to prove the Turkish nationality of Árpád and -his companions. I conceded the mixed character of the language with the -reservation, however, that in the amalgamation not the Finnish-Ugrian -but the Turko-Tartar element predominated. Philologists opposed this -view in their most zealous and ablest representative, Doctor Budenz, a -German by birth; he pleaded with all the enthusiasm of an etymological -philologist for the eminently Ugrian character of the Magyar tongue. The -arguments of the opposing party were chiefly based upon what they -considered the sacred and fundamental rules of comparative philology; -but to me these threw no light upon the matter, and were not likely to -convince me of my error. The struggle, which my fanatical opponents -made into a personal matter, lasted for some time, but the old Latin -proverb: "_Philologi certant, lumen sub judice lis_," again proved true -in this case. The etymological Salto Mortales and the grammatical -violence of the opposing school had rudely shaken my confidence in the -entire apparatus of comparative philology. I realised that with such -evidence one might take any one Ural-Altaic language and call it the -nearest kindred tongue of the Magyar. The etymological connection -between the Tartar words "tongue" and "navel"--because both are long, -hanging objects--and the use of fictitious root-words to explain the -inexplicable, with which my learned opponent tried to justify his -theory, were altogether too fantastic and too airy for my practical -notions. So I gave up the struggle and satisfied myself with the result -that the home-bred Magyars were no longer exclusively considered to be -of Finnish-Ugrian extraction, as used to be the case, and that even my -bitterest opponent had to allow the possibility that Árpád and his -warriors were originally Turks. - -The learned world outside naturally took but little part in this -essentially Magyar controversy, and I was, therefore, all the more -pleased to see Ranke, the Nestor of German historical research, siding -with me. He referred to the historical evidence of one Ibn Dasta and -Porphyrogenitus, who had declared that the Magyars overrunning Hungary -at the close of the ninth century were Turks. In Hungary itself the -majority of the public shared my views, and the seven hundred copies of -the first edition of my book were sold in three days. - -This, of course, was due more to the national and political than to the -purely scientific interest of the question, since the Magyars, proud of -their Asiatic origin, very much disliked, nay even thought it insulting -that their ancestors should have to claim blood-relationship with poor -barbarians of high northern regions, living by fishing and hunting, -Ostiaks, Vogules, and such like racial fragments. The Hungarian priding -himself on his warlike spirit, his valour, and his independence, would -rather claim relationship with Huns and Avars, depicted by the mediæval -Christian world as terror-spreading, mighty warriors; and the national -legend correctedly accepted this view, for as my further researches -revealed, and as I tried to prove in my subsequent book, entitled-- - - -14. _Growth and Spread of the Magyars_, - -the present Magyar nation has proceeded from a gradual, scarcely -definable settlement of Ural-Altaic elements in the lowlands of Hungary. -Originally as warriors and protectors of the Slavs settled in Pannonia, -they became afterwards their lords and masters, something like the -Franks in Gaul and the Varangians in Russia, with this difference, -however, that the latter exchanged their language for that of their -subjects, and became lost among the masses of the subjugated people, -while the Magyars to this day have preserved their language and their -national individuality intact, and in course of time were able to -establish a Magyar ethnography. Looking at it from this point of view, -not Asia but the middle Danube-basin becomes the birthplace of -Magyarism. Its mixed ethnography, formerly known by various -appellations, became through its martial proclivities a terror to the -Christian West, and compelled Charlemagne to bring a strong Christian -coalition against it in the field. This first crusade of the Occident, -bent but did not break the power of the Ural-Altaic warriors, who ruled -from the Moldau as far as the borders of Upper Austria; for the remnants -retiring behind the Theis soon after received reinforcements from a -tribe of Turks known as the "Madjars," _i.e._, Magyars, under the -command of Árpád, whose descendants accepted Christianity and -established the Hungary of the present day, both politically and -ethnically. - -Curiously enough this ethnological discussion was not at all agreeable -to my so-called paleo-Magyar compatriots. The romantic legend of the -invasion of Árpád into Pannonia with his many hundred thousand warriors, -sounds more beautiful in the ears of the Magyar patriots, than their -prosaic derivation from a confused ethnical group; as if there were any -single nation in Europe which is not patched and pieced together from -the most diverse elements, and only in later times has presented itself -as an undivided whole. In the Hungarians, however, this childish vanity -is the more ridiculous since it is much more glorious, as a small -national fragment, to play for centuries the _rôle_ of conqueror, and in -the strength of its national proclivities to absorb other elements, than -to conquer with the sword and then to be absorbed in the conquered -element as Franks, Varangians, and others have been. Truly nations, as -well as individuals, have to pass through an infant stage, and I am not -surprised that this conception of mine, and my solution of the -ethnological problem, did not find much favour in Hungary. - -Before concluding this review of my scientific-literary activity, I -should mention that I also have ventured into the regions of history, a -totally unknown field to me, wherein, as is the case with many hazardous -expeditions, I betrayed more temerity than forethought. My book on the-- - - -15. _History of Bokhara_, - -in two volumes, published in German, Hungarian, English, and Russian, -has done more harm than good to my literary reputation. The motive for -writing this book was the purchase of some Oriental manuscripts I -discovered in Bokhara, which, I thought, were unknown in Europe. To some -extent this was the case, for of _Tarikhi Narshakhi_, and the history of -_Seid Rakim Khan_ both of which furnish rich material for the history of -Central Asia, our Orientalists had never heard. But in the main I was -working under a delusion, owing to my insufficient literary knowledge; -some passages, especially in the ancient history of Central Asia, had -already been worked out by learned scholars, and it was only about -modern times that I could tell anything new. - -Professional critics were merciless. They seemed to take a malicious -pleasure in running me down; especially was this the case in Russia, -where I was already hated for my political opinions and activity. The -Oriental historian, Professor Grigorieff, made a special point of -proving the worthlessness of my book, and tried to annihilate the -anti-Russian publishers. The second _criticus furiosus_ was Professor -von Gutschmid, a learned man, but also a nobleman of the purest blood, -who for his God and king entered the arena, and also wanted to wreak his -anger upon me because he took me for a German renegade, and for my -desertion of the bonds of Germanism considered me worthy of censure. For -his well-deserved correction of my scientific blunders I am grateful to -the man, but I deny the accusation of being a renegade. I have never -quite understood why in Germany the honour of German nationality should -be forced upon me; why I should be taken for a Hamburger, a Dresdener, a -Stuttgarter, since my ancestors for several generations were born -Hungarians, and my education had been strictly Magyar. - -It is this very Magyar education, and the complete amalgamation of -myself with the ruling national spirit of my native land which induced -me to Magyarise my German name, as has been the custom with us for -centuries. Considering that Germans with purely French, Italian, Danish, -Slav, and other names figure in German literature and politics, without -the purity of their German descent being at all questioned, one might -readily regard the Hungarian custom of Magyarising our names as childish -and unmotived. Yet this is not so. Small nations like Hungary, -constantly threatened with the danger of denationalisation, all the more -anxiously guard their national existence in the sanctity of their -language, and tenaciously hold to their national characteristics. With -such people it is quite natural that they should lay more stress than is -absolutely necessary upon the outward signs. The Hungarian born, who in -his feelings, thoughts, and aspirations, owns himself a true Hungarian, -desires also in name to appear as a Hungarian, because he does not want -to be mixed up with any foreign nationality, as might easily be the case -with a prominent writer. On these grounds Petrovich has become Petöfi, -Schedel Toldy, Hundsdorfer Hunfalvi, etc., and for this reason also I -Magyarised my name. - -But to come back to my _History of Bokhara_, I must honestly confess -that the ambition of writing the first history of Transoxania brought me -more disillusionment than joy, for in spite of the praise bestowed upon -me by the uninitiated, I had soon to realise that I had not studied the -subject sufficiently, and had not made enough use of available material. - -I fared somewhat better with my second purely historical work, published -simultaneously in America and England-- - - -16. _The Story of Hungary._ - -In this I had but the one object in view, namely to introduce the -history of my native land into the series called "The Story of the -Nations." As I wrote only a few chapters myself, and am indebted for the -rest to Hungarian men of the profession, I can only lay claim to the -title of editor, but this literary sponsorship gave me much pleasure, -for the _History of Hungary_, which first appeared in English, and was -afterwards translated into different languages, has had a sale it could -never have had in Hungary itself. The service hereby rendered to my -compatriots has, however, never been appreciated at home; the very -existence of the book has been ignored. - -This closes the list of my personal publications, partly scientific, -partly popular, in the course of twenty years. Of my journalistic -activity during this same term, I have spoken already (Chap. VIII.). - -I cannot hide the fact that as I increased in years my creative power -visibly decreased. What I learned in the sixties, or rather tried to -learn, did not long remain in my memory, and could not be called -material from which anything of lasting value could be made. Only the -custom of many years' active employment urged me on to labour, and under -the influence of this incitement appeared my smaller works. - - - 1. _The Travels and Adventures of the Turkish Admiral Sidi Ali - Reis, in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Persia, during the - years 1553-1556._ London, 1899. - - 2. _Noten Zu den Alttürkischen Inschriften der Mongolei und - Siberiens._ Helsingfors, 1899. (Notes to the Old Turkish - Inscriptions of Mongolia and Siberia.) - - 3. _Alt-Osmanische Sprachstudien._ Leiden, 1901. (Old Osmanli - Linguistic Studies.) - - -It never entered my mind to try to attract the special attention of the -profession with these unassuming contributions. It is not given to all, -as to a Mommsen, Herbert Spencer, Ranke, Schott, and others, to boast of -unenfeebled mental powers in their old age. _Sunt atque fines!_ And he -who disregards the approach of the winter of life is apt to lose the -good reputation gained in better days. - - - - -APPENDIX III - -MY RELATIONS WITH THE MOHAMMEDAN WORLD - - -I will here shortly relate in what manner I became connected with the -Mohammedans of India. My own depressing circumstances at the time of my -sojourn in Asia had given me a fellow-feeling with the downtrodden, -helpless population of the East, and the more I realised the weakness of -Asiatic rule and government, the more I was compelled to draw angry -comparisons between the condition of things there and in Western lands. -Since then my judgment of human nature has become enlarged, and -consequently more charitable, but at the time I am speaking of, the more -intimately I became acquainted with the conditions of the various -countries of Europe the more clearly I seemed to see the causes of the -decline in the East. Our exalted Western professions of righteousness -and justice after all did not amount to much. Christianity seemed as -fanatical as Islam itself, and before very long I came to the conclusion -that our high-sounding efforts at civilisation in the East were but a -cloak for material aggression and a pretext for conquest and gain. All -this roused my indignation and enlisted my sympathies with the peoples -of the Islamic world. My heart went out in pity towards the helpless -victims of Asiatic tyranny, despotism, and anarchy, and when an -occasional cry was raised in some Turkish, Persian or Arabic publication -for freedom, law and order, the call appealed to me strongly and I felt -compelled to render what assistance I could. This was the beginning of -my pro-Islamic literary activity, and as a first result I would mention -my work on _Islam in the Nineteenth Century_, followed by several short -articles. Later I proceeded from writing to public speaking, and I -delivered lectures in various parts of England, a specimen of which was -my lecture in Exeter Hall, in May, 1889, when I took for my subject -"The Progress of Culture in Turkey." The fame of these lectures -resounded not only in Turkey but also among the Moslems of South Russia, -Java, Africa and India; for the day of objective unbiassed criticism of -Islam was gradually passing away. In India the free institutions of the -English had awakened among the Mohammedan population also an interest in -the weal or woe of their religious communities. In Calcutta the -"Mohammedan Literary Society," under the presidency of the learned Nawab -Abdul Latif Bahadur, was already making itself prominent, and shortly -after my lecture at Exeter Hall, I received an account of the history of -the Society, and its president, in a warmly worded letter accompanying -it, expressed his thanks for my friendly interest in the affairs of -Islam. I made use of this opportunity to address a letter to the -Mohammedans of India, explaining the grounds for my Moslem sympathies, -encouraging the Hindustani to persevere in the adopted course of modern -culture, and by all means to hold fast to the English Government, the -only free and humane power of the West. This letter ran as follows:-- - - - "BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY, - "_August, 12, 1889_. - - "MY DEAR NAWAB,--I beg to acknowledge with many, many thanks the - receipt of the valuable and highly interesting pamphlets you so - kindly sent me, on the rise, growth and activity of the Mohammedan - Literary Society of Calcutta. Being deeply interested in the - welfare and cultural development of the Mohammedan world, I have - long watched with the greatest attention the progress of the - Society created and so admirably presided over by yourself. I need - scarcely say that I much appreciate the opportunity now afforded me - of entering into personal relations with a man of your abilities, - patriotism, and sincere devotion to your fellow countrymen. - - "The greater part of my life has been devoted to the study of - Mohammedan nations and countries, and I feel the keenest interest - in the work of the Calcutta Literary Society of Mohammedans, which - proves most eloquently that a nation whose sacred book contains the - saying, 'Search for wisdom from the cradle to the grave,' will not - and cannot lag behind in culture, and that Islam still has it in - its power to revive the glory of the middle ages, when the - followers of the Koran were the torchbearers of civilisation. - - "From a political point of view, also, I must congratulate you on - what you have done in showing your co-religionists the superiority - of Western culture as seen in the English administration, in - contrast to the dim or false light shed abroad from elsewhere. I am - not an Englishman, and I do not ignore the shortcomings and - mistakes of English rule in India, but I have seen much of the - world both in Europe and Asia, and studied the matter carefully, - and I can assure you that England is far in advance of the rest of - Europe in point of justice, liberality, and fair-dealing with all - entrusted to her care. - - "You and your fellow-workers among the Indian Mohammedans, the - successors of Khalid, may justly pride yourselves on having - introduced Monotheism into India; it is your privilege and your - duty by advice and example to lead the people of Hindustan to - choose suitable means for modernising your matchless but antiquated - culture. Would that Turkey, which is fairly advanced in modern - science, could become the instructor and civiliser of the - Mohammedan world; but Turkey, alas, is surrounded by enemies and - weakened by continual warfare. She has to struggle hard for her own - existence and has no chance of attending to her distant - co-religionists, much to the grief of her noble and patriotic ruler - whom I am proud to call my friend. - - "In default of a Moslem leader you have done well to adopt English - tutorship in India, and you who are at the head of this movement - are certainly rendering good service both to your people and to - your faith by encouraging your fellow-believers to follow in the - path of Western culture and education. I have not yet quite given - up the idea of visiting India, and, circumstances permitting, of - delivering some lectures in the Persian tongue to the Mohammedans - of India. If I should see my way to doing so, I should like to come - under the patronage of your Society, and thus try to contribute a - few small stones to the noble building raised by your admirable - efforts. - - "Pardon the length of this epistle, which I conclude in the hope of - the continuance of our correspondence, and I also beg you kindly - to forward to me regularly the publications of your Society. - - "Yours faithfully, - "(_Sig._) A. VAMBÉRY. - - "To Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur, C.I.E., Calcutta." - - -I had no idea that this letter would cause any sensation, and I was much -surprised to see it published shortly after as a separate pamphlet, with -an elaborate preface, and distributed wholesale among the Mohammedans of -India. "The leading political event of India"--thus commenced the -preface--"is a letter, but not an official or even an open letter. We -are not referring to the address of the Viceroy in _propria persona_--as -distinguished from the powerful state engine entitled the -'Governor-General in Council'--to the Maharaja Pertap Singh of Cashmere, -for this letter has now been before the public some weeks. The letter we -call attention to does not come from high quarters, is not in any way an -official one; it is a private communication from a poor, though eminent -European pandit (scholar). It was published yesterday in the morning -papers and appears in this week's edition of _Reis and Rayyet_. We refer -to Professor Vambéry's letter to Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur, &c." - -The Indian press occupied itself for days with this letter; it was much -commented upon and regarded both by Englishmen and Mohammedans as of -great importance. I was invited to visit India as the guest of the -Mohammedan Society. I was to be attended by a specially appointed -committee, and to make a tour in the country, give public lectures and -addresses, and be generally _fêted_. In a word, they wanted to honour me -as the friend of England and of Islam. Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur said in -a letter dated Calcutta, 16 Toltollah (12th August), 1890:-- - -"Your name has become a household word amongst us, and, greatly as we -honour you for your noble, unflinching advocacy of Islam in the West, we -shall esteem it a high privilege to see you with our own eyes, and -listen to you with our own ears." - -Remembering the struggles of my early youth, and with a vivid -recollection of the insults and humiliations to which I, the Jew boy, -had been subjected in those days, there was something very tempting to -me in the thought of going to India, the land of the Rajahs, of wealth -and opulence, as an admired and honoured guest. But I was no longer -young. I was nearly sixty years old, and at that age sober reality is -stronger than vanity. The alluring vision of a reception in India, with -eulogies and laurel-wreaths swiftly passed before my eyes, but was -instantly dismissed. I declined the invitation with many expressions of -gratitude, but kept up my relations with the Mohammedans of India, and -also with the Brahmans there, as shown in my correspondence with the -highly-cultured editor of the periodical _Reis and Rayyet_, Dr. -Mookerjee,[3] with Thakore Sahib (Prince) of Gondal, and other eminent -Hindustani scholars and statesmen. - -The fact that many of these gentlemen preferably wrote in English, and -that some of them even indulged in Latin and Greek quotations, surprised -me much at first, for I had not realised that our Western culture had -penetrated so far even beyond the precincts of Islam. England has indeed -done great things for India, and Bismarck was right when he said, "If -England were to lose Shakespeare, Milton, and all her literary heroes, -that what she has done for India is sufficient to establish for ever her -merit in the world of culture." - -My pro-Islamic writings have found much appreciation among the Turkish -adherents of the Moslem faith, and my name was well known in Turkey, as -I had for many years been writing for the Turkish press, and was in -correspondence with several eminent persons there. In consequence of my -anti-Russian political writings I had constant intercourse with Tartars -from the Crimea and other parts of Russia, who even consulted me in -their national and religious difficulties. Some of them asked me for -introductions to the Turkish Government, and touching was the sympathy I -received from the farthest corners of the Islamic world when once I was -confined to bed with a broken leg. Mohammedans from all parts, Osmanlis, -Tartars, Persians, Afghans, Hindustanis, in passing through Budapest, -scarcely ever failed to call upon me, and to express their gratitude -for what little I had done in their interest. Some even suspected me of -being a Dervish in disguise, and of using my European incognito in the -interests of Islam. This supposition was, I think, mainly due to the -stories circulated by some Dervish pilgrims, from all parts of the -Islamic world, to the grave of Gülbaba (Rose-father), at Budapest, to -whom, as the living reminders of my former adventures, I always gave a -most cordial reception. - -The Mohammedan saint just mentioned, according to the account of the -Osmanli traveller Ewlia Tshelebi (1660), had lived in Hungary before the -Turkish dominion, and was buried at Budapest. Soliman's army had revered -his grave just as Mohamed II. did that of Ejub in Constantinople after -the conquest, and it is touching to note the deep veneration with which -this pioneer of Islam is regarded by all true believers in the old -world. Turks, Arabs, Persians, Afghans, Indians, Kashmirians, even -Tartars from Tobolsk have come to Budapest as pilgrims to his grave, and -yet the actual tenets of his faith have never been very clearly defined. -At the Peace of Passarowitz the Osmanli stipulated that his grave should -be left untouched, and on the other hand the Persian King, Nasreddin -Shah, claimed him as a Shiite saint, and even made preparations to -restore and embellish his grave. - -The Dervish pilgrims regarded this Rose-father with very special -devotion. Without money, without any knowledge of the language of the -country, they braved all dangers and privations to visit his grave. Some -said that he was brother to Kadriye, others that he belonged to the -Dshelali order. After spending some days at the humble shrine of the -saint, since then beautifully restored, they would come to pay their -respects to me also, and I was pleased to receive them. Nothing could be -more entertaining than to watch the suspicious glances cast upon me by -these tattered, emaciated Moslems. My fluency of speech in their several -languages, added to the fame of my character as a Dervish, puzzled them -greatly, and, encouraged by my cordiality, some made bold to ask me how -much longer I intended to keep up my incognito among the unfaithful, and -whether it would not be advisable for me to return to the land of the -true believers. In reply I pointed to the life and the work of Sheikh -Saadi, the celebrated author of the _Gulistan_ who, himself a Dervish, -lived in various lands amid various religions in order to study mankind, -and who left behind him a world-known name. Among these dervishes, -although possessed of all the peculiarities and attributes of -fanaticism, I detected a good deal of scepticism and cosmopolitanism, -carefully hidden, of course, but to my mind fully justifying the -proverb: "_Qui multum peregrinatur raro santificatur_" ("He who travels -much, rarely becomes a saint"). These pilgrims, many of whom in their -inmost mind shared my views, carried my name into the remotest regions -of the Islamic world. The travelling dervishes may be called the living -telegraph wires between the upper and lower strata of the Mohammedan -world. From the Tekkes (convents) and bazaars, where they mix with -people of every class and nationality, the news they bring travels far -and wide, and reaches the inmost circles of family life. And so it came -about that many years later I was receiving letters from several -Asiatics never personally known to me. Through these relations with the -middle classes of the Moslem world I afterwards came in contact with the -higher ranks of Asiatic society. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[3] See "_An Indian Journalist_," being the Life and Letters of -Dr. S. O. Mookerjee, Calcutta, 1895, pp. 306-315. - - -UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED THE GRESHAM PRESS, WOKING AND LONDON. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The story of my struggles: the memoirs -of Arminius Vambéry, Volume 2 (of 2), by Arminius Vambéry - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS ARMINIUS VAMBERY, VOL 2 *** - -***** This file should be named 50837-8.txt or 50837-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/8/3/50837/ - -Produced by Albert László, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The story of my struggles: the memoirs of Arminius Vambéry, Volume 2 (of 2) - -Author: Arminius Vambéry - -Release Date: January 3, 2016 [EBook #50837] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS ARMINIUS VAMBERY, VOL 2 *** - - - - -Produced by Albert László, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">THE STORY OF MY STRUGGLES</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span></p> - - -<div class="box"> -<h2 class="left uline"><i>BY THE SAME AUTHOR.</i></h2> - -<p class="bold">ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY:</p> - -<p class="right"><b>His Life and Adventures.</b></p> - -<blockquote><p>Imperial 16mo, cloth, 6s. Boys' Edition, crown 8vo, cloth gilt, -gilt edges, 5s.</p></blockquote> - -<p class="bold">THE STORY OF HUNGARY.</p> - -<blockquote><p>Fully Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth, 5s. (<span class="smcap">The Story of the -Nations Series.</span>)</p></blockquote> - -<p class="right"><b>————————————— -<br />LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN.</b></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><a name="ifrontis.jpg" id="ifrontis.jpg"></a><img src="images/ifrontis.jpg" alt="VAMBERY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM CENTRAL ASIA" /></div> - -<p class="bold">VAMBÉRY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM CENTRAL ASIA.</p> - -<div class="box2"> -<p class="right"><b><i>Photographed in Teheran, 1863.</i></b></p> - -<p><b><i>Frontispiece to Vol.</i> II.</b></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/titlepage.jpg" alt="titlepage" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<h1>THE STORY OF<br />MY STRUGGLES</h1> - -<p class="bold">THE MEMOIRS OF<br />ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY</p> - -<p class="bold">PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES<br /> -IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BUDAPEST</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">VOLUME II</p> - -<div class="center space-above"><img src="images/logo.jpg" alt="logo" /></div> - -<p class="bold space-above">LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN<br />PATERNOSTER SQUARE · 1904</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">(<i>All rights reserved.</i>)</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<h2>Contents</h2> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/sep.jpg" alt="separator" /></div> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">FROM LONDON TO BUDAPEST</td> - <td><a href="#Page_237">237</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">MY POLITICAL CAREER AND POSITION IN ENGLAND</td> - <td><a href="#Page_283">283</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">THE TRIUMPH OF MY LABOURS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_317">317</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER X.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">AT THE ENGLISH COURT</td> - <td><a href="#Page_329">329</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">MY INTERCOURSE WITH SULTAN ABDUL HAMID</td> - <td><a href="#Page_343">343</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span>CHAPTER XII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">MY INTERCOURSE WITH NASREDDIN SHAH AND HIS SUCCESSOR</td> - <td><a href="#Page_391">391</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">THE STRUGGLE'S END, AND YET NO END</td> - <td><a href="#Page_411">411</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">APPENDICES</td> - <td><a href="#Page_459">459</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>Illustrations</h2> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/sep.jpg" alt="separator" /></div> - -<table summary="Illustrations"> - <tr> - <td class="left">PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY AFTER HIS RETURN FROM CENTRAL ASIA</td> - <td><a href="#ifrontis.jpg"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY AND HIS TARTAR, 1864</td> - <td> <a href="#i393.jpg"><i>Facing page 393</i></a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">From London to Budapest</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VII</span> <span class="smaller">FROM LONDON TO BUDAPEST</span></h2> - -<p>I have often been asked how it was that, after the bitter disappointment -I had experienced in my native land on my return from Asia, and after -the brilliant reception accorded to me in England, I yet preferred to -settle down permanently in Hungary.</p> - -<p>People have been surprised that I should choose a quiet literary career, -whereas my many years of intimate intercourse with various Eastern -nations might have been turned to so much better account, and a -practical, active career would have been so much more in keeping with my -character. All these questions were asked of me at the time in London, -but filled as I then became with a sense of oppression and a great -longing for home I could not give a satisfactory answer to these -queries. Now that the cloud has lifted, and my vision is clear, now that -sober reflection has taken the place of former rapture and exultation, -the causes which influenced my decision are perfectly clear. I see now -that I could not have acted differently; that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> the step I took was -partly the result of my personal inclination and views of life, and -partly influenced by the circumstances of my birth and bringing up, and -the notions then generally prevailing in Hungary; nor have I cause or -ground to regret my decision.</p> - -<p>In the first place I have to confess that in England, notwithstanding -the noisy, brilliant receptions I had, and all the attention paid to me, -no one ever made me any actual proposal with a view to my future -benefit, and no one seemed at all disposed to turn to account my -practical experiences in the service of the State or of private -enterprise. The Memorandum about the condition of things in Central -Asia, written at the time in Teheran at the request of the British -Ambassador there, had duly found its way to Lord Palmerston, the Prime -Minister. The gray statesman received me most kindly; I was often a -guest at his private house, or dined with him at Mr. Tomlin's, of -Carlton House Terrace, or at Sir Roderick Murchison's, of 16, Belgrave -Square. At his initiative I was invited to other distinguished houses, -for the merry old gentleman was much entertained by my lively -conversation and my anecdotes from Asia, which I used to relate after -dinner when the ladies had retired. My stories about the white ass of -the English Embassy at Teheran, of diplomatic repute, and similar -amusing details of court life in Persia and the Khanates of Central -Asia,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> tickled the fancy of the most serious, sober-minded of these high -lords, and went the round in the fashionable West End circles. But for -all that they saw in me merely the "lively foreigner," the versatile -traveller, and if here and there some interest was shown in my future, -it amounted to asking what were my latest travelling plans, and when I -thought of setting out in search of fresh discoveries. As if I had not -been on the go for two-and-twenty years, ever since I was ten years old! -as if I had not battled and struggled and suffered enough! And now that -for the first time in my life I had lighted on a green bough and hoped -to have accomplished something, was I again straightway to plunge into -the vague ocean of destiny? "No, no," I reflected; "I am now thirty-two -years old, without for one moment having enjoyed the pleasures of a -quiet, peaceful life, and without possessing enough to permit myself the -luxury of resting on my own bed, or of working comfortably at my own -table." This uncertain, unsatisfactory state of things must come to an -end sometime; and so the desire for rest and peace necessarily overruled -any inclination for great and ambitious plans, and nipped in the bud all -projects which possibly might have made my career more brilliant, but -certainly not happier than it afterwards turned out.</p> - -<p>The kind reader of these pages who is familiar with the struggles and -troubles of my childhood, who has followed me in thought on the thorny -path<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> of early youth, and knows something of my experiences as -self-taught scholar and tutor, will perhaps accuse me of dejection, and -blame me for want of perseverance and steadiness of purpose. Possibly I -have disregarded the golden saying of my mother, "One must make one's -bed half the night, the better to rest the other half." I did give way -to dejection, but my resolve, however blameworthy it may be, should be -looked upon as the natural consequence of a struggle for existence which -began all too early and lasted sadly too long. Man is not made of iron, -too great a tension must be followed by a relaxation, and since the -first fair half of my life began to near its ending, my former iron will -also began to lose some of its force. The wings of my ambition were too -weak to soar after exalted ideals, and I contented myself with the -prospect of a modest professorship at the University of my native land -and the meagre livelihood this would give me.</p> - -<p>In England, where a man in his early thirties is, so to speak, still in -the first stage of his life, and energy is only just beginning to swell -the sails of his bark, my longing for rest was often misunderstood and -disapproved of. In London I met a gentleman of sixty who wanted to learn -Persian and start a career in India; and I was going to stop my -practical career at the age of thirty-two! The difference seems -enormous, but in the foggy North man's constitution is much tougher and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> -harder than in the South. My physical condition, my previous sufferings -and privations, may to some extent account for my despondency; I had to -give in, although my object was only half gained.</p> - -<p>Emotions of this kind overpowered me even in the whirl and rush of the -first months of my stay in London. Before long I had seen through the -deceptive glamour of all the brilliancy around me; and as I very soon -realised that my personal acquaintance with high society and the most -influential and powerful persons would hardly help me to a position in -England, I endeavoured at least to use the present situation as a step -towards a position at home, in the hope that the recognition I had -obtained in England would be of service to me in my native land, where -the appreciation of foreign lands is always a good recommendation. First -of all I set to work upon my book of travels, an occupation which took -me scarcely three months to accomplish, and which, written with the -experiences all yet fresh in my mind, resolved itself chiefly into a dry -and unadorned enumeration of adventures and facts. The introduction of -historical and philological notes would have been impossible in any -case, as my Oriental MSS. were detained in Pest as security on the money -loan, and also because in England everything that does not actually bear -upon political, economical, or commercial interests is looked upon as -superfluous ballast. When the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> first proof-sheets appeared of my -<i>Travels in Central Asia</i> many of my friends regretted the brevity and -conciseness of the composition, but the style was generally approved of, -and after its publication the various criticisms and discussions of the -work eulogised me to such an extent, that my easily roused vanity would -soon have got the better of me, had I not been aware of the fact that -all this praise was to a great extent an expression of the hospitality -which England as a nation feels it its duty to pay to literary -foreigners. This, my literary firstfruits, necessarily contributed a -good deal to increase my popularity, and enlarged the circle of my -acquaintance in high society to which I had been semi-officially -introduced by my Asiatic friends. My fame now spread to all scientific, -industrial, and commercial circles all over England. I had no time to -breathe. The post brought me double as many invitations as before; I was -literally besieged by autograph hunters and photographers; and it is no -exaggeration to say that for months together I had invitations for every -meal of the day, and that my engagements were arranged for, days and -weeks beforehand.</p> - -<p>Wearisome and expensive as this enjoyment of popularity was—for in my -outward appearance and bearing I could not neglect any of the prescribed -forms which mark the "distinguished foreigner"—my position afforded me -the opportunity of studying London society, and through it the aims and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> -objects of the highest representatives of Western culture, in a manner -which might otherwise not have come within my reach. When in my youth I -journeyed Westward I never went beyond the frontiers of Austria, and it -was always only in literary pursuits that I came in contact with Western -lands: hence I never saw any but the theoretical side of things. And now -I was transplanted from the depths of Asia, <i>i.e.</i>, from the extreme end -of old-world culture and gross barbarism into the extreme of Western -civilisation and modern culture; and overpowering as was the impression -of all that I saw and experienced, equally interesting to me was the -comparison of the two stages of human progress.</p> - -<p>What surprised me more than anything was the wealth, the comfort, and -the luxury of the English country houses, compared to which the rich -colouring of Oriental splendour—existing as a matter of fact mostly in -legends and fairy tales—cuts but a poor figure. As for me, who all my -life had only seen the smile of fortune from a distance, I was struck -with admiration. Most difficult of all I found it to get used to the -elaborate meals and the table pomp of the English aristocracy. I could -not help thinking of the time of my Dervishship, when my meals consisted -sometimes of begged morsels and sometimes of <i>pilaw</i> which I cooked -myself. Now I had to eat through an endless series of courses, and drink -the queerest mixtures. During this period of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> my lionship it was -strangest of all to think of the miseries of my childish days and the -time when I was a mendicant student. It was the realisation of the fairy -tale of the beggar and the prince; and with reference to this I shall -never forget one night which I spent at the magnificent country house of -the Duke of A., not far from Richmond. I was guest there together with -Lord Clarendon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other English -notabilities. After dinner the company adjourned to the luxuriously -furnished smoke-room, and from there shortly before midnight every guest -was conducted to his respective bedroom by a lacquey preceding him with -two huge silver chandeliers. When the powdered footman dressed in red -silk velvet had ushered me into the splendidly furnished bedroom, -provided with every possible comfort and luxury, and began to take steps -to assist me in undressing, I looked at the man quite dumbfounded and -said with a friendly smile, "Thank you, I can manage alone." The footman -departed. I feasted my eyes upon all the grandeur around me. It was like -a cabinet full of precious curiosities and overflowing with silver -articles and wonderful arrangements of all sorts. When I turned back the -brocaded coverlet and lay down on the undulating bed, my fancy carried -me back twenty years, and I thought of my night quarters in the Three -Drums Street at Pest with the widow Schönfeld, where I had hired a bed -in company with a tailor's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> apprentice, he taking the head and I the -foot of the bed. Musing upon the strange alternations of man's lot, and -the difference between my condition then and now, I could not go to -sleep, but tossed about half the night on my silken couch. It was after -all merely a childish reflection, for, though now in splendour, I was -but a guest. But it is difficult to divest oneself of the impression of -the moment, and as often as I found myself in a similar position the -comparison between the mendicant student suffering want and the petted -lion of English society has brought me to a contemplative mood.</p> - -<p>More even than by the wealth and prosperity I was struck by the spirit -of freedom which, notwithstanding the strictly aristocratic etiquette of -society, must surprise the South-Eastern European, and more still any -one who from the inner Asiatic world finds himself suddenly transplanted -to the banks of the Thames. Formerly, in my native land it was always -with unconscious awe and admiration that I looked up to a prince, a -count, or a baron, and afterwards in Asia I had to approach a Pasha, -Khan, or Sirdar with submissive mien, sometimes even with homage. And -now I was surprised to notice how little attention was paid to dukes, -lords, and baronets in the clubs and other public places in England. -When for the first time I went into the reading-room of the Athenæum -Club, and with my hat on stood reading the <i>Times</i> opposite to Lord<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> -Palmerston and at the same desk with him, I could hardly contain myself -for surprise, and my eyes rested more often on the strong features of -"Mister Pam" than on the columns of the city paper. Later on I was -introduced in the Cosmopolitan Club to the Prince of Wales, then -twenty-three years old. This club did not open till after midnight. When -I saw the future ruler of Albion sitting there at his ease, without the -other members taking the slightest notice of him, I fairly gasped at the -apparent indifference shown to the Queen's son. I could but approach the -young Prince with the utmost reverence and awe; and it was entirely -owing to the great affability and kindness of heart of this son of the -Queen that I plucked up courage to sit down and hold half an hour's -conversation with him. Since that time this specially English -characteristic of individual freedom and independence has often struck -me forcibly, and could not fail to strike any one accustomed to the -cringing spirit of Asia and the servility of Eastern Europe. Truly a -curious mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous, of really noble and -frivolous impressions, marked these first months of my sojourn in -England. Feelings of admiration and contempt, of delight and scorn -alternated within me; and when I ask myself now what it was that I -disliked about England, and drove me to unfavourable criticism, I would -mention in the first place the rigid society manners, utterly foreign to -me, which I found it hard to conform to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> and consequently detested. The -straitjacket of etiquette and society manners oppresses the English -themselves more than they care to acknowledge; how, then, must it affect -the Continental and the wanderer fresh from the Steppes of Asia? The -second reason which made the idea of a longer stay in London quite -impossible for me was the dislike, nay, the absolute horror I had of the -incessant hurrying, rushing, bustling crowds in the thoroughfares; the -desperate efforts to gain honour and riches, and the niggardly grudging -of every minute of time. Standing at the corner of Lombard Street or -Cheapside, or mixing with the crowds madly hurrying along Ludgate Hill, -I felt like a man suddenly transported to pandemonium. To see how these -masses push and press past one another, how the omnibus drivers swing -round the corners, regardless of danger to human life, for the mere -chance of gaining a few coppers more, and to realise how this same -struggle for existence goes on in all stages of society, in all phases -of life, relentless, merciless, was enough to make me think with longing -of the indolent life of Eastern lands; and, without admitting the -Nirvana theory, all this fuss and flurry seemed out of place and far too -materialistic. My nature altogether revolted against it.</p> - -<p>Of course this view was quite erroneous. For what has made England great -was, and is, this very same prominent individuality, this restless<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> -striving and struggling, this utter absence of all fear, hesitation, and -sentimentality where the realisation of a preconceived idea is -concerned. But unfortunately at that time I was still under the ban of -Asiaticism; and although the slowness, indolence, and blind fanaticism -of the Asiatics had annoyed me, equally disagreeable to me was the -exactly opposite tendency here manifested. I wanted to find the "golden -middle way," and unconsciously I was drawn towards my own home, where on -the borderland between these two worlds I hoped to find what I sought.</p> - -<p>And now, after the lapse of so many years, recalling to mind some -personal reminiscences of London society, I seem to recognise in the -political, scientific, and artistic world of those days so many traits -of a truly humane and noble nature, mixed with the most bizarre and -eccentric features which have been overlooked by observers.</p> - -<p>The gigantic edifice of the British Empire was then still in progress of -building, the scaffolding was not yet removed, some portions still -awaited their completion; and as the beautiful structure could not yet -be viewed in its entirety, and an impression of the whole could, -therefore, not be realised, there was in the nation but little of that -superabundant self-consciousness for which modern times are noted. They -listened to me with pleasure when I spoke of England's mighty influence -over the Moslem East, they heard with undisguised gratification when I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> -commended England's civilising superiority over that of Russia, but yet -they did not seem to trust their own eyes, and to many my words were -mere polite speeches with which the petted foreigner reciprocated their -hospitality. The interest shown by a foreigner in a foreign land must -always seem somewhat strange, and my appreciative criticisms of England -may have appeared suspicious to many of my readers. Only later -statements by such men as Baron Hübner in his <i>Travels in India</i>, or -Garcin de Tassy's learned disquisitions on the influence of English -culture on Hindustan, have lent more weight to my writings.</p> - -<p>Of all the leading statesmen of the time I felt most attracted towards -Lord Palmerston. I recognised in him a downright Britisher, with a -French polish and German thoroughness; a politician who, with his -gigantic memory, could command to its smallest details the enormous -Department of Foreign Affairs, and who knew all about the lands and the -people of Turkey, Persia, and India. He seemed to carry in his head the -greater portion of the diplomatic correspondence between the East and -the West; and what particularly took my fancy were the jocular remarks -which he used to weave into his conversation, together with <i>bon-mots</i> -and more serious matters. In the after-dinner chats at the house of Mr. -Tomlin, not far from the Athenæum Club, or at 16, Belgrave Square with -Sir Roderick Murchison, where I was an often invited guest, he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> used to -be particularly eloquent. When he began to arrange the little knot of -his wide, white cravat, and hemmed a little, one could always be sure -that some witty remark was on its way, and during the absence of the -ladies subjects were touched upon which otherwise were but seldom -discussed in the prudish English society of the day. I had to come -forward with harem stories and anecdotes of different lands, and the -racier they were the more heartily the noble lord laughed. The Prime -Minister was at that time already considerably advanced in years. The -most delicate questions of the day were freely discussed, and I must -confess that it pleased me very much when they did not look upon me as -an outsider, but fully took me into their confidence. Lord Granville, -afterwards Minister of Foreign Affairs, treated me also with great -kindness. He was a little more reserved, certainly, but an intrinsically -good man, and it always pleased him when I was at table with him to hear -me converse with the different foreign ambassadors in their native -tongue. His sister, Mrs. James, an influential lady in high life, -provided me with invitations from various quarters, and it was she who -urged me to settle in London. Similar encouragements I also received -from Sir Justin Sheil, at one time British Ambassador in Persia, and his -wife, most distinguished, excellent, people, who instructed me in the -ways of fashionable life, and taught me how to dress and how to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> comport -myself at table, in the drawing-room and in the street. Blunders against -the orthodoxy of English customs were resented by many; and once a lady -who had seen me on the top of an omnibus, from where the busy -street-life of London can best be observed, said to me in full earnest, -"Sir, take care not to be seen there again, otherwise you can no longer -appear as a gentleman in society." Admittance into society is everything -in England. One is severely judged by the cut and colour of one's -clothes. Society ladies demand that hat, umbrella, and walking-stick -come from the very best shop, and most important is the club to which -one belongs, and of course also the circle of one's acquaintances. When -I was able to give as my address, "Athenæum Club, Pall Mall," the -barometer of my importance rose considerably.</p> - -<p>One can easily understand that all these trifles were little to my -taste. I had always been fond of simplicity and natural manners. All -these formalities and superficialities were hateful to me, but at that -time I had to yield to necessity and make the best of a bad job; nay, -even be grateful to my instructors for their well-meant advice in these -matters.</p> - -<p>Honestly speaking, I have found among these people some very -noble-minded friends who, from purely humane motives, interested -themselves in me, and whose kind treatment I shall not forget as long as -I live. Amongst these I would especially mention<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> Lord Strangford, -already referred to, a man of brilliant scientific talents, and -possessing a quite extraordinary knowledge of geography, history, and -the languages of the Moslem East. He had lived for many years on the -banks of the Bosphorus as Secretary to the Embassy, and was not only -thoroughly acquainted with Osmanli, Persian, and Hindustani, but also -with the Chagataic language, then absolutely unknown in Europe. He could -recite long passages from the poems of Newai. He was as much at home in -the works of Sadi, Firdusi, and Baki as in Milton and Shakespeare, and -well informed as regards the ethnography and politics of the Balkan -peoples, and the various tribes of Central Asia and India. Lord -Strangford, indeed, was to me a living wonder, and when he shook his -long-bearded, bony head in speaking of Asia and criticising the politics -of Lord Palmerston, I should have liked to note down every word he said, -for he was a veritable mine of Oriental knowledge. It is very strange -that this man was not used as English Ambassador at one of the Oriental -courts, and it has often been laid to Lord Palmerston's charge that he, -the illustrious Premier, was not well disposed towards his Irish -countryman, who sometimes expressed his resentment of the slight in the -columns of the <i>Pall Mall Gazette</i>, the <i>Saturday</i>, or the <i>Quarterly -Review</i>. As far as I am concerned Lord Strangford was always a most kind -and considerate patron, one of the best and most <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span>unselfish friends I -had in England, and his early death was a great grief to me. He died of -brain fever, and, as Lady Strangford afterwards wrote to me, holding in -his hand the volume of my Chagataic Grammar which I had dedicated to -him.</p> - -<p>Next to the noble Lord Strangford I would mention the great -mathematician, Mr. Spottiswoode, who often asked me to his house; also -Sir Alexander Gordon, in Mayfair, whose sister, knowing something of -Egypt, took a special interest in my travels. I was also a welcome guest -at Lord Houghton's, both in town at Brook Street and in the country at -Ferrybridge, Yorkshire. The lunch parties at his town residence were -often of a peculiarly interesting nature. The master of the house, a -lover of sharp contrasts, used to gather round his table the fanatical -admirer of Mohammedanism, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and the equally -fanatical Protestant Bishop of Oxford, Dr. Wilberforce known as "Soapy -Sam." Most lively disputes took place at times in defence of the -teachings of Christ and Mohammed, in which the disputants did not deal -over-gently with one another, and their forcible attacks upon each -other's convictions sometimes caused the most ridiculous scenes. Still -finer were the meetings at Ferrybridge, Lord Houghton's country seat. -During one visit there I made the acquaintance of such celebrities as -Lord Lytton, afterwards Viceroy of India; the poet Algernon Swinburne, -who used to read to us passages of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> yet unpublished poem, <i>Atalanta -in Calydon</i>, over which the slender youth went into ecstasies; and last, -but not least, of Burton, just returned from a mission in the North-West -of Africa. Burton—later Sir Richard Burton—was to spend his honeymoon -under the hospitable roof of the genial Lord Houghton. The company, -amongst which Madame Mohl, the wife of the celebrated Orientalist, Jules -Mohl, specially attracted my attention, had met here in honour of -Burton, the great traveller, and as he was the last to arrive, Lord -Houghton planned the following joke: I was to leave the drawing-room -before Burton appeared with his young wife, hide behind one of the -doors, and at a given sign recite the first <i>Sura</i> of the Koran with -correct Moslem modulation. I did as arranged. Burton went through every -phase of surprise, and jumping up from his seat exclaimed, "That is -Vambéry!" although he had never seen or heard me before. In after years -I entertained the most friendly relations with this remarkable man, whom -I hold to be, incontestably, the greatest traveller of the nineteenth -century, for he had the most intimate knowledge of all Moslemic Asia; he -was a clever Arabic scholar, had explored portions of Africa together -with Speke, and gone through the most awful adventures at the court of -Dahomey; he had explored the unknown regions of North and South America, -and also made himself a literary name by his translations of the -<i>Lusiade</i> and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span><i>The Thousand and One Nights</i>; in a word, this strangely -gifted man, who was never fully appreciated in his own country, and -through his peculiarities laid himself open to much misunderstanding, -was from the very first an object of the greatest admiration for me. His -contemporary and fellow-worker, Gifford Palgrave, I also reckoned among -my friends. He was a classical Englishman, first belonging to the -Anglican and afterwards to the Roman Catholic Church. For some time he -was in the service of the Society of Jesus, as teacher in the mission -school at Beyrût; and as he was quite at home in the Arabic language, he -under-took a journey into the then unknown country of Nedjd, the chief -resort of the Wahâbis, about whom his book of travels contains many -interesting new data. Being a classical orator, he used to fascinate his -audience with his choice language, and what Spurgeon has been in the -pulpit and Gladstone in Parliament, that was Palgrave in the hall of the -Geographical Society. I liked the man fairly well, only a peculiar -twinkle of the eye constantly reminded me of his former Jesuitism. In -David Livingstone, the great African explorer, I found a congenial -fellow-labourer, whose words of appreciation, "What a pity you did not -make Africa the scene of your activity!" sounded pleasant in my ears.</p> - -<p>Other travellers, such as Speke, Grant, Kirk and others, I was also -proud to reckon among<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> my friends; and in the field of literature I -would mention in the first place Charles Dickens, whose acquaintance I -made at the Athenæum Club, and who often asked me to have dinner at the -same table with him. Dickens was not particularly talkative, but he was -very much interested in my adventures, and when once I declined his -invitation for the following evening with the apology that I had to dine -at Wimbledon with my publisher, John Murray, he remarked, "So you are -going to venture into the 'Brain Castle,' for of course you know," he -continued, "that Murray's house is not built of brick but of human -brains." Among politicians, artists, actors, financiers, generals—in -fact in all classes and ranks of society—I had friends and -acquaintances. I had no cause to complain of loneliness or neglect; any -one else would no doubt have been supremely happy in my place, and would -have made better use also of the general complaisance. But I was as yet -absolutely new to this Western world; I was as it were still wrapped in -the folds of Asiatic thought, and, in spite of my enthusiasm for modern -culture, I had great difficulty in making myself familiar with the -principal conditions of this phase of life, with its everlasting rushing -and hurrying, the unremitting efforts to get higher up, and the cold -discretion of the combatants. In fact, my first visit to England made me -feel gloomy and discouraged.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span></p><p>This depression was yet enhanced by the disappointment in regard to the -material results of my book, and the rude awakening out of my dreams of -comparative prosperity. To judge from the enthusiastic reception of my -work both in Europe and America, and after all the laudatory criticisms -of the Press, I expected to get from the sale of the first edition a sum -at least sufficient to ensure my independence. The newspapers talked of -quite colossal sums which my publisher had paid or would pay me, and I -was consequently not a little crestfallen when at the end of the year I -received the first account, according to which I had made a net profit -of £500, a sum of which I had spent nearly a third in London. The modest -remainder, in the eyes of the former Dervish a small fortune, was as -nothing to the European accustomed to London high-life, and not by a -long way sufficient for the writer, anxious to make a home for himself. -The vision of all my fair anticipations and bold expectations vanished -as a mist before my eyes, and after having tasted of the golden fruit of -the Hesperides, was I to go back to my scantily furnished table, nay, -perhaps be reduced again to poverty and the struggle for daily bread? -After twenty years of hard fighting I was back again where I was at the -beginning of my career, with this difference, that I had gained a name -and reputation, a capital, however, which would not yield its interest -till much later.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span></p><p>I am therefore not at all surprised that in my desperate frame of mind -I clutched at a straw, and looked upon a professorship at Pest and the -doctor's chair of Oriental languages as the bark of salvation upon the -still turbulent ocean of my life. True, my cold reception at home had -somewhat sobered me, and made the realisation of even this modest -ambition not quite so easy of attainment, but my longing for my native -land and for a quiet corner admitted of no hesitation, no doubt. With -incredible light-heartedness I disengaged myself from the embrace of the -noisy, empty homage of the great city on the Thames and sped to Pest to -present myself to my compatriots after my triumphal campaign in England -and crowned with the laurels of appreciation of the cultured West. As -may be supposed, my reception was somewhat warmer but not much more -splendid than on my return from Asia. Small nations in the early stages -of their cultural development often follow the lead of greater, -mightier, and more advanced lands in their distribution of blame or -praise. The homely proverb, "Young folks do as old folks did," can also -be applied to whole communities, and, especially where it concerns the -appreciation and acknowledgment of matters rather beyond the -intellectual and national limits of the people, such copying or rather -echoing of the superior criticism is quite permissible and excusable. On -my return from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> England my compatriots received me with marked -attention, but Hungary was still an Austrian province, and in order to -attain the coveted professorship I had to go to Vienna and solicit the -favour of an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor Francis Joseph, a -noble-minded monarch and exceptionally kind-hearted—who was not -unjustly called the first gentleman of the realm—received me most -graciously, asked some particulars about my travels, and at once granted -me my request, adding, "You have suffered much and deserve this post." -He made only one objection, viz., that even in Vienna there are but few -who devote themselves to the study of Oriental languages, and that in -Hungary I should find scarcely any hearers. On my reply, "If I can get -no one to listen to me I can learn myself," the Emperor smiled and -graciously dismissed me.</p> - -<p>I shall always feel indebted to this noble monarch, although, on the -other hand, from the very first I have had much to bear from the -Austrian Bureaucracy and the fustiness of the mediæval spirit which -ruled the higher circles of Austrian society; perhaps more correctly -from their innate ignorance and stupidity. The Lord-High-Steward, Prince -A., whom I had to see before the audience, regardless of the -recommendations I brought from the Austrian Ambassador in London, -received me with a coldness and pride as if I had come to apply for a -position as lackey,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> and while royal personages of the West, and later -on also Napoleon, had shaken hands with me and asked me to sit down, -this Austrian aristocrat kept me standing for ten minutes, spoke roughly -to me, and dismissed me with the impression that a man of letters is -treated with more consideration in Khiva and among the Turkomans than in -the Austrian capital.</p> - -<p>And this, alas! hurt me all the more, as the social conditions at home -in my native land were no better. Here also the wall of partition, class -distinctions and religious differences rose like a black, impenetrable -screen adorned with loathsome figures before my eyes, and the monster of -blind prejudice blocked my way. The enormous distance between the -appreciation of literary endeavours in the West and in the East grew in -proportion as I left the banks of the Thames and neared my native land; -for although the public in Hungary warmly welcomed their countryman, -re-echoing the shouts of applause from England and France, nay, even -looked upon him with national pride, I could not fail to notice on the -part of the heads of society and the leading circles a cold and -intentional neglect, which hurt me.</p> - -<p>The fact that this Hungarian, who had been so much fêted abroad, was of -obscure origin, without family relations, and, moreover, of Jewish -extraction, spoiled the interest for many, and they forcibly suppressed -any feelings of appreciation<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> they may have had. The Catholic Church, -that hotbed of intolerance and blind prejudice, was the first in attack. -It upbraided me for figuring as a Protestant and not as a Catholic, as -if I, the freethinker, took any interest in sectarian matters!</p> - -<p>I was the first non-Catholic professor appointed according to Imperial -Cabinet orders to occupy a chair of the philosophical faculty at the -Pest University. Thus not to give offence to this University—unjustly -called a Catholic institution—by appointing a so-called Protestant, -<i>i.e.</i>, a heretic, the title of professor was withheld from me, and for -three years I had to content myself with the title of lector and the -modest honorarium of 1,000 florins a year—a remuneration equal to that -of any respectable nurse in England when besides her monthly wages we -take into account her full keep! Truly, from a material point of view, -my laborious and perilous travels had not profited me much!</p> - -<p>To justify this humiliation certain circles at home took special care to -depreciate me at every possible opportunity. Wise and learned men, for -instance, professed to have come to the conclusion that my travels in -the Far East, and the dangers and fatigues I had professed to have gone -through, were a physical impossibility on account of my lame leg. "The -Jew lies; he is a swindler, a boaster, like all his fellow-believers." -Such were the comments, not merely in words, but actually printed in -black and white; and when I introduced myself officially to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> the Rector -of the University, afterwards Catholic bishop of a diocese, I was -greeted with the following gracious words, "Do you suppose we are not -fully informed as to the treacherousness of your character? We are well -aware that your knowledge of Oriental languages is but very faulty and -that your fitness to fill the chair is very doubtful. But we do not wish -to act against His Majesty's commands, and to this coercion only do you -owe your appointment." Such was the gracious reception I had, and such -were the encouraging words addressed to me after the learned -Orientalists of Paris and London had loaded me with praise and honour, -and after I had accomplished, in the service of my people, a journey -which, as regards its perilousness, privations, and sufferings, can -certainly not be called a pleasure trip.</p> - -<p>As it is only natural that small communities on the lower steps of -civilisation are either too lazy or too incapable to think, and are -guided in their opinion by the views of the higher and leading ranks of -society, I am not surprised that in certain circles of Hungary for years -together I was looked upon with suspicion, and that my book of travels, -which in the meantime had been translated for several Eastern and -Western nations into their mother-tongue, was simply discredited at -home. Similar causes have elsewhere, under similar conditions, produced -similar effects. When the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span>nickname of "Marco Millioni" could be given -to the celebrated Venetian who traded all over Asia, why should I mind -their treatment of me in Hungary, where, apart from national -archæological considerations, nobody evinced any great interest in the -distant East? Among the millions of my countrymen there was perhaps no -more than one who had ever heard the names of Bokhara and Khiva, and -under the extremely primitive cultural conditions of those days -geographical explorations were not likely to excite very great interest. -The nation, languishing in the bonds of absolutism, and longing for the -restoration of Constitutional rights, was only interested in politics; -and, since the few scientists, who in their inmost minds were convinced -of the importance of my undertaking, had become prejudiced by the -reception I had received abroad and were now filled with envy, my -position was truly desperate, and for years I had to bear the sad -consequences of ill-will. When the first Turkish Consul for Hungary -appeared in Budapest he was asked on all sides whether it was really -true that I knew Turkish, and when he replied that I spoke and wrote -Turkish like a born Osmanli, everybody was greatly surprised. One of my -kind friends and patrons said to me in reply to my remark that I should -talk Persian with Rawlinson, "You can make us believe this kind of -thing, but be careful not to take in other people." A few weeks later -Rawlinson took me for a born Persian, but at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> home they said it was -unheard of for a Hungarian scientist to be able to speak Persian. So -deplorably low was the standard of Hungarian learning in those days!</p> - -<p>Under these conditions the reader may well be surprised, and I must -confess that I am surprised myself now, that my deeply-wounded ambition -did not revolt against these saddest of all experiences, but that I -meekly bore these constant insults and calumnies. This extraordinary -humility in the character of a man who in every fibre of his body was -animated by ambition and a desire for fame, as I was in those days, has -long been an enigma to me. I have accused myself of lack of courage and -determination, and I should blush for shame at the memory of this -weakness if it were not for the extenuating circumstance that I was -utterly exhausted and wearied with my twenty years' struggle for -existence, and that my strong craving for a quiet haven of rest was a -further extenuation. What did I care that my supposed merits were not -appreciated at home, since in the far advanced West the worth of my -labours had been so amply recognised? Why should I trouble myself about -the adverse criticism of my rivals and ill-wishers since I had at last -found a quiet corner, and in possession of my two modestly furnished -rooms could comfort myself with the thought that I had now at last found -a home, and with the scanty but certain income of some eighty florins -per<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> month I could sit down in peace to enjoy the long wished-for -pursuit of quiet, undisturbed literary labour? When I had completed the -furnishing of my humble little home, and, sitting down on the -velvet-covered sofa, surveyed the little domain, which now for the first -time I could call my own, I experienced a childish delight in examining -all the little details which I had provided for my comfort. Thirty-three -years long I had spent in this earthly vale of misery, a thousand ills, -both physical and mental, to endure, before it was granted me to -experience the blissful consciousness, henceforth no longer to be tossed -about, the sport of fortune, no longer to be exposed to gnawing -uncertainty, but quietly and cheerfully to pursue the object of my life, -and by working out my experiences to benefit the world at large. To -other mortals, more highly favoured by birth, my genuine satisfaction -and delight may appear incomprehensible and ridiculous: one may object -that I longed for rest too soon, and that the small results were -scarcely worthy of all the hard labour. But he whom Fate has cast about -for years on the stormy ocean hails with delight even the smallest and -scantiest plot of solid land, and he who has never known riches or -abundance enjoys his piece of dry but certain bread as much as the -richest dish.</p> - -<p>Such were the feelings which animated me when I settled down in -surroundings altogether apart from my studies, my desires and views of -life, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> such also were the feelings which made me proof against all -the attacks and slights of a criticism animated more by ignorance than -intentional ill-will. I simply revelled in the enjoyment of these first -weeks and months of my new career. The healthy hunger for work acted -like a precious tonic, the old indestructible cheerfulness returned, and -when after my daily labour of eight or ten hours I went for a walk in -the country I fancied myself the happiest man on earth. On account of -the marked difference of treatment I had received in England and in -Hungary, and in order not to subject myself to unnecessary slights, I -had at home avoided all social intercourse as far as I possibly could. -Thus on the one hand I had all the more leisure for my work, and on the -other hand, through my large correspondence with foreign countries, I -was led to remove the centre of gravity of my literary operations and -the chief aim and object of my pursuits to foreign lands. At first this -necessity troubled me; but the remark of my noble patron, Baron Eötvös, -that Hungary never could be the field of my literary labours, and that I -should benefit my native land far more by putting the products of my pen -upon the world's market in foreign languages soon comforted me. I wrote -mostly in German and English, and enlarged my mind in various branches -of practical and theoretical knowledge of Asiatic peoples and countries. -Two years had scarcely passed before my pen was the most in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> request on -subjects of the geographical, ethnographical, philological, scientific, -and political literature of Central Asia—in fact, of the whole Moslemic -East. During this period I saw the realisation of the boldest ideas of -my early days, and only now began to reap the benefit of my studies. I -read the different European and Asiatic languages without the help of a -dictionary, and as in most of them I had had practical experience, I -could understand them the more easily, and also write in them. Gradually -I had got together a small library of special books, and on account of -the lively correspondence I kept up with my fellow-literati and friends -of Oriental study, I was enabled to work with energy far from the centre -of my studies as linguist, ethnographer, and editor. Now and then the -want of intellectual stimulus and personal intercourse with my -fellow-labourers made itself felt. I longed particularly for an -interchange of ideas with authorities on the East, as in Pest itself I -could only meet with a few orthodox scholars of Ural-Altaic comparative -philology; but in the zeal and enthusiasm for one's undertaking one -easily dispenses with encouragement, and with the device, "<i>Nulla dies -sine linea</i>," which I always conscientiously followed, I must ultimately -reach the goal and overcome all obstacles.</p> - -<p>With industry and perseverance, energy and untiring zeal, I could -conquer anything except the stupidity of human nature galled by envy. -The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> more I worked to keep up my literary repute and the repute I had -gained as traveller, the more furiously raged my opponents, and the more -they endeavoured to discredit me, and to accuse me of all imaginable -mistakes and misrepresentations. Once when I complained about this to -Baron Eötvös, this noble and high-minded man rightly remarked, "The -regions of your travels and studies are unknown in this land, and you -cannot expect society to acknowledge its ignorance and incapacity to -understand. It is far easier and more comfortable to condemn one whom it -does not understand as a liar and a deceiver." Now this was exactly my -position; all the same it grieved me to meet with so much opposition on -every side. Not in any period of my life, when some public -acknowledgment on the part of the Academy or of the newly-established -Hungarian Government would have been such a help to one of my almost -childish sensitiveness, had I ever received the slightest token of -appreciation of my labours. Twelve years after my return from Central -Asia I was elected ordinary member of the Academy, and then only after -several quite insignificant men had preceded me, and I simply could not -be passed over any longer. Others of higher birth, but without any -literary pretensions, were made honorary members or even placed on the -directing staff. As regards the State's want of appreciation of my work, -although I may now look upon it as of no significance, it made me feel -very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> sore at the time, especially during the Coronation festivities -when Hungarian literati and artists were picked out and I was utterly -ignored. At other times they were glad enough to distinguish me as the -only Magyar who had brought Hungarian knowledge on to the world's stage, -and had been instrumental in making the name of the Hungarian Academy -known to the Western world. I could give many other proofs of this -intentional neglect and ignoring of my claims, but why should I weary -the reader any longer with revelations of wounded vanity? The conviction -that I had become a stranger in my own land impressed itself more and -more upon me; the false position in which I was placed must necessarily -become more and more conspicuous. No wonder, then, that I grew -indifferent towards the place which formerly had been the object of all -my desires, and I now began to long for England, the foreign land where -I was better understood and more appreciated, and where I had found more -interest in my studies and more encouragement of my efforts.</p> - -<p>Nothing, therefore, was more natural than that in these circumstances I -should undertake a journey abroad, to cheer and comfort myself by -personal contact with congenial society. These motives drew me towards -Germany, France, and particularly England. In Germany I made the -acquaintance of distinguished Orientalists whose theoretical knowledge -excited my admiration as much as their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> practical incapacity and -awkwardness surprised me. They were kind, modest, worthy men, who, since -I was outside their particular set, met me very pleasantly, but they -looked very doubtful when I seemed not to be acquainted with their -theories or betrayed an insufficient knowledge of their treatises, -notes, and glossaries. They listened to me, but I saw at once that they -looked upon me as a dilettante, outside the pale of learning. This -opinion of my literary accomplishments was not altogether unjust, for I -was and remained always a practical Orientalist, and these theorists -might have remembered that a mere bookman could not possibly have -travelled through so many Islamic lands as Dervish and faced all dangers -and vicissitudes in close intercourse with the people.</p> - -<p>In France I fared somewhat better. Here the political situation had -revealed the necessity of practical knowledge of Asiatic conditions, and -side by side with the theoretical guardians of Oriental science there -had at all times been a considerable number of practical authorities on -Asia, who now received me very warmly. Of the personages with whom I -became acquainted in Paris I will mention in the first place Napoleon -III., who admitted me to an audience more because it was the fashion -than to satisfy his scientific curiosity. When I entered the Tuileries -in company with Prince Metternich, then Austrian Ambassador at Paris, -and caught sight of the Emperor before the Pavillon de l'Horloge<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> as he -was taking leave of Queen Christina of Spain, the vision of this -thick-set man, with his flabby features and pale, faded eyes, made a -miserable impression upon me. And still more lamentable was the result -of my half-hour's interview with him. He appeared to have been preparing -himself for my visit, for on his writing-table, covered with papers and -documents, I saw spread out the map which accompanied the English -edition of my <i>Travels</i>, and, after the usual ceremonies, he told me to -sit down by him and began to converse about Hungary. When I remarked -that I had undertaken these travels into the interior of Asia at the -request of the Academy, the Emperor replied he had heard a good deal in -praise of Hungary, and after receiving some information as to the -intellectual efforts of Hungary, he led the conversation on to Central -Asia. At first he attempted to give the conversation a more scientific -character, and, with reference to his <i>Jules César</i>, which had just -appeared, he began to talk about the ethnical origin of the Parthians. -Gradually he dropped into a consideration of the political condition of -Central Asia, and put to me the question whether in the Memorandum I had -presented to Lord Palmerston I had touched upon the politico-economic -relations between Central Asia and India, and wherein lay the danger for -England. My explanations did not seem to suit his preconceived notions, -for he tried to refute my views as regards the danger to English<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> -interests by pointing out the strong position England held in India, so -gloriously maintained in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, while Russia was only -just beginning to make conquests in Central Asia. When I replied that -Russia's object was not so much to conquer India, but rather to cripple -the English military forces, in order to tie the hands of one of the -chief opponents of Russia's designs upon Constantinople, the Emperor was -driven into a corner and said: "Such an eventuality is a long way off -yet, and as to this point in the Oriental question, there are yet other -factors to be considered." Leaving the discussion of politics, which did -not seem to please the Emperor, he suddenly turned the conversation -again upon my travels, and began to compliment me on my adventures and -the linguistic proficiency which had so helped me to success. He said, -"You have evidently a great talent for acting, and the fact that you, -with your physical weakness (hinting at my lameness), have been able to -go through so many fatigues, is altogether astonishing."</p> - -<p>I had occasion later on to meet the Emperor in the salon of the Princess -Mathilde, but I must honestly say that I could not discern a trace of -that greatness of which for years I had heard so much. He could be -affable and pleasant; between taciturnity and gravity he simulated the -deep thinker, but his pale eyes and artificial speech soon betrayed the -adventurer who had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> elevated to his exalted position by the -inheritance of a great name and the wantonness of the nation. His -minister, Count Drouyn de Lhuys, was somewhat more inquisitive and -better informed; but the most interesting personality of my Parisian -acquaintance was decidedly the great Guizot, to whom I was introduced in -the Rue de Bac at the salon of Madame Mohl. The old gentleman, then in -his 78th year, was full of sparkling humour, and his memory was quite -marvellous. He seemed to be most amused to hear me hold a lively -conversation in various European and Asiatic languages, and he made a -point of bringing me in contact with several more nationalities with the -object of confusing me. Monsieur Guizot took a warm interest in me; at -his suggestion I was invited to the various salons, but all these -civilities could not chain me to the Parisian world. In the leading -themes, belle lettres, music, and plastic art, I was an ignoramus and -had not a word to say; the superfine manners of society worried me, for -I missed here the lively interest in things Asiatic which in the London -circles, in spite of the no less strict etiquette, was constantly -evinced. Men such as Barthélemy de St. Hilaire, Garcin de Tassy, Pavet -de Courteille, and other experts, had a strong fascination for me, but -generally speaking France left me cold, for I missed even the great -cosmopolitan ideas, the lively interest in the movements of mankind in -the far-away corners of the globe, and I realised that national<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> vanity -would not so easily admit a stranger to its platform.</p> - -<p>On the other side of the Channel it was quite different, and in course -of time the oftener I came to England the more I felt at home there, and -the closer became the ties of friendship in various classes of society. -When in London I was often invited to the provincial towns to give -public lectures on some one or other subject of Inner-Asiatic -conditions, and thus became acquainted with the principal centres of -industry. My lectures were mostly limited to the description of those -Central Asiatic lands where I had resided for some considerable time, -and dealt with commerce, industry, natural products, and other such -practical points. In many places, as, for instance, in Birmingham, I was -asked to bring my costume bought in Central Asia, to give the -manufacturers an insight into the colour, material, and fashion of the -national costume, and, as I learned afterwards, similar goods of English -manufacture have since been imported into Bokhara by the way of -Afghanistan. In other places again, I had to speak of my travelling -adventures in connection with geographical and ethnographical interests, -and even in the smallest towns I always found an attentive and -interested audience. I also used to touch upon the political side of my -travelling experiences, and the more I railed against Russia the louder -was the applause. Sometimes there were comical episodes during my -lectures.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> After I had finished, the public always addressed various -questions to me, and once the learned entomologist, Mr. D., asked -whether I could not oblige him with some Central Asiatic lice, as he had -made a special study of these insects, and was on the point of -publishing a large book on the subject. On my reply that in Central Asia -I had been in quite too close contact with these creatures, but that -now, thank Heaven, there was a great distance between us, the scientist -asked whether, perhaps, my Tartar could oblige him with a few specimens. -He explained that he had various kinds, Chinese, Siamese, and other -lice, but he had not been able to procure any from Central Asia. Again, -I had to reply in the negative, but the enthusiastic entomologist would -not yet give in. "Could not," he suggested, "a European louse (a -Hungarian one in this case) be brought into contact with my Tartar? it -would be interesting to note what transformation would take place." -Needless to say, I did not perform this charitable duty to science, but -this little episode with Mr. D., who soon afterwards published a work in -two thick volumes upon <i>pedicula</i>, has often amused me. My lectures in -England have always had an exhilarating effect upon me. Commencing in -1868, I visited in this manner, with short intervals, many different -towns of the United Kingdom. Bath, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, -Bradford, Leamington, Norwich, Kendal, York, Wakefield, Edinburgh,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> -Belfast, Halifax, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Newcastle-on-Tyne, -Brighton, Cardiff, and other places, were visited once, twice, and even -oftener. Everywhere I enjoyed the hospitality of the most distinguished -and richest inhabitants of the place, and thus I got an insight into the -social, religious, ethical, and political standing as well as the -prevailing ideas and notions of the British people which increased my -admiration and enthusiasm for this remarkable nation. After two years of -uninterrupted sojourn in Hungary I always felt the need for what the -French call, "me retremper dans l'esprit européen," and to strengthen my -nerves and refresh my ideas by a trip to England. Just as on my journey -home from the East I felt that step by step I was advancing in Western -ways of living and thinking, in Western manners and customs, until they -reached their culminating point in England, so also when returning home -from thence I felt that each step was bringing me nearer to Eastern -notions of life, and to the errors, abuses, and superstitions of the Old -World. Year after year I made the same disappointing observation. It -always struck me in the same unpleasant manner; and if in spite of all -this I did not follow the promptings of my heart to make my permanent -home in the centre of Western thought and culture, so much more -congenial to my own conceptions of life, the fault lies not with me, but -with various external causes. In the first place the immediate contact -with these factors of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> Western culture, the incessant buzzing and -whirring of the machinery, had a stunning and exhausting effect upon me. -I realised that this restlessness, this everlasting mad rushing and -wrestling was unavoidable and indispensable to the attainment of the -object in view, but I preferred to watch the grotesque spectacle from a -distance, and to renew my strength by occasional visits to the field of -action. In the second place, notwithstanding all the many contradictions -and oppositions in which I constantly found myself with my countrymen on -account of my different views and notions of life, I clung far too -strongly to the soil of my native land to separate myself from it -altogether, and finally break with so many homely manners and customs -yet dear to me. And in the third place I was a Hungarian and had -presented myself to the world as the explorer of the early history and -language of my people. As such, an expatriation might reasonably have -shed a doubtful light upon my character as man and writer. My fate -compelled me to remain at home, to persevere, and to make myself as -comfortable as I could in the uncongenial surroundings. A hard struggle, -an everlasting self-denial, a constant incognito seemed to be my -appointed lot both in Europe and in Asia. Here, as there, my -surroundings were foreign and uncongenial to me, and while for many -years I accommodated myself to the necessity, and silently bore all -manner of mental injuries, I had always<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> the consolation of work; for in -literary occupation I forgot everything else and was supremely happy.</p> - -<p>I have often been asked why I did not from a patriotic point of view -join the national political endeavours, and take part in the movement of -1867? From a utilitarian point of view, and considering my eminently -practical views of life, my entering the Hungarian Parliament seemed to -commend itself; but serious considerations held me back. In the first -place I had no taste for this career. I had never studied Hungarian law, -and my knowledge of the political and economical conditions of the land -were far too slight for me to occupy a position as practical Hungarian -politician worthy of my ambition. And secondly, if these difficulties -could have been overcome, there were yet many other obstacles in the -way, which made a successful career such as I desired, practically -impossible. In Hungary, and elsewhere on the European Continent, birth -and origin play an important part in public life. The saying, "<i>Boni -viri vinique non quæritur origo</i>," is and always will be only a figure -of speech; and although, perhaps, the strong spirit of liberalism which -marked the commencement of Hungary's constitutional era might have -favoured my ambition—which I doubt, as so far not a single citizen of -Jewish extraction has succeeded in becoming a leading statesman—it was -not very likely that the highest circles of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> Vienna society would brook -a breach of their old conservative notions. I was bound to reckon with -this circumstance, and as my ambition could tolerate no half measures -and limitations, I preferred to keep altogether aloof from the political -arena of Hungary.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">My Political Career and Position in England</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VIII</span> <span class="smaller">MY POLITICAL CAREER AND POSITION IN ENGLAND</span></h2> - -<p>Many people have wondered how the various professions of Orientalist, -ethnographer, philologist, and political writer could all be united in -one and the same person, and that I applied myself to all these literary -pursuits has often been made a matter of reproach. Personally, I cannot -see either virtue or advantage in this odd mixture of study, but I have -gone on with it for years, and I will now shortly mention the reasons -which induced me thereto. I have already related how, during my first -stay in Constantinople, I became a Press correspondent, and how, through -constant intercourse with the political world, I entered the list of -writing politicians. My interest in political affairs has never flagged; -indeed, it rose and became more active when, on account of my personal -experiences in Persia and Central Asia, I became, so to speak, the -authority for all such information concerning them as related to the -political questions of the day, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> of which even initiated politicians -were ignorant. The traveller who keeps his eyes open necessarily takes a -practical view of all that goes on in social, political, and -intellectual life, and it is perfectly impossible that the wanderer, -entirely dependent upon his own resources for years together, and mixing -with all classes and ranks of society, should cultivate merely -theoretical pursuits. To me the various languages were not merely an -object, but also a means, and when one has become practically so -familiar with foreign idioms in letter and in speech that one feels -almost like a native, one must always retain a lively interest in their -respective lands and nations, one shares their weal and woe, and will -always feel at home among them. Of course, it is quite another thing for -the theoretical traveller, whose object is of a purely philological or -archæological nature. To him land and people are secondary matters, and -when he has procured the desired theoretical information, and left the -scene of operation, he forgets it all the sooner, since he has always -remained a stranger to his surroundings, and has always been treated as -such.</p> - -<p>This could never be the case with me. I had so familiarised myself with -Osmanli, Persian, and East Turkish that I was everywhere taken for a -native. In those three languages my pen has always been busy up to an -advanced age, and I believe there is hardly another European who has -kept up such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> varied correspondence with Orientalists in distant lands.</p> - -<p>When, on my return from Asia, I took part in the discussion of the -political questions of the day, and, as eye-witness of current events, -was questioned by the leading statesmen of the day, I could not with the -best will in the world have escaped entering upon a political career. -Lord Palmerston gave me the first incentive by requesting me, through -Sir Roderick Murchison, then President of the London Geographical -Society, to draw up a memorandum. I did as I was asked, and handed in my -report about the position of Russia on the Yaxartes, and the state of -political affairs in Central Asia, with the necessary digressions into -the regions of Persian and Turkish politics. All this was easy enough to -me, for at the Porte I had been an eye-witness of the political -movements. I had already been actively employed as political -correspondent, and both in Teheran and in Constantinople I had -constantly been in contact with the diplomatic circles. During the many -interviews which Lord Palmerston granted me, he always took all my -remarks jokingly, and never appeared the serious diplomatist. He told me -that I looked at things through the spectacles of anti-Russian patriotic -Magyarism, that Hungarians and Poles were hot-brained, and that the -Thames would discharge a good deal more water before the Cossacks -watered their horses at the Oxus. When,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> a few months after my arrival -in London, the news came of the taking of Tashkend by Chernayeff, and -soon after the celebrated Note of Gorchakoff was presented at Downing -Street, the jocular character of the English Premier toned down -somewhat. In influential political circles I was questioned more -frequently about the defensive strength of the Emir of Bokhara, about -the high-roads, and the public opinion of the Central Asiatics. But even -then Lord Palmerston, always cheerful in spite of his advanced age, -would not allow his real motives to transpire. He feigned an Olympic -quietness or an icy indifference, and the only sign of interest he -showed me was his encouragement to continue writing my letters to the -<i>Times</i>, and to enlighten the English public concerning the land and the -people of Central Asia.</p> - -<p>But the press and the public in England behaved quite differently. The -great majority, of course, was optimistic. The terror of the Afghan -Campaign in 1842 still filled all hearts with dismay, and after the -unsuccessful termination of the Crimean War they easily drifted into the -Ostrich policy, said that the advance of Russia towards the frontiers of -India was a chimera, and laughed at my firm and consistent assertions -that there was danger threatening from the side of Russia. If I were now -to publish all the newspaper articles, essays, and parliamentary -speeches which appeared at the time to contradict my views, and to -pacify the public in England and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> India, it would display indeed a sad -picture of self-deception and a wilful lulling to sleep in fancied -security. On my side were only a few staunch Conservatives, since this -party, decidedly anti-Russian, had stood out for an energetic policy; -but personally I took no notice either of the indifference of the masses -or of the scorn and mockery of the optimists. The more they laughed at -my ideas the more fervently and zealously did I defend them. I spared -neither time nor trouble to bring forward the most striking proofs. I -kept up my relations with Central Asia and Persia by constant -correspondence. I read the Russian papers industriously, and so I had -always an important weapon of defence at hand. The columns of the -<i>Times</i> and the fashionable monthly and weekly periodicals were open to -me, and I had little difficulty in displaying such activity in writing -as would impress even my political opponents, and finally break down the -indifference of the great reading public. Many looked upon me as a -Magyar thirsting for revenge on Russia, others again were pleased to -find in me, a foreigner, a zealous defender of British State interests; -and this caused the more surprise, as such concern for foreign State -interests is always a rarity, and in England, much envied and little -beloved on the Continent, had never been heard of before. Had I been -seeking to obtain a public appointment in England, and had I settled -there, no doubt my efforts would have appeared in quite<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> another light, -and the attention and subsequent acclamation I received would doubtless -have been pitched in a lower key. But since, in my humble function of -professor, I abode in Hungary, and as a foreigner continued in a foreign -land, without ostentation or hope of material preferment, to carry on -the defence of British interests on the Continent of Europe, and even -persevered in influencing public opinion in England itself, I succeeded -in banishing all suspicion of self-interest, and finally in disarming -even the bitterest political opponents. Amongst the few who particularly -disliked my political energy was Mr. Gladstone, the zealous advocate of -an Anglo-Russian alliance in Church and politics. And yet I have been -told that he had remarked to a friend, "Professor Vambéry's agitation -seemed at first suspicious to me, but since I have heard that he is a -poor man I believe in his fanaticism." The insular separatist, the proud -Englander, had in the end to submit to a foreigner mixing himself up -with his national concerns, giving his unbidden opinion about Great -Britain's foreign policy, and finally, by dint of perseverance, -influencing public opinion in England.</p> - -<p>Of course all this was not the work of a few weeks or months, but of a -whole series of years. Between 1865 and 1885 I published a quantity of -letters, articles, and essays on political and politico-economic affairs -in Central Asia, Persia,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> and Turkey in English, German, French, -Hungarian, and American periodicals, which, if collected, would make -several volumes. In England it was chiefly in the <i>Times</i>, and sometimes -in other daily papers, as also in periodicals such as the <i>Nineteenth -Century</i>, the <i>Fortnightly Review</i>, the <i>National Review</i>, <i>Army and -Navy Gazette</i>, the <i>New Review</i>, the <i>Journal of the Society of Arts</i>, -the <i>Asiatic Quarterly Review</i>, the <i>Leisure Hour</i>, and <i>Good Words</i>. In -Germany I wrote in the <i>Münchener</i> (formerly <i>Augsburger</i>) <i>Allgemeine -Zeitung</i>, <i>Unsere Zeit</i>, <i>Die Deutsche Rundschau</i>, <i>Die Deutsche Revue</i>, -<i>Welthandel</i>, and in a few other daily and monthly papers, long since -discontinued. In Austro-Hungary I often wrote in the <i>Pester Lloyd</i>, but -only seldom in the <i>Neue Freie Presse</i> and in the <i>Monatschrift für den -Orient</i>, while in France I contributed to the <i>Revue des deux Mondes</i>, -and in America to the <i>Forum</i> and the <i>North American Review</i>. Only when -the Central Asiatic question became acute—as, for instance, on the -occasion of the taking of Samarkand in 1868, the campaign against Khiva -in 1873, the conquest of Khokand in 1876, and the Pendjdeh affair—was -my pen in actual request. For the rest I had to force myself upon the -public, and not only on the Continent, but in England also, I often had -difficulty in getting a hearing. As long as the Russians had not so far -consolidated their power that it was dangerous for foreign travellers to -be admitted in the conquered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> districts I was able to maintain myself as -chief and only authority on Central Asiatic affairs. Later I had -gradually to relinquish this privilege. The number of writers versed in -Central Asiatic concerns constantly increased, but my knowledge of the -Oriental and Russian languages, and also my prolonged and intimate -acquaintance with the theme, always gave me a certain amount of -advantage over my literary competitors. From time to time, when the -Central Asiatic question came to the foreground, I entered the arena -with larger, more substantial essays. Thus, for instance, my <i>Power of -Russia in Asia</i>, which appeared in German and Hungarian, depicted the -gradual progress of the Russian conquests in Asia. As foundation for my -article I used MacNeil's <i>The Progress and Present Position of Russia in -the East</i>, which appeared at the time of the Crimean War. This I -elaborated with new facts and data. Like my predecessor, I preached then -(1871) to deaf ears. People troubled themselves very little about -Russia's Asiatic politics. They called me a blinded Russophobe, and -now—since the Northern Colossus has thrown his polyp-like arm over the -half of Asia, and is looked upon as the peace-breaker of the Western -world—when I remember the scornful laughter of the great politicians, I -cannot help thinking what a pity it was that timely precautions were not -taken to ward off the coming danger, and that people did not realise -that the power gained in Asia might one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> day stand Russia in good stead -in its dealings with Europe.</p> - -<p>The second independent book about political matters which I brought out -was entitled, <i>Central Asia and the Anglo-Russian Frontier Question</i>, -published in English and German. It was, correctly speaking, a -collection of my different political articles published in various -periodicals. This book, coming out at the time of the Khiva campaign, -when people showed a much keener interest in what took place in the -inner Asiatic world, found a good sale, and although not of much -material advantage to me, gave me a good deal of moral encouragement.</p> - -<p>Of great effect was my article about <i>The Coming Struggle for India</i>, -published in 1885, at the time when the question of the rivalry between -the two Colossi in Asia had reached a seething-point, and after the -affair at Pendjdeh nearly involved England and Russia in a war. This -booklet, which I wrote in twenty days, and issued simultaneously in -English, French, German, Swedish, and Guzerati (East Indian language), -caused a great sensation far beyond its intrinsic worth. It proved also -a lucrative speculation.</p> - -<p><i>The Coming Struggle for India</i>, which was the English title of the -book, brought me quite a stream of commendatory grateful letters from -England, America, and Australia; I was eulogised as a prophet, and held -up as an English patriot whose merits would never be forgotten nor too<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> -highly thought of in Albion. On this occasion I also received some less -flattering communications from English Socialists and Anarchists, who in -the first place reproached me with interfering in the affairs of their -country, and in the second place endeavoured to prove how unjust and -inhuman it was for England to waste life and money on the civilising and -conquest of foreign nations, while at home hundreds of thousands of -their compatriots were perishing of poverty and distress. The colonial -policy enriches the aristocrats who revel in luxury, while the labourer, -oppressed by the capitalist, is left to starve. Thus complained one of -my unbidden correspondents.</p> - -<p>The middle classes and the aristocracy of England thought differently, -however. Regardless of all scornful and derisive remarks I had now for -twenty years pursued my political campaign with unremitting zeal, and -had always had the interest of England at heart. Many, therefore, looked -upon me as a true friend, and although I was stamped by some as a -fanatic, an Anglomaniac, or even a fool, the majority saw in me a writer -who honestly deserved the respect and recognition of the country; a man -who in spite of his foreign extraction should be honoured as a promoter -of Great Britain's might and power. Cold, proud, and reserved as the -Britisher generally appears before strangers, I must confess that at my -public appearances both in London and in the provinces I have always<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> -been received with the utmost cordiality and warmth.</p> - -<p>Many were struck with the pro-English spirit of my writings, and I have -frequently been asked how it was that I, far from the scene of action, -was often more quickly and better informed about current events than the -English Government which had Embassies and secret agencies at its -disposal. The reason is clear enough. In the first place I had personal -experiences at my disposal, and, supported by my correspondents in the -Far East, many of my views have thus in course of time been justified by -events. Secondly, I had paid far greater attention to the communications -of the Russian press than the politicians in England, where the Russian -language was not much known yet. I was surprised myself to find that my -political activity was even discussed in the English Parliament and led -to interpellations. On the 22nd of May, 1870, Mr. Eastwick asked the -Government: "Whether there was any truth in the rumours, mentioned in -Mr. Vambéry's letter published in the <i>Times</i> on the 18th of this month, -that Herat had been taken by Yakub Khan?" Lord Enfield, then Secretary -of State, denied my statement; nevertheless I was right, for Herat was -actually in the hands of the rebel son of Shir Ali Khan. On the 3rd of -June, 1875, Mr. Hanbury asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, "Whether -his (the minister's) attention had been called to a letter of Mr. -Vambéry's in the <i>Times</i> of the 2nd of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> June relating to a new Russian -expedition to hitherto unknown districts of the Upper Oxus; whether the -purpose of the expedition had been communicated to the English -Government, and whether, as stated by Mr. Vambéry, the diplomatist, Mr. -Weinberg, was a member of the expedition, and whether it was of a -political as well as of a scientific character?" To this Mr. Bourke, -then Secretary of State, replied in Parliament: "That he had read Mr. -Vambéry's letter with great interest, but that Government had not yet -received any information regarding the matter therein mentioned." Again -I was on the right side and had the priority in point of information; -thus naturally the weight of my writings continually increased.</p> - -<p>Without desiring or seeking it I was acknowledged in England as the -Asiatic politician and the staunch friend of the realm. Year after year -I received invitations to give lectures about the present and the future -condition of England in Asia, and when, tired of writing, I longed for a -little change and recreation, I travelled to England, where in various -towns—London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, -Edinburgh, Glasgow, &c.—I gave lectures for a modest honorarium. On -these occasions I drew the attention of the public to their commercial -and political interests in the Orient, and urged them to exercise their -civilising influence over Asia. Foreigners who for years together -concern <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span>themselves about the weal or woe of a land not their own belong -certainly to the rarities, and consequently I was received everywhere in -England with open arms and made much of by all classes of society.</p> - -<p>This was very patent during the critical time in the spring of 1885, and -the ovations I received in London and other towns of the United Kingdom -I shall never forget. On the 2nd of May I gave a lecture in the great -hall of Exeter Hall about the importance of Herat. On my arrival I found -the house full to overflowing with a very select audience. Lord -Houghton, who presided at this meeting, thanked me in the name of the -nation, and the next day almost all the newspapers had leading articles -about the services I had rendered, and the resoluteness with which I -always met the woeful optimism and blunders of leading politicians led -astray by party spirit.</p> - -<p>A few days later I spoke under the auspices of the Constitutional Union, -before an aristocratic Conservative gathering in Willis's Rooms, on the -subject, "England and Russia in Afghanistan, or who shall be lord and -master in Asia?" The heads of English aristocracy were present, and when -on the platform behind me I recognised a duke, many lords, marshals, -generals, ex-ministers, and several famous politicians and writers of -Great Britain I was really overcome.</p> - -<p>My thoughts wandered back into the past. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> remembered the chill autumn -night, which I, a beggar, spent under the seat on the promenade at -Presburg. I thought of the scorn, the contempt, and the misery to which -I had been exposed as the little Jew boy and the hungry student, and -comparing the miserable past with the brilliant present, I could not -help marvelling at the strange dispensations of fate. Modesty forbids me -to speak of the manner in which Lord Hamilton, Lord Napier of Magdala, -Lord Cranbrook, and others expressed themselves both before and after my -lecture about my person and my work, but I repeat it, my modesty is not -the feigned, hateful modesty of the craft. Suffice it to say that I had -the satisfaction of warning the proud English aristocracy against the -sinful optimism of the Liberals then in power. If this episode stands -out as the crowning point of my political labours it also shows the -magnanimity and noble-mindedness of the Englishman (so often condemned -for his insular pride) where it concerns the impartial acknowledgment of -merit and the interests of his fatherland!</p> - -<p>In the zeal with which I had taken up the political questions of England -all these points did not present themselves to me till afterwards. There -was one incident with regard to this matter which deserves mention. -When, after the conclusion of the last Afghan War, 1880, the Liberal -party came into power, they did all they could to upset the politics of -their opponents, and decided to give back<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> to the Afghans the important -frontier station, Kandahar. I then addressed an open letter to Lord -Lytton, at that time Viceroy of India, in which I warned him against -this step, and pointed out the danger which would ensue. This letter was -reproduced by the whole Press, and a few days after I read in the German -papers the following despatch:</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right">"<span class="smcap">London</span>, <i>22nd February</i>.</p> - -<p>"An important meeting being held to-day in favour of the continuance of -the occupation of Kandahar, a letter of Vambéry's to Lytton has come -very opportunely. It is therein stated that to give up Kandahar would do -irreparable damage to England's prestige in Asia, for the Asiatics could -look upon it only as a sign of weakness. Vambéry further asserts that -the occupation of Kandahar under safe conditions would decidedly not -show a deficit, but, on the contrary, be profitable to India, for the -Kandaharis are the best traders of all Central Asia. Finally, Vambéry -points out that the Russians, even without the occupation of Merv, would -within a few years stand before the gates of Kandahar."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Lord Lytton himself wrote to me as follows about this matter.—</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right">"<span class="smcap">Knebworth Park</span>,<span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<span class="smcap">Stevenage, Herts</span>,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<i>February 22, 1885</i>.</p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Dear Professor Vambéry</span>,—"I am very much obliged to you for your -interesting and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> valuable letter about Kandahar, and you have increased -my obligation by your permission to publish it, of which I have availed -myself. I little thought, when I had the honour of making your -acquaintance many years ago at Lord Houghton's [<i>see</i> <a href="#Page_255">p. 255</a>], that I -should live to need and receive your valued aid in endeavouring to save -England's Empire in the East from the only form of death against which -not even the gods themselves can guard their favourites—death by -suicide. I fear, however, that its present guardians, who have Moses and -the prophets, are not likely to be converted—even by one of the dead. -At least, the only form of conversion to which they seem disposed, is -one which threatens to reverse the boast of Themistocles by converting a -great Power into a little one.</p> - -<p class="right">"Believe me, dear Professor Vambéry,<span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"Very sincerely yours,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<span class="smcap">Lytton</span>."</p></blockquote> - -<p>In non-English Europe great statesmen seldom or never condescend to -write in such terms to mere journalists! And where such encouragements, -characteristic of a free nation, are bestowed on the ambitious writer, -they urge him on with still greater enthusiasm. And, further, what must -be the feelings of the writer who knows all about England's glorious -doings in Asia, and from his earliest youth has dreamed of political -freedom; who, hampered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> hitherto by the mediæval prejudices still -prevalent in Austria, finds himself all at once able to move and act -without restraint, and has not to be ashamed of his low birth? One may -say what one likes against the English (and they have no doubt some very -glaring faults), but this one thing must be allowed—before all things -they are men, and only after that are they British. In the enlightened -nineteenth century they have made more progress than any, and a part -such as that played by Disraeli and others would be perfectly impossible -not only in Germany and Austro-Hungary—still more or less imbued with -the spirit of mediævalism—but even in liberty-boasting France. And I -further ask who could possibly remain indifferent while keenly watching -the <i>rôle</i> played on the world's stage by this small group of islands, -how it rules over several hundred millions of people of all colours, -tongues, and religions, and educates them up to better things!</p> - -<p>This extraordinary and almost phenomenal energy must surely excite the -admiration of any thinking man interested in the history of humanity. -When even Rome in the zenith of its glory impresses us with the -magnitude of its power, how could the actions and operations of Albion, -so infinitely greater, mightier and more impressive, leave us -indifferent? These and similar ideas from the very first attracted me -towards England; I felt interested in all her doings, and when it came -to the question<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> of the Anglo-Russian rivalry in Asia, I naturally -always took the side of England. Besides, could I, or dare I, have acted -differently considering the outrageous interference of Russia in the -Hungarian struggle for independence in 1848, and also mindful of the -fact that the government of the Czar, that frightful instrument of -tyranny, that pool of all imaginable slander and abuse, that disgrace to -humanity, must on no account be strengthened and supported in its thirst -for conquest? In proportion as the dominion of the Czar grows in Asia, -so do his means increase for checking the liberty of Europe, and the -easier will it be for Russia to perform acts of benevolence and -friendship towards those of our sovereigns who long for absolutism. -England's greatness can never damage, but rather profit us; as the -worthy torch-bearer of nineteenth-century culture no liberal-minded man -will follow her successful operations in Asia with envious eyes.</p> - -<p>And so my literary activity was a thorn in the eyes of the cunning -Muscovites, and the ways and means they used to counteract it are not -without interest. One day in Pest I received a visit from a well-known -Russian statesman, who introduced himself to me with the following -remark, "When the great Greek General fled to Persia, he presented -himself before Cyrus the greatest enemy of the Greeks. I have come to -Hungary to pay my respects to you." Of course I received him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> as -pleasantly as possible, and when the wily diplomatist looked round my -poor abode he remarked with a smile, "You work a great deal, and yet you -do not appear to be very well off. <i>You would probably be in better -circumstances if you did not work so much.</i>" I replied, also with a -smile, that I had accustomed myself to a Dervish life in Asia, that it -suited me admirably both morally and physically, and that with reference -to the intellectual result, I felt no desire or need to make any change. -"Just so," remarked the Muscovite, looking me straight in the face, and -soon turned the conversation on to other subjects. Various other -attempts were made to turn me aside from the path I pursued and to -discredit me in the eyes of England and of the Continent. But their -trouble was all in vain, for the bitter hostility of a despotic -Government and their venomous darts must remain without effect against -the expressed approval of a free nation and the approbation of the whole -liberal West.</p> - -<p>In the spring of 1885, during my stay in London, I received invitations -to various other towns. A war between England and Russia was then -pending in consequence of the Pendjdeh affair. The number of letters and -telegrams I daily received became so numerous, that I could only master -them with the assistance of a private secretary, who had offered his -services gratis, from purely patriotic motives. I accepted invitations -only to some of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> principal provincial towns, as the labour of -travelling every day to be honoured every evening with a public -reception in a different place, give a lecture and attend a banquet, was -too tiring and proved too much for my physical strength. As the most -memorable evenings of this tour I would mention my <i>début</i> at -Newcastle-on-Tyne and at Brighton. In the first-named great industrial -town of the North of England, I gave my lecture, or rather my discourse, -in the large theatre. The house was filled to the top, one could have -walked over the heads, and the galleries were full to overflowing. -Tailor's apprentice, servant, tutor, Effendi, Dervish, I have been -pretty well everything in my life, but a stage hero I was now to be for -the first time, and although not seized with the fever of the -footlights, the masses before me and their enthusiastic reception had an -unusual effect upon me. I spoke for an hour and a half, often -interrupted for several minutes at a time by loud applause, and when, -referring to the danger which threatened the Indian Empire, I called out -to my audience, "The spirits of the heroes fallen in the struggle for -India, who have enabled this small island to found one of the greatest -Asiatic Empires, who have made you mighty and rich, their spirits ask -you now, Will you allow the fruits of our labour to perish, and the most -precious pearl of the British crown to fall into the enemy's hand?" the -frantic, "No! No!" from all parts of the house almost moved me to -tears,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> and I saw with astonishment what a pitch of excitement these -people of the foggy North can be led up to. A similar scene awaited me -at Brighton, where my speech had also a wonderful effect upon my -hearers. At the close of the lecture many, as usual, pressed forward on -to the platform to shake hands. Among others an elegantly dressed, -elderly lady came up to me, took both my hands and said in a choking -voice: "Oh, my dear, precious England, you have indeed done it good -service. Sir, it is a glorious, golden land; continue to promote its -welfare; God in heaven will reward you." The poor woman trembled as she -said this, and as long as I live I shall never forget the look of -agitation depicted on her face.</p> - -<p>I must not omit to mention some of the very characteristic proofs of -friendship I received on this lecturing tour from private individuals -hitherto absolutely unknown to me. At several railway stations the door -of my compartment suddenly opened and dainty luncheon baskets -plentifully filled were pushed in with inscriptions such as: "From an -admirer," or, "from a grateful Englishman." The most remarkable of all -these tokens of appreciation was the hospitality shown me by Mr. Russell -Shaw in London. He offered it me by letter in Budapest, and on my -arrival in London I was met at the station by a footman, who handed me a -letter, in which Mr. Shaw put his carriage at my disposal. The footman -looked after my luggage, we drove to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> the West End, stopped at No. 26, -Sackville Street, and I was led to the richly furnished apartments made -ready for my reception. Here I found everything that could make me -comfortable; the finest cigars, liqueurs, a beautiful writing-table, -stamps, &c.; everything was put at my disposal, and I had scarcely -finished my toilet when the cook came to ask what were my favourite -dishes, and what time I wished to lunch and to dine. Not until afternoon -did my host appear, after he had begged permission to introduce himself. -Of course I received Mr. Shaw in the most friendly manner in his own -house. He left me after having asked me to invite as many guests as I -liked, and freely to dispose of his kitchen, cellar, and carriage. For -three weeks I remained in this hospitable house. Mr. Shaw hardly ever -showed himself, and only on the day of my departure he paid me another -visit, asked if I had been comfortable and satisfied about everything, -and, wishing me a prosperous journey, he left me. I have never seen him -again. He was unquestionably a true type of English amiability!</p> - -<p>Is it surprising, then, that these and other spontaneous expressions of -appreciation made my political labours appear to me in quite a different -light from what I had ever thought or expected? I realised, of course, -that it was not only my political writings which made me of so much -weight, but that it was founded on my purely scientific labours, which, -although unknown to the public at large, had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> won me credit with the -influential and governing circles of England. Political writings, after -all, can only be appreciated as an excursion from the regions of more -serious literature; and just as newspaper writing in itself is naturally -not highly rated, so strictly and exclusively theoretical writing bears -rather too often the character of sterility. True, not every science can -be animated and popularised by practical application, but when the study -has to be kept alive by active intercourse with far distant nations, -politics, as the connecting link between theory and practice, become an -absolute necessity, and the lighter literary occupation is as -unavoidable as it is energising and beneficial in its effect upon the -mind.</p> - -<p>After I had spent a few hours with comparative grammars and -text-editions, or had been occupied with purely ethnographical studies, -I always felt a desire to write a newspaper article, and to refresh -myself from the monotony of word-sifting in the field of political -speculation. The best time of the day, that is to say, the morning -hours, I spent exclusively in serious study, and at the age between -thirty and fifty I could also devote a few hours in the evening to -graver study. In the forenoon, between ten and twelve, and in the -afternoon, between two and five, I used to apply myself to politics and -journalism, with the help of a secretary. Through practice and custom I -had now got so far that I could dictate two or even three leading -articles<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> or other matters in different languages at the same time. When -I approached the fifties, however, such <i>tours de force</i> gave me -headaches and congestion, and I had to abandon them; but long after I -had passed the fifties I continued to dictate extempore—in fact, I -generally wrote and worked from memory even in my scientific studies. -Except the notes I wrote down during my Dervish tour in Arabic letters -and in the Hungarian language, I have never had a notebook, and -consequently never collected notes for future writings. Of course as was -the material, so was the work produced, and it would be arrant -self-deceit to try to conceal the blunders and defects under which so -many of my literary productions laboured because of my mode of working. -No, vanity has not altogether blinded me. Uncommon and curious as my -schooling had been, equally curious was my subsequent literary -productivity, and if there be anything to make me reflect with -satisfaction upon those twenty years of literary activity, it is my -untiring zeal and the strict adherence to my device "<i>Nulla dies sine -linea</i>," in which I spent the beautiful summer of my life. Nothing of -any kind or description either in my private or public life has ever -made me break this rule, and no pleasures of any kind could ever replace -for me the sweet hours of study or deter me from my once formed -resolution.</p> - -<p>I had the good fortune never to have sought or known what is vulgarly -called entertainment, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span>recreation, or diversion. As in the years of my -trying apprenticeship I had to spend eight or ten hours a day in -teaching, and devoted six hours to my private studies, so, thanks to my -perfectly healthy constitution, I have been able till close upon the -sixties to work at first for ten and later on for six hours daily, apart -from the time spent in reading the newspapers and scientific -periodicals. During the whole of my life I have only very rarely visited -the theatre, and concerts were not in my line either, as I had no -knowledge of the higher art of music. Social evenings, where I might -have refreshed myself in conversation with my fellow-labourers, and have -profited by an interchange of ideas, would have been very welcome to me, -but in my native land, where society had only political aspirations and -ideals at heart, there was no one who cared for the practical science of -the East, no one interested in the actual condition of Asia, and with -the few scholars, mostly philologists, who in the evenings used to -frequent the ale-houses, I could not associate, because spirituous -drinks and excess of any kind have always been obnoxious to me. A -home—a "sweet home"—in the English sense of the word, has never fallen -to my lot, even on ever so modest a scale, for my wife, a homely, -kind-hearted, and excellent woman, was ill for many years, and if it had -not been for the beautiful boy with whom she presented me, I should -never have known what domestic happiness was. My study<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> and my library -were the stronghold of my worldly bliss, the fortress from which I -looked upon three continents, and by a lively correspondence with -various lands in Europe, Asia, and America, could maintain my personal -and scientific relationships. Mentally I lived continually in the most -diverse lands and tongues, and through my correspondence with Turks, -Persians, Ozbegs, Kirgizes, Germans, French, English, and Americans, I -could remain conversant with the different idioms, and also continually -be initiated in the smallest details of the political, commercial, and -religious relationships of those distant lands. My post was, as it were, -the link of union between the distant regions in which I had lived, and -where I always loved to dwell in fancy.</p> - -<p>I attribute it more to this than to my inborn linguistic talent, that -after more than a quarter of a century I was able to speak correctly and -fluently the various Asiatic and European languages. Hungarian, German, -Slovak (Slav), Serbian, Turkish, Tartar, Persian, French, Italian, and -English were all equally familiar to me, and the greater or lesser -perfection of accent and of syntactic forms depended chiefly upon the -longer or shorter practice I had had in speaking with natives. I cannot -say the same for the writing in these languages. Here the Latin proverb, -"<i>Quot linguas calles, tot homines vales</i>," did not hold good, for -although I could write in several <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span>languages, I cannot say that I could -write any one language ready for the Press, <i>i.e.</i>, without any -mistakes. In former days I used to write Hungarian a good deal and -fairly well. But afterwards I wrote mostly in German and English, and -all that I have published since 1864 has been written in one or other of -these two languages. In order to obtain more fluency of expression, -<i>i.e.</i>, to feel more at home in a foreign tongue, I used at one time to -read for half an hour or more a day in the particular language. Thus I -became familiar with the manner of speaking, or rather the peculiarities -of expression in that tongue, and when I had thus learned to think -fluently in English, German, or Turkish, I also managed to obtain a -certain amount of fluency in writing. I fear there can be no question -with me of a mother-tongue, and the argument that the language in which -one involuntarily thinks is one's real mother-tongue I cannot agree -with, were it only for this one reason, that long practice and custom -enabled me to think in any language with which I had been familiarised -for some length of time. From my earliest youth I had read a good deal -of German. I had studied in that language; and afterwards in Hungary of -all foreign languages I came most in contact with German, and it seemed -to come most easy to me. But afterwards I wrote English quite as -easily—that is to say, after I had spent a few weeks in England, and -although I never got so far as to be taken for a native, as was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> the -case with Turkish, French, German, and Persian, I had the satisfaction -of reading in the criticisms at the time that the absence of the foreign -accent in my conversation and my idiomatic style were remarkable.</p> - -<p>From these observations about the linguistic conditions and changes -during the fairly long term of my literary activity I will now pass on -to a subject which has given rise to various conjectures in the circle -of my acquaintance, and will not be without interest to the general -reader. I refer to the material benefits derived from my literary -labours, which, on account of their many-sidedness, and the -international character of my pen, have been considerably overrated. I -have already mentioned how much I made by my first book of travels -published by Murray, and expressed at the time the bitter disappointment -I experienced, how different was what I had hoped for and what I got. -Subsequent English publications fared not much better; none of them -brought me in more than £200 sterling, most of them barely half that -sum. In Germany the honorarium paid for literary work was still poorer -and closer, and 500 thaler (£75) was the highest sum ever paid me for -any of my popular writings. I purposely say "popular," because for -purely scientific works I received nothing, and my two volumes of -Chagataic and Uiguric studies and my "Sheibaniade" alone have cost me -some thousand florins, not reckoning the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span>expenses incurred with my -<i>Ursprung der Magyaren</i> and <i>Türkenvolk</i>, for which I never received a -penny.</p> - -<p>Journalism was a good deal more profitable, especially in England, where -some periodicals paid twenty or thirty guineas per sheet. I came to the -conclusion that one hour of English article-writing pays better than six -hours of German literary work, with this difference, however, that -German periodicals lend themselves to the most theoretical, widely -speculative subjects, while the English Reviews, in their eagerness for -<i>matter of fact</i>, accept only practically written articles of immediate -interest. German Review literature seems only lately to have realised -that it is possible to write essays about serious matters without -wearying the reader with a heavy style and endless notes, and one -frequently meets now in the German periodicals with attractively written -articles about the political and commercial relations of distant -countries and people.</p> - -<p>This was not the case when I began my literary career. German -Orientalists, unquestionably the most learned and solid in the world, -have always occupied themselves preferably with the past of the Asiatic -civilised world, with textual criticisms of well-known classical works -and grammatical niceties in the Semitic and Aryan tongues, while the -practical knowledge of the East, until quite lately, for want of -national political interest, was not at all encouraged. England, on the -other hand, on account<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span> of her Indian Empire, and her many commercial -ties all over the Asiatic continent, has for long enough evinced a -lively interest in the manners and customs of the Orientals, and since -English writers have dealt largely with these, the general public has -been interested mostly in this branch of Oriental literature. Of course -the former traveller, once retired into his library, cannot so easily -come forward with new practical suggestions. It is but seldom that he -can offer a new contribution, and in spite of the excellent honorarium, -the productions of his pen become gradually less, and do not give him a -secured existence as is the case, for instance, with literary writers, -or scholars who can write in an interesting and popular style upon some -subject which is of all-engrossing interest in everyday life.</p> - -<p>Taking everything into consideration, I must look upon my many years of -literary labour only from the moral standpoint, and as such my reward -has been rich and abundant. A collection of criticisms and discussions, -which, quite accidentally, came into my possession, contains very nearly -two hundred articles in German, French, English, Italian, Hungarian, -Turkish, Russian, and Modern Greek, which make laudatory mention of my -literary work. The number of criticisms of which I have never heard may -possibly run into many hundreds more; witness the many letters I have -received from all parts of the world, and which on the whole have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> -rather burdened than edified me. In spite of gross mistakes and many -shortcomings, my literary labour has secured me a position far beyond my -boldest expectations, and would justify the saying, "<i>Et voluisse sat -est</i>." Work has kept me in good health, it has made me happy and -therefore rich, and work is consequently to my mind the greatest -benefactor and the greatest blessing in the world.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">The Triumph of my Labours</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IX</span> <span class="smaller">THE TRIUMPH OF MY LABOURS</span></h2> - -<p>From reading the preceding pages the reader will easily gather how it -was that, after so many years of hard fighting and struggling, my labour -brought its own triumph and gave me the gratification of my dearest wishes.</p> - -<p>The psychological problem is clear enough, and the solution is not hard. -Other children of men, animated by a desire to produce something new, -give themselves neither rest nor peace in the pursuit of their object, -but they hide the true motive which instigates them under a mask of -modesty; they pretend to be the unwilling instruments of fate. I frankly -admit that what animated me was the indomitable ambition to do something -out of the common, something that would make me famous. I think I must -have been born with this fire in my veins, this devil in my flesh. The -confession brings no blush of shame to my face, for now in my seventieth -year, looking back upon the thorny path of my life, I am fully convinced -it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span> this longing for fame and the insatiable thirst for activity in -the early stages of my career which were at the bottom of all the -inconsistencies of my life. On the one hand, the desire to put to some -practical use the experience and the knowledge I had gained urged me on -to take an active part in whatever was going on in Europe or Asia, -while, on the other, my natural propensities, or, perhaps more -correctly, the poverty and simplicity of my bringing up, made me lean -more towards a quiet, contemplative life and the retirement of my own -study. The severe rules of etiquette and the demands of society, where -everybody is so important in his own eyes, have ever been distasteful to -me, and often when I mixed with the leading people of the diplomatic -world or of high life I felt wearied with the empty talk and hollow, -would-be importance of these folks. These feelings were not calculated -to lit me for a diplomatic career, for, notwithstanding my eminently -practical turn of mind, I was anything but a man of the world.</p> - -<p>Possibly—in fact, probably—these feelings would have become -considerably modified in process of time if at the commencement of my -public life, <i>i.e.</i>, on my return from Central Asia, I had had the -chance of entering upon an active career instead of contenting myself -with purely scientific pursuits. I had always had a secret longing for -public activity, as I mentioned before, but at that time insurmountable -obstacles and difficulties stood in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> my way. In England I was certainly -a <i>distinguished foreigner</i>, but still I was a foreigner, and not likely -to receive the nation's unreserved confidence in important matters of -State. In Austria every chance of coming to the front was cut off for me -by ancient prejudices; and as for Hungary, its foreign affairs being -entirely managed in Vienna, there can even to this day be no question of -diplomatic activity. In bureaucratic and nobility-crazed Prussia the -prejudices against plebeian descent had already been somewhat mitigated, -and in so far overcome that the Iron Chancellor found for nearly all -German travellers who had gained experience in foreign lands some -employment in the diplomatic service. Nachtigal and Rohlfs have been -entrusted with missions to West and North Africa, for Emin Pasha there -was a regular fight, and Brugsch, who in company with Minutoli made only -one journey to Persia, was appointed First Secretary to the German -Embassy at Teheran. In spite of my excellent reception in England and -the rest of Europe, in spite of my energetic publicistic activity in -Asiatic politics, I was so absolutely unknown in Austria that when the -Ministry for War once had the unlucky idea of publishing a map of -Central Asia, obtained by secret means, and wanted to have it revised by -an expert, they submitted it to Kiepert in Berlin. He advised the -gentlemen in Vienna to refer the matter to one of their compatriots who -had visited the scene, and only after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> that the Military Geographical -Institute thought of me. This wilful and persistent ignoring of me -lasted for several years. When Austria sent its first Embassy to -Teheran, and the Press mentioned my name, an application of mine met -with the reply that I had not and could not come into consideration, -because in point of social rank I was not even a <i>Truchsess</i> (<i>i.e.</i> -chairbearer) at court; and yet, as I learned afterwards, the Shah and -his Government had received the newspaper report with pleasure. When -Austria, before the Bosnian occupation, sent a mission to Constantinople -to intercede for an amicable settlement of this affair, nobody thought -of me, although, as was afterwards clearly shown by my personal -intercourse with Sultan Abdul Hamid, no one could more easily than I -have brought about a conciliation, saving the country thousands of human -lives and millions of money, which the occupation campaign ultimately -claimed. At the critical period of the last Russo-Turkish War it was -considered advisable for the country to be represented at the Bosphorus -by a non-diplomatic ambassador. The choice fell on an aristocrat held to -be exceptionally cunning and clever, who before this was supposed to -have displayed his sagacity in various ways; but of Oriental affairs he -had not the faintest notion, and through ignorance and simplicity he -committed some gross mistakes. The fact that my many years' personal -intercourse with the Porte, my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> familiarity with the national customs, -languages, and conditions, and my personal acquaintance with the Sultan, -might have served the country far better, never entered anybody's mind; -not even my own countryman, Count Andrássy, who was then at the head of -foreign affairs, thought of me. Ridiculous! The very idea of it would -have been preposterous in the eyes of Austria. A Jew, a plebeian by -birth, how could he be admitted into the diplomatic service? Knowledge -and experience are of second or third-rate importance; and as for -literary proclivities, these had always been looked upon rather as a -crime than a virtue in Austria. Birth, position, rank, and the art of -dissimulation and cringing are worth more than all knowledge, and the -proverbial stupidity of Austria's diplomacy best illustrates how -strongly this mediæval spirit has asserted itself there.</p> - -<p>In these circumstances it would have been only reasonable if, after -settling down in Austro-Hungary as a writer, I devoted myself henceforth -solely to literary pursuits. Quietly seated at my writing-table I -learned to appreciate the sweet fruits of liberty and independence. Here -I was safe against the chicaneries and whims of superior persons and the -constraint of social forms; the moral reward which honest work never -withholds was worth more to me than all the vain glamour of rank and -position coveted by all the world round me. Without wishing it, perhaps -against my own will, the force<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> of circumstances finally landed me on -the right track, and I found a vocation more in keeping with my past -career. An active participation in Asiatic affairs might possibly have -made me richer and more noted, but certainly not happier or more -contented, for although I am not blind to the fact that literary fame -can never, either with the public at large or in the higher circles, -boast of the same recognition which birth and position claim as their -due, I have nevertheless noticed with satisfaction that the fruit of -intellectual labour is more real and lasting, more worth fighting for -than all the pomp and vanity people are so fond of displaying. Whatever -may be said in disparagement of writing, it remains true that the pen is -a power, and its victories greater, more durable, and nobler than the -advantages which other careers, be they ever so brilliant, have to -offer. The pen needs not the gracious nod of high personages; it depends -on none save on the hand that wields it; and if, in the face of the -amount of general and light literature produced in our days, some might -incline to think that the pen has lost its power, that its influence is -gone, and that for a writer to rise from obscurity and the lowest -position to the pedestal of esteem and appreciation is no longer -possible, the story of my life will help to reveal the fallacy of such -views. Even as the strenuous labour of my younger days raised me, the -quondam servant and Jewish teacher, to attract the attention of all -cultured Europe, even<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> so my unremittent efforts in literary work have -secured me a position far beyond my merits and surpassing my wildest -expectations.</p> - -<p>I have already mentioned the widespread popularity of my writings, -extending over three continents; I will only add here that, with regard -to some exclusively literary works, certain circles—not ordinarily -given to express admiration—could not help expressing their -appreciation of them, and the Press of England, which for years had -laughed at my political utterances, had at last ruefully to admit that I -was right, that I had rendered the State great service, and that I had -contributed many a brick to the building up of the wall of defence -around the Indian Empire. During a lecture which I delivered in 1889 in -Exeter Hall the late Commander-in-Chief of India, Sir Donald Stewart, -remarked that my writings had often stimulated the sinking courage of -the officers in India and stirred them up to endure to the end. -Frequently I received letters of appreciation from various parts of -India thanking me for my watchfulness over occurrences in Central Asia, -and the constant attacks I made on English statesmen who were so easily -rocked to sleep in false security.</p> - -<p>There is a peculiar charm in the literary success attained after many -years of persistent work—a success which hostile criticism in vain -tries to minimize; for, in spite of an occasional disproportion between -the battle and the result, the pen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span> leaves traces behind which often, -after many years, come back to us as the echo of long-forgotten -exploits. As I have just spoken of my political activity, I will here -mention, by way of curiosity, that Prince Reuss, late ambassador of the -German Empire on the Neva, drawing my attention to the effect produced -by my leading article published in the <i>Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung</i>, -said to me at the house of the German Consul-General Boyanowsky at -Budapest: "You do not seem to know how much importance the Asiatic -Department in St. Petersburg attaches to your enunciations in regard to -Central Asiatic politics. Your articles served the Russians at the time -not only as guides, but also as encouragement, and you have rendered but -a problematic service to England by their publication." Personal -experience on the scene of action, a constant, keen interest in the -development of events in the inner Asiatic world, and the stimulus of -ambition may have helped to give me a bolder and more far-reaching view -than this body of statesmen possessed, but that my writings should carry -so much weight I never thought. Comical episodes are not wanting either; -they are sure to occur in any public career pursued for many years -together. When the despatch of the German Emperor to Krüger, at the time -of the Jameson Raid in the Transvaal, caused such tremendous excitement -in London, and everybody was talking about the increasing Anglophobia in -Germany, I discussed this question, of course<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> from the point of view -favourable to England, in a letter dated the 12th of January, 1896. The -<i>Times</i> saw fit to publish my letter, which took up a whole column of -its front page, and on a Saturday, too, so that the letter might lie -over all the longer. Of course this article, signed "A Foreigner," -attracted much attention in the German Press. Just at that time Leopold -II., King of the Belgians, happened to be in London, and the German -papers hit on the curious idea of connecting his Belgian Majesty with -the "foreigner." Of course all were up in arms against the "Coburger," -and the <i>Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung</i> of January 21, 1896, delivered -quite a peppered sermon against him. It could not leave me quite -indifferent to see a crowned head taken to task for my utterances, and I -communicated the real state of affairs to the Belgian Ambassador in -Vienna, but this <i>quid pro quo</i> has never been made public, for the -<i>Times</i> never betrays its co-operators. One would scarcely believe how -much the influence of the Press is felt, even in the remotest corners of -the earth. In consequence of the expression of my views about the -Islamic nations, either in Turkish or Persian, I received letters not -only from all parts of the Ottoman Empire, but also from the Crimea, -Siberia, Arabia, and North Africa, and hardly ever did a Moslem, or -Dervish, or merchant pass Budapest without coming to see me to assure me -of the sympathy of his fellow-countrymen.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span></p><p>The Mohammedans of India<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> were particularly friendly, on account of -my relations with the Sultan, and invited me to give lectures in some of -their towns, an invitation which tempted me very much, as I was rather -curious to see the effect of a Persian speech delivered by a European -among these genuine Asiatics. An open letter to the Mohammedans of India -did much to strengthen these friendly feelings, and if it had not been -for the sixty years which weighed on my shoulders I should long ere now -have made a trip to Hindustan.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> See <a href="#Page_486">Appendix III.</a></p></div> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">At the English Court</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER X</span> <span class="smaller">AT THE ENGLISH COURT</span></h2> - -<p>In proportion as my works found consideration in the most obscure parts -of the Old and of the New World, their effect in Europe was felt even in -the highest Government circles, and it is not surprising that the -travelling staff and the pen brought the obscure author into contact -with sovereigns and princes. In England, where, in spite of the strict -rules of Court etiquette, the genealogical relations of the self-made -man are not considered of such great importance, my ardent defence of -British interests could not be overlooked.</p> - -<p>After the appearance of my book, <i>The Coming Struggle for India</i>, I was -invited by Queen Victoria, whom I had already met on the occasion of my -stay at Sandringham with the Prince of Wales, to visit her at Windsor, -and the reception this rare sovereign accorded me was as great a -surprise to the world in general as it was to me.</p> - -<p>It was in the year 1889, on the occasion of my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> stay in London, that I -received a card bearing the following invitation.—</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Lord Steward</span><br /><br /> -has received her Majesty's command to invite<br /><br /> -<span class="smcap">Professor Vambéry</span><br /><br /> -to dinner at Windsor Castle on Monday, the 6th<br /> -May, and to remain until the following day.<br /><br /> -<span class="smcap">Windsor Castle</span>, <i>5th May</i>, 1889.</p> - -<p>I had already been informed of the intended invitation by telegram, and -as, for political reasons, it was not thought wise to invite and do -honour to the anti-Russian author without further reason—it would have -seemed like a direct challenge to the Court at St. Petersburg—the -telegram bore the further message: "To see the library and the sights of -the Castle." When I read these words I reflected that if the Czar, -Alexander III., could receive and mark out for distinction the -pro-Russian author, Stead, without further ado, this excuse was almost -superfluous, and Queen Victoria could very well receive the -representative of the opposite party. However, I paid no further heed to -these needless precautions, but went down to Windsor. A royal carriage -awaited me at the station, and I drove to the Castle, where I was -received by the Lord Steward, Sir Henry Ponsonby, an amiable and -noble-minded man, who greeted me<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> warmly and conducted me to the -apartment prepared for me. I had hardly got rid of the dust of the -journey when Sir Henry Ponsonby re-entered the room and, according to -the custom at Court, brought me the royal birthday book, requesting me -to enter my name, with the day and year of my birth.</p> - -<p>It was a noble company in whose ranks my name was to figure, for the -book was full of signatures of crowned heads, princes, great artists, -learned men, and noted soldiers of the day. As I prepared to comply with -the request the uncertainty of the date of my birth suddenly occurred to -me, and as I gazed hesitatingly before me Sir Henry asked me with a -pleasant smile the reason of my embarrassment.</p> - -<p>"Sir," I said, "I do not know the exact date of my birth, and I should -not like to enter a lie in the royal book."</p> - -<p>When I had told him the circumstances written on the first page of these -Memoirs he took me by the hand, remarking pleasantly, "You need not be -ashamed of that. Her Majesty lays less weight upon the birth of her -guests than upon their actions and merits."</p> - -<p>So I entered the conventional date of the 19th of March, 1832, and am -quite sure that among the many guests at Windsor there was never another -to whom the day and year of his entry into this world were unknown.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span></p><p>With the exception of this rather unpleasant, but otherwise comical, -episode my stay at Windsor was a most pleasant one. The Court officials, -whose acquaintance I made at lunch, vied with each other in their -amiability to the foreign defender of British interests in Asia, and -this was especially the case among the military officers, who soon -struck up a political conversation with me. An Englishman, be he -courtier, soldier, or an ordinary mortal, speaks unreservedly of his -political opinions without any consideration for the party in office, -and I was much surprised to hear one of the higher Court officials, an -ardent admirer of Mr. Gladstone, speak in very sharp terms of the -politics of the Conservative, Lord Salisbury, even drawing me into the -criticism.</p> - -<p>My apartments were in one of the round towers of the Castle, so full of -historical memories, and as I gazed at the lovely landscape, with the -Thames winding in and out among the trees, and remembered the ideas I -had formed of this royal castle when I read Shakespeare, I was deeply -moved at the wonderful change in my position. If some one had told me in -the days gone by that I, who was then living in the poorest -circumstances, and even suffering hunger, should one day be the honoured -guest of the Queen of England and Empress of India at Windsor, that men -in high position would lead me through the ancient halls, show me the -royal treasures, and that I should sit next but two to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> Queen at -table, I should, in spite of my lively imagination, have thought him a -fool and have laughed in his face. The crown jewels never dazzled me to -such an extent as to force me to worship their wearer. But every one -must agree that the natural simplicity of Queen Victoria's manner, her -rare amiability and kindness of heart, and the way in which she knew how -to honour Art and Science, had a most fascinating effect on those who -came into contact with her. It is a great mistake to imagine that this -princess, placed at the head of the monarchical republic, as England may -be called on account of its constitution, was only the symbolical leader -of the mighty State, having no influence on its wonderful machinery. -Queen Victoria had a remarkable memory; she knew the ins and outs of -every question, took a lively interest in everything, and in spite of -her earnest mien and conversation, sparks of wit often lighted up the -seemingly cold surface and reminded one of the fact that she was a -talented princess and a clever, sensible woman.</p> - -<p>Queen Victoria has often erroneously been depicted as a woman cold in -manner, reserved, and of a gloomy nature, who, with her carefully worded -questions and answers made a rather unfavourable impression on her -visitor. This idea is quite incorrect. She certainly was a little -reserved at first, but as soon as her clever brain had formed an opinion -as to the character and disposition of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> stranger, her seeming -coldness was cast aside, and was replaced by a charming graciousness of -manner, and she warmed to her subject as her interest in it grew.</p> - -<p>When, at Sandringham, I had the honour of walking in the park next to -her little carriage drawn by two donkeys, she seemed at first to be -paying scant attention to my conversation with the gentleman-in-waiting -who accompanied us, but when I began to speak about my adventures and -experiences in Central Asia, her interest visibly increased, and she -made inquiries as to the smallest details. What most surprised me was -that she not only retained all the strange Oriental names, but -pronounced them quite correctly, a rare thing in a European, especially -in a lady; she even remembered the features and peculiarities of the -various Asiatics who had visited her Court, and the opinions she formed -were always correct.</p> - -<p>One evening, I think it was at Sandringham, she conversed with me for a -long time about the East, chiefly about Turkey. She remembered all the -Turkish ambassadors of half a century, and after having spoken for some -time about Fuad Pasha, I took courage, and asked her if the following -anecdote which I had often heard in the East were true:—</p> - -<p>"They say," I began, "that during one of his missions to the English -Court, Fuad Pasha brought your Majesty a beautiful brooch as a present -from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> the Sultan, Abdul Medjid, and that some years afterwards your -Majesty had a pair of earrings made of it. When on another mission Fuad -Pasha saw and admired the earrings, your Majesty is said to have -remarked: 'N'est ce pas, sa Majesté le Sultan sera bien faché -d'entendre, que j'ai gâté la broche dont il m'a fait cadeau?' Fuad Pasha -is said to have given the following witty answer: 'Au contraire, Madame, -mon souverain sera enchanté d'entendre que votre Majesté prête l'oreille -à tout ce qui vient de sa part.'"</p> - -<p>The Queen listened silently, then remarked—</p> - -<p>"It is a pretty story, but it is not true."</p> - -<p>I found that this princess had more sense of the importance of -strengthening British power in Asia, than many of her noted ministers; -and the Shah of Persia, on the occasion of his visit to Budapest, told -me astonishing stories of the Queen's familiarity with Oriental affairs. -I was not a little surprised when she, at the age of seventy, told me of -her studies in Hindustani, and showed me her written exercises in that -tongue. The two Indian servants, with their enormous turbans and wide -garments, who waited on the Queen at table and accompanied her on her -excursions, were a living proof of the interest the Empress of India -took in the establishment of British power in Asia; and when I saw with -what devotion and respect these long-bearded Asiatics waited on a woman, -and what is more, a <i>Christian</i> woman, handing her food and drink, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> -watching for the least sign from her, I could hardly refrain from -expressing my admiration. The knowledge that the most powerful sovereign -in the world, who guides the destinies of nearly four hundred million -human beings, stands before you in the form of a modest, unassuming -woman is overwhelming. And when I saw in the Royal Library at Windsor -the numerous addresses and Presentations, and assurances of devotion -from the Emir of Afghanistan and other Asiatic potentates, written on -scrolls of parchment in large golden letters, or when I admired the -crowns, sceptres, and Oriental arms, preserved in the Royal Treasury at -Windsor, I could never tire in my admiration of the power and greatness -of Britain.</p> - -<p>Discretion forbids me to say more of Queen Victoria, and I will only add -that the graciousness with which she received me, and the words in which -she acknowledged my literary efforts on England's behalf, will always be -more precious to me than all the orders and treasures with which -sovereigns think to have repaid the author.</p> - -<p>After the Queen's death in 1901 her successor, Edward VII., showed me -many marks of favour. I had made his acquaintance (as I remarked on <a href="#Page_248">p. 248</a>) in 1865, and during all the time he was Prince of Wales he never -missed an opportunity of showing his appreciation of my literary -efforts. Of all the monarchs of Europe and Asia not one has visited and -studied other countries and nationalities of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> Old and of the New -World as he has done; consequently he is very capable of leading the -politics of the giant kingdom he rules over. When, in the course of -conversation with him, I touched upon the situation in Turkey, Persia or -India, I found him quite familiar with all these subjects, and his -opinion was never influenced by differences in race or in religion. -Having noticed during his visit to Budapest that the Hungarian -aristocracy did not pay the same honour to the man of letters as was -done in London, he gave an evening party, and appeared in the -drawing-room arm in arm with the present writer, whom he introduced to -the assembled guests as "My friend, Professor Vambéry!"</p> - -<p>King Edward is at once a clever writer and a good orator, as is proved -by the book entitled, <i>Speeches and Addresses of H. R. H. The Prince of -Wales</i>, 1863-1888, London, 1889. When I visited him in 1901, shortly -after his accession to the throne, I found, greatly to my satisfaction, -that the possession of a crown had caused no change in his character. He -was as amiable as before, and begged me to visit him as often as I came -to England. He also proved his nobleness of mind on the occasion of my -seventieth birthday, when I received the following telegram from the -King's private secretary, Lord Francis Knollys: "The King commands me to -send you his warmest congratulations on the seventieth anniversary of -your birthday."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span></p><p>A few days later I received the following communication.—</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right"><span class="smcap">"Marlborough House,<span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"Pall Mall, S. W.</span>,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<i>March 18, 1902.</i></p> - -<p>"Dear <span class="smcap">Professor Vambéry</span>,—I am commanded by the King to inform you, -that he has much pleasure in conferring upon you the third class -(Commander) of the Victorian Order on your 70th birthday, as a mark -of his appreciation of your having always proved so good and -constant a friend to England, and as a token of His Majesty's -personal regard towards you.</p> - -<p>"I beg to remain, dear Professor Vambéry,</p> - -<p class="right">"Yours very faithfully,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<span class="smcap">Francis Knollys</span>."</p></blockquote> - -<p>This proof of royal favour naturally caused a sensation abroad, and also -at home, where Government had taken but scant notice of my festival, and -it was generally highly appreciated. As to why Hungary on this occasion -again tried to prove the truth of the adage that no man is a prophet in -his own country I have spoken in another part of this book.</p> - -<p>All I wish to prove now is that King Edward VII. has always shown a -lively appreciation of literary efforts and aspirations, and in spite of -his exalted position does not allow himself to be influenced by -difference in rank or religion.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span> Directly after his accession he -requested the representatives of foreign powers in London to introduce -to him all the foreign artists and authors who might come to London, as -he wished to make their acquaintance. Thus he proves himself to be a -true son of liberal Albion, and filled with the democratic spirit of our -century.</p> - -<p>As though to prove the truth of the proverb, "The fruit never falls far -from the tree," the present Prince of Wales distinguishes himself in the -same way, and by his amiability he has already won all hearts. At the -time of my visit to Sandringham I lived in the apartments of the late -Duke of Clarence, who was absent at the time, and thus I became the -neighbour of Prince George, as he was then called. One afternoon, while -I was occupied with my correspondence, I received an invitation from the -Queen to join her in the garden; as I wished to wash my hands before -going down I rang several times for warm water, but no one came. At -length the young Prince came to my door, and asked me what I wanted. I -told him, and he disappeared, returning in a few minutes with a large -jug in his hand, which he placed, smiling, on my washstand.</p> - -<p>Not at all bad, I thought, for the poor Jewish beggar-student of former -years to be waited upon by a Prince! I have often laughed at the -recollection of this incident, and have since dubbed the future -sovereign of Great Britain, "The Royal Jug-bearer."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span></p><p>The King's other children also resemble him in this respect, and I -often think of the following episode. One evening, at Sandringham, a -gala-dinner was given in honour of Queen Victoria, and I was to take -Princess Louise in to dinner; the Prince of Wales, now Edward VII., took -a glance at the assembled guests, then approached me, saying: "Vambéry, -why did you not put on orders?"</p> - -<p>I was just going to make some excuse when the Princess (the present -Duchess of Fife) remarked: "Why, Papa, Professor Vambéry ought to have -pinned some of his books on to his coat; they would be the most suitable -decorations."</p> - -<p>It was a thoroughly democratic spirit which reigned in the home of the -present King when he was Prince of Wales—a spirit which he has -introduced into Buckingham Palace to the no small anger of many -narrow-minded aristocrats. King Edward VII. understands the spirit of -his times better than many of his brother sovereigns, and his popularity -in England and America is a very natural result.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">My Intercourse with Sultan Abdul Hamid</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XI</span> <span class="smaller">MY INTERCOURSE WITH SULTAN ABDUL HAMID</span></h2> - -<p>Speaking of royal appreciation, I cannot leave unmentioned the reception -I had from the Sultan of Turkey, a curious contrast indeed to my former -life in Constantinople.</p> - -<p>My personal acquaintance with Sultan Abdul Hamid dates from the time -that I lived in the house of Rifaat Pasha, who was related to Reshid -Pasha. The son of the latter, Ghalib Pasha, who had married a daughter -of Abdul Medjid, wanted his wife to take French lessons, and I was -selected to teach her because it was understood that, being familiar -with Turkish customs, I should not infringe upon the strict rules of the -harem. Three times a week I had to present myself at the Pasha's palace, -situated on the Bay of Bebek, and each time I was conducted by a eunuch -into the Mabein, <i>i.e.</i>, a room between the harem and the selamlik, -where I sat down before a curtain behind which my pupil the princess had -placed herself. I never set eyes upon the princess. The method<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span> of -instruction I had chosen was the so-called Ahn-system, consisting of -learning by heart small sentences, gradually introducing various words -and forms. I called through the curtain, "Père—baba; mère—ana; le père -est bon—baba eji dir; la mère est bonne—ana eji dir," etc., and the -princess on the other side repeated after me, and always took trouble to -imitate my pronunciation most carefully. Fatma Sultan, as the princess -was called, had a soft, melodious voice, from which I concluded that she -had a sweet character, and she was also considerate and kind-hearted, -for after the lesson had been going on for some time she told the eunuch -by my side, or more correctly, stationed in the room to keep watch over -me, to bring me some refreshments, and afterwards she inquired after my -condition and private circumstances. It was during these lessons in the -Mabein that amongst the visitors who entered from time to time I was -particularly struck by a slender, pale-looking boy; he often sat down -beside me, fixed his eyes upon me, and seemed interested in my -discourse. I asked what his name was, and learned that it was Prince -Hamid Effendi, a brother of my pupil, and that he distinguished himself -among his brothers and sisters by a particularly lively spirit. In -course of time this little episode, like many others, faded from my -memory.</p> - -<p>After my return from Central Asia, when I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> found other spheres of work, -I kept aloof from Turkey, and I only remained in touch with the Ottoman -people in so far as my philological and ethnographical studies had -reference to the linguistic and ethnical part of this most Westerly -branch of the great Turkish family. In my political writings, chiefly -taken up with the affairs of inner Asia, the unfortunate fate of the -Porte has always continued to touch me very deeply. The land of my -youthful dreams, to which I am for ever indebted for its noble -hospitality, and where I have felt as much at home as in my own country, -could never be indifferent to me. Its troubles and misfortunes were -mine, and whenever opportunity offered I have broken a lance for Turkey; -without keeping up personal relations with the Porte, I have always -considered it a sacred duty with my pen to stand up for the interests of -this often unjustly calumniated nation. My Turkophile sympathies could, -of course, not remain unknown on the banks of the Bosphorus, and when, -after the opening of railway communication with Turkey, I went to -Stambul, I received from the Turks and their ruler a quiet, -unostentatious, but all the warmer and heartier reception. Our mutual -relationship only gradually manifested itself. On my first journey I -remained almost unnoticed, for after a space of thirty years only a few -of my old acquaintances were left, and the <i>ci-devant</i> Reshid Effendi, -under which name I was known at the Porte, was only remembered by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> a -few. My second visit was already more of a success, and my reappearance -in public revived the old memory, for my fluency of speech had lent "the -foreigner" a new attraction in Turkish society. Wherever I appeared in -public I was looked at somewhat doubtfully, for many who had not known -me before imagined from my real Turkish Effendi conversation that I was -a Turkish renegade. Thanks to my old connections, the problem was soon -solved. The Turkish newspapers gave long columns about my humble person, -and extolled the services which, in spite of many years' absence, I had -rendered to the country.</p> - -<p>Sultan Abdul Hamid, a watchful and enlightened ruler, full of national -pride, although perhaps a little too anxious and severely absolute, was -certainly not the one to lag behind his people in acknowledging merit; -and as an unpleasant incident prevented him from showing me his -sympathies on my first visit, I was invited a few months later to pay -another visit to the Turkish capital as his special guest. To make up -for former neglect I received an almost regal reception. The slope up to -Pera which in 1857 I had climbed a destitute young adventurer, I now -drove up in a royal equipage accompanied by the court officials who had -received me at the station; and when I had been installed in the -apartments prepared for me by the Sultan's command, and was soon after -welcomed by the Grandmaster of Ceremonies on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> behalf of the sovereign, -that old fairy-tale-feeling came over me again. My first quarters at -Püspöki's, swarming with rats; my <i>rôle</i> of house-dog in the isolated -dwelling of Major A., my <i>début</i> as singer and reciter in the -coffee-houses, and many other reminiscences from the struggling -beginning of my career in the East, flitted before my eyes in a cloudy -vision of the past.</p> - -<p>On the morning after my arrival I could have stood for hours gazing out -of the window on the Bosphorus, recalling a hundred different episodes -enacted on this spot, but I was wakened out of these sweet dreams by an -adjutant of the Sultan who called to conduct me to an audience at the -Yildiz Palace. As I passed through the great entrance hall of the -Chit-Kiosk, where the Sultan was wont to receive in the morning, -marshals, generals, and high court officials rose from their seats to -greet me, and on many faces I detected an expression of astonishment, -why, how, and for what their imperial master was doing so much honour to -this insignificant, limping European, who was not even an ambassador. -When I appeared before the Sultan he came a few steps towards me, shook -hands, and made me sit down in an easy chair by his side. At the first -words I uttered—of course I made my speech as elegant as I -could—surprise was depicted on the face of the Ruler of all True -Believers, and when I told him that I remembered him as a -twelve-year-old boy in the palace of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> sister, Fatma Sultan, the wife -of Ali Ghalib Pasha, attending the French lesson which I was giving the -princess, the ice was broken at once, and the otherwise timid and -suspicious monarch treated me as an old acquaintance. At a sign the -chamberlain on duty left the hall, and I remained quite alone with -Sultan Abdul Hamid—a distinction thus far not vouchsafed to many -Europeans, and not likely to be, as the Sultan is not acquainted with -European languages, and therefore, according to the rules of court -etiquette, cannot hold a face-to-face interview with foreigners. The -conversation turned for the greater part upon persons and events of -thirty years past, upon his father, Sultan Abdul Medjid, to whom I had -once been presented, Reshid Pasha, Lord Stratford Canning, whom the -Sultan remembered distinctly, and many other persons, questions, and -details of that time. As the conversation progressed the splendour and -the nimbus of majesty disappeared before my eyes. I saw merely a Turkish -Pasha or Effendi such as I had known many in high Stambul society, only -with this difference, that Sultan Abdul Hamid, by his many endowments, a -wonderful memory, and a remarkable knowledge of European affairs, far -surpasses many of his highly gifted subjects. Of course I became -gradually freer in my conversation, and when the Sultan offered me a -cigarette and with his own hand struck a match for me to light it, I was -quite overcome by the affability of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> absolute Ruler, Padishah, and -Representative of Mohammed on earth, or "Shadow of God," as he is also -called.</p> - -<p>The first audience lasted over half an hour, and when, after being -escorted to the door by the Sultan, I again passed through the entrance -hall crowded with high dignitaries, the surprise of these men was even -greater than before, and for days together the topic of conversation in -the circles of the Porte at Stambul, and in the diplomatic circles of -Pera, was the extraordinary familiarity existing between the generally -timid and reserved Sultan and my humble self. As this intimacy has also -been commented upon and explained in various ways in Europe, I will -shortly state what was the real motive of the Sultan's attentions to me, -and why I have been so anxious to retain his favour.</p> - -<p>First of all I must point out that I was the first European known to the -Sultan who was equally at home in the East as in the West, familiar with -the languages, customs, and political affairs of both parts of the -world, and who, in his presence, was not stiff like the Europeans, but -pliant, like the Asiatics of the purest water. I always appeared before -him with my fez on; I greeted him as an Oriental greets his sovereign; I -used the usual bombastic forms of speech in addressing him; I sat, -stood, went about, as it becomes an Oriental—in a word I submitted to -all the conventionalities which the Westerner never observes in the -presence<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> of the Sultan. Moreover, he was impressed by all my -experiences, and in his desire for knowledge he was pleased to be -instructed on many points. All these things put together were in -themselves enough to attract his attention towards me. The second reason -for the friendship and amiability shown me by Sultan Abdul Hamid was my -Hungarian nationality, and the Turcophile character of my public -activity, of which, however, he did not hear more fully till later. The -friendly feelings exhibited by Hungary during the late Russo-Turkish war -had touched the Sultan deeply, and his sympathies for the Christian -sister-nation of the Magyars were undoubtedly warm and true. Now as to -the possible merits of my writings, the Sultan, like the Turks in -general, was well aware of my Turcophile journalistic activity, but none -of them had the slightest conception of my philological and ethnological -studies in connection with Turkey. They had never even heard of them, -and when I handed the Sultan a copy of my monograph on the Uiguric -linguistic monuments, he said, somewhat perplexed, "We have never heard -of the existence of such ancient Turkish philological monuments, and it -is really very interesting that our ancestors even before the adoption -of Islam were many of them able to write, as would appear from these -curious characters." With regard to the skill and tact of Sultan Abdul -Hamid I will just mention in connection with the subject of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> old -Turkish language, that he, recognising at once my keen interest in -everything of an old Turkish nature, drew my attention to some pictures -in his reception-room, the one of Söyjüt in Asia Minor (the cradle of -the Ottoman dynasty), and the other of the Mausoleum of Osman; and he -told me with some pride that these pictures were the work of a Turkish -artist. He also told me that in the Imperial household, which lives in -strict seclusion from the other Osmanli, a considerable number of -Turkish words and expressions are used quite unknown to the other -Osmanli more accessible to outside influences. The Sultan quoted some -specimens, and, as I recognised in them Azerbaidjan, <i>i.e.</i>, Turkoman -linguistic remains, the Sultan smiled, quite pleased, thinking that with -these monuments he could prove the unadulterated Turkish national -character of the Osmanli dynasty. This vanity surprised me greatly, as a -while ago the Turks were rather ashamed of their Turkish antecedents, -and now their monarch actually boasted of them!</p> - -<p>The third, and perhaps the most valid, reason for the Sultan's -attentions to me lay in the international character of my pen, and more -especially in the notice which England had taken of my writings. Sultan -Abdul Hamid, a skilful diplomatist and discerner of men, one of the most -cunning Orientals I have ever known, attached great importance to the -manner in which he was thought and talked of in Europe. Public opinion -in the West, scorned<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> by our would-be important highest circles of -society—although they cannot hide their chagrin in case of unfavourable -criticism—has always seemed of very great moment to the Sultan; and in -his endeavours to incline public opinion in his favour this clever -Oriental has given the best proof that he has a keener insight into the -political and social conditions than many of his Christian -fellow-sovereigns. Fully conscious that his ultimate fate depends on -Europe, he has always endeavoured to make himself beloved, not at one -single court, but by the various people of Europe, and is anxious to -avoid all cause of blame and severe criticism. England's opinion he -seemed to think a great deal of; for although he simulated indifference -and even assumed an air of hostility, in his innermost mind he was -firmly convinced that England from motives of self-interest would be -compelled to uphold the Ottoman State, and at the critical moment would -come to the rescue and lend a helping hand. To hide this last anchor of -hope he has often coquetted with France, even with Russia, in order to -annoy the English and to make them jealous; but how very different his -real inmost feelings and expectations were I have often gathered from -his conversations. Sultan Abdul Hamid has always been of a peculiarly -nervous, excitable nature; against his will he often flew into a -passion, trembled in every limb, and his voice refused speech. On one -occasion he told me how he had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> been brought up with the warmest -sympathies for England, how his father had spoken of England as Turkey's -best friend, and how now in his reign, through the politics of Gladstone -and the occupation of Egypt, he had had to undergo the most painful -experiences. Then every appearance of dissimulation vanished, and I -could look right down into the heart of this extraordinary man.</p> - -<p>It was during a conversation about the advisability of an English -alliance in the interests of the Ottoman State, that the Sultan in the -fire of his conversation told me the following: "I was six or seven -years old when my blessed father commanded my presence, as he was going -to send me to one of my aunts. I found him in one of his apartments, -sitting on a sofa in intimate conversation with an elderly Christian -gentleman. When my father noticed me, he called to me to come nearer and -kiss the hand of the stranger seated by his side. At this behest I burst -out in tears, for the idea of kissing the hand of a Giaour was to me in -my inexperience absolutely revolting. My father, generally so -sweet-tempered, became angry and said: 'Do you know who this gentleman -is? It is the English Ambassador, the best friend of my house and my -country, and the English, although not belonging to our faith, are our -most faithful allies.' Upon this I reverently kissed the old gentleman's -hand. It was the Böyük Eltchi, Lord Stratford Canning. My father's words -were deeply engraved upon my mind, and so I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span> grew up with the idea that -the English are our best friends. How bitterly I was disillusioned when -I came to the throne! England left me in the lurch, for the -demonstration of the fleet in the Sea of Marmora, as was said in -Constantinople, was instigated more by the interests of England than of -Turkey, which is not right. Her ambassadors—<i>i.e.</i>, Elliot and -Layard—have betrayed me, and when I was in want of money and asked for -a small loan of £150,000, I received a negative reply. So that is what -you in the West call friendship, and thus the beautiful dreams of my -youth have come to naught," cried the Sultan with a deep sigh. My -explanation that in England, without the consent of Parliament, no large -sums of money can be lent or given away did not in the least enlighten -the Sultan. Oriental sovereigns do not believe it even now, for to them -constitution and Parliament are mere names, invented to mislead the -public. To born Asiatics, moreover, the liberal methods of Governments -of the West are altogether unreasonable, and Feth Ali Shah said to the -English Ambassador, Malcolm, these well-known words: "And you call your -sovereign a mighty ruler, who allows himself to be dictated to by six -hundred of his subjects (the members of Parliament), whose orders he is -bound to follow? A crown like that I would refuse," said this king of -all Iran kings; and my friend Max Nordau is much of the same opinion, -for in his <i>Conventional Lies</i> he suggests<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span> that all genuine -constitutional sovereigns of Europe should be sent to the lunatic -asylum, because they imagine themselves to be rulers and are ruled over -by others.</p> - -<p>Like Feth Ali Shah, and even more than he, Sultan Abdul Hamid hated all -liberal forms of government. He never made a secret of this opinion, and -during the many years of our acquaintance the Sultan repeatedly -expressed his views on this matter frankly and without palliation. In -one way, as already mentioned, it was my thorough Turkishness in -language and behaviour—he always addressed me as Reshid Effendi and -also treated me as such—which led him to make these confidences and to -overcome his innate timidity and suspicion. Then, again, my relations -with the successor to the English throne carried weight with him, and -the invitation I had received from Queen Victoria induced him to see in -me something more than an ordinary scholar and traveller; in fact, he -looked upon me as a confidant of the English court and Government—two -ideas which to him were inseparable—to whom he might freely and safely -open his heart.</p> - -<p>"I am always surrounded by hypocrites and parasites," he said to me one -day; "I am weary of these everlasting laudations and this endless -sneaking. They all want to take advantage of me, all seek to gratify -their private interests; and all that come to my ears are base lies and -mean<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> dissimulations. Believe me, the truth, be it ever so bitter, would -please me better than all these empty compliments to which they feel -bound to treat me. I want you to speak frankly and openly to me; you are -my superior in years and experience; you are at home both in the East -and in the West, and there is much I can learn from you." This candid -speech, of a sort not very usual with Oriental potentates, naturally -encouraged me still more, and during the hours spent in confidential -<i>tête-à-tête</i> with Sultan Abdul Hamid I could touch upon the tenderest -and most delicate points of the home and foreign politics of his court -and the characteristics of his dignitaries. The Sultan always surprised -me with his sound remarks. He bitterly complained of the -untrustworthiness of his first ministers, called them not very -complimentary names, and from the confidences of this apparently mighty -autocrat I caught a faint glimmer of his impotence and utter loneliness. -Once when I called his attention to the ignoble conduct of his chief -courtiers, he appeared to be specially excited, and cried, "Do you think -I do not know every one of them, and am not aware of it all? Alas! I -know but too well. But whence can I procure other and better people in a -society which for centuries has wallowed in this pool of slander? Only -time and culture can do salutary work here; nothing else can do it." -And, indeed, contrary to all previously conceived notions, the Sultan -had admitted into his immediate surroundings such young<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span> people as had -distinguished themselves in the schools, and were in no way connected -with the leading families. His object was to create a circle of his own -round him, and like these confidants at home, he wanted me, abroad, to -show him my friendship by sending him at least twice a month a report -written in Turkish about public opinion in Europe; about the position of -the political questions of the day; about the condition of Islam outside -Turkey, and to answer the questions he would put to me.</p> - -<p>I readily promised my services, but soon realised that with all his -apparent frankness, these confessions of a monarch brought up in -strictly Oriental principles were not to be taken in real earnest, for -when one day, in the heat of conversation, I made some slightly critical -remarks, and ventured to question the expediency or the advisability of -certain measures and plans of his Majesty, I noticed at once signs of -displeasure and surprise on his countenance, and from that time little -clouds have darkened the horizon of our mutual intercourse. And how -could it be otherwise? Potentates, and above all Orientals, are far too -much accustomed to incense; the coarse food of naked truth cannot be to -their taste; and when an absolute ruler is superior to his surroundings, -not only in actual power but also in intellectual endowments, an adverse -opinion, no matter how thickly sugared the pill may be, is not easily -swallowed. From the very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> beginning of his reign Sultan Abdul Hamid has -never tolerated any contradiction; apparently he listened patiently to -any proffered advice, but without allowing himself to be shaken in his -preconceived opinion; and when some Grand-Vizier or other distinguished -himself by steadfastness to his own individual views, as was the case, -for instance, with Khaired-din Pasha, Kiamil Pasha, Ahmed Vefik Pasha, -and others, they soon have had to retire. True, through his -extraordinary acuteness the Sultan has mitigated many mistakes resulting -from his defective education. In conversation he hardly ever betrayed -his absolute lack of schooling, although he was not even well versed in -his own mother-tongue. He said to me frequently, "Please talk ordinary -Turkish!" His excellent memory enabled him to turn to good account a -thing years after he had heard it, and his flowery language deceived -many of his European visitors. But, taking him altogether, he was a -great ignoramus and sadly needed to be taught, though in his sovereign -dignity and exalted position of "God's Shadow on Earth," he had to fancy -himself omniscient. Thoroughly convinced of this, I have, in my -subsequent intercourse with the Sultan, exercised a certain amount of -reserve; I learned to be ever more careful in my expressions, and when -the Sultan noticed this I replied in the words of the Persian poem—</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>"The nearness of princes is as a burning fire,"</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span></p><p>which he took with a gratified smile. In a word, I was a dumb -counsellor, and I much regret that the European diplomats on the -Bosphorus did not look upon my position in this light, but laid all -sorts of political intrigues to my charge; and that my relations to the -Sultan, who had me for hours together in his room—and when I was there -kept even his most intimate chamberlain at a distance—necessarily gave -rise to a good deal of speculation. The long faces, the frowns, the -despairing looks which the court officials in the Sultan's immediate -vicinity showed me, and the way they measured me when after a long -audience I crossed the hall or the park, often startled me and made me -feel uncomfortable. These simple folks took me for the devil or some -magic spectre personified who had ensnared their sovereign, and was -leading him, God only knows whither. There were but few who had a good -word for me, and many were quite convinced that at every visit I carried -away with me into the land of unbelievers quantities of treasures and -gold. When later on through my intercourse with the Moslem scholars and -Mollas at court I had made a name as a practical scholar of Islam, and -became conspicuous on account of my Persian and Tartar conversational -powers, they were still more astonished, and the head-shaking over my -enigmatic personality became even more significant. They took me for a -deposed Indian prince, a Turkestan scholar exiled by the Russians, but -most often for a dangerous<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span> person whom it had been better for the -Sultan never to have known. To the European circles of Pera I was -likewise a riddle. Sometimes alone, sometimes in company with Hungarian -academicians, I used to search in the Imperial treasure-house for -remains of the library of King Mathias Corvinus, captured by the Turks -in Ofen and brought over to Constantinople. I discovered many things, -but I was branded as a political secret agent of England. A well-known -diplomatist said, "Ce savant est un homme dangereux, il faut se défaire -de lui." But the good man was mistaken. I was neither <i>dangereux</i> nor -secret agent of any State; for, in the first place, my self-esteem -revolted against the assigned <i>rôle</i> of dealer in diplomatic secrets; -and, moreover, what Cabinet would think of employing a secret agent -outside their Legation, maintained at such great expense? I do not for a -moment wish to hide the fact that in my conversations with the Sultan -about political questions I always took the side of Austro-Hungary and -England; that I was always up in arms against Russia, and launched out -against the perfidy, the barbarism, and the insatiable greed for land of -the Northern power. More anti-Russian than all Turks and the Sultan -himself, I could not well be, and the more I could blacken Russia -politically the better service did I fancy I rendered to our European -culture. To obviate any suspicion, the Sultan once wanted to invite me -to a court dinner together<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span> with the Russian Ambassador Nelidoff; -however, I begged to be excused. Of the various ambassadors I have only -attended a public court dinner with the Persian Ambassador (Prince -Maurocordato), the plenipotentiary of Greece, and with Baron Marshal von -Bieberstein, and these diplomatists were not a little surprised to -notice the attention with which the Sultan treated me.</p> - -<p>For several years I thus enjoyed the Sultan's favour and occupied this -exceptional position at his court. As long as the Grand Seigneur saw in -me a staunch Turcophile and defender of Islam, who, led by fanaticism, -palliated all the mistakes and wrong-doings with which Europe charged -all Oriental systems of government; as long as I regarded Turkey as an -unwarrantably abused State, and European intervention as unjustifiable -at all times, he gave me his undivided confidence and astonished me by -his unfeigned candour.</p> - -<p>Many years of experience in Turkish society had taught me that the -Sultan is regarded as an almost Divine being, and consequently this -extraordinary affability was all the more surprising. He treated me, so -to speak, as a confidential friend, talked with me about State concerns, -and the interests of his dynasty, as if I had been an Osmanli and -co-regent of the empire. He conferred with me about the most delicate -political questions, with a candour, which he never displayed even -before his Grand-Vizier and his Ministers; and consequently my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span> letters -to him from Budapest were free and unrestrained, and such as this -sovereign had probably never received before.</p> - -<p>Now, if there had only been questions of purely Turkish interests, -internal reforms and improvements, there would have been no occasion to -shake the Sultan's confidence in me, but Sultan Abdul Hamid's mind was -always busy with foreign politics, and because in regard to these I -could not always unconditionally agree with him, this was bound to lead -in process of time, if not to an absolute rupture, at any rate to a -cooling of our former warm friendship. For some time the Egyptian -Question was the chief point of discussion. The Sultan often complained -to me about the unlucky star which ruled over his foreign politics; that -he had lost so many of the inherited provinces, that the loss of the -Nile-land, that precious jewel of his crown, was particularly grievous -to him, and that the faithlessness of the English troubled him above all -things. As a matter of course he vented his wrath especially upon the -English Government; and although he was not particularly enamoured of -any of the European Cabinets, nay, I might say, hated and feared them -all alike, it was the St. James's Cabinet which, whether Liberal or -Conservative, had always to bear the brunt of his ire. He was on very -bad terms with the two English Ambassadors who shortly before and -shortly after his accession to the throne represented the Cabinet of St. -James's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span> in Constantinople. Once, Lady Layard sent me for presentation -to the Sultan, a picture of herself in a very valuable frame, and when I -delivered it on the occasion of an evening audience the Grand Seigneur, -generally so completely master of himself, became quite excited, and -pointing to the portrait he said to me, "For this lady, whom you see -there, I have the greatest respect; for during the war she has tended my -wounded soldiers with great self-sacrifice, and I shall always feel -grateful to her; but as for her husband," he continued, "I have torn him -out of my heart, for he has shamefully abused my confidence." Thereupon -he tore at his breast as if he would pull something out, and slinging -his empty hand to the ground, he tramped excitedly on the floor, as if -he were demolishing the heart of the absent delinquent. This act of -passionate emotion I have noticed more particularly among Turkish women, -and there are many traits in the Sultan's character which speak of the -harem life. I tried to pacify the angry monarch by reminding him that -Layard, as ambassador, had but done his duty in delivering the message, -and that those gentlemen alone were to blame who had allowed such -confidential communications to become public property. I quoted, -moreover, the Koran passage which says, "La zewal fi'l sefirun" ("The -envoy is not to be blamed"); but it was all in vain, the name of this -deserving English diplomat had quite upset the Sultan; he was unwilling -and unable to distinguish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> between the actions of the statesman and of -the private gentleman.</p> - -<p>One cannot altogether blame the Sultan either, when we think of the -bitter experiences he so often has had to undergo; but in politics, -justice and fairness have quite a different meaning from what they have -in ordinary life, and Sultan Abdul Hamid most decidedly acted -imprudently when, without taking into consideration England's most vital -interests, he demanded of this State a policy which, on account of the -altered general aspect of affairs, and on account of the growing insular -antipathy against Turkey, had become impossible. That the Conservatives, -in spite of all Mr. Gladstone's Atrocity-meetings, dared to appear with -a fleet in the Sea of Marmora, to prevent Russia from taking -Constantinople, has never been appreciated by the Sultan. He had always -before his eyes the comedy of Dulcigno and Smyrna, instigated by the -Liberal Government of England, and the occupation of Egypt appeared to -him more perfidious than the challenge of Russia, and all the injury he -had sustained from the Western Power.</p> - -<p>In course of time the relations between the Porte and the Cabinet of St. -James were bound to become cooler. <i>Inter duos litigantes</i>, Russia was -the <i>tertius gaudens</i>; and when in addition to the previous coldness the -Armenian difficulties arose, the two great European Powers completely -changed places in Asia, for the Russian arch-enemy became<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> the bosom -friend and confidant of the Turkish court (not of the Turkish nation), -and England was looked upon as the <i>diabolus rotæ</i> of the Ottoman -Empire. With regard to the Armenian troubles Sultan Abdul Hamid's anger -against England was not altogether unfounded; for although in London -good care was taken to keep aloof publicly from the disturbances in the -Armenian mountains, the agitation of English agents in the North of Asia -Minor is beyond all doubt. The Sultan was carefully informed of this -both foolish and unreasonable movement. Whatever the Hintchakists and -other revolutionary committees of the Armenian malcontents brewed in -London, Paris, New York, Marseilles, &c., full knowledge of it was -received in Yildiz; the Armenians themselves had provided the secret -service. As early as the autumn of 1890 the Sultan complained to me -about these intrigues, and twelve months later he made use of the -expression, "I tell you, I will soon settle those Armenians. I will give -them a box on the ear which will make them smart and relinquish their -revolutionary ambitions." With this "box on the ear" he meant the -massacres which soon after were instituted. The Sultan kept his word. -The frightful slaughter in Constantinople and many other places of Asia -Minor has not unjustly stirred up the indignation of the Christian -world, but on the other hand the fact should not have been lost sight of -that Christian Russia and Austria in suppressing <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span>revolutions in their -own dominions have acted, perhaps, not quite so severely, but with no -less blood-thirstiness. That his drastic measures roused the public -opinion of all Europe against the Sultan was no secret to him. He was -aware of the beautiful titles given to him, "Great Assassin," "Sultan -Rouge," "Abdul the Damned," &c., and once touching upon the Western -infatuation against his person, he seemed in the following remark to -find a kind of apology for the cruelties perpetrated in his name. "In -the face of the everlasting persecutions and hostilities of the -Christian world," the Sultan said, "I have been, so to speak, compelled -to take these drastic measures. By taking away Rumenia and Greece, -Europe has cut off the feet of the Turkish State body. The loss of -Bulgaria, Servia, and Egypt has deprived us of our hands, and now by -means of this Armenian agitation they want to get at our most vital -parts, tear out our very entrails—this would be the beginning of total -annihilation, and this we must fight against with all the strength we -possess." In truth, notwithstanding all the evident signs of a total -downfall the Sultan still nursed high-flown ideas of regeneration and -security for his Empire. He often spoke of the cancelling of -capitulations and of the certain advantages to be derived from his -Alliance schemes. He has always placed great confidence in the -Panislamic movement which he inaugurated, and which he certainly -directed very skilfully. His agents traverse India,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> South Russia, -Central Asia, China, Java, and Africa; they proclaim everywhere the -religious zeal, the power and the greatness of the Khaliph; up to the -present, however, they have succeeded only in making the birthday of the -Sultan a day of public rejoicing throughout Islamic lands, and in -preparing the threads wherewith to weave the bond of unity. One day, as -we were talking about these plans, he denied them altogether, and -pretended to be very much surprised. These schemes for the future were -his particular hobby; he spoke of them only to his most intimate -servants and court officials, and to no one besides, not even to his -ministers. The latter he called fortune-hunters, who deserve no -confidence. "How can I believe my ministers?" he said at one time. "When -a while ago I sent for my police minister, he came into my presence -quite intoxicated. I drove the swine out of the room and dismissed him -next day." That he encouraged the evil, that with his strictly -autocratic and absolutist ideas he prevented the growth of capable -statesmen, that no clever politicians could possibly thrive under -him—all this he would never realise, although I often hinted at it and -reminded him of the Prophet's warning, "Ye shall consult one another." -He was and always will be an incorrigible Arch-Turk, who in the shadow -of his Divine reputation would have free disposal of all things; and -when his First Secretary told him that I had been a <i>protégé</i> of the -late Grand-Vizier Mahmud<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span> Nedim Pasha, the friend of Ignatieff, he said, -turning to me, "Yes, Mahmud Nedim Pasha was a singularly clever man, a -true Turk and Moslem, and a faithful servant to his master."</p> - -<p>I soon came to the conclusion that with a sovereign of this kind, there -was not much good to be done, and without flatly contradicting him, I -quietly adhered to my own political views. As I look at things now, it -seems quite natural that I excited his displeasure, and that he looked -askance at my English predilections. The Sultan expected of me -unconditional approval of his political views; he wanted to have in me a -friend, absolutely Turkish in my views, as opposed to the Christian -world, and willing, like many a prominent man in Europe, to hold up the -East as noble, sublime, humane, and just, and to put down the West as -reprobate, crude, and rapacious. No, that was expecting a little too -much of my Turkish sympathies! I have always been too much imbued with -the high advantages of our Western culture, too fully convinced of the -beneficial influences of nineteenth-century ideas, to lend myself to -sing the unqualified praises of Asia—rotten, despotic, ready to -die—and to exalt the Old World over the New! No, neither imperial -favour nor any power on earth could have induced me to do this, and when -the Sultan realised that, he began to treat me with indifference; he -even told me once that he did not like children who could cling to two -mothers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> and without actually showing me any hostility or dislike, as -my international penmanship was not quite a matter of indifference to -him, he dismissed me, to all appearance, graciously. He was undeceived, -but I remained what I always have been, a friend of Turkey.</p> - -<p>How it came about that, in spite of his ill-will, the Sultan for many -years after still showed me favour, and even invited me more than once -to visit Constantinople, I can only explain by the fact that, although -distrusting everybody, even himself, he did not lose sight of the use my -pen could be to him. Sultan Abdul Hamid, as I said before, had an -indescribable dread of the public opinion of Europe, which he took into -account in all his transactions; he always wanted to act the -enlightened, liberal, patriotic, order-loving, and conscientious ruler. -He always wanted to show off the very thin and light varnish of culture -which a very defective education and a flying visit through Europe -(1868) had given him. Without knowing French he would often interlard -his Turkish conversation with French words and sayings, to impress the -ambassadors and other exalted guests, just as in company with Moslem -scholars he made a special point of introducing theological and -technical terms, without ever rising above the level of a half-cultured -Moslem. Thanks to his remarkable memory, he was never at a loss for such -terms, but his actual familiarity with either<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> European or Asiatic -culture was very slight, since his kind-hearted but far too lenient -father had never kept his children to their books. Kemal Effendi, the -tutor of the imperial prince, told me in the fifties quite incredible -things about the indolence of his imperial pupil. Reshad Effendi, the -heir presumptive, had a taste for Persian and Arabic, and had at an -early age made some attempts at Persian poetry, but Hamid Effendi, the -present Sultan, was not so easily induced to sit on the school bench. -Harem intrigues and harem scandal were more to his liking, and if one -wanted to know anything about the secrets of individual members of the -imperial <i>gynécée</i>, one had but to go to Hamid Effendi for information. -It is a great pity that this lively and really talented prince had not -received a better education in his youth. Who knows but what he might -have made a better sovereign on the throne of the Osmanlis?</p> - -<p>My intercourse with this man was to me of exceptional interest, not so -much in his capacity of prince, but rather as man and Oriental. When in -the evening I was with him alone in the Chalet Kiosk we used to sit -still, trying to read each other's thoughts, for the imperial rogue knew -his man well enough; and after we had thus contemplated one another for -some time, the Sultan would break the silence by some irrelevant remark, -or occasionally he would ask me something about my Asiatic or European -experiences. As it is not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span> seemly for a Khaliph, <i>i.e.</i>, a lawful -descendant of Mohammed, to hold intimate conversation with an -unbeliever, or, what is worse, to ask his advice, the Sultan used to -treat me as an old, experienced, true believer, called me always by my -Turkish name, Reshid Effendi, and particularly emphasised the same when -at an audience pious or learned Moslems happened to be present. Sultan -Abdul Hamid, one of the greatest <i>charmeurs</i> that ever was, knew always -in some way or other how to fascinate his guests. He delighted in paying -compliments, lighting the cigarette for his guest, with a civility -vainly looked for amongst ordinary civilians.</p> - -<p>Of course, his one aim and object was to captivate and charm his -visitors with this extreme affability. Sometimes also he was quite -theatrical in his demeanour; he could feign anger, joy, surprise, -everything at his pleasure, and I shall never forget one scene provoked -by a somewhat animated discussion of the Egyptian Question. In order to -pacify his anger against England, I ventured to remark that after the -settling of the Egyptian State debt the yearly tribute would be paid -again. The Sultan misunderstood me, and concluding that I was speaking -of redemption money, he jumped up from his seat and cried in a very -excited voice, "What! do you think I shall give up for a price the land -which my forefathers conquered with the sword?" His thin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span> legs shook in -his wide trousers, his fez fell back on his neck, his hands trembled, -and almost ready to faint he leaned back in his seat. And yet all this -excitement was pretence, just as when another time in his zeal to -persuade me to enter his service and to remain permanently in Stambul, -he grasped both my hands, and with assurances of his unalterable favour, -promised me a high position and wealth. What induced the sly, suspicious -man to this extraordinary display of tenderness was undoubtedly my -practical knowledge of Islamic lands and of Turkey in particular. More -than once he said to me, "You know our land and our nation better than -we do ourselves." My personal acquaintance with all circles of the Porte -of former days was not much to his liking, neither did he like my -popularity with the Turkish people, the result of many years of friendly -intercourse with them; yet he had to take this into account, and <i>nolens -volens</i> must keep on good terms with me. Curiously enough, devoted as he -was to his severely despotic principles, this monarch sometimes had fits -of singular mildness and gentleness. Once I was sitting with him till -far into the night in the great hall of the Chalet Kiosk. It was the -height of summer, and in the heat of the conversation his Majesty had -become thirsty, and called to the attendant in the ante-room, "Su -ghetirin" ("Bring water"). The attendant, who had probably fallen -asleep, did not hear. The Sultan called twice,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span> three times, clapped his -hands, but all in vain, and when I jumped up and called the man, the -Sultan said to him, almost beseechingly, "Three times I have asked for -water, and you have not given it me; I am thirsty, very thirsty." With -any other Oriental despot the servant would have forfeited his head, but -Abdul Hamid's character was the most curious mixture imaginable of good -and bad qualities, which he exhibited according to the mood in which he -happened to be.</p> - -<p>Honestly speaking, these <i>tête-à-têtes</i> with the Sultan were anything -but unmixed pleasure. Notwithstanding his pleasing manners and outward -amiability, his sinister and scrutinising look had often a very -unpleasant effect upon me. One evening, seated as usual alone with the -Sultan in the Chit Kiosk, sipping our tea, I fancied my tea was not -quite sweet enough, and while talking I stretched out my hand towards -the sugar basin, which stood near the Sultan. He gave a sudden start and -drew back on the sofa. The movement suggested that he thought I had -intended an attack upon his person. Another time, it was after dinner, I -was taking coffee in his company. I noticed that in the ardour of his -conversation he was suddenly seized with an attack of shortness of -breath. He actually gasped for air. The sight of his oppression was -painful, and I could not help thinking what would be my fate if in one -of these attacks the Sultan were to choke. One may<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span> say it is foolish, -and call me weak, but any one knowing something of life in an Oriental -palace will agree with me that the situation was anything but a joke. -Apart from this I got my full share of the moodiness of Oriental -despotism; sometimes it was almost too much for my much-tried patience. -In spite of politely worded invitations I often had to wait for days -before I was received in audience. Four, six, eight days together did I -wait in an antechamber, until at last I was told, "His Majesty extremely -regrets, on account of pressing business, or on account of sudden -indisposition, to have to delay the reception till the next day." The -next day came, and again the same story, "the next day." I remember -once, during a visit to Constantinople, to have packed and unpacked my -effects five times, awaiting permission to return home. Complaints, -entreaties, expostulations, all were of no avail, for the Muneddjim -Bashi (Court Astrologer) regulates his Majesty's actions, and these -ordinances are most strictly adhered to. My intercourse with the Sultan -was certainly not perfectly harmonious. I did my utmost to preserve my -influence over him, but at last I had to realise that all my trouble was -in vain, and that my efforts would never bear any fruit.</p> - -<p>And it could not well have been otherwise. His policy was partly of a -purely personal nature, as with all Oriental despots; such policy, -strictly conservative in tendency, was concerned<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> with the maintenance -of an absolutely despotic <i>régime</i>. Partly, also, it was of necessity -influenced by the temporary political constellations of the West. The -indecision which characterises his least action is a result of the -spirit which prevails in the imperial harem, where no one trusts -another, where every one slanders his neighbour, and tries to deceive -and annihilate him, where everything turns round the sun of imperial -favour. Our diplomatists on the Bosphorus have often had to pay dearly -for this characteristic of Abdul Hamid. At the time of the negotiations -about the Egyptian Question Lord Dufferin once had to wait with his -secretary in the Yildiz Palace for the Sultan's decision from ten -o'clock in the morning till after midnight. Six times the draft of the -treaty was put before him to sign, and each time it was returned in -somewhat altered form until the English Ambassador, wearied to death at -last, lost his patience, and at two o'clock in the morning returned with -his suite to Therapia. Lord Dufferin had already retired to bed, and was -fast asleep when he was roused by the arrival of a special messenger -from the Sultan to negotiate about another proposal, but the English -patience was exhausted and the fate of Egypt sealed. On other occasions -there were similar and often more dramatic scenes, and even with simple -dinner invitations it has often occurred that the ambassadors in -question received a countermand only after they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</a></span> had already started <i>en -grande tenue</i> on the way to Yildiz.</p> - -<p>As regards the distrust displayed by the ruler of Turkey, worried as he -was on all sides, some excuse may be found for him, for true and -unselfish friendships are unknown quantities in diplomatic intercourse. -But Sultan Abdul Hamid behaved in the same manner towards his Asiatic -subjects. He has always been a pessimist of the most pronounced type; he -scented danger and treason wherever he went, and everything had to give -way before his personal interests. "The future of Turkey and the -well-being of the Ottoman nation are always being discussed, but of me -and my dynasty nobody speaks," he said to me one day. To all intents and -purposes he always behaved as if he were master and owner of all Turkey, -and as nothing in the world could make him see differently, I very soon -saw the fruitlessness of my endeavours, and in future I acted only the -<i>rôle</i> of onlooker and observer.</p> - -<p>A sovereign who for well-nigh thirty years has ruled and governed with -absolute power, who has succeeded in carrying autocracy and absolutism -to their limits, while the greatest as well as the very smallest -concerns of the State and of society pass through his hands, such a -sovereign runs great danger of becoming conceited and proud, since his -servile surroundings continually extol and deify him beyond all measure. -Sultan Abdul Hamid imagines<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</a></span> it is owing to his statesmanship that -Turkey, after the unfortunate campaign of 1877, has not been completely -annihilated, and that at present it not only exists, but is sought after -by the Powers as their ally. Laughing roguishly, he said with reference -to this, "There is no lack of suitors; I am courted by all, but I am -still a virgin, and I shall not give my heart and hand to any of them;" -but all the while he was in secret alliance with Russia. What Sultan -Abdul Hamid is particularly proud of is his relation to the German -Emperor, which is, as a matter of fact, his own work, and not at all -approved of by the more cautious portion of his people. The confidential -<i>tête-à-tête</i> between the Osmanli and the gifted Hohenzollern is unique -in its kind and abounds in interesting incidents. The Emperor William -II. admires the talent of the ruler in his friend, which in its -autocratic bearing he would like to imitate if it were possible; but he -is clever enough to discount the reward for this admiration in various -concessional privileges, &c. Well-paid appointments for German officers, -consignments of arms, concessions for railway lines, manufactures, &c., -the German Emperor has obtained playfully, as it were, and he will get -more still, for in the Imperial German the Sultan sees his only -disinterested, faithful, and mighty protector, and he is firmly -convinced that as long as this friendship continues no one will dare to -touch him, although Turkey, <i>stante amicitia</i>, lost<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</a></span> Crete after the -victorious termination of the war with Greece. The patriotic and -progressive Turk, however, thinks otherwise. He has not a good word to -say for the German Emperor, for he looks upon him as one of those -friends who encourage the Padishah in his arrant absolutism, whose -visits diminish the treasures of State, and who has checked the national -development of free commercial life, taking all for Germany and leaving -Turkey nothing but some high-sounding compliments which flatter the -Sultan's pride.</p> - -<p>And so this political accomplishment of Abdul Hamid is most severely -censured in Turkey itself, and the much extolled alliance with Germany -may, in the event of a change on the throne, meet with quite unexpected -surprises. With me the Sultan never discussed this relationship, only -his favourite son, Burhaneddin, told me of his sympathies for the -Kaiser, whose language he was learning. No true friend of Turkey, I -think, can have much against an alliance with Germany; it would work -very well, only Germany should advise the Sultan to introduce certain -reforms in his country to raise the spirit of the nation, and instead of -this wild absolutist <i>régime</i>, to work at the cultivation of capable -officials. I have often told the Sultan so in writing, but lately my -memoranda have remained without effect, for we have been deceived in one -another. I have come to the conclusion that, with all my science and all -my ambition, I can<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</a></span> never be of much use to Turkey; and the Sultan has -realised that he could not make a willing tool of me, and that therefore -I am of no use to him. I must not omit to mention, however, that the -greatest obstacle to a mutual understanding between the Sultan and -myself lies in the political views we hold as to the most beneficial -alliance for Turkey. While the Sultan, by his personal relations with -the Emperor William II., thinks to screen himself securely against all -possible danger, and as far as appearances go, likes to be exclusively -Germanophile, he has not forgotten that the Russian sword of Damocles -hangs over his head. He knows but too well that Russia has her thumb on -his throat, that Asia Minor from the side of Erzerum is open to the -troops of the Czar, that the Russian fleet could sack Constantinople -within two or three days, and that this imminent danger, if not entirely -warded off, would at any rate be considerably mitigated by submissive -humility and feigned friendliness. Hence his peculiar complaisance and -amenableness towards the court of St. Petersburg, and his behaviour -altogether as if he were a vassal already of the "White Padishah on the -Neva." Considering this state of affairs, it is not very astonishing -that the rumour spread in Europe of a secret treaty between Turkey and -Russia—a treaty according to which the Sultan had engaged himself not -to fortify the Bosphorus at the entrance of the Black Sea, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</a></span> not to -erect new fortifications in the north of Asia Minor, and other similar -concessions. This treaty is said to bear the date 1893, and when the -matter was discussed by the European Press, and I asked for information -from the First Secretary of the Sultan, Sureja Pasha, the latter wrote -me in a letter dated September 3, 1893, as follows:—</p> - -<blockquote><p>"<span class="smcap">Very honoured Friend!</span>—His Imperial Majesty, my sublime Master, -has always held in high esteem your feelings of friendship in the -interests of Turkey, and your attacks on Russia, which has done so -much harm to Turkey, have not remained unnoticed. But you know full -well that nothing in this world happens without cause, and that the -war Russia waged against us was also founded on certain causes. All -this belongs to the past. To-day the Sublime Porte is on the best -of terms with <i>all</i> the Powers; there is no necessity for any -private treaties, and when the newspapers speak of a private treaty -between Turkey and Russia, this is nothing more or less than a -groundless and idle invention. In case such a treaty had been -necessary, Turkey, being in no way restricted in its movements, -would have notified and published the facts."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Later on I also touched upon this subject in conversation with the -Sultan. We were speaking about the comments made in Europe regarding -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</a></span> negligence in the fortifications at the entrance to the Black Sea, -when the Sultan interrupted me and said, "Why should Europe criticise -this? I have a house with two doors; what does it matter to anybody if I -choose to close the one and open the other?" In a word, the Sultan has -given me several irrefutable proofs that the persistent anti-Russian -tendency of my publications was inconvenient to him, and that he would -be better pleased if I attacked England or kept quiet altogether. Of -course he would like best of all to banish pen and ink altogether from -the world, and as it was impossible for me to support him in his -absolute autocratic principles, a cooling of our mutual relationship was -unavoidable.</p> - -<p>The breach between us was made still wider by the publication of my -pamphlet <i>La Turquie d'aujourd'hui et d'avant quarante ans</i>, Paris, -1898, in which I tried to refute the thesis—so constantly and -erroneously advanced in Europe—that the Turks as a nation are incapable -of being civilised, by comparing the state of their culture as it is now -and as it was forty years ago. Naturally in a study of this kind I had -to draw the connection between the progress of culture and the political -decline of the land, and the question why, if the Turks are really -advancing in culture, they should politically be overtaken by Rumania, -Servia, Bulgaria, and Greece, I could only answer by pointing to the -autocratic and absolutist tendencies of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</a></span> Sultan. Only the court and -the unconscionable clique reigning there are to blame for the present -decline of Turkey. With this article I increased my popularity in -Turkey, but at court they were, of course, anything but pleased. -Nevertheless the Sultan invited me to pay him a visit; I did so, and the -reception I had was highly characteristic. While the Padishah thanked me -for the service I had rendered to the Turkish nation, the offended -autocrat took my measure with angry looks, without, however, betraying -his anger. It was interesting to watch the internal struggle of the -offended tyrant, and I consider it only reasonable that henceforth he -would have no more to do with me.</p> - -<p>Thus ended my intimate intercourse with Sultan Abdul Hamid. The only -benefit it has been to me was a rubbing up of my impressions of life in -the Near East, a renewal of old relationships, and the editing of a few -valuable old Slav manuscripts which I found in the treasure-house of the -Sultan, and which were lent me for a considerable length of time. But -the renewal of my acquaintance with the Orient was void of that charm -which it had for me on my first visit. The East and myself are both -thirty years older; the East has lost much of the glory of its former -splendour, and I have lost the vigour of my youth. I fancied myself an -elderly man who, after thirty years meeting again the adored beauty of -his youthful days, misses the wealth of her locks, the fire in her eyes, -the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</a></span>brightness of her rosy cheeks. Old Stambul, the Bosphorus, and -Pera—everything was changed. The Sultan's mad love of extravagance, the -unfortunate war of 1878, and above all the loss of Bulgaria—in fact -nearly the whole of Rumania—had reduced the dominating class almost to -beggary. Gone were the rich Konaks in Stambul, empty the once glorious -yalis (villas) on the Bosphorus, and of the Effendi world, flourishing -and well-to-do in my time, only a few miserable vestiges remained.</p> - -<p>The Christian element, as compared with the Moslem, has increased -enormously; the European quarter of the city is full of life and -animation, and the Turk, always wont to walk with bowed head, now bends -it quite low on his breast as he loiters among the noisy, busy crowds of -the Christian populace. He is buried in thought; but whether he will be -able to pull himself together and recover himself is as yet an open -question.</p> - -<p>When speaking of my renewed visits to Turkey and my personal intercourse -with the Sultan, I made mention of my English sympathies; and I feel -bound to say a word about the rumours then prevalent, which made me out -to be a secret political agent of England, the more so since a member of -Parliament, Mr. Summers, has questioned the Conservative Government -regarding this matter. I have never at any time stood in any official -relation to the English Government. My intercourse with the Conservative -and Liberal statesmen on the Thames<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</a></span> and on the Hugli (Calcutta) has -always been of a strictly private nature, and, just as my utterances in -the daily papers were taken notice of by the public, so my occasional -memoranda to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been accepted as the -private information of an expert, friendly to the cause of -England—information for which nobody asked me, and for which labour -therefore I could claim no compensation from anybody. This anomalous -position of mine was touched upon by the Central Asiatic writer, Mr. -Charles Marvin, in his <i>Merv, the Queen of the World</i><a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> issued, in -1881. He there blames the English Government for having neglected me, -and for leaving me in poverty, in spite of all my services. As regards -this, I must say that I had at one time a modest yearly income, while -working with all my might for the defence of India, a possession from -which England derived in commercial profits alone many million pounds -sterling; but I never suffered actual poverty, and it never entered my -mind to take steps to obtain material acknowledgment of my services. -English statesmen least of all thought of making any such -acknowledgment. They looked upon me merely as a writer in pursuit of a -purely platonic object, and this English cynicism went so far that when -I published, in 1885, my Osbeg Epic, the "Scheibaniade," entirely at my -own cost, and asked for a subscription for twenty copies,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</a></span> the India -Office declined the offer, although this work furnished so many data for -the history of Baber, the founder of the Mongol dominion in India. The -supposition, therefore, that my journalistic labours, although -appreciated in England, ever met with any material recognition on the -part of the Government, is altogether false. In after years I had an -offer to enter the English service, but this I never entertained for a -moment; and when on the Bosphorus I furthered English interests, I did -so from the standpoint of European peace, as an opponent of the -overbearing power of despotic Russia, and as a Hungarian whose native -land has common interests with England in the Near East. Of course such -motives bore no weight with the Sultan. He judges everybody by his own -standard; and when I tried to defend myself against such accusations, -and even one day quoted to him the saying of Mohammed, "<i>El fakru -fakhri</i>" ("Poverty is my pride"), he took the remark with a diabolical -smile, and turned the conversation into another channel.</p> - -<p>I must confess the character of Sultan Abdul Hamid has always been a -riddle to me. I strained every nerve to penetrate him, but all in vain. -Brilliant qualities and incredible weaknesses were always at strife in -him. The man and the ruler were constantly at war with one another, and -in the same manner his Oriental views always came into collision with -the ever more pressing demands<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[Pg 388]</a></span> of modern civilisation. Fear and -suspicion were naturally at the bottom of this moral condition, and if -from time to time he would have recovered himself, and listened to the -dictates of his heart—for I did not find him heartless, as he is -generally supposed to be—the instruments of his despotic arbitrariness -kept him back, and made him commit deeds which in the eyes of the world -were rightly condemned. In keeping with his own character was also the -quality of the officials around him, who after the decline of the Porte -acted as ministers of State. Divided into various cliques according to -their personal interests, the secretaries, adjutants, chamberlains, -court-marshals, body-servants, &c., have created quite a chaos of -intrigues, plots, and calumnies round the person of their ruler, which -he was quite able to cope with when in the full vigour of his manhood, -and with his marvellous perspicacity could fathom at a glance. But even -Sultan Abdul Hamid could not be expected to do superhuman things; -physically never very strong, his nervous system at last grew -perceptibly weaker, and in the thirtieth year of his reign he became -very infirm. The reins of government fell from his hands, and gradually -he sank from a ruler to being ruled over, and he fancied himself secure -against all danger only in the mutual envy, malice, and hatred which he -had provoked among those immediately surrounding him. In this terrible -position the Sultan himself<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[Pg 389]</a></span> was most to be pitied, and this doleful -picture of the so-called autocrat I have often had occasion to -contemplate at close quarters. Great State cares, pressing financial -troubles, the threatening grouping of the European Powers, and the -fearful phantom of an internal revolution, all of which tormented the -Sultan, left him neither rest nor peace. The Sultan's fear of Young -Turkey was exaggerated, for in Turkey revolutions are not instigated by -the masses, but by the upper classes, and since these were quite -impoverished and dependent on their official position, a revolt against -the Crown is not very probable nowadays, especially as the old party of -the time of the forcible dethronement of Abdul-aziz exists no more, and -the Osmanlis darkly brooding about the future of their land cannot so -easily be roused from their sleep. If Sultan Abdul Hamid had been a -little less despotic, and had taken account a little more of the liberal -ideas of the more enlightened Osmanlis, he would have saved himself much -trouble and many a sleepless night. But he is stubborn and firmly -resolved to persevere with the <i>régime</i> of terrorism he has instituted. -Hence his misfortune, hence his suffering. Indeed, the man had deserved -a better fate. He is not nearly such a profligate as he is represented -to be. He is more fit than many of his predecessors; he wants to benefit -his land, but the means he has used were bound to have a contrary -effect. I have received from Sultan Abdul Hamid many tokens of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[Pg 390]</a></span> -favour and kindness, and I owe him an everlasting debt of gratitude. It -grieves me, here, where I am speaking of my personal relations with him, -to have to express opinions which may be displeasing to him, but writers -may not and cannot become courtiers, and even in regard to crowned -heads, the old saying still holds true, "<i>Amicus Plato, sed magis amica -veritas.</i>"</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Pp. 19-21.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[Pg 391]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">My Intercourse with Nasreddin Shah and his Successor</p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><a name="i393.jpg" id="i393.jpg"></a><img src="images/i393.jpg" alt="PROF. VAMBERY AND HIS TARTAR, 1864" /></div> - -<p class="bold">PROF. VAMBÉRY AND HIS TARTAR, 1864.</p> - -<p class="bold"><i>To face Page 393.</i></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[Pg 393]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XII</span> <span class="smaller">MY INTERCOURSE WITH NASREDDIN SHAH AND HIS SUCCESSOR</span></h2> - -<p>Following up my intercourse with the Sultan of Turkey, I must not omit -to relate the episode of my second meeting with the King of Persia. It -was on the occasion of the Shah's third visit to Europe that I met him -in Budapest.</p> - -<p>Thirty years ago I had been presented to him as a Dervish who had -visited Central Asia and spent many years among the Turcomans, at that -time held in great fear by the Persians. I now appeared before him as -representative of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and was not -surprised that he did not at once recognise me. When at the head of the -Academicians I welcomed him in a Persian speech in the pillared hall of -the Academy palace, the good Persian monarch was quite amazed and -hastily turning to his courtiers, inquired, "<i>In kist?</i>" ("Who is -that?"). They told him my name and function, and made some comments in a -low voice, whereupon the cunning Persian exclaimed,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">[Pg 394]</a></span> "<i>Belli! belli!</i>" -("Of course"), "Vambéry!" He maintained (which I take the liberty to -doubt) that he remembered me; but he warmly shook hands with me, and -said to the Hungarian Minister standing at his side, "<i>Il parle bien, -très bien notre langue!</i>" I do not wonder that my speech, in the Shirazi -dialect and delivered in true Oriental style, took him by surprise, for -as he afterwards told me, on the whole Continent he had not met with any -scholar who could speak Persian idiomatically and without foreign -accent. What did seem to me somewhat odd was a remark in his Journal (p. -378) that there were, even in Persia, few orators who for elegance and -force of speech could compete with me, a compliment which struck me as -particularly strange from the mouth of the Persian king. I remained -three days in attendance on Nasreddin Shah, and had ample opportunity to -admire the marvellous progress made by this Oriental since the time when -I knew him at Teheran in 1864. Nasreddin Shah was the first sovereign of -the True Believers who had learned to speak French tolerably well, and -if he did make a little too much show of this accomplishment, seeing -that his knowledge was but very superficial, it must be admitted that -his judgment in matters of art, his knowledge of geography and -palæontology, and his acquaintance with the genealogical relationships -of the various kingdoms of Europe was most astonishing. In any case, he -surpassed in knowledge of our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[Pg 395]</a></span> countries and towns, our manners and -customs, all magnates and princes of the Moslem East, not excepting even -the Khedive Ismail Pasha and the late Sir Salar Jung. As we saw more of -one another he did not hesitate to express his opinion about many of our -social and political views. So, for instance, being an Asiatic <i>pur -sang</i> he detested Liberalism, and if it had not been for the dangerous -nearness which made him turn against Russia, he would have looked upon -the Czar as the model of sovereign greatness and the Russian <i>régime</i> as -the ideal form of government. Naturally, the French republic was an -abomination to him, the most woeful absurdity, and he could not -understand how a society where, as he maintained, no one commands and no -one obeys, a land without a ruler, <i>i.e.</i>, a sovereign, can possibly -exist.</p> - -<p>In his political utterances he was a good deal more cautious; he always -made an evasive answer to my insinuations. Once, sailing on the Danube, -I remarked that the Karun is wider but not so long as the Danube, the -Kadjar prince looked gravely at me and said, "Thank God, no!" ("<i>If it -had been the English would before now have taken Teheran</i>," was my -mental comment.) But in spite of his great reserve and cautiousness in -political matters, I got a pretty clear insight into his political -views. He had not for the future of his land the same bold confidence as -his royal brother on the throne of the Osmanli, for while the latter's -plans reach far into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[Pg 396]</a></span> the future, and to all appearances, at least, are -of a very exalted nature, especially those relating to Panislamism, the -Kadjar monarch devotes all his energies to the welfare of his dynasty, -or rather of his own person. "<i>L'État c'est moi</i>" is also Sultan Abdul -Hamid's motto, but the glorious past of his dynasty and his people -awakens in him great and exalted ideas, the accomplishment of which he -never doubts, while Nasreddin Shah, as the offspring of a Turcoman -family, only lately come into power, and, intimidated by the danger -which surrounded him on all sides, hardly dared to think of the distant -future. In their personalities they are also very different. Sultan -Abdul Hamid, although inferior in European culture to his <i>cher frère</i> -on the throne of Persia, is shy and timid by nature, more affable and -generous than Nasreddin Shah, who, in spite of all his European manners, -remained the Asiatic despot and comported himself with all the peculiar -pride and strictness of the Oriental ruler. His Grand-Vizier had -sometimes to stand for hours before him, and when he wanted some -information or other from me, I was often kept standing for a -considerable time, regardless of my great fatigue; and he used closely -to scrutinise my face if I dared to express an opinion different from -his. In his character he certainly was more Oriental than the Sultan, -and considered this severity as indispensable to his sovereign dignity.</p> - -<p>I was very much amused with the airs the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[Pg 397]</a></span> Persian king put on, as he -went about bedizened with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other jewels. -Although his dynasty had been founded by a condottiere of the lowest -rank, viz., Mehemmed Aga Khan, and as grandson of Feth Ali Shah, a -cousin of this Aga Khan's, he was only the fourth Kadjar on the throne -of Iran, he always wanted to parade the antiquity of his race. Before me -he especially prided himself on his descent from the Mongol chief, -Kadjar Noyan, and when I dared to question the correctness of this -genealogy, merely brought forward by Persian historians to flatter their -monarch, he looked at me quite angrily and ejaculated that "the -sovereigns of the West were nothing but parvenus compared to their -brother monarchs of the East." Persia, in fact, is the only land in -Moslem Asia which can boast of a hereditary nobility, in a miserable -condition, it is true, for not only Khans and Mirzas, but even royal -princes may be found as drivers, house servants, and artisans of various -kinds, but this does not prevent one from being proud of one's noble -blood, and when Nasreddin Shah was in a good temper he expressed his -astonishment that European counts, princes, and dukes attempted to be on -a familiar footing with him, who could find his equal only among crowned -heads. It is curious that the Turks even, who on account of their -nomadic antecedents have never had any hereditary nobility, always try -to make themselves out as aristocrats. Sultan Abdul<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">[Pg 398]</a></span> Medjid was highly -pleased when the French poet Lamartine, whom he had invited to his court -and afterwards presented with a country seat near Brussa, called his -attention to the fact that after the Bourbons the Osmanli was the oldest -dynasty in Europe. The high dignitaries of the Porte, frequently tracing -their descent from simple peasants, labourers, or shepherds, had at one -time serious thoughts of setting up coats-of-arms, and much regretted -the religious restriction which forbids their taking some animal for -their device. Human weakness is after all the same in the East and in -the West, and in spite of the strongly democratic tendencies of the -Arabian prophet, we may yet live to see Islam adopting hereditary -nobility with many other evils of European culture. In the personality -of Nasreddin Shah I have always detected this curious mixture of East -and West, of the old and the new aspect of life which we find in so many -neophytes of European culture in the Moslemic East. The Iranian despot -held in particular favour Malcolm Khan and Jahya Khan, and the Europeans -who for a time were physicians in ordinary to his Majesty.</p> - -<p>Doctors Cloquet, Polak, and Tholozan instructed him in many things, and -point for point the influence of one or the other could be detected in -his manners and behaviour. That he always wanted to act the Grand -Seigneur, and ostentatiously displayed his Frenchified airs, must<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[Pg 399]</a></span> -chiefly be attributed to his Iranian boastfulness; he always wished to -appear as the perfect European gentleman, and there was a time when at -the court no one but his Majesty was allowed to wear a starched European -shirt. Nasreddin Shah inherited many characteristics from his -grandfather, Feth Ali Shah—I refer here especially to his love of show -and tyrannical arbitrariness—but he lacked his grandfather's affability -and kindly generosity. Nasreddin Shah was sometimes even particularly -miserly, hence the story, circulated during his lifetime, of his -fabulous private wealth, of which, however, after his death very little -was to be found.</p> - -<p>The European Press has delivered most unjustly severe criticisms upon -the personality of this Oriental prince, and made fun of his Oriental -manners. It is only natural that he should commit occasional mistakes of -etiquette, for what Western sovereign or prince when visiting at an -Eastern court would not be guilty of similar blunders? It is said that -in Berlin, after dining at the royal table, he turned to the Emperor -William and the Empress Augusta and loudly belched, which in Central -Asia is an expression of gratitude for the hospitality received and -always acknowledged with good grace. At dinner with the Prince of Wales -at Marlborough House he is said to have thrown the asparagus stumps over -his back on to the floor, and, in order not to shame his guest, the -Prince, now King of England, and all the other guests <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">[Pg 400]</a></span>immediately did -the same, greatly to the disgust of the attendants. Quite a collection -of similar anecdotes were at the time in circulation about him, but I -think they must be grossly exaggerated, for Nasreddin Shah never -neglected to make strict inquiry into the customs of the lands he -visited, and more than once I have given him information upon minor -details. The Persian king felt much freer in Europe than in his own -land. In Teheran, when he went out for a drive, a long row of attendants -marched on either side of him, who, armed with long staves, cleared -every one out of the way. In Budapest it happened that a poor labourer's -wife pressed up quite close to him to admire the great diamonds on his -coat. I motioned to the woman to go out of the way, but the King said, -"Let her come; she wants to see my jewels close to." He even stopped a -minute or two to let the woman stare at him to her heart's content. In a -word, the man was better than his reputation, and when in May, 1896, a -day before the Jubilee of his fifty years' reign, he fell a victim to -the murderous bullet of Riza Khan, I thought to myself the man deserved -a better end, for as a matter of fact he had to pay with his life for -the tyranny of his officials. At first it was supposed that Riza Khan -belonged to the secret society of the Babis, but, as was proved later -on, he took this means to revenge himself for the unheard-of injustice -of the Governor of Kerman, against which he had vainly sought -protection.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">[Pg 401]</a></span></p><p>Eleven years after my meeting with Nasreddin I met with his son, -Mozaffareddin Shah, who in 1900 on his return from Paris passed through -the capital of Hungary. From my <i>Wanderings and Experiences in Persia</i> -the reader will recall that I had made the acquaintance of the young -ruler in Tabris in 1862, where, a nine year old boy and the -heir-apparent to the throne, he occupied the position of Governor of -Azerbaidshan. Physically weak and insignificant as he was then, I found -him now sickly and quite broken down. Contrexéville and Marienbad were -resorted to in vain to relieve his intense suffering, and the undeniable -signs of disease impressed upon his features clearly revealed the -desperate struggle that he fought within himself. The poor prince was -really worthy of a better fate.</p> - -<p>Being by nature timid and reticent, the very strict education which his -father had deemed it necessary to give him had robbed him of all energy. -He liked best to lose himself in quiet contemplation, and in his -childish simplicity was hardly a fit ruler for a land so miserably -desolate as Persia, nor was he likely to carry out his good intentions -of leading his people into the way of modern culture. He was very -pleasant with me, more so than his father had been. He hardly remembered -our meeting at Tabris, but he had carefully read the memoirs of his -father's travels, in which my small personality had received most<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">[Pg 402]</a></span> -laudatory mention, and so he was prepared to meet me long before he -arrived at Budapest. On the journey from Vienna to Budapest he had asked -several times if I was still alive, and if he would be sure to see me at -Budapest. Arrived at the station, where he was received by the son of -the Archduke Joseph and the Hungarian State Ministers, he looked round -inquiringly and said, "<i>Vambéry kudjast?</i>" ("Where is Vambéry?"). I was -called; he pressed my hand in the friendliest manner, and straightway -invited me to come with him to the hotel. I did as he asked me, and -during his stay in the Hungarian capital was frequently with him. These -visits led to a more intimate intercourse, and I found out (1) that the -much-to-be-pitied-king was very ill, and that the throne of Iran was not -at all the right place for him; (2) that he had the best intentions in -the world, was quite alive to the superior advantages of modern culture, -and had a great desire to reform his country if only he had the -necessary energy, money, and men. But all three unfortunately failed -him, as well as all other means, and when I gave him a picture of -Persia's future in its regenerate condition, with railways, streets, -manufactories, and similar advantages of modern culture, he looked -straight before him and said, "<i>Belli, belli! leikin wakit mikhahed</i>" -("Very well, very well, but that will take time"). Also in discussing -political questions I found him less close than his father, who loved to -give himself the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">[Pg 403]</a></span> appearance of a Persian Bismarck. Mozaffareddin -expressed himself quite freely and frankly about the political condition -of his land, and when I remarked jokingly that in Europe he was looked -upon as a partisan of Russia, because in Tabris as heir to the throne he -had complied with all Russia's demands, he laughed out loud and said, -"Am I the only one who in default of counter-arms has feigned friendship -for this mighty, ambitious opponent?" He had not much to say in favour -of England, although he agreed with me that this country would never do -any harm to Persia. "But," said he, "Britain's friendship is cold as -ice, and has always expressed itself in empty words." And perhaps he was -not altogether wrong. He was very much down on the politics of Lord -Salisbury, who had declined his support to a contemplated Persian loan -in London, Persia thus being compelled to borrow money from Russia. -Referring to the riskiness of this step, the king remarked, "What were -we to do? When my father died it was said that he had left private means -to the amount of about four million pounds, and that these moneys were -packed away in chests in the cellar. There was not a word of truth in -all this. Instead of money my father left debts, and when I came to the -throne I was unable to pay not merely the State officials, but even the -court expenses and the servants. I was forced to get a loan from -somewhere, and England drove me into the arms of Russia."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">[Pg 404]</a></span></p><p>Taking it altogether, Mozaffareddin Shah earnestly desired to reform -his land thoroughly, and in its internal arrangements to introduce many -of the modernisations which had particularly struck him in his European -travels. Unfortunately the good man did not know where to begin and what -means to use to attain his object. Discouraged and embittered by the -everlasting wrangling and quarrelling in his immediate <i>entourage</i>, he -seemed to stand in mortal dread of his Grand-Vizier, Ali Asghar Khan. -This man, the son of a Georgian renegade from the Caucasus, had -practically made the Shah the unwilling tool of his intriguing and rare -abilities. He comported himself as a servant, but was in reality the -master of his master and the ruler of Persia. I was often an eye-witness -when the two were together. The Shah, apathetically seated in his easy -chair, would speak with as much authority as the words of his first -minister were servile and submissive; but scarcely had he felt the -piercing glance of the latter than he would suddenly stop short and sink -back in his armchair. Behind the door listened his secretary and -faithful servant, who occasionally made his presence known by a low -cough, upon which the Vizier would angrily turn towards the door, and -strongly accentuating the submissive words continue his harangue. Master -of the situation and with an insatiable desire for power and gain, the -Grand-Vizier might possibly have been useful to the country if the -violent <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">[Pg 405]</a></span>opposition of his many rivals had not occupied all his energy, -and the secret hostility of high dignitaries and the rivalry of European -ambassadors at court had not effectually frustrated all attempts at any -healthy reform. Even as Nasreddin's various journeys to Europe remained -fruitless for Persia, so it was with the efforts made by his son. After -his return from Europe the Shah hastened to change the cut and the -colour of the uniform of certain court officials. High-flown orders were -issued, but not followed up; the money borrowed from the Russians soon -came to an end; anarchy, misery, and confusion were bound to increase -apace.</p> - -<p>To complete the above notes about my intercourse with the Oriental -princes and grandees, I will attempt to throw some light upon their -private life and mental condition, points which would not be open to a -foreigner in their intercourse with them, but which could not be hidden -from me, the supposed Asiatic. The personality of the Oriental ruler is -still more or less a curiosity in Europe; he is still gazed at and -admired as something out of the common; and naturally so, for the -attributes of Oriental Majesty are always extravagantly magnified, and, -candidly speaking, our minds are still somewhat under the spell of the -"Thousand and One Nights" stories, although current literature has here -and there somewhat ruthlessly torn away the magic veil which surrounds -these <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">[Pg 406]</a></span>demigods of our imagination. Demigods they are no longer to their -own subjects even, for their crowns have lost too many of the jewels -whose brilliancy dazzled the eyes of the beholders, and the source is -dry which furnished the means wherewith the faithfulness and loyalty of -their subjects could be secured. I have been on intimate terms with two -Sultans, two Shahs, and several Khans; I have watched them closely, and -I must honestly say that I consider their position anything but an -enviable one; for with a few exceptions they are more ruled over than -ruling, and in spite of their apparent omnipotence, the fear with which -they inspire those nearest them is not nearly so great as the fear to -which they themselves are exposed in their constant anxiety about their -personal safety. When late in the evening I was sitting quite alone in -one of the apartments of the Yildiz Palace, and in the stillness of the -night was startled by the echo of the dull, heavy step of the patrol -passing close under the windows, I often thought to myself "What in all -the world can compensate for such a terrible existence?" I will admit -that Sultan Abdul Hamid is more anxious and timorous than many of his -Oriental brother sovereigns, for his exaggerated precautions are rightly -ridiculed, but from the fact that he never feels safe by day or by -night, never sleeps peacefully, that with all he eats and drinks he -thinks of poison, and that on all occasions and everywhere he scents -danger, for such an existence the greatest power<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">[Pg 407]</a></span> and majesty, all the -glory in the world and all its submissive homage are but a poor exchange -and in nowise adequate compensation for all the quaking and trembling -that it involves. A quiet and peaceful life is practically impossible at -an Oriental court, considering the everlasting quarrelling, intriguing, -and jealousy prevailing among the servants and officials. All covet the -favour of the unfortunate autocrat, each one tries to outdo the other, -each one seeks the destruction of his neighbour, and when to this -pandemonium are added the intrigues of the womenfolk in the harem, it is -easy to see how little joy there is in the life of an Oriental despot, -nay, rather how deplorable is the fate of such a monarch.</p> - -<p>In cases where conceit has a stronger hold upon the senses, where the -ruler in his diseased fancy behaves himself like a superhuman being, as, -for instance, Sultan Abdul Aziz, such an one knows but little fear and -in the shelter of his imaginary security manages to make his existence -fairly tolerable. The story is told of this latter Sultan that during -his European journey in 1867, when making a pleasure trip on the Rhine -to Coblentz, he asked of those with him whether this canal had been dug -for his special benefit, and when in Budapest on board one of the Danube -steamers the Turkish Consul, Commandant A., a cultured officer educated -in Europe, met him and saluted in European fashion, the Sultan in my -presence<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">[Pg 408]</a></span> turned to Fuad Pasha and remarked: "Why did not this rude -fellow kiss my feet?" This Sultan, half mad as he was, who decorated -horses, dogs, and rams, who spent many millions on useless buildings, -was little troubled with anxiety and fear, up to the memorable night -when he was informed of his deposition; but other despots are in -constant dread of their lives. Nasreddin Shah, even in his hunting lodge -in Djadjerud, never neglected to have his couch surrounded by a company -of soldiers; and his son, Mozaffareddin Shah, now on the throne, keeps -awake for whole nights together for fear of being attacked and murdered. -Can anything be more awful?</p> - -<p>Of late years Oriental despots have come to the conclusion that in -foreign lands, among the unbelievers, they are safer, freer, and -altogether happier than in their own country. Abdul Ahad, the Emir of -Bokhara, visits the Russian baths of Pyatigorsk in preference to any -other, and from the frequent visits of the Persian kings to Europe it is -very evident that the Shehinshahs of Iran, notwithstanding their Asiatic -despotism, find in the land of the Franks—whose very touch defileth, in -the eyes of the Shiites—more of pleasure and recreation than they can -ever enjoy at home. In Teheran when the Shah rides or drives out, two -long rows of Ferrashes (attendants) precede him as already mentioned, -armed with long staves, to keep the beloved subjects at a safe distance -and to clear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_409" id="Page_409">[Pg 409]</a></span> the way. Windows and doors are tightly shuttered and -curtained to prevent any one from setting eyes on their lord and master; -the sanctity (otherwise security) of the ruler's sublime person demands -this. When the Shah comes to a European city crowds of curious -Westerners receive him; he is cheered and welcomed, and the homage of -the public pleases him, and makes him feel stronger and more confident -than before. And then there is the courtesy he meets with at our courts; -he fancies himself on equality with the powerful sovereigns of the West; -all this increases his self-respect, and therein lies the special charm -of his European travels.</p> - -<p>If here in Europe we have been under the impression that the experiences -gained in these visits to Western lands would be used in the interests -of Western culture and for the civilising of his own land, we have been -far too sanguine in our expectations, for these pleasure trips of -Oriental sovereigns have never benefited their respective countries. On -the contrary, they drain the land's resources. With his three journeys -to Europe Nasreddin Shah has utterly ruined the finances of Persia, -already in a very unsound condition. They did not lead to any profitable -innovations, and it is a well-known fact that the travels of his son -Mozaffareddin Shah were paid for by a Russian loan, originally intended -for the economic and administrative amelioration of the land.</p> - -<p>No, these Asiatic demigods do not lie on a bed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_410" id="Page_410">[Pg 410]</a></span> of roses. Their life is -bare and lonely, their enjoyment full of anxiety and fear, the hundreds -of thousands who writhe before them in the dust and do them homage with -bombastic titulations are their greatest enemies, and the worst victims -of despotism are the despots themselves. Can one be surprised that I -brought no rosy reminiscences from the Oriental courts?</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_411" id="Page_411">[Pg 411]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">The Struggle's End, and yet no End</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_413" id="Page_413">[Pg 413]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIII</span> <span class="smaller">THE STRUGGLE'S END, AND YET NO END</span></h2> - -<p>The preceding autobiographical notes give in broad outline the -experiences and varied fortunes of my career from childhood to old age. -They give, so to speak, the material picture of an unusual life, with -all its varieties of light and shade, the struggles and adventures of -the tailor's apprentice, private tutor, student, servant, Effendi, -Dervish, and international writer. The details of this picture are, -after all, but the outside wrappings, the shell, not the core or inner -substance. They do not depict adequately the mental struggles and -sufferings which have marked all these different phases of my existence, -and which each in their turn have deeply influenced my thoughts and -reflections. The enumeration of certain facts may, to some extent, -gratify one's personal vanity, but since the empty satisfaction of -self-glorification is hardly an adequate return for all the bitter -sufferings of my past life, I must complete my story by giving -expression to my reflections resulting from a careful comparison of -certain institutions,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_414" id="Page_414">[Pg 414]</a></span> manners, and customs in Asiatic and European -society. These reflections, the chief factors of the transformation of -my mental life, are very possibly shared by many others, and explained -in various ways, but the manner in which I gained my experience was -rather out of the ordinary, for before me no European or Asiatic ever -acted so many different parts on the world's stage in two continents, -and I will therefore endeavour to draw a comparison between some -institutions, manners, and customs of society in Asia and Europe. I will -reveal a picture of my mental condition when, saturated with Asiatic -ways of thinking, I made the acquaintance of various European countries, -and how, when comparing the two worlds, I came to the conclusion that -here, as there, shortsightedness, prejudice, prepossession, and want of -objectiveness prevented the forming of sound and just opinions.</p> - -<p>When first I left the West to enter the Asiatic world I had but a vague -theoretical knowledge of the lands and peoples of Europe, gathered from -a study of the literatures of the various Western nations, but I had no -practical acquaintance with any of them. My first experiences of Turkish -society in Stambul—which, in spite of the introduction of many Western -customs, still at bottom bears a decided Asiatic stamp—together with -the charm of novelty and my decided Oriental predilections, were in many -respects of a pleasing nature. The kindly reception and the friendly -treatment extended to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_415" id="Page_415">[Pg 415]</a></span> the stranger regardless of his antecedents, are -bound to charm and captivate the recipient. One feels at once at home -everywhere, and a cursory comparison of the two kinds of culture is -decidedly in favour of the Old World. Afterwards—that is, when one has -spent some time among the Asiatics, and has obtained an intimate -knowledge of their views of religion, men, and the world in general—a -certain feeling of monotony, indifference, and sleepiness creeps over -us. Our blood becomes sluggish, we yawn and fidget while the Oriental, -always imperturbable, sits unmoved, with evident satisfaction, gazing up -at the sky.</p> - -<p>Gradually, the more I became familiar with the inner Asiatic world, -these feelings took possession of me. In Persian society these -thoroughly Asiatic features worried me, but in Central Asia, where the -world is eight hundred years older, I positively shuddered at what I -saw. The very things which, on my first acquaintance with Asiatic life, -had pleased me, I now recognised as the causes of its decay, its -tyranny, and its misery. The Old World, never at any time free from the -defects and vices which now, in its ruined condition, stare us in the -face, became despicably mean in my estimation, and unworthy of men, and -with longing eyes I turned to the West again. I cannot describe the -feeling of delight with which I crossed the Eastern borders of our -modern world; with each day's journey I breathed more freely. I rejoiced -to see the last of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_416" id="Page_416">[Pg 416]</a></span> the ruins, the misery, the sterility of the older -world, and the pictures which to my heated imagination, partly because -of their novelty, had had so much fascination for me in my younger days, -now made me shudder when I thought of them.</p> - -<p>Such was my state of mind on returning from Asia. If before starting on -my Oriental travels I had been in a position to obtain a deeper insight -into the religious, social, and political conditions of Europe than lay -within the reach of the poor, self-taught scholar, my impressions and -estimate of Asia might have been different, and the result of my -comparative study of the two cultures might have been more of an -objective nature. But there, as here, I came as a man, who, under the -magic of the first impression, saw everything in a rosy light, and was -pleased with everything, and only afterwards, when the cold light of -reality and of clearer perception showed me everything in its right -light, I began to look upon Europe with quite different eyes, and my -opinion about the actions of the Western world became considerably -modified. And now, in the evening of my life, roaming the horizon of -rich experience with unprejudiced eyes, and noting the light and shady -sides of both the Old and the New World, of Asiatic and European -culture; now that no personal interests and no prejudices obscure my -vision, now I see and judge quite differently, and I count it my duty to -acquaint the reader with these modified views, the more so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_417" id="Page_417">[Pg 417]</a></span> as I know by -experience how astonishingly small is the number of critics who, free -from the trammels of religion and nationality, have devoted themselves -to the comparative study of the old and the new culture. The clatter of -the chains can always be heard in the praise or disapproval of our -critics. On this side, as on the other, partiality has blocked the way -to truth; and since the new century has, in many respects, opened the -way to free thought, we can now unreservedly and without fear discuss -the good and the evil, the advantages and disadvantages, of the two -worlds. Those who have read my travels, and realise the miseries, -sufferings, and vicissitudes to which I was exposed through the -barbarism, anarchy, and desolation of the Asiatic world, will be -surprised that I discovered large spots on the highly-praised sun of our -modern culture, and saw caricatures where we expected to find noble -ideals for the benefit of humanity. Considering many of my earlier views -on these matters, I may be accused of precipitancy and inconsistency, -but the judgment of mature age easily redeems the errors of youth, and -improvement and perfecting are generally the outcome of former mistakes -and errors. After these few remarks I will now try to put into words the -impressions made upon me by particular instances of our manners and -customs, our religious, social, and political life, all of which have -given me much food for thought.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_418" id="Page_418">[Pg 418]</a></span></p> - -<h3>1. <span class="smcap">Religion.</span></h3> - -<p>Asia is a religious world <i>par excellence</i>. Religion animates all phases -and fibres of human existence. It does not confine itself to the -relations between Creator and creature, but it also governs political -and social life; it penetrates everything; it enters into the most -secret thoughts and aspirations of the human mind; it rules the course -of the earthly body; it creates laws and orders daily life; it teaches -us how to dress, feed, and comport ourselves; also in what manner we -must eat, drink, and love—in a word, it is the one all-pervading -instrument to secure happiness and to ennoble life. Coming back to -Europe after a sojourn of many years under these Asiatic influences, one -cannot fail to be struck by the looseness of the religious structure and -by the constant efforts made by the State, the Church, and sometimes -also by society to strengthen and keep upright the frail, shaky building -tottering on its foundation. In Asia this is not necessary. With the -exception of the Motazilites and other freethinkers during the first -centuries of the Hejira, scepticism and free thought have found no -adherents in Islam, and in modern times less than ever. The great masses -of the Mohammedans are strictly religious; all discussion in matters of -religion is prohibited, except perhaps to the Shiite Mollahs, and highly -edifying to me were the hours spent in Ispahan under the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_419" id="Page_419">[Pg 419]</a></span>plane-trees in -the garden of Medressei Shah, where I could converse freely and openly -with the Persian clerics about the Divine tradition of the Koran, the -immortality of the soul, &c., &c. With Moslems of other nationalities -the principle <i>noli me tangere</i> governs all matters of religion, and -when we leave this stronghold of faith and come to Europe, where the -struggle between faith and knowledge has been going on for hundreds of -years, where Spinoza, Voltaire, Gibbon, Draper, Buckle, and many other -modern thinkers have been successfully employed on the demolition of the -religious structure; where attempts are made to supplant the worship of -God with the worship of humanity; the hypocrisy and dissimulation -prevailing in our world must strike us painfully. What Christianity and -Judaism give us to behold passes all description. In spite of Strauss -and Renan, Büchner and Huxley, millions of Westerners pretend to be -either Christians or Jews without even believing that there is a God. -The majority of Churchmen are so enlightened by modern science that -they, least of all, believe in the doctrines they preach and fight for, -and the traveller from Asia to Europe must, perforce, ask himself the -question, "Why all this hypocrisy, all this dissimulation? Why this -persistent closing of one's eyes against the rays of light which our -culture, after a hard struggle with the prevailing darkness, has at last -revealed?" This incomprehensible love of pretence has in Europe -attained<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_420" id="Page_420">[Pg 420]</a></span> to such a pass that in certain leading circles hypocrisy, the -religious lie and false pretence are held up as a virtue worthy of -imitation, and a meritorious example! This perversity, this vice, I -might say, is as incomprehensible to the thoughtful mind as it is -unworthy of, and humiliating amid, the much vaunted achievements of -Western civilisation. In the circles where these despicable notions are -tolerated and extolled as worthy of imitation we hear most of the mighty -influence exercised by religion upon the social status of humanity, -while it is asserted that the world without this moral police could not -exist, because society, even in its lowest state—the savage -state—could not exist without its fetish and totem.</p> - -<p>During my many years' intercourse with people of various religions, -living amongst them in the incognito of Catholic, Protestant, Sunnite, -Shiite, and for a short time also as Parsi, I have come to the -conclusion that religion offers but little security against moral -deterioration, and that it is not seemly for the spirit of the twentieth -century to take example by the customs and doings of savages. Not only -Lombroso, but many other thinkers, have clearly proved that the majority -of criminals are religiously disposed, and that, for instance, the -robber-murderer in Spain, before setting to his work, offers a prayer to -his patron saint, St. James. In Asia I have noticed the same thing. The -most cruel and unprincipled Turkoman robbers were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_421" id="Page_421">[Pg 421]</a></span> always the first, -before setting out on a marauding expedition, to beg from me, the -supposed Sheikh, or from some other pious man, a Fatiha (blessing). In -the towns of Central Asia, Persia, and Turkey I have found in the -thickly-turbaned men of God some of the most consummate villains and -criminals, while the plain Osbeg and Osmanli, who only knows religion in -its external form, shows himself a man full of generosity and goodness -of heart. In all the Islamic world Mecca and Medina are known as the -most loathsome pools of wickedness and vice. Theft, murder, and -prostitution flourish there most wantonly. I have noticed the same in -the large pilgrim haunts, Meshed and Kum, and it is a well-known saying, -"He who wants to forsake his Christianity should make a pilgrimage to -Jerusalem or Rome."</p> - -<p>With us in Europe the relation between morality and religion is a -similar one, and how it is possible that, in the face of the revealed -facts, states and societies give themselves the trouble to discover in -religion a panacea against vice and a standard of morality must remain a -mystery to any thinking man.</p> - -<p>Remarkable and inexplicable it certainly remains why in Western lands, -with the prevailing scepticism in the cultured world, far more tolerance -or indifference is shown towards the freethinker than towards people who -hold different religious views from our own. In Asia the hatred of and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_422" id="Page_422">[Pg 422]</a></span> -fanaticism against those of another creed are the outcome of strong -faith, and since these are fostered and upheld by the Government, -antagonistic feelings, though probably deeper rooted, do not express -themselves so vehemently or so frequently as with us. Our laws and our -notions of decency guard against the outbreak of passion, but they -cannot break the power of prejudice even in the breast of the most -cultured. When we consider the relations of the Christian West towards -the Moslemic East, it will strike us that the sympathies of Europeans, -however unprejudiced they may think themselves, when it comes to the -political questions of the day will always be more on the side of the -Christian than of the Mohammedan subjects of Turkey, although the -Mohammedan subjects of the Porte have to suffer more from the despotism -of the Government than the Christians under the protection of the -Western Powers. The European still looks upon the Mohammedan, -Brahmanist, Buddhist, &c., as an inferior being whose faith he ridicules -and blackens and whom he could not under any circumstances regard as his -equal, and in spite of the protection extended by our laws to those of -another creed, the follower of the doctrines of Mohammed, Buddha, and -Vishnu feels always uncomfortable, strange, and restricted in Western -lands. And the Jews do not fare much better, although they have adopted -the language, manners, and customs of the various lands of Europe.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_423" id="Page_423">[Pg 423]</a></span></p><p>In the history of the Moslemic East, for instance, persecutions and -violent outbreaks against the Jews are far less frequent than with us in -the West, not merely in the Middle Ages but even in quite modern times. -Enlightened Europe, mocking at the fanaticism of Asia, has of late years -published, under the title of Anti-Semitism, things against the Jews -which defy repetition; they form one of the darkest stains on the -escutcheon of the modern world of culture. Even our most eminent -freethinkers, agnostics, and atheists are not without blame in this -matter; and the absurd excuse that the Jews are hated and persecuted not -on account of their belief, but on account of their exclusiveness and -strongly marked nationality, is ridiculous on the face of it, for all -over Europe the Jew adopts the national proclivities of his native land, -and often, <i>plus catholique que le pape</i>, he shows himself more -patriotic than his Christian countryman. In consideration of these facts -it is surprising that the Jew, treated as a stranger everywhere in -Europe, still persists in ingratiating himself into the national bond. -Why does he not accept the fact and simply say, "Since you want none of -me I remain Jew, and you can brand me as a cosmopolitan if you like." -There is no doubt that this innate prejudice of the Christian world -finds its root in those virtues and characteristics which have enabled -the Jews to accomplish so much, and which as the natural result of -oppression may be seen in all oppressed people. "He who violently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_424" id="Page_424">[Pg 424]</a></span> -throws down the flaming torch to extinguish it will burn his fingers at -the fiercer burning flame," as a German poet pithily remarks. Tyrants -generally harm themselves most by their tyranny, and when the ruling -Christian world considers itself justified in taking up arms against the -professedly more highly gifted, more energetic, and persevering children -of the so-called Semitic race, it is grossly mistaken. The Jew in -Turkey, Persia, and Central Asia is more purely Semitic, more staunchly -religious than his co-religionist in Europe, and yet I do not know any -more miserable, helpless, and pitiful individual on God's earth than the -<i>Jahudi</i> in those countries. Where is the Semitic sharpness, the Semitic -energy and perseverance, which the European puts down and fears as -dangerous racial characteristics? The poor Jew is despised, belaboured -and tortured alike by Moslem, Christian, and Brahmin, he is the poorest -of the poor, and outstripped by Armenians, Greeks and Brahmins, who -everywhere act the same part which in Europe has fallen to the lot of -the Jew for lack of a rival in adversity. I repeat, Anti-Semitism in -Europe is a vile baseness, which cannot be justified by any religious, -ethnical, or social motives, and when the Occident, boasting of its -humaneness and love of justice, always tries to put all that is evil and -despicable on to poor, starved, depraved Asia, one forgets that with us -the sun of a higher civilisation truly has dawned, but is not yet risen -high enough<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_425" id="Page_425">[Pg 425]</a></span> to illumine the many dark points and gloomy corners in this -world of ours.</p> - -<p>Why deny it? In my many years' intercourse with the people of both these -worlds, religion has not had a beneficial influence upon me. I have -found in it nothing to ennoble man, not a mainspring of lofty ideals, -and certainly no grounds for classifying and incorporating people -according to their profession of faith or rather according to their -interpretation and understanding of the great vital question as to the -exact manner in which one should grope about in the prevailing darkness. -If the division into many nationalities of people belonging to the same -race and living under the same sky is an absurdity, how much more -foolish is it to be divided on the point of a fanciful interpretation of -the inscrutable mystery, and a fruitless groping into the unfathomable -problem? The question of nationality will be further discussed -presently, and as regards religion I will only add here that the ethical -standard of faith, although much higher in Asia than in Europe, can -after all have but a problematic influence, and only on intellects whose -culture enables them to form high ideals, and to whom, being of a poetic -or sentimental or indolent temperament, a roaming in loftier spheres -seems a necessity. Beyond this, religion in Asia as in Europe reveals -itself in outward show, miracles and mysteries, and where these are -absent there is no true religion. Many of the ceremonies, usages,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_426" id="Page_426">[Pg 426]</a></span> and -superstitions which as an Orthodox Jew I practised in my youth I have -discovered again one by one in faithful counterfeit amongst Catholic and -Orthodox Christians, Moslems, Fire-worshippers, and Hindus, and nothing -to my mind is more ridiculous than the revilings of one religion against -another about these childish external things. So, for instance, as a -pious Jew, I was always careful on Saturdays not to pass the Ereb, -<i>i.e.</i>, the line which marks the closer limit of the town, with my -wallet full. Overstepping this cordon might be looked upon as a business -transaction and a violation of the Sabbath; with a handkerchief on my -loins and my eyes fixed on a bit of twine hanging between two sticks, I -ventured, however, to take my walks abroad on the Sabbath day. Many -years later I travelled from Samarkand to Herat in company with some -Hindustani, who, having transacted some financial business in Bokhara, -now with full pouches were returning to their sunny home on the Ganges. -These Vishnu-worshippers, with the yellow caste-sign on their brow, used -at night at the halting-place to separate themselves from the rest of -the caravan. Small sticks about a finger in length were stuck in the -ground to form a circle round them with a thin twine stretched from -point to point, (for, like the Ereb, this line represented the cordon -between them and the world of unbelievers), and behind this imaginary -wall they prepared and ate their food without any fear of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_427" id="Page_427">[Pg 427]</a></span> its being -defiled by the glances of the heathen. As a child I was taught to look -with disgust upon swine's flesh, and later, as Mohammedan, I had to -feign horror and aversion at the very mention of the word Khinzir -(swine). In my youth the wine prepared by a Christian was Nesekh -(forbidden), as a Shiite, notwithstanding my ravenous hunger, I could -not touch the food which the hand of a Christian had handled. Not only -among Jews and Asiatic religionists, however, but even Christianity, -whether in Europe or in Asia, is full of such flagrant superstitions and -absurdities which are thrown in the teeth of those of another -persuasion. The Abbé Huc tells us in his Book of Travels, that once on -the borders of Tibet he sought a night's quarter and was directed to the -house of a Buddha-maker. This led the French missionary to make some -scoffing remark about the manufacturing of gods in Buddhism. I had a -similar experience at St. Ulrich's in the Grödnerthal, in strictly -Catholic Tyrol, for in my search for a house to put up at in that -charmingly situated Alpine place I was directed successively to a -Mary-maker, a God-maker, and a Christ-maker, for in this district live -the best-known manufacturers of crosses and saints. In the Mohammedan -world, knowing that I was acquainted with Europe, I have often been -asked whether it was really true that the Franks worshipped a god with a -dog's head, practised communism of wives, and such like things. In -Tyrol,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_428" id="Page_428">[Pg 428]</a></span> on the Achensee, where I lived among the peasants, I was asked -if on my many travels I had ever visited the land of the Liberals, where -the goat does duty as god, as the anti-Liberal minister had given the -simple peasants to understand.</p> - -<p>In many other respects the religions of the East and of the West agree -in point of degeneracy, and it is incomprehensible how and with what -right our missionaries manage to convince the Asiatics of the errors of -their faith and to represent Christianity as the only pure and -salvation-bringing religion. If our missionaries could point to our -Western order and freedom as the fruit of Christianity, their insistence -would be somewhat justified, but our modern culture has developed not -<i>through</i> but <i>in spite of</i> Christianity. The fact that Asia in our days -is given up as a prey to the rapacity of Europe is not the fault of -Islam or Buddhism or Brahminism. The principles of these religions -support more than Christianity does the laws of humanity and freedom, -the regulations of State and society, but it is the historical -development and the climate, the conditions of the soil, and, above all, -the tyrannical arbitrariness of their sovereigns which have created the -cliffs against which all the efforts of religion promotors must be -wrecked.</p> - -<p>After all this I need not comment any further upon my own confession of -faith, which is contained within the pages of this autobiography. To my -thoroughly practical nature one grain of common<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_429" id="Page_429">[Pg 429]</a></span> sense is of more value -than a bushel of theories; and it has always been trying to me to go -into questions the solution of which I hold <i>à priori</i> to be impossible, -and I have preferably occupied myself with matters of common interest -rather than with the problems of creation, the Deity, &c., which our -human understanding can never grasp or fathom. I have honoured and -respected all religions in so far as they were beneficial and edifying, -<i>i.e.</i>, in so far as they endeavoured to improve and ennoble mankind; -and when occasion demanded I have always, either out of respect for the -laws of the land, or out of courtesy to the society in which I happened -to be, formally conformed to the prevailing religion of the land, just -as I did in the matter of dress, although it might be irksome at times. -In matters of secondary importance, religious and otherwise, I have -strictly adhered to the principle, "<i>Si fueris Romæ romano vivito -more</i>," and to the objections raised by religious moralists to my -vacillating in matters of religion I can but reply: A vacillating -conviction is, generally speaking, no conviction at all, and he who -possesses nothing has nothing to exchange. Nothing to me is more -disgusting than the holy wrath with which hypocrisy in Europe censures -and condemns a change of religion based on want of conviction. Are the -clergy, pastors, and modernised rabbis so fully convinced of the -soundness of the dogmas they hold, and do they really believe that their -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_430" id="Page_430">[Pg 430]</a></span>distortions of face, their pious pathos and false enthusiasm can -deceive cultured people of the twentieth century? When certain Europeans -in their antiquated conservatism still carry high the banner of -religious hypocrisy, and although possessing a good pair of legs prefer -to go about on the crutches of Holy Scripture, we have no occasion to -envy them their choice. The idea of carrying the lie with me to the -grave seems to me horrible. The intellectual acquisitions of our century -can no longer away with the religion of obscure antiquity; knowledge, -enlightenment, and free inquiry have made little Europe mistress of the -world, and I cannot see what advantage there can be in wilfully denying -this fact, and why, in the education of the young, we do not discard the -stupefying system of religious doctrine and cultivate the clear light of -intellectual culture. Those who have lived among many phases of -religion, and have been on intimate terms with the adherents of Asiatic -and European creeds, are puzzled to see the faint-heartedness and -indecision of the Western world; and if there be anything that has -astonished me in Europe, it is this everlasting groping and fumbling -about in matters of religion and the constant dread lest the truth, -acknowledged by all thinking men, should gain the victory. For governing -and ruling the masses religion may perhaps remain for some time to come -a convenient and useful instrument, but in the face of the progress in -all regions of modern knowledge and thought it becomes ever clearer and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_431" id="Page_431">[Pg 431]</a></span> -more evident that this game of hide-and-seek cannot go on very much -longer. The spirit of the twentieth century cries, "Let there be light!" -The light must and shall come!</p> - -<h3>2. <span class="smcap">Nationality.</span></h3> - -<p>Frail and brittle as is the foundation of the partition wall dividing -the religions of Europe, the same may be said of the boundaries of -nationalities which separate people into various corporations. If -nationality were a question of common origin, based on consanguinity, -<i>i.e.</i>, on natural proclivities, there would be nothing to say against -the idea of unity and cohesiveness. Mankind would be divided into -different families separated by certain conspicuous racial -characteristics; such separation, based on natural causes, would be -quite justifiable. But in the various nationalities, as we now see them -in Europe, there is not a symptom of any such idea; their ethnical -origin lies in obscurity. These nations are an agglomeration of the -greatest possible mixture of kindred and foreign elements, and, -according to the longer or shorter process of development, it is at most -their common language, customs, and history which constitute the -so-called national stamp. If we observe a little more closely the -European nations of our time we shall find that the older the influence -of culture the sooner the national crystallisation of such a country -began, and consequently is still in process in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_432" id="Page_432">[Pg 432]</a></span>later-developed -Eastern portion of Europe. The French are a mixture of Iberians, -Ligurians or Gauls, Kelts, and eventually also Phœnicians, and the -German Franks, who found this ethnical conglomeration in ancient Gaul -and gave it the present national name. In the German national -corporation there are many nationalities whose German origin is by no -means proved. A large portion of Eastern Germany was Slavonic; Berlin, -Leipsic, Dresden, Chemnitz, &c., point to a Slavonic origin, and the -oldest inhabitants of Steiermark, Kärnten, and the Eastern Tyrol were -Slavs. In Italy we find a most curious mixture of Etruscans, Latins, -Greeks, Slavs, Arabs, and Germans, which in course of time Church and -State have amalgamated and impressed with the stamp of linguistic unity, -although the typical features of the various fragments are not -obliterated even now. In Hungary Ural-Altaic fragments have mixed with -Slavs and other Aryans, and in spite of numerical minority the Magyar -element, through its warlike propensities, has for centuries maintained -the upper hand and gradually absorbed the foreign elements. The real -ground-element of the Magyar nation, however, it would be almost -impossible to discover.</p> - -<p>The strongly mixed character of the English people is universally known, -and when we look a little more closely at the gigantic Russian Empire we -shall find that in the small nucleus of the Slavonic provinces, Tartars, -Bashkirs, Kirghiz,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_433" id="Page_433">[Pg 433]</a></span> Buriats, Votiaks, Cheremiss, Suryanes, Shuvashes, -Greeks, Ostiaks, Voguls, Caucasians, &c., have been swallowed up. The -growth of the Russian nation is of comparatively modern date and still -in process. At the time of Peter the Great the entire population of -Russia was estimated at thirty millions; <i>now</i> the number of Russians -alone is over eighty millions.</p> - -<p>And now I ask, in the face of all the above difficulties, can there be a -question of consanguinity in the various nationalities, and what is -there to insure a feeling of brotherly fellowship? Those who argue in -favour of this point bring forward the national peculiarities, the -outcome of their common language, customs, and historical antecedents, -all of them psychical causes, and nationality is represented as a moral -and not as a material conception. Very well, we will accept this, only -let us remember that language, like all other psychical things, is -subject to changes, and we must not be astonished if Islam, ignoring all -former national restrictions, seeks to classify the human race only -according to profession of faith, and has advanced the thesis, "All true -believers are brothers." In the Mohammedan organisation the various -shades of nationality practically do not exist, in obedience to the -maxim: "<i>Hubb ul watan min el iman</i>." Patriotism proceeds from religion; -at any rate they are always of secondary importance. When Islam, -inspired by such lofty ideas,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_434" id="Page_434">[Pg 434]</a></span> can accomplish this, why cannot we, under -the powerful protection of our modern culture, produce some equivalent -in our Western lands, and, putting aside national restrictions, create a -cultural bond and united corporation, excluding all national hatred and -discord? This indeed would be one of the most ideal forms of national -life, and its realisation in the distant future is not at all an -impossibility. But as yet, alas! we have not reached this exalted -station of peace and happiness. Behold in our cultured West the -uninterrupted struggle of great and mighty nationalities against smaller -and weaker ones—a struggle in which Darwin's theory of the "survival of -the fittest" is fully justified. No one likes to act the part of the -weaker, doomed to destruction; none wants to be absorbed by others, and -the inferior in numbers have to defend their claim for existence as a -political nation upon historical grounds. It is the rapacity and the -tyranny of the great nations which have called forth and justify the -fight for existence in the smaller ones, for why should not all want to -preserve their individuality, all want to be entirely free in promoting -the intellectual and material development of their own commonwealth? And -this being so, there can, for the present, be no question of -cosmopolitan tendencies. This fact becomes more conspicuous where it -concerns a small ethnical island surrounded by the wild waves of a -mighty ethnical sea, which threaten to destroy it, as we see<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_435" id="Page_435">[Pg 435]</a></span> -exemplified in Hungary. Encompassed by German, Slav, and Roman elements, -it has for centuries skilfully and successfully held its own, and the -preservation of its national independence is an absolute necessity, as -otherwise a collision between the three large national bodies just -mentioned would be unavoidable, and the existence of a buffer-state must -therefore be hailed as a fortunate coincidence. All lovers of peace and -of quiet expansion of Western culture in the East must hail with joy the -buffer afforded by the Hungarian State, and all true friends of culture -must heartily desire the growth of Hungary. In this spirit I have always -preserved my Hungarian patriotism, and will do so to the end of my days, -although for many decades of years I have occupied myself with questions -of universal interest, and have kept aloof from home politics. It is not -surprising that the patriotism of a cosmopolitan differs considerably -from that of his stay-at-home compatriots. But the keen interest in the -affairs of the various nations with whom the traveller comes into -contact hardly ever succeeds in suppressing or weakening in him his -warmer feelings for the weal and woe of his native land. The tears I -have shed in my younger days over the cruel sufferings and -mortifications inflicted upon my native land by Austria's absolutism -would have promoted a more luxurious growth of the plant of patriotism, -if I had always remained at home and had had intercourse with -Hungarians<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_436" id="Page_436">[Pg 436]</a></span> only. But even when one's horizon has widened one may still -cling lovingly to one's native sod. One does not so lightly agree with -Tolstoy, who maintains that patriotism is a crime, for although there -are proverbs such as "<i>Ubi bene ibi patria</i>," or its English equivalent, -"If you happen to be born in a stable, it does not follow that you are a -horse," the cosmopolitan, be he ever so infatuated, always in the end is -glad to get home again.</p> - -<p>If there be anything likely to weaken or shake one's patriotism, it is -the narrow-mindedness and ridiculous prejudice of the Christian West -against its fellow-countrymen of a different creed. I will take my own -case as example. I was all ablaze with enthusiasm when in my childhood I -became acquainted with the life of the national heroes of Hungary. The -heroic epoch of 1848 filled my youthful heart with genuine pride, and -even later in 1861, when I returned from Constantinople by the Danube -boat, on landing at Mohacs I fell on my knees and kissed the ground with -tears of true patriotic devotion in my eyes. I was intensely happy and -in a rapture of delight, but had soon to realise that many, nay most -people questioned the genuineness of my Hungarianism. They criticised -and made fun of me, because, they said, people of Jewish origin cannot -be Hungarians, they can only be Jews and nothing else. I pointed to the -circumstance that in matters of faith, like most cultured people, I was -really an agnostic and had long since left the precincts of Judaism.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_437" id="Page_437">[Pg 437]</a></span></p><p>I spoke of the dangers I had faced in order to investigate the early -history of Hungary, surely a test of patriotism such as but few would be -able to show. Many other arguments I brought forward, but all in vain; -everywhere and on all occasions an ominous sneer, an insidious shrug of -the shoulders, an icy indifference, or a silence which has a more deadly -effect than any amount of talk. Add to this the deep and painful wound -inflicted by the adverse criticism at home upon me and my travels, and I -would ask the reader, Could I under these conditions persist in my -national enthusiasm, could I stand up to defend Hungarian patriotism -with the same ardent love of youth when as yet I had no anticipation of -what was to happen to me? Even the most furious nationalist could not -easily answer this question in the affirmative. Not his Jewish descent, -but the prejudiced, unreasonable, and illiberal Christian world is to -blame when the man of Jewish origin becomes cosmopolitan; and I am not -sure whether those Jews who, in spite of the blunt refusals they -receive, persist in pushing themselves within the national framework -must be admired as martyrs or despised as intruders. The law, at all -events, makes no difference, but usage and social convenience do not -trouble themselves much about the law; and in this all European -countries are alike, with the exception of England, where liberalism is -not an empty term, where the Jew feels thoroughly English and is looked -upon as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_438" id="Page_438">[Pg 438]</a></span> such by the true Briton. I frankly admit that the weakening and -ultimate loss of this warm national feeling deprives us of one of the -most noble sentiments of humanity; for, with all its weakness and -prejudices, the bond of national unity possesses always a certain charm -and attraction; and through all the painful experiences of my life, the -thought that the short-sightedness of society could not deprive me of my -national right to the soil of my birth has comforted and cheered me. The -land where I saw the light of day, where my cradle stood, and where I -spent the golden days of childhood, is, and ever remains my Fatherland. -It is my native soil, its weal and woe lie close to my heart, and I have -always been delighted when in some way or other I could help a Hungarian.</p> - -<h3>3. <span class="smcap">Society.</span></h3> - -<p>If my ideas about religion and nationality are at variance with the -prevailing notions in Western lands, this is still more the case with -regard to our social standing. The European who has been in Asia for -some length of time feels freer and less restricted there than in -Europe, in spite of the anarchy, barbarism, and tyranny prevailing in -the East. In the first place, as stranger and guest he has less to -suffer from the despotism of the Government and the oppressive national -customs. He stands under the protection of the dreaded West and is not -subject to the laws of the land. He lives<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_439" id="Page_439">[Pg 439]</a></span> as an outlaw truly, and has -to look after himself, but then he has the advantage of not being bound -by any party spirit; no class prejudice exists here. In the East the -highest in the land has to condescend to his inferiors, even princes are -not exempt from this law, which is in accordance with the patriarchal -spirit of the Government. I have witnessed simple peasants rebuking -their landlord, without the latter daring to say a word of protest. With -us in Europe the tax-paid official behaves not as the servant but the -master of the public, and his arrogance is often very offensive. But -still more objectionable is the conduct of the uneducated born -aristocrats, who, on the strength of the problematic services of their -forefathers, often without the least personal merit, exhibit an amount -of pride as if the course of the universe depended upon them. I have -never quite been able to understand why the born aristocrat should claim -this exceptional position, which nowadays is not so much a matter of -national law as of public opinion. If these privileges are a recognition -and reward for services rendered, and to be continued from generation to -generation, the harm done to society is incalculable, for the offspring -only very seldom possess the intellectual heirloom of their ancestors, -very seldom come up to the position they occupy, and moreover stand in -the way of those better fitted to fill it. Of course in opposition to -these views the succession theory is advanced, and in my <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_440" id="Page_440">[Pg 440]</a></span>discussions on -this point I have often been met with the argument that as in the -vegetable and animal kingdom there are superior species, this natural -law also applies to the human race. The maxim, "<i>Fortes creatur -fortibus</i>," is quoted, but one forgets that human strength, thanks to -the advanced spirit of the age, consists now no longer in physical but -in psychical qualities, and that greatness and perfection of -intellectual power can be obtained only by study, zeal, and persevering -intellectual labour—not exactly a favourite pastime of the born -aristocrat, generally speaking. <i>Vir non nascitur sed fit</i>, says the old -proverb; and although admitting advantages of birth in horses, dogs and -other quadrupeds, we cannot do the same for the human race of the -twentieth century.</p> - -<p>What has been accomplished so far in literature, art, science and -intellectual advancement generally is for the greater part the work of -people not favoured by birth, but who in the hard struggle for existence -have steeled their nerves and sharpened their wits. In the dark ages of -crude thought, when the greatest amount of hereditary physical strength -displayed in plundering, murdering and pillaging bore away the palm, -there was some sense in hereditary aristocracy, but in modern times -privileges of birth are nonsense, and where they do exist they are a -disgrace to humanity, and a melancholy sign of the tardiness of society -in certain countries. Curiously enough, even in our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_441" id="Page_441">[Pg 441]</a></span> days people try to -justify the existence of hereditary nobility by referring to the -historical development of certain States. For instance, the decay and -retrogression of Asiatic nations is attributed to the lack of an -hereditary aristocracy, and Japan is quoted as an example of the mighty -influence of inherited nobility. But the example is not to the point. -The fact that Japan, in spite of the great natural endowments of its -people, was up to the middle of the nineteenth century closed against -all influences from the West, is due solely and entirely to the strictly -feudal system of the land; and any one studying the struggle between the -Daimos and Mikado-ism will perceive that in this Albion of the Far East -modern civilisation and the elevation of the State have been introduced -against the will and in spite of the nobility. If pedigreed nobility is -really so essential to the well-being of a State, how can we account for -the lamentable decay of Persia, where there has always been such a -strongly pronounced aristocracy?</p> - -<p>Holding such views it is only natural that I could never quite fit into -the frame of Hungarian society, where aristocratic predilections -predominate. In the springtime of 1848 the Hungarian Parliament, -infected by the prevailing spirit of the age, did indeed abolish the -rights of hereditary nobility, and, as was supposed, quite voluntarily. -But as the middle class element has always been feebly represented in -Hungary, and consequently public opinion<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_442" id="Page_442">[Pg 442]</a></span> never could exercise much -persuasive force, this law is little more than a show-piece, and has -never been really effective. As in the Middle Ages the tone-giving -elements were looked upon as the real representatives of the Hungarian -race in the motley chaos of nationalities, and therefore <i>ipso facto</i> -belonged to the nobility, so it is now the social tendency of the -country to look upon genuine Hungarian descent as an undeniable sign of -nobility, and since the Government takes no measures to put a stop to -the mischief—in fact, is not particularly chary in the grant of letters -of nobility—every one who possibly can do so tries to prove his genuine -unadulterated Hungarian descent by procuring a letter of nobility. This -tendency, far from being a healthy sign, reminds one forcibly of a -return to mediæval ways; it nips in the bud all notions of freedom; it -cannot be to the benefit of our beautiful land and our gifted nation; it -cannot help forward its healthy development, that much at least is clear -as the day. Just as in the natural law a body cannot find a solid basis -on a pointed but only on a flat surface, so also the peace, safety, and -well-being of a State can not be securely founded on the heads of -society but on the broad basis of the people. The present tendency of -Hungarian society is, therefore, not at all to my liking. However, as -autobiographer, I will not enter into any social-political discussions, -but I cannot help saying that I, the self-made man,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_443" id="Page_443">[Pg 443]</a></span> could not possibly -live in close communion with such a society. He who has fought the hard -fight and, <i>per aspera ad astra</i>, has endeavoured to succeed, does not -find satisfaction for his ambition in a closer union with a caste which -has long since lost its original significance. <i>Altiora peto!</i> And this -worthier and higher recognition we are all entitled to claim, when we -are conscious of having rendered ever so slight a service to our -fellowmen and have contributed ever so little to the intellectual or -material well-being of our country or of humanity in general. The chase -after orders and decorations, the natural outcome of this aristocratic -tendency, although quite the fashion not only in Hungary but in other -countries of Europe as well, has never been my ambition either. If -sovereigns were pleased to confer such distinctions upon me I have -respectfully locked them up in my box, because a public refusal of them -seemed to me making a useless parade of democracy, and because no one is -entitled to respond to a courtesy with rudeness. I have never been able -to understand how certain men, grown old in wisdom and experience, can -find pleasure in bedizening themselves from head to toe with decorations -and parading their titles. One calls it apologetically, "The vanity of -scholars." But the learned should not commit themselves to such -childish, ridiculous weakness. Official distinctions are very much like -a command on the part of the State, "Honour this man!" which is quite -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_444" id="Page_444">[Pg 444]</a></span>superfluous, for he who is really worthy of honour will be honoured -without any such authoritative command. But enough of this; all these -and many other social peculiarities both at home and abroad have never -had any attraction for me. To respect a man according to the length of -his pedigree, or to honour him according to the superiority of his -official dignity, is a thing beyond the capacity of the self-made man. -Only the prerogatives of mind and heart command respect, they only are -genuine, for they are not dependent on the whim or favour of others, but -are based on character or honest labour.</p> - -<p>It should also be noted that in Hungary society is far more absorbed in -politics than is generally the case, and that science and intellectual -labour of any kind are of secondary importance. From the point of view -of utility my countrymen are perfectly right, for Hungary, in spite of -its glorious past as an independent State, has a hard battle to fight -with its neighbour, Austria; and since it is necessary for a nation to -establish itself politically before it can take part in the labour of -improving mankind at large, it is very natural that the mind of the -nation should be set on political matters, and politics be looked upon -as an eminently national question. But apart from this I could never get -on with my literary studies at home because my favourite subject, the -practical knowledge of the East, never excited much interest in Hungary. -What does Hungary care about the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_445" id="Page_445">[Pg 445]</a></span> rivalry between England and Russia in -Central Asia, and what possible benefit can it derive from the literary, -historical, and ethnographical details of inner Asiatic nations? -Whatever my labours have yielded of interest in regard to the primitive -history of Hungary, I have given to the public; but as the greater part -of my literary activity was the result of my practical knowledge of -Asia, the products of my pen have received far more notice outside of -Hungary than at home. I have often been asked why as Hungarian by birth -I did not confine myself exclusively to Hungarian topics, and why I -entered the region of international literature? At home also I have -often been blamed for this, but my critics seemed to forget that my -preparatory and my later studies were international in themselves, and -that with the best will in the world I could not have confined myself to -purely national interests. And so it came about that mentally I remained -a stranger in my native land, and in the isolation of the subject of my -studies I lived for years confined to my own society, without any -intellectual intercourse, without any interchange of ideas, without -recognition! It was not an enviable position. I was a stranger in the -place where I had passed my youth; a stranger in Turkey, Persia and -Central Asia; as a stranger I made my <i>début</i> in England, and a stranger -I remained in my own home; and all this because a singular fate and -certain natural propensities forced me to follow a career which, -because<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_446" id="Page_446">[Pg 446]</a></span> of its uncommonness, put me into an exceptional position. Had I -persevered in the stereotyped paths of Orientalism, <i>i.e.</i>, had I been -able to give my mind exclusively to the ferreting out of grammatical -niceties, and to inquiring into the speculations of theoretical -explorers, I could have grown my Oriental cabbages in peace in the quiet -rut of my professional predecessors. But how can one expect that a man -who as Dervish, without a farthing in his pocket, has cut his way -through the whole of the Islam world, who on the strength of his -eminently practical nature has accommodated himself to so many different -situations, and at last has been forced by circumstances to take a -sober, matter-of-fact view of life—how can one expect such a man to -bury himself in theoretical ideas, and to give himself up to idealistic -speculations? A bookworm I could never be! When I was young, and fancy -carried me away into higher spheres, I could derive a certain amount of -pleasure from abstract questions, but in after years, when the bitter -gravity of life forced me to take a realistic view of things, I -preferably chose that region of literature where not merely laurels, but -also tangible fruits, were to be found. I took into consideration that -in the face of the expected opening up of Asia, and the animated -interest of our world in the occurrences of the East, the discussion of -the practical questions of the day would be more to the purpose, more -likely to attract attention, and to be appreciated by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_447" id="Page_447">[Pg 447]</a></span> world at -large than the theoretical investigation of past events, however -significant in themselves. This is the reason why at an early date, -without giving up my linguistic studies, I devoted myself to Asiatic -politics.</p> - -<p>Orthodox and narrow-minded philologists may object to this divergence -from the trodden path, but I say, "<i>Chacun à son gout</i>," and every man -has a perfect right to exert himself in the direction best suited to his -tastes and his necessities. To me it was of the greatest moment not only -to gain experience and fame, but above all, independence. I have never -quite understood why the desire to become independent through the -acquisition of earthly goods should be so objectionable in a scholar, -for surely independence is the first requirement of human existence.</p> - -<p>Strictly adhering to the principle, "<i>Nulla dies sine linea</i>," my pen -has in the end procured me the material means for loosening the bonds in -which the poor writer had languished for so many years. Sixty years had -to pass over my head before I could declare, "Now at last I am free from -all material care, henceforth no Government, no princely favour, no -human whim, can check my thoughts." For the pursuit after filthy lucre, -however humiliating and despicable it may appear, is, and ever has been, -a cruel necessity, indispensable to the attainment of even the loftiest, -noblest ideals. I cannot explain how or why, but in my inmost mind, in -every fibre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_448" id="Page_448">[Pg 448]</a></span> of my nature, I have always been a passionate, fanatical -supporter of independent ideas. An English writer, Sidney Whitman, says -that this passion is an outcome of my Jewish origin, because the Jews -have always been conspicuous for their notions of independence. -Possibly; but I attribute it in my case rather to the oppression, the -ignominy, the insults to which I was exposed in my youth. Nor did I fare -much better in after years. Everywhere and always I have had much to -suffer from poverty, social prejudice, and the tyranny of Governments; -and when at last, having overcome all, I attained to intellectual and -material independence, I felt supremely happy in the enjoyment of my -dearly bought liberty, and in this enjoyment found the only worthy -reward for the hard struggle of my life. I have made no concealment of -my views as to the prejudices, the weaknesses, the obscurantism, and the -ignorance of society, and I did not care when on account of my views -about religion, nationality, aristocracy, &c., so contrary to the -generally conceived notions, I was looked upon as eccentric, -extravagant, sometimes even as not quite in my right mind. I held, and -ever will hold, to my principles, purified in the hard struggle for -existence. And if the struggle for my material wants is at an end the -mental struggle goes on always, and will probably continue to the last -breath of my life.</p> - -<p class="space-above">"The Struggle's End, and yet no End." Thus I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_449" id="Page_449">[Pg 449]</a></span> have entitled this last -portion of my autobiography. And I am not sorry that it should be so, -for what would life be worth without struggle, especially for those who -from their earliest youth to their old age have trodden the rough paths -of life, and been accustomed to fight hard for the smallest ray of -sunshine on their work. Yet after all I must honestly confess that there -is more pleasure in the actual strain and effort than in the final -accomplishment. Amid the pangs of hunger and all the sad circumstances -of my adventurous life, work has been my only comfort, hope, and solace; -it always came to my rescue, and I owe to it all that I have -accomplished in this world. In this full assurance I have gladly -sacrificed all pleasures, both private and social, for the sake of work. -In spite of my joviality I was never a society man—I mean, cared for -drawing-room life or for the social evenings of scholars and -writers—because I found that in the former mostly frivolous, useless -matters were discussed, and in the latter with much instructive and -intellectual conversation, spirituous drinks—which I have always -abominated—play an important part. Only very rarely have I visited the -theatre, for when I was young I should have liked to go, but had not the -means, and as I advanced in years the theatre lost its attraction for -me, and being an early riser, I made it a rule to go to bed at nine -o'clock. Generally speaking, I kept the question of utility in the -foreground, and if a thing did not commend<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_450" id="Page_450">[Pg 450]</a></span> itself as particularly -profitable or beneficial, I left it alone. In this manner and with these -views of life I have finished a somewhat fantastic career. I have often -been asked whether from the very first I worked with some particular -purpose in view whether the certain hope of success bore me along, or -whether I was surprised at the final result. To those really interested -in my destiny I reply as follows: At first naturally the instinct of -self-preservation urged me on, for with an empty stomach one may be able -to indulge in dreams, but one cannot work. The world's literatures, read -in their respective languages, were a great delight to me, but with an -empty stomach and teeth chattering with cold the desire for intellectual -food is soon subdued by a longing for physical nourishment and a warm -corner. In course of time all this was changed. As I was able to satisfy -my material wants, in that same measure the desire for knowledge -increased, and ambition grew with it. To outstrip my fellow-labourers -with a higher degree of knowledge, to make myself prominent by certain -intellectual qualities, to pose as an authority, and by some special -accomplishment to excite the admiration and the applause of the -public—all this led me into the devil's clutches. For years I wildly -pursued this course with feverish restlessness, and during this time -fell my incognito life in Stambul, my dangerous journey to Samarkand, -and my <i>début</i> in England and the rest of Europe.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_451" id="Page_451">[Pg 451]</a></span> One may well say, -"Surely such varied and unexpected results made you pause for a moment, -surely you stopped to reflect and to ask yourself the question, 'What -will all this lead to?'" No, I never stopped to think. One by one the -different phases of my almost romantic career were left behind; the poor -Jew boy became a European celebrity; but I cared not. Forward, ever -forward, for ambition is insatiable; it leaves one no time for -reflection, nor is retrospection one of its favourite pastimes; it is -not the past, but the future, which occupies all our thoughts. With such -ideas in my mind, my sojourn on the shores of the beautiful Danube was -of necessity only in appearance a <i>buen retiro</i>, but certainly no <i>otium -cum dignitate</i>. Apart from my studies, which occupied several hours a -day, my active pen, often against my will, brought me in contact with -the most distant regions of the globe. I kept up a lively correspondence -with people of various rank and degree in Turkey, Persia, Central Asia, -India, China, Japan, America, and Australia; and were I to mention the -different occasions which called forth this interchange of letters, it -would give a true and amusing picture of the joys and the sufferings of -a literary worker. Sometimes it was a Japanese politician who urged me -on to have a dig at Russia, pointing out the common danger which -threatened both Hungary and Japan if Russia's power were allowed free -growth. Then, again, a malcontent Hindustani<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_452" id="Page_452">[Pg 452]</a></span> blamed me for having taken -the British tyrant under my wing; while another Hindustani praised me -for duly acknowledging the spirit of liberty and justice which animated -the Raj, <i>i.e.</i>, the English Government. A Persian who has read in the -diary of his sovereign about my personal relations with the king, asks -me for my recommendation and protection, and while one Turk showers -praise upon me for my Turcophile writings, another Turk insults me for -having accepted the hospitality of the hated Sultan Abdul Hamid. A -Tartar from Yalta, who addresses me as the opponent of Russia and the -student of Moslem dithyrambs, begs for a copy of my <i>Sheibaniade</i>, as he -has not the means to buy one. So it goes on day after day, but worst of -all the poor international writer fares at the hands of the Americans. -The number of autograph collectors is astonishing, and many are kind -enough to enclose an American stamp or a few cents for the reply -postage. And then the questions I am asked! Could I inform them of the -hour of my birth, in order to account for my adventurous career? And I -do not even know what year I was born! An American surgeon asks me to -send him a photograph of my tongue, that from its formation he may draw -his conclusions as to my linguistic talent, and so on, and so on. As -most of these letters have to be answered, one may readily imagine the -amount of time and patience this often awkward correspondence absorbs, -and it is more in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_453" id="Page_453">[Pg 453]</a></span> after life that this side of international authorship -becomes such a nuisance.</p> - -<p>This reverse side of the medal one has to put up with, however; it -supplies some bright interludes also. Questions referring to my motley -career require more careful consideration. Many of my friends and -acquaintances have been curious to know how I bore the enormous -difference between my present position and the naked misery of my -childhood, and whether, generally speaking, I often thought of all my -past sufferings and struggles. Well, to tell the truth, the -recollections of the past form the sweetest moments of my life. It is -quite like a novel when I think of the beginning of my career and then -look at the end, but as the transformation has been a gradual and slow -progress, and as I have never doubted the intimate connection between -labour and wages, the steady progress from worse to better has but -seemed natural to me, and the really wonderful part in it was the -disposition of a kind destiny. "<i>Labor omnia vincit</i>" has always been my -device, not forgetting the other saying, "<i>Sors bona, nihil aliud</i>"; for -that on my journey through the Steppes I did not die of thirst, that I -was able to undergo the fatigues of those long marches on foot through -the deep sand with lame legs, and that I escaped the executioner's axe -of the tyrants of Khiva and Bokhara, I attribute solely to my lucky -star. Without this star all my perseverance, patience, ambition, -linguistic talent,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_454" id="Page_454">[Pg 454]</a></span> and intellectual activity would have been fruitless. -But as concerns the recollection of those past sufferings and struggles -I must honestly say that a retrospective glance has always given me the -greatest pleasure; the more so where, as in my case, I have both -mentally and physically an unbroken view of my past career. In spite of -the seventy years which have gone over my head, I feel physically -perfectly composed and in good health, and without complaining with Sadi -that:—</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>"Medjlis tamam shud ve b'akhir resid umr,"</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p><i>i.e.</i>, "the measure of my years is full, and only now fortune begins to -smile." I have in the prime of my life enjoyed to the full all the -spiritual and worldly pleasures of existence. If there be anything which -makes the approaching evening of one's life empty and unpleasant it is -the grief henceforth no longer to be fit for work and labour. The desire -to overcome the unconquerable is gone; the beautiful delusive pictures -on the rosy horizon of the future have disappeared; henceforth it is the -past only which offers me the cup of precious, sweet delight. No wonder, -then, that I can spend hours by myself in pleasant retrospection, -enjoying the visions of my brain. I see myself as the schoolboy of Duna -Szerdahely, hurrying along towards the Jewish school, leaning on my -crutch and warming my half-numbed fingers on frosty winter mornings<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_455" id="Page_455">[Pg 455]</a></span> -with the hot potatoes which I carried in my pocket for breakfast. Again -I see myself laden with distinctions at the royal table in the palace of -Windsor or Yildiz; dining from massive golden plates, and honoured by -the highest representatives of Western and Eastern society. Then there -arises before my mind the picture of my miserable plight as mendicant -student spending the cold autumn night under the seat on the promenade -at Presburg, and trembling with cold and fear; and scarcely has this -gloomy picture faded from my view when I behold in its place the -meeting-hall in London where the heads of England's proud aristocracy -listen to my speech on the political condition of affairs in Central -Asia, and loudly applaud. Seated all alone in my lonely room I see -myself once more in the turmoil of life, and gazing in the -richly-coloured kaleidoscope I am now intoxicated with bliss, then again -trembling with fear. In clear outline, in the smallest details I enjoy -those blissful moments of delivery from terrible distress, the -threatening danger of lifelong slavery, or a martyr's awful death, which -so often have stared me in the face. Whenever the scene of my audience -with the Emir of Bokhara, or of the agonies of thirst in the Khalata -desert, and the terrible image of Kulkhan, the Turcoman slave-dealer, -come before me in my dreams, even to this day I look anxiously round and -rejoice when I find that it is only a dream and not reality.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_456" id="Page_456">[Pg 456]</a></span></p><p>Fate has truly played me many queer tricks. And now, in the evening of -my life, looking back upon the dark and the bright moments of my long -career, I say with the English that my life has been "a life worth -living," and would gladly go through the whole comedy again from -beginning to end, and for a second time undergo all the labour, the -fatigues, the mortal dangers.... So mighty and overpowering is the -thirst for adventure in one's youth, and the consciousness of a -fortunate escape from threatening danger is so deliciously exciting, -that even in one's old age one can gloat over the recollection of it.</p> - -<p>Once having tasted the charms of a life of adventure, the longing for it -will ever remain, and a calm sea never seems as beautiful and sublime as -the furiously whipped waves of a stormy ocean. There are natures not -made for rest, they need perpetual motion and excitement to keep them -happy. I belong to this latter category. I never did care for a quiet, -peaceful existence, and I am glad to have possessed these qualities, for -through them I have gained the two most precious jewels of human -life—experience and independence—two treasures inseparably connected, -and forming the true nucleus of human happiness. And now the evening of -my life has come; the setting sun is casting warning shadows before me, -and the chilliness of the approaching night becomes perceptible,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_457" id="Page_457">[Pg 457]</a></span> I sit -and think of all the dangers, difficulties, and troubles of the day that -it is past and in the possession of my two jewels I feel fully rewarded -for all I have gone through. It has been my good fortune to contribute -my mite to the enlightenment and improvement of my fellow-creatures; and -when I made the joyful discovery that my books were being read all over -Europe, America, and Australia, the consciousness of not having lived in -vain filled me with a great happiness. I thought to myself, the father -professor of the gymnasium at St. Georghen was wrong after all when he -said, "Moshele, why dost thou study? It would be better for thee to be a -butcher!" But more precious than all these good things is my -dearly-bought experience.</p> - -<p>My eye is still undimmed and my memory still clear, and even as in past -years, so now two worlds with all their different countries, peoples, -cities, morals, and customs rise up before my eyes. As the bee flies -from one flower to another, so my thoughts wander from Europe to Asia -and back again; everywhere I feel at home; from all sides well-known -faces smile recognition; all sorts of people talk to me in their -mother-tongue. Thus encompassing the wide world, feasting one's eyes on -the most varied scenery—this, indeed, is a delight reserved for -travellers only, for travelling is decidedly the greatest and noblest -enjoyment in all the world. And so I have no reason to complain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_458" id="Page_458">[Pg 458]</a></span> of my -lot, for if my life was hard the reward was abundant also, and now at -the end of it I can be fully satisfied with the result of my struggles.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_459" id="Page_459">[Pg 459]</a></span></p> - -<h2>Appendices</h2> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_461" id="Page_461">[Pg 461]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>APPENDIX I</span> <span class="smaller">EUROPEAN AND ASIATIC ECHOES OF MY INCOGNITO TRAVELS</span></h2> - -<p>In spite of all the slights I had to put up with, the first years after -my return from Asia passed very pleasantly in beautiful Budapest. It -gave me keen pleasure to see my books about my travels, and my -ethnographical and political essays before me, in various European and -Asiatic languages; and the voice of criticism, whether favourable or -otherwise, had ceased to trouble me. But one thing was of special -interest to me, viz., the effect which the reports of my travels would -have in the Far East—that is, in Central Asia—for I felt sure that the -news of the happy conclusion of my incognito would reach the borders of -the Zerefshan, by way of India, or of Russia. That I was not mistaken in -my supposition was proved by news received in later years from that -neighbourhood. The first information came from the Russian diplomatist, -Herr von Lankenau, who, shortly after the victory of the Russian arms at -Samarkand, was sent by General Kauffmann to Bokhara to negotiate with -the Emir, Mozaffareddin. Herr von Lankenau settled the principal -conditions of the peace between Russia and Bokhara, and then spent some -time in the Khanate near the Zerefshan.</p> - -<p>He had also been an eye-witness of the events that had taken place -there, including the revolt of the Crown Prince of Bokhara, Kette Töre, -who was overcome in 1869; and four years later, when he returned to -Germany, he published some of his experiences in the <i>Frankfürter -Zeitung</i> of June, 1872, entitled, <i>Rachmed Inak, Moral Pictures from -Central Asia; from the Russian of H. von Lankenau</i>. In No. 11 of the -above-named paper we read the following: "In the whole of the Khanate -he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_462" id="Page_462">[Pg 462]</a></span> (viz., Rachmed Inak) was the only person not deceived by the -disguise of the foolhardy Vambéry. This traveller says that when he -presented himself before Rachmed, who was then managing the affairs of -the whole of Bokhara, in the absence of the Emir, he could not look that -sharp-sighted governor in the eyes without fear and trembling, knowing -that his secret was either discovered or in danger of discovery. When we -once asked Rachmed Inak (a title bestowed on him later) if he remembered -a pious pilgrim Hadji, with a very dark face, and lame, who had gone to -Bokhara and Samarkand five years before, he replied, smiling, 'Although -many pilgrims go to those holy places every year, I can guess which one -you mean. He was a very learned Hadji, much more so than all the other -wise men in Bokhara.'</p> - -<p>"We now told him that the pilgrim was a European, and showed him -Vambéry's book, translating to him the part in which the noted traveller -speaks of Rachmed himself.</p> - -<p>"'I was quite aware of the fact,' answered Rachmed, 'but I knew too that -he was not dangerous, and I did not want to ruin such a learned man. It -was the Mollahs' own fault that they did not guess whom they had with -them. Who told them to keep their eyes and ears shut?'"</p> - -<p>Now this Rachmed (more correctly Rahmet), whom I mentioned before (see -page 207), appears to have risen in rank since my departure from Central -Asia, for Herr von Lankenau speaks of him as "Bek" (governor) of Saadin, -a district in the Khanate of Bokhara. I find it quite natural that he -should have remembered me, but his statement that he spared my life on -account of my erudition must be taken <i>cum grano salis</i>. I do not wish -to affirm that I was not suspected by a good many; the number of efforts -made to unmask me prove the contrary; but no one really detected me on -account of my fortunate talent for languages, just as in Turkey and -Persia I was hardly ever taken for a European. Had the people of Bokhara -discovered my identity I should certainly not now be in a position to -write my memoirs!</p> - -<p class="space-above">Many years later, in 1882, I received the second piece of information as -to the effect of my incognito on the inhabitants of Central Asia, -through the publications of Mr. Edmund<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_463" id="Page_463">[Pg 463]</a></span> O'Donovan, a correspondent of -the <i>Daily News</i>, who travelled in Asia from 1879 to 1881, and after his -return to England published in 1882 a book of two volumes, entitled, -<i>The Merv Oasis: Travels and Adventures East of the Caspian during the -Years 1879 to 1881, including Five Months' Residence among the Tekkes of -Merv</i>.</p> - -<p>In the first volume of this book, on page 221, we find the following: "I -usually confined myself to my dwelling" (the author is speaking of his -stay among the Yomuts in Gömushtepe, where I myself had been), "making -notes or conversing with the numerous visitors who invaded Durdi's -residence. This was the same in which Vambéry had lived, for, -notwithstanding that he succeeded in passing through unrecognised, as a -European, the inhabitants afterwards learned his true character, -doubtless from the Russians of the naval station at Ashurada close by. I -heard of the famous Hungarian from a person named Kan Djan Kelte, the -son of Kocsak, his former host. He described the traveller as being like -Timsur Lenk, the great Central Asian conqueror, <i>i.e.</i>, somewhat lame. -Of course this knowledge of Vambéry was not arrived at until some time -after his departure from among the Yomuts, as otherwise it might have -fared badly with him, and he certainly would not at that time have been -allowed to pass on. The most singular fact in connection with this -matter was, that when I asked for the date of Vambéry's arrival at -Gömushtepe my informer could give me only a very vague reply. This is -characteristic of the Turkomans."</p> - -<p>Of course this notice by the English traveller interested me very much. -Kan Djan (the Khandjan mentioned in my book) had not the slightest idea -of my disguise. He and the other Turkomans imagined me to be a genuine, -pious, and inspired Osmanli from Constantinople, from whom many people -begged letters of introduction to the Ottoman Embassy at Teheran, -letters which I willingly gave. Two of them were given back to me after -my return, by Haidar Effendi, then ambassador at the Persian Court, and -I treasure them as valuable mementos.</p> - -<p>There is no doubt there would have been little hope for me had my -identity been discovered, and I learned later from pilgrims who stopped -at Khandjan how vexed the Turkomans<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_464" id="Page_464">[Pg 464]</a></span> were at being cheated out of such a -windfall. But they were certainly much mistaken, for though the Shah, at -the instance of the Emperor Napoleon III., had to pay 12,000 ducats -ransom for Monsieur de Bloqueville, who was captured at Merv while in -the Persian service, no one would have paid a penny for my ransom; and -as, on account of my infirmity, I was useless for the slave market, a -strong ass being worth more than a lame Hadji, it would not have been -worth while to capture me.</p> - -<p>Quite recently I heard of the third effect of my incognito in -Afghanistan, and I must own I was not a little astonished. Readers of my -book about my travels may remember that I had a strange adventure in -Herat, when the governor of the province, Prince Yakub Khan, a son of -Shir Ali Khan, then Emir of Afghanistan, who had already seen many -Englishmen, distinguished my European features from those of all my -Tartar companions, and tried to unmask me. That he should have found me -out has always been a marvel to me, for in the poor student, in whose -eyes only hunger and misery were visible, there was really very little -to show European origin.</p> - -<p>Now the mystery has been solved. Yakub Khan, who succeeded to his -father's throne after so many vicissitudes, was so unfortunate that at -the very beginning of his reign the English ambassador, Sir Louis -Cavagnari, with his whole suite, was murdered by a fanatic mob in Kabul. -Upon this the English took possession of his capital. Yakub Khan was -taken to India as prisoner, and in the escort which accompanied the -dethroned prince was Colonel Robert Warburton, a very able officer, and -decidedly the one who best knew the border tribes, and who had been -posted for years at the entrance to the Khyber Pass.</p> - -<p>This officer (later Sir Robert Warburton), after his return to England, -published his experiences in a book entitled <i>Eighteen Years in the -Khyber (1879 to 1898), with Portraits, Maps, and Illustrations</i>. London: -John Murray, 1900. In this book we read on pp. 89-90 the following:—</p> - -<p>"After being introduced to Emir Yakub Khan, and seeing that all his -wants were satisfied, I ventured to ask a question harking back to the -time when Arminius Vambéry, after having seen Khiva and Bokhara, arrived -at Herat and appeared in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_465" id="Page_465">[Pg 465]</a></span> Sardar Muhammed Yakub Khan's presence. Mr. -Vambéry, in his book, states that, having given the benediction, he sat -down next to the Sardar, and pushed his wazir to one side with a good -deal of violence.</p> - -<p>"The young Sardar, peering into his face, said: '<i>Walla au billa -Faringhi hasti</i>.' This Vambéry denied, and the conversation was then -changed. Having reminded Amir Yakub Khan of the above circumstance, I -asked him if he had identified Mr. Vambéry as a European, and on what -grounds. The ex-Emir said: 'I was seated in an upper chamber watching a -parade of my troops, and the band was playing on the open ground in -front of my window. I noticed a man beating time to the music of the -band with his foot. I knew at once that he must be a European, as -Asiatics are not in the habit of doing this. Later on, when this man -came into my darbar, I charged him with being a Faringhi, which he -denied. However, I did not press the matter, being afraid that if -suspicion had been roused against him, his life might not have been -safe.'</p> - -<p>"The same circumstance has been told to me by Sardar Muhammed Hassan -Khan, six weeks before Emir Yakub Khan's arrival at Jellalabad. It may -be noted that Sardar Yakub Khan and he were both at Herat when Mr. A. -Vambéry journeyed there after his wonderful adventures and vicissitudes -in Central Asia. Strange it must seem to have associated hourly for -months throughout his dangerous travels in Khiva and Bokhara with his -Dervish companions, to have shared in all their meals and joined in all -their prayers, and yet to have defied all detection; and then to have -been discovered by one keen-eyed observer for beating time with his foot -to the music of an improvised European band, playing in the glacis of -the fortress of Herat!"</p> - -<p>Yes, Sir Robert Warburton's surprise is quite justified. I am astonished -myself that such a thing should have happened to me, and that Melpomene -should have betrayed me. I can only explain this by the fact that I, who -have always been a lover of music, upon hearing the strains of European -music for the first time after many years, unconsciously began to beat -time with my foot. Under the influence of those sounds recalling the -West, I had entirely forgotten hunger, misery, and the dangers that -threatened me especially among the fanatic Afghans, so forcible<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_466" id="Page_466">[Pg 466]</a></span> an -impression did these tones from home make upon me in that foreign -country.</p> - -<p class="space-above">Besides these three authentic bits of news, which I heard by chance, I -also received other vague information through pilgrims from Central Asia -who visited the Bokhara-Tekkesi (monastery) in Constantinople. My -incognito travels have become quite legendary in Turkestan.</p> - -<p>Hadji Bilal, my most intimate friend in the pilgrims' caravan with which -we travelled, who visited Mecca and Medina in the seventies, remained -firm in his belief in my Moslemism; he even asserted that if I had -adopted an incognito at all, it was decidedly rather in Europe than in -Asia, and that my <i>Christianity</i> was apocryphal. How far he was right in -his supposition the reader of these memoirs can judge for himself.</p> - -<p>In the matter of prejudice, superstition, and fanaticism, there is only -this difference between the West, which is so proud of its civilisation, -and uncultivated Asia, that in the West human passions are restrained by -the laws of more advanced civilisation, and the adherents of foreign -religious or political opinions, are exposed to less dangers in public -life than in Asia where lawlessness and anarchy afford no protection.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately I made bitter experiences in this respect. Where my origin -was unknown, my career so full of struggles found much more -acknowledgment than in those circles in which I, as a Jew, was defamed, -and from the very beginning marked as a liar and deceiver. It was the -same with my political opinions. Until the Franco-Russian alliance was -strengthened I had many friends in France, but I lost them all the -moment I took up my position as anti-Russian writer, in England's -interest in Asia. Even in England I was made to feel the effect of -political quarrels amongst the various parties. Mr. Ashton Dilke, a -furious Liberal and a pro-Russian, in conjunction with Herr Eugen -Schuyler, secretary to the American Embassy at St. Petersburg (whose -ancestor took a prominent part against England in the American War of -Independence), took it into his head to represent my journey through -Central Asia as fiction, and attacked me in the <i>Athenæum</i> No. 2,397. He -asserted that I, a connoisseur of Oriental languages, had never been in -Bokhara nor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_467" id="Page_467">[Pg 467]</a></span> Samarkand, and had written my book with no other foundation -than the facts I had collected in the Bosphorus, and as a proof of this -assertion it was said that I had described the famous nephrit stone on -the tomb of Timour as green, whereas in reality it was blue. Little or -no notice was taken of this attack by my friends in England, and I was -not a little surprised when the noted Russian orientalist, Mr. W. -Grigorieff, declared in <i>Russki Mir</i> that this attack on the -authenticity of my journey was ridiculous and inadmissible, and -designated me as an audacious and remarkable traveller of recent date, -though he had sharply criticised my <i>History of Bokhara</i> some time -before.</p> - -<p>Considering my strongly marked opposition to Russia, this trick of -holding out a saving hand seems rather strange; but the kindness evinced -missed its aim, for my political works continued to be anti-Russian.</p> - -<p>Also Mr. Schuyler, the American diplomatist, in spite of the hatred he -bore to England, changed his tone in time; for when he visited Budapest -in 1886, I received the following letter from him:—</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right">"<span class="smcap">Budapest, Hotel Königin von England</span>,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<i>Monday, November 8, 1886</i>.</p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Dear Mr. Vambéry</span>,—</p> - -<p>"If you are willing to overlook some hasty criticisms of mine when -I was in Central Asia, and will receive me, I shall be most happy -to call upon you.</p> - -<p class="right">"Believe me, dear sir, yours most sincerely,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<span class="smcap">Eugene Schuyler</span>."</p></blockquote> - -<p>Of course I overlooked the "hasty criticisms," gave Mr. Schuyler a warm -reception, and have corresponded with him ever since. I have only -mentioned this incident to prove how very unstable criticism sometimes -is, and how very often the private interests of religion or of politics -can lead to the attack on a man's character and his honour.</p> - -<p>A certain Professor William Davies (?) took it into his head to give -lectures as pseudo-Vambéry, and for the sake of greater resemblance even -feigned lameness, but was unmasked by my deceased friend, Professor -Kiepert, on the 22nd of January, 1868;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_468" id="Page_468">[Pg 468]</a></span> others again tried to represent -me as an impostor, and discredited the result of my dangers and -privations from personal motives.</p> - -<p>I have had endless opportunities of studying human nature in all its -phases. It seemed as though an unkind fate refused to remove the bitter -chalice from my lips, and if, in spite of all, I never lost courage, nor -my lively disposition, I have only my love of work to thank for it; it -drew a veil over all that was unpleasant, and permitted me to gaze -joyfully from my workroom on the outside world. Unfavourable criticism, -which no man of letters can escape, least of all an explorer who has met -with uncommon experiences, never offended or hurt me. But what was most -unpleasant was the thorn of envy the pricks of which I was made to feel, -and the attacks made with evil designs, in which the Russian press -excelled.</p> - -<p>Madame de Novikoff, <i>née</i> Olga Kireef, did her utmost to discredit me in -England, and in order to blunt the point of my anti-Russian pen, she -suddenly discovered that I was no Hungarian, but a fraudulent Jew who -had never been in Asia at all, but only wished to undermine the good -relations between England and Russia. This skilled instrument of Russian -politics on the Thames, rejoiced in the friendship of Mr. Gladstone, but -her childish attacks on me have had little effect in shaking my position -and reputation among the British public.</p> - -<p>With the exception of such incidents I had reason to be content with the -criticism of my adventurous journey.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>APPENDIX II</span> <span class="smaller">MY SCIENTIFIC-LITERARY ACTIVITY</span></h2> - -<p>My many years of practical study of the Asiatic world, of which I have -attempted to give an account in the preceding pages, were necessarily -followed as soon as I had leisure and quiet by a period of literary -activity. During those years of travel such a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_469" id="Page_469">[Pg 469]</a></span> vast amount of material -had been accumulating that I must needs put some of it in writing, and -relate some of the things I had seen and experienced. And now that the -beautiful summertime of my life is past, and I look back upon that -period of literary work, I must preface my account of these labours by -stating that in point of quantity, quality, and tendency these -productions were quite in keeping with my previous studies. A -self-educated man, without any direction or guidance in my studies, -without even a definite object in view, my literary career must -necessarily also be full of the weaknesses, faults, and deficiencies of -the self-made man. Just as there are poets by nature, so I was a scholar -by nature, but as there is not and could not be a "<i>scientifica -licentia</i>," in the same way as there is a "<i>poetica licentia</i>," so the -difficulties I had to fight against were proportionally as great as the -deficiencies and blunders which criticism rightly detected in my works. -Hasty and rash as I had been in acquiring knowledge (for which a -powerful memory and a fiery zeal are chiefly to blame), I was equally -impatient to accomplish the work on hand. When once I had begun to write -a book, I gave myself neither rest nor peace until I saw it finished and -printed on my table, regardless of the saying, "<i>Nonum prematur in -annum</i>." Unfortunately my labour lay chiefly in as yet unfrequented -regions of philology and ethnography, consequently the authorities at my -disposal were very limited, and the few that were available were hardly -worth consulting, so I did not trouble with them.</p> - -<p>Besides, to make a thorough study of ancient authorities went quite -against the grain with me. I did not care to be always referring to what -others had said and done and to enter into minute speculations and -criticisms in regard to them. To use the expression—I objected to chew -the cud that others had eaten. From a strictly scientific point of view -this was no doubt a grave fault in me. It has always been the novel, the -unknown, and untold which attracted me. Only quite new subjects took my -fancy, only in those regions did I burn with desire to earn my literary -spurs, and although I had not much fear of any one overtaking me in the -race, I was for ever hurrying and hankering after novelty and -originality, not to say fresh revelations. I was always in a rush, and -so did not give the necessary care and attention to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_470" id="Page_470">[Pg 470]</a></span> the work on hand. -When in the biographical notices about my insignificant person, which -have appeared from time to time, I see myself described as a learned -man, this most unfitting qualification always surprises me, for I am -anything but learned in the ordinary sense of the word, and could not -possibly be. To be a scholar one needs preparation, schooling, and -disposition, all of which I lacked; of a scholar one can say, "<i>Non -nascitur sed fit</i>," while all through my life, in all my sayings and -doings I have always acted under the influence of my naturally good or -bad qualities, and have been solely guided by these. The dark side and -the disadvantages of such a character do undoubtedly weigh heavily, but -the mischief done is to a certain extent rectified by its very decided -advantages. Lack of caution makes one bold and daring, and where there -is no great depth, there is the greater extension over the area one has -chosen for one's field of operation. In this manner only can it be -explained why my literary activity encompassed such various regions of -Oriental knowledge, and why I could act as philologist, geographer, -ethnographer, historian, ethnologist, and politician all at once. Of all -the weaknesses and absurdities of the so-called learned guild, the -conventional modesty of scholars has always been the most hateful and -objectionable to me. I loathed nothing so much as the hypocritical -hiding of the material advantage which scholars as much as, if not more -than other mortals have in view, and nothing is to my mind more -despicable than the professed indifference to praise and recognition; -for we all know that scholars and writers are the vainest creatures born.</p> - -<p>Since I am not a professional scholar, I need not be modest according to -the rules of the trade, and as I am about to speak of my literary -activity, and discuss and criticise my own work, I will leave scholarly -modesty quite out of the question, and freely and frankly give my -opinion on the products of my pen.</p> - -<h3>1. <i>Travels in Central Asia.</i></h3> - -<p>This work, which appeared in several editions in various European and -Asiatic languages, is interesting reading because of the curious methods -of travel and the novelty of the adventures. Incognito journeys had been -made before my time to Mecca and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_471" id="Page_471">[Pg 471]</a></span> Medina by Burton, Burckhart, Maltzan, -Snouck-Hurgronje, and others, but as a Dervish living on alms, and -undergoing all the penalties of fakirdom, I was certainly the first and -only European. However interesting the account of my adventures may be, -the geographico-scientific results of my journey are not in adequate -proportion to the dangers and sufferings I underwent. Astronomical -observations were impossible, neither was I competent to make them. -Orography and hydrography were never touched upon. The fauna and flora -were closed books to me, and as for geology, I did not even know this -science by name before I came West. But on the other hand, I can point -out with pleasure that in certain parts of Central Asia I was the first -European traveller, and have contributed many names of places to the map -of the region, and furnished many facts hitherto unknown about the -ethnographical relations of the Turks in these parts. What made my book -of travels popular was unquestionably the account of my adventures and -the continual dangers in which I found myself. The European reader can -hardly form any conception of my sufferings and privations; they evoked -the interest and the sympathy of the cultured world; but he who has read -the preceding pages, and is acquainted with the struggles of my -childhood and youth, will not be surprised that the early schooling of -misery and privation I underwent had sufficiently hardened me to bear -the later heavy struggles. The difference between the condition of a -poor Jew-boy and a mendicant Dervish in Central Asia is, after all, not -very great. The cravings of hunger are not one whit easier to bear or -less irksome in cultured Europe than in the Steppes of Asia, and the -mental agony of the little Jew, despised and mocked by the Christian -world, is perhaps harder than the constant fear of being found out by -fanatical Mohammedans. As my first publication was so much appreciated, -I enlarged, at the instigation of my friends, my first account, and -published—</p> - -<h3>2. <i>Sketches from Central Asia</i>,</h3> - -<p>in which on the one hand I elaborated the account of my adventures with -fresh incidents, and on the other introduced those ethnographical, -political, and economic data which I was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_472" id="Page_472">[Pg 472]</a></span>unable to incorporate in my -traveller's account written in London, as the documents needed for this -were left behind at home in Pest. With this book, likewise translated in -several languages, I attracted more attention in scientific circles, in -consequence of which I was nominated honorary member of a geographical -society; but still from a scientific point of view this book does not -deserve much attention, for in spite of many new data, it is altogether -too fragmentary, and bears the unmistakable stamp of <i>dilettantism</i>. To -be an expert ethnologist I ought to have known much more about -anthropology and anatomy, and particularly the want of measurements -indispensable to anthropological researches, made it impossible for me -to furnish accurate descriptive delineations. Only the part about the -political situation, <i>i.e.</i>, the rivalry between England and Russia in -Central Asia, was of any real value. This part, which first appeared in -the columns of the periodical <i>Unsere Zeit</i>, was freely commented upon -and discussed in official and non-official circles. To this article I -owe my introduction into political literature, and at the same time the -animosity of Russia, I might say the violent anger which the Russian -press has ever since expressed at the mention of my name. In Chapter -VIII. I have referred more fully to this part of my literary career, and -will only mention here that I did not enter upon this course with any -special purpose in view, or with any sense of pleasure. All I cared for -was to make known my purely philological experiences, and accordingly as -soon as I returned from London I set to work upon my—</p> - -<h3>3. <i>Chagataic Linguistic Studies.</i></h3> - -<p>The fact that I, a self-taught man, with no scholastic education—a man -who was no grammarian, and who had but very vague notions about -philology in general should dare to venture on a philological work, and -that, moreover, in German; that I should dare to lay this before the -severe forum of expert philology—this, indeed, was almost too bold a -stroke, wellnigh on a par with my journey into Central Asia. Fortunately -at that time I was still ignorant of the <i>furor teutonicus</i>, and the -spiteful nature of philologists. I was moving, so to speak, on untrodden -ground, for with the exception of the specimen Chagataic passages -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_473" id="Page_473">[Pg 473]</a></span>published by Quatremere in his <i>Chrestomathie Orientale</i>, and what was -published in the original by Baber and Abulghazi, East Turkish was an -entirely unknown language to Western Orientalists. I began by giving -specimens of national literature, proverbs, and the different dialects -of Turkish inner Asia. Then I gave a whole list of East-Turkish books of -which no one in Europe had ever heard, and I published the first -East-Turkish dictionary which the French scholar Pavel de Courteille -incorporated in his later issued work, <i>Dictionnaire Turk-Oriental</i>. He -says in his preface, "J'avoue tout de suite, que j'ai mis à contribution -ce dictionnaire, en insérant dans mon travail autant que je le pouvais, -le livre le plus instructif qui fait grand honneur à son auteur," as he -called this my first philological production (Preface, p. xi.). But -still more did it surprise me to find that the Russian Orientalist, -Budagow, who was so much nearer akin to this branch of philology, used -my work in his elaborate dictionary; and so, although the critical press -took little notice of my first philological efforts, I was nevertheless -encouraged to persevere, and began to realise that without being a -scholarly linguist one can yet do useful work in this line. "It is but -the first step that costs," says the proverb. My Chagataic linguistic -studies were soon followed by isolated fragments on this subject, and -the more readily they were received the deeper I endeavoured to -penetrate into the ancient monuments of the Turkish language. As a -result of these efforts appeared my—</p> - -<h3>4. <i>Uiguric Linguistic Monuments</i>,</h3> - -<p>which was one of the hardest and best paying labours I accomplished in -Turkology, and which advanced me to the title of specialist in Turkish -languages. From the <i>Turkish Grammar</i> by Davids, and an article of -Joubert's in the <i>Journal Asiatique</i>, I had heard of the existence of a -mysterious Uiguric manuscript, and when Lord Strangford, moreover, drew -my attention to it, and advised me to try and decipher it, I burned with -ambition, and did not rest until I had secured the loan of this precious -manuscript from the Imperial Library at Vienna. The faint, uncertain -characters, the value of which I had to guess in many cases, the curious -wording, and the peculiarly original contents of the text,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_474" id="Page_474">[Pg 474]</a></span> exercised an -overpowering charm over me. For more than a year I gazed daily for hours -at the sybillic signs, until at last I succeeded bit by bit in reading -and understanding the manuscript. My joy was boundless. I immediately -decided to publish the deciphered portion, and when, after much trouble -and expense, for the type had first to be made, I saw the imposing -quarto before my eyes, I really believed I had accomplished an important -work. I was strengthened in this idea by the extremely appreciative -comments of my colleagues, and yet it was but a delusion, for my -knowledge of the dialects in the northern and north-easterly frontier -districts of the Turkish languages, was not sufficient to enable me to -understand the entire manuscript, and to accomplish the deciphering of -the entire document. My better qualified and more thoroughly versed -successor, Dr. W. Radloff, was able to show better results at once, and -the only satisfaction that remains to me from this laborious task is the -fact that to me belongs the right of priority; and that Dr. Radloff, -following in my footsteps, attained after thirty years a higher -standpoint and wider view, is due in a large measure to the fact that in -course of time he managed to secure a copy of the <i>Kudatku Biliks</i> -written in Arabic characters, and consequently more legible.</p> - -<p>And so my <i>Uiguric Linguistic Monuments</i>, in spite of many faults and -defects, ranks among the showpieces of my scientific-literary activity. -In any case I had proved that without being a schooled philologist one -can be a pioneer in this line. Following up this only partially -successful experiment, I continued for some time my researches in the -field of Turkology. I wrote an—</p> - -<h3>5. <i>Etymological Dictionary of the Turkish Language</i>,</h3> - -<p>the first ever written on this subject of philology, in which, without -any precedent, I collected, criticised and compared, until I succeeded -in finding out the stems and roots, and ranged them into separate -families. On this slippery path, on which even the greatest authorities -in philology sometimes stumble, and by their awkward fall bring their -colleagues with them and amuse the world, I, with my inadequate -knowledge of the subject, stumbled and slipped all the oftener. In spite -of all this, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_475" id="Page_475">[Pg 475]</a></span>however, even my bitterest rival could not deny that I had -succeeded in unravelling the etymology of a considerable number of -Turkish words, and in giving a concrete meaning to many abstract -conceptions. So mighty is the magic charm of discovery that for months -together, by day and by night, I could think of nothing but Turkish -root-words, and as I generally worked from memory, and never in my life, -so to speak, took any notes, it was a real joy to me to follow up the -transitions and changes of an idea to its remotest origin. As a matter -of fact this kind of study, apart from my inadequate knowledge, was not -at all in keeping with my tendencies. Under the delusive cover of -etymological recreation the dry monotony of the study soon became -irksome, and I was quite pleased when this etymological pastime led me -to the investigation of the—</p> - -<h3>6. <i>Primitive Culture of the Turko-Tartar People.</i></h3> - -<p>Here I felt more at home and stood on more congenial ground, for here -philology served as a telescope, with which I could look into the -remotest past of Turkish tribe-life, and discover many valuable details -of the ethnical, ethical and social conditions of the Turk. As I have -made up my mind to be entirely frank and open in this criticism of my -own work, I am bound to say that I consider this little book one of the -best productions of my pen. It abounds in valuable suggestions, mere -suggestions unfortunately, about the ethnology of the Turk, which could -only flow from the pen of a travelling philologist who united to a -knowledge of the language, a penetration into the customs, character and -views in general of the people under consideration, and who had it all -fresh in his mind and could speak from practical experience. The -recognition which this little book received from my fellow-philologists -was most gratifying to me, and was the chief cause which led me to write -about—</p> - -<h3>7. <i>The Turkish People in their Ethnological and Ethnographical -Relationship.</i></h3> - -<p>In this work, planned on a much larger scale, I endeavoured to -incorporate my personal experiences of the Turks in general,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_476" id="Page_476">[Pg 476]</a></span> and also -to introduce the notes and extracts gleaned on this subject from -European and Asiatic literature. In both these efforts I had certain -advantages over others. In the first place no ethnographer had ever had -such long and intimate intercourse with members of this nation, and -secondly, there were not many ethnographers who could avail themselves -as well as I could of the many-tongued sources of information. Here -again I found myself on untrodden paths, and the accomplished work had -the general defects and charms of a first effort. On the whole it was -favourably criticised, and I was therefore the more surprised that the -book had such a very limited sale. I flattered myself I had written a -popular book, or at least a book that would please the reading public, -and I was grievously disappointed when, after a lapse of ten years, not -three hundred copies had been sold. I came to the conclusion that the -public at large troubles itself very little about the origin, customs -and manners, the ramifications and tribal relationships of the Turks, -and that geography and ethnography were only appreciated by the reading -public as long as they were well flavoured with stirring adventures. In -my book about the Turkish people I gave a general survey of all the -tribes and branches of the race collectively, and although no such work -had ever been written about any other Asiatic tribal family, I was -mistaken as to its success. In spite of my favourable literary position -in England, all my endeavours to issue an English edition of this work -were in vain.</p> - -<p>East Turkish, both in language and literature, being one of my favourite -studies, and always giving me new thoughts and ideas, I published -simultaneously with my <i>Turkish People</i>, an Ösbeg epic poem entitled—</p> - -<h3>8. <i>The Sheibaniade</i>,</h3> - -<p>which I copied from the original manuscript in the Imperial Library at -Vienna during several summer vacations, and afterwards printed at my own -expense. The copying was a tedious business. The writing of 4,500 double -stanzas tried my eyes considerably, but the historical and linguistic -value of the poem were well worth the trouble. It is a unique copy. -Neither in Europe nor in Asia have I ever heard of the existence of a -duplicate, and it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_477" id="Page_477">[Pg 477]</a></span> therefore well worth while to make it accessible -for historical research. The beautiful edition of this work, with -facsimile and a chromo-photographic title page, cost me nearly fourteen -hundred florins, and as scarcely sixty copies were sold I did not get -back a fourth of the sum laid out upon it. The scientific criticism was -limited to one flattering notice in the <i>Journal Asiatique</i>. The rest of -the literati, even Orientalists, hardly deigned to take any notice of my -publication, for the number of students of this particular branch of -Oriental languages was, and is still, very small in Europe; even in -Russia it does not yet receive the attention it so richly deserves.</p> - -<p>I can therefore not blame myself that I was urged on in this branch of -my literary career by the hope of moral or material gain; it was simply -my personal liking and predilection which made me pursue these subjects. -Only occasionally, when forced thereto by material needs, perhaps also -sometimes for the sake of a change, I left my favourite study and turned -to literary work which could command a larger public and give me a -better chance of making money by it.</p> - -<p>Thus it came about that soon after my return from Central Asia I -published the account of my—</p> - -<h3>9. <i>Wanderings and Experiences in Persia.</i></h3> - -<p>But this was familiar ground, fully and accurately described elsewhere, -both geographically and ethnographically. It was at most my exciting -personal adventures as pseudo-Sunnite amongst the Shiites which could -lay claim to any special interest, perhaps also to some extent its -casual connection with my later wanderings in Central Asia; for the -rest, however, this volume has little value, and with the exception of -England, Germany, Sweden, and Hungary, where translations appeared, it -has attracted no notice to speak of. Not much better fared my—</p> - -<h3>10. <i>Moral Pictures from the Orient.</i></h3> - -<p>This had already appeared in part in a German periodical, <i>Westermann's -Monthly</i>, and was further enlarged with sketches of family life in -Turkey, Persia, and Central Asia, interspersed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_478" id="Page_478">[Pg 478]</a></span> with personal -observations on the religious and social customs of these people. As far -as I know there are, besides the original German edition, a Danish and a -Hungarian translation of this work, but although much read and -discussed, this book has not been of much, if any, material benefit to -me, beyond the honorarium paid me by the "Society of German literature." -With this book I have really contributed to the knowledge of the Orient -in the regions named just as with my—</p> - -<h3>11. <i>Islam in the Nineteenth Century</i></h3> - -<p>I directed the attention of the reading public to those social and -political reforms which our intervention and our reformatory efforts in -the Moslem East have called forth; but practically both the one and the -other were failures. It was not at all my intention to write a sort of -defence of Islam, as was generally imagined, but I endeavoured, on the -contrary, to show up the mistakes, weaknesses and prejudices which -characterised this transition period, indeed I ruthlessly tore away the -veil; but on the other hand I did not hesitate to lay bare our own -neglects and faults. My object was to correct the judgment of Europe in -regard to the Moslem society of Asia, and to point out that with -patience and a little less egotism and greed we should accomplish more; -that we are not yet justified in looking upon Islam as a society -condemned to destruction, and in breaking the staff over it. As a purely -theoretical study, perhaps also on account of my very liberal religious -notions expressed therein, I have not been able to publish this book in -England; hence the circle of readers was very limited, but all the more -select, and I had the satisfaction of having stirred up a very serious question.</p> - -<p>A book which, to my great surprise, had an extraordinary success was my -publication in English of the—</p> - -<h3>12. <i>Life and Adventures of Arminius Vambéry, written by Himself</i>,</h3> - -<p>which in a very short time passed through seven editions, and was -extraordinarily popular in England, America and Australia. It is in -reality one of my most insignificant, unpretentious<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_479" id="Page_479">[Pg 479]</a></span> literary efforts, -written at the request of my English publisher, and is by no means -worthy of the reception it had. This made me realise the truth of the -proverb: "<i>Habent sua fata libelli</i>," for the book is nothing but a -recapitulation of my wanderings, including my experiences in Turkey and -Persia, which were now for the first time brought before the English -public. But what chiefly secured its friendly reception was a few short -paragraphs about my early life, a short <i>resumé</i> of the first chapter of -the present work, and these details from the life of a self-made man did -not fail to produce an impression upon the strongly developed -individuality of the Anglo-Saxon race. I am not sure how many editions -it went through, but I have evident proofs of the strong hold this book -had upon all ranks and classes of English-speaking people. Comments and -discussions there were by the hundred, and private letters expressive of -readers' appreciation kept flowing in to me from the three parts of the world.</p> - -<p>Curiously enough this book excited interest only with the Anglo-Saxons; -to this day it has not been translated in any other foreign language, -not even in my Hungarian mother-tongue. Society in Eastern Europe still -suffers from the old-world delusion that nobility of blood is -everything, and considers that it could not possibly condescend to be -edified by the experiences of a poorly-born man of obscure origin; but -the Anglo-Saxon with his liberal notions revels in the story of the -terrible struggles of the poor Jewish boy, the servant and the teacher, -and of what he finally accomplished. This is the chief reason which made -the most insignificant of my books so popular with the Anglo-Saxons, a -book with which I promulgated more knowledge about Moslem Asia than with -all my other works put together, more even than many highly learned -disquisitions of stock-Orientalists.</p> - -<p>I will not deny that the unexpected success of this book was my -principal inducement in writing the present Autobiography.</p> - -<p>In my various literary productions I had chiefly aimed at a diffusing of -general knowledge about the Moslem East, but at home (in Hungary) I had -often been reproached with absolute neglect as regards the national -Magyar side of my studies. I therefore decided to publish my views about -the—</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_480" id="Page_480">[Pg 480]</a></span></p> - -<h3>13. <i>Origin of the Magyars</i></h3> - -<p>in a separate volume. In different scientific articles I had already -hinted at the manner in which I intended to treat this still open -question. I pointed out that Árpád and his warriors who, towards the -close of the ninth century founded what is now Hungary, were most -certainly Turkish nomads forming a north-westerly branch of the Turkish -chain of nationalities; that they pushed forward from the Ural, across -the Volga, into Europe, and established in Pannonia what is now the -State of Hungary. The ethnology and the language of the Magyars is a -curious mixture of dialects, for the Turkish nomads during their -wanderings incorporated into their language many kindred Finnish-Ugrian -elements, and in the lowlands of Hungary they came upon many -ethnological remains of the same original stock. All these various -elements gradually amalgamated and formed the people and the language of -Hungary as it is now. Considering this problematic origin, and the -elasticity of philological speculation, it stands to reason that much -has been written and argued in Hungary about the origin of the nation. -Many different views were held, and at the time that I joined in the -discussion, the theory of the Finnish-Ugrian descent of the Magyars held -the upper hand. My labour, therefore, was directed against these, for on -the ground of my personal experiences in the manner of living and the -migrations of the Turkish nomads in general, based upon historical -evidence, I endeavoured to prove the Turkish nationality of Árpád and -his companions. I conceded the mixed character of the language with the -reservation, however, that in the amalgamation not the Finnish-Ugrian -but the Turko-Tartar element predominated. Philologists opposed this -view in their most zealous and ablest representative, Doctor Budenz, a -German by birth; he pleaded with all the enthusiasm of an etymological -philologist for the eminently Ugrian character of the Magyar tongue. The -arguments of the opposing party were chiefly based upon what they -considered the sacred and fundamental rules of comparative philology; -but to me these threw no light upon the matter, and were not likely to -convince me of my error. The struggle,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_481" id="Page_481">[Pg 481]</a></span> which my fanatical opponents -made into a personal matter, lasted for some time, but the old Latin -proverb: "<i>Philologi certant, lumen sub judice lis</i>," again proved true -in this case. The etymological Salto Mortales and the grammatical -violence of the opposing school had rudely shaken my confidence in the -entire apparatus of comparative philology. I realised that with such -evidence one might take any one Ural-Altaic language and call it the -nearest kindred tongue of the Magyar. The etymological connection -between the Tartar words "tongue" and "navel"—because both are long, -hanging objects—and the use of fictitious root-words to explain the -inexplicable, with which my learned opponent tried to justify his -theory, were altogether too fantastic and too airy for my practical -notions. So I gave up the struggle and satisfied myself with the result -that the home-bred Magyars were no longer exclusively considered to be -of Finnish-Ugrian extraction, as used to be the case, and that even my -bitterest opponent had to allow the possibility that Árpád and his -warriors were originally Turks.</p> - -<p>The learned world outside naturally took but little part in this -essentially Magyar controversy, and I was, therefore, all the more -pleased to see Ranke, the Nestor of German historical research, siding -with me. He referred to the historical evidence of one Ibn Dasta and -Porphyrogenitus, who had declared that the Magyars overrunning Hungary -at the close of the ninth century were Turks. In Hungary itself the -majority of the public shared my views, and the seven hundred copies of -the first edition of my book were sold in three days.</p> - -<p>This, of course, was due more to the national and political than to the -purely scientific interest of the question, since the Magyars, proud of -their Asiatic origin, very much disliked, nay even thought it insulting -that their ancestors should have to claim blood-relationship with poor -barbarians of high northern regions, living by fishing and hunting, -Ostiaks, Vogules, and such like racial fragments. The Hungarian priding -himself on his warlike spirit, his valour, and his independence, would -rather claim relationship with Huns and Avars, depicted by the mediæval -Christian world as terror-spreading, mighty warriors; and the national -legend correctedly accepted this view, for as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_482" id="Page_482">[Pg 482]</a></span> my further researches -revealed, and as I tried to prove in my subsequent book, entitled—</p> - -<h3>14. <i>Growth and Spread of the Magyars</i>,</h3> - -<p>the present Magyar nation has proceeded from a gradual, scarcely -definable settlement of Ural-Altaic elements in the lowlands of Hungary. -Originally as warriors and protectors of the Slavs settled in Pannonia, -they became afterwards their lords and masters, something like the -Franks in Gaul and the Varangians in Russia, with this difference, -however, that the latter exchanged their language for that of their -subjects, and became lost among the masses of the subjugated people, -while the Magyars to this day have preserved their language and their -national individuality intact, and in course of time were able to -establish a Magyar ethnography. Looking at it from this point of view, -not Asia but the middle Danube-basin becomes the birthplace of -Magyarism. Its mixed ethnography, formerly known by various -appellations, became through its martial proclivities a terror to the -Christian West, and compelled Charlemagne to bring a strong Christian -coalition against it in the field. This first crusade of the Occident, -bent but did not break the power of the Ural-Altaic warriors, who ruled -from the Moldau as far as the borders of Upper Austria; for the remnants -retiring behind the Theis soon after received reinforcements from a -tribe of Turks known as the "Madjars," <i>i.e.</i>, Magyars, under the -command of Árpád, whose descendants accepted Christianity and -established the Hungary of the present day, both politically and -ethnically.</p> - -<p>Curiously enough this ethnological discussion was not at all agreeable -to my so-called paleo-Magyar compatriots. The romantic legend of the -invasion of Árpád into Pannonia with his many hundred thousand warriors, -sounds more beautiful in the ears of the Magyar patriots, than their -prosaic derivation from a confused ethnical group; as if there were any -single nation in Europe which is not patched and pieced together from -the most diverse elements, and only in later times has presented itself -as an undivided whole. In the Hungarians, however, this childish vanity -is the more ridiculous since it is much more glorious, as a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_483" id="Page_483">[Pg 483]</a></span> small -national fragment, to play for centuries the <i>rôle</i> of conqueror, and in -the strength of its national proclivities to absorb other elements, than -to conquer with the sword and then to be absorbed in the conquered -element as Franks, Varangians, and others have been. Truly nations, as -well as individuals, have to pass through an infant stage, and I am not -surprised that this conception of mine, and my solution of the -ethnological problem, did not find much favour in Hungary.</p> - -<p>Before concluding this review of my scientific-literary activity, I -should mention that I also have ventured into the regions of history, a -totally unknown field to me, wherein, as is the case with many hazardous -expeditions, I betrayed more temerity than forethought. My book on the—</p> - -<h3>15. <i>History of Bokhara</i>,</h3> - -<p>in two volumes, published in German, Hungarian, English, and Russian, -has done more harm than good to my literary reputation. The motive for -writing this book was the purchase of some Oriental manuscripts I -discovered in Bokhara, which, I thought, were unknown in Europe. To some -extent this was the case, for of <i>Tarikhi Narshakhi</i>, and the history of -<i>Seid Rakim Khan</i> both of which furnish rich material for the history of -Central Asia, our Orientalists had never heard. But in the main I was -working under a delusion, owing to my insufficient literary knowledge; -some passages, especially in the ancient history of Central Asia, had -already been worked out by learned scholars, and it was only about -modern times that I could tell anything new.</p> - -<p>Professional critics were merciless. They seemed to take a malicious -pleasure in running me down; especially was this the case in Russia, -where I was already hated for my political opinions and activity. The -Oriental historian, Professor Grigorieff, made a special point of -proving the worthlessness of my book, and tried to annihilate the -anti-Russian publishers. The second <i>criticus furiosus</i> was Professor -von Gutschmid, a learned man, but also a nobleman of the purest blood, -who for his God and king entered the arena, and also wanted to wreak his -anger upon me because he took me for a German renegade,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_484" id="Page_484">[Pg 484]</a></span> and for my -desertion of the bonds of Germanism considered me worthy of censure. For -his well-deserved correction of my scientific blunders I am grateful to -the man, but I deny the accusation of being a renegade. I have never -quite understood why in Germany the honour of German nationality should -be forced upon me; why I should be taken for a Hamburger, a Dresdener, a -Stuttgarter, since my ancestors for several generations were born -Hungarians, and my education had been strictly Magyar.</p> - -<p>It is this very Magyar education, and the complete amalgamation of -myself with the ruling national spirit of my native land which induced -me to Magyarise my German name, as has been the custom with us for -centuries. Considering that Germans with purely French, Italian, Danish, -Slav, and other names figure in German literature and politics, without -the purity of their German descent being at all questioned, one might -readily regard the Hungarian custom of Magyarising our names as childish -and unmotived. Yet this is not so. Small nations like Hungary, -constantly threatened with the danger of denationalisation, all the more -anxiously guard their national existence in the sanctity of their -language, and tenaciously hold to their national characteristics. With -such people it is quite natural that they should lay more stress than is -absolutely necessary upon the outward signs. The Hungarian born, who in -his feelings, thoughts, and aspirations, owns himself a true Hungarian, -desires also in name to appear as a Hungarian, because he does not want -to be mixed up with any foreign nationality, as might easily be the case -with a prominent writer. On these grounds Petrovich has become Petöfi, -Schedel Toldy, Hundsdorfer Hunfalvi, etc., and for this reason also I -Magyarised my name.</p> - -<p>But to come back to my <i>History of Bokhara</i>, I must honestly confess -that the ambition of writing the first history of Transoxania brought me -more disillusionment than joy, for in spite of the praise bestowed upon -me by the uninitiated, I had soon to realise that I had not studied the -subject sufficiently, and had not made enough use of available material.</p> - -<p>I fared somewhat better with my second purely historical work, published -simultaneously in America and England—</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_485" id="Page_485">[Pg 485]</a></span></p> - -<h3>16. <i>The Story of Hungary.</i></h3> - -<p>In this I had but the one object in view, namely to introduce the -history of my native land into the series called "The Story of the -Nations." As I wrote only a few chapters myself, and am indebted for the -rest to Hungarian men of the profession, I can only lay claim to the -title of editor, but this literary sponsorship gave me much pleasure, -for the <i>History of Hungary</i>, which first appeared in English, and was -afterwards translated into different languages, has had a sale it could -never have had in Hungary itself. The service hereby rendered to my -compatriots has, however, never been appreciated at home; the very -existence of the book has been ignored.</p> - -<p>This closes the list of my personal publications, partly scientific, -partly popular, in the course of twenty years. Of my journalistic -activity during this same term, I have spoken already (Chap. VIII.).</p> - -<p>I cannot hide the fact that as I increased in years my creative power -visibly decreased. What I learned in the sixties, or rather tried to -learn, did not long remain in my memory, and could not be called -material from which anything of lasting value could be made. Only the -custom of many years' active employment urged me on to labour, and under -the influence of this incitement appeared my smaller works.</p> - -<blockquote><p>1. <i>The Travels and Adventures of the Turkish Admiral Sidi Ali -Reis, in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Persia, during the -years 1553-1556.</i> London, 1899.</p> - -<p>2. <i>Noten Zu den Alttürkischen Inschriften der Mongolei und -Siberiens.</i> Helsingfors, 1899. (Notes to the Old Turkish -Inscriptions of Mongolia and Siberia.)</p> - -<p>3. <i>Alt-Osmanische Sprachstudien.</i> Leiden, 1901. (Old Osmanli -Linguistic Studies.)</p></blockquote> - -<p>It never entered my mind to try to attract the special attention of the -profession with these unassuming contributions. It is not given to all, -as to a Mommsen, Herbert Spencer, Ranke, Schott, and others, to boast of -unenfeebled mental powers in their old<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_486" id="Page_486">[Pg 486]</a></span> age. <i>Sunt atque fines!</i> And he -who disregards the approach of the winter of life is apt to lose the -good reputation gained in better days.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>APPENDIX III</span> <span class="smaller">MY RELATIONS WITH THE MOHAMMEDAN WORLD</span></h2> - -<p>I will here shortly relate in what manner I became connected with the -Mohammedans of India. My own depressing circumstances at the time of my -sojourn in Asia had given me a fellow-feeling with the downtrodden, -helpless population of the East, and the more I realised the weakness of -Asiatic rule and government, the more I was compelled to draw angry -comparisons between the condition of things there and in Western lands. -Since then my judgment of human nature has become enlarged, and -consequently more charitable, but at the time I am speaking of, the more -intimately I became acquainted with the conditions of the various -countries of Europe the more clearly I seemed to see the causes of the -decline in the East. Our exalted Western professions of righteousness -and justice after all did not amount to much. Christianity seemed as -fanatical as Islam itself, and before very long I came to the conclusion -that our high-sounding efforts at civilisation in the East were but a -cloak for material aggression and a pretext for conquest and gain. All -this roused my indignation and enlisted my sympathies with the peoples -of the Islamic world. My heart went out in pity towards the helpless -victims of Asiatic tyranny, despotism, and anarchy, and when an -occasional cry was raised in some Turkish, Persian or Arabic publication -for freedom, law and order, the call appealed to me strongly and I felt -compelled to render what assistance I could. This was the beginning of -my pro-Islamic literary activity, and as a first result I would mention -my work on <i>Islam in the Nineteenth Century</i>, followed by several short -articles. Later I proceeded from writing to public speaking, and I -delivered lectures in various parts of England, a specimen of which was -my lecture in Exeter Hall, in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_487" id="Page_487">[Pg 487]</a></span> May, 1889, when I took for my subject -"The Progress of Culture in Turkey." The fame of these lectures -resounded not only in Turkey but also among the Moslems of South Russia, -Java, Africa and India; for the day of objective unbiassed criticism of -Islam was gradually passing away. In India the free institutions of the -English had awakened among the Mohammedan population also an interest in -the weal or woe of their religious communities. In Calcutta the -"Mohammedan Literary Society," under the presidency of the learned Nawab -Abdul Latif Bahadur, was already making itself prominent, and shortly -after my lecture at Exeter Hall, I received an account of the history of -the Society, and its president, in a warmly worded letter accompanying -it, expressed his thanks for my friendly interest in the affairs of -Islam. I made use of this opportunity to address a letter to the -Mohammedans of India, explaining the grounds for my Moslem sympathies, -encouraging the Hindustani to persevere in the adopted course of modern -culture, and by all means to hold fast to the English Government, the -only free and humane power of the West. This letter ran as follows:—</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right">"<span class="smcap">Budapest University</span>,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"<i>August, 12, 1889</i>.</p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">My dear Nawab</span>,—I beg to acknowledge with many, many thanks the -receipt of the valuable and highly interesting pamphlets you so -kindly sent me, on the rise, growth and activity of the Mohammedan -Literary Society of Calcutta. Being deeply interested in the -welfare and cultural development of the Mohammedan world, I have -long watched with the greatest attention the progress of the -Society created and so admirably presided over by yourself. I need -scarcely say that I much appreciate the opportunity now afforded me -of entering into personal relations with a man of your abilities, -patriotism, and sincere devotion to your fellow countrymen.</p> - -<p>"The greater part of my life has been devoted to the study of -Mohammedan nations and countries, and I feel the keenest interest -in the work of the Calcutta Literary Society of Mohammedans, which -proves most eloquently that a nation whose sacred book contains the -saying, 'Search for wisdom from the cradle to the grave,' will not -and cannot lag behind in culture, and that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_488" id="Page_488">[Pg 488]</a></span> Islam still has it in -its power to revive the glory of the middle ages, when the -followers of the Koran were the torchbearers of civilisation.</p> - -<p>"From a political point of view, also, I must congratulate you on -what you have done in showing your co-religionists the superiority -of Western culture as seen in the English administration, in -contrast to the dim or false light shed abroad from elsewhere. I am -not an Englishman, and I do not ignore the shortcomings and -mistakes of English rule in India, but I have seen much of the -world both in Europe and Asia, and studied the matter carefully, -and I can assure you that England is far in advance of the rest of -Europe in point of justice, liberality, and fair-dealing with all -entrusted to her care.</p> - -<p>"You and your fellow-workers among the Indian Mohammedans, the -successors of Khalid, may justly pride yourselves on having -introduced Monotheism into India; it is your privilege and your -duty by advice and example to lead the people of Hindustan to -choose suitable means for modernising your matchless but antiquated -culture. Would that Turkey, which is fairly advanced in modern -science, could become the instructor and civiliser of the -Mohammedan world; but Turkey, alas, is surrounded by enemies and -weakened by continual warfare. She has to struggle hard for her own -existence and has no chance of attending to her distant -co-religionists, much to the grief of her noble and patriotic ruler -whom I am proud to call my friend.</p> - -<p>"In default of a Moslem leader you have done well to adopt English -tutorship in India, and you who are at the head of this movement -are certainly rendering good service both to your people and to -your faith by encouraging your fellow-believers to follow in the -path of Western culture and education. I have not yet quite given -up the idea of visiting India, and, circumstances permitting, of -delivering some lectures in the Persian tongue to the Mohammedans -of India. If I should see my way to doing so, I should like to come -under the patronage of your Society, and thus try to contribute a -few small stones to the noble building raised by your admirable -efforts.</p> - -<p>"Pardon the length of this epistle, which I conclude in the hope of -the continuance of our correspondence, and I also beg<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_489" id="Page_489">[Pg 489]</a></span> you kindly -to forward to me regularly the publications of your Society.</p> - -<p class="right">"Yours faithfully,<span class="s3"> </span><br /> -"(<i>Sig.</i>) <span class="smcap">A. Vambéry</span>.</p> - -<p>"To Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur, C.I.E., Calcutta."</p></blockquote> - -<p>I had no idea that this letter would cause any sensation, and I was much -surprised to see it published shortly after as a separate pamphlet, with -an elaborate preface, and distributed wholesale among the Mohammedans of -India. "The leading political event of India"—thus commenced the -preface—"is a letter, but not an official or even an open letter. We -are not referring to the address of the Viceroy in <i>propria persona</i>—as -distinguished from the powerful state engine entitled the -'Governor-General in Council'—to the Maharaja Pertap Singh of Cashmere, -for this letter has now been before the public some weeks. The letter we -call attention to does not come from high quarters, is not in any way an -official one; it is a private communication from a poor, though eminent -European pandit (scholar). It was published yesterday in the morning -papers and appears in this week's edition of <i>Reis and Rayyet</i>. We refer -to Professor Vambéry's letter to Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur, &c."</p> - -<p>The Indian press occupied itself for days with this letter; it was much -commented upon and regarded both by Englishmen and Mohammedans as of -great importance. I was invited to visit India as the guest of the -Mohammedan Society. I was to be attended by a specially appointed -committee, and to make a tour in the country, give public lectures and -addresses, and be generally <i>fêted</i>. In a word, they wanted to honour me -as the friend of England and of Islam. Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur said in -a letter dated Calcutta, 16 Toltollah (12th August), 1890:—</p> - -<p>"Your name has become a household word amongst us, and, greatly as we -honour you for your noble, unflinching advocacy of Islam in the West, we -shall esteem it a high privilege to see you with our own eyes, and -listen to you with our own ears."</p> - -<p>Remembering the struggles of my early youth, and with a vivid -recollection of the insults and humiliations to which I, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_490" id="Page_490">[Pg 490]</a></span> Jew boy, -had been subjected in those days, there was something very tempting to -me in the thought of going to India, the land of the Rajahs, of wealth -and opulence, as an admired and honoured guest. But I was no longer -young. I was nearly sixty years old, and at that age sober reality is -stronger than vanity. The alluring vision of a reception in India, with -eulogies and laurel-wreaths swiftly passed before my eyes, but was -instantly dismissed. I declined the invitation with many expressions of -gratitude, but kept up my relations with the Mohammedans of India, and -also with the Brahmans there, as shown in my correspondence with the -highly-cultured editor of the periodical <i>Reis and Rayyet</i>, Dr. -Mookerjee,<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> with Thakore Sahib (Prince) of Gondal, and other eminent -Hindustani scholars and statesmen.</p> - -<p>The fact that many of these gentlemen preferably wrote in English, and -that some of them even indulged in Latin and Greek quotations, surprised -me much at first, for I had not realised that our Western culture had -penetrated so far even beyond the precincts of Islam. England has indeed -done great things for India, and Bismarck was right when he said, "If -England were to lose Shakespeare, Milton, and all her literary heroes, -that what she has done for India is sufficient to establish for ever her -merit in the world of culture."</p> - -<p>My pro-Islamic writings have found much appreciation among the Turkish -adherents of the Moslem faith, and my name was well known in Turkey, as -I had for many years been writing for the Turkish press, and was in -correspondence with several eminent persons there. In consequence of my -anti-Russian political writings I had constant intercourse with Tartars -from the Crimea and other parts of Russia, who even consulted me in -their national and religious difficulties. Some of them asked me for -introductions to the Turkish Government, and touching was the sympathy I -received from the farthest corners of the Islamic world when once I was -confined to bed with a broken leg. Mohammedans from all parts, Osmanlis, -Tartars, Persians, Afghans, Hindustanis, in passing through Budapest, -scarcely ever<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_491" id="Page_491">[Pg 491]</a></span> failed to call upon me, and to express their gratitude -for what little I had done in their interest. Some even suspected me of -being a Dervish in disguise, and of using my European incognito in the -interests of Islam. This supposition was, I think, mainly due to the -stories circulated by some Dervish pilgrims, from all parts of the -Islamic world, to the grave of Gülbaba (Rose-father), at Budapest, to -whom, as the living reminders of my former adventures, I always gave a -most cordial reception.</p> - -<p>The Mohammedan saint just mentioned, according to the account of the -Osmanli traveller Ewlia Tshelebi (1660), had lived in Hungary before the -Turkish dominion, and was buried at Budapest. Soliman's army had revered -his grave just as Mohamed II. did that of Ejub in Constantinople after -the conquest, and it is touching to note the deep veneration with which -this pioneer of Islam is regarded by all true believers in the old -world. Turks, Arabs, Persians, Afghans, Indians, Kashmirians, even -Tartars from Tobolsk have come to Budapest as pilgrims to his grave, and -yet the actual tenets of his faith have never been very clearly defined. -At the Peace of Passarowitz the Osmanli stipulated that his grave should -be left untouched, and on the other hand the Persian King, Nasreddin -Shah, claimed him as a Shiite saint, and even made preparations to -restore and embellish his grave.</p> - -<p>The Dervish pilgrims regarded this Rose-father with very special -devotion. Without money, without any knowledge of the language of the -country, they braved all dangers and privations to visit his grave. Some -said that he was brother to Kadriye, others that he belonged to the -Dshelali order. After spending some days at the humble shrine of the -saint, since then beautifully restored, they would come to pay their -respects to me also, and I was pleased to receive them. Nothing could be -more entertaining than to watch the suspicious glances cast upon me by -these tattered, emaciated Moslems. My fluency of speech in their several -languages, added to the fame of my character as a Dervish, puzzled them -greatly, and, encouraged by my cordiality, some made bold to ask me how -much longer I intended to keep up my incognito among the unfaithful, and -whether it would not be advisable for me to return to the land of the -true believers. In reply I pointed to the life and the work of Sheikh -Saadi,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_492" id="Page_492">[Pg 492]</a></span> the celebrated author of the <i>Gulistan</i> who, himself a Dervish, -lived in various lands amid various religions in order to study mankind, -and who left behind him a world-known name. Among these dervishes, -although possessed of all the peculiarities and attributes of -fanaticism, I detected a good deal of scepticism and cosmopolitanism, -carefully hidden, of course, but to my mind fully justifying the -proverb: "<i>Qui multum peregrinatur raro santificatur</i>" ("He who travels -much, rarely becomes a saint"). These pilgrims, many of whom in their -inmost mind shared my views, carried my name into the remotest regions -of the Islamic world. The travelling dervishes may be called the living -telegraph wires between the upper and lower strata of the Mohammedan -world. From the Tekkes (convents) and bazaars, where they mix with -people of every class and nationality, the news they bring travels far -and wide, and reaches the inmost circles of family life. And so it came -about that many years later I was receiving letters from several -Asiatics never personally known to me. Through these relations with the -middle classes of the Moslem world I afterwards came in contact with the -higher ranks of Asiatic society.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> See "<i>An Indian Journalist</i>," being the Life and Letters of -Dr. S. O. Mookerjee, Calcutta, 1895, pp. 306-315.</p></div></div> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="center">UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED THE GRESHAM PRESS, WOKING AND LONDON.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The story of my struggles: the memoirs -of Arminius Vambéry, Volume 2 (of 2), by Arminius Vambéry - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS ARMINIUS VAMBERY, VOL 2 *** - -***** This file should be named 50837-h.htm or 50837-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/8/3/50837/ - -Produced by Albert László, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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