thickly covered with fine brilliants; and there was one in his turban serving to support a sprig of diamonds, which was among the largest Bruce ever saw. Abruptly entering upon the object of their meeting, he demanded of the astrologer whether he had ever calculated the consequences of the war then raging between the Turks and Russians? "The Turks," replied Bruce, "will be beaten by sea and land wherever they present themselves." The bey continued, "And will Constantinople be burned or taken?"—"Neither," said the traveller; "but peace will be made after much bloodshed, with little advantage to either party." At hearing this the bey clapped his hands together, and, having sworn an oath in Turkish, turned to Risk, who stood before him, and said, "That will be sad indeed! but truth is truth, and God is merciful."
This wonderful prophecy procured our traveller a promise of protection from the bey, to whom a few nights afterward he was again sent for near midnight. At the door he met the janizary aga, who, when on horseback, had absolute power of life and death, without appeal, all over Cairo; and, not knowing him, brushed by without ceremony. The aga, however, stopped him just at the threshold, and inquired of one of the bey's people who he was. Upon their replying "It is the hakim Inglese" (English physician), he politely asked Bruce in Turkish "if he would go and see him, for he was not well;" to which the latter replied in Arabic, "that he would visit him whenever he pleased, but could not then stay, as he had just received a message that the bey was waiting."—"No, no; go, for God's sake go," said the aga; "any time will do for me!"
Upon entering the bey's apartment, he found him alone, sitting, leaning forward, with a wax taper in one hand, and in the other a small slip of paper, which he was reading, and held close to his eyes, as if the light were dim or his sight weak. He did not,
