them in person.

"Then, without this letter," he said, "you never would have come to
Constantinople, and you have no need of me?"

"True, but I consider myself fortunate in having thus made the
acquaintance of a man who has attracted the attention of the whole of
Europe, and who still commands that attention."

His excellency made some remark respecting the happiness of young men
who, like me, without care, without any fixed purpose, abandon themselves
to fortune with that confidence which knows no fear, and telling me that
the cardinal's letter made it desirable that he should do something for
me, he promised to introduce me to three or four of his Turkish friends
who deserved to be known. He invited me to dine with him every Thursday,
and undertook to send me a janissary who would protect me from the
insults of the rabble and shew me everything worth seeing.

The cardinal's letter representing me as a literary man, the pacha
observed that I ought to see his library. I followed him through the
garden, and we entered a room furnished with grated cupboards; curtains
could be seen behind the wirework; the books were most likely behind the
curtains.

Taking a key out of his pocket, he opened one of the cupboards, and,
instead of folios, I saw long rows of bottles of the finest wines. We
both laughed heartily.

"Here are," said the pacha, "my library and my harem. I am old, women
would only shorten my life but good wine will prolong it, or at least,