Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/749

725 MODERN INHABITANTS.] EGYPT 725 This deference towards parents cannot fail to strike every foreigner who visits Egypt, and does not cease with the children s growth, presenting an example well worthy of imitation in the West. Circumcision is observed at about the age of five or six years, when the boy is paraded, gene rally with a bridal procession, on a gaily caparisoned horse, and dressed in woman s clothes. Some parents, however, and most of the learned, prefer a quieter and less expensive ceremony (Modern Egyptians, chap, xxvii.). It is deemed disreputable for a young man not to marry when he has attained a sufficient age ; there are therefore few unmarried men. Girls, in like manner, marry very young, some even at ten years of age, and few remain single beyond the age of sixteen ; they are generally very prolific. The bridegroom never sees his future wife before the wed ding night, an evil which is somewhat mitigated by the facility of divorce. A dowry is always given, and a marriage ceremony performed by a fikee (a schoolmaster, or one who recites the Koran), in the presence of two wit nesses ; the ceremony is very simple, but constitutes a legal marriage. The bridal of a virgin is attended with great festivity and rejoicing, a grandee s wedding some times continuing eleven days and nights. On the last day, which should be that terminating with the eve of Friday, or of Monday, the bride is taken in procession to the bride groom s house, accompanied by her female friends, and a band of musicians, jugglers, wrestlers, &amp;lt;kc. As before stated, a boy about to be circumcised joins in such a procession, or, frequently, a succession of such boys. A Muslim is allowed by his religion four wives ; but advantage is rarely taken of this licence, and very few attempt to keep two wives in one house ; the expense and discomfort which polygamy entails act, therefore, as a restriction to its general adoption. A man may, however, possess any number of concubine slaves, who, though objects of jealousy to the legal wife, are yet tolerated by her in consideration of her superior position, and conceded power over them, a power which she often vises with great tyranny; but certain privileges are possessed by the concubine, especially if she have born a son to her master. Such slaves are commonly kept only by grandees, the generality of the Muslim Egyptians being content with one wife. A divorce is rendered obligatory by the simple words &quot; Thou art divorced,&quot; and a triple divorce is irrevocable under ordinary circumstances. The hareem system of appointing separate apartments to the women, and secluding them from the gaze of men, is observed in Egypt as in other Muslim countries, but less strictly. Mr Lane (ibid. ch. vi.) says &quot; I believe that in Egypt the women are generally under less restraint than in any other country of the Turkish empire ; so that it is not uncommon to see females of the lower orders flirting and jesting with men in public, and men laying their hands upon them very freely. Still it might be imagined that the women of the higher and middle classes feel themselves severely oppressed, and are much discontented with the state of seclusion to which they are subjected ; but this is not commonly the case ; on the contrary, an Egyptian wife who is attached to her husband is apt to think, if he allow her unusual liberty, that he neglects her, and does not sufficiently love her ; and to envy those wives who are kept and watched with greater strictness.&quot; The females of an Egyptian household never sit in the presence of the master, but attend him at his meals, and are treated in every respect as inferiors. The mother, however, forms a remarkable exception to thi.s rule ; in rare instances, also, a wife becomes a com panion to her husband. On the other hand, if a pair of women s shoes are placed outside the door of the hareem apartments, they are understood to signify that female visitors are within, and a man is sometimes thus excluded from the upper portion of his own house for many days. Ladies of the upper or middle classes lead a life of extreme inactivity, spending their time at the bath, which is the general place of gossip, or in receiving visits, embroidering, and the like, and in absolute dolce far nicntc. It is there fore no cause for wonder that their tone of morals ia generally low. Both sexes are abstemious in their food, though fond of pastry, sweetmeats, and fruit. The principal meals are breakfast, about an hour after sunrise ; dinner, or the mid-day meal, at noon ; and supper, which is the chief meal of the day, a little after sunset. Coffee is taken at all hours, and is, with a pipe, presented at least once to each guest. Tobacco is the great luxury of the men of all classes in Egypt, who begin and end the day with it, and generally smoke all day with little intermission. Many women, also, especially among the rich, adopt the habit. Men who can afford to keep a horse, mule, or ass, are very seldom seen to walk, and numberless excellent asses are to be hired in Cairo. Ladies always ride asses and sit astride. The poorer classes are of course unable to observe the hareem system, but the women are in general carefully veiled. Some of them keep small phops, and all fetch water, make fuel, and cook for their households. The food of the poor is very meagre ; flesh meat is rarely tasted by them, and (besides bread) dates, raw cucumbers, and onions are their common food, with soaked beans, roasted ears of Indian corn, &c. In their social intercourse the Muslim Egyptians are regular, and observe many forms of salutation and much etiquette ; yet they are very affable, entering into conversa tion with strangers at shops and elsewhere. Their courtesy and dignity of manner are very striking, and are combined with ease and a fluency of discourse. Of their mental quali fications Mr Lane(j 6id ch. xiii.) remarks &quot;The natural or innate character of the modern Egyptians is altered, in a remarkable degree, by their religion, laws, and government, as well as by the climate and other causes; and to form a just opinion of it is therefore very difficult. We may, how ever, confidently state that they are endowed, in a higher degree than most other people, with some of the more important mental qualities, particularly quickness of apprehension, a ready wit, and a retentive memory. In youth they generally possess these and other intellectual powers ; but the causes above alluded to gradually lessen their mental energy.&quot; Their principal virtues are piety and strong religious feeling, a strict observance of the injunctions of El-IsL4m, and a constantly professed sense of God s presence and over-ruling providence, combined, however, with religious pride and hypocrisy. Their com mon discourse is full of asseverations and expressions respecting sacred things, often, however, used with a levity which it is difficult for a person unacquainted with their feelings easily to reconcile with their respect for God. They entertain an excessive reverence for their Prophet ; and the Koran is treated with the utmost respect never, for example, being placed in a low situation and this is the case with everything they esteem holy. They are fatalists, and bear calamities with perfect resignation to the Divine will. Their filial piety and respect for the aged have been before mentioned, and benevolence and charity are conspicuous in their character ; poverty is there fore not accompanied by the distressing circumstances which too frequently attend it in Europe. Humanity to dumb animals is another virtue, and cruelty is openly discounte nanced in their streets, even to unclean animals ; this is, however, unfortunately wearing off in consequence of their intercourse with Franks. Their affability, cheerfulness, and hospitality are remarkable, as well as frugality and temperance in food and drink, scrupulous cleanliness, a love of country, and honesty in the payment of debt. It should