The performances of the Dervishes were precisely the same as those which I witnessed in the same place a fortnight ago, and may be found most exactly described by Mr. Trollope (who saw them two or three years since) in his admirable novel of “The Bertrams,” Chapter 38.  If I desired to tell you what we saw, I could not do better than to adopt Mr. Trollope’s language without alteration.  This will prove to you the sameness of this singular religious rite.  Driving back, Miss P. helped us to recall some of the incidents of the dinner of the preceding day.  She used to see almost all the distinguished literary characters at the house of her aunt; but she told us that she never met anybody whose conversation could bear comparison with that of Buckle, excepting Lord Brougham and Alexander Dumas.  The latter disgusts by his insufferable egotism.  Miss P. also gave us a very entertaining account of an Arab wedding which she attended a day or two ago in company with Mrs. R. As soon as they were inside the house they were separated from their escort, and were admitted to the apartment where the bride was obliged to sit in state for three days, covered with jewelry, clusters of diamonds literally plastered upon her cheeks and forehead.

February 10th.  Yesterday Mr. Thayer entertained Mr. Buckle at dinner.  The party included Mrs. R. and some of the guests whom we had met at her table.  We had hoped also for the presence of Mr. R., who was expected to come up from Alexandria; but the train failed to bring him.  Mr. Thayer also invited Sir James Outram, but he is too unwell to come, although expressing himself pleased with the invitation.  The landlord of the hotel where the consul-general is staying (Hotel des Ambassadeurs) was very proud of the occasion, and the entertainment, although simple, was elegant.  An oval table was found of exactly the right size to seat eight.  Buckle was in excellent spirits, and, as before, was the life of the party.  We had been terribly afraid lest he and Hekekyan should get into another long disputation, for the excellent Bey has fortified himself with new materials; but the ladies were taken into our confidence to aid in turning the conversation, if it should be necessary, all of which made a great deal of entertainment; but there proved to be no occasion for anything of the sort.

Buckle told some capital stories:  among them, one against Alison, almost too good to be true, namely, that in the first edition of his History he mentioned among the causes of the French Devolution “the timber-duty,” because he had read in a French pamphlet that there were popular discontents about the droits de timbre.[A] Alison’s History, he said, is the very worst that ever was written.  He cited a good definition, (Addison’s, I believe,) that “fine writing is that which is true without being obvious.”  In the course of the conversation, in which, as before, Buckle touched points in the whole circle of literature and science, giving us