One of this class has regularly paid me a visit every morning, pretending to have the genuine attar of roses and rich rubies to dispose of.  But these were not to my taste.  I learnt, however, that this man had recently married his daughter,—­and boasted of having been able to give her a dowry equal to 10,000l. of our money.  He is short of stature, with a strongly-expressive countenance, and a well-arranged turban—­and laughs unceasingly at whatever he says himself, or is said of him.

As Vienna may be called the key of Italy, on the land side—­or, speaking less figuratively, the concentrating point where Greeks, Turks, Jews, and Italians meet for the arrangement of their mercantile affairs throughout the continent of Europe—­it will necessarily follow that you see a great number of individuals belonging to the respective countries from whence they migrate.  Accordingly, you are constantly struck with the number and variety of characters, of this class, which you meet from about the hour of three till five.  Short clokes, edged with sable or ermine, and delicately trimmed mustachios, with the throat exposed, mark the courteous Greek and Albanian.  Long robes, trimmed with tarnished silver or gold, with thickly folded girdles and turbans, and beards of unrestrained growth, point out the majestic Turk.  The olive-tinted visage, with a full, keen, black eye, and a costume half Greek and half Turkish, distinguish the citizen of Venice or Verona.  Most of these carry pipes, of a varying length, from which volumes of fragrant smoke occasionally issue; but the exercise of smoking is generally made subservient to that of talking:  while the loud laugh, or reirated reply, or, emphatic asseveration, of certain individuals in the passing throng, adds much to the general interest of the scene.

Smoking, however, is a most decidedly general characteristic of the place.  Two shops out of six in some streets are filled with pipes, of which the bowls exhibit specimens of the most curious and costly workmanship.  The handles are generally short.  A good Austrian thinks he can never pay too much for a good pipe; and the upper classes of society sometimes expend great sums in the acquisition of these objects of comfort or fashion.  It was only the other evening, when, in company with my friends Messrs. G. and S., and Madame la Comtesse de------a gentleman drew forth from his pocket a short pipe, which screwed together in three divisions, and of which the upper part of the bowl—­(made in the fashion of a black-a-moor’s head) near the aperture—­was composed of diamonds of great lustre and value.  Upon enquiry, I found that this pipe was worth about 1000l. of our money!—­and what surprised me yet more, was, the cool and unconcerned manner in which the owner pulled it out of a loose great-coat pocket—­as if it had been a tobacco box not worth half a dozen kreutzers!  Such is their love of smoking here, that, in one of their most frequented coffee-houses—­where I went after dinner for a cup of coffee—­the centre of the room was occupied by two billiard tables, which were surrounded by lookers on:—­from the mouths of every one of whom, including even the players themselves, issued constant and pungent puffs of smoke, so as to fill the whole room with a dense cloud, which caused me instantly to retreat... as if grazed by a musket ball.