The Description of the Egyptians.

THe Egyptians generally are of an Olive-co∣lour, and the farther their Country is di∣stant from Cairo towards the South, their skin is Page  26the more tawny; such as live next to Nubia are all blackish, as the Nubians.

Their ordinary Vices are Idleness and Cowar∣dise, which is so natural to them, that they are all toucht with them, whether they be Mores or Copties: Their ordinary imployment every day is to smoak Tobacco, and drink Coffee, to sleep, or lye in a place idle, or sit talking together. They are very ignorant in all manner of Sciences and Knowledges; they are very proud and vain-glorious; and though they all know that they have lost their Nobility, their Country, all knowledge and exercise of Arms, their Lan∣guage, their chief Books, and publick Histories, and that instead of a famous and valiant Nation that they were heretofore, they are become meer Slaves, an odious and a contemptible people; nevertheless they are so proud, as to think that they have need of nothing. They are displeased when we Francs advise them to send their Chil∣dren into our Country to learn the Arts and Sci∣ences, and to understand how we live and be∣have our selves.

The common people are Thieves, Lyars, trea∣cherous, and so greedy of gain, that for the love of a Meidin they would kill their own Fathers. They are very negligent of their business, and changeable, troublesome in discourse, so uncon∣stant in their promises, that there is no heed to be taken of their words, nor of their Oaths. In a word, they are very proper to be imployed in all evil actions; my Conversation with men of that Nation of all sorts, hath caused me to discover them to the bottom.

The Women of the Country are usually of a Page  27low stature, of a brown Complexion, all their Beauty consists in a lively eye; their discourses are troublesome, and their cloathing is not hand∣som. The Wives of the better sort, brought from other parts of Turkie, are better bred, and more pleasing in all respects.