The Greek Manuscripts in the Old Seraglio at Constantinople

be remembered that both of these men were members of the Committee, and this alone may have been the explanation for their murder. The soldiers, primed by the Ulemas, had formulated their demands to the Deputies—an amnesty, changes in their officers and in the officials of the Chamber, the banishment of certain publicists siding with the Committee, the resignation of the Grand Vizier and the Ministers of War and Marine, and above all, the application of the Shariat Islamic religious law.. As everyone knows, they were completely successful in their demands, and the new cabinet was formed from the Liberal party, which is far more conservative than the Committee and might perhaps be said to represent an enlightened Tory government in this country.

The Shariat, if I understood its nature correctly, is naturally founded on the Koran, but has other contributory sources, some depending on tradition and some comparable to the responsa prudentum original: "responsa prudentum" (Latin for "the answers of the wise," referring to legal opinions of Roman jurists) of Roman Law—the decisions of sages on such debatable points as have appeared in the past. It is far from being a bad code, though in one or two cases it might appear vindictive to Western eyes; I was told, for instance, that a thief caught flagrante delicto original: "flagrante delicto" (Latin for "in the very act") is to have his hand slashed open and bound with saltpeter, the result being that the muscles stiffen and the hand can never be used again. As it affects non-Muslims, the law is unexceptionable; it only requires that in Muslim countries, no one shall speak slightingly of Mahomet or the faith he founded—a course of conduct that is, after all, indicated by the simplest rules of courtesy as well as good citizenship. In the opinion of those best qualified to speak, there appeared to be nothing mutually exclusive in the Shariat and the Constitution as drawn up, and the Committee of Union and Progress deserved severe censure for having neglected the Law, or at any rate, the easy task of making the Constitution harmonize with it. The immediate cause of the cry regarding the neglect of the Shariat was the murder of Hassan Fehmi, editor of the Serbesti; the soldiers and Softas insisted that the government