It is a very
large, wooden couch covered with thick plates of massive silver, highly
burnished, and there is little doubt from the form of it, and the style
in which it is ornamented that it constituted part of the treasury of
the Greek emperors when Constantinople was taken by the Turks.
INA.
[2] The Bairam of the Turks answers to our Easter, as their Ramadan
does to our Lent.
* * * * *
THE SKETCH-BOOK
* * * * *
EL BORRACHO.[3]
[3] The Drunkard; the Spanish origin of this title is endeavoured to
to be recognised in its title.
Not long since, a couple resided in the suburbs of Madrid, named Perez
and Juana Donilla; and a happy couple they might have been, had not
Perez contracted a sad habit of drinking, which became more and more
confirmed after every draught of good wine; and such draughts were
certainly more frequent than his finances were in a state to allow.
Night after night was spent at the tavern; fairly might he be said to
_swallow_ all that he earned by his daily labour; and Juana and himself
(fortunately they had no children to maintain) must have been reduced
to absolute mendicity, but for the exemplary conduct of the former, who
contrived to support her spouse and herself upon the scanty produce of
her unwearied industry.
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