Letters of Lady Wortley Montagu

“I know no European court where the ladies would have behaved themselves inso polite a manner to a stranger.” (58)

This shows that the writer is surprised how friendly the Turkish are in welcoming her compared to what other Europeans are like. The writer is not used to such a welcoming invite like the one she got in the wealthy town of Sofia.

“When she saw this second husband, who is at least fifty, she could not forbear bursting into tears. He is a man of merit and the declared favourilteof the sultan but that is not enough to make him pleasing in the eyes of a girl of thirteen” (65)

Here they are talking about an arranged marriage of a 13 year old girl and a 50 year old man, which is horrible but part of the culture and the lifestyle. This man was high up and it would be considered a big deal for the girls family for him to marry her, even at the age of 13.

“It would be too tedious to tell your ladyship the various dreossesand turbans by which their rank is distinguished, but they were all extremely rich and gay to the number of thousands that, perhaps there cannot be seen a more beautiful procession.” (67)

The wealth of a person can be seen in their clothing and jewels easily.

“’Tis very easy to see they have more liberty than we have, no woman, of what rank so ever being permitted to go in the streets without two muslins, one that covers her face all but her eyes and another that hides the whole dress of her head, and hang half way down her back and their shapes are also wholly concealed by a thing they call a ferace with no woman of any sort appears without.”(71)

This shows the culture and attire for the women, the only thing that is allowed to show is their eyes. No matter what rank or wealth they might have, nobody broke that form of attire.

“Upon the whole, I look upon the Turkish women as the only free people in the empire.” (72)

She says this because the women basically have nothing to worry about if they do everything correctly, wear the correct clothes they will never get in trouble. She makes it a fact that the ladies that are rich have all their money in their own hands and upon a divorce the man is obliged to give them money.