ADDRESS. OUR subscribers and friends have long been urging us to take higher ground, and to establish our work on a scale which its acknowledged merits and powerful resources entitle it to adopt. We have, accordingly, for a very considerable time past, been perfecting a plan for a change, which, we trust, will be found to be as eligible as it will be decided. Nor is it on light grounds that this change will be resorted to; for it had, indeed, become quite impossible, from the present limited form of the Magazine, to allow of that vast additional strength being called into use which we have been enabled to command. Peculiar circumstances have, within the last year, enabled us greatly to extend our literary connexion: arrangements have, in consequence, been made for commencing the New Year with a NEW SERIES of the LONDON MAGAZINE, a Series which, for the increased stores of its literary wealth, and for its typographical neatness, shall be worthy of being placed in the library of the reader as a work of more than temporary interest. Our plan, we trust, will be found such as to admit of our doing justice to the public, our contributors, and ourselves. The New Series will be enriched with Essays from the pens of several of the most distinguished writers of the age; and, as the numbers of our contributors have been largely increased, this department will be marked with that variety which is the highest charm of the periodical essayist. Subjects of Antiquities, Science, and Art, will receive our particular attention, and we have reason to believe that much light will be thrown by some of our papers on many controverted points. In Geology, especially, we have some curious articles relating to recent interesting Discoveries. The Poetry of the LONDON MAGAZINE will be-poetry; a characteristic which it must be owned has seldom attended those little ricketty children of the Muses whose birth-days are invariably on the first of the month. The Poetry, in fact, of the LONDON MAGAZINE will be found to be the very reverse of Magazine poetry in general. In the Reviews and Notices of new works, the plan of the New Series will be found to be peculiarly improved,-as the most ample arrangements have been made not only for giving full and impartial articles upon the modern publications of ability of our own country,-but also for procuring analytical notices of the most popular foreign productions, and at an earlier time than any of our contemporaries can possibly accomplish. The Drama will also meet with an attention which (to our shame, in a parenthesis, be it spoken) it has not hitherto experienced in the LONDON MAGAZINE. It will be the object of those to whom this department will be entrusted, not only to give a faith and fair Review of the productions of our living Dramatic Authors, but to endeavour at correcting the present vitiated taste of the town, by directing the public attention to those old Writers whose Works, like wine, become enriched by their age. Even in the Monthly Summary, at the end of each Number, improvements will be found to be introduced: and those matter-of-fact Notices, which have generally been looked upon as makeweights to the valuable material of a Magazine, will become important, from the care with which they will be compiled. Our Reports shall be such as might be given in evidence. THE LONDON Magazine and ReEVIEW (for the Work will even "take and bear the name and arms" of a Review) will of necessity be very considerably increased in size-and its form and appearance will be improved to the utmost extent of which a periodical work is capable. Each page will be handsomely printed, without that white space which has hitherto given a newspaper-look to the work. As far as printing goes, it is our intention, in future, to tempt no more the fate "of gods, men, and columns." A slight alteration (an alteration which we trust will not be considered more unreasonable than any other,) will also take place in the price :-each Number will in future be charged 3s. 6d. The above is a brief outline of the change which THE London MagazINE is about to undergo. We shall leave the Public to judge, from the New Series itself, whether we have not for once accomplished that very unusual production-a true Prospectus of a Periodical Work. THE LION'S HEAD. E. of O. S. who requests that his contribution may not be considered a gratuitous one, or, in the room of remuneration, that he may have "the favour of a gentle damnation,"-must, we grieve to say, take his place amongst the unpaid magistracy of our literary country. We beg therefore to be damning him for his contributions in the heartiest and most gentlemanly way, and to assure him that his little papers shall be covered up and sent home as he directs. We should be very glad to insert a few of the stanzas of M. E. A. if we could dispose our readers to peruse them with the same feelings which the writer's very modest and pleasing letter created in us. But unfortunately the verses are not strong enough to go alone. 66 Fizgig (an Elegiac writer, we presume, from his name) is kind, in entertaining a particular regard for us and our interests,"—but we must, under favour, protest against his mode of showing it. A man may regard us, without making us poetical presents. The five stanzas of Wm. D--b are wholly inadmissible: is that growl satisfactory?—since the author requests one from Lion's Head. If M. S. should chance to see our present Number (and what contributor does not look at the next Number?)—she will see that we are compelled to refuse her MS. So the one MS may be had by the other if it be desired. This mode of reply will save us the writing to Wand M. S. the postage. The gentleman who has taken a musical farewell of his country from Plymouth Sound, will excuse our refusing to become an echo to his sense. His lines, like the lines of the craft around him, appear to have suffered severely in the late storms. Some of them read as heavy as if he had been accustomed to heave the lead with them. We might perhaps squeeze J. M.'s verses into a February Number ;— but that month might not suit. Every place is booked in our December conveyance. We Z.'s two editions of his Elegiac verses have safely come to hand. can hold him out no hope-and indeed from the tone of his mind, as betrayed in his sad-coloured poetry, we apprehend he expects none. Many other articles" too tedious to mention," are left at our Publishers'. THE London Magazine. DECEMBER, 1824. THE FANARIOTES OF CONSTANTINOPLE. THE Fanariotes are a class of Greeks, who inhabit a quarter of Constantinople, called the Fanar, which is situated on the border of the sea, in face of the arsenal, and is the former residence of the European ambassadors who have abandoned it for Péra. The Turkish law forbids every Mahometan to learn the language of any infidel nation; from this sapient law it results that the Sublime Porte has always need of interpreters to manage its diplomatic affairs. At first Jews, or renegade Christians, were employed for the purpose; for some time, however, they have been replaced by the Fanariotes, whose official duty it has become. At first, this office of translator was not one of any consideration, and the person charged with it bore merely the When' the name of Grammaticos. Grammaticos had read over to the ministers the contents of the papers they put into his hands, he retired into the great hall, and waited among the other servants until he was again called for. In the year 1669, under Mahomet IV, a Grammaticos, named Panayotaki, on his return from the siege of Candia, where he had assisted the Grand-Visir, Coprogli-Achmet, convinced the ministers that it would be much to the advantage of the Sublime Porte to a reguplace the interpreter on lar footing, and give him official The Divan rank and confidence. applauded the sentiments of Panayotaki, gave him apartments in the palace and the title of Divan Terziman, or Drogman of the Divan, and after serious deliberation added to these honours the permission to let DEC. 1824. his beard grow. His successors con- |