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a particularly English characteristic. The Earl of Sandwich and John Cooke, (mentioned earłier), had been founder members of a typical eigh-teenth century drinking club — the ‘Divan Club’. Membership was only open to those who had travelled in Turkey, and when they met, the members wore Turkish costume and the office-bearers were addressed by Turkish titles.⁶⁶ We know yery little about the Ottoman Club which Stockdale first revealed, but four years later we still find Morritt address-ing Hawkins as “an old fellow traveller & Brother Ottoman”* and refer-ing to Dallaway and Mercati as “those mighty Ottomans”, and Stockdale as “That worthy member of the Ottoman . . .”⁶⁷ To have organis-ed such an association is an indication of the impact the journey in the Ottoman lands had madę upon these travellers. The Ottoman Club, like its predecessor, was probably only of short duration, as Eandle Wilbra-ham’8 inąuiry of Hawkins might suggest; “Have you attended the Ottomans?” he asked, “or has that scheme departed this life. Ifear there exist very few Members of that illustrious society & of those few, still fewer in England .. *” ⁵⁸ Nevertheless, we know from these two letters that the members were in contact with each other, and that their contacts extended to Thomas Hope (1769—1831)⁵⁹ and .Frederick North, and perhaps to other celebrated Ottoman travellers as well. That Morritt,. Stockdale and Wilbraham should have formed part of that exclusive band shows their journey to have proved wojrthy of the high hopes placed upon it. Aft er all, it had been one of the grandest of ‘Grand Tours’.

Robert Stockdale to Rev. William Stockdale, Deva, Transylwania, 30 June 7791 (The Stockdale Papers, Mears Ashby Hall, Northamptonshire).

June 30th [1794] Deva in Transylvania

Dear Brother*

It is now ten Days sińce we left Yienna & having never stopped but one Day at Temeswar are within two days journey of Hermanstadt the Capital of this Provinee. — From Yienna the Road lies by the side of the Danube which we pursued as far as Presburg the Capital of Hungary. Hete we left this road & turned in to one leading to Buda & Pest. At Presburg we entered a fiat Country which reaches to Lugos a pretty Town very near the Limits of the Banat which is the Name of a smali province on the Danube lying between Hungary & Transylyania. — I

⁵⁶ Guy Evans, The Extenston of ihe Grand Tour to the Ottoman Empire, 1730—1820* Unpublished paper

⁶⁷    J.D.S. Morritt to John Hawkins, Rokeby, 21 Nooembcr 1798, The Hawkins Papers,. West Sussex County Record Office, MS. vol. 5, fol. 1704.

⁶⁸    Rondle 'Wilbraham to John Hawktns, Moat Hall, Doroughbrldge, 22 December 1798* The Hawkins Papers, MS. vol. 5, fol. 1707.

^6f Trevor J. Hope, C&l&tort englezt In Prtnctpalele Romóne: Lordul Benltnck la Adam-cltst, 1801:Maoroghent Vod& In romanul lut Thomas Hope, Anastastus, "Secolul 20; Reyistfi de llteraturfi universaia” (1978), vols., 213—215, nos. 10—12, pp. 1^—X.

♦ Robert Stockdale's brother was the Rev. William Stockdale (1766—1858). See : Rev. Henry Isham Longdan, Northamptonshire and Rulland Clergg from 1500, (Northampton_r 1942), vol. XIII, p. 71