A.D. 



I 593- 



Diner taken 

 away. 



[II. i. 306.] 



Gownes of 

 cloth of gold 

 for the 

 ambassador 

 and his 

 gentlemen. 



The Present. 



The Present 

 viewed. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



it. The dinner thus with good order brought in, and for 

 halfe an houre with great sobrietie and silence performed, 

 was not so orderly taken up ; for certaine Moglans 

 officers of the kitchin (like her majesties blacke guard) 

 came in disordered maner and tooke away the dishes, 

 and he whose hungry eie one dish could not satisfie, 

 turned two or three one into the other, and thus of a 

 sudden was a cleane riddance made of all. The ambas- 

 sador after dinner with his gentlemen, by certaine officers 

 were placed at the upper ende upon the left side of the 

 court, nere unto a great gate which gave entrance to a 

 third court being but litle, paved with stone. In the 

 midst whereof was a litle house built of marble, as I take 

 it, within which sate the grand Signor, according to whose 

 commandement given there were gownes of cloth of gold 

 brought out of the wardrope, and put upon the ambas- 

 sador and 7 of his gentlemen, the ambassador himselfe 

 having 2, one of gold, and the other of crimosin velvet, 

 all the rest one a piece. Then certaine Cappagies had 

 the Present, which was in trunks there ready, delivered 

 them by the ambassadors men, it being 12 goodly pieces 

 of gilt plate, 36 garments of fine English cloth of al 

 colors, 20 garments of cloth of gold, 10 garments of 

 sattin, 6 pieces of fine Holland, and certaine other things 

 of good value ; al which were caried round about the 

 court, each man taking a piece, being in number very 

 neere 100 parcels, and so 2 and 2 going round that all 

 might see it, to the greater glory of the present, and of 

 him to whom it was given : they went into the innermost 

 court passing by the window of that roome, where the 

 grand Signior sate, who, as it went by to be laid up in 

 certaine roomes adjoining, tooke view of all. Presently 

 after the present followed the ambassador with his gentle- 

 men ; at the gate of which court stoode 20 or 30 Agaus 

 which be eunuchs. Within the court yard were the 

 Turkes Dwarfes and Dumbe men, being most of them 

 youths. At the doore of his roome stood the Bustangi- 

 bassa, with another Bassa to lead the ambassador and his 



100 



