RICHARD WRAG ad. 



1594- 

 For the city of Constantinople you shall understand 

 that it is matchable with any city in Europe, aswell in 

 bignesse as for the pleasant situation thereof, and com- 

 modious traffike and bringing of all maner of necessary 

 provision of victuals, and whatsoever els mans life for 

 the sustentation thereof shall require, being seated upon 

 a promontory, looking toward Pontus Euxinus upon the 

 Northeast, and to Propontis on the Southwest, by which 

 two seas by shipping is brought great store of all maner [II. i. 308.] 

 of victuals. The city it selfe in forme representeth a 

 triangular figure, the sea washing the walles upon two 

 sides thereof, the other side faceth the continent of 

 Thracia; the grand Signiors seraglio standeth upon that 

 point which looketh into the sea, being cut off from the 

 city by a wall ; so that ye wall of his pallace conteineth 

 in circuit about two English miles : the seven towers 

 spoken of before stand at another corner, & Constan- 

 cies olde pallace to the North at the third corner. 

 The city hath a threefolde wall about it ; the inner- 

 most very high, the next lower then that, and the third 

 a countermure, and is in circuit about ten English miles : 

 it hath foure and twenty gates : and when the empire was 

 remooved out of the West into the East, it was inriched 

 with many spoiles of olde Rome by Vespasian and other 

 emperours, having many monuments and pillars in it 

 worthy the observation ; amongst the rest in the midst 

 of Constantinople standeth one of white marble called 

 Vespasians pillar, of 38 or 40 yards high, which hath 

 from the base to the top proportions of men in armour 

 fighting on horsebacke : it is likewise adorned with divers 

 goodly buildings & stately Mesquitas, whereof the biggest 

 is Sultan Solimans a great warriour, which lived in the 

 time of Charles the fifth ; but the fairest is Santa Sophia, Santa Sophia. 

 which in the time of the Christian emperours was the 

 chiefe cathedrall church, and is^ still in greatest account 

 with the great Turke : it is built round like other 

 Greekish churches, the pavements and walles be all of 

 marble, it hath beneath 44 pillars of divers coloured 



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