028 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



room, the door of which opened to the lobby where his fol- 

 diers or fervants were. There was a flave very richly dref- 

 fed, who had a fmall bafket with oranges in his hand, who 

 came out at another door, as if from the Bey, and faid to 

 me, " Here, Yagoube, here is fonne fruit for you." 



In that country it is not the value of the prefent, but the 

 charadter and power of the perfon that fends it, that creates 

 the value ; 20,000 men that flept in Cairo that night would 

 have thought the day the Bey gave them at an audience 

 the worft orange in that bafket the happieft one in their life. 

 It is a mark of friendfliip and protecflion, and the bell of all 

 afTurances. Well accuftomed to ceremonies of this kind,. 

 I took a lingle orange, bowing low to the man that gave it 

 me, who whifpered me, " Put your hand to the bottom, 

 the bed fruit is there, the whole is for you, it is fi"om the 

 Bey." A purfe was exceedingly vifible. It was a large 

 crimfon one wrought with gold, not netted or tranfpaient 

 as ours are, but liker a flocking. I lifted it out ; there were 

 a confiderable number of fequins in it ; I put it to my mouth 

 and kifTed it, in refpe(5l from whence it came, and faid to 

 the young man that held the baflcet, " This is, indeed, the 

 beft fruit, at leaft commonly thought fo, but it is forbid- 

 den fruit for me. The Bey's prote(5tion and favour is more 

 agreeable to me than a thoufand fuch purfes would be." 



The fervant fhewed a prodigious furprife. In fliort, no- 

 thing can be more incredible to a Turk, whatever his qua- 

 lity may be, than to think that any man can refufe moriey 

 offered him. Although I exprefled myfelf with the utmoil 

 gratitude and humility, finding it impofTible to prevail up- 

 'on me, the thing appeared fo extraordinary, that a beggar 



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