'fl>e Origintof 

 the Grandees of 

 the P#r& 



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A Relation of the Grand Seignor s Seraglio. 



I he Story of the Commerce carried on in the di/pofal of the five Sols Pie- 

 ces -, French Mony. Thejealonfies of the Per Jons concern din that Trade. 

 y/mifchievoifis Fraud mildly piimjb 'd. The ancient fincerity of the T u rk s 

 corrupted by the Commerce of the Europeans. 



THey whoarcadvanc'd to - Chargcs,whcther it be iri theSeraglio,or in the Em- 

 pire (excepting only the Eunuchs,ofwhom I (hall give an account anon) are 

 generally rais'd out of the Children taken in War,or fentby way of Prefents, 

 by the BanVs,or out of the Tributary Children, who,about nine or ten years 

 of Age,are taken out of their Mothers arms,through all the Provinces fubdu'd by «the Ot- 

 toman Princ S They are all to be of Chriltian Parents \ and counting only the Slaves ta- 

 ken from the Enemy, we rind by the Rcgillcrs of the Cuftom-houfe of Confiantinople 

 alone, that, of both Sexes, there are brought thither every year , near twenty thou- 

 fand. The Inhabitants of the lelTer Tartar^ who make continual Incurfions into all 

 the Countries, that are hvhoitiltty againft the Ottoman Empire, fend up vail numbers 

 of them, and the Grand Seignor having the choice of all thofe young Children, the 

 bed: Ihap'd, and fuch as have the moft protnifing looks, arc diftributed into feveral Se- 

 raglio's, to be there inirrudred in the Law of Mahomet^ and all forts of Excrcifes. And 

 afterwards, out of the choice or callings of thefe bit is the Seraglio of Confiantinople 

 replenilh'd •■> and they are to be diitinguiuYd into two Orders. The rirll and the molt 

 eminent is that of the Icboglans^dchgnd for the great Charges and Dignities of the Em- 

 pire: The fecond, that of the Azamoglans, cmploy'd in fuch Offices as require only 

 ftrength of body. The Icboglans, are thofe, in whom, befides the accomplilhments 

 of the Body, they difcover alfo a noble Genius, rit for a high Education, 'and fuch as 

 may render them capable of ferving their Prince, (brae. time or other. 



• j 



IhtfevereDi- Thefe are accordingly inftrudred with great care, and educated with the obfervance 

 jcipline of the of a moft fevere Difcipline. They pafs through four feveral Chambers, call'd Oda^ 

 Seraglio. which are as it were four Forms,where they learn,ih order, whatever is convenient for 

 young perfons, who are to be continually about a great Prince, and arc as it were his 

 Pages, or Gentlemen. If they commit the leait fault, they are feverely chaftis'd, and 

 there is a great ftock of patience requifite, for any one to be advanced to the fourth 

 Oda, which when they have attain'd, they begin td take a little breath. But the 

 hopes of being exalted to the greateft Honours, and the moll eminent Dignities, makes 

 them endure the barbarous treatments of the Eunuchs, who are appointed to be their 

 Mafters,and arc very liberal of the Ballinado to them. I lhall give anac:ount elfcwherc 

 ■ x of the manner of their Education, and of thofe four Odas, or Chambers, where they 



learn thole things, whereby they are qualirTd for the Charges, for which the Grand 

 Seignor defigns them. Though it be appointed by the received Cuitom of the Em- 

 pire, that thofe Children, mould be all defcended from CbrijHan Parents, of the belt 

 extradrion, and the belt ihap'd that can be found s yet the Capi-Aga, or Grand Ma- 

 iler of the Seraglio, the Principal of the white Eunuchs, who hath the chief Com- 

 mand over the Ichoglans, flicks not to admit into their number fome natural Iwiy, 

 fuch as may be rccommendable, upon the fcore of their good qualities and endow- 

 ments - : But that happens very feldom, and that not without the particular permiflion 

 of the Prince, who would rather have all thofe Children to be Renegado-Chriftians. 

 And this is the Origine of the Great Perfons belonging to the Grand Seignor,and 

 the Port. They are all Slaves, and not having any knowledge of their Parents, cr 

 Relations, they wholly apply their afTeclions to the Service of their Prince, who has 

 been pleas'd -to advance them to fuch high Fortunes. 



7k Authority of The Bajj^as therefore are taken out of the Order of the Icboglans, and the name of 

 the four princi-BaJJa^ or Bajha, is only a Title of Honour and Dignity, common to all the Grandees 

 pal Bajffsjof of the Port, who are diftinguimable, according to the difference of their Charges. 

 ftqZlTtJtbe' The four Principal are thefe. The Vizir-Azem, or Grand Vizir, the Caimacan* the 

 Grand seignor, BaJJaofiyhe Sea, and the Aga of the Janizaries. The Authority of thefe four Baffa's 

 and bow be can is fo great, that fometimes they deprive their Sovereign of the Crown, and bellow it 

 talftit of, on whom they pleafe s as it has happen'd, in our Age, to two Emperours immediately 

 fucceeding one the other, Mufiapba, and Ofman, of whom the later dy'd in Prifon, by 



the 



