11 ' "^— — — ' _^ — _ — _ 



A Relation of the Grand Seignor s Seraglio. 5 



and are diftrjbuted into feveral Chambers, in the fpacious Lodgings, whereof they are 

 poflcfs'd, whether it be at Conjtantinople, or in other places. The order obferv'd there ■ 

 is Co excellent in all things, and fo exacfly maintain'd, that they live more like Religi- 

 ous Perfons, than Souldiers i and though they are not forbidden to marry, yet it is 

 very feldom that they do it. The great Priviledges which they enjoy all over the Em- 

 pire, wherein they are fo highly- rejpecled, induce abundance of Perfbi&s, meerly in 

 order to their exemption from the paying of Taxes, and their being difcharg'd from 

 publick Duties, to prevail with the Officers, by Money, to proted them, and make 

 thempafs for Janizaries. But they receive no Pay from the Prince, and all their ad- 

 vantage is reftrain'd to the enjoyment of thofe Priviledges, which indeed are great 

 enough. It is by this intermixture of the real Janizaries, with thofe who are admit- 

 ted by corruption, that the number of them amounts at this day to above a hundred 

 thoufand ', and yet not accounting any but fuch as are effectively Janizaries, their Body 

 has fbmetimes been fo dreadful as that they have unthron'd the Ottoman Monarchs,and 

 chang'd the whok face of the Empire, of a fudden. 



The Power of their Aga is very great, and there is not any Perfon can approach the ni'griai PrU 

 Prince, as he is permitted to do. For he may come into the Grand Seignor's prefence, viitdgt of the 

 with his arms at abfolute liberty, and with a confident deportment, whereas all the A S a * 

 other Grandees of the Port, without any exception, even to theGrWr/s/rhimfelf, 

 dare not appear before him, otherwife than with their arms crofs their bodies* and the 

 hands, one upon the other, on the breaft, as the mark of a profound fubmiilion. 



The Beglcrbeys arc, in dignity, next the four firft Bajfas, and are as 'twere Co many 

 Sovereigns, in the general Governments of the Empire, whereof the Grand Seignor 

 bellows the Command on them. But in regard it is not -»my defign to fpeak of the 

 Government of Turk®, any further than is requifite for the Subjed whereof I treat, 

 there is not any neceifity, that I mould inform the Reader of the number of thofe Beg* 

 lerbeys, and it is enough, that I have nam'd the five principal ones, of whom I (hall 

 have occafion to fpeak elfewhcre. I mall only add here, That thofe great Bafffs have, 

 under them, a certain number cf Sangiac-Beys y who are Governours of Sangiacs, or 

 particular Provinces, as the Sangiacbey of S atonic*, or of Morea. 



And whereas there will alfobe frequently mention'd fome others, under the Deno- 

 minations of Spaby, Zaims and Chiaoux, we muit give a ftprt account of thofe three 

 forts of Perfons. 



The Spabisy who make up a Body of about fifteen thonfand ftferij an* a kind of 

 Knights; who would pafs for the Gentry or Nobility of the Country* and ftand rerf 

 much upon their Gallantry. They are maintain'd out of the Revenue of the Timor*) 

 that is to fay, out of thcMannors, or Commanderies, which the Grand Seignor be- 

 llows on them, according to the rccompencc he would make them for their fervices* 

 Thofe Itmars cannot be taken away from them, unlefs they be negligent in their duty, 

 which is, that they fhould be in the Army, when the Grand Vizir is there in perfon* 

 Thefe are the happieit Perfons in all the Ottoman Empire, and as it were petty Sove- 

 raigns, in the places where they command. 



The Zaims differ not much from the Spabis, and, as the other, have the Command 

 and Revenues of certain Lands, or Fiefs, which the Grand Seignor bellows on them. 

 There is a very great number of them, over all the Empire* and they look on therp- 

 felves, as the Lords and Barons of the Country. The Turkifh Cavalry confiils of the 

 Zaims and the Spabis, and they know what number of Horfe they are to bring into die 

 Field, according to the Revenue of their Timars. 



The Cbaottxy or Cbiaoux-Bacbi, is the Chief of all the Cbaoiix of the Empire, whofe 

 imployment it is, to carry the Prince's Commands, to any part either within his Terri- 

 tories, or without, and to be fent upon Embalfies, though indeed they are but as Co 

 many MefTengers, or Expreffes. 'Tis ordinarily into their cuftody that Prifbners of 

 Quality are committed, and they fufTerthem not to be out of their .fight. 



( fc 2 ) And 



