6 A Relation of the Grand Seignor's Seraglio, 



Grocbe is the Crown, or Spanijh Ryal, otherwife called the Piece of eight, 



Kara*Grocbe is the Rix-dollar of Germany. 



Afelani is the Rix+Mar, mark'd with the Lyon of Holland. After which follow 

 the Pieces of four Ryah ) of two Ryals, and of one Ryal j and heretofore the Pieces 

 of five Sols,French Money, wherewith there was a great Trade driven in Turkey. 5 Tis 

 a thing not well known to all, and therefore the Hiltory thereof will haply not be un- 

 pleafant to the Reader. 



Thtltadedri- & certain Merchant of Marfcilles, Without any forethought defign, fent as many 

 vtn in the five Pieces of five Sols, newly come out of the Mint, as amounted to the fum of two, or 

 Sals-picas, three hundred Crowns, amongft fome other Pieces of Silver-Coins, to buy Silks. The 

 Turkf found thofe little Pieces fo pretty and fo beautiful, and were at the firft Co taken 

 therewith, that they thought them to be the eighth parts of a Ryal, and were content 

 to allow a CroWri, for every eight of them. The Factor, perceiving it, writ to Mar- 

 feilles, whence he receiv'd a very great fum in that Money, and gain'd very much 

 thereby. If the French could have contented themfdves with that honeft profit, the 

 commerce of thofe Pieces, which was qualh'd by the exceihve frauds committed in the 

 management of it, might have continued ftill, and would have been very advantageous 

 to them. TheTwJy were unwilling to trade in any other kind of Money, and in the 

 payment of the Armies, to give the Souldicrs content, there was a necettity of diiperf* 

 ing them among them. One day, returning out of Perfia into Turkey, I was perfecu* 

 ted by leveral Women, who would needs have me give them fome Temins, ( Co they 

 call that kind of Money ) and I could not have any thing to eat, for any other 

 Money. 



Our French Merchants were gainers at the firft, after the rate of fifty, per cent, al* 

 lowing in Turkey but eight of thofe Pieces for a Crown, whereas they had twelve of 

 them in France for the fame Piece. But the other European Nations, the Englijb, the 

 Dutch, and the Italians, envying their happinefs, came to give a check to their defign, 

 and making their complaints to the Grand Vizir, that Minifter ordcr'd, That, for the 

 future, they Ibould allow twelve of thofe Pieces for the Crown, or that they mould 

 not be current any longer, and that whatever fums thereof were found in the Ships, 

 mould be connfeated. 



The French were not at all fatisfy'd with that •, and whereas there was a neceflity 

 of fubmitting to the Grand Vizir's Decree, they bethought themfclvcs of having fome 

 of thofe Pieces coin'd, which (hould not have above four Sols of good Silver, which 

 was a confidcrable advantage, of twenty rive upon the hundred. They pafsM well 

 enough for fome time, ^fore the Tmkj had difcover'd the fraud * they being (atisfyM, 

 that the Stamp was fair, \x\A that the Pieces look'd very white ; And the Women and 

 Maidens, of the meaner {brt of People, made them contribute to the ornament of their 

 Head-tires, about which they faften'd thofe pretty little Pieces, and they came down 

 flapping about their Foreheads, as the wealthyer fort faftcn'd Pieces of Gold to 

 theirs. 



But the better to compafs their defign, the French Merchants were oblig'd to find 

 out other Countreys, where it might be lawful for them to traffick in thofe Pieces. 

 Their firft recourfe was to thofe of Vombes, Orange, and Avignon, and palling into 

 Italy, they found work for fome time for thole of Monaco, and Majfa. But having 

 obierv'd, that the 7«rly were more taken with the Pieces which had the impreilion of 

 a Woman's Head, and thofe Princes being unwilling to fufter them to coin among 

 them any Money of fo bafe an alloy, or to give it the Stamp of J a, the Princefs of 

 Vombes, they caft their eyes upon fome Caftles lituate within the Territories of the 

 Genuefes, yet fubject to the jurifdiclion of the Empire, where they obtain'd what they 

 defir'd, upon conditions not difadvantageous to the Lords of thofe places. The Pieces 

 they got coin'd at Orange, were alfo fought after, and pleas'd tfce Turks, in regard the 

 Stamp was beautiful, and very clear * but thofe of the Legar of Avignon were not fo 

 current, the Effigies thereof not being well done, and the Crofs, hanging at the Neck, 



difc 



