22 



v — ■ • V 



A Relation of the Chap.IL 



The RtguUti- On the right hand of that firft Court, there runs all along a fpacious ftruCTure, con- 

 on* of the infix- tailing feveral Appartments or Chambers, and ferving for an Inrirmary to the whole 

 mary of the St- § cr2 ^\\ 0t The Gate of it is kept by an Eunuch, who has under him a great many 

 niUo. People, employ'd in attending on, and miniltring to the lick, whom, anfwerably to 



their quality, they difpofe into convenient quarters in that houfe, wliere they may be 

 better affifted, then In thofe which their indifpolition had oblig'd them to quit. The 

 two principal Phyfitians, and the two principal Chirurgeons, whom they call Hequinz- 

 hacbi^nd Geirab-bacbi^rmke their viiits there every day,at certain hours. A man cannot 

 imagine a place better order'd and regulated then that is : and the Grand Seignior him- 

 fclf fometimes comes thither in perfon,to take an exact account of the Sick and their con- 

 dition, as alfo to enquire whether they are well treated, whether the Phyfitians viik 

 them often, and whether every officer of the Inrirmary perform the duty incumbent on 

 him. There is feldom any place void in that Houfe, for afToon as one is gone out, ano- 

 ther comes in : and though it be defign'd only for fuch as are fick, yet feveral perfons, 

 who are well, are brought thither, under pretence of indifpofition, or to enjoy them- 

 felves a while, or to weather out fame trouble or difcontent. They continue there for 

 the fpace of ten or twelve daies, and are diverted, according to their mode, with a 

 wretched kind of vocal and instrumental Mufick, which begins betimes in the morning , 

 and holds on till night. The pcrmiflion they have there to drink winc,which they never 

 have elfewhere, is a greater inducement for their coming in thither, than the Mufick. 

 But that permillion, which they would as 'twere conceale, and which the uaperftition cf 

 the "Turks dards not publickly own, is accompany'd by a thoufand difficulties. They arc 

 not permitted to bring in any wine in the iigjht of the Eunuch, who f lands at the entrance 

 of the place : and if any one mould be furpriz'd in the doing of it, his puniihment 

 would be to receive three hundred baftinadocs, and a penalty of three hundred Afpers, 

 to be paid to thofe from whom he had receiv'd them. But if he can cunningly get in 

 with the Wine, not having been ftopp'd at the Gate, alToon as he is got in, he runs no 

 rifque at all, and may drink of it without fear of any chaftifement, though 'twere in 

 the prefence of the Grand Seignor. 



Tht difficulty of The fmali quantity of wine which can be got in by this way, would fignifle but 

 getting wine little among fo many People, if there were not ibme other lefs difficult contrivances to 

 into the infr. fupply them therewith. And this is one of them. The Infirmary adjoins to one ilde 

 mry. tftbc Gardens, from which it is feparated only by a wall which is not very high > fo 



that the Bofiangis, who find that wine goes off at a good rate, and that they who are 

 within the Seraglio know not how to fpend their money, do, in the night time,by ropes 

 convey over the wall, fo many Borrachoes or bags of Buck-Skins, full of wine, contain- 

 ing forty or fifty quarts, which fome Other perfons of the Infirmary Hand ready to re- 

 ceive. This way brings in abundance of wine, but not without fear of being furpriz'd 

 by the Bojiangi-bachi^ho goes the rounds every night. 



.'.'''■«■' 

 the fubtilty of Nor is the drinking of wine the mam inducement which makes thofe counterfeit fick 

 fom perfons to perfons to feek out pretences, to go and oafs away fome daies in the Infirmary'-, info- 

 be received in, much that fome have the lewd artifice to put. themfelves into a flight Feaver, which is 

 though not fick. preieritlyiremovM. A deteffable paffion, and which is in a manner naturall to them, 



though it be a&ainft nature, makes them ftudy all the imaginable waies to {atisrie it. 



This proves a hard matter for the lcboglans to do, while they are in their chambers ob- 



ferv'd and watch'd night and day by (evere Overlcers, who never pardon them the 



leaft mifilemeanour. 



• T 



For thoagh the Grand Seignor be himfelf {ubjeA to the fame paflTion^thc very name 

 whereof cauTes a horrour, yet he orders cruel punifhments to be inflicted on thofe who 

 (hall prefume to imitate him. He does what he can to prevent the mifchief, which he 

 would not have countenane'd by his example, and impofes the prevention of it as a task 

 upon the Eunuchs, a vigilant fort of .animals, whofe Eyes are alwayes open. But in the 

 Inrirmary, all thefe precautions prove fruitleis ^ the Eunuchs belonging to that place be- 

 ing corrupted partly by prefents,. partly by treats, or being made drunk with wine, 

 or fome other liquors, they bring in thither fome young lads, of whom there is great 

 (tore in the City of Conjiantinople. The better to over r reach the Eunuchs, they put thofe 

 young lads into the habits of the Halva^ and fo the cheat fucceeds, in regard they are 



the 



