Chap,IV. Grand Seignor s Seraglio. 51 



On thofe dayes that the Vivan fits, the Officers are entertain'd at dinner in the fame The care taken 

 Hall, which is done with much fobriety, and little Ceremony. All is over and taken t0 prevent the 

 away, in half an hours time. The Grand Vizir eats alone, unlcfs he call a Bajja or revo . lt °( tbt 

 two, to keep him company. There are carried alio mefles diCbourba, which is a kind J anizarie ** 

 of pottage made with Rice, for the dinners of the Janizaries , who are in their ftatibns 

 under the Galleries. But if it happen, that they are in a mutinous humour, and in- 

 cens'd againit a Vizir, or againit the Grand Seignor himfelf, not one of them will put 

 his hand to the Chourba, but they fcornfully thruft back the diihes. and by that action 

 difcover their difcontent. 



The Grand Seignor is prefently advertis'd of it, and fends to them the Capon- Agafi, 

 Grand Matter of the Seraglio, to know what their pleafure is, and what they defire' 

 Then they depute one of their own Body to go, and fpeak on the behalf of them all \ 

 and that pcrfon whifpering the Capou-Agafi in the Ear, declares to him the occafion of 

 their difcontent. That Eunuch prefently carries it to the Grand Seignor •, And if 

 they have a peck againit a Vim, or a Cadihfqmr, or fometimes againit their Aga, or 

 Colonel, it often happens that to appeafe thole mutineers, the Grand Seignor orders 

 them to be (trangled, and fends them their heads. 



Sunday and Tuefday are the principal dayes of the Divan, and then it is properly a Hor , the Grand 

 Council of State, and of publick affairs. ^The Grand Seignor molt commonly afiifts at seignor is pri- 

 it, but is not feen ^ and that keeps in aw? as well the Grand Vizir, as the other Ofti-f mat th% Di- 

 cers. Fie can come thither from his own Appartment, through a clofe Gallery, and van * 

 feat himfelf at a window, which looks into the Vivan-ftA\, and has alwayes a velvet 

 Curtain before it, which he draws when he pleafes, and efpeciatly when he perceives 

 that they have not done Juitice. I (hall produce here, an example, famous enough as 

 to that particular, which happen'd in the Reign of Sultan Acbmet, the Father of Amu** 

 ratl^ and one of the jufteit Princes, that ever the Ottoman Empire had. 



The Reader is to call to mind, what I faid at the beginning, concerning the Timar- Ue b[d aT 

 Spabi, 1 whom they bellow, during their lives, the Government and revenue of f a Timer- 

 fome Town, according as they have deferv'd by their Services. The Spain , whofc S pa hi,w/;o kills 

 ftory I am going to relate, had a Ttfnar, between Aleppo and Vamas, which might bring * Grand Fi\ir t 

 him in a revenue of fifteen hundred Crowns. The Grand Vizir, either out of f ome ^i s f ar(ion -^ 

 averfion to the Spain , or upon fome falfe reports which had been made of him, and 

 which he had been too forward to bclieve,without taking an exact information of things, 

 took away from him the Timar, whereofne was poffefs^ and beitow'd it on one of 

 his own Creatures. 



The 'Spj&i, finding himfelf fo unjuftly diipbfTefs'd comes to Conllantinopk, enters into 

 the Vivan, and prcfems a Petition to the Grand Vizir, wherein he remonftrates to hirn 

 his long Services, ami how he never was chargeable with any negligence of his duty. 

 The GfiMd Vizir having read it, tears it in his prefence, which was to lignirie as 

 much, as that he would not anfwer it, and that there was nothing {'or the Spain to 

 hope for.Thc Petitioner withdrew,without faying any thing:but fome days afterwards > 

 he returns to the Vivan, and prcfents a fecond Petition, which the Grand Vizir like- 

 wife tears, as he had done the former , without making any anfwer thereto. Up- 

 on this fecond injury, the Spabi, full of fury, and juitly exafperated, draws his 

 Poniard, falls upon the Vizir, and kills him. 



The Grand Seignor, who was then at the Window, having obfeiVd that adion, 

 draws the Curtain, and with a loud voice commanded that no hurt fhould be offer'd 

 to the pcrfon who had done it. He thereupon orders the Spabi to approach, and ask'd 

 him the Rcafon of his having demcan'd himfelf with i'o much violence. The other 

 much aiham'd, humbly makes anfwer, but with relolution enough, That he could not 

 forbear doing what he had done, upon the light of fo great a piece of fnjuitice : and 

 thereupon presenting to him the Petition, which had been torn to pieces ^ the Grand 

 Seignor caus'd it to be read, and patiently fiearkned to the juft complaints which it con- 

 tain'd. Having fully examined the Affair,his Highnefs commended the Spabi for the 

 Action he had done, tiling the word Aferim, which is as much as to fay, % well 



