Chap, VI. Grand Seignor s Seraglio. 37 



Scignor's fecret Appartment. Here, the Icboglans, who have cndur'd hardihip f ma 

 ny years in the three firft Chambers, begin to take breath, and to be allow'd more 

 liberty. They are permitted to converfe with all Perfons within the Seraglio, and ther 

 have the advantage of frequent approaches to the Prince's Perfon, to whom they make 

 themfelves known, and from whom they ever and anon receive favours; 



Under the Gate of the third Court, where a certain number of Eunuchs are upon n^wttrs 

 the Guard night and day, there is a paflagcon the left hand which leads into a little ^ tht FoHr 

 Gallery, out of which there is an entrance j^to the Appartmcnt of the Capou^Acraft > C inc % aL 

 and when the great Gate is open, it hides that paiTage, into which a man cannot en* * 



ter but with fome difficulty, 



A little further, and on the right hand of the Hall of the Audience, ftands the Ar> 

 partment of the Serai- Agaft, who is to take care for the keeping of the Seraglio clean 

 and in good order i and a little farther yet, near a little Mofquey, wherethe Icbo- 

 rtans of the three fitft Chambers go to their Devotions, lies the Quarter of the Sefer 

 ///, who are an hundred and fifty of the Icboglans, or thereabouts, .particularly ap- 

 pointed for the wafting of the Grand Seignor's Linnen. When he goes into the Coun- 

 try, the moft antient among them are of his Retinue v and there mud be comprehend- 

 ed in that number, fuch as play on Timbrels, aud the other Inftrumental Muficians" 

 who have the fame appointments with the reft. 



la us now enter into the Hall of Audience, which is a Quarter as 'twere indepen- 

 dent from others, and where the Grand Seignor receives Forein Ambaifadors. 



CHAP. VI. 



Of the Hall wherein the Grand Seignor gives Au- 

 dience to Forein Ambaffadors, and the manner 

 how they are receiv'd. 



The PrinciAl Heads. 



TJie defcriptian of the Hall of Audience. Tlx Grand Seignor's 

 Throne. The manner fan? Ambaffadors are receiVd. Remarks 

 upon the number of Vestments which the Qrand Seizor orders to be 

 besto^'don the Ambaffadors ofChriftian Princes. The form of 

 the Oath of Allegiance, Tthich the Cham of the Leffer Tartary 

 comes to take at the fame place* 



THe Third Court of the Seraglio, wherein we now arc, is far from being %t Hall of 

 fo regular, as the precedent, and the Structures within fufficiently difco- Auditnct dt. 

 ver, that the perfons, by whom it was built, minded .not the obfervanee f cribti » 

 of any Order in the doing of it. When you are at the Gate of this Court, 

 you have juft oppofite to you a little Appartment, not adjoyning to the 

 others, at the entrance of which you find, on both fides, a Fountain ifluing out of 

 Wall, the Water whereof is receiv'd into two Bafins or Cifterns : And 'tis in this 

 Appartment that the Hall of Audience ftands. 5 Tis an arched Strudure noble enough 

 in its kind, fuftain'd by Marble Pillar^ and there is yet to be feen in the midft of it, 



CF2; afmatl* 



