Chap, VI. Grand Seignor s Seraglio. 50 



Throne, there is a kind of a low Seat, covcr'd with red Velvet, with a Gold-fringe' 

 on which the Ambaffadors go and lit clown, after they have ki'Vd the Grand Seizor's 

 Robe, till luch time as thofe of their Retinue, who have had Vefrs, the numberwtee- 

 pf is limited, have pcrform'd the fame Ceremony. In the mean time, all the B.tJTar 

 are (fending, in the prefence of their Prince ^ nay, the Cham of the LefTer Tarury is 

 not excepted out of that Law, when he comes to do homage.- All this action is per- 

 form'd in great lilcnce, and the Grand Seignor making noanfwer at all at that time-, 

 leaves it to the Grand Vizir , to make Come (hort Complement, in order to the difhuf 

 fiori of the Ambaffador, who withdraws with a profound reverence, without uncove- 

 ring his head, or turning his back, till he be out of the Hall. 



The Miniltcrs of Chriftian Princes and States who ordinarily refide at the Port are 

 the Ambaffadors of T&ngland, France, and Venice, and the Reiident of the States Gcnc- 

 ra] who have all their refpccTivc Habitations in Vera. When there come thither anvAm- 

 bafTadors or Rcfidents from the Emperor, or from Poland, or Mttfcovy, they oblige 

 them to take up their abodes at Conliantiiwple, that they may be the more affiu'd of 

 their peilbns. 



The Grand Scignor diftinguifhes the Quality of thofe Princes and States, and the Rnr f^ S . 0f: ihe 

 efteem he has for them, by the number of Velts which he orders to be beirow'd In ZbicbtbP^ 1 

 their Ambaffadors when they come to Audience. The Ambaffador of France has four Grand Seignor 

 and twenty allow'd him i the Ambaifador of England, ftxteeh j the Ambaffador or *dw *• k i*~ 

 faeent of Venice receives twelve, and the Dutch Ambaffador as many. «* the Am- 



b f bifhdorsof 



When Monficur de MarcbeviHe was Ambaffador in Tu\y, from his mod Chriffian vrinctT 

 Majcfty of France, I had the honour to be one of thofe who accompany'd him to the 

 Seraglio, where after Dinner with the Vizirs, in the Z>/"t/.///-Hall, while his Retinue 

 were treated under the Gallery, the Vefts were brought according to the cuftome. 

 The Ambaffador coming to dif tribute them to thofe whom he had a mind to favour, 

 and take along with htm to the Audience, he was much furpriz'd, to rind .that he had 

 got but fixteen. He immediately fent word to the Grand Vizir, that he wanted eight 

 Vefts, and that he would not go to his Audience, till he had tljc full number, which 

 they had wont to prefent to the Ambaffadors of France. There was fome con tell 

 about it, which retarded the Audience near an hour's time j but at laft Monficur de 

 Mirchevillc perfifttng in his rcfolution, the Grand Vizk comply'd, and fent him eight 

 other Velts. 



What remains' of this Chapter muft reprefent the m^nneryfiow the\Q^<^t the Toe Form of 

 I effer Tori try comes into this Hall o{' Audience to take the Oath of Allegiance tf,the the Oath of 

 Grand Seignor. Tile Reader will be plcas'd to remember, what Observation! made Ali ?) anC u 

 at the beginning of this Work concerning 'the Family of that Tributary Prince,whom chmilf the 

 the Ottoman Emperors keep tinder the Yoke. The Cham, who is to Reign in his turn, Ltjfer Tartary 

 and according to what difpolal the Grand Seignor has made of the Government, prc- f0 thtSrand, 

 fents himlelt before him in the Hall of Audience, and after he haslvifs'd his Robe.) xc- St ^ m ' 

 tiresfome paces back, and ftand$i Then they bring in the Alchoran, upon a great 

 green Velvet Guihion^ without any Embroydery, at the four Corners whereof there 

 are four TtfTcls of Gold and Silk, and they place it on the Grand Seignor V right 

 hand. Now whereas he tits on a Carpet erofs-1 eggM, there miiff be grqat caretakenthat 

 the Cufhion be not fo high as his knees j for the Turks would account, that a great tin, 

 and they bear fb great a refpeei to the Book of the Alchoran, that they cannot touch 

 it, till they havehrlt wallfd thenifelvcs. Before they open it, they kifs it, and put it 

 upon their heads, and after they have read fomething in it, they kifs the writing of it, 

 :wk\ then they rub their faces with it, before they (hut it. The Prince, who is to take 

 bis Oath, is Handing all this time, as 1 told you, with his hands ltretah'd' *rjut jjnfi 1 

 againit the other, and lifted upas highas.his moulders, to receive the Book ofthe $1- 

 ckoranOMtoi thofe of the Capi-Aga, who had been to take it off the Cufhion, having 

 kifVd it, and touch 4 his head with it. The Oath which the Cham takes is in tfjcfe 

 \\h)Y^\^ouquittabhakjucbunJeadetlu^padichapni^ tfir'k fin den her 

 nt Emir, yeferman bana keleurfe itaat ideym. That is fay, By the Tnab 



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