Chap, VIII. Grand Seignor s Seraglio. 40 



alfo the Piece, which he has a mind to convert to his own ute, and caufing all to be 

 immediately carried to his own Chamber, he there leaves what he would keep and 

 prefents to the Prince only that which he had commanded to be brought him. ' Not 

 but that whatever is received into the Treafury, and whatever goes out of it, is exactly 

 fet down and cnroll'd by die Hazjiaquatib, or Clerk, who keeps the Regiftcrs » and 

 the Cheat might beealily difcover'd, when at the quitting of his Charge the Gbafna- 

 dar-bachi gives an account of all things to his fucceffor. But it ordinarily happens 

 that they are friends, and that the Cbafnadar-bachi^ who does not leave his Charge, but 

 upon his advancement to that of the place of the Capi-Aga, in cafe he (hould dye^ or ' 

 be exalted to a higher Dignity ■■> or upon his being made a Baffa and Govcrnour of a 

 Province, propofes him, among the Pages, for whom he has the greatefi affection and 

 who is his Confident, as a Perfon quality'd for the Charge of Principal Officer of the 

 Treafury. Accordingly, being his Benefactor, he gives in his Accompts as he pleates 

 himfclf, and delivering unto him an Inventory of what is in the Treafury, he withal 

 produces a Memorandum or the Pieces, which had been taken out theiKe, during his 

 Surintendency, by the Grand Seignor' s Orders. The Clerk of the Treafury, might, 

 notwithftanding their intelligence and combination, diicover the intrigue ■■> but being 

 one of the eldeiT Pages of the Chamber,and in a capacity of advancement to the Charge 

 of Cbafnadar-bacbi, he (huts his eyes, and fo avoids the creation of Enemies, thinking 

 it more prudence, to be appeas'd, by the Prefents he receives as well from him who 

 enters into the Charge, as from him who quits it. But thefe Thieveries are not very 

 often committed, and if there were but the lealt difcovery made thereof, a fevere pu- 

 nilhment would foon be inflicted both on the Author of them, and his Complices. : 



As to the little Cheft or Coffer, wherein the molt precious Jewels are kept, it is 

 impoiiible to get any thing out thence : for when the Grand Seignor would have any 

 Piece taken out of it, he orders the Coffer it felf to be brought into his Pretence, by 

 the principal Officer of the Treafury, accompany 'd by the Keeper of the Keyes, and 

 all the Pages •, and before he opens it, he takes notice whether the Seal be entire. After 

 he has taken what he deiirM, the Coffer is lock'd up in his Pretence, the Seal is fet 

 upon it, and it is carry'd back into the Treafury with the fame Ceremony. Then do 

 the Sixty Pages receive, ordinarily, fome demonftrations of the Grand Seignor's Libe- 

 rality, which may amount to ten or twelve Purfes, to be divided amongit them. 



We arc not yet got out of the third Chamber of the Treafury, which may pafs for RMraptfirf} 

 one Spacious Hall, the middle part whereof is taken up by a Scaffold, of nine or ten Sharks the 

 foot fquarc, the height, the length, and the breadth being equal; This Scaffold is Fifth is rtfrci 

 coverM and furrounded with a piece of Tapiftry of Gold and Silk, and, in the upper ftnttd. 

 part of it, there is, in embofs'd Work, the Effigies of the Empcrour Charles the Firth, 

 feated on a Throne, having in one hand, a Globe, and in the other, a Sword, fur- 

 rounded by all the Grandees of the Empire, doing him homage. At the bottom of 

 the (aid Piece of Tapeltry, there may be read certain Verfes in Uotbicl^ characters : And 

 the upper part of the Scaffold is full of Books in the Latine, French. Italian, high Ger- 

 many Englijh, and other European Languages. There arc alfo fome Treatifes upon the 

 fubject of Navigation, together with two Globes, the Celeftial, and the Terreftrial, 

 and fome Geographical Maps drawn upon Velom : whence it may be conjectur'd, that 

 they were all taken at Sea, by fome Jurkjfh Pirate, and tent as a Prefent to the Grand 

 Seignor. But not being carefully look'd after, the dull has quite fpoyfd both' the 

 Tapeftry, and the Books, and fo they remain there as a Monument of fome Victory 

 gain'd over the Chriftians. 



The Fourth Chamber of the Treafury is very dark,, and has no other light than A rtmar^abU 

 what it receives from a little Garret-Window, which looks into the Court, and has stor y °f th * 

 three ftrong Iron-bars, one over the other. Over the Door, there are thefe words en- *"&* Ru " aI * 

 grav'd, in the Tu*kt(h Language •, Mony acquird by the diligence ofKujian. Take here 

 an account of what occasions this Monument, which they were pleas'd to erect , to 

 perpetuate the memory of a Grand Vizir, as I have been told it, by feveral Perfons in 

 Conftantinople. He was the Son of a Cow-keeper, and had follow'd the fame Employ- 

 ment himfclf: but he had a Genius that might become a Perfon of the higheft Extra- 

 ction, and which rais'd him to the Charge of Grand Vizir, and the honour of being 



Son- 



