Chap.X* Grahd Seignor's Seraglio. « 



Government, and then, they Who have lent him Mony are not to hope ever to recr> 

 ver any part of it. ^ lctvJ 



From what has been faid it may gafily be concluded, That the grcateft part of the 

 Mony of the whole Ottoman Empire, Is in the Grand Seignor's hands, and amone the 

 Japes •, 1 mean the Jewes of Confiantinotie. For as to thofe who live in the Provinces 

 the world goes but ill with them, ancf they are in a much more wretched condition' 

 than the Cbnjhans ; in regard they do not follow anv thing of Husbandrv : and their 

 inclinations being altogether bent for Traffick, and the management of the publick 

 Taxes or the Cuiromes, 'tis impollible there mould be employment for them all. 



The Grand Seignor therefore receives very confiderable Summes from the BaMs thaxtrmik 

 and other perlons, on whom he beftowes Charges, even before they have taken pof *<"* wealth <? 

 feffion of them. But that amounts to little or nothing^ companion of the advantages '** BafIaV 

 which he makes, upon their removal out of them, and efpecially when they have had 

 a fair time to gather Treafures, by their infupportable exactions from the people 

 Some of thefe BaffSs have come to that exceflive Wealth and Power, that their Rcve" 

 nues were tqual to tiiofe of many great Princes. Such was the fortune of one Uac\>- 

 mm, Begherbeg oi Europe, under the Reign of Mahomet the Second i and that of the 

 Grand Vtztr, Nafifi under Acbmet the Firft. At the death of the latter, there were 

 extraordinary Riches found in his Houfe, in Silver, Gold, and Jewels, and all was 

 brought to the Seraglio, along with his head. 



It may eafily be conjeclurM, by the number of the greater and lefler Governments 

 whereof the Empire conlifts, that there is a confiderable mortality ambngft thofe who 

 derive their Charges and Fortunes from the pure Munificence of the Grand Seizor 

 and whofe acquihnons thereupon falling to him, muft of neceffity make vaft adltio- 

 nals to the Seraglio. But belides thofe who are gently convey'd out of this World * by 

 a natural death, there hardly palTcs a year, but violent death comes and aclrs its part 

 and upon the leaft jealoufie, or any fantafticK apprehenfion the Grand Seignor may 

 have, a Bajfa receives a peremptory Gtder to ftretch out his Neck, and he is immedi- 

 ately ftnngled. In the next Chapter, 1 thall give the Reader an Account, of the for- 

 mality andecremony, Which is obferv'd upon that occation, where he will find fonic- 

 what worth his remarking i and 1 think I may confidently affirm, That thev who 

 know it is the cuftome, to itrangle thofe, whofe Lives the Grand Seignor would take 

 away, know not all the particulars obfervable in that Adtion. 



Affoon as a Baffa, or ether Grande df the Port is cfod, howe're k came to nafs, The Etna's 

 and an Inventory of his Goods taken, ef which by.theLawes of the Country the Prince Goods bro *z ht 

 is the only Heir, all is carried aWay into the Seraglio, and iMialjM bring it in Cof- *?"** Se "' 

 fers to the Door of the Treafury. The Chafnadar-bachi, having ditpos'd theiti into" one 

 of the Chambers, Commands the Locks to be broke open, and the Coffers to be emp- 

 tied in his prefence i and 'tis then, that- as well hehimfelf, as the Pages of the Trea- 

 fury endeavour to make their advantages of that Rich Boot^. For there being ordi- 

 narily, amongfi the other things, Jewds of great value, fuch as that wherein the He- 

 ron-tops are faltcn'd in their Turbants, or a Ponyard enrich'd with precious Stones, 

 or fome Carcanet of Pearls, if one or 6ther of thofe Pages can rnake a dextrous and 

 clean conveyance of fome Piece, 'tis his 6wn, atfcfne puts it to whitt efte he has in 

 Stock, reflecting oh what he has to d6, sit his departure Out of the* Seraglio, in order to 

 his eftablifhment in fome Charge, and the great Exacts he muft be at upon that aq- 

 count. The Cbafnadar-bacbi, who does his work tirft'of all, and with more liberty, 

 does fometimes connive at what he fees done^ the others, remembring that rie has 

 been as they are, and was then glad, that he was riot reprov'd for fo doing,' Yet if 

 he perceives that any one of them has fecund to himfelf a piece of great Value/ anoon 

 as he is got to his Chamber, he fecretly fends for him,and makes him reftore it, paying 

 him one half of its worth, alii fo keeps' M himlftf. 



_,,.'., The great ad- 



There are yet other great advantages itaeWirig to the^frief Officer, arid the Pages, vantages oftfi 

 from thofe things which are brought into the Seraglio, upon the death of the B^V. £ haf P adar - 

 When the Cbafnadar-bachi has advertis'd the Grand Seignor,that, in the Corfers,which p^^f h f e 



had Trttfiirj: 



