Chap. XI. Grand Seignors Seraglio. 59 



of another, much exceeding it in value, to the Grand Seignor. And that con^fts or- 

 dinarily in excellent Horfcs, good pieces of Gold-Brockado, or rich Furrs. But his 

 work is yet not halt over \ there mult be much more done for him, through whofe 

 hands he has receiv'd the Prefent, and he {capes very well, when, not accounting what 

 he fends to the Grand Seignor, the carriage of it cofts him but Ten thoufand Crowns. 

 Nay many times, he is fofcM to double the Summe, when he has not been fo liberal, 

 as the Prince expected he fhould have been s for he prefently difpatches away an Offi- 

 cer, to reproach him with the fiender account he has made of his Prefent, and the 

 fmall recompence he had receiv'd, whom he had employ'd to bring it him. To thefe 

 reproaches he (ends him an exprefs Order, to make him an additional Reward of 

 Twenty or thirty Purfes, which is immediately put in execution: and as to the Pre- 

 fent, which the Grand Seignor has receiv'd, he commonly makes a diftribution of it, 

 amongft thole, who are then about him. 



And thefe are the Advantages which the Grand Seignor fcrews out of the Buffo s^ 

 and other Grandees of the Port, whillt they are alive. Let us now coniider thofe 

 which accrevv to him by their death, in order to the recompeniing of thofe, whom 

 he favours, without being oblig'd to take any thing out of his Coffers. When the 

 death of a Bajfa is refolv'd upon, the Grand Seignor delivers the Commiflion to him, 

 whom he has dclign'd to be kind to j and he finds it much more advantageous, to 

 bring him the Sentence of his death, than to bring him a Prefent from the Prince. 



If the Execution is to be done in Conflantiuople, the ordinary Executioner is the Formalities ob- 

 Jioftangi-bacbi, who is alwaies about the Grand Seignor's Perfon, and he himfelf does ftrv'd at the 

 the Work. But if there be a neceffity of going into fome remote Province, 'tis com- £jj?,^**j: 

 monly either a Kapigi-bachi^ or one of the principal Bqftangpf, whom the Prince has a J ( %'"£ 

 mind to mew his kindnefs to, who is fent to perform the Execution. He who car- by the Prince's 

 ries the Order, accompany'd by rive or fix Capigp, fometimes manages his Affairs fo, Orders, 

 is to arrive at the place, while the Council is fitting. But if that cannot be fo order'd, 



he goes to the Buf]u, and commands him in the Grand Seignor's name,to call one imme- 

 diately. That Council confifts of the Buffo's Lieutenant, the Mufti, the Cadi r the chief 



Commander of the Janissaries belonging to that place, and fome other perfons con- 

 cern'd in the adminittration of Jultfce , who are of the mod confiderable of the 

 Province, 



The Council being affembled, the Capigi-bochi enters, attended by his people, and 

 prcfents the Buffo with the Grond Seignors Letter. He receives it with greac refped, 

 and having put it three fevcral times to his forehead, he opens it, reads it, and finds 

 that the Prince demands his head. He makes no other anfwer to that Order, then 

 what he does in thefe few words", Let the Will, fayes he, of my Emperonr be done: 

 only give mc have to fay my Prayers ■■> which is granted him. His Prayers being ended, 

 the Capigis ici/c him by the Arms, and the chief of them prefently takes off his Girdle 

 or Safche, and calls it about his Neck. That Girdle confifts of feveral fmall firings of 

 Silk, with knots at both ends, which two of the company immediately catch hold 

 of, and one drawing one way, and the other, t'other-way, they difpatch him in an 

 inliant. 



If they are unwilling to make ufe of their Girdle, they take a handkerchief, and 

 with the Ring which they ufe, in the bending of their Bowes, and which they ordi- 

 narily wear on the right-hand Thumb, they thruft the hand between the handkerchief, 

 which is ty'd very clofe, and the Throat, and fo break the 



Thus they make a lhift to ftrangle a man in an inftant, fuffering him not to languiih in 

 pain, that lie may dye a faithful Mobumetun, and not have the time to enter into de- 

 fpair i thcTurkj thinking our way of hanging Criminals, who are fo long in torment 

 upon the Gibbet, a ftrange kind of Execution. 



Though I have often us'd this expreflion, That the Grand Seigner (ends to demand ^"fji^J 

 the Head of any perfon, whom he would rid out of the way j yet they never cut it off, ^^^jf 

 but when he cxprefiy declares his defire to fee it, and then it is brought to him. If jurkcy. 

 it be from fome place at a great diftance, they take out the Brains, and fill the empty 



( I ; place 



