Chap, XII. Grand Seignor's Seraglio. 65 



■Avar, 



who appears at the entrance of it, and (landing upon a low Stoo1,that he may be feen 

 by thofe who are at the greateft diftance from him, Prayes, and gives his Benedidion 

 to all the people, putting a period to the Devotion, with thefe words, That God would 

 enable them to return in Peace , as they came thither. 



From that minute, every one muft bethink himfelf, that he is to be at his own 

 charge, the Shecl^ gives no more, and 'tis then that he begins to make great advanta- 

 ges to himfelf. For whatever is fold for the Suftenance of the Pilgrims, comes from 

 him i and befides, he holds a correfpondence with the Matters of the Caravans, of 

 whom the Pilgrims are fore'd to buy conveniences for their riding back again, at more 

 then three times the rate they are worth, when the Beafts they had brought cut of 

 their own Countries have faifd them by the way. 



The Caravan of Cairo is the mod numerous, and the mod confiderable of all the #„ Ca * g 

 Caravans, that come to Mecha. The Caravan-bachi, who is the Captain and Con- of Cairo, 

 dudor of it, makes his gains by it, at his return, worth him Two hundred thoufand 

 Crowns -, and there is a great competition about his place, which is at the difpofal of 

 the BaJJa of Cairo, and commonly carried by thehigheii bidder for it. The Captain 

 ot this Caravan is alfo Matter of the Waters, which are carried into the Cifterns, and 

 it, is according to his Orders that they are diftributed s and whereas that diffribution 

 is equal, as' well in relation to the Poor, as to the Rich, if the latter would have any 

 btyond the quantity allow'd them, they mult pay dearly for it -, and the Captain , 

 who lets what impofition he pleafes upon it, makes a conliderable advantage there- 

 by. 



But let us return to the Grand Seignor's Prefent. The Tent, and the Carpet,which The prefint ftnt 

 he fends, are two Pieces equally precious, as well for the excellency of the Sturfe,as the from Mecha to 

 additional embellifhments hereof The Carpet is deiign'd for the covering of Maho- th< Guat MoL - 

 mct's Tomb > and the Tent, which is ereded hard by the Mofquey, is for the Sbeck^ fiul " 

 who does not ftirr out of it,during the Seventeen dayes of Devotion. This High Prieft 

 of the Mahumet an Law, has found out the fecret knack, ofextrading inexpreifible 

 Summes of Mony, out of that Carpet and Tent, which are renew'd every year : and 

 when the new Prefent is arriv'd from the Grand Seignor, he fends, as 'twere out of a 

 lingular favour, certain pieces of the Curtain of the old Tent, to feveral Mahumetan 

 Princes, of whom he receives Magnificent Prefents in requital. This Curtain, which 

 is fet up on the out-fide of the Tent, quite round it, to hinder the people from feeing 

 thofe. that are under it, confilts of feveral ^pieces, fix foot high, and of a great length : 

 and the Shecl^ endeavours to perfwade thofe Princes, That if they faften one of thofe 

 pieces to their Tents, when they are going to engage in a War, againft thole whom 

 they account Infidels, good fortune will be fure to attend them, aud it will not be 

 long e're they gain the Vidory. But if he fends either the whole Curtain, or the 

 Tent, or Carpet entire, it mult be to a great Monarch indeed, fuch as the Great Cham 

 of Tartary, or the Great Mogul : and that he docs, once in ten, or twelve years > one 

 while tb'the one, and another, to the other. 



Of this we have a late inftance, in Anreng-zcb, who at the prefent is King of the 

 Indks, and whom we otherwife call the Great Mogul, For upon his eftablimment in 

 his Throne, the Sbecl^fcnt him the whole Curtain belonging to the Tenf, and great 

 joy there was at his Court, that the King had receiv'd fo Magnificent a Prefent, from 

 the Holy Place, as they call it. The Sbcck^ was foon after made fenlible of the Royal 

 Liberality of that Great Monarch, one of the Richeft and molt Powerful ofthelini- 

 verfe i and thus does that Spiritual Head of the Mahumetan Religion, who has a kind 

 of Superin tendency overall the Members,- know how to make his advantage of them, 

 and has found out the way, to enrich himfelf, at the coft of all the Princes and Nati- 

 ons, who fubmit themfelves to the Mahumetan Law. 



I queftion not, but that they who have writ of the Religion of the Twrj^r, have 

 given fome account of the Pilgrimage of Mecha, which is one of the molt elTential 

 parts thereof i and therefore, as well for that realbn, as alfo for that I Ihould digrefs 



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