Chap.XV. Grand Seignor* Seraglio. 72 



ingof the Curtains, he immediately rings a fmall Bell, which is the hVnal, that the 

 Grand Scignor and the SultaneiTes are come into their feveral Rooms. 



Upon their arrival,the forefaid MueZim begins to fing thefe two woxdsyd UabuEkfai tbtcmmmiti 



which iignihes,CW vs Grwf .repeating them four times : and afterwards, having added of their Dtv* 

 thereto fome words, fpcaking as 'twere to himfelf, the Iman in his turn, fings thefe thtu% 

 following i Elhamdu lillabi Jiabbil alemijn, that is to fay. The Grace of God is the 

 Majicr of all things. He thus continues the Prayer, proftrating himfelf feveral times 

 to the ground, and all the people prefent do alio promote themfelves as he does. 



In the midit of the Domo of the Mofquey , there is a Hoop of Iron, all about 

 which there hangs a great number of Lamps, of Vcnicc-Cryih\ 3 and there are alio 

 fome difpos'd along the Galleries, of the fame Metal, they being not permitted to 

 have in their Mofqueys, either Gold or Silver. They do not light thofe Lamps, but 

 only for the Prayers at night, and the rire calling a reflection on thofc Cryftals, cre- 

 ates a molt delightful Object to the fight. 



The Chamber of the Sarai-Agafi, one of the four principal Eunuchs, is adjoyning 

 to that Mofquey, and the lead of all the Chambers, of the Officers, belonging to the 

 Inner-part of the Seraglio. He has but little place more than is requifite for him to 

 ileep in, and he is waited on by two Pages of the Coucbouk^Oda^ or the little Cham- 

 ber. 



Adjoyning to the Door of the Haz-Oda, there is a Hall pav'd with a Checquer- 

 work, of black and white Marble, in the midit whereof there is a Baiin of the fame 

 material, but of feveral colours, out of which there is an aicent of water four or five 

 foot high. That water is receiv'd into a fecond Baiin, made in the form of a Scal- 

 lop-fhell, out of which it falls again into a third, much larger than the two precedent 

 ones. The upper-part of the Hall is built Domo-wife, having therein fome Win- 

 dows, which give it light, and a certain piece of dull painting is all the Ornament 

 of its Walls. At your entrance into this Hall, you fee two Doors, one on the right 

 hand, the other, on the left. That on the left hand conducts to a Flower-Garden i 

 and the other is the door of a Chamber, into which the Grand Seignor comes, fbme- 

 times, in the Winter-feafon. 



This Chamber is one of the moil fumptuous of any in the Seraglio. It's arched A magnificnt 

 Roof is divided into a great number of little Cells, Triangle-wife, diftinguiuVd by ^tr-cham- 

 two little filets of Gold, with a green ftreak in the midit, and out of every Angle, 

 there juts fomewhat like the bottom of a Lamp, excellently well gilt. Though the' 

 Walls arc of a curious white Marble, yet is there a delicate piece of Wainicotage, of 

 about the height of a man's walk, carried quite round the Room, and the rich Car- 

 pets, upon which you walk, deprive your light of the large fquares of Marble, of fe- 

 veral colours, wherewith the Floor is embellilh'd. Of a great number of Cuihions, 

 which are plac'd along the Walls, fome are embroider'd with Pearls, and precious 

 Stones, and fet there only for orientation \ the others, which are for fervice, are co- 

 ver'd with Gold, or Silver-Brokadoes, and other coflly Stuffs. Atone of the cor- 

 ners of the Chamber, there is a little Field-bed, about two foot in hcighth, embroi- 

 der*d all over, the Counterpane, the Cuihions, and the Quilt i and that Embroidery 

 is all of Pearles, Rubies, and Emeralds. But when the Grand Seignor is to come in- 

 to that Chamber, they take away the Counterpane and Cuihions,- which are lefs fit 

 for Service than for Ornament, and they bring in others of quilted or tufted Velvet, 

 or Satin, upon which die Grand Seignor may more conveniently repofe him- 

 felf. 



Towards the feet of the faid Bed, there is a kind of Neech made within the very Mahomet's 

 Wall, in which there is a little Ebony Box, about half a foot fquare, and in that is Myfttwus $uU 

 lock'd up Mahomet's Seal. It is enchae'd in a Cryilal, with a Bordurc of Ivory, and 

 taking all together, it may be four inches in length, and three in breadth. I have 

 fcen the Impreffion of it upon a piece of Paper j but he who ihew'd it me, would not 



fuffer 



