74 



A Relation of the Chap.X V. 



the great Su- 

 perfiition of 

 the Turks. 



differ me to touch it, only upon this fcore, that he look'd on it as a great Relick. 

 Once in three months this Chamber is made clean, and the Carpets are changed, 

 the Pages of the Treafury being employed in that Office. And then it is, that the 

 Cbifhadar-bachi opens the Box, and having in his hands an embroider'd Hand-ker- 

 chief, he takes out the Seal, with great refpecl and reverence, whilit the Senior of the 

 Pages holds a golden Cup, garnilh'd with Diamonds and blue Saphirs, on the top of 

 which there is a kind of Perfuming-Pot, out of which there comes an exhalation of 

 all forts of fweet Scents, whereby the whole Room is in a manner tmbalm'd. The 

 Page holds that Cup in both his hands joy'nd together, and lifting it up higher than 

 his Head, all thofe that are prefent immediately prof irate themfclvcs to the ground, 

 as an acknowledgment of their veneration. As loon as they are up again, the Page 

 brings down the Cup, lower than his chin, and the principal Officer of the Treafury, 

 holding the Seal over the fmoke, all thofe who arc in the Room, come and kifs the 

 Chryftal which covers one of the molt precious Relicks, that they have of their Pro- 

 phet. I have usM all the endeavours I could, to get out of my two Officers of the 

 Treafury, who had often kifsM that Chryftal, what Obfervations they might have 

 made, as to the material whereof the Seal waV made, and what Letters were en- 

 grav'd upon it •, but they told me, and by reafon of the fmoke,and the Chryftal, 

 which covers the Seal, not to infift on the fmall time they have to obferve it, during 

 the ad of killing it, it is not poifible that any one can give a certain judgment of ei- 

 ther the Stuff, or the Engraving of it. 



Upon the fourteenth day of the Ramazan, that is to fay, the Lent of the Turkj- y 

 the Grand Seignor comes in perfon into that Chamber, accompany'd only by the Se- 

 Ugdar-Aga, and taking off the Chryftal, which lies over the Seal,he delivers it into his 

 hands, ordering him to make the ImpreiTion of it upon rifty little bits of Paper, which 

 are not much bigger than the Seal it felf. This Imprcilion is taken off with a certain 

 gummy Ink, which is prepar'd in a Pourcelain Diih, whereinto he thrufts his ringer, 

 and rubs the Seal with it, and keeps all thofe Printed Papers, for the ufe, t o which 

 his Highncfs defigns them, as we (hall fee, e're we come to the end of this Chap- 

 ter. 



Within the Tame Chamber, and adjoyning to the place, where the Seal is kept, 

 there is another Box or Coffer, of a larger iize, cover'd with a Carpet of green Vel- 

 vet, with a great fringe of Gold and Silver, wherein is kept Mahomet's Hirha. It 

 is a Gannent with large fleeves, of a white Camelet, made of Goat's hair, which the 

 Turks do alfo look upon as a great Relick. The Grand Seignor having taken it out of 

 the Coffer, kiffes it with much refpe&.and puts it into the hands of the Capi-Aga,who 

 is come into the Room by his Order, after they had taken the Impreifions of the Seal. 

 The Officer fends to the Overfeer of the Treafury, for a large golden Cauldron,which 

 is brought in thither by fome of the Senior-Pages. It is fo capacious, according to 

 the defcription which they gave me of it, as to contain the fixth part of a Tun, and 

 theout-fideof it isgarnilnM, in fome places, with Emeralds, and Turquezes. This 

 Veffel is rill'd with water within fix fingers breadth of the brink, and the Capi-Aga, 

 having put Mahomet's Garment into it, and left it to foak a little while, takes it out 

 again, and wrings it hard, to get out the water it had imbib'd , which falls into the 

 Cauldron, taking great care, that there falls not any of it to the ground. That done, 

 with the laid water he fills a great number of Venice-ChryRd Bottks,containing about 

 half a pint, and when he has ftopp'd them, he Seals them with the Grand Seignor's 

 Seal. They afterwards fet the Garment a drying, till the twentieth day of the Ra- 

 mazan, and then his Highnefs comes to fee them put up again in the Coffer. 



A ridiculom 

 and covetoHS > 



The next day after that Ceremony, which is the fifteenth after their grand Faft, 

 the Sultan fends to the Sultanejfes^ and the Grandees of Conjlantinople, as alfo to molt 

 tin VtV<h °£ me confiderable Ba lP s °f the Empire, to each of than, an Impreffion of the Seal, 

 in a little fcrip of Paper rolfd up, and well faften'd with Silk, and with that, one of 

 thofe Bottles full of water, which is look'd upon as a great favour. But it proves a 

 very dear favour to thofe who receive it, and for a fcrip of Paper, and a Glafs of 

 water, they mull; fend back again to the Grand, Seignor -very confiderable Prefents, 



not 



