Chap. XV. Grand Seignor's Sekaglio. 77 



But, at the long run, lewd actions meet with the punifhment they jultly defcrve. Perfidioufnefs 

 Sbacb-Scfi, King of Fcrfia, would not entertain any. proportion of Peace, no nor fo P*ffld- 

 much as give audience to an Ambaffador from the Grand Seignor,whom I faw feht back 

 from IfabaiLi where 1 then was, unlefs Amur at b would deliver up the Tray tor, in or- 

 der to his punifhment. Whereupon , they being both one day at their ordinary de- 

 bauch, in the Belvedere, the Grand Seignor, without any formality , order'd him to be 

 Strangled, in his prefence. 



It was fometimes alfo Amuratb\ cuftomc, to bring into that pleafant place, '-the i *& Fortune of 

 Principal Sultanejjes, as, his Mothers, his Sifters, and fuch others as he had the greateft %. h ^ ti ^ i 

 kindnefs for. But his raoft frequent aifignations there, was with a Sicilian Lady , for MciUan Lady ' 

 whom he had a great affection, and who, being extreamly handfome, and of a mild' 

 difpolition, obtain d of him whatere (he deiir'd. She was taken at Sea, by the Pyrates 

 oiBarbary, aslhe was upon her Voyage into Spain, in order to her intermarriage with 

 one of the Grandees of that Countrey : And the B a (fa of Algiers Cent her, aPrefentj 

 to the Grand Seignor, who took a particular fancy for her, and made her as happy, as 

 a Woman can be, who mi lit endure the rcfiraint of the Seraglio. 



From that door of the Hall, which gives entrance into the Flower-gasderi, you pals, Tl>e Grand 

 on the right hand, into a kind of Gallery, about fifty paces in length, and twelve in Seignor's Bed- 

 breadth, the pavement whereof is a Chequer-work of Black and White Marble. At the chamber - 

 end of it, there is a great Structure, which is wholly of Marble, and what rirft enter- 

 tains the Eye is a pretty large Door, over which there is a kind of a flat arched Ptoof. 

 And both the Roof, and the Door, are adorn'd with flowers, In embofs'd work j and 

 amonglt thoie flowers, there are certain imprefles cut in the Marble,and all curioufly Gilt. 



About five or fix paces from that Door, you come to another, not inferiour to it, as 

 to beauty, which is that of the Grand Seignor's own Chamber. Its Cieling, or arched 

 Koof, is according to the model of the. Winter-room, whereof I Have given you a De- 

 fcriptiou at the beginning of this Chapter. The bnly difference between them is, in 

 what uTues out ot the Angles of the little Arches ; and whereas in the other Room, 

 they reprefent the bottoms of Lamps, gilt with Gold', in this, they are balls of Rock- 

 Cryltall, cut Facet-wife, with an inter-mixture of precious itones, of different, colours, 

 which mult needs give a very divertive entertainment to the Eye. The floor of it is 

 covcr'd with Carpets, which, as- to beauty, and excellency of Workmanfhip , exceed 

 thofe of the other Chambers > and the fame thing is to be faid, as to the Quilts, the 

 Counterpanes, and the Cufhions s the mod part ofthis furniture being adorn'd with 

 an embroidery of Pearls, and the whole Room,which is very fpacious, having, in ■: all " 

 parts, feverjl other fumptuous embelliftiments. And whereas this Room was Origi- 

 nally delign'd for the Grand Seignor's Summcr-Divertifcment, it is accordingly, the 

 more light fomc, and has large Windowcs on three fides of it. As to the Sultan's Lodg- 

 ing, lie complies with the cuitome of the Countrey, or rather that of all the Eaftern 

 parts. There is no Bed-ficad fet up, but towards the Evening, the Pages fpread three 

 Quilts one upon the other, at one of the corners of the Chamber, and place over it a 

 Canopy of Cloth of Gold, garnilh'd with an embroidery of Pearls. 



On the .right hand, as you come into this Room, there is a Cup-board, or tVefis, the ancient 

 wrought within the very Wall, where they keep the Bajarac, that is to fay, the Stan- feneration fit 

 dard o{ Mahomet, which has thefe words for its Imprefs, or Motto, Nafrum min Allah, Mahomet'* 

 that is, in our Language, Ibe aflifhnce vs from God. This Standard was heretofore in Standar ** 

 fo great veneration amongft the Turks, that when there happen'd any Sedition, either 

 at Conjiantinople, or in the Armies, there was no fafer or more expeditious remedy to 

 appeafe it, then to expofe that Standard to the fight of the Pvebels. And that very 

 Expedient has many times prov'd very fortunate to the Ottoman Princes, when they 

 have been redue'd to their great extremities, by the fecret Combinations of fome Facti- 

 ous perfons. Then does the Grand Seignor lend fome of the Moljabs, who are in the 

 nature of Priefls, amongft the Tw^ with the Standard, and being come up to the rirlt 

 ranks of the Rebellious Forces, they (peak to them, in their Language , to this effect : 

 Ibis Banner is the Standard of the Prophet i all they who are faithful, and obedient , ought 

 1 9 come to fubmit tbemfelves at tbe Foot of this Standard \ and t bey who will not come to it, 



( I 2 ) *• are 



