82 



A Relation of the Chap. XVI. 



inanity, have pin'd away their lives, in a (tricl and doleful Imprifonment, being not 

 permitted to fee any body. This was the Treatment of Ibrahim, the Father of Maho- 

 met, during the Reign of Amuratb, his Brother, the Son o{ Acbmet, by Kiojcm, a Wo- 

 man of Excellent parts, and well vers'd in the management of Affairs. Mahomet's 

 Brothers are now treated after the fame rate, and the Mother of Bajazef and Orchard 

 ufes all the endeavours ihe can, to fecure to them the affections of the great Officers of 

 the Port, and the Jamzaries^ho are fomewhat difgultcd with the capricious humour, 

 and extraordinary covetoufnefs of Mahomet. This Prince was advane'd to the Throne 

 in the Year 1650. after the death of Ibrahim, his Father, who was ftrangled by the 

 Janizaries, in a Sedition. He being then but Seven years of age, the Regency was 

 beftow'd, during his minority, on the Old Sultanefs, Mother to Ibrahim, who Coon af- 

 ter abus'd her authority, and rais'd a dangerous Faction againft her Grand-Child 

 Mahomet , wherein Ihe loft her life. 



An extraordi- 

 nary Ex unfit 

 of a. Father 

 and Son faccef- 

 frvtly Grand 

 Vizirs. 



Toe Tourtrai- 

 ture nf Maho- 

 met IV. the 



prtfent Prince. 



The prefent Grand Seignor, who is a Perfon much addicted to his Pleafurcs, and 

 takes a particular diveriion, in Hunting, leaves the management of Affairs to his Grand 

 Viiir, Acbmet, who has fucceeded Cop-ogli, his own Father, in that principal Charge 

 of the Empire. 'Tis a thing which may well pafs for a Prodigy, amongft the Tttrh , 

 and fuch as that there has not yet been any example of it feen, as perhaps there will 

 not be any other hereafter. I have lliewn, that it is a thing abfolutely contrary to their 

 Politicks j and therefore, had it not been for the great and particular obligations, which 

 the Empire had to Coprogli, who, on the other iide,cunningly represented to the Grand 

 Seignor, that he never durlt trult any but his own Son, with the Secret of Affairs, 

 whereof he only had the Key, this very Acbme}, who, next to the Sultan, is the Prin- 

 cipal Perfon of the Empire, would have been, at prefent, but a funple Bey, or Captain 

 of a Galley. 



The Grand Seignor Mahomet is handfeme enough as to his Perfon,his Stature fome- 

 what exceeding that of the middle fort of perfons > he has not too much corpulency, 

 and his health is in an uncertain ftate. He is very much troubled with a Fall, which 

 he receiv'd, in the violence of his Game, fome years fince, by leaping his Horle over a 

 broad Ditch: And whereas that patfion is itill predominant in him, this inconvenience 

 attends it, That, when he is not fomewhat favourable and indulgent to hjmfelf, in 

 that violent Exercife, he is fometimes taken off his Hor£e in a miferable condition, the 

 Remedies which might be apply'd to that indifpofition, taking no effect, by reafon of 

 the little care he takes to preferve himfelf. He is a perfon of an unconftant and unquiet 

 difpofition, which creates the greater trouble to thole who wait on him j and though 

 they ftudy his humours, yet is it a hard matter to fatisrie him. He has a $on,who has 

 been circumcis'd with great folemnity.at the age, wherein that Ceremony is to be per- 

 form'd. The S 'ult an cfs, his Mother, a Woman of a Magnificent humour, to augment 

 the Pomp and Splendour of that Action, to the eyes as well of the Turfy, as Forrei- 

 ners, would have the Garment, which the Young Prince wore that day, to be all 

 covered with Diamonds, and, to that end, caus'd feveral Rich Pieces of the Treafury 

 to be broken > but after the Solemnity, all the Precious Stones were carried back into 

 it again. 



I faid erewhile, that the prefent Sultan-Mahomet is extreamly addicted to Hunting, 

 and makes it fo much his Darling Divertifement, that he makes lefs account of the 

 lives of Men, than he does of his Dogs •, and withal, that he is of a very covetous 

 humour. I fhall, in one ilngle Example make a fufficient difcovery of both thofe 

 inclinations in him, and that will alfo further make it appear, how well he was 

 skill'd, in that Knack of exercifing great Liberalities, without any deduction out of 

 his Revenues. 



When the Grand Seignor goes a Hunting, there are Orders fent to a great number 

 of people, for the fpace of four or five Leagues about the place where he intends to 

 Hunt, in order to the furrounding of a certain quantity of Ground, and for the v en- 

 dofing of it fb well, as that nothing can efcape thence. 'Tis not to be imagin'd, this 

 can be done, without great deftruction to the Country, and much inconvenience to 

 the poor people, who are fore'd to leave their work, to carry on an Exercife which is 



much 



