Chap.XVI. Grand Seignors Seraglio. 83 



much more toilfome then it, in which they many times come off with the lofs of 

 Limb, or Life, or fame other difaftrous Accident. Thefe continual impolirions of 

 trouble and toil put many people into the repining humour, infomuch that an Eu- 

 nuch, who was in favour, having, one day, taken the freedom to rcprefent to the 

 Grand Seignor the prejudice his Subjects underwent, by thofe courfes which occaiion'd 

 the fpoyling of their Grounds, and the lofs of their Lives, he grew very angry, and 

 after fome dayes imprifonment, he gave him a (hameful ejection out of the Sera- 

 glio. 



But, in procefs of time, the raifchicvous Inconveniences occafion'd by this inla- 

 tiablepurfuanceofhis Pleafures in Hunting, incrcafing more and more, the Grand 

 Vizir, and the other Bajfa\ refolv'd to intreat the Monfti, to make a Remonftrance to 

 him, of the ill confequence thereof, he being the only perfon, who might prefume to 

 fpeak any more of it to the Grand Seignor. The Moufti would by no means hearken 

 to it at firft, imagining, as he might well, that his harangue would not be pleating to 

 the Sultan : But, at laft, being over-perfvvaded to do that good office to the Pub- 

 lick, he took courage, and his opportunity, to fpeak to him, with all the infinuatioh 

 he could. 



He could not bethink himfelf of a better Expedient, to remove that predominant Tbe ancient 

 pailton out of his mind, then to reprefent to him, the Cuftome of his PredeceiTors, cufionc of the 

 who took their diverlion in fome handy-work, when the Warr, or the Concerns of Grcck £ ^'" 

 State gave them any remitlion : That, according to their Example, their Subjects ^ t ^ \) m dy- 

 apply' d themfelves to things that were beneficial, and made all Arts and Profeilions wor^. 

 to flouriih in the Empire,to the great advantage of the Publick : That Sultan-/^ muratb^ 

 his Uncle, delighted in making thofe Horn-Rings, which are us'd in (hooting with the 

 Long-Bowe : That Ibrahim, his Father, was an Excellent Artift, in the making of 

 Tooth-picks, and other fmall Inftruments of Tortoife-lhell : And that it were requi- 

 fite that fo Laudable a Cuftome fhould not be loft, fince it gave the people occafion to 

 do the like, and fo to avoid idlenels. 



He further Remonft rated to his Highnefs, That it was much more commendable in 

 the fight of men > and more acceptable to God, for him to live by the labour of his 

 hands, then by the iweat of the people, and the Mony arifing by Impofitions, which 

 were forbidden by the Law: and that what was allotted for the peculiar Diet of his 

 PredeceiTors, Was the product of their own handy-work : That true it was indeed, 

 -they were not oblig'd to any afliduity in the Employments they had fancied, but that 

 what they did was as much for their own diverlion, as to latisfie the Precept of the 

 Law, and when they had riniuYd fome piece of Work, they fent it to fome Bajfa, tor 

 whom they had a particular kindnefs.and he reeeiv'd it with extraordinary refpeft, and 

 abundance of joy : That he, who was the Bearer of it, when he came to prcfent it, 

 faid, That Piece of Work, was made by the Grand Seignor himfelf, who had lent 

 him to fell it, in order to his own fuitenance : And that the Bajfa, or other perfon, to 

 whom it was directed, to exprefs how highly he was pleas'd therewith, gave him a 

 certain number of Purfes for it > not accounting the Prefent which was to be made to 

 the Bearer : That what Mony came in that way, was defign'd to bear the Charges of 

 the Prince's own Table, and by that means,he could not be charg'd with living by the 

 labour of his Subjects. 



To this effect was the Moufti s harangue *, and I ihall tell you by the way, That the 

 Kings of Perfia have the fame Cuftome, or rather, the fame Superftition. In the Reign 

 of SbacJj-AbaSy there were built, at Ijfahan, certain places called Caravanferas, which 

 are publick houfes, where the Merchants are lodg'd, the Rents whereof arc let alide 

 for the maintenance of the King's own Table - , the Mony which is rais'd by the Cu- 

 itoms, and other Impofitions, being accounted, as to that (core, for Haram, that is to 

 fay, for unjuji and forbidden, and referv'd to be employed in the Exigencies of State, 

 and not for the Suftenance of the Prince. 



The Grand Seignor difftmbling and fmothering the vexation,into which the Motif >/'s rht . S^? 

 Remonftrance had put him, pretended to take hjs Advertifements very kindly, and jSffiJrju 



CM) difpos'd Mwifti. 



