A Relation of the Grand Seignor's Seraglio, 5 



and are diftributed into feveral Chambers, in the fpacious Lodgings, whereof they are 

 poffefs'd, whether it be at Confiant inople, or in Other places. The order obferv'd there 

 is fo excellent in all things, and fo exactly maintain'd, that they live more like Religi- 

 ous Perlons > than Souldiers 3 and though they are not forbidden to marry, yet it is 

 very feldom that they do it. The great Priviledges which they enjoy all over the Em- 

 pire, wherein they are fo highly refpefted, induce abundance of Perfons, meerly in 

 order to their exemption from the paying of Taxes, and their being difcharg'd from 

 publick Duties, to prevail with the Officers, by Money, to proted them, and make 

 thempafs for Janizaries. But they receive no Pay from the Prince, and all their Ad- 

 vantage is rertrain'd to the enjoyment of thofè Priviledges, which indeed are great 

 enough. It is by this intermixture of the real Janizaries, with thofe who ate admit- 

 ted by corruption, that the number of them amounts at this day to above a hundred 

 thoufand -, and yet not accounting any but fuch as are effectively Janizaries, their Body 

 has fometimes been fo dreadful as that they have unthron'd the Ottoman Monarchs,and 

 chang'd the whole face of the Empire, of a fudden. 



The Power of their Aga is very great, and there is not any Perfon can approach the the great Pri- 

 Prince, as he is permitted to do. For he may come into the Grand Seignor's prefence, viledgt of tit 

 with his arms at abfolute liberty, and with a confident deportment, whereas all the A S*« 

 other Grandees of the Port, without any exception, even to the Grand Vizir himfêlf, 

 dare not appear before him, otherwife than with their arms crofs theit bodies, and the 

 hands, one upon the other, on the breaft, as the mark of a profound fubmiffion. 



The Beglerbeys are, in dignity, next the four firft Bajfas, and are as 'twere Co many 

 Soveraigns, in the general Governments of the Empire, whereof the Grand Seignor 

 beftows the Command on them. But in regard it is not jmy defign to (peak of the 

 Government of Turkey, any further than is requifite for the Subject whereof I treat, > 

 there is not any necellity, that I fhould inform the Reader of the number of thofe Beg- 

 lerbeys, and it is enough, that I have nam'd the five principal ones, of whom I (hall 

 have occafion to fpeak elfèwhere. I (hall only add here, That thofè great Bajfas have, 

 under them, a certain number of Sangiac-Beys, who are Governours of Sangiacs, ot 

 particular Provinces, as the Sangiacbey o{ Salonica, or of Moreai 



And whereas there will alfobe frequently mention'd fome others, under the Deno- 

 minations of Spahis, Zaims and Chiaoux, we muft give a fhort account of thofè three 

 forts of Perfons. 



1 I 



The Spahis, who make up a Body of about fifteen thoufand Men, are a kind of 

 Knights, who would pafs for the Gentry or Nobility of the Country, and ftand very- 

 much upon their Gallantry. They are maintain'd out of the Revenue of theT/m^rr, 

 that is to fay, out of the Mannors, or Commanderies, which the Grand Seignor be- 

 ftows on them, according to' the recompence he would, make them for their fervices. 

 Thofe Timars cannot be taken away from them, unlefs they be negligent in their duty, 

 which is, that they fhould be in the Army, when the Grand Vizir is there in perfon. 

 Thefè are the happieft Perfons in all the Ottoman Empire, and as it were petty Sove- 

 raigns, in the places where they command. 



The Zaims differ not much from the Spahis, and, as the other, have the Command 

 and Revenues of certain Lands, or Fiefs, which the Grand Seignor beftows on them. 

 There is a very great number of them, over all the Empire, and they look on them- 

 felves, as the Lords and Barons of the Country. The Turkifh Cavalry confifts of the 

 Zaims and the Spahis-, and they know what number of Horfe they are to bring into the 

 Field, according to the Revenue of their limarsi 



The Cbaoux, or Chiaoux-Bachi, is the Chief of all the Chaoux of the Empire, whofê 

 imployment it is, to carry the Prince's Commands, to any part either within his Terri- 

 tories, or without, and to be fent upon Embafïies, though indeed they are but as fo 

 many MefTengerSj or ExprefTes. 'Tis ordinarily into their cuftody that Prifbners of 

 Quality are committed, and they fuffer them not to be out of their fight. 



( B 2 ) An4 



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