1 6 A Relation of the GrandSeignor's Seraglio. 



Groche is the Crown, or Spanijh Ryal, otherwife called the Piece of eight. 

 Kara-Groche is the Rix-dollar of Germany. 



Afelani is the Rix-dollar, mark'd witli the Lyon of Holland. , After which follow 

 the Pieces of four Ryals 3 of two Ryal s , and of one Ryal ; and heretofore the Pieces 

 of five Sols,French Money, wherewith there was a great Trade driven in Turkey. Tis 

 a thing not well known to all, and therefore the Hift ory thereof will haply not be un- 

 pleafant to the Reader. 



"fin Trade drl- A certain Merchant of Marfeilles 3 without any fore-thought defign, fent as many 

 vtn in the five Pieces of five Sols, newly come out of the Mint, as amounted to the fum of two, or 

 Sols-pieces. three hundred Crowns, amongft fome other Pieces of Silver-Coins, to buy Silks. The 

 Turkf found thofe little Pieces fo pretty and fo beautiful, and were at the firft fo taken 

 therewith, that they thought them to be the eighth parts of a Ryal, and were content 

 to allow a Crown, for every eight of them. The Factor, perceiving it, writ to Mar- 

 feillesy whence he receiv'd a very great fum in that Money, and gain'd very much 

 thereby. If the French could have contented themfelves with that honeft profit, the 

 commerce of thofe Pieces, which was quafh'd by the exceffive frauds committed in the 

 management of it, might have continued Hill, and would have been very advantageous 

 to them. The7Wriy were unwilling to trade in any other kind of Money, and in the 

 payment of the Armies, to give the Souldiers content, there was a neceifity of difperf^ 

 ing them among them. One day, returning out of Perfu into Turkey, I was perfecu- 

 ted by feveral Women, who would needs have me give them fome Zemins, ( fo they 

 call that kind of Money ) and I could not have any thing to ~ eat, for any other 

 Money. 



Our French Merchants were gainers at the firft, after the rate of fifty, per cent, al- 

 lowing in Turkey but eight of thofe Pieces for a Crown, whereas they had twelve of 

 them in France for the fame Piece. But the other European Nations, the Englijh, thé 

 Dutch, and the Italians, envying their happinefs, came to give a check to their defign, 

 and making their complaints to the Grand Vizir> that Miniiier order'd, That, for the 

 future, they mould allow twelve of thofe Pieces for the Crown, or that they fhould 

 not be current any longer, and that whatever fums thereof were found in the Ships, 

 ftiould be confifcated. 



The French were not at all fatisfy'd with that =, and whereas there was a neceffity 

 of fubmitting to the Grand Vizirs Decree, they bethought themfelves of having fome 

 of thofe Pieces coin'd, which lhould not have above four Sels of good Silver, which 

 was a conliderable advantage, of twenty five upon the hundred. They pafs'd well 

 enough for fome time, before the Turks had difcover'd the fraud \ they being fatisfy'd, 

 that the Stamp was fair, and that the Pieces look'd very white : And the Women and 

 Maidens, of the meaner fort of People, made them contribute to the ornament of their 

 Head-tires, about which they faften'd thofe pretty little Pieces, and they came down 

 flapping about their Foreheads, as the wealthyer fort faften'd Pieces of Gold to 

 theirs. 



But the better to compafs their defign, the French Merchants were oblig'd to find 

 out other Countreys, where it might be lawful for them to tratfick in thofe Pieces. 

 Their firft recourfe was to thofe of Dombes, Orange, and Avignon^ and pafling into 

 Italy, they found work for fome time for thofe of Monaco, and Majfa. But having 

 obferv'd, that the Turks were more taken with the Pieces which had the imprelïion of 

 a Woman's Head, and thofe Princes being unwilling to fufter them to coin among 

 them any Money of fo bafe an alloy, or to give it the Scamp of Ja, the Princefs of 

 Dombes, they caft their eyes upon fome Caftks lituate within the Territories of the 

 Genuefes, yet fubjeft to the jurifdidrion of the Empire, where they obtain'd what they 

 defir'd, upon conditions not difadvantageous to the Lords of thofe places. The Pieces 

 they got coin'd ax Orange, were alfo fought after, and pleas'd the Itirks, in regard the 

 Stamp was beautiful, and very clear -, but thofe of the Legat of Avignon were not fo 

 current, the Effigies thereof not being well done, and the Crofs, hanging at the Neck, 



dif- 



