Chap, VI. Grand Seignors Se r ag l i o. 39 



Throne, there is a kind of a low Seat, cover'd with red Velvet, with a Gold-fringe, 

 on which the Ambaffadors go and fit down, after they have kiis'd the Grand Seignors 

 Robe, till fuch time as thofe of their Retinue, who have had Veils, the number where- 

 of is limited, have performed the fame Ceremony. In the mean time, all the Bajfa'j 

 are (tending, in the prefence of their Prince > nay, the Cham of thé Leffer Tartary is 

 not excepted out of that Law, when he comes to do homage. All this aclion is per- 

 form'd in great lilence, and the Grand Seignor making noanfwer at all at that time, 

 leaves it to the Grand Vizir , to make fome thort Complement, in order to the difmit- 

 iionof the Ambaffador, who withdraws with a profound reverence, without uncove- 

 ring his head, or turning his back, till he be out of the Hall. 



The Minifters of Chriftian Princes and States who ordinarily refide at the Port, are 

 the Ambaffadors of England, France, and V mice, and the Refident of the States Gene- 

 ral,who have all their refpe&ive Habitations in Vera. When there come thither any Am- 

 baffadors or Relidents from the Emperor, or from Poland, or Mufcovy, they oblige 

 them to take up their abodes at Conjiantinople, that they may be the more affufd of 

 their peilbns. 



The Grand Seignor diftinguifh.es the Quality of thofe Princes and States, and She^*A™f 



efteem he has for them, by the number of Veils which he orders to be beftow'd on whhb tbt 



their Ambaffadors when they come to Audience. The Ambaffador of France has four Grand Seignor 



and twenty allow'd him ; the Ambaffador of England, fixteen ; the Ambaffador or orcl(rs t0 bt 



Agent of Venice receives twelve, and the Dutch Ambaffador as many. ven tbe Am ," 



^ . ' bujfadors oj 



When Monfieur de Marcheville was Ambaffador in Tar/^y, from his moft Chriftian ^r/llls!! 

 Majefty of France, I had the honour to be one of thofe who accompany'd him to the 

 Seraglio, where after Dinner with the Vizirs, in the Divan-Hall, while his Retinue 

 were treated under the Gallery, the Vefts were brought according to the cuftome. 

 The Ambaffador coming to diftribute them to thofe whom he had â mind to favour, 

 and take along with him to the Audience, he was much furprizM, to find .that he had 

 got but fixteen. He immediately fent word to the Grand Vizir, that he wanted eight 

 Vefts, and that he would not go to his Audience, till he had the full number, which 

 they had wont to prefent to the Ambaffadors of France. There was fome contcft 

 about it, which retarded the Audience near an hour's time i, but at laft Monfieur de 

 Marcheville perfifting in his refolution, the Grand Vizir xomply'd, and fent him eight 

 other Vefts. 



What remains of this Chapter muff reprefent the manner, how the Cham of the tht Form of 

 Leffer Tartary comes into this Hall of Audience to take the Oath of Allegiance to the the 0ath v 

 Grand Seignor. The Reader will be pleas'd to remember, what ObferVationT made 

 at the beginning of this Work concerning the Family of that Tributary Prince,whom Cham ef the 

 the Ottoman Emperors keep under the Yoke. The Cham, who is to Reign in his turn, Leffer Tartary 

 and according to what difpofal the Grand Seignor has made of the Government, pre- ftf thtôrani^ 

 fents himfelf before him in the Hall of Audience, and after he has -kïfs'd his Robe, xt- Sti&m * 

 tires fbme paces back, tand Hands. Then they bring in the Akhoran^ -upon a great 

 green Velvet Cuthion, without any Embroydery, at the four Corners whereof there 

 are four Taffels of Gold and Silk, and they place it on the Grand Scignor's right 

 hand. Now whereas he fits on a Carpet crofs-legg'd,there muft be great care taken,that 

 the Cufhion be not fo high as his knees -, for the Turkf would account that a great fini 

 and they bear fo great a refpedt to the Book of the Alchoran, that they cannot touch 

 it, till they have hrft wafh'd themfèlves. Before they open it, they kifs it-, and put it 

 upon their heads, and after they have read fomething in it, they kifs the writing of it, 

 and then they rub their faces with it, before they (hut it. The Prince, who is to take 

 his Oath, is Handing all this time, as I told you, with his hands ftretch'd out one 

 againlt the other, and lifted up as high as his fhouldcrs, to receive the Book of the Al- 

 choran out of thofe of the Capi-Aga, who had been to take it off the Cufhion, having 

 kifs'd it, and touch'd his head with it. The Oath which the Cham takes is in thefe 



Words : Bou qnittab hakjucbun feadetlu , padichaïm, taré fin den her 

 né Emir , y ê fer man h ana keleurfe itaat ideym. That is fay, the Tmh 



