Chap, VIT. Grand Seignor's Seraglio. 45 



fents himfelf into that pleafure, he makes a fign to him with his hand to keep at a 

 certain diltance from him, in the place wherein he is to enter into difcourlè with him. 

 For if by chance, as he comes out of the Street, where there is fome dirt, and where 

 horfes pafs to and fro, and may caft fome of it upon him, he has the leaft fpot of 

 any daggling about him , and afterwards touch the Perfon whom he comes to 

 vilit, this latter would be rjpgis, that is to fay, unclean^ and thereupon be oblig'd 

 immediately to change his cloaths $ fo great is the Superftition of the Perftanr, as to 

 that particular. 



At the end of the Gallery,there is a door which gives you palfage into three Cham- chamber's vtr$ 

 bers, which are fo many Baths for the ufe of the Grand Seignor's Quarter. There is divertivt . 

 adjoyning to the lart of thofe Chambers a fpacious place pav'd Checquer-wife with a d n - d cmtnta ' 

 Marble of different colours, and there the Icboglans are trimm'd. This place has a m *'' 

 little eminency in the midft of it, from which there is a gentle defcent of all fides, that 

 the Water wherewith the Barbers waîh their Heads and Beards may the more eafily be 

 carried off, and the place be alwaies kept clean. On both fides of the Wall, whereby 

 it is enclos'd, there is a great double Cock, with two Keyes belonging to it, which, 

 at the fame mouth, fupplyes them alternately with either hot water, or cold, and that 

 falls into a Bafin or Receptacle of White Marble, wherein three or four men may bathe 

 themfelves without any inconvenience, or trouble one to the other. There is alfo at 

 one of the ends a little Room of Black and White Marble, and there the Barbers, who 

 have no knowledge of any other Profefliion, put up all their neceffary Utenfiîs and 

 Inftruments, as Razors, Hones, Balls, and thofe Irons wherewith they pare their 

 Nails : for as for Linnen, they do not ufe any =, and thofe who are to be (hav'd come 

 in ftark naked from the Walk upwards, and are cover' d from, thence downwards, 

 only with a C loath, which reaches to the Ankle. 'Tis a great Rarity to meet with 

 any one among thofe Barbers that knowes how to let blood, and their Lancets arc 

 much like the Fleams, wherewith our Farriers bleed Horfes* 



Oppofite to the Chamber of the Barbers, there are three other Rooms arch'd with 

 Marble, the largeft whereof much furpafTes in Beauty thofe that are adjoyning to it. 

 The Floor of it is of white and black Marble,and the Walls are done about with fquare 

 pieces, that are white and blew, and in every one of them you find a Flower in em- 

 bofs'd Work, done to the Life, and which a man would take for enamell. Little La- 

 mines or Plates of Gold cover the junctures of thofe fquare pieces, and there cannot 

 any thing be imagin'd more pleafant and divertive than that Chamber is. In the Roof 

 of it, there are feveral round holes, of about half a foot diameter, over which there 

 are little Glaffes made in the falnion of Bells, order'd as the Venice-Looking-GlafTes 

 are, left any one (hould have the curiofity, to get up to the Roof, and laying himfelf 

 upon his belly think to fée what is done in the Bath. The place has no light but what 

 it receives by the means of thofe holes, and while feme body is in the Bath : But efpe- 

 cially when they go out of it, the door is (hut, the better to keep in the heat, and to 

 prevent their being feen ■■, which might be, if inftead of thofe forementioned holes in 

 the Roof, there were Windows below, according to our Mode. All the other Baths 

 have their Structures after the fame manner, and having no light but what comes at 

 little glaz'd holes, there is not any pafTage into it, but that of the door, to the end 

 that being prefèntly (hut, the heat might the better be kept within the Bath, and to 

 prevent their being feen who are in it. 



The Second Chamber is another Bath, but as to Beauty, it is much inferiour to the 

 other •, And as for the third, there is fomething in it which is fingularly remarkable. 

 The Floor of it is layd as with a fort of fmall ltones, fo as that the foot cannot llip, 

 though it be wetted at their departure out of the Bath : And the whole Room is done 

 all about with fquare pieces, having in them flowers of embofs'd work, done to the 

 Life, and covered with Gold and Azure. This is the place into which the Grand Seig- 

 nor enters, when he comes out of the Bath s and he alwaies goes into it alone, when 

 he intends to thave himfelf in thofe parts, which are not to be nam'd without immo* 

 defty. 



(G) 



Mahomet 



