6o 



A Relation of the Chap. XL 



A Prohibition 

 tgdinfi (bed- 

 ding the blood 

 of the Mahu- 

 metans who 

 are condemn d 

 to death. 



The Inventories 

 e\ the Goods of 

 Bafla's de- 

 ceas'd,not faith- 

 filly talytn. 



The Caufes in- 

 ducing the 

 Turks to défit 

 Death with fo 

 much constancy. 



place with Hay ; and it was my fortune to fee two Heads fo order'd, at the fame time, 

 which they carried in a Bag. They were the Heads of the Bajfus of Kars^nd Erzerom. 



It is further to be obferv'd, That when the Sentence of death is pafs'd by the Prince 

 againft any one, what quality foever he may be of, the lurks make no further account 

 of him ■, and when they fpeak of him, treat him no otherwife than they would do a 

 Dog. The Boftangi, who had been commiflionated to bring thole two Heads to the 

 Grand Seignor, finding himfelf weary and indifpos'd at a Village m ArmmiL where it 

 was my chance to be at that time, and having underifood, that there was a Fre/icb-nan 

 in the înne, ask'd one of my Servants whether I had any Wine, and would be content 

 to let him have any, to cheer up his fpirits. I immediately lent him fome in a large 

 Fiaggon i whereupon having intreated me to come and take a Glafs with him, which 

 I thought it not fit to deny, he would needs (hew me, whether I would or no, the 

 Heads of thofe two Biffas > a light I had no great curiolity to fee. 



When there is no order given for the bringing of the Head,they bury the Body about 

 Mid-night, without any ceremony, and the memory of the bMk, who had made Co 

 much noife before, is foon extinguifh'd and laid in the dull. But it is moreover to be 

 noted, That it is the Guftome in Turkey, not to cut off the Head of any one, till after 

 they have ftrangled him, and that the blood is quite cold i it being againlt their Law, 

 That the blood of a Muffklman (that is, one of the Faithful; (hould be fpilt, upon any 

 occafion, but in Warr. 



The execution being over, he who brought the Order for it, makes an immediate 

 Seizure of all that belong'd to the deceas'd Baffj. i and after he has fet alide what he 

 liked beft for his own ufe,whether in Gold or Jewels, he brings the fame perfbns,who 

 had been at the precedent Councel, to proceed to the Inventory of his Goods, which 

 are afterwards, as I have faid elfèwhere, tranfmitted to the Chambers of the Treafùry. 

 They who are afTiftant at the taking of that Inventory, know well enough, that many 

 things, which belong'd to the deceas'd,are embezill'd, but they are fo far from repining 

 or murmuring at it,that they fign and atteft,that there was not any more found. They 

 are afraid,if they demean'd themfelves other wife,lelt that Officer of the Seraglio, whom 

 the Grand Seignor has fent, and who poffibly is in favour, Ihould do them ill offices 

 at the Court, and fpread fome falfe report of them ■■> whence, according to the example 

 they have then before their eyes, might happen, in like manner, the lofs of their 

 Charges, and Lives. 



They therefore think it prudence, to connive at what ever is done by that Envoy, 

 as being otherwife perfwaded, that he will not be difown'd by the Grand Seignor, 

 who is not ignorant of what's done upon thofè occafions. Nay, on the contrary ,what- 

 ever he may have dextroufly fècur'd to himfelf of the Bajfa's Goods, they make him 

 fome additional Prefents of their own, at his departure from them, engaging him 

 thereby, to fpeak well of them to the Grand Seignor, and to the Grand Vizir, at his 

 return to the Port. And then alfo, not accounting what he had taken before-hand,and 

 what Cuftome tolerates, he receives new marks of the Liberality of his Prince, who is 

 fatisfy'd that he has fo faithfully executed his Orders : and fo he participates of what 

 is fet down in the Inventory, when the BaJJ'as Goods are brought into the Seraglio. 



Some, poffibly, will be apt to imagine, that this Sentence of Death pafs'd in the 

 Grand Seignor' s Letter, fhould raife fome dilfurbance and aftonifhment in the Soul of 

 him who reads it, and who reading therein his own Condemnation, knowes that it 

 muft be immediately executed. -Yet is it not apparent in his Countenance, that he is 

 much ftartled at it, he is not furpriz'd therewith, ' he fees that few of his Companions 

 efcape the fame fate, and he has difpos'd himfelf for fuch an end, aflbon as he hrit 

 took polTellion of his Charge. Befides, the ïurkj have a itrong perfwafion, That the 

 Decrees of Predeftination are irrevocable,and that it is impoffible to avoid them i which 

 makes them look Death in the face, with fuch a degree of conftancy and intrepidity, 

 as renders them in a manner infèniible. To which reflection we may adde this, That 

 that ready and implicite obedience and fubmilîïon of theîarJy, to the Orders of their 

 Soveraign, is rather a principle of Religion, than of State, which has been inftuTd into 



them, 



