Ôiap.Xill. Grand Seignor'y Seraglio. 6j 



ment of the Pages, with three great Windows on the right hand, and as many on the 

 left : And 'tis there that the fix raoft elderly Pages of the Treafury have their refidence 

 night and day. From that door, along a walk pav'd with white Marble (tones, very 

 large ones, about fifteen paces in length, and rive in breadth, you come to another Por- 

 tal, of the fame material, fuftain'd by two Pillars of black Marble \ over the faid Por- 

 tal, there may be read thefe words , which are ordinary enough in the mouths of the 

 Iw-ks, and which I have explicated elfewhere -, 



La lllah'e Ilia Alia, Muhammed ^efoul Alia. 



It gives entrance into a long Hall, where there may be feen on both fides a kind of Beds according 

 Seat, or Scaffold, a foot and a half in height, and between feven and eight in breadth. t0 the Turkifîl 

 Every Page has but four foot in breadth for his repofing place, as well by day, as by mcie ' 

 night : And for their Beds, they are permitted to have under them, only a Woollen 

 Coverlet, four times doubled, which ferves them for a Quilt, and over that they ordi- 

 narily have one of Gold or Silver-Brockado, or fome other fumptuous Silk-ftuff ; and 

 in the Winter time, they are permitted to have three of them. They are not to have 

 their Coverlets all of Wooll, which would be fo much the warmer, becaufe it would 

 not be a decent light for the Grand Seignor, when he comes ever and anon, in the 

 night time, pretending indeed as if he would furpme them, and fee how they demean 

 themfelves, but in efleel, fometimes to cover lewd deligns. 'Tis between thofe Co- 

 verlets, that the Pages take their repoiè, having their Waft-coat and Drawers on ; for 

 there is no talk of any other kind of Linnen, either in Turkgy, or any part of the Eaft ; 

 and whether it be Winter or Summer, they alwaies lay themfelves down to deep, half 

 clad, without any great Ceremony. 



Over the Beds of the Pages, there is a Gallery, which goes quite round the Hail, wayesulatis- 

 and is fuftain'd by Pillars of Wood, painted all over with red varnifh, and there they fybemtflîun 

 have their Coffers, wherein their Cloaths are kept. Every one has a Coffer to himfelf, faint from ours. 

 but the twelve Senior Pages have each of them two Coffers, and one of thofe twelve 

 has the Key ot the Gallery in his cuftody. It is ordinarily open'd but one day in the 

 Week, which is anfwerable to our Wedmfday, and then, every Page goes, and takes out 

 of his Coffer, what he ftands in need of. If any one of them mull of neceffity look for 

 fbme thing there upon any other day, he gets five or fix Pages together , and they all 

 go to the principal Officer of the Treafury, and he commands the Rafgi, who has the 

 Key of the Gallery in his cuftody, to open it for them, and to have a care that they 

 meddle not with the Coffers of their Companions. / 



At one of the ends of the Hall,there is a Door, which conduces you to the Fountaines, 

 where thofe that have their dépendance on the Treafury go and wafh, when they are 

 call'd to their Devotions. There are feven Copper Cocks for that convenience, and as 

 well the pavement, as the Walls, of that place are of white Marble. 



The places appointed for the eafing of Nature are on the right hand, divided into 

 four little Rooms, which are alwayes kept very clean, and pav'd with fquare pieces of 

 white Marble, as the Pvoom of the Fountain is. The Turfy, do not fit down, as we 

 do, when they are in thofe places, but they fquat down over the hole , which is not- 

 half a foot, or little more above the ground. That hole is cover'd with an Iron plate, 

 which rifes and falls by a Spring, and turning one way or other, at the falling of the 

 lead weight upon it, it comes to the ftation it was in before, affoon as the ordure is fal- , 

 len from it. I have obferved elfewhere, that the 'Turks., and generally all the Mabuma- 

 tanes, do not ufe paper in fuch cafes, or upon any undecent occafion, and when they 

 go to thofe kinds of places, they carry along with them a Pot of water, to wafh them- 

 felves withal, and the Iron-plate is alfo made clean at the fame time. And fo the hole 

 being alwaies cover'd, and the Iron plate alwaies kept clean, there can be no ill fmell 

 in the place, and that the rather, for that a fmall current of water, which palfes under 

 that place, carries away all the Ordure. 



(K) But 



