82 



A Relation of the Chap. X VI. 



inanity, have pin'd away their lives, in a ftrict and doleful Imprifonment, being not 

 permitted to fee any body. This was the Treatment oi. Ibrahim, the Father of Maho- 

 met t during the Reign of Amurath, his Brother, the Son oiAchmet, by Kiojcm, a Wo- 

 man of Excellent parts, and well vers'd in the management of Affairs. Mahomet's 

 Brothers are now treated after the fame rate, and the Mother of Bajazet and Orchan, 

 ufes all the endeavours (he can, to fecure to them the affections of the great Officers of 

 the Port, and the Janizaries ,who are fomewhat difgufted with the capricious humour, 

 and extraordinary covetoufnefs of Mahomet. This Prince was advanc'd to the Throne 

 in the Year 1650. after the death of Ibrahim-, his Father, who was ltrangled by the 

 Janizaries, in a Sedition. He being then but Seven years of age, the Regency was 

 beftow'd, during his minority, on the Old Sultanefs, Mother to Ibrahim, who foon af- 

 ter abus'd her authority, and rais'd a dangerous Faction againft her Grand-Child, 

 Mahomet, wherein (he loft her life. 



An extraordi- 

 nary Example 

 of a Father 

 and Son fuccef- 

 fively Grand 

 Vizirs. 



The Ymtui- 

 ure ef Maho- 

 met IV. the 

 prejent Prince. 



s 



The prefent Grand Seignor, who is a Perfon much addicted to his Pleafures, and 

 takes a particular diverfion, in Hunting, leaves the management of Affairs to his Grand 

 Vizir, Achmet, who has fucceeded Coprogli, his own Father, in that principal Charge 

 of the Empire. Tis a thing which may well pafs for a Prodigy, amongft the %trh > 

 and fuch as that there has not yet been any example of it feen, as perhaps there will 

 not be any other hereafter. I have (hewn, that it is a thing abfolutely contrary to their 

 Politicks -, and therefore, had it wot been for the great and particular obligations, which 

 the Empire had to Coprogli, who, on the other fide,cUnningly reprefented to the Grand 

 Seignor, that he never durft truft any but his own Son, with the Secret of Affairs, 

 whereof he only had the Key, this very Achmet, who, next to the Sultan, is the Prin- 

 cipal Perfon of the Empire, would have been, at prefent, but a fimple Bey } or Captain 

 of a Galley. 



The Grand Seignor Mahomet is handfome enough as to his Perfon,his Stature fome- 

 what exceeding that of the middle fort of perfons '■> he has not too much corpulency, 

 and his health is in an uncertain ftate. He is very much troubled with a Fall, which 

 he receiv'd, in the violence of his Game, fome years fince, by leaping his Horfè over a 

 broad Ditch : And whereas that paffion is ftill predominant in him, this inconvenience 

 attends it, That, when he is not fomewhat favourable and indulgent to himfelf, in 

 that violent Exercife, he is fometimes taken off his Horfe in a miferable condition, the 

 Remedies which might be apply' d to that indifpotltion, taking no effect, by reafon of 

 the little care he takes to preferve himfelf. He is a perfon of an unconftant and unquiet 

 difpofition, which creates the greater trouble to thofe who wait on him", and though 

 they ftudy his humours, yet is it a hard matter to fatisne him. He has a Son,who has 

 been circumcis'd with great folemnity,at the age, wherein that Ceremony is to be per- 

 form'd. The Sultanefs, his Mother, a Woman of a Magnificent humour, to augment 

 the Pomp and Splendour of that Action, to the eyes as well of the Turks, as Forrei- 

 ners, would have the Garment, which the Young Prince wore that day, to be all 

 covered with Diamonds, and, to that end, caus'd feveral Rich Pieces of the Treafury 

 to be broken > but after the Solemnity, all the Precious Stones were carried back into 

 it again. 



I faid erewhile, that the prefent Sultan-M^/wef is extreamly addicted to Hunting, 

 and makes it fo much his Darling Divertifement, that he makes lefs account of the 

 lives of Men, than he does of his Dogs - , and withal,, that he is of a very covetous 

 humour. I (hall, in one fingle Example make a fufficient difcovery of both thole 

 inclinations in him, and that will alfo further make it appear, how well he was 

 skill'd, in that Knack of exercifing great Liberalities, without any deduction out of 

 his Revenues. 



When the Grand Seignor goes a Hunting, there are Orders fent to a great number 

 of people, for the fpace of four or five Leagues about the place where he intends to 

 Hunt, in order to the fur rounding of a certain quantity of Ground, and for the en- 

 clofmg of it lb well, as that nothing can efcape thence. 'Tis not to be imagined, this 

 can be done, without great deftruction to the Country, and much inconvenience to 

 the poor people, who are fore'd to leave their work, to carry on an Exercife which is 



much 



