Chap.XVL Grand Seignors Seraglio. 85 



much more toilfome then it, in which they many times ccme off with the lofs of 

 Limb, or Life, or fome other difàftrous Accident. Thefe continual importions of 

 trouble and toil put many people into the repining humour, infomuch that an Eu- 

 nuch, who was in favour, having, one day, taken the freedom to reprcfent to the 

 Grand Scignor the prejudice hisSubjeds underwent, by thofe courfes which occaiion'd 

 the fpoyling of their Grounds, and the lofs of their Lives, he grew very angry, and 

 after fome dayes imprisonment, he gave him a fhameful ejection out of the Sera- 

 glio. 



But, in procefsof time, the mifchievous inconveniences occaiion'd by this infa- 

 tiable pmfuance of his Pleafures in Hunting, incrcafmg more and more, the Grand 

 Vizir, and the other Bajfas, refolv'd to intreat the Moufti, to make a Remontrance to 

 him, of the ill confequencc thereof, he being the only perfon, who might prcfume to 

 fpeak any more of it to the Grand Seignor. The Moufti would by no means hearken 

 to it at rirft, imagining, as he might well, that his harangue would not be plealing to 

 the Sultan : But, at laft, being over'-peifwaded to do that good office to die Pub- 

 lick, he took courage, and his opportunity, to fpeak to him, with all the iniinuation 

 he could. 



He could not bethink himfeU of a better Expedient, to remove that predominant Tie ancient 

 paflion out of his mind, then to reprefent to him, the Cuftome of his PredecefTors, cuftomt of tht 

 ivho took their diverfion in fome handy-work, when the VVarr, or the Concerns of ^ rec 

 State gave them any remiffion : That, according to their Example, their Subjeds y y t £ ir \^ n ^. 

 apply'd themfelves to things that were beneficial, and made all Arts and Profeffions -work. 

 to flourilh in the Empire,to the great advantage of the Publick : That Si\hm-Jmnrjtb y 

 his Uncle, delighted in making thofe Horn-Rings, which are us'd in (hooting with-the 

 Long-Bow e : That Jhrafyittty. his Father, was an Excellent Artift^ in the making of 

 Tooth-picks, and other fmall Inftruments of Tortoife-lhell : And that it were requi- 

 fite that fo Laudable a Cuftome Ihould not be loft, fince it gave the people occafion to 

 do the like, and. fo to avoid idlenefs. 



He further Remonftrated to his Highnefs, That it was much more commendable in 

 the fight , of men, and more acceptable to God, for him to live by the labour of his 

 hands, then by the fweat of the people, and the Mony arifing by Impofitions, which 

 were forbidden by the Law : and that what was allotted for the peculiar Diet of his 

 Predeceiïbrs, was. the product of their own handy-work : That true it was indeed, 

 they were not oblig'd to any afliduity in the Employments they had fancied, but that 

 what they did was as much for their own diverfion, as to fatisfie the Precept of the 

 Law, and when they had rinilh'd fome piece of Work, they Cent it to fome Baffa, for 

 whom they had a particular kindnefs,and he receiv'd it with extraordinary refped, and 

 abundance of joy : That he, who was the Bearer of it, when he came to prcfent it, 

 faid, That Piece of Work, was made by the Grand Seignor himfelf, who had lent 

 him to fell it, in order to his own fuftenance : And that the Bajfa, or other perfon, to 

 whom it was direded, to exprefs how highly he was pleas "d therewith, gave him a 

 certain number of Purfe for it > not accounting the Prefent which was to be made to 

 the Bearer : That what Mony came in that way, was defign'd to bear the Charges of 

 the Prince's own Table, and by that means,he could not be charged with living by the 

 labour of his Subjeds. 



To this efTed was the Mouftti harangue ■■> and I (hall tell you by the way, That the 

 Kings of Perfia have the fame Cuftome, or rather, the fàme Superftition. In the Reign 

 of Sbacb-AbjS) there were built, at Ijfaban, certain places called Car avanceras, which 

 are publick houfes, where the Merchants are lodg'd, the Rents whereof are fèt afide 

 for the maintenance of the King's own Table i the Mony which is rais'd by the Cu- 

 ftOms, and other Impofitions, being accounted, as to that (core, for Hararn, that is to 

 fay, for imytft and forbidden, and referv'd to be employ'd in the Exigencies of State, 

 and not for the Suftenance of the Prince. 



The Grand Seignor diflembting and fmothering the vexatioh,into which the Modi's Sultan is 

 Remonftrance had put him, pretended to take his Advertifements very kindly, and vng^doftht 



CM; dtfpos'd Mpufri, 



