t 



86 A Relation of the Chap.XVIL 



the commerce It might be imagin'd, that, by the relation of the Jetveffès, it were poflible to have 

 between the f ome account, of the embellishments of the Halls and Chambers of the Appartment of 

 J ewd ^ M * the government of that Female Republick. . But it is to be noted, That thefe Jewess 

 t t u tane ics. ^ ^ permitted to go far into it -, for there is a Chamber appointed for the manage- 

 ment of their Traffick, and the , Negro-Eunuchs are the Brokers between them, and the 

 Sttltanejfes. They take cognisance of all, and what the Princeflcs have a mind to buy, 

 palling through their hands, they make them pay double and treble what the things 

 are worth, and fo heap up Wealth, though they have but little occafion or opportu- 

 nity to make ufe of it. 



f IS Bat 1 ^° not ex P c( ^ any one ^ ou1 ^ wonder at that great exadtnefs, of not permit- 

 ry\f Two Fa-' ing an Y man > n0 not even a White Eunuch, to approach the Appartment of the Wo 

 mu wh$kn\ men, after an Accident, which happen'd at Adrianopk, in the Year of our Lord 

 M. DC. XXXIX. and which I {hall here infert in few words. Amurath'fX his return, 

 after the taking of Bagdet, came and made his abode, for fome time, at Adrianople. He 

 had a Page, belonging to the Treafury, who was a Native of ïocat, in Natolia, and, 

 from the place of his birth, they gave him the name of ïocateli. He was a well-fet 

 Young man, robuft, skilful in Wreftling, and, upon that account, the Grand Seignor 

 had made Chief of the Wreftlers. 



It happen'd, that one of the mod Famous, for that Exercife, came about that time 

 to Adrianople, out of the Confines of Mufcovy, and in all the Cities, through which 

 he travelPd, he had alwaics been too hard for thofe who had prefented themfelves to 

 Wreftle with him. His Reputation was fpread all over the Empire, where he had not 

 met with any Wreftler, who acknowledg'd not himfelf inférieur to him -, Which Re- 

 port coming to the Page of the Treafury, he conceiv'd fo great an emulation at the 

 Fame of that Man, whom all the World fo highly celebrated, that he fent one of the 

 Halvagis^ to carry him a Civil Challenge from him, and to acquaint him, That he was 

 deiirous to have a Tryal of Skill with him, in the Grand Seignor's Prefence. He fent 

 him word withal, That, before his Highnefs had any notice of it, 'twere convenient, 

 they made fome tryal of their ftrength =, And that no body might know any thing of 

 it, he would fend him a Boftangis Garment and Cap, by which means he might come 

 into the Seraglio. 



When the Grand Seignor is not within the Seraglio, where ever it be, the Boftangis 

 are permitted to come into, and to go out of it, by the Garden-Gate ■■> and there be- 

 ing a great number of them, it is no hard matter to get a man in under their accou- 

 trements. By this contrivance did the Mufcovian Wreftler get into the Seraglio, the 

 next day, upon the follicitation of the Page, who fent him what was requilite -, the 

 Grand Seignor being, that day, gone a Hunting. They both put on Drawers of Lea- 

 ther, well liquof d with fome fat or oyly fluff, all the reft of the body being ftark na- 

 ked, and liquor'd in like manner : and after a long difpute, the Page had the better, 

 whether he got it fairly by his own ftrength, and skill, or that the other yielded the 

 victory, out of complaifance. 



This Aclion pafs'd in the midft of the place which is before the Garden, in the pre- 

 fence of the Mutes, and all the Pages of the Seraglio ■■, and the Grand Seignor being re- 

 turn'd from Hunting, the Superintendent of the Treaiury told him, That there was 

 come into the City, a Peblivan^ a Mufcovite by Country, robuft, and of a good meen, 

 of great ftrength, and well experienced in Wreftling, and that if his Highnefs pleas'd, 

 he ihould have the fatisfadfion to fee him engag'd in that Exercife. The Grand Seig- 

 nor commanded he ftiould be brought into the Seraglio, the next day, and that ïorca-i 

 teli ftiould have notice, to be ready to entertain him. 



Being both come to the place, and in a condition ready to clofe, the Grand Seignor 

 came into a Gallery, attended by all the Grandees of the Seraglio, to be Spectators of 

 that Tryal of Skill in Wreftling. The Victory having ftood as 'twere in the ballance 

 a good while, and all the Spectators, being fomewhat impatient, to fee which fide it 

 Would turn to, a Mute exprefs'd himfelf by figns, to one of his Companions, to this 



effecï-, 



j. 



