Vol. ni. MifcelUnea Curiofa, 55 



the Perfon, and to ask him feveral Quefti- 

 ons about his Country, Relations, Friends, 

 and the time when and how long he had been 

 a Slave : His anfwers were fo particular and 

 fatisfeftory, that Ihe was foon convinc'd of 

 the Truth and Certainty of her apprehenfions, 

 when ftie firft caft her Eyes upon him, that 

 he was her Brother, and accordingly it prov- 

 ed fo. Whereupon acquainting the Empe- 

 ror with it, flie Immediately redeemed hira 

 from his Patron, and having made the poor 

 Wretch turn Tnrk^ got hira confiderably pre- 



The BafTa's for the moft part are the Sons 

 of Chrlfilms, taken into the Seraglio, near 

 the Emperor's Perfon, and fo are prefer d to 

 confiderable Governments, or elfe they raife 

 themfelves by their Condud and Valour. Ma- 

 homet Balfa in the time of u4chmet, whofe 

 eldeft Daughter he Married, was the firft 

 natural Turk, that was made chief Vizir, ha- 

 ving before been Captain Balfa. The chiet 

 Vizir Mahomet KupriuU,^ ( who fettled the 

 Empire in the Minority of this Emperor, 

 when it was ready to be ftiaken into Pieces, 

 and dilTolved by feveral powerful Faftions 

 in the State, and by the Mutinies and Dif- 

 contents of the Jamz,aries and Sapfn who 

 drove different ways) was an ^lbanez.c by 

 Birth the Son of a Greek Prieft, whom out 

 of the height of Zeal for Mahomet, he made 

 turn Turk in his Old Age, and converted the 

 Chrifiian Church in the Village where he was 

 Born into a Mofch. This Man alfo forbad 

 the Dervifes to Dance in a Ring and turn 

 round, which before was their folemn Pra- 



E 4 <^ice 



