34 
Travels into the L 
E V A N T. 
Part I. 
Kettles: All Men are free to go to thefe Houfes, without any diftin(ftion of 
Religion or Quality ; ând it is no fliame to go thither, many reforting to them 
for Converfation : There is even withont doors ftone Seats, covered with Mats, 
where thofe who would fee thofe that pafs by, and take the Air, fit. In thefe 
Coftee-houfes, there are commonly feveral Violins, Players upon Flutes, and 
Muficians, hired by the Mafter of the ColFee-houfe, to play and fing a good 
■ ' part of the day, to draw in Cultomers. When one is in a CofFee-houfe, and 
fees any of his acquaintance come in, if he be civil a la mode, he'll order the 
Mafter to take no money from them, and that with a fingle word ; for when 
they prefent Coffee to them, he need fay no more to them but Gt^^ba^ that is to 
Sorbet. fay Gratis. They have alfo Sorbet^ which is a very good Drink, made in 
<!y^gypt^ of Sugar, Limon-juice, Musk, Ambergreafe, and Rofe-water. When 
they would regale any Friend that comes to fee them, they caufe a difh of Coffee 
to be brought to him, afterwards Sorbet, and then the Perfume. They give it 
The way of in this manner j a Slave or Servant comes with a filk Napkin, which he fpreads 
giving Per- over the Gueft's head ; and another brings a large fweet Bojfc, which he puts 
S"tL Turks ""^^'^ ^^'^^ beard, the firft keeping in the iteam vAth the Napkin. He 
would regale, to whom the Regale is made, takes of it as much as he pleafes. When they 
give all the three, they pretend to have ftiew'd a great deal of civility. I have 
many times feen all three given to Monfieur df la Hay, the French Arabaffadour, 
both at the Monftts and GrandViz.ier'^s ; and fometimes one of thefe three only 
fometimes two. As for the Perfume, whenever they brought it to the Arabaf- 
fadour, they gave it afterwards to thofe of his retinue .• and, indeed, it coft 
them not a farthing the more. If the Turks take no great pains in their Diet, 
The Turks they take as little about their Beds. When it is time to go to reft, they bring 
lyi^S' Quilts and fpread them upon'the ground, and every one lies upon his own : 
The Mailers have them commonly upon a Dwan, where one or two Quilts are 
fpread, and at one endaCuihion, then a Sheet, and then a quilted Coverlet, 
to which another Sheet is fewed , that way of fewing the upper Sheet,methinks, 
is more commodious than our way. In the morning they pack up all this bag- 
gage, fo that in a trice it would feem there had been no Bed there. 
C H A P. 
XXV. 
Of the Recreations and Exercifes ^f the Tur\s. 
I 
The Turks 
ualk not. 
Tmlour. 
Have Ta id enough of the Turks way of Eating, Drinking and Sleeping ; 
but fince they fpend not their whole life-time in Eating, Drinking and 
Refting, we muft fee what their Recreations and Exercifes are. In the firft 
place, the Turks never walk in a Room or Court as we do, and laugh at 
the Franks for fo doing, calling them Fools, and asking them what bufinefs they 
have to doe at that fide they go fo often to, and then back again. When they 
are at home, you'll find them commonly fitting on the Divans. I have already 
defcribed what Divans 2lxq. If they be alone, they either fleep, fmoakaPipe 
of Tobacco, or play upon a kind of a Lute, which they call Tambour ; and 
they'll play upon that a whole day without being weary, though the Melody 
be not very pleafant j or otherwise, if they be Scholars, they read in fome 
Book, or write : If they have company with them, they either fpend their 
Tftj-ii/feGairiCs time in Difcourfe, or play at fome Game ^ they never play at Cards or Dice, 
nor any Game of hazard, but only at Chefs, Draughts, or fuchlike plays j 
and that not for money, nor any thing of value, neither Poor nor Rich, which 
is the reafon they have not fo many quarels among them ; reverthelefs, though 
they play for nothing, yet they take great pleafure at play> and will fpend 
whole Afternoons, playing hand to hand, and never fay a word ; but fo foon 
as one has loft, they dryly begin again, without fpeaking. They play alfo 
very 
