54 
Travels into f/je L e v a n t. 
Part I. 
Alcoran^ and expert in worldly Affairs-, they are Councellofs and Dodorsof 
the Law ; they fometimes perform the Office, and even Preach on certain Fefti- 
vals. Thefe //o^s/^f^j are often confulted about Affairs of Importance, and they 
are in great reputation among the People, who have great refped for them. 
Dervijhes. They have alfo feveral forts of Religious, among whom the Dervijlies are the 
moft familiar and polite ; I lhall fpcak of the others, when I difcourfe of. 
ty£gyft. The Dervijhes live in common, and have their Superiors, as our Re- 
ligious have ; they go very mean in their Apparel, and wear on their heads 
ThcDanceof aCapof white felt, much like to our Night-caps. Every Tuefdayzné Friday 
the Dervijhes. thcfe Religious make a Dance, which is pretty pleafant to fee. On the days 
they are to dance, they aifemble in a great Hall, which is their Alofque, the 
middle whereof is Rail'd in fquare, leaving a fpace all round for thofe that are 
without j within this enclofure, which is pretty large, is the Keble^ where 
there are two Pulpits joyned together upon a foot-ftool ; into the one goes 
the Supérieur, turning- his back to the South ; and his Vicar into the other, 
which is on the Superiour's right Hand ; then over againft them, at the other 
end of the Hall, without the Rails, there is a little Scaffold, on which are 
feveral Dervijhesy that play on Flutes and Drums, the other Dervijhes being 
within the Rails. I got upon the Scaffold of theMuficians, being in company 
with another French man^ who was acquainted with them. When they have 
altogether fung fome Prayers, the Supérieur reads a little of the Alcoran^ 
explained in Tnrkijh ^ then the Vicar reads a few words of the Alcoran in Ara- 
biek, which ferve as a fubjed to the Difcourfe that the Supérieur afterward 
makes to them in Tnrk^tjh. Having ended his Sermon, he comes down from 
his Pulpit, and, with the Vicar, and the reft of the Dervijhes^ takes two turns 
about the Hall, while one of the Dervijhes fings fome Verfes of the Alcoran in 
a pretty pleafant tone ; after that, all their Inftruments play in confort, and 
then the Dervijlies begin their Dance. They pafs before the Supérieur, falute 
him very humbly, and then making a leap, (as thofe do that begin to Dance 
at a Ball, they fall a turning round with their naked feet, the left feet ferving 
for a Pivot or Spindle to turn upon, for they lift it not from the ground, but 
they raife the ether, wherewith they turn fe dextreufly, that one will fooner 
be a weary of looking on, than they of turning, though for the moft part, 
they be old Men, and have long Garments. This turning is performed to the 
found of Drums and Flutes. When they flop, the Supérieur, who (during the 
Dance) fits with his Vicar atthefeet of their Pulpits, rifesup, then making two 
Heps, bows towards the South, and the Dervijhes bowing alfo, pafs before 
him, humbly falute him, and begin again to turn, and that for four times, 
the laft being the longeft of all. They turn as faft as Windmills with the 
ftrengeft wind run,and always keeping time ; and though their arms be ftretch- 
cd out, their eyes fometimes ftiut, and they fellow one another at a pretty near 
diftance, turning all round the Rails, yet they never touch one another, but 
when the Mufick ceafes, flop fliort where-ever they are, without making the 
leaft falfe ftep, no more than if they had not at all moved. The Authour of 
this Dance was one Haz.reti Mewlanaf a Dervijh, who is reckoned a Saint among 
them. All the Dervijhes and Santos are generally great Hypocrites ; for they 
pafs for Men wholly given to the Contemplation of God, and neverthelefs are 
confiimmated in all forts of vice. 
\ CHAP. 
