Part 1. Travels' into the Lew ant. 65 
Judges, and as it were Bailiffs or Provofts -, before them ordinary caufes are 
tryed, Marriages made, liberty given to Slaves ; and they make their Writings 
which they call Hend^ets or Decrees. The CadUefquers name the Cadies ^ who are Hcui^^^i 
after wards to be approved and confirmed by the Grand Stgnior. The place of ^ ^^j^ ^^r,,^ 
Captain, B^m or Admiral is alfo a very confiderable Office, for he is mailer of 
the Fleet at Sea i and he is alfo called Degmz. Beglerbey, that isto fay, Beglerbey 
of the Sea. There are a great many other charges of great Authority, which 
it would be too tedious to mention here, it being fufficient to have named the 
chief. Thefe places generally change mafters very often ; and in the fpace of 
eight Months that I was at Co-ûfiantmo^le, there were three Monftis^ three 
prime l^ijlers, and three Captain Bajbas. The Children of thefe men are fel- 
dome the richer for their Fathers Fortune: for feeing it is the common cuflora 
to take their Places, and Lives from them at the fame time, the Grand Stumor 
feizes all their Eftates, the Goods of all Malefadlors belonging to him. 
CHAP. 
Of the Divan. < 
TH E word Dtvan is not only taken for that rifîng, which is at the end of Tlie Divan, 
Halls,about half a foot or a foot high, and covered with a carpet, of which 
I have fpoken before ; but alfo for the Council and Affemblie of the Vifiers 
and other Officers, who on certain daies meet to confult about affairs of State, 
and other bufmefs. This Divan is held regularly four days of the week, to wit, X'^'^'Z» days. 
Saturday, Snndavy Monday znà Tue [day ^ in a Hall appointed for that purpofe, in 
the fécond Court of the Serradio. The Vifiers and thofe who ought to be > 
there, fail not to come betimes in the morning ; thofe who have place there 
are the Vtficrs, Cadilefquers^ Bcglerbeys-, or Vice- Roys, t\\Q Nifchangi^ who is Officers of the 
Keeper of the Seals, for he feals all difpatches, the Dcfterdars^ who are the 
Treafurers, and a great many Secretaries or Clerks, who draw all the writings ^fl^l^^l^'- 
upon the fpot ; the Capidgl Bajh^^ and Chiaonx Bajhaw keep the door of the pejterdan. 
Hall -• There affairs of State are debated, all faits are there flipreaniiy decided, 
for any body may be heard there, of what Country, Qiiality or Religi- 
on foever he be, and the pooreft man has liberty to ask Jultice of the Grand 
Viz.ier in Perfon, and to deliver him his Petition \ which after the Grand Viz^ier 
hath ordered to be read, he pronounces Sentence according to Equity. If 
it be a Suit for Debt, the f^iz,ier upon fupplication, fends a Chiaoitx to fetch 
the Debtor into Court, and the Creditor bringing his witneffes, who ought to 
be two at leail, the Debtor is obliged to pay him upon the fpot, or go to Pri- 
fon and lye there till he have done it. If it be for Murder, theaccufers having 
good Witneffes, the Prifoner is condemned to die : and all thefe things are 
difpatched with fo much expedition, that a matter no fooner comes to a hear- The difpatch 
ing, but it is confulted, judged, and put into Execution ; and a Tryal fliall J'lftjce a- 
not lafl above four or five hours without Sentence given one way or other : Xurks 
nor does fo long a delay happen unlefs it be a very difficult Caufe ^ and fo the 
parties are not undone by Lawyers and Pleading, as in other Places: nor is 
there any fear that wrong Juftice will be adminiftred ; for at the end of the Hall 
in the wall, near the Seeling,there is a Window with black crape hanging before 
it, through which the Grand Signior Ççqs ^nà. hears when- he pleafes, all that 
is faid or done in the Divan, without being perceived ^ fo that the Judges 
not knowing whether the Grand Signior beat the Window or not, are care- 
ful not to do partial Juflice, which Vv'ould immediately coft them their Life if 
the Grand Signior knew it ; and they give him a faithful account of every thing 
thatpaffesin the D^Wz. A little farther near the Divan^ is the Haz,na, or Bu^m 
Treafury where the Grand Signior s Revenue is put : It is opened on all Divan 
. . K Days 
