1 
Part I. Travels into the Levant. 255 
ingoffomany Avanies ^ but the beft courfe that could be taken, would be, to 
have the Capitulations made by Monfieur de Breves with Saltan Amur at ^ at that 
time Grand Signior^ renewed at Conftantino^le : It is true, than would coft a 
round fum of Money, for the Turks do nothing^r^m, but then it would exempt 
from Indignities, fuch as go into thofe Countries, that are remote from Conflan- 
tinofle^ as Caire in Egyp is. 
When a Frank goes along the ftreets, you fhall have one rafcally /I^eor fpitin 
his face, another give him a blow with a Cudgel, and in the mean time he dares 
not fo much as look them in the face, for fear of a prefent Avanie ; for many 
times after they have beaten a Chriftian, or it may be, given him altab with a 
knife, though the Chriftian hath not revenged himfelf, they'll go and complain 
to the Cady^ faying that the fame Chriftian hath beaten them, and to lift the ' 
hand againftaTurk, is a Crime that deferves (with them J the cutting off of 
the hand \ but the matter muft prefently be compounded for Money, and the 
longer it is delayed, the more it will coft \ nay, you ftiall fee a Turk, who ha- 
ving killed a Chriftian that did him no hurt, go and complain to the C<îi/)i, that 
that Chriftian had beaten him» or blafphemed againft theLaw of Mahomet^ which 
is a Crime for which a Chriftian muft be burnt, or turn Turk j and though 
commonly the Cady knows very well that all is falfe, yet he ftill Condemns the 
Chriftians, that he may get money ; and if the party who is fo unhappy, have 
nothing to give, they Charge the Nation with it, and exadl it from them by 
force. 
I faw alfo a Woman, who paffing by a French man, purpofely jofled him, Diverfe forts 
and then went and complained that he ftruck her a blow on thebreaft, and that°^ Avanies, 
ftie had a big Belly, which coft him an hundred Piaftres. 
There are iikewife Rafcals, who will inform againft a Chriftian, that they 
faw him with a Woman, but that they could not apprehend him, becaufehe 
made his efcape, and they want not falle Witnefles for that ; if it be a Turkilh 
Woman with whom he is accufed to have been, he muft turn Turk, or Burn 
for it; if it be a Chriftian or Jewifh Woman, the rigour is not fo great ; but 
whether Turk, Chriftian, or Jew, that (as any other is compounded 
for Money. 
In ftiort, they'll do any thing to fuck Money from the poor Franks, obliging 
thofe who live near to them, even to keep their Windows always fliut, preten- 
ding that they would not have them look upon their Wives, but in reality, to 
get fome Prefent from them. 
I could make a whole Book of the Avanies^ which I have feen prailiifed when 
I was in that Countrey, but it is fufficient to have mentioned fome, to fliew how 
much thefe Rafcals defpife and infult over us. I wave this among others, that 
all Chriftians (whether they be Franks or not) muft have a care to alight from 
their AfTes, not only when they pafs by the Mehkieme f which is the \{-à\\oî Mehlkma 
Juftice,^ but alfo when the chief of the Scherifs pafîès, or when they meet feve- 
ral Perfons of Quality, and efpecialiy the Black Eunuchs coming from the Grar.d 
Signiors Serraglio, who are Men of Power j now feeing thefe Devils are very 
proud, they have always a great Train with them, and make the Chriftians 
render them that teftimony of Refpedl, which neverthelefs is not their due, but 
a Cuftome abufively introduced ; but if a Chriftian did not alight as they 
palfed by, their Cowas would difmounthira, and drub him foundly with their 
Cudgels. 
CHAP. 
