[440] 
f/ r, and beliere that Sampfon^ Jonas, and St. George were his con- 
temporaries. In this they are more excufable then their falfe 
Prophet Mahomet, who in his Alcoran has perverted feveral 
Hiftorical notices in the writings of the Old Teftament, and 
is guilty of vile and abfurd pfeudo-chronifmes. To remedy 
this defed of which he was very confcious, and the better to 
underftand the ftate of Chriftendom and the particular King- 
domes and Republicks of it , the late great and wife Vtz.tr^ 
Achmet, made his interpreter Vanagktti^ a learned Greek, at lei- 
fure houres, even at the fiege of Candia, as well as at other 
times, read feveral ancient hiftories to him. and render them 
extempore into the T^/r^^^^ language, and particularly Blaeus 
Atlas, with which he was mightily pleafed, and made great 
ufe of, and truly gained the reputation of a foUd and judici- 
ous Statefman, as well as Souldier among thtChnfttanMim- 
fters, who in the ordinary courfe of their negotiations apply'd 
themf elves to him. 
Tho their year be according to the courfe of the moon , 
and fo the Tnrkijh months run round the civil year in a circle 
of thirty three years and a few odd days, yet they celebrate 
the Neuruz, which fignifies in the Ferjlan tongue the new year, 
the twenty firft day of Match ( on which day the vernal equi- 
nox was fixed by the Greeks and other Oriental Chrifhans, in the 
time of the Emperor Confianune, who made no provifion for 
the ^oyi)4)cn$ lartffu^iyyi or prcceffion, which in procefs of time the 
inequahty between the civil and Aftronomical year mull ne- 
ceflarily produce ) at which time the Cadjes and other annual 
Magiftrates, and Farmors of the cuftomes take place , and 
reckon to that day twelve month again. 
In their Civil deportment and behaviour one towards ano- 
ther, tlie left hand is the more worthy and Jionourable place, 
except among their Eccleliafticks 5 and the reafon they al- 
ledge is, becaufe they write from the right hand, and the 
fword is worn on the left fide, and fo is more at his difpofal, 
who walks on that hand. The chief Ftzir accordingly in the I 
Di^van fits at the left hand of the Mupht/, each mamtaining 
their right of precedence according to this way of decifion. 
In their Mofchs they lit without any diftind:ion of degrees. 
Some of the more zeatous Turks caufe to be engraven on 
their 6'cyniitars and Bucklers a fentence out of the fixty firft 
^//r^f, which is concerning fighting or battle-array, and con- 
tains incouragements to fight in the2^^^JK and path' of God, as the 
Irapoftor 
