Chao. L Levant. ; _ 797 
Sre Silver, the Canopy, Bolflers, MattrefTes, and Pal- 
lets, are all of Cloth of Gold. Behind the Hall is a 
Place to (hoot in, where for that Purpofe are laid up 
many Bows and Arrows, v 
12. The Divan fits four Days in a Week, viz. Satur- 
day.. Sunday, Monday and Tuefday, upon which Days the 
Vizier- Azem, or chief Vifier, who is the fupream Judge, 
and reprefents the Grand Signior, with ail the reft of 
the Viliers, the two Cadilefehers, or Judges of the Ar- 
mies in Greece and Natolia ; the three Defterdars, or 
Treafurers j the Reiskitaub, or Chancellor j' the Ne- 
Jhaunge, or Keeper of the Mark, with their Secretaries 
and Clerks ; the Chiaujh-Bajha and his Officers, are to 
be at the Divan by Break of Day. Ail Caufes are de- 
termined by the Vizier-Azem, if he pleafes, for the 
BafJoAs do not fpeak, but only hearken and attend till 
he refers any Thing to their Judgment, as he often docs 
for Expedition, referving the Caules ot the greateft 
Confequence and Importance to himfelf, as the Caime- 
kam or his Deputy does alfo in his Abfence. 
The Petitioners fpeak for themfelves, or define the 
Help of a Chiaujh, ior they have no Pleaders, or At- 
torneys. When the chief Vifier hath heard their Suits, 
he confults with the Bajhads, and then refolves and de- 
termines them as he will himfelf. This he doth ufually 
after Dinner, and then he repairs on Sundays and Duef- 
days to the Chamber of Audience, to give an Account 
to his Sublime Highnefs of what Bufinefs he has dif- 
patched. Sometimes the Grand Signior will come pri- 
vately to a little Window, which is cover’d with a Lat- 
tice, and looks into xht Divan, to hear the Caufes ; and 
this forces the chief Vifier to a£l circumfpeftly and juft- 
iy in managing Affairs, while he fits in the Divan, tho* 
at other Times his Hands are open to Bribery, and he 
will carry Bufinefs as he pleafes ; but all Things are dif- 
patched without Delay. 
When an Ambaffador from any great Prince is to 
kils the Grand Signior’s Hand, the Grand Vifier calls a 
orcat Divan of all the Grandees of the Port, and all the 
Chiaufhes, Mutafurrakads, Spahi*s, and Janizaries are or- 
der’d by the Captains to drefs themifelves in the beft 
Manner t hey are able, and ftand in their Places in 
the fecond Court. When the Divan is fet in their Or- 
der, the chief Vifier fends a Chiaiijh-Bajha with many 
of his Chiaufhes on Horfeback, to conduct the Am- 
baifador to the Divan, where he is placed clofe to the 
Vifier, who having complimented him a while, enter- 
tains him at Dinner, and then conveys him to a Room 
by the Imperial Gate with his Attendants, till the Sultan 
is ready to receive him. In the mean Time the Am- 
baflador’s Prefent is carried about the fecond Court, in 
the Sight of all People, and then is brought to the Sul- 
tan, and the Grand Vifier fends the Ambaffador feve- 
ral Vefts, appointed by the ancient Rule, for himfelf 
and Gentlemen, to put on for that Ceremony. 
The Vefts for the Ambaffador are of Cloth of Gold 
of Burfa, but for the reft, they are of little or no Va- 
lue ; yet the Ambaffador muft make a Prefent to the 
Grand Signior of more than the Worth of them. 
Then the Ambaffador is conduded by the Mafter of 
the Ceremonies to kifs the Sultan’s Hand, (which is, 
indeed, but his Hanging-ffeeve ;) which done, the 
Druggoman, or Interpreter, declares the Ambaffador’s 
' Commiffion *, to which the Grand Signior makes no 
Anfvver, (for he difdains to fpeak to a Chriftian) but 
fpeaking to the chief Vifier, refers all Proceedings to 
his Diferetion, and fo the Ambaffador departs, bowing 
his Head to the Sultan, but pulls not off his Hat at 
all. Other Ambafladors of Petty Princes, or State, 
though they have Vefts given them alfo by the Grand 
Signior, yet come not to the Divan, but go privately 
with their Prefents. All Ambaffadors are maintain’d 
by the Grand Signior, except thofe from the States 
of Venice, during their Abode at the Port, but it is 
hard to get his Allowance through the Bafenefs of the 
Officers. 
13. All Perfons, that live in the Seraglio, are the 
Grand Signior’s Slaves, as are alfo all that are fubjed to his 
Empire j for they all acknowledge, that whatever they 
VoL. il. N« eXXIV. 
enjoy proceeds from his Good-will, and that their Eftares 
and Lives are abfolutely at his Difpofal. 
There are in the Sultan’s Court about twelve hundred 
Women old and young. The Sultan’s Concubines, who 
are kept for their Beauties, are all young Virgins, ftol- 
len from foreign Nations, inftruded in good Behaviour, 
Dancing, Mufick, Singing, and curious Sowings and 
are given to the Grand Signior as Prefents by the Tar- 
tars, Bafhaws, and other great Men, and fo their Num- 
ber is uncertain. Thefe Virgins, immediately upon 
their coming into the Seraglio, are made Turks by 
ufing this Ceremony : They are to hold up their Fin- 
ger and fay thefe Words, There is no God but God .done, 
and Mahomet is the Meffenger of God % and then being 
examined by an old Woman, called Kahiyah Cadun, i. e. 
the Mother of the Maids, they are placed in a Room 
with their Equals in Age and Difpoficion. All the Wo- 
men live like Nuns, but have large Apartments to dwell’ 
in. Their Beds are coarfe and hard, made of Flocks, 
and by every tenth Virgin lies an old Woman, and 
there are Lamps always burning by them. Near their 
Apartments they have Baths and Fountains for their 
Ufe, and, above their Bed-chambers, Places to fit and 
few in. They dine in Companies, and are waited up- 
on by other Women, wanting Nothing that is neceffary 
for them. There are alfo Schools for fuch as will learn 
to read or fpeak the Turkijh Tongue, work or play, 
and fome Hours are allowed them for Walking and 
Recreations. 
The Sultan never fees thefe Virgins, unlefs when they 
are firft prefented to him, or when he defires to have 
one of them for his Bedfellow, and divert himfelf with 
Mufick, or fome other Paftime. When the Grand 
Signior defires a frelh Mate, he gives Notice to the 
Kahiyah Cadun, who picks out the faireft: and mofl; 
pleafmg, and having placed them in two Rows in a 
Room, brings in the Sultan, who walking four or five 
Times in the Midft of them, views them, and as he goes 
out, throws his Handkerchief into the Virgin’s Hand 
which he chufes to lie with. This Choice is accounted 
a great Favour, and the Cadun ufes all the Art ftie can 
to prepare her for it, by attiring, painting and perfu- 
ming her, and at Night fhe is brought to fleep with 
the Grand Signior in certain Chambers fet a-part for 
that Bufinefs in the Womens Lodgings. By the Bed 
they have great wax Tapers burning all Night, and 
Moorijh Women fitting by them. In the Morning 
when the Sultan rifes, he changes all his Apparel, and 
leaves them to her he lay with, and the Money in the 
Pockets, and then departs to his own Lodgings, from 
whence he fends her immediately a Prefent of Jewels, 
Money and Vefts of greater or lefs Value, according" 
to the Satisfaeftion he received from her. 
If any conceive by him, and bring him forth his firft: 
begotten Child, fhe is called Sultana ^een, and if it be 
a Son, fhe is confirmed and eftablifhed by great Feafts 
and Solemnities, and thenceforward has an Apartment, 
Servants, and a large Revenue appointed her, and all Per- 
fons in the Seraglio muft pay her the Relped of a 
Queen. The other Women that bear him Children 
are called Sultanads, but not Queens, yet live in feparate 
Apartments, are well ferved and attended, and have no 
Want either of Money or Apparel, according to their 
Degree. But if it happens that the firft-begotten Son 
of the Queen, Heir to the Empire, dies, and another 
of the Sultana’s have a Son to fucceed the deceafed Heir, 
the former is deprived of her Revenue and Royalty, but 
remains a Sultana, and the latter becomes Queen, and 
fo the Title runs from one Sultana to another by Virtue 
of the Son’s Right to the SuccelTion. 
In Times paft the Grand Signior was married to the 
Queen, but now fhe paffes without celebrating any 
Nuptial Rites j yet the Mother of the Heir enjoys all 
the Prerogatives of a Queen, and has a Guard of thirty or 
forty black Eunuchs, under the Command of the Kizlar- 
Aga, their Mafter, to be employed on her Occafions, 
Thefe Sultana’s never go out of the Seraglio but in the 
Sultan’s Company, and are never feen by any but fuch as 
attend them, who are thofe black Eunuchs, and have all 
9 R ‘ cut 
