This Eunuch hath many servants under him and stayes for the most part within the Seraglio his pension is a * thousand aspars a day besides vests and other such gifts which are given him in abundance from time to time he also is much favoured and graced by the King for that he is to succeed the Hazineâ—…dar Bashawe in case the said Hazinehdar should die or change his place and is well esteemed of and reverenced by all as well without as within the Seraglio The fourth and last which is the Sarai Agasee hath charge to look unto the Seraglio nor doth he ever go out of it especially in the Grand Signors absence but is very vigilant not only in seeing all things prepared for the daily service of the same but also to look over all the rooms and see that they be well kept and to eye the officers and servants of the house marking whether they exercise themselves or no in tâ—…ir several functions Now because he is ancient and his businesses great he hath liberty to ride within the Seraglio about the courts and gardens and by the sea-side as the three former Agas are also permitted to do for which purpose they have a stable of horses in a garden for their use alone His pension is * eight hundred aspars a day besides an allowance of vests and furs as many as he can well have occasion to wear and his succeeding the Keelergee Bashawe and so by course the Capee Aga if he out-live the rest And although all these four Eunuchs may wear Turbants in the Seraglio and ride being the chief next the King himself in authority within the Seraglio and are reverenced and respected of all men yet the three last viz. Hazinehdar Bashawe Keelergee Bashawe and Sarai Agasee may not of themselves when they list speak to the Grand Signor but only answer when any thing is asked of them howbeit they alwayes attend with the Capee Aga the person and service of the King with all the Eunuchs under them and the aforesaid Agas and Itchoglans already spoken of but these four onely govern and mannage the Kings houshold affairs giving order for all things needful and necessary aswel for the dayes as for the nights provision All the Eunuchs in the Seraglio may be in number about two hundred what with old ones middle aged and young ones they are all of them not onely gelt but have their yards also clean cut off and are chosen of those Renegado youths which are presented from time to time to the Grand Signor as aforesaid Few or none of them are gelt and cut against their will For then as the master workmen in that businesse affirm they would be in great danger of death Wherefore to get their consent they promise them fair and shew unto them the assurance they may have in time to become great men All which must be done when they are very young at their first coming into the Seraglio For it is a work not to be wrought upon men of years They are brought up with the Itchoglans and are instructed in many things aswel as they being removed also from one Oda to another and are last of all taken out by turns from the fourth Oda for to serve the Grand Signor aswell as those which are not Eunuchs His Majesty likewise employes some of these his white Eunuchs in the government of all the other Seraglios and Seminaries of of youth aswel in Constantinople as in Adrianople Bursia and in divers other places in each of which there are commonly two or three hundred youths that so by their diligence and care over them together with the help of other Ministers they may be brought to an excellent discipline by which they may afterwards prove to be men of good manners and learning And it so falleth out many times that the Grand Signor to give way to the other inferiour and younger Eunuchs who expect that they succeed in order the aforesaid offices sendeth forth some of the ancientest richest and of the highest rank in great employments as to be Bashawes of Cairo Aleppo or of some other cities and provinces in Asia and sometimes Uizirs of the bench For the Eunuchs generally prove subjects though not of great courage yet of the greatest judgement and fidelity their mindes being set on businesse rather then on pleasure And for that the Eunuchs are more trusty then any other servants of the Seraglio the Capee Agha their patron doth commonly commit such things as the Grand Signor would have kept for curiosity unto their custody who for that end have closets made of purpose to lay up such rarities as are presented to the King as great pieces of AmberGreese sent from the Bashawes of the Morea Musk Treacle Mithridate of Cairo Terra sigillata Balsame and other such things of great value cups also of Agat Christal and Jasper Turkesses and other precious stones all which are so curiously kept that it seemeth to be admirable They likewise lay up his Indian presents of Zeva and Civett of all which things his Majesty and his Sultana's make daily use Hard by the Eunuchs lodgings in the Seraglio there is a very large place in which are kept all such goods as fall to the King aswell by them which are put to death as by those which die of natural diseases of which the King is Master Now the goods being brought into the said place by the chief Defterdar who receives them from the * Be it il mawlgee and is to bring them thither the Grand Sâ—…gnor in presence of his chief servants having seen and well viewed all maketh choice of what he thinks fit to reserve and to give away the rest is cryed in the Seraglio to the end that if any one there have a will to buy he may have a good penny worth and the remainder of that is at last carried into the publick Bezisten where each parcel is cried up and down the cryer still naming the most that hath been already offered and is at length sold to him that bids most nor may any that offers a price go from his word at least if he be able to perform and stand to it The money made of the said things is delivered to the Hazinehdar Bashawe and is put into the outward Hazineh or treasury And although the goods did come out of the houses of such as died but the day before of the Pestilence the Turks neverthelesse do willingly buy them and use them as if the disease were not infectious at all affirming that their end is written in their forehead and that it is a vain thing to seek to prevent it by any humane rule or policie as either avoiding the company of infected persons or the not wearing of the clothes of them that died CHAP. VIII Of the Black Eunuchs and Black-moor girles and women of the Physitians and
the King but now she passeth without the Kebin that is without an assignment of any joynture or celebrating the nuptial rites which is nothing else but in the presence of the Muftee to give each of them their assent to matrimonie of which there is Hogett made that is an authenticall writing or testification not only of the consent of the two parties to be contracted but also of the joynture which the King is to make over unto her The reason why the Queens are not now nor have been of late yeers espoused is not to dismember the Kings patrimony of five hundred thousand chicquins a year For Sultan Selim having allowed so much to the Empresse his wife to the end she might spend freely and build Churches and Hospitals so that by all means she might be honoured and esteemed made a decree that all his Successors should do the like if so be they purposed to be married to their Queens But now the said revenue being otherwise employed the Bashawes do endeavour as much as in them lies to keep the Grand Signor from marrying And so much the rather because they would have none to rule but the King alone howsoever married or not married the mother of the heir is by every one called and acknowledged for Queen and presented with many rich presents from all great personages and hath continually at her gate a guard of thirty or fourty Black Eunuchs together with the * Kuzlar Agha their master whom she commandeth and employeth in all her occasions and so do all the other Sultana's which never stir out of the Seraglio but in company of the King himself who oftentimes carrieth either all or most of them abroad by water to his other Seraglios of pleasure and in those wayes through which they passe to go to and fro from their * Kaiks there is Canvas pitched up on both sides and none may come near them but black Eunuchs till they be setled and covered close in the room at the stern of the Barge and then go in the Barge-men so that in fine they are never seen by any men but by the Grand Signor onely and the Eunuchs The Kings daughters sisters and aunts have their lodgings also in the same Seraglio being royally served and very sumptuously apparelled and live together by themselves in continuall pleasures until such time as at their request the King shall be pleased to give them in marriage and then they come forth of that Seraglio and carry each along with them a chest which the Grand Signor gives them full of rich apparrel jewels and money to the value of at the least thirty thôusand pounds sterling a chest and that is as we call it their portion They carry likewise along with them all that they have hid from time to time unknown to any but to themselves amounting sometimes to a great matter and stands them in good stead all their whole life time And if so be that they be in the Grand Signors favour and that he be disposed to deal royally with them then they are suffered to carry with them out of the Seraglio such women slaves as they please provided they do not exceed the number of twenty a piece and such Eunuchs as they like best for their service These also being called Sultana's reserve still so long as they live their allowance of money which they had whilst they lived in the Kings Seraglio some a thousand and some a thousand five hundred afpars a day the slaves also and the Eunuchs do likewise enjoy their former pensions Their houses are furnished both with houshold stuff and other necessary provision from the Kings * Hazineh and * Begleek that they may live in state like Sultana's so that indeed they live far better in every respect without the Seraglio then they did within it And if so be that a Bashawe having married one of them be not provided of a house fit for her then the King giveth her one of his for he hath many which fall to him by the death of great persons that her house may be sutable with her greatnesse and quality Now for the husbands part he is on the contrary to make her a bill of dowrie ordinarily of at least a hundred thousand chicquins in money besides vests jewels brooches and other ornaments amounting to a great sum For although the fashion of the Sultana's habit be common and nothing different from that of the other women yet the substance is far more rich and costly the which redounds to the great charge and losse of their husbands They being thus married do not at all converse with men more then they did when they lived in the Kings Seraglio except with their own husbands but with women only and that is commonly when they go upon visits to see their old acquaintance in the Seraglio but because they themselves came forth from thence as I said before they may not at their pleasure come in again without leave from the Grand Signor These Sultana's the Bashaws wifes are for the most part their husbands masters insulting over them and commanding them as they please they alwayes wear at their girdle a * Hanjar set with rich stones in token of priviledge and domination and esteem of their husbands as of slaves doing good or evil for them as they receive content and satisfaction from them or as they finde them to be in favour and powerfull with the King And sometimes they put their husbands away and take others but not without the Grand Signors leave which divorce proveth commonly to be the death and ruin of the poor rejected husbands the King being apt to give way to the will and perswasion of the Sultana's so it behoves them in any case to be very obsequious to their wives Now the other women which are not so fortunate as to be beloved of the king must still live together and diet with the rest of the young virgins wasting their youthful dayes amongst themselves in evil thoughts for they are too strictly lookt unto to offend in act and when they are grown old they serve for mistresses and overseers of the young ones wch are daily brought into the Seraglio but they hold it their best fortune their former hopes of being bed-fellows to an Emperour being now wholly frustrated through some accident to be sent forth from thence into the old Seraglio For from the old Seraglio they may be married if the mistresse of that place give her consent thereto and may take with them such money as they through their frugality have saved and spared of their former allowance in the Kings Seraglio and such things as have been given them from time to time which may amount to a reasonable value For whilst they are in the Seraglio they get many things from the Sultana's who having formerly been companions with them cannot but in
care for his servants that they may not want whatsoever is befitting each particular person in his several degree When any one dies in the Seraglio whether it be Itchoglan or Agiamoglan his chamber fellowes are made his heirs and that which he leaves behinde him is equally divided amongst them and so is it with the young women which never lay with the King but if any great Eunuch die all comes to the Grand Signor For they are alwayes very rich by reason of the manifold gifts and gratuities which daily come to their hands and if any Eunuch of the Seraglio's abroad or in other places of government should die then two thirds only of his estate falls to the King by Canon the other third part being to be disposed of according to the Testators will this also is only by permission when the King gives way unto it and will not out of his supream authority and power take all to himself as he useth to do by all great rich ones the Kings person being held the principal and most lawful heir of all they esteeming themselves as slaves which have received their livelihood goods estates and all that they have enjoyed meerly from his greatnesse and bounty so that they may not grudge to render back again at their deaths or whensoever he shall require it all that they do possesse And to this end there is an officer called the Beyt el Mawlgee who so soon as any one dies or is put to death makes inquisition after their estates and so certifies the Defterdar thereof leaving the performance to him if it be of great import but the Beyt el Mawlgee for his own private gain doth oftentimes conceal after search made a great part of the estate of the deceased dividing the same privately betwixt the kindred and himself When any ordinary person falls sick in the Seraglio he is immediately carried from his chamber in a Cart covered with cloth and drawn with hands and is put into the aforesaid Hospital or Lazaretta belonging to the house onely where he is lookt unto after the Turkish fashion and kept so closely that none may come to the speech of him except the Physician or Apothecary but with great difficulty and growing well again he must be carried back in the same manner to his own chamber where he was at the first The expenses of the Seraglio are very great as one may gather by what hath been already said but there are moreover divers other charges of great consideration which the King is at by reason of the Sultana Queen and then of the Chief Vizirs the * Serdars of his several forces both by sea and land and the great Defterdars and others to all which he gives gratuities accarding as he seeth fit upon sundry occosions aswel at the times of their going forth as at their returns from their employments abroad and upon good services done at home the which gifts are vests some unlined and some lined with very costly furs swords bowes * Hanjars plumes and brooches girdles all set with rich stones and many other things of great value and again some but of low price according to the quality and desert of the parties to whom his majestie is pleased to shew his liberality Nay the Hazinehdar Bashawe who hath the keeping of the cloth of gold and silver of Bursia doth affirm that in that one commodity to make vests of there is spent yearly two hundred thousand Sultanas besides what he disburseth for the buying of Venetian silks and woollen clothes of which the Seraglio consumes a great quantity they not wearing for the most part any other Neither doth this alone serve the turn For besides all this the Grand Signor gives away all that which is given him by strangers and a great part also of that which comes to him of the spoil of the dead of which he is Master as hath been shewed before And surely should his Majesty want these helps he could not long continue his liberality giving 〈◊〉 he doth to his women to his Bashawes and to all such as are at any time to kisse his hand Neverthelesse true it is that the greatest part of things of value 〈◊〉 he gives away in time comes again 〈◊〉 his hands For his Sultana's Bashawes Eunuchs or other rich men dying he immediately becomes Master of all again or at least of the greatest part of their estate and so of such things there is a continual ebbing and flowing in the Seraglio The Queen likewise gives much away For as she is presented by many so is it fit that she should in part make some compensation and to that end she hath an allowance of vests and other things in great abundance besides she hath liberty to dispose of many of those which have been worn by the King The Uizir Azem is also a giver at the Kings charge aswel whilst he is in Constantinople as when he is upon departure as General of the Grand Signors army to the wars and to that end before he departeth he hath brought unto him from the Hazinehdar Bashawe a great number of vests and other things that he may be provided when he is in the field with presents according to the Turkish custom which in all businesses and upon every occasion is to give and take The King if he please may at any time go abroad out of the Seraglio either by water or by land when he goes by water he hath his Kaik or barge of sixteen or eighteen banks with a very sumptuous and stately Poop covered over with crimson velvet richly embroydered under which he himself sits and none but he upon cushons of velvet and cloth of gold his Agas standing all on their feet holding with one hand by the side of the Kaik and only the Bustangee Bashawe who steers the barge may now and then sit down that he may handle the helm the better Now the Bustangee Bashawe by reason the King talks much with him in the Kaik at which time lest any one should hear what they say the Mutes fall a howling like little dogs may benefit or prejudice whom he pleaseth the Grand Signor being altogether ignorant of divers passages and apt to beleeve any information either with or against any subject whatsoever His barge is rowed by Agiamoglans which are brought up in that exercise and indeed they mannage the businesse very well and nimbly not sitting at all when they row but as they fetch their stroak they step up upon the next bank before them and so with the stroak fall backward flat on their backs upon the next bank behinde them much resembling the manner of rowing in the gallies When he goes forth by land he alwayes rides on hors-back and goes out commonly at the greatest gate especially at such times as he is to go to the Moschea or Church which is upon the Friday it
being their Sabbath and is accompanied into the city by all the Bashawes and other Grandes of the Port besides many of his own houshold servants which go by his stirrup and his Agas riding after him having divers Solacks also with their bowes and arrowes which go before him for his guard And as he rides along the streets he salutes the people with nodding his head towards them who again salute him with loud shouts and prayers of prosperity and happinesse and for recompence the King oftentimes puts his hand into his pocket and throwes whole handfuls of money amongst them Now they of the Seraglio which go along by his stirrup have charge to take all such Petitions as are preferred to his Majesty as he rides along either to or from the Moschea and many poor men who dare not presume by reason of their ragged apparel to approach neer unto so majestick a prefence stand afar off with fire upon their heads holding up their petitions in their hands the which the Grand Signor seeing who never despiseth but rather encourageth the poor sends immediately to take the Arzes or petitions and being returned home into his Seraglio reads them all and then gives order for redresse as he thinks fit By reason of which complaints the King oftentimes takes occasion to execute the fury of his wrath and displeasure even upon the most eminent in place before they are aware without taking any course in law against them onely acquainting the Muftee with his design who seldom or never doth oppose him but causing a sudden execution of what punishments he pleaseth upon them either putting them to death or at the least turning them out of their places For as he stiles himself * Awlem penawh so he would have the world to take notice that such as lament unto him shall be sure to have redresse and succour from him although his ministers fail them or abuse them through their injustice Which makes the Bashawes and other great officers that they care not how seldom the Grand Signor stirs abroad in publick for fear lest in that manner their unjust proceedings and bad justice should come to his ear And indeed they alwayes live in great fear through the multiplicity of businesse that passeth through their hands and in danger of loosing their lives at a short warning as it hath been ever observed that few Uizirs die in their beds which makes them use this Proverb that he that is even the greatest in office is but a statue of glasse but notwithstanding their brittle estate bribery hath so bewitcht them that hap what will hap he that will give most shall be sure to speed at their hands The Grand Signor for the use of his houshold hath in Constantinople at a place called * Ahur Capsee near unto the Seraglio an exceeding large stable of a thousand horses and upward and the * Imrohor Bashawe which is Master of the horse hath the charge of them as of all his other horses mules camels and all his cattle whatsoever and of all the kings hay and provender having an under Imrohor for his assistant besides many ordinary grooms which are to look to them and see that the * Seises keep them in good case Now the said Imrohor Bashawe and his Deputy are to see the Grand Signors servants provided of horses at such times as they accompany his Majesty abroad either solemnly at showes in the city or abroad at hunting or otherwise as the King pleaseth Besides this stable he hath divers others in other places both for his own service and for the use of his Gentlemen at such times as he or they shall come thither namely at his Gardens and houses of pleasure abroad in the countrey to which his Majesty useth to go very often but these stables have not above eight or ten horses a piece in them For to those houses he carrieth but few followers with him and those few are the chiefest Agas of all He hath also stables of stallions for race in Bursia Adrianople and in divers other places from which are brought to Constantinople very stately colts besides such as are continually sent him for presents from Cairo Damascus Bagdat and other places by the Bashawes he hath also many which fall to his share by the death of great persons all which are horses of great price and kept for his own use But because there must be a great number of horses for ordinary services of the baser sort of servants the King is therefore furnished with low prized nags out of Walachia Besides the aforesaid stables of horses the Grand Signor is provided of five thousand mules kept near to Constantinople which serve to carry Pavillions chests water and all other necessaries for travel but because the Vizir Azem at his going out General makes use of a great part of them there is seldom that number compleat at home And should the King himself go out to the wars in person his very houshold would use a thousand of them besides their riding horses For the Ottoman Emperors are almost aswel accommodated in their voyages abroad as they are at home in the city and indeed the generality of the Turks are so well fitted against such times as they are to go forth especially for long journeyes as I think no people in the world can go beyond them The Grand Signor is bound by Canon of the Empire upon the first day of the Byram which is their Carneval the Ramazan being ended which is their day-lent to shew himself publickly and to let all the great men and the better sort of his own servants kisse his vest wherefore upon that day early in the morning being richly clad and decked with his best jewels he cometh forth of his lodgings at that gate which is kept by white Eunuchs in the second court and sets himself down in a certain place called the * Taht upon a Persian carpet of silk and gold close by the aforesaid gate and doth not stir thence until such time as all that are appointed have kissed his vest in token of their reverence and duty towards him the chief Uizir standing close by him and telling him the names of such as he thinks fit and their places to the end the Grand Signor may take the better notice of them Now to some of the Doctors of the Law which are of high degree the King raiseth himself up a little to honour and receive them and to some he shews more grace and affection then to other some and indeed to all more then ordinary especially to the Muftee and the two Cadeleeschers Now this ceremony being ended he goeth to the Moschea of Sancta Sophia accompanied by them all where having finished the * Namaz for that day he hears a sermon and at his return taking his leave of them he retires himself to his own lodgings where