'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎3] (552/1024)

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A Relation of the Grand Seraglio.
And this is the Origine of the Great Perlbns belonging to the Grand Seignor^
and the Port. They are all Slaves 3 and not having any knowledge of their Pa-
*cms, or Relations, they wholly apply their Affe&ions to the Service of their
Prince, who has been pleas’d to advance them to llicjh high Fortunes.
ThcBaJjas therefore are taken out of the Order of the Ichoglans, and the name of
&TA or Bajha^ is only a Title of Honour and Dignity, common to all the Grandees
oi the Port, who are diftinguilhable, according to the difference of their Charges.
The four Principal are thde. The Vtzir-Azem^ or Grand Fiar, the Caimacan^ the
IGJJa of the Sea^ and the Aga of the Janizaries. The Authority of thefe four Baffa’s
is fo great, that fometimes they deprive their Sovereign of the Crown, and beftow
iron whom they pleale 5 as it has happen’d, incur Age, to two Emperours imme
diately fucceeding one the other, Mujiapha and Ofman, of whom the later dy’d in Pri-
ibn, by the infamous hand of a common Executioner. But on the other fidc/if theie
Jaffa's know not how to take their meafures rightly, they lofe their heads upon the
leak mifearriage, the Grand Seignor feizing to himfelf all their Eftates at their death,
and taking their Children into the Seraglio. Nay, thefe laft are fo far from fuc
ceeding their Fathers, either as to wealth or imployments, even though it were the
Son of a Grand Vizir^ or of a Siffer of theEmperour himfclf, that the higheft ad
vancement they are admitted to, is to be made Captains ot Gallics; the policy of
the lurks not permitting, that in any one Houfe there fhould be a transference of
power from Father to Son, that fo they may be prevented from taking any occafions
todifturb the State. It may be feen by this account of them, that the fortuneof the
Batffts, which for a time feems do fplendid, is but a tottering fortune, upon which
^either the Son, nor the Father himfelf, what repute foever he may be in, can
make any fure reliance.
The Baffa's^ who have the denomination of Vizirs^ carry three Banners or Stan
dards, at the top of which there is a Horfe-tayl faffen’d, put into what colour they
pleafe themfelves, green only excepted, though they are permitted to paint the Staff,
to which the Standard is faften’d, with that colour. The OHgine of thisCuftom
tvis thus, according to the Story which the Turkj relate of it. Having one day given
Battel to the Chriftians, their Standard was taken in the heat of the Engagement,
and the General of the ‘furies perceiving that the lofs of the Standard was a difeou-
ragement to the Souldiers, who were beginning to take their flight, he with a Cy-
mitar cut off a Horfe’s tay 1 , and faffen’d it to the top of a Half Pike, and advanc’d
it on high, crying out. Here is the Grand Standard^ let him who loves me follow me. Im
mediately the Imks te-affum’d Courage, and having rally’d, renew’d the Charge,
and gain’d the Vi&ory. The Officers who are about the Petfons of theBaffa’s, have
alfotheir Standards, but they are not allow’d to add thereto one of thoie tay Is; and
it is to be obferv’d, that theBajfa's, who are not Ekin', can carry but two of them 5
as the fer, who are inferiour to the Baffa% and Governours of lefler Provinces,
tarry but one of them. When the Grand Seignor goes into the Country, jdiere are
leven Stanards carry’d, in regard that according to the the world is divided
into fey en parts, or (even Cl imats whereof the Grand Seignor is Mafteiy if taken
according to its breadth, and ’tis for that reafbn that in their Language, they give
him the Title of Mafter of all Kings. This is grounded upon what Mahomet faid,
J hat be, who after his death, Ihould be Mafter of thofe Territories, where his
Sepulchre were found, fhould afliime the Title of Mafter or Chief of all the
Emgs upon Earth. They add, that there are but three Empires, which are,
tnoie of Con ft ant inop le^ Babylon and ‘frebizvnd : And ’cis foi* that reafon, that the
wind Seignor wears three plumes of black Heron-tops in his Turbant. Take
Notice by the way, that they are only the Herons of Candia which have their
mps perfe&y black, the Herons of all other Countries having them, either
w hite, or of a mixt Colour. And becattfe there muff: be a confiderable quantity
« to make up a plume, it muff accordingly be of a very great value,
^mch poffibly has cccafion’d its being cut of hie in Europe i For as to all the
n U a Ces have ftill a great efteem for the Heron-tops 5 but they
nor have^ the leaft defedf, and if the points of them be ever fo little
p , n y there is no account made of them, as being things of very little value.
tnoie three Heron-topis upon the Grand Seignor’s Turbant, it is known
tne Grand Vizier is in the Army 5 inafmuch as at that time, he wears
' ^ 7,
The Authority
of the four
Principal Baft
fa's, of dange
rous confequence
to the Grand
Seignor, and
how he can
take it off.
Obfervations,
upon the Stath
dards*