'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.' [‎16] (565/1024)

16 A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio.
or qx&ticv-Ryals, of the Coinage of Poland, which are pleaiant to thThyeTaui
might have been commodious enough for the Merchants, ^ the adulteration had
been moderate. But the Italians need not be much afham’d, that the Ge m Z
fhould be more iuccefsful than they upon that occafion, fince that both Nations
came fhort in point of fubtilty, to deceive the Turks.
But to return to the French, the firft concern’d in this Hiftory, to which it is time
to put a period. In the heat of their Commerce, and while all things were very
well with them, they thought it not enough, to carry away the richeft Merchant
dizes, but they alfo bought up all forts of good Money they could meet withal'
and brought it into France, to carry on and continue the coinage of their counterfeit
pieces. This Trade was carry’d on fo far 3 thro’ the whole extent of that vaft Empire,
and there? was fo prodigious a quantity of that counterfeit Mony fpread abroad, that
it was found by the Regifter-Books of the Farmers of the Cuftoms, that the Jim 0 f
what had been difpers’d of it amounted to an hundred and fourfeore millions of
Livers, not accounting what had never come to their knowledge, and what Sea
men, and other private Peiions might have conceal’d.
The other Merchants and Traders of Europe, who brought none but good Money,
having exclaim’d againft that diforder, and renew’d their complaints to the Grand
Vizir$ the Turks at laft open’d their eyes, and that principal Minifter, having com
prehended, that if the thing continu’d,' in a Ihort time, inftead^ of Silver, there
would be nothing but Copper in the Empire, prohibited the bringing in of any
more of thofe pieces of five Sols, upon pain of confilcation, and great penalties to
be inflidfed on thofe, who durft do any thing contrary thereto.
Yet could not that crying of them down, and the Grand Vizier's prohibition make
the Souldiers who ferv’d in Candia, out of love with thofe little pieces, the beauty
Whereof they were fo much taken Withal Notwithffanding all the Remonfinances
that could be made to them, they would not be paid in any other kind of Money }
and fome difeontented Perfons and Mutineers beginning to Ihew their Teeth, they
Were forced immediately to fend Galleys to Smyrna, and fome other Cities of
great Commerce, to bring away all that could be found of that fort of money.
The incredible quantity of thofe counterfeit pieces, difpers’d in all the Provinces
of the Ottoman Empire, is at lafl Van idl’d, they are grown red, and no longer
current.
At the Firfl crying down of that counterfeit money, before the news of it could
have been brought to foreign Countries, a certain Perfon named Goulin, engag’d all
he had in the world, to make up to the funn of five and twenty thoufand Crowns
in thofe Pieces of five Sols, fo extremely falflfyd, that there was hardly fo much Sil
ver as was requifite to whiten them. He came to Smyrna, where I then was, and
where he foon found, that there was no Way to put on his counterfit Merchandize.
Whereupon he imagin’d, that he might get it off, if he could make Y fpeedy Voyage
to Conftantinople, where, as he had been affnr’d, fome Perfons took them, even after
they had been cry’d down. Being unwilling to hazard all by Sea, he fent away,
by Land, four or five thoufand Crowns, which were taken away by Thieves, neat
Burfa, and carry’d the much greater part to Cmfiantinople in a Dutch Veflel, of which
he had alfo fnfRcient caule to repent him. Aftef Re had expos’d it at the Cufjom-
houfe, for the payment of the Duties, the Chief Officer of the Cuftoms told him,
that he might return within two or three days, to take back what belong’d to him;
and as foon as the other was gone, he caufd all to be melted down in his prefence.
The feperation being made, upon twenty thoufand CroWns, which was the fumne
had brought thither, there Was not the full fourth part of Silver, and the Merchant
doming again to the Cuftomer, fell down all along, out of pure fear left a feverepu-
nifhment might follow the fraud whereof he Was vifibly convicted, feeing lo much,
fctim of brafs on the one fide^ and fo little Elver on the other. But the Turks are not
fo rigorous, as fome perfons imagine^ all was reftor’d to him^ nay there was no pe
nalty infle&ed upon him, and they only order’d him to be gone.
The ancient Certain It is, that the Europeans, mote addicted to fubtifty and circumvention,
fncerity of the than the Levantines, and for the moft part not endeavouring to be fkcere m Goar
merce 5 have taught the Turks feveral Cheats, which they were either ignorant o ,
merce of the or did not praftifc, especially fince the Inhabitants of Granada, being dnven^-
feropeans. of Spaing difpers’d themfelves into feyeral Provinces of the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. . ^ e " or£ - rnC
A mifchteojcus
fraud gently
pmjbeh.