'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.' [‎37] (586/1024)

All there fore-mentioned Officers do ail deport‘themfelves with a great appear
ance of modefty, having their Arms crofs their Breads: And as to the Capt-jcra
the Introdu&or to the Ambafladprs, and Grand Maher of the Seraglio, he ftands
in the midd of the Hall, and in|the fame pofture of humility. On the left fide of
the Throne, there is a kind of a low Seat, cover’d with red Velvet, with a Gold-
fringe, on which the AmbalTadors go and fit down, after they have kifs’d th$
Grand Seignor’s Robe, till fuch time as thofe of their Retinue, who have had
Veils, the number whereof is limited, have perform’d the fame Ceremony. In
the mean time, all the Baffa's are handing, in the prefence of their Prince |
nay, the Cham of the Lefler 'f art ary is pot excepted out of that Law, when he
comes to do homage., All this adfcion is perform’d in great filence, and the Grand
Seignor making no anfwer at all at that time, leaves it to the Grand Vizir ^ to make
fome ffiort Complement, in order to the difmiliion of the AmbafTador, who with
draws with a profound reverence, without Uncovering his head, or turning his back,
till he be out of the Hall.
A Relation of the Grand Seignor s Seraglio.
The Mmiffers of Ghriftian Princes and States who ordinarily refide at the Port
are the Ambafladors of England^ France, and Venice, and the Refident of the States
General, who have all their refpe&ive HabitationsinPm*. When there comes thither
any AmbafTador or Refident, from the Emperor, or from Poland, or Mufc&vy, they
oblige them to take up their abodes at Conftdntinople, that they may be the more
allur’d of their perfons.
The Grand Seignor dlflinguilks the Quality of thofe' Princes and States, and
the effeem he has for them, by the number of Veils which he orders to be
bellow’d on their AmbalTadors when they come to Audience. The Ambaffador
of France has four and twenty allowed him; the Ambaflador of England, fixteen;
the AmbafTador or Agent of Venice receives twelve, and the Dutch Ambaffador as
many.
When Monfieur de Marcheville Was Ambaflador in turkey, from his moll Chriffian
Majelly of France, I had the honour to be one of thofe who accompanycd
him to the Seraglio, where after Dinner with the Vizirs, in the Divan-YidW,
while dais Retinue were treated under the Gallery, the Veils were brought
According to the cullome. ^ The Ambaffador coming to diflribute them to
thofe whom he had a mind to favour, and take along with him to the
Audience, he was much furprjzed, to find that he had got but fixteen. He imme
diately fent word to the Grand Vizir, that he wanted eight Veils, and that he would
not go to his Audience, till he had the, full number, which they had wont to
prelcnt to the Ambaffadors of France. There was fome conteft about it, which
retarded the Audience pear an hours time; but at lall Mounfieur de Mdrcheville
perfifling In his tefolution, the Grand Vizir complyed, and fent him eight other
Remarks ontl
timber ofVeft.
which the
Grand Seigm
orders to be g
ven the Am*
bajfadors of
Cbriftian
Princes
. What remains of this Chapter mufl: reprefent the manner, how the Cham of the The Fcrmof
Lefler fan ary comes into this Hall of Audience to take the Oath of Allegiance th the the °f h °f
Grand Seignor. The Reader will be pleated to remember, what Obfer vation I made Alle f‘t nce h
at the beginning of this Work concerning the Family of that Tributary Prince, whom Cham o/rL
the Emperors keep under the Yoke. The Cham who is to Reign in his turn, Lejfer Tartary
and according to what difpofal the Grand Seignor has made of the Government, pre- t0 Gran d
tents himfdfbefore him in the Hall of Audience, and after he has kiffed his Robe, re- Sei & nor *
ures feme paces back, and (lands. Then they bring in the Alcoran, upon a great
green Velver Cuffiion, without any Embroydery, at the four Corners whereof there
are four Taflels of Gold and Silk, and they place it on the Grand! Seignors right
hand. Now whereas he fits on a Carpet crofs-leggd, there mull be great care
taken, that the Culhion be not fo high as his knees 5 for the furkj, would account
that a great fin y and they bear fogreat a Tefpedf to the Book of the Alcoran, that they
cannot touch it till they have firfl: walk’d themtelves. Before they open it, they
kijs it, and put it upon their heads^ and after they have read fomething in it, they
kns the Writing of it, and then they rub their faces with it, before they ffiut it. The
ikince, who is to take his Oath, is (landing all this time, as I told you, with his
hands ftretch’d out one againi: the other, and lifted up as high as his ftoulders,
to receive the Book of the Alcoran out of thole of the CatFAga , who had
bGen to take it off the Gufiiion, having kifs’d it and touch’d his head with it*
Fa V The