'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.' [‎80] (629/1024)

8 o A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio.
et Money.
The -prefent
State of the
Ottoman
Family.
The wicked > -At their return from the Mofquey, the Mouftf on Horfe-back, and at the head
contrivances o/of a wretched Crew of Gmf Ckrifiians^ of the meaneft fort of people (for there
the Moufti, to are very few Armenians among them) expeef the Grand Seignor, at the Gates of
tne Seraglio, and telling his Highnefs, That vhofe people were Mis-believers, who
had embrac’d the 'good Law, intreat him to relieve them, and to make feme
provifion for their Livelihood. Upon this Exhortation, the Sultan orders twenty
or thirty Purfes to be diftributed amongft them; nay fometimes his Charity is lo
great, as to amount to twenty thoufand Crowns, which are receiv’d by the Moufti,
and the diftribution thereof is made, as he pleafes. But the greater part of it he
converts to his own ufc, and holds an infamous Correfpondcnce with moll of that
wretched Crew, who though they often prelent themielves for that Benevolence,
he pretends not.to have any knowledge of at all. By this Impollure, which isfo
palpable, and fuits well enough with the followers of Mahomet^ does that High-
Priell of the Malmmetan Law, put yearly into his Purfe, a confiderable Sum of
Money, which is no fmall augmentation to his Revenue. But the Cafe is the lame
With him, as with the Balia’s: that is, he is not exempted from refunding, and we
fhall, by and b^ produce a very late Example of it. . C
And this may ferve for a general Account of the ordinary Lives of the Ottoman
Monarchs while they are within the Seraglio. In their Armies, they have other
Employments, efpecially they, who have'Military Souls, as there have been fome
among them, of whom Hiltories have given,us a very noble Charadfer.
I come now ro the prefent Bate of the Ottoman Family, and to the particular
inclinations of the Grand Seignor, who now Reigns. Mahomet^ the Fourth of that
Name, the Son of Ibrahim, and a Circafian Lady, was Born in the Year 1643. and
he is, by that account, got into theThirty fourth Year of his Age, and the Twenty
fourth of his Reign. He has two Brothers, Bajazet, and Orchan, but they are by
another Mother, who is Bill living, and is perpetually fludying how to preferve
them. He has alfo a third Brother, named Solyman, who is the fecond of the
Sons of Ibrahim, according to /the order of their Nativities. But the Mother of
the lafl mentioned Son is dead ; and thence it comes, that the Souldiery, who con
ceive greater hopes of that Prince, than of either Bajazet, or Orchan, his Brethren,
pity him the more, and have the greater Affedtion for him, upon that very fcore
of his having lofl the fupport, which he might have expeTed from a Mother.
Ever fince the time of Bajazet the Second, who firfl introduc’d that inhumane
and cruel Cuflome, of fecuring the Throne of the Sultan-Regent, by the death
of his Brethren, few of thofe unfortunate Princes have efcap’d the Barbarifm of
their Elder-Brother, and they,amongfl them, who have been treated with fome-
what lefs of inhumanity, have pin’d away their Lives in a flridl and doleful Im-
prifonment, being not permitted to fee any body. This was the Treatment of
Ibrahim, the Father of Mahomet, during the Reign of Amurath, his Brother* the Son
of Achmet, by Kiofem, a Woman of Excellent Parts, and well vers’d in the Manage
ment of Affairs. Mahomet’s Brothers are now treated after the fame rate, and
the Mother of Bajazet, and Orchan, ules all the endeavours flie can, to fecure to
them the Affedtions of the great Officers of the Port, and the Janizaries, who are
fomewhat dilgufled with the capricious humour, and extraordinary Covetoufnefs
of Mahomet. This Prince was advanc’d to the Throne in the Year 1650. alter
the Death of Ibrahim, his Father, who was firangled by the Janizaries in a Sedition.
He being then but Seven Years of Age, the Regency was beflowed, during his
Minority, on the Old Sukanefs, Mother to Ibrahim, who foon after abus’d her
Authority, and raifed a dangerous Faftion againfi her Grand-Child Mahomet,
wherein {he lofl her Life.
The prelent Grand Seignor, who is a Perfon much add idled to his Pleafures,
- ..nd takes a particular diverfion in Hunting, leaves the management of Affairs to
trJ Son (uccef- Grand Vizir Achmet, who has fuxeeded Coprdgti, his own Father, in that principal
fyely Grand Charge of the Empire. ’Tis a thing which may well pafs for a Prodigy, amonglt
tizirs. the furky, and fuch as that there has not yet been any Example of it leen 3 as per
haps there will not be any other hereafter. I have fhewn, that it is a thing
abfolutely contrary to their Politicks; and therefore had it not been for the great
and particular obligations, which the Empire had to Gfrogli, who an the other
fide, cunningly reprefented to ihe Grand Seignor, that he never-durfl trufi any
but
An extraordi
nary Example