'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.' [‎72] (621/1024)

7 2
A Relation of the Grand Seignprs Seraglio
- > "^ 7 ^ ftiGvV’d it me 3 would not fuiicu me to couch ic, only upon chi)
(core that he look’d on ic as a great Relick. Once in three months _ this
Chamber is made clean, and the Carpets are chang’d , the Pages of the Trea-
furv being employ’d in that Office. And then it is, that the Cbafnadj-hacht
opens the Box, apd having in his hands an embroider d Hand-kerchief, he
takes out the Seal, with great refpebl: and reverence, whilft tne Seignor cr the
Pa^es holds a golden Cup, garnilh’d with Diamonds and blue haphris, on the
top of which there is a kind of Perfuming-Pot, out of which there comes an ex
halation of all forts of Iweet Scents, whereby the whole Room is in a mane-r
embalm’d. The Page holds that in both his hands joyn’d together and
lifting it up higher than his Head, all thofe that are prefent ^ immediately
proftrate themfelves to the ground, as an acknowledgment of their veneration*
As foon as they are up again, the Page brings down the Cup, lower than his
chin and the principal Officer of the Trcafury, holding the Seal over the
fmoakc, all thole who are in the Room, come and kifs the Chryffial which covers
one of the mod precious Relicks, that they have of them Prophet. I have
us’d all the endeavours ! could, to get out of my two Officers of the Trea-
fury who had often kifs’d that Chryftal, what Obfervations they^ mi^ht have
made as to the material whereof the Seal was made and what Letters were
engrav’d upon it; but they told me, that by the reafon of the fmoke, and
the Chyrlfal, which covers the Seal, not to infid on the Imall time they
have to oblerve it, during the ad of killing it, it is not poffible that
any one can give a certain judgment of either the Stuff, or the Engraving
Upon the fourteenth day oi the Ramazan, thzt is to fay, the Lent of the
Turfa. the Grand Seignor comes in perfon into that Chamber, accompany d
only by the Seligdar-Aga, and taking oft the Chryftal, which hes ovet the
Seal, he delivers it into his hands, ordering him to make the Imprcfiion of
it upon fifty little bits of Paper, which are not much bigger than the Seal
it fell'. This Impreffion is taken oft with a certain ^ gummy Ink, which is pre
par’d in a Pourcelain Dilh, where into he thruds his finger, and lubs the Seal
wkh it, and keeps all thofe Printed Papers, for the ule, to which
his Highnels defigns them, as we ftiall fee, e’re we come to the end of this
f ' Chapter. . c . .
The great Su- Within the fame Chamber, and adjoyning to the place, where the Seal is 1
rerftitionof the kept, there is another Box or Coffer, of a larger fize, cover’d with a Carpet
Turk 5 . 0 f green Velvet, with a great fringe of Gold and Silver, wherein is , kept,
Mahomet's Hirkj. It is a Garment with large ileves of a white Camlet, maoe
of Goat’s hair, which the lurks do alfo look upon as a great Relick, l he
Grand Seignor having taken it out of the Coder, kifh it with much re-
fped, and puts it into the hands of the Capi-Aga^ who is come into the
Room by his Order, after they had taken the Imprcffion of the Seal.
The Officer fends to the Overfeer of the Treafury, for alarge golden Caul
dron, which is brought in thither by fome of the Seignor-Pagcs. It is lo
capacious, according to the defeription which they gave me^ c-f it, as to
contain the fixth part of a Tun, and the out-fide of it is garnifh’d, in fome
places, with Emeralds, and Turquezes. This Veffel is fill’d with water with
in fix fingers breadth of the brink, and the Capi-Aga, having put Mahomet's
Garment into it, and left it to foak a little while, takes it out again,
and wrings it hard, to get out the water ic had imbib’d, which falls into
tne Cauldron, taking great care, that there falls not any of it to the ground.
That done, with the laid water he fills a great number of Femce-Chyntei
Bottles, containing about half a pint, and when he has flopp’d them, he
Seals them with the Grand Seignor’s Seal. They afterwards^ fet the Garment
a drying, till the twentich day of the Ramazany and then his Highnefs comes
to fee them put up again in the Coffer. _ ,
A ridiculous The next day after that Ceremoney, which is the fifteenth after their grann
and ccvetm Faff the Sultan fends to the Sultancjfesj and the Grandees of Conflantiople as ai o
kn^cGcf Uevo- j-q molt of the confidcrable BajJ'as of the Empire, to eacii of them, an Im-
tm ‘ predion of the Seal, in a little ferip of Paper roll’d up, and well faftem