Earthquakes are very frequent at _Constantinople_; for once, when I was
there, about Mid-Night, my Lodgings did so shake, that it was almost
ready to fall. This Accident awakened me, though fast asleep, and, having
a Watch-Light burning by me all Night, when I saw here a Cup, there a
Book, a Table, Board and Stone all tumbled in a Heap together, I was at
first astonished at the Novelty of the Spectacle, till I had recollected
myself; and judging it to be the Effects of an Earthquake, I then retired
to that part of the House which I thought most secure from falling.
The same Commotion of the Earth continued some Days, but not with like
Violence. Yea, over all that great City, and especially in my Lodgings,
and in the Temple of S. _Sophia_, you might see the Walls, though very
thick, to crack and gape by reason of the Clefts made by such Earthquakes.
Well; I staid about three Months at _Adrianople_, made a Truce there for
Seven Months, and in _March_ was attended back again to _Constantinople_.
When I came thither, I was quite weary of being mew’d up in my old
Lodging, it was so close, and therefore I dealt with my _Chiaux_, (a
sort of Officers among the _Turks_, which serve for divers Employments,
of which Attendance on Ambassadors is one) that I might have Liberty,
as other Ambassadors had before me, to hire an House at my own Charge,
where I may have the Benefits of Gardens, Orchards, and a free Air to
breath in. The _Chiaux_ was not averse to my Proposal, for he saw that
the _Grand Seignior_’s Interest was concerned therein, who was wont
to hire Houses for Ambassadors, at the yearly Rent of 400 Ducats; and
now all that Expence would be saved: Hereupon I went to a House, or
Island rather, hired with my own Money, where there was a broad Field
adjoyning, which I resolved to turn into a Garden, and to relieve my
wearisom Embassy, in managing and planting it: But, see the Spight of
it! When the _Chiaux_ found, by Experience, that he could not have so
strict an Eye over me in an open House that had many Ways to it, with
a large space of Ground near it, as he had in a _Caravansera_ (which
Word you know the meaning of, by my former Letters) because this latter
was fenced with Cross-barr’d Windows, and, besides, had but one Passage
into it, he began to change his Mind, and thereupon made his Address to
the _Bashaws_, who by this Time were returned from _Adrianople_, that I
might retire from my former Lodging: And I was to look upon this as a
great Courtesy too; for some of the _Bashaws_, in a Debate betwixt them,
concerning the Disposal of me, were of Opinion, that, now I was alone,
a less House would serve my turn, and so some Charge might be saved;
But the more moderate Party carried it, that I should return to my old
Quarters.
If you desire a Description of the House I lodged in, take it thus.
It is situate on a Rising Ground, in the most celebrated part of
_Constantinople_; in the Back-side of it there is a pleasant, but
somewhat distant, Prospect to the Sea, which yet is not so remote from
it, but that you may easily discern the Dolphins skipping and playing
therein: And also at a vast distance a Man may see Mount _Olympus_ in
_Asia_, which wears a snowy-white Cap all the Year; it lies open to the
Wind from every Quarter, which by ventilating the Air, makes it more
wholsom and healthy. But the _Turks_ are so envious to their _Christian_
Tenants, that they would cut them off from as many Conveniencies as they
can, and therefore they do not only set Iron Grates before their Windows,
but also add Iron Boards and Planks to hinder the Prospect, and the
free Passage of their Air; and by this means they stop the Mouths of
Neighbouring _Turks_, who are apt to complain, that they can do nothing
in their Houses but the Christians must overlook them. The House is built
in a Quadrangular Form, with a large Square in the midst, wherein there
is a Well.
The upper part of the House, which is all of it that is inhabited, is
divided into Galleries, which go round it, and into Lodging Chambers.
The Galleries look down into the Quadrangle within, and without are the
Lodgings, which have all a Passage into them; there are a great many of
them, but they are small and uniform, as the Cells or Chambers of Monks
are with us. The Front stands over against the High Way leading to the
_Seraglio_; and the _Grand Seignior_, every _Friday_ (which is their
Sabbath, as the Lord’s Day is with us) passes by it to his Devotions, so
that Ambassadors may easily see him out of their Windows. And the Family,
together with the _Chiaux_ and the _Janizaries_, do obeysance to him in
the Porch, or do re-salute him rather; for the Fashion of the _Turks_
is, that the Greater doth first of all salute the Less, and therefore
the _Grand Seignior_ as he passes, first salutes the People with a Nod
of his Head; and then they very officiously pay their Court to him, with
Acclamations and Shouts.
The lower Part of the House is designed for the Stabling of Horses; and,
to preserve it from Fire within, it is all built with Vaults or arched
Roofs, and without it is covered with Lead. ’Tis true, such kind of
Building hath some Advantages; and it hath as many Inconveniencies to
ballance them: For all things are made therein for necessary Use, but
nothing for Delight and Pleasure. There is nothing of Beauty or Novelty
that can entertain your Fancy; no Garden belonging to it, to give a Man
the Pleasure of a Walk; there is neither Tree, Shrub nor green Herb, to
delight your Eye; you have only many wild Beasts as your troublesome
Inmates and Companions. Snakes you have in abundance, store of Weesels,
Lizards and Scorpions; so that sometimes when you would fetch your Hat
in the Morning, from the Place you left it in the Night before, you find
it surrounded with a Snake, as with a terrible Hat-Band; And yet these
Animals afforded me some kind of Diversion in my Solitude, (for you must
give me leave to tell you all my Entertainments). I once saw a Weesel
fiercely combating with a Snake, and though the whole Family look’d
upon her, yet she was not terrified therewith; but though her Adversary
struggled, and made what Defence he could, yet she victoriously haled him
into her Hole. Another Time I saw a Weesel carrying her young Weesling
from one part of the House to another; and, as she was so doing, she
leap’d down upon the middle of the Table, where I and some of my Guests
were sitting after Dinner, having the young one in her Mouth, which
she very fairly left among us on the Table, and skip’d no farther than
the Door, as if she had waited what Event would betide her Youngling.
When we had satisfied ourselves with the Sight of that (yet sharpless)
Animal, we laid it down upon the Ground, and then the Dam ran hastily,
and snatching it up, carried it to her desired Place. Another time I saw
either a Snake, or a Dragon, or a Serpent, trod to pieces by the Horse’s
Feet, in the Stable; her Belly was very big, and, after I had caused it
to be opened, I found three huge Mice therein. ’Twas a wonder to me,
how such a slow and creeping Animal could catch so swift and so running
a one; and, after he had catch’d him, how he could swallow him down,
by reason of the narrowness of his Throat and Jaws. But my Wonderment
was soon abated, when I beheld another Snake seize upon a mighty Toad;
and, after he had him in his Mouth, he began at the hinder Part, and had
devoured a great deal of it; and yet the Toad was still alive, and did
what he could with his Fore-Feet to deliver himself from his Enemy. ’Twas
in this very Posture, when I saw it first; which made me admire, and to
be almost of the Opinion, that I saw a Monster, an Animal with two Feet,
and a Tail as long as a Serpent; but when I drew nearer, and perceived
what it was, I hit the Snake with my Staff, to make him let go his Prey,
which at last he endeavoured to do, that he might creep the nimbler away;
but, whether he would or no, the Toad stuck in his Throat; yet, at last,
when with much-a-do, he had shaken him out, he could not shut his Mouth,
but continued gaping, in an ugly Posture, till we killed him. Such a
Staff, if we may believe _Pliny_, hath a kind of magical Virtue to help
Child-bearing Women in the Time of their Labour.
But, for my Part, I was not content with the Native Animals of that
Country, but fill’d my House with Outlandish ones too; and my Family
busied themselves, by my Order, to our mutual Contents, in feeding
them, that we might the better bear the Absence from our own Country:
For seeing we were debarred of human Society, what better Conversation
could we have to drive Grief out of our Minds, than among wild Beasts?
Otherwise, Stones, Walls and Solitudes had been but lamentable Amusements
for us.
Amongst these, Apes led the Van, which making us good Sport, occasioned
great Laughter amongst us, and therefore you should seldom see them
without a whole Ring of my People about them, delighting to observe their
antick Tricks and Gestures. I also bred up some Wolves, some Bears, some
broad-horned Stags (vulgarly miscalled, Bucks) and common Deers; also
Hinds, Lynx’s, Ichneumons or _Indian_ Rats, Weesels of that sort which
you call Ferrets and Fairies: And, if you would know all, I kept also
a Hog, whose noisome Smell was wholsome for my Horses, as my Grooms
persuaded me: So that, in my Nomenclature of other Creatures, ’tis not
fit I should omit my Hog, which made my House to be mightily frequented
by the _Asiaticks_. They came thick and three-fold to see that Creature,
which is counted unclean by them, and by the Books of their Religion they
are forbid to eat it, so that, it being a prohibited Animal among them,
they never saw one before. Yea, all _Turks_ are as much afraid to touch
a Hog, as Christians are to come near to those who are infected with the
Plague. This Humour of theirs being known, we put a pretty Trick upon
them; when any body had a mind to send me a secret Message, which he
would not have my _Chiaux_ know of, he put it into a little Bag, together
with a Roasting-Pig, and send it by a Youth: When my _Chiaux_ met him,
he would ask, what he had there? Then the Boy, being instructed before,
whisper’d him in the Ear, and say, that a Friend of mine had sent me a
Roasting-Pig, for a Present: The _Chiaux_, thereupon, would punch the Bag
with his Stick, to see whether the Boy spake Truth or no; and when he
heard the Pig grunt, he would run back as far as ever he could, saying,
_Get thee in, with the nasty Present!_ Then, spitting on the Ground, and
turning to his Fellows, he would say; _’Tis strange to see how these
Christians do dote on this filthy impure Beast; they cannot forbear
eating of it, though their Lives lay at stake._ Thus he was handsomely
choused, and the Boy brought me what secret Message was sent me. I kept
also a great many sorts of Birds, as Eagles, Jack-daws, _Muscovy_ Ducks,
_Balearick_ Cranes, and Partridges; yea, my House is so full of them,
that, if a Painter were to draw it, he may take from thence the Copy of
_Noah_’s Ark. Besides the Delight that I and my Family take in these
Creatures, to counterpoise our long Absence from our own Country, I got
also this Advantage by them, that now I know, by Experience, what I could
hardly believe when I read it in Books. You know a great many Books
are full of strange Stories, what ardent Love some wild Beasts have to
Mankind: I could never give Credit to such Relations, but looked upon
them as Romances, till I saw with my Eyes, a Lynx, which I got out of
_Assyria_, so passionately affected towards one of my Servants, though
known to him but a little while before, that for my part I could not
think but she was in Love with him: For, whenever he was present, she
would mightily fawn upon him, and in a manner embrace him, and almost
kiss him. Whenever she was about to go away from him, she would gently
lay her Claws on his Cloaths, as labouring to retain him; and, when he
was gone, she would eye him; and whensoever he was in Sight, would hardly
ever remove her Eye from that Quarter. During the Time of his Absence,
she was very sad, but upon his Return she would skip and be jocund; she
could not endure he should be at any Time absent; for one Time, when he
went with me beyond Sea, to the _Turkish_ Camp, the Lynx pined away by
degrees, would not eat a bit, but at length died.
I was troubled for his Loss, for I had designed him, with another choice
Ichneumon (which I had) as a Present for my Master _Cæsar_; and the
rather, because of the exceeding Beauty of his Skin, which made him
look quite different from other Lynxes: The best of the kind are bred
in _Assyria_, from whence this came, and their Skins are sold here for
fifteen or sixteen Crowns of Gold apiece. I question not, but these
were the _Babilonian_ Pells or Skins, so much famed and valued amongst
the Ancients, of which mention is made in Law-Books; in the Title of
_Publicans_.
If you please to hear me, I’ll tell you another story of a Bird: I have,
among my other Birds, a _Balearic_ Crane, which differs from the ordinary
sort of Cranes by a white Plume of Feathers, that grows hanging down from
both her Ears; and besides, all the fore-part of her Neck-Feathers were
black, and the _Turks_ adorn their Turbants with it; and there is some
Difference in their Bigness. This _Balearic_ Bird was mightily affected
with a _Spanish_ Soldier, whom I had redeemed out of his Chains; when
he walked abroad, the Bird would walk with him, though for many Hours
together; when he stood still, so did the Crane; when he sat down, she
would stand by him, and suffer him to handle her, and stroke down her
Feathers, whereas she would not suffer any body else so much as to touch
her; whenever he was gone from Home, she would come to his Chamber-door
and knock against it with her Beak; if any body open’d it, she would look
all about, to see whether he were in the Room; and, not finding him, she
would traverse it about, making such a shrill Din and Noise, that nothing
living could endure it; so that we were forced to shut her up, that her
Noise might not offend us. But when he returned, as soon as ever she
fixed her Eyes on him, she would make to him, clapping her Wings with
such an antick Posture of her Body as Dancers in a Jig use to do; or as
if she had been to prepare herself for Combat with a Pygmy. In fine, she
at last used to lie under his Bed at Night, where she laid him an Egg.
Thus I have given the story of the Loves of brute Animals towards Man,
now prepare your Ears for another Story of a contrary Import, _viz._ the
Cruelty and Ingratitude of another Brute towards Man. I had a Hart, that
lived very quiet and tame with me for many Months; but, when her rutting
or coupling Time came, she grew on a sudden so wild, that, forgetting
all our Respects, she flew upon every body that she met, as if she would
have killed them with her Horns, so that we were compelled, for our own
Security, to hamper her, and to shut her up in a walled Place; but one
Night, she broke from her Prison, and ran amongst all the Horses, which,
as I told you, in _Turkey_, use to stand all Night in the Yard, and where
she made such a Tumult amongst them, that she forced the Grooms to drive
her to her Hold; she wounded many of them, which set them into a Rage, so
that at last they drove her into a large Stable, and there I gave them
leave, with what Weapons came next to hand, to destroy her: She defended
her self stoutly at first; but they, being forty to one, at last felled
her, and made her pay for her breach of Hospitality. When she was dead, I
cut her in pieces, and made a Feast for the Ambassadors that then resided
at _Constantinople_. It was a Hart or Stag, of a huge Bulk, such as use
to come in the beginning of _Autumn_, out of _Hungary_ into _Austria_,
at rutting Times. I bought him of some Beggars, that made a Gain of that
Trade; they used to carry him about, and where they ask’d Alms for God’s
Sake, at the name of God they used to bow their Heads, and the Stag by
Custom had learned to do so too; so that the Vulgar did admire the Beast,
as if he had some Sense of a Deity, and therefore he got a deal of Gain
to his Keepers. This Stag, by reason of his Talness, I also designed as a
Present to _Cæsar_.
Having made mention of _Turkish_ Beggars, give me leave to acquaint you
with the nature of those kind of People in this Country. There are fewer
Beggars here than amongst us, and they are commonly Pilgrims that travel
up and down, pretending some appearance of Piety or religious Profession.
Some of them, besides their Poverty, pretend Distraction and Simplicity;
and this sort is very much esteemed among them, for the _Turks_ count
all Madmen and Fools to be certainly designed for Heaven; and therefore
they look upon them as Demi-Gods here on Earth. Some of those Wanderers
are _Arabians_, who carry Banners before them, wherewith, as they say,
their Ancestors fought against the Christians, for the Propagation of
the _Mussulman_ Religion. Those that are of this Rank are not ordinary
Beggars, neither do they ask Alms of all Passengers, but in the Evening
they offer you a Tallow-Candle, a Lemon or a Pomegranate, and force it
upon you; but you must give them double or treble the Worth; and by this
means they seem rather to sell than to receive _gratis_. For the rest,
they which beg amongst Christians are set to do servile Offices amongst
the _Turks_. If a Slave become lame, his Master is bound to maintain
him, and yet the veriest Cripple amongst them brings in his Master some
Profit. I remember, once I redeemed a _Spanish_ Officer, bought by a
_Turk_, who was maimed in all his Limbs, by reason of his Wounds, and yet
his Master found means how to make him get his Living; he sent him over
into _Asia_, to look to the Flocks of Geese which he kept there; and by
his Care in feeding them, he brought in sufficient Gain to his Matter.
Now we talk of Slaves, give me leave to digress a little, and to
propose a _Quære_, whether he did well or ill with _Christendom_, who
first brought up the use of Slaves among them? I know there are many
Inconveniencies that attend the Condition of Slaves, but they are
over-balanced by the Advantages accruing thereby; especially if a just
and merciful Slavery were allowed by some public Law, as was of old among
the _Romans_; for then, perhaps, we should not need so many Gallows’s and
Gibbets as we have among us, to restrain those, who set an high Price on
their Life and Liberty; to maintain which, their Poverty prompts them
to the most audacious Attempts: Liberty, without an Estate to maintain
it, is none of the best Counsellors. All Men cannot bear Poverty and
Freedom; Mankind, in general, is not so form’d by Nature, as to rightly
to govern himself. No, he stands in need of a better and wiser Conduct
than his own; otherwise, there will be no end of his Transgressing; for
so some Beasts will always be terrible to Men, unless their Fierceness be
restrain’d by Manacles and Bonds. But in this case of Slavery, the weaker
Mind of the Slave is govern’d and steer’d by the Authority of his Patron
or Master; and, on the other side, the Master is maintained by the Labour
of his Slave. The Truth is, both publickly and privately, the _Turks_
make a very great Advantage of their Slaves; if any Houshold-work be
to be done, the Slave is ready to perform it; and, therefore, they have
a Proverb among them, _He can never be poor, that hath but one Slave_.
But then for Works without Doors, if there be any Rubbish to be carried
out, or Preparation made for any great Building, the assiduity of Slaves
quickly performs what is enjoined them. This I take to be one Reason, why
our present Buildings do not arrive to the Magnificence of the Ancients;
we want Hands (or Slaves) to carry on the Work. I might instance also,
that servile Hands and Heads have been great helps to the Learned, to
attain their so much celebrated Learning and Knowledge. What I have
hitherto discoursed about Slaves, you will look upon as an Amusement; and
so, pray, take it.
This I can a assure you of, that the _Turks_, in their way, do make a
huge Advantage of Slaves; for if an ordinary _Turk_ bring home one or two
Slaves, whom he hath taken Prisoners in War, he accounts he hath made a
good Campaign of it, and his Prize is worth his Labour. An ordinary Slave
is sold among them for 40 or 50 Crowns; but if he be young, beautiful,
and have Skill in some Trade besides, then they rate him at twice as
much. By this you may know, how advantageous the _Turkish_ Depredations
are to them, when many times, from one Expedition, they bring home five
or six thousand Prisoners.
The _Romans_ of old, were not ignorant of this gainful Trade; which made
them set an high Rate on 20 or 30 thousand Persons, which they sometimes
took at the sacking of Cities, as their Writings shew. But a _Turk_, upon
the like Sack, would make ten times five hundred Crowns of his Prize,
though by the rules of their Religion they are not to make Slaves of any
of their own Sect; nor to disfranchize them, or set any Price on their
Heads.
But to return from this large Digression: I formerly acquainted you
with my Sport in _Hunting_; it follows, in course, that I must say
something of my _Fowling_. The _Turks_ are favourable to all Beasts, as
also to Birds; and especially to Kites, because, they say, they eat up
the Carrion, and keep the Streets clean and wholsome; and, therefore,
abundance of these Birds fly up and down the Town, as fearless of Gin or
Snare, so that they are almost tame; and when you whistle to them, they
come about you; throw them up Meat in the Air, they’ll catch it with
their Claws. Once I caused a Sheep to be killed, and called the Kites to
prey upon the Entrails. I cut them in pieces, and threw them up into the
Air; by and by came ten or twelve or twenty Kites, and a while after so
many of them, that they almost shaded the House; and they are so bold,
withal, that if you hold out a piece of Flesh, they will be ready to
snatch it out of your Hands. In the mean time, I stood with my Cross-Bow
behind the Pillar, and sometimes when I shot, I made the Tail or Feathers
of one or other of them to fly off, and sometimes I gave one or two
a mortal Wound, and made them tumble down; but this I did privately,
when the Doors were shut, that so I might not provoke the _Turks_ to
Indignation.
I must tell you, I have _Partridges_ too (to acquaint you with my whole
Stock of pleasurable Recreations). You would wonder, as I my self did at
first, how tame they are. They were brought from _Chios_ with red Feet
and Beaks; they were so troublesome to me, by standing at my Feet, and
picking the Dust out of my Velvet Pantofle, with their Beaks, that they
might dust themselves therewith, that, to be rid of the Molestation, I
was forced to shut them up in a Chamber, where, in a short time, they
grew over-fat and died, as my Servants told me; yet _Pliny_ says, in a
certain Place, that _Hares_ and _Partridges_ never grow fat. You have yet
but small ground for your Wonderment; but, pray, prepare your Ears for
what follows.
The Isle of _Chios_ is full of these Birds, and they live with the
Inhabitants in their Houses; every Country-man, almost, keeps more or
less of them under his Roof, as their Estates are, or their Minds serve
them. A public Keeper whistles them out in a Morning, and they run to
him in the Highway, and follow him into the Field (as Flocks of Sheep
do their Shepherds with us): There they stay all Day to feed and bask
themselves, and in the Evening he whistles for them again, and then they
covey together, and return to their old Lodgings. The Custom arose from
hence, as they say: As soon as ever the Partridges are hatch’d, the
Country-men take them up and put them in their Bosoms, between their
Skin and their Shirts; thus they carry them about a day or two, ever and
anon moist’ning their Mouths with their own Spittle. This Courtesy doth
so oblige the young Birds (for Partridges, as well as other Birds, are
mindful of human Civilities, if I may so speak) that they cannot forget
their Fosterers; and yet Care is to be taken, that they stay not out
in the Field all Night; if they do so two or three times, they quickly
forget human Hospitality, and return to their own natural free Life in
the open Field. I have taken a great deal of Pains to procure such a
Fosterer of Partridges to send him to _Cæsar_, to teach Emperors that
aviary Discipline. ’Tis true, I never saw this done with my own Eyes;
yet so many credible Witnesses have affirm’d the Truth thereof, and I
believe it as well as if I had seen it. And I give equal Credit to the
Story, I am now about to tell you.