Chastity of _Turkish_ Women. The _Turks_ take more Pains to have their
Wives modest, than any other Nation; and, therefore, they ordinarily
keep them close up at home, and hardly suffer them to see the Sun; but
if any necessity calls them abroad, they go so hooded and veil’d, as if
they were Hobgoblins or Ghosts. ’Tis true, they can see Men through their
Veils or Hoods, but no part of their Bodies is open to Man’s View; for
they have this Tradition among them, that it is impossible for a Man
to look on a Woman, especially if she be young and handsome, without
desiring to enjoy her; and by that Desire the Mind is excited, and
therefore they keep them all covered. Their own Brothers have Liberty to
see them; but their Husband’s Brothers have not the same Permission. The
nobler and richer sort, when they marry, do it with this Condition, that
their Wives shall never set a Foot out of Door; and no Person living,
either Male or Female, be the Cause what it will, shall ever have leave
to see them; no, not their nearest Alliance in Blood, except only the
Father and Mother, who, at _Easter_, (their _Bairam_) are permitted to
see their Daughter; and, in lieu of this Strictness, if the Wife have
Parents of the better sort, and she bring her Husband a large Dowry, the
Husband, on his part promiseth, that he will never have any Concubines,
but will keep to her alone.
In other Cases, the _Turks_ have as many Concubines as they will, besides
their lawful Wives; and the Children of both are equally respected, and
have as much Privilege one as the other. Their Concubines they either
buy, or take them in War, and, when they are weary of them, may sell
them in the open Market; only if they have Children by them, then they
obtain their Liberty. This made _Roxolana_ stand upon her Terms with
_Solyman_, in having brought him forth a Son, when she was a Slave, and
thereby obtain’d Manumission. Hereupon she refused to submit to his Will
any longer, unless he married her; which he, doting for Love, wou’d do,
against the Custom of the _Ottoman_ Princes.
A lawful Wife, with them, differs from a Concubine, only upon the account
of her Dowry, which a lawful Wife hath, but a Concubine hath not. And
when once her Dowry is assigned her, then she is a Mistress; Governess of
the House, and all the other Women under her. And yet the Husband hath
leave to lie with which of them he pleases at his Choice; and when he
makes known his Pleasure to his Wife, she bids the Maid of his desires
prepare herself for his Bed; and she obeys; perhaps, more joyfully than
her Mistress commands her. Only _Friday_ Night, which is their _Sabbath_,
the Wife claims as her due, and she thinks herself wrong’d, if her
Husband defraud her thereof; other Nights he may lie with which of his
Slaves he pleases.
Divorces are made among them for many Causes, which Men easily pretend;
and when a Wife is divorced, her Dowry is restored, unless she be put
away on a dishonest Account: But Women have but few; to instance some
among those few, this is one, if their Husband do not allow them due
Maintenance; and if they offer to abuse them against Nature, (a Crime
usual among them) then the Wife goes to the Judge, and tells him, she can
no longer endure to live with her Husband; when he asks the Cause, they
say nothing, but pull off their Shoe from their Feet, and turn it up and
down, which is a Sign among them of the unlawful use of Copulation. The
greatest sort among them, that have abundance of Women, set _Eunuchs_
to guard them, not such as have only their Stones taken out, but such
whose Yards are also impaired; because other wise they think, such as
have lost their Stones only, may desire the use of a Woman, tho’ not for
Generation, yet for Pleasure. The great Men also have Baths at their own
Houses, wherein they and their Women do wash; but the meaner sort use
public Baths.
A _Turk_ hates bodily Filthiness and Nastiness, worse than
Soul-Defilement; and, therefore, they wash very often, and they never
ease themselves, by going to Stool, but they carry Water with them for
their Posteriors. But ordinarily the Women bathe by themselves, Bond and
Free together; so that you shall many times see young Maids, exceeding
beautiful, gathered from all Parts of the World, exposed Naked to the
view of other Women, who thereupon fall in Love with them, as young Men
do with us, at the sight of Virgins.
By this you may guess, what the strict Watch over Females comes to, and
that it is not enough to avoid the Company of an adulterous Man, for the
_Females_ burn in Love one towards another; and the Pandaresses to such
refined Loves are the Baths; and, therefore, some _Turks_ will deny their
Wives the use of their public Baths, but they cannot do it altogether,
because their Law allows them. But these Offences happen among the
ordinary sort; the richer sort of Persons have Baths at home, as I told
you before.
It happened one time, that at the public Baths for Women, an old Woman
fell in Love with a Girl, the Daughter of a poor Man, a Citizen of
_Constantinople_; and, when neither by wooing nor flattering her, she
could obtain that of her which her mad Affection aim’d at, she attempted
to perform an Exploit almost incredible; she feign’d herself to be a Man,
changed her Habit, hired an House near the Maid’s Father, and pretended
she was one of the _Chiauxes_ of the _Grand Seignior_; and thus, by
reason of his Neighbourhood, she insinuated herself into the Man’s
Acquaintance, and after some time, acquaints him with the desire of
his Daughter. In short, he being a Man in such a prosperous Condition,
the Matter was agreed on, a Portion was settled, such as they were able
to give, and a Day appointed for the Marriage; when the Ceremonies
were over, and this doughty Bridegroom went into the Bride-chamber to
his Spouse; after some Discourse, and plucking off her Headgeer, she
was found to be a Woman. Whereupon the Maid runs out, and calls up her
Parents, who soon found that they had married her, not to a _Man_, but a
_Woman_: Whereupon, they carried the supposed Man, the next day, to the
General of the _Janizaries_, who, in the Absence of the _Grand Seignior_,
was Governor of the City. When she was brought before him, he chide her
soundly for her beastly Love; what, says he, are you not asham’d, an old
Beldam as you are, to attempt so notorious a Bestiality, and so filthy a
Fact?
Away, Sir, says she! You do not know the Force of Love, and God grant
you never may. At this absurd Reply, the Governor could scarce forbear
Laughter, but commanded her, presently, to be pack’d away and drown’d in
the Deep; such was the unfortunate Issue of her wild Amours. For you must
know, that the _Turks_ make no noise when _secret_ Offences are committed
by them, that they may not open the Mouths of Scandal and Reproach;
but _open_ and _manifest_ ones they punish most severely. I am afraid
the Relation of that dismal Example hath grated your Ears. I shall,
therefore, now endeavour to make you amends, by acquainting you with a
pleasant Story, which, I believe, will go near to make you smile. ’Tis
this.
Upon the Account of the Troubles in _Hungary_, there came lately a
Messenger to me, with an Express from my Master, the Emperor. The
_Bashaws_ would not let him bring his Letters directly to me, as they
were wont to be brought, but they carried him first into the _Divan_.
The Reason of this their unusual Procedure, was, because they would fain
know what _Cæsar_’s Letters did contain, before they were delivered, in
regard they suspected I dealt not faithfully with them, in communicating
my Master’s Sense, but that I suppressed some of his Concessions. The
Messenger was cunning enough for them; for, having some inkling of the
Matter before-hand, he hid _Cæsar_’s Letters, and only shew’d them
those that were directed to me, from some particular Friends. Their
interpreter, _Ebrahim_, a _Polander_ by Birth, had acquainted them
before, that the Letters, that brought any secret Commands to me, were
not written in an ordinary Character, but in a new kind of Marks, called
_Cyphers_. As they were searching all my Letters, at last they light upon
One, that was wrote to me by a Friend of mine, a Secretary of _Burgundy_.
_Ebrahim_ saw, through the thinness of the Paper wherein ’twas writ, some
shining Letters, which were not of an ordinary sort. O! says he, now I
have found it out; don’t you meddle with any of the rest of the Packet,
for here’s the Secrecy in this. Whereupon the _Bashaws_ commanded him
to open, read, and interpret it to them, and they all stood listning to
hear the News; but _Ebrahim_ told them plainly, that he could not read
one Letter of it. That’s strange, says the _Bashaws_; what, did you never
learn the _Christian_ Alphabet; or have you forgot it? Says _Ebrahim_,
this sort of Character is only known to those who are Secretaries to
Princes: They did not well understand him; but however, say they, if it
be so, why dost thou not make haste to the Secretary of the _Bailo_ of
_Venice_, or of _Florence_? _Ebrahim_ presently makes haste to them, and
shews them the Letters; (they were writ in might such a Character that
a Child ten Years old have read them;) but both those Secretaries, when
they saw the Letter was superscrib’d to me, threw it back again before
they had well look’d upon it; alledging, in Excuse, that such kind of
Letters could be read by none, unless by him who had another Cypher to
unfold them. This was all the Answer _Ebrahim_ could get of them. Upon
his Return to the _Bashaws_ therewith, they could not tell what in the
World to do: At last, starts up one (I could not tell his Name) saying,
there is a Patriarch in Town, and old Man, and a _Christian_, and,
besides, a great Scholar; if any Man can read these Letters, it must be
he. When they came to the Patriarch, he told them, he could not read a
Tittle of them, for they were not writ in _Greek_, _Latin_, _Hebrew_ or
_Chaldee_. Thus they were disappointed there also. At last, _Haly Bassa_
runs to _Rustan_ (otherwise a Man not ready to jest) and says to him
_Cardassi_ (Brother in _Turkish_), I remember, I had once a Servant, an
_Italian_, who was skilled in all Letters and Tongues, I do not question
but he could have read the Letter; but, alas! he is lately dead. At
last, they being at a stand what to do, thought it best to send the
Letters, which they could make no use of, to me. I knew all the Matter
by _Ebrahim_ beforehand, (neither could it be kept secret); whereupon I
began to stamp and fret that they had intercepted my Letters against the
Law of Nations, and in Contempt of _Cæsar_ who sent them; and, withal, I
bid _Ebrahim_ stay, and to Morrow he should see that Letter translated
for the _Bashaws_. The next day, when _Ebrahim_ appeared in the _Divan_,
they asked of him, whether I could read those Letters? Read them, says
he! as easily as his own Name; and thereupon he produced some of them
translated before them, _viz._ what I had a mind to discover. Whereupon,
says _Rustan_, this Ambassador is but a young Man, and yet we see he can
understand what the old Patriarch could not so much as read; without
doubt, if he live to be old, he will prove a very _Nonsuch_ of a Man. For
that reason it was, or perhaps some other, that a while after, having
Conference with _Rustan_ about our Affairs, he treated me more familiarly
than he used to do, (which was a rare thing in him) and at last he ask’d
me, why I would not turn to their Religion, and to the true Worship of
God? If I would do so, he promised me great Honour and a large Reward
from their Emperor _Solyman_. I told him, I was resolved to continue in
that Religion, wherein I was born, and which my Master, _Cæsar_, did
profess. Be it so, replied he; but what then will become of your Soul? I
subjoined, I hope well for that too; whereupon he, after a little Pause,
broke forth into these Words. ’Tis true, indeed, and I am almost of your
Mind, that they who live holy and modest Lives in this present World,
shall obtain eternal Life in the next, be they of what Religion they
will. That’s an Heresy, that some of the _Turks_ have taken up, neither
is _Rustan_ thought to be a true _Mussulman_ in all Points. The _Turks_
thinks it a Duty, and a work of Piety in them, to persuade a _Christian_
they have any good Opinion of, to their Religion; for then they think,
they shall save a Soul from Destruction, and that they count a great
Honour to themselves, and the greatest Charity they can do another Man,
to make him a Convert to their Religion.
I shall now acquaint you with the Effects of another Conference I had
with _Rustan_, whereby you may see what daily Feuds are between the
_Turks_ and _Persians_, upon the account of Religion. He ask’d me, one
time, whether the War did continue between _Spain_ and _France_? I told
him, it did. ’Tis strange, says he, that they should fall out that are of
one and the same Religion: I replied, ’tis no otherwise between those two
Princes, than ’tis betwixt _you_ and the _Persians_. The Dispute is not
about Religion, but about civil Right; Provinces, Cities and Kingdoms,
which both lay claim to. You are quite mistaken, says _Rustan_, we are
not of the same Religion with the _Persians_, but do count them a more
Profane and _Heathenish_ sort of People than you _Christians_ are. But to
return to the Affairs of _Hungary_.
Since my last Return to _Constantinople_, Matters in _Hungary_ have
received a very great Alteration, it would be too tedious to describe
them particularly; and, besides, it were not conducive to my Design.
_Isabella_, Wife to King _John_, is returned into _Transilvania_,
together with her Son, having refused the Transactions and broken the
League made with the Emperor _Ferdinand_; and the _Transilvanians_,
terrified by the _Turkish_ Arms, have again submitted their Necks to
the old _Ottoman_ Yoke. Matters succeeding thus prosperously with the
_Turks_, they are not therewith contented, but grasp at all _Hungary_
too; and, besides other Places, they resolved to besiege _Sigeth_, which
signifies in the _Hungarian_ Language, an _Island_, or Place naturally
very strongly situated. And for this purpose they chose a General, who,
upon the account of the Prosperity of his Arms in former times, created
great Confidence in his own Men, and struck as much Terror into his
Enemy: His Name was _Haly Bassa_, an _Epirot_, who had had good Success
in _Hungary_ before, and especially in the Battel, wherein he overthrew
_Sforza Palavicino_, and the Bishop of Five Churches. He was sent for
from the utmost Bounds of the _Turkish_ Empire towards _Persia_, and came
with great Expectation to _Constantinople_: My Collegues were yet here
with me, pressing for a Dismission. ’Twas the pleasure of the _Bashaws_
that we should see him, in regard we counted him, as they thought, the
very Thunder-bolt of War.
When we came to him, he received us courteously, and made a great
Harangue to this purpose: That, “we should study Peace, and rather than
suffer _Hungary_ to be wasted with Fire and Sword, we should accept those
Conditions, which the _Grand Seignior_ had offered us.” We answered him,
that “we desired nothing more than Peace; provided it might be had upon
tolerable Conditions; but those which they offered, were against the
Honour and Dignity of our Master.” Thus we took our leaves, after he had
treated us with a Cup of Water diluted with Sugar. This _Haly_ was an
Eunuch, but the Constitution of his Body did seem to add to the vigour of
his Mind: He was low of Stature, bloted in his Body, of a Bay-coloured
Countenance, a sour Look, frowning Eyes, broad Shoulders and sticking up,
between which stood his Head, as in a Valley. Two Teeth were prominent
in his Mouth, like Boar’s Tusks, his Voice hoarse; in a Word, he was the
Fourth Fury.
The Day after he makes great Preparation for his Expedition into
_Hungary_; where having spent some Time to provide Materials, he at
last marches against _Sigeth_, and beats off those which were repairing
_Babock_, a Castle of _Cæsar_’s; but _Cæsar_, being acquainted long
before with his Design, lends _Ferdinand_, one of his three Sons, a young
Man, yet comparable, for greatness of Mind, to any of the old Generals,
to oppose the Torrent of _Haly Bassa_’s Force, and by his Valour to
retrieve Affairs in _Hungary_: He had no great Forces with him, but with
a select Body of Horse he faces _Haly_’s Army; the _Turks_ that were
present, related to me, that ’twas a goodly Sight to behold the Splendor,
Order and Boldness of those Forces. _Haly_, being naturally of a fierce
Disposition, and having a far greater Army, was even mad to think that a
handful of _Christians_ should dare to look him in the Face.
There was a moorish Piece of Ground between both Armies, which could not
be passed without great Danger; _Ferdinand_ had no need to pass it, for
his Design was only to relieve _Sigeth_, and to raise the Siege: But
_Haly Bassa_, was not in the same Circumstances; for, unless he would
make a base and unhandsome Retreat (as the Event afterwards shewed) ’twas
altogether necessary for him to do it; So that he, seeing to what Straits
he was brought, resolved to put all upon hazard, and accordingly he bent
his Bridle, to turn his Horse towards that inconvenient Place; when,
behold! one of the _Sanziacks_, that was near him, whose Name I remember
not, taking Notice of the extream Danger he was running into, leap’d from
his Horse, and taking the _Bashaw_’s Horse by the Bridle, _Sultan_, says
he (for so the _Turks_ call the great Dignitaries among them) _Here you
see into what a Jeopardy you were like to cast both yourself and your
whole Army; you don’t consider what an incommodious Place this Marish
is: The ~Christians~ are ready on the other side with Arms in Hand and
Courage in their Hearts, to receive us, when we are half drowned and half
covered with Mud; and thus they in good Order will assault us, being
disordered and out of our Ranks, and will make use of all our Imprudence,
to obtain a most assured Victory over us: Nay, rather moderate your
Anger, and return to yourself and reserve so many brave Men, with
yourself for the Service of your Prince, and for better Times._ Upon this
Speech, _Haly_, as if he had recollected himself, drew back; and there
was not any _Turk_ amongst them, but was forced to confess, that the
whole Army was sav’d by the Advice of that _Sanziack_.
When this matter was carried to _Constantinople_, though the _Vizier_
and the Chief _Bashaws_ could not deny the Thing, yet they thought it
dangerous to suffer the Example of so audacious a Fact in the _Sanziack_
to pass unpunished: ’Tis true, they did mutteringly commend both his
Fidelity and his Prudence; yet to suffer Disobedience to a superior
Officer to pass without due Punishment, they thought it a dangerous Case
in Military Discipline, so that he was called back to _Constantinople_,
and there was cashiered for a Time; and when this Offence was
sufficiently punished, as they thought, they bestowed upon him as good a
Command; so that every Body saw his Punishment was inflicted rather for
the preservation of the Discipline of War, than for any dire Merit of his
Offence.
_Haly_, a while after, having lost a great Part of his Army, by the
Charges and Ambuscades of the _Hungarians_, made an ignoble and shameful
Retreat to _Buda_, where for very Grief he breathed out his hateful Soul.
But Arch-duke _Ferdinand_, on the other side, returned to _Ferdinand_ his
Father, with the deserved Laurel of Victory, having performed an Exploit,
not only of great Advantage for the present, but of much greater Benefit
to future Ages, by the Example it gave; for hereby he made the _Turks_ to
know that if they proceeded on to press upon _Cæsar_, he wanted neither
able Soldiers, nor expert Commanders to chastise their Insolency.
Yet the _Turks_ of those Borders did not carry it with any great Modesty;
for, while _Haly_ was yet encamped at _Sigeth_, our Men had scaled the
Walls of _Gran_, and taken the City, having a Castle near it of the
same Name, where they got a great deal of Booty, and carried away the
Inhabitants, being mostly Women and Children.
A Messenger was sent immediately to _Haly_, to acquaint him of the
Loss; who coming into his Presence, by the very Consternation of his
Countenance portended some great Mischief to have happened to them. The
_Bassa_ presently asked him, how Things went? and what was the Cause of
his great Fear? _Sir_, says he, _the Enemy hath taken and plundered
~Gran~; which great Blow occasions my Grief_. _A Blow, Fool_, says the
_Bassa_! _tell me of a Blow when I have lost my Genitals_ (to which he
pointed with his Hand) _that shew me to be a Man_. Thus did he scoff
at the Consternation of the Messenger, not without the Laughter of
the By-standers, and undervalued the Loss of _Gran_, which was easily
recoverable.
Moreover, in _Croatia_ and the adjoyning Countries, several Inroads were
made by both Parties, and each side did alternately suffer for their
over-boldness and supine Security. Let me give you an Instance, which,
as it gave me joy, will not, I dare say, be unpleasant, to you to hear
of. It happened, indeed, some what before the Passage at _Sigeth_ lately
mentioned; but in Writing an Epistle, I do not strictly observe the Order
of Time.
News was brought to _Rustan_, from those Parts, that a certain Confident
of his, whom he highly esteemed, and called Cousin, had fallen upon a
Party of _Christians_, as they were celebrating a Wedding, and being
at a sufficient Distance, as they thought, from the _Turks_, counted
themselves secure; when behold this bold and unwelcome Guest, with Armed
Forces, came in upon them, spoiled their Mirth, slew some, and took some
Prisoners, among whom was the unfortunate Bridegroom, with his un-bedded
Spouse: _Rustan_ did much rejoyce at this Exploit, and in all Companies
highly commended the Stratagem of his Kinsman, for performing it.
A pitiful Case, you will say, rather to be lamented than related: But
these are the Tragical Sports of insolent Fortune; yet Revenge followed
him at the Heels, _Rustan_’s Laughter was soon turned to Sadness: For a
little while after one of the _Deli’s_, or mad Sparks, a sort of furious
Horsemen among the _Turks_, so called by their outragious Boldness, came
post to him out of _Dalmatia_, and told him, that a parcel of _Turks_ had
made an Excursion into the Enemies Country, and had got great Booty, but
seting no bounds to their Avarice, they, at last were encountered with
a Party of _Christians_, _Dragoons_ or _Musketeers_, who totally routed
them, slew many _Sanziacks_, and among them his _Achillean_ Cousin,
lately so much extolled by him. This sad News made _Rustan_ burst out
into Tears, so that his fit of Laughter was justly requited. But hearken
to the close of the Story, which is not unpleasant: When this _Dalmatian_
Trooper, who brought the News, was asked by the _Bassa_, in the _Divan_,
How many were there of you? He answered, above two thousand five hundred:
And how many of the _Christians_? I think, says he, they were not above
five hundred, unless there were more of them in ambush, as we suspected.
Fie for Shame, said the fretting _Bassas_! what! a regular Army of
_Mussulmans_ (so they call the Men of their own Religion) to be beaten
by so small a handful of _Christians_! You are goodly Warriors indeed!
fit to eat the _Sultan_’s Bread, are, you not? The blunt Fellow, nothing
dismay’d, replied, you are quit beside the Cushion; did I not tell you
that we were beaten by Musketeers? ’Twas the Fire defeated us, not the
Valour of our Enemies. We had come off Conquerors, if we had contested by
Valour only; but who can fight against Fire, the fiercest of Elements?
and what Mortal can stand, if the very Elements fight against him? This
bold Answer of his, being as saucily pronounced, made the By-standers
ready to burst out into a Laughter, though on this sad occasion to them.