[167] Postel, iii. 21. [168] _Ibid._ 20. [169] Ricaut, 128 ff. [170] The general Ottoman attitude on this point is shown by Schiltberger, 73: Mohammed “has also ordered, that when they overcome Christians, they should not kill them; but they should pervert them, and should thus spread and strengthen their own faith.” _Tractatus_, ch. xi, says, “Turci neminem cogunt Fidem suam negare, nec multum instant de hoc alicui persuadendo, nec magnam aestimationem faciunt de his qui negant.” The last clause of this testimony, however, is contrary to practically all other sources. Conversion seems sometimes to have been forced as an alternative to death when a Christian had offended greatly against the Mohammedan faith (Lonicerus, i. 123; see also D’Ohsson, vii. 327). Some writers, however, assert that circumcision, the outward mark of acceptance of Islam, was regularly enforced upon the tribute boys (Chesneau, 41; J. Soranzo, 245; Morosini, as quoted above, p. 41). Heidborn, 128, says that conversion was not anciently enforced on a large scale, _except_ for the recruiting of Janissaries. [171] Ricaut, 46 ff. [172] Schiltberger, 74; La Broquière, 219; Spandugino, 249. Ricaut, 152, says that great inducement was offered the common people to become Turks; they obtained honor and the privilege to domineer and injure with impunity, and they became in the fashion. [173] _Tractatus_, ch. xi, quoted above. [174] D’Ohsson, vi. 59; Ricaut, 148. [175] _Tractatus_, ch. v; Nicolay, 86. [176] Ricaut, 284. [177] Bernardo, 367; Zane, as quoted above, p. 42. See also Jorga, iii. 188. [178] Busbecq, _Life and Letters_, i. 235. [179] Nicolay, 160-161. [180] Menavino, 244. [181] _Tractatus_, ch. xxi. [182] Hammer, _Geschichte_, ii. 351. [183] Georgevitz (before 1552), 40, “De Ordine Peditum”; Ranke, 19-20; Barbaro (1573), 305. 317. Selim II, on his accession granted to the Janissaries the formal privilege of entering their sons in the corps; for the Persian war of 1594 the corps was opened to other Turks and all Moslems. By 1592, the majority of the Janissaries were said to be sons of Turks; Bernardo, 332. See also Knolles (ed. 1687), 985. [184] Postel, iii. 20. [185] _Kanun-namch_ of Mohammed II, printed in Hammer’s _Staatsverfassung_, 94. [186] Hammer’s _Geschichte_, i. 94. [187] See p. 49. [188] Spandugino (1517), 108, says that the Janissaries are not allowed to marry. He was probably wrong. Certainly some were married soon after his time: Ramberti (1534), below, p. 249; Junis Bey (1537), below, p. 267; Nicolay (1551), 92. [189] Ricaut, 366. [190] The resemblance of the Janissaries to monks is noticed by Busbecq, _Life and Letters_, i. 88, and Tavernier, 12. [191] Ricaut, 151. [192] One careful observer thought that this might be true of the whole Ottoman nation. _Ibid._, but in the middle of the fifteenth century contrary testimony was given (_Tractatus_, ch. xi). [193] See the calculation above, p. 49.