The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
[Sidenote: The ambassador goeth to the court with the present.] The
Ascension with her flags and streamers, as aforesaid, repaired nigh vnto
the place where the ambassador should land to go vp to the Seraglio: for
you must vnderstand that all Christian ambassadors haue their dwelling in
Pera where most Christians abide, from which place, except you would go 4
or 5 miles about, you cannot go by land to Constantinople, whereas by Sea
it is litle broder then the Thames. Our Ambassador likewise apparelled in a
sute of cloth of siluer, with an vpper gowne of cloth of gold, accompanied
with 7 gentlemen in costly sutes of Sattin, with 40 other of his men very
well apparelled, and all in one liuerie of sad French russet cloth gownes,
at his house tooke boate: at whose landing the ship discharged all her
ordinance, where likewise attended 2 Bassas, with 40 or 50 Chauses to
accompany the ambassador to the court, and also horses for the ambassador
and his gentlemen, very richly furnished, with Turkish seruants attendant
to take the horses when they should light. [Sidenote: The Ambass. came to
the Seraglio.] The ambassador thus honorably accompanied, the Chauses
foremost, next his men on foote all going by two and two, himselfe last
with his Chause and Drugaman or Interpreter, and 4 Ianissaries, which he
doeth vsually entertaine in his house to accompany him continually abroad,
came to the Seraglio about an Engush mile from the water side, where first
hee passed a great gate into a large court (much like the space before
Whitehall gate) where he with his gentlemen alighted and left their horses.
From hence they passed into an other stately court, being about 6 score in
bredth, and some 10 score yards long, with many trees in it: where all the
court was with great pompe set in order to entertaine our ambassador.
[Sidenote: All these are captaines of hundreds and of fifties.] Vpon the
right hand all the length of the court was a gallerie arched ouer, and
borne vp with stone pillars, much like the Roiall Exchange, where stood
most of his guard in rankes from the one end to the other in costly aray,
with round head pieces on their heads of mettall and gilt ouer, with a
great plume of fethers somewhat like a long brush standing vp before. On
the left hand stood the Cappagies or porters, and the Chauses. All these
courtiers being about the number of 2000. (as I might well gesse) most of
them apparelled in cloth of gold, siluer, veluet, sattin and scarlet, did
together with bowing their bodies, laying their hands vpon their brests in
curteous maner of salutation, entertain the Ambassador: who likewise
passing between them, and turning himself sometime to the right hand and
sometime to the left, answered them with the like. [Sidenote: The
ambassador receiued by the Vizir with all kindnesse.] As he thus passed
along, certaine Chauses conducted him to the Douan, which is the seat of
Iustice, where certaine dayes of the weeke the grand Vizir, with the other
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