Travels into Turkey: Containing the most accurate account of the Turks, and neighbouring nations, their manners, customs, religion, superstition, policy, riches, coins, &c.Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
History
Travels into Turkey: Containing the most accurate account of the Turks, and neighbouring nations, their manners, customs, religion, superstition, policy, riches, coins, &c.
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
Turkey -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
I was detained at _Buda_ a long Time, by reason of the Sickness of the
Bashaw; ’twas thought his Disease was Grief, which he had conceived
for the Loss of a great Sum of Money, which was stolen from the Place
in which he had hid it, for he was commonly reported to be a Penurious
and Sordid-spirited Man. When he heard, that I had brought the Heer
_William Quacquelben_ with me, a great Philosopher, and an excellent
Physician too, he earnestly intreated me, that he might give him a Visit
to administer some Physick to him, in order to his Cure. I easily granted
his Request, but soon after, was almost ready to repent of my Facility:
For the Bashaw grew worse and worse, and, ’twas thought, he would not
have recovered; so that I was afraid, if he had died, the _Turks_ would
say, my Physician had kill’d him, and by that means, the good Man might
have run a great Hazard, and I myself also might have born Part of the
Infamy, as being accessary thereunto; but it pleased God to free me from
this Anxiety, by restoring the Bashaw to his Health.
’Twas at _Buda_ I got the first Sight of the _Janizaries_, so the
_Turks_ call the Prætorian Foot; their Number, when it is fullest, is
twelve Thousand, and their Prince disperses them all over his Dominions,
either to Garrison his Forts against an Enemy, or to be a Safeguard to
_Christians_ and _Jews_, against the injurious Rage of the Multitude; for
there is no well Inhabited Village, Town, or City, wherein there are not
some or other of these _Janizarias_, to protect _Christians_, _Jews_,
and other helpless Persons, from the Fury of the Rabble. The Castle of
_Buda_ is always Garrison’d by them; their Habit is a long Garment down
to their Ankles, upon their Heads they wear the Sleeve of a Coat, or
Cloak (for from thence, as they say, the Pattern was drawn) their Head
is put into part of it, and part of it hangs down behind, flapping upon
their Shoulders; in the Front, or Fore-part of it, there ariseth a
Silver-Cone, somewhat long, gilt over with Gold, and wrought with Jewels,
but they were of an ordinary Sort. These _Janizaries_ usually came to
me by Couples; when they were admitted into my Dining-Room, they bowed
down their Heads and made Obeisance, and presently they ran hastily to
me, and touched either my Garment, or my Hand, as if they would have
kissed it; and then forced upon me a Bundle, or Nosegay of _Hyacinths_ or
_Narcissus_’s, and presently they retired backward, with equal Speed, to
the Door, that so they might not turn their Backs upon me, (for that is
accounted undecent, by the Rules of their Order) when they came to the
Door, there they stood, with a great deal of Modesty and Silence, with
their Hands upon their Breasts, and fixing their Eyes upon the Ground,
so that they seemed more like _our_ Monks, than _their_ Soldiers. But
when I had given them some Cash (which was the only Thing they aimed at)
they bowed their Heads again, and giving me Thanks with a loud Voice,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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