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 preceed then to other Matters, and shall give you an Example of the
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account