Eleventh Emperor of the Turfa.

i-g The Reign of
1644. Audience, he attended lèverai hoars without ad-
J million « yet when the Ambaflador of Rtgotski
come to the Vizier, be no fooncr entrcd the
Houfe thai» be was received : and at the fame
time it was told the Bailo, that he might retire,
for that there was no Place nor Seafon at prêtent
to afford him Audience. In the mean time ikrahım
hünfelf walked often to the Arfenal» to for-
. ward and haften his Preparations, laying an Embargo
on all Strangers Venelsin all Ports of the
Ottoman Dominions. Orders were likewife
difpatched to Thebes., Mgn*/»/*, and other
Parts of GrHctt for making Bisket v and to the
Afaemfot cut-ting and fqtiaring of Timbers, and
facking Wools to fill up Trench« ; inali which
Rumor and Stir, there was no other difcourfe
bat oM/*/M,and of throwing that Wand into the
Sea with the Shovel and Mattock, and rendring
it the molt dreadful Example in the World of
H the Ottoman Rage and Greatneß. s?1
With fuch preludes as thefe, began a War of
lang continuance, maintained with various Succelfes
for divers Years , the fatal HJùe whereof,
we our Grives have İçen and hcardi But it is
ftrange to confider, that an Exploit fo Martial
as this, mould commence in the Reign öf ä Sultan
wholly given up to his Pleafurea, and fa
iwallowcd in Senfuality, that all thole luxurious
and wanton Actions which are recounted
of SardanaçalM and Btliogabalus, are flat and
I faint Similitudes of that prodigious Effeminacy^
inwliich this Sultan outdid all other Examples of
former Ages..
Amber was the common Perlâmes which bur*
ned perpetually in the Womens Apartments,
and the common Sauce to molt of his Viands *,
not perhapsbecaufc it4ò muchpleafèdhh Pa-"
late, as that it was a provocative, and incitement
to his Laite.
And this puts me in mind ofVStory I have
heard of an Englilh Merchant, living then at
H Galata, who was Mafter of a rare piece of Ambtrgriefêy
which was in form like a Pyramid ;
the News whereof was told to the Grand Signior
late at Night, when the Smoke of the Perfumes
bgan to abate: Which lb loon as he heard,
though it was near Midnight, he difpatched a
Melienger to call the* Merchant with his Arabergriefe
, who being knocked out of his Bed in
hafte, by the importunity of the Officer, came
to the Seraglio Gate two hours before Day ,
whete he attended until it was broad Light, and
then, without more words, found a Market for
his Amber, and before his departure received 13
thou fand Dollars. The Female Court was then
. ortreamly rich and fplcndid, all Italy was fcarce
able to fupply it with Silks, and Cloth of Gold »
fi> that the Trade was in tholê days flourilhing
above other Times, and gave great employment
to Englilh Shipping : and lb impatient were the
Women for their Gay Cloaths, that fo foon as
the News of a Ship from /recarne, and that
flic was arrived within the Caftles of the Utile*
fpottr, bat there detained by contrary Winds,
Gallics were immediately dilpatched to bring up
their Silks, which they oftentimes forced away
without any Account dr Price made with the
Merchant , of which that worthy Gentleman,
Sir Themat ßerutyjb then Ambaflador, complaining
to the Vraier, and finding no other Relief
than good Words, refblved od an Expedient of
making known his Caufc to the Grand Signior,
which was this.
In Tnrkie they haveaCuftom, that when any
one receives a notable Injury, or In juftice, from
the Chief and Great Minillers of State, they
m Ibrahim,
put Fire on their Heads, and running to the -1644-
Grand Signior, no Man can hinder or deny them v/v^-'
accefs to his pretence, in like manner the Enfr
lidi Ambaflador not being able to obtain Satisfaction
from the Vizier» tn return to his many
Complaints, drew ont all the Englilh Ships in £>*lata,
which were then thirteen in number, and
dra w i ng in their Guns, and Ihotting the Ports,
put fire on every Yard-Arm of their Ships» ana
came to an Anchor juffc before the Seraglio,
The Cuitomer being the firft that elpyed this
unufual fight» immediately apprehended the
Reaibn, and fent to acquaint the Vizier thereof
in all hafte -, the Vizier- likewîfè fearful left the
Complaints fbonld by this means come to the
Grana Signiòr's Ear, lent the Cuftomer aboard
with a confiderable part of the Mony, and defined
that the Fires might be cxringuilhed, promiiing
faithfully to comply id paiment of the
rej } hereupon Confutation being had between
the Ambaflador and the Merchants» the Ships
returned to their Stations» not teeming td HaW
been taken notice of by thofe in the Seraglio.
And notwithftanding the great number of
Women Within the Seraglio, all which were at
the Devotion of the Sultan i yet Ibrahim not be-»
ing contented herewith, patting one day to Sta*
**r*\ had by chance cafe his eye On an object which
much pleated bim : what it was, becomes not
chemodefty of my Pen to relate, bot being returned
to his Seraglio, he lent Orders to the Vizier,
to lèek ont for bim the biggefl-, and belt
proportioned Woman which was to be found iti
all Ctmfiannnmle., and the parts thereabouts.
Hereupon Emiflàrîçs were dilpatched into all
Quarter« of the City *, at length they happily
procured a hàgé"'tall Armenian Woman, weft
proportioned according to her height, and a
G fante fs for her Stature t which being found*
fhe was prefently warned and perfumed in tha
Bath, and a9 richly Cloathed and Adorned as the
fhortnefs of time would permit : There was
no great difficulty to perfwade her to become .
Turk, having fo high preferment in ber profpett.
So that being introduced to the Grand
Signior's pretence, he became immediately Enamoured,
and was fo pleafcd wich her Society,
that he preferred her before all the Women of
his Court, an Evidence whereof he gave» in;
that he could not deny her in any requeft fhe
could make, and particularly about that time
the Pafiialuck of Damafem being void, this Wo*
man begged it for her fell, fubftitut ing another
in the Office, who was accountable to her for all
the Profits and Emoluments thereof: By thefè
particulars of favour the Queen-Mother becoming
jealous, one day inviting her to Dinner,
canted her to be ftrangled, and perfwaded Ibrahim
that fhe died fuddenly of a violent Sickncfs»
at which he poor Man was greatly afflicted.
; But not to inûft long on thefe luxurious Partîmes,
we fhall return again to Matters of higher
Concernment : Ibrahim had now under flood,
that the Venetians growing jealous of his Preparations,
began likewife to Arm, and provide
fortheworlr, which being in no* wife pleading
to the Turks, who were apprehenfive that their
Marine Forces confuted molt in furprize, caufed
Ibrahim to complain of the Defoive Poitarc
in which they Arrayed themfelvü, alledging,
that Suspicions of this Nature argued no hearty
Difpoiition towards their Friends -, nor was any
thing more contrary to a good Correfoondence,
or more difobliging than fuch like jealOufies,
which oft-times beget that Enmity which was
never defigned ; and farther it was judged neccf- _