A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the high Places and Authority of Baſhaws, what great Courts they keep, and how they adminiſter their Offices; as alſo of their way of living, of their Priviledges, of their Manners and Converſation.
THE City of Halepo (which ſome conſidering the Name and Situation believe to be the Town Chalibon of Ptolomaeus ſituated in Chalibonitis) is ſubject unto the Turkiſh Emperor, together with all the adjacent places, wherefore he keepeth a Baſhaw in it, which is to rule it, and the whole Province according to his Will and Pleaſure. Now as the Baſhaws are almoſt the chiefeſt and higheſt under the Emperor, ſo they keep according to their Station and Dignity, their Courts as great as the Princes do in our Country (according as they have great or ſmall Provinces. So they have under them their chief Commanders, as Sangiacks, Bolucſ-baſhaws and others, which are continually with them go with them to their Temples, or any other place where-ever they have a mind to go, in great flocks, both on Foot, and on Horſe-back, which by their ſeveral Habits are to be diſtinguiſhed, but chiefly the Bolucsbaſhaw, which as Captains have an Hundred Janiſaries under them, which in coſtly Cloaths, and high Heads with Feathers, run on Foot like Lacqueys by their Maſter. They have alſo beſides their Court, as well as the Emperour himſelf, peculiar Lodgings for their Concubines, which they either have pick'd up here and there out of Towns and Countries, or elſe taken in time of War by Sea and Land from Chriſtians and other Nations; wherefore they keep many Eunuchs to attend them conſtantly. They take great delight in Hunting, and go often ſeveral Days Journeys after it: If they take Wild Boars, they give them (becauſe they are by their Laws forbid to eat them) to the Chriſtians, which maketh the Turks often to mock them in the Streets, crying out and calling them Chanſir quibir, that is, great Boars or Hog-eaters. Although the Baſhaws are great Perſons, that Command over Cities and Countries, yet they are rckoned to be, like others, but Slaves to their Maſter, that have nothing of their own, that they can bequeath to their Heirs or Poſterity after their deceaſe, as our Princes can, becauſe the Emperour after their deceaſe taketh Poſſeſſion of all their viſible Eſtates, and allows only to their Children an Annuity: Nay, if their Sultan Commands them to go from one place to an Inferiour one, or to leave their Dignity quite and clean, they muſt obey immediately, if they will not run themſelves into greater Inconveniencies or Dangers. This is the Reaſon that ſuch Perſons, although Rich, ſeldom build great Buildings, ſo that you ſee none in all the Country, except it be a Chappel, or a Champ, which they build to be remembred by: They rather keep their Riches in Gold and Silver, which can be hid, and ſo ſecretly given to their Poſterity. They beſtow but very little upon Jacks, for they are too Covetous, neither have they many Work-men that are able to ſet them. Theſe Baſhaws being altogether for their own Advantage, that ſtrive to get Wealth, their Subjects muſt needs ſuffer very much under them, but chiefly Strangers, that live there to Traffick, as Italians, Frenchmen, &c. whereby between them and the Baſhaws (that mind their own and not the Publick Good) ariſe often great Differences, and they muſt have ſuffered great damage, if their Soveraigns, to prevent theſe things, and that their Subjects may deal ſecurely, had not taken care to ſend them diſcreet and prudent Men, which are called Conſuls, endued with great Priviledges from the Grand Signior, to hear their Complaints, and to protect them againſt any Aſſaulters. It happened in my time, while I ſtaid there, that great Differences aroſe between the Conſul of Venice, and the new Baſhaw, who was ſent thither, inſtead of the deceaſed one, in the Year 75. the 6th. day of March, who came in to take Poſſeſſion with a great number of Horſe and Foot. At his Arrival the Conſul of Venice went (accompanied with a great number of Merchants in great State) to meet him, to bid him Welcom, and preſented him with Fourteen Cloaths Richly wrought of Silk, deſiring him to take his Country-men into his Protection, that they might Trade and deal ſafely under him. The Baſhaw looking upon the Cloaths, behaved himſelf very unkindly, and looking upon them to be very inconſiderable, he not only refuſed them, but anſwered the Conſul very ſcornfully. So it often happens that theſe great Perſons come to differ, and purſue their Differences ſo far, that at laſt it muſt be brought before the Emperour and his Court. If they find that the Baſhaw is in the wrong, he is immediately puniſhed (not regarding his great Authority) according to the default, either in Money, or elſe, if it be a great Crime, he muſt loſe his Life for it; which is the oftner done, becauſe they depend very much upon Traffick, which bringeth the Emperour in yearly a very great Revenue. Yet notwithſtanding they are puniſhed ſo ſeverely ſometimes, the Pride and Ambition of the Baſhaws is ſo great, that to uphold their Greatneſs, they will not ceaſe to ſtrive by any means after Riches and great Wealth, which their Subjects (not to ſpeak of Strangers) find daily, whom they ſqueeze and preſs, chiefly if they find them Rich, to that degree, that they cannot come to any thing, nor thrive under them: Moreover they draw, after the deceaſe of their Rich Subjects, for the moſt part, the greateſt ſhare of what they leave, into their own Purſes; ſo that ſuch Perſons do not take Pains, nor beſtow any great Coſt to build their Houſes, or to till their Grounds, as we do in our Country. They have commonly in Market-Towns and Villages, low Houſes or Halls, whereof many are ſo covered with Hills, that you cannot ſee them, before you are quite at them. When you come into them, you find neither Chairs, nor Stools, nor Tables, only a couple of pieces of Tapeſtry ſpread, whereon they ſit after their faſhion; and inſtead of Feather-Beds (whereof they make no uſe at all) they have Mats and Quilts, which they fold together in the Day, and hang them up in a corner, at Night they ſpread them out again to ſleep on them: They have no occaſion for Sheets, to cover themſelves as we do, nor for any Towels neither, for inſtead of them they uſe long pieces of Rags, which they hang about their naked Necks, or hang them at their Girdles. We ſee ſometimes in their Houſes, above all in the Country, ſeveral ſtrange-ſhaped Earthen Veſſels, which cover whole ſides of the Wall in their Rooms, which their Relations uſe to Preſent them with at their Wedding, which to pleaſe them, they uſe to put up, and to keep there, rather for their Remembrance, than to make any other uſe of them. In their Kitchen they have very few Utenſils, perhaps a few Pipkins, Pans, and Trenchers, for they boyl all their Victuals in one Pot together, that their Maids may not have many to cleanſe, or to put up.
Concerning their Cloaths, they beſtow not very much upon them, although they be well to paſs, for they love Money ſo well, that they will rather ſpend a whole day in contending for a Penny, than pay it willingly: Wherefore a Man that will Travel through theſe Countries, muſt have his Purſe well ſtored, and keep it very cloſe, that no body may know its worth, but chiefly he muſt have a care of the Jews, which are not to be truſted, if you will eſcape great danger: They will not only do nothing for you without Reward, but if they ſuſpect you to have any Money, they will endeavour to get it from you. Wherefore thoſe that take a Pilgrimage into the Holy Land, and go in pitiful Cloaths, are not much troubled by them. The Courtiers of the Baſhaws, and amongſt the reſt chiefly the Eunuchs and Dwarfs, &c. whereof they have ſeveral, go in their Taffety and Sattin Cloaths, which are long, and very well trimmed, wherewith their Maſter furniſheth them, being Gifts from others, which he diſtributeth among them. The Souldiers, Spahees, Janiſaries, &c. commonly have blew woollen Cloaths from the Court, and they live of their Pay, that is, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 Medins, (which are abut three Farthings apiece) more or leſs (according as their Places are) which are paid them daily, as well in Peace as in War-time: If they can get any thing elſe, by Excurſions and Fighting, from their Enemies, it is well for them. The Souldiers commonly wear white Turbants on their Heads, and ſo do all Turks, and put painted Paper underneath them, chiefly when they go into the War, believing if they wear them they cannot be hurt nor wounded. On their Turbants they commonly wear Cranes Feathers, that others may believe them to be Valiant Souldiers, and that by their Number People may gueſs that either they have been in ſo many Campagnes, or elſe killed ſo many Chriſtians. Beſides theſe Turbants the Janiſaries have alſo Hats with high Crowns, called Zarcellas, made of white Felt, which they wear inſtead of Helmets, when they are in waiting, or go out to the War, theſe have before on the fore-head a gilded Sheath, ſet without with Granats Rubies, Turkey-ſtones, and other Jewels, (yet of no great value) wherein they put their Feathers. They (and alſo other Turks and Moors) let no Hair grow upon their Heads, but as ſoon as it grows they ſhave it again, only behind they keep a lock, which hangs down a pretty way: They let their Beards grow now, which they uſed formerly to cut off, ſo that now for ſome Years they have worn huge great Muſtachies. In War time they carry Muſquets, and in Peace (chiefly when they are in waiting) their long Poles. They are alſo allowed to Marry, and beſides their Wives, to keep any they take Priſoners in the War, or elſe to ſell them to any body. When they are at home they are great lovers of Wine, and when they can come at it, that no body ſees them, they will drink more without mixture than any other Nation: But in time of War, when they are in Expedition, they can live very ſparingly, and will March all day long before they will Refreſh themſelves. Yet to ſpeak the truth, theſe, and almoſt all Souldiers (becauſe they are as well paid in Peace as in War) are no more ſo ready to take the Field, and to change a quiet Life for a troubleſome one, or a ſecure one for a dangerous, as they they have been in former Ages, being uſed to Lazineſs for a great while together. Beſides the Power and Strength of the Turks is reckoned much inferiour to that of the Chriſtians, for we are better armed with Muſquets and Pikes, to keep them off at a diſtance, that they may not be able to come in with us to Club-Law, and ſo over-power us; for if their Enemy doth not give way at the firſt On-ſet, they turn their backs and run away. But that notwithſtanding all this, we gain nothing from the Turks, but they rather from us; the reaſon is (not to mention our manifold Tranſgreſſions) rather our great Diviſions and Contentions, which hinder us from going out with ſuch an Army as is neceſſary, and we might otherways do. Wherefore the Turks come out the bolder, to frighten and to plague us, and make uſe of all ſorts of Stratagems, to amuſe us, or to draw us into an Ambuſh, by purſuing them, and when they think we are almoſt tired, they fall upon us with a multitude of freſh Men, to ſurround and to beat us. Nor do they value it, if they loſe one Regiment or another, becauſe there is enough of them, and they know how to have in the room of the Slain others again that will be very glad (becauſe of their Pay that they receive daily of their Prince out of his Provinces) to accept of it. It being then ſo that he doth not only maintain his own Provinces, but rather gains others, and enlarges his Dominions daily, we ought to be very careful; for the more he increaſeth, the more we are in danger. Thus he taketh one Town, Country, or Kingdom after another with his Sword, as we have ſeen hitherto in Europe (not to mention any thing of Aſia) not without great detriment and damage to all Chriſtians. So he cometh daily the longer the nearer to us, that at length we muſt expect no better Succeſs than Greece, Thracia, Servia, Boſnia, Hungary, and Wallachia, &c. which are brought into Slavery, under which ſome Perſons of Quality ſtill groan to this day. So I found at Aleppo an Ancient Queen of Wallachia with her Sons, whereof the Youngeſt was born after the King his Father's Death, who is maintained by a very ſmall Allowance from the Turkiſh Emperour. She is a very diſcreet Woman, and well skill'd in the Turkiſh and Arabian Languages. Her Subjects ſtill hope for her, that God Almighty will reſtore her to them again, that ſo their Slavery may have an end.
After the Turks have obtained a great Victory, they lift up their Hands, thank and praiſe God, and the Prophet Mahomet, God Almighty's dearly beloved Meſſenger, and pray further, that God may ſend Differences and Quarrels among us (that are againſt the Book Jugilis, as they call it, that is, the Book of the Goſpel) that the Magiſtrates may quarrel with the Subjects, and the Clergy with the Seculars, that from thence may ariſe ſuch Diſorders, that we may go on to tranſgreſs the Laws of God ſtill more and more; that our Belief in Meſſias may be extinguiſhed, and that all good Orders and Policies may be diſſolved: So that God may take from thence occaſion to make them further our Puniſhers to afflict us. And when they ſee that the Rich Men Oppreſs the Poor, that the Magiſtrates do not Protect the Juſt and Innocent, but that the Chief and Heads do ſtrive to ruin one another, then they rejoyce at our Misfortune and Miſery, and do not fear us in the leaſt to do them any Miſchief (which might eaſily be done if we were unanimous) but rather threaten what Miſchief they will do us.
When the Turks have taken a ſtrong Town, or a whole Country by the Sword, that they may keep them the eaſier in Subjection without a great Garriſon, Pains, or Danger, they Demoliſh the places that are not very ſtrong, and ſend away the Nobility and Chief Perſons, which otherwiſe might do them a great deal of Miſchief; and in the room of theſe they bring in Sangiacks, with their Souldiers, to keep the ſtrong places, and to take care of the Emperour's Revenue. So that in theſe places there is no Nobility, that come from any Ancient Races, and have their own Eſtates Hereditary and Deſcending from Heir to Heir: Which one may alſo ſuppoſe when he conſidereth that the Law of Mahomet alloweth to thoſe that adhere to it, to have four Wives at a time, beſides Concubines, or Slaves as many as they pleaſe: I will ſay nothing of the Liberty they have to Divorce them upon any ſmall Occaſion, and to take others in their room; from whence flow ſuch Diſorders and Uncertainties, that very few Children know who are their Parents, and ſo there is but little Love ſhewn between them as one may eaſily ſuppoſe. And this is no Diſgrace to them, but rather reputed to be an Honour, becauſe they conclude from thence that thoſe that keep many Wives, behave themſelves diligently according to their Laws: Wherefore they ſooner truſt them, prefer them before others, in Places and Salaries, and eſteem them to be true Tſchelebiis, that is, Noble-men. Although theſe and other Turks have ſeveral Wives, that are not all equal in their Birth and Extraction, yet they all have in Family Affairs their equal ſhare and power, and they all are equally provided for, with Meat, Drink, Cloaths, &c. and they have alſo their Work and Buſineſs equally among them: And that becauſe they bring their Huſband no Portion, but he muſt rather buy them from their Parents, ſometimes for a conſiderable Sum of ready Money, and give them Cloaths and other Neceſſaries to boot: Wherefore the Matrimonial tye (which they call Chebia) is more in the power of the Husband than the Wife, ſo that he may Marry one three times and reject her again; but further he muſt not go, except he will be accounted a ſcandalous baſe Fellow: As you may perceive by the words of the Turkiſh Emperour Bajazet, which he did ſend to Temyry, who is alſo called Tamerlan, ſaying, that he had better to take a Wife again after he was three times divorced from her, than to go to War with him; which ſcornful Language he might well have forborn: For Tamerlan did not only beat him in a cruel and bloody Battle, but took him Priſoner, and carried him about in an Iron Cage like a Wild Beaſt of the Foreſt.
But that I may return from whence I digreſſed, the Marriages of the Turks are never look'd upon to be ratified before they are married by one of their Prieſts. Their Wives muſt agree together, and live peaceably and amicably, and muſt not reſiſt their Husbands, except he maketh inequality among them: If any ſhould appear (which happens very often) they do not forbear to complain of their Husband to the Cadi or Judge. So that daily very ſtrange Tranſactions (which are not ſtrange to him) come before him: If ſo be that the Husband is convicted, and the Wife abſolved, they are divorced immediately in the ſame hour.
The Turkiſh Women are pretty handſom, and well ſhaped, very Civil in their Diſcourſes, and other Behaviour: When any of them is married, and carried to her Bridegroom's Houſe, their Relations go along with her, that are invited, to the Wedding, and begin to make a noiſe immediately in the Streets, and extol their Voices more and more as they go along, that you may hear them a great way off.
The Turks that are of ſome Condition, and rich and able Men, have at their Weddings ſeveral Diverting Shews; in the Day-time they have Dancing, Running, Actings, Singing; Jumping, and Leaping, and Dancing on the Ropes, &c. After Sun-ſet, and at Night, they let off Rockets, and Fire-works of ſeveral ſorts, made artificially. Theſe are let off in publick and open places, that every one may ſee them, and they laſt often till break of Day. The Rope-dancers have three Ropes one above the other, whereof the uppermoſt is the longeſt; upon every one of them they have their peculiar Leſſons, which they perform exactly and dexterouſly, with Dancing, Jumping, Running, Geſticulating, going upon Stilts, &c. which is pleaſant to look upon. Their Children when they are married, ſoon forget their Parents, they dare not ſee them again in a great while, nor do they deſire to do it.
When they have Children born, they do not juſtly Circumciſe them on the Eighth Day, but let them be 8, 9, or 10 Years old, until they can make their Confeſſion: There are ſome, chiefly among the Arabians, that imitate their Patriarch Iſhmael, who was not circumciſed until the Thirteenth Year of his Age. It is commonly performed in the Houſe of their Parents. If Rich Mens Sons are circumciſed, they make a Feaſt, and roaſt a whole entire Bullock, into his Belly they put a Wether, and into his Belly a Pullet, into the Pullet's Belly an Egg, and ſo they roaſt them all together, what remaineth they give to the Poor. When the Children grow up, and begin to go, they cloath them in looſe flying Coats, of fine Stuff, woven of ſeveral colours, which are pleaſant to look upon; and they put upon the Heads of thoſe that are not yet circumciſed, coloured Caps, which are wrought with Flowers, and very common to be ſold in their Batzars. After they are circumciſed, they begin to wear white Turbants, which are made of Cotton, and rolled about their Caps after a peculiar manner, and are commonly Twenty Yards long.
They have ſtill another ſtrange Cuſtom, which Young and Old, Men and Women uſe in theſe Countries, viz. They make a thin Paſte of Galls and calcined Copperas, (to beautifie themſelves, and to keep their Eyes from Rheums) with it they blacken their Lips, and make a Ring round about their Eyes, in the ſame manner as our Ring-doves have about their Necks. Theſe Paintings they have had Anciently, and ſome of them they have prepared of Stibium or Antimony: Of theſe Paintings of the Eye we read in ſeveral places, chiefly (that I may not mention others) in the 23d. Chap. of Ezekiel, the 40 Verſe, where the Lord ſays, by the Prophet, And lo, they came, for whom thou didst waſh thy ſelf, paintedst thy Eyes, and deckedst thy ſelf with Ornaments.
Concerning the Education of their Youth, they only learn in Schools to Read, and to write the Arabian Alphabet, the Characters or Letters whereof are common both to the Turks and Arabians, although their Languages are very differing: Beſides theſe, there are other Schools, wherein the Young Men are Inſtructed in the Emperour's Laws, and thoſe that go on in their Learning, and take it well, are ſoon called to high Offices, (as Cadi's and Cadileſchiers.) But in Liberal Arts and Sciences, ſuch as we teach in our Countries, they are not Inſtructed, for they have not only none of theſe Learned Men, but eſteem learning of theſe Sciences a Superfluity, and loſs of Time; they rather love old Rhimes, and Ballads that ſpeak of and commend the Mighty Deeds of their Ancient Emperours, and other Champions; or other Fancies that make Foreign Nations, or any of their Enemies ridiculous: And ſuch things they put either themſelves into Rhimes, or elſe hear thoſe that have been put into Rhimes by others already, which they ſay daily with peculiar Actions, out of Town in pleaſant Greens, (where alſo other Divertiſements are performed with Singing, Dancing, Leaping, &c.) So that they are rather pleaſed with the Reading of theſe frivolous ſilly Writings, than to learn Arts and Sciences: Which you may evidently ſee, in that they do not eſteem, nor will admit of that Noble Art of Printing Books, that might inform them in any thing: Which the Clerks, whereof there is a great number up and down in the Cities, like very well, becauſe they daily take a great deal of Money for the Writings of their Prophet Mahomet and others, which maketh them generally very Rich, and wear greater Turbants than the reſt, that they may be diſtinguiſhed from others. Their Paper is generally ſmoothed and glazed, and they comprehend their Letters in very few Words: When they will make them up, they fold them up until they come to be no broader than an Inch, the outward creviſe of the Paper they fill all along with Wax within, and ſo glue it as it were to the other, or elſe they take any other Paſte made for that purpoſe, and ſo imprint their Name upon it with their Seal that is done over with Ink, ſo that nothing remaineth white but the Letters: Theſe Seals are generally made at Damaſco, where the beſt Artiſts live that cut in Steel, and they put nothing more in it but their Name. They do not make any uſe of Paper that is writ on, although they have great quantity thereof, neither to put things up in, nor for any other uſe, and yet if they find any of it in the Street, they do not let it lye, but take it up carefully, fold it together, and put it into the next creviſe they meet with, for they are afraid that the Name of God may be written on it: Inſtead thereof the Grocers make uſe of great Leaves of Colocaſia, whereof they have great ſtore.