The 4 day the Grande Sinyores secritarie, caled the Cappagaw,[119] came to se our instrament.
The 7th day the Gebustaniebashaw[120] came to se; lykwyse also the Heade Patriarke was expeckted, but he came not, because som Turkes dined with my lord that daye.
The 8 day, beinge Satterday, we began to take Downe our instramente, for that day the Grand Sinyor went from the surralia som six myles by water to an other surralia wheare the sultana his mother dothe live; for one monthe in the yeare it is tolerable for him to goo to that place, ether in Auguste or in September; at any other time he may not goo so farr from his owne Surralia, excepte he be garded with a hunreth thousande men.
The 11th Daye, beinge Tusdaye, we Carried our instramente over the water to the Grand Sinyors Courte, Called the surralya, and thare in his moste statlyeste house I began to sett it up. This watere which we crosed from Galletta to Surralia is a streame that comethe from the Blacke Sea, and is called Hellisponte, which partethe Asia and Thratia, and as it comethe Downe by Galletta, a creke of that rever[121] goethe up into the contrie aboute sixe myles, which partethe the tow Cittis of Constantinople and Galletta; they maye go betwyxte them by lande, but it is 12 myle, and to cross the water it is but one myle. At everie gate of the surralia thare alwayes sitethe a stoute Turke, abute the calinge or degre of a justis of the peace, who is caled a chia; not withstandinge, the gates ar faste shut, for thare pasethe none in or oute at ther owne pleasures.
Beinge entered within the firste gate, thare was placed righte againste the gate five greate peecis of brass, with Christians armes upon them.... Than we passed throughe verrie Delitfull walkes and garthins; the walkes ar, as it weare, hedged in with statly siprus tres, planted with an equale Distance one from thother, betwyxte them and behinde them, smaler tres that bearethe excelente frute; I thinke thare is none wanting that is good. The garthenes I will omite to wryte of at this time. The waye from the firste gate to the seconde wale is som thinge risinge up a hill, betwyxte wales aboute a quarter of a myle and better. The gats of the second wale was also shutt, but when we came to the gate, my Intarpreter caled to those that kepte it within. Thoughe they had Knowledge of our cominge, yeat would they not open the gates untill we had caled and tould them our busines. These gates ar made all of massie iron; tow men, whom they do cale jemeglans,[122] did open them.
Wythein the firste wales ar no housis but one, and that is the bustanjebasha his house, who is captaine of a thousande jemeglanes, which doo nothinge but kepe the garthens in good order; and I am perswaded that thare is none so well kepte in the worlde. Within the seconde wales tharis no gardens, but statly buildinges; many courtes paved with marble and suche lyke stone. Everie ode[123] or by corner hath som exelente frute tre or tres growing in them; allso thar is greate abundance of sweete grapes, and of diveres sortes; thar a man may gather grapes everie Daye in the yeare. In November, as I satt at diner, I se them gather grapes upon the vines, and theye broughte them to me to eate. For the space of a monthe I Dined everie day in the Surralia, and we had everie day grapes after our meate; but moste sartain it is that grapes do grow thare contenually.
Cominge into the house whear I was appoynted to sett up the presente or instramente; it semed to be rether a churche than a dwellinge house; to say the truthe, it was no dwellinge house, but a house of pleasur, and lyke wyse a house of slaughter; for in that house was bulte one litle house, verrie curius bothe within and witheout; for carvinge, gildinge, good Collors and vernishe, I have not sene the lyke.[124] In this litle house, that emperor that rained when I was thare, had nyntene brotheres put to deathe in it, and it was bulte for no other use but for the stranglinge of everie emperors bretherin.
This great house it selfe hathe in it tow rankes of marble pillors; the pettestales (pedestals) of them ar made of brass, and double gilte. The wales on 3 sides of the house ar waled but halfe waye to the eaves; the other halfe is open; but yf any storme or great wynde should hapen, they can sodonly Let fale suche hanginges made of cotten wolle for that purpose as will kepe out all kindes of wethere, and sudenly they can open them againe. The fourthe side of the house, which is close and joynethe unto another house, the wale is made of purfeare (porphyry), or suche kinde of stone as when a man walketh by it he maye se him selfe tharin. Upon the grounde, not only in this house, but all other that I se in the Surraliae, we treade upon ritch silke garpites, one of them as muche as four or sixe men can carrie. Thare weare in this house nether stouls, tables, or formes, only one coutche of estate. Thare is one side of it a fishe ponde, that is full of fishe that be of divers collores.
The same Daye, our Imbassader sente Mr. Paule Pinder, who was then his secritarie, with a presente to the Sultana, she being at hir garthen. The presente was a Coatche of six hundrethe poundes vallue.[125] At that time the Sultana did Take greate lykinge to Mr. Pinder, and after wardes she sente for him to have his private companye, but there meetinge was croste.
The 15th, I finished my worke in the Surraliao, and I wente once everie daye to se it, and dinede Thare almoste everie Daye for the space of a monthe; which no Christian ever did in there memorie that wente awaye a Christian.