Early voyages and travels in the Levant

by John Covel; Thomas Dallam

The seconde of October my Lord Imbassader held a feaste abord our ship, and invited the baylie of Venis and sartaine Turks.[137]

The 12, beinge Fridaye, I was sente for to the Courte, and also the Sondaye and Monday folloinge, to no other end but to show me the Grand Sinyors privie Chamberes, his gould and silver, his chairs of estate; and he that showed me them would have me to sitt downe in one of them, and than to draw that sord out of the sheathe with the which the Grand Sinyor doth croune his kinge.

When he had showed me many other thinges which I wondered at, than crossinge throughe a litle squar courte paved with marble, he poynted me to goo to a graite in a wale, but made me a sine that he myghte not goo thether him selfe. When I came to the grait the wale was verrie thicke, and graited on bothe the sides with iron verrie strongly; but through that graite I did se thirtie of the Grand Sinyor’s Concobines that weare playinge with a bale in another courte. At the firste sighte of them I thoughte they had bene yonge men, but when I saw the hare of their heades hange doone on their backes, platted together with a tasle of smale pearle hanginge in the lower end of it, and by other plaine tokens, I did know them to be women, and verrie prettie ones in deede.

Theie wore upon theire heades nothinge bute a litle capp of clothe of goulde, which did but cover the crowne of her heade; no bandes a boute their neckes, nor anythinge but faire cheans of pearle and a juell hanginge on their breste, and juels in their ears; their coats weare like a souldier’s mandilyon,[138] som of reed sattan and som of blew, and som of other collors, and girded like a lace of contraire collor; they wore britchis of scamatie,[139] a fine clothe made of coton woll, as whyte as snow and as fine as lane[140]; for I could desarne the skin of their thies throughe it. These britchis cam doone to their mydlege; som of them did weare fine cordevan buskins, and som had their leges naked, with a goulde ringe on the smale of her legg; on her foute a velvett panttoble[141] 4 or 5 inches hie. I stood so longe loukinge upon them that he which had showed me all this kindnes began to be verrie angrie with me. He made a wrye mouthe, and stamped with his foute to make me give over looking; the which I was verrie lothe to dow, for that sighte did please me wondrous well.

Than I wente awaye with this Jemoglane to the place wheare we lefte my drugaman or intarpreter, and I tould my intarpreter that I had sene 30 of the Grand Sinyores Concobines; but my intarpreter advised me that by no meanes I should speake of it, whearby any Turke myghte hear of it; for if it weare knowne to som Turks, it would presente deathe to him that showed me them. He durste not louke upon them him selfe. Although I louked so longe upon them, theie saw not me, nether all that whyle louked towards that place. Yf they had sene me, they would all have come presently thether to louke upon me, and have wondred as moche at me, or how I cam thether, as I did to se them.

The nexte daye our shipp caled the Heckter, beinge reddie to departe, I wente to carrie my beed and my Chiste aborde the shipp. Whyleste I was aborde the shipp, thar came a jemoglane or a messenger from the surralia to my lord imbassador, with an express comand that the shipp should not departe, but muste stay the Grand Sinyores pleasur. When my lord hard this messidge, with suche a comande, he begane to wonder what the Cause should be. He thoughte that thare hade bene som forfitt made, or that som of the chips company had done horte or given som greate offence unto som greate person; but, what so ever it was, he knew that the Grand Sinyores comande must be obayed; tharefore, when he had stodied longe what the cause myghte be, and beinge verrie desirus to know the truthe, he wente to the messenger and desiered him to tell him the cause whye the Grand Sinyor had sente this comande, or whearfore it should be.

The messenger tould him that he did not know the cause whye, nether whearfore, but he did hearde the chia say that yf the workman that sett up the presente in the surralia would not be perswaded to stay be hind the shipe, the ship muste staye untill he had removed the presente unto another place.

When my lord had got thus muche out of him, he began to be somwhat merrie, for he was muche greved before, thinkinge it had bene a greater matter; for the martchantes was bound in 5 hundrethe pounde unto the owneres of the shipe that she should departe that day, which was the Thursday folloing, yf wynd and wether sarved; also for the time that she stayed there her Chargis was everie day 20li.

Than my Lorde inquiered for me and sente one to the ship whear I was, who tould me that I muste com presently to my Lorde; so when I came to my lorde I found with him another messinger, who broughte the sartaintie of the matter that it was for no other cause but for my stainge to remove the organ; but when my lord tould me that I muste be contented to staye and Lette the ship goo, than was I in a wonderfull perplixatie, and in my furie I tould my lorde that that was now com to pass which I ever feared, and that was that he in the end would betray me, and turne me over into the Turkes hands, whear I should Live a slavish Life, and never companie againe with Christians, with many other suche-like words.