The Turks punish all Vice and Wickedness very severely; their Punishments are, loss of their Places, sale of their Goods, basting with Clubs, Death: But Club-basting is most common, from which the Janizaries themselves are not free; though they may not, as such, be put to death. Their lighter Offences are chastised by the Club; their more heinous by cashiering or degrading, which they count worse than Death, because commonly they are put to Death afterwards; for being stripp’d of the Ensigns of Janizaries, they are banish’d to the farthest Garrison of the Empire, where they live contemptible and inglorious, till, upon any light Occasion, they are put to Death; yet not as Janizaries, but as common Soldiers only.
And here let me acquaint you with the Patience of the Turks in receiving that Punishment; they’ll receive sometimes an hundred Blows on their Legs, their Feet and Buttocks, with wonderful Patience; so that diver’s Clubs are broke, and the Executioner cries out, Give me another! Yea, sometimes the Chastisement is so severe, that several pieces of torn Flesh must be cut off from the wounded Parts, before any thing can be applied to cure them. Yet for all this, they must go to their Officer, who commanded them to be punish’d; they must kiss his Hand, and give him Thanks; nay, they must also give the Executioner a Reward for beating them. The Club they are beaten with, they count sacred, and that it fell down from Heaven, as the Romans counted their Shield to do; and, as some Relief to their Misery, they count those Parts wounded with the Rod or Club, to be free from any Purgations, and Expiations after this Life.
When I told you, that the Turk’s Camps were free from Broils and Tumults, I must except one, which was made by my own Men: The occasion of it was this. Some of my Servants had a mind to ramble out of the Camp, without any Janizaries to attend them; only taking some Italian Renegadoes that professed the Turk’s Religion. Let me tell you, by the way, that these Italians are of good use in that Country, especially in redeeming Captives; for they come to their Masters, and pretend they are either their Kinsmen, or their Countrymen, and therefore, out of Compassion to them, they desire to buy them as their Patrons, for a Price agreed, and so they set them free: But if a Christian should make the same proffer to them, they would either refuse, or hold him to a far higher Rate.
But to return: Some of my People, as I told you, gadding abroad, they happened to meet some Janizaries, who came from Swimming and Washing themselves in the Sea, without the Badges of their Order on their Heads, only some Linnen being very slightly wrapped about them. These Janizaries revil’d my People, knowing them to be Christians; for that’s the way of the Turks, to reproach Christians; ’tis a Principle of their Religion, and they think thereby to incline us to exchange our Religion for a better, as they count theirs to be. My Folks being thus provoked, return Jeer for Jeer, from Words they came to Blows, the Italians assisting my Men. The cause of the Scuffle was, that one of the Janizaries lost the Linnen Covering off his Head, which was thrown I know not whither: Hereupon the Janizaries hurry away to their General, complaining of their Wrongs and Damage received by my Servants; for they watch’d them, and found them return’d to my House. Their General presently sent for my Interpreter, who was present at the Conflict: He was seiz’d upon sitting at my Door, and they were pulling him away. I beheld it from a Gallery above, and was much concern’d, that any of my Family should be taken forcibly from me without my Consent, to be carried to the Bastinado, (for I understood something of the Matter before); and I could not imagine he would be return’d to me without being well beaten, he being one of the Turk’s Subjects. Whereupon I ran down, and laid hold on him, commanding them to let him go. They quitted him with much ado, but hasted immediately with far more grievous Complaints to their General, who commanded more of their Company to go and seize those Italians, who of Christians are said to have become Turks; yet he charged them to offer no Violence to me, or to the House where I lodged. They came back presently, and with a great Noise and many Threats, demanded those Italians; but they, foreseeing what would come to pass, had sailed back to Constantinople. Much Clamour there was on both sides; at last my Chiaux at that time, who was an old decrepid Man, out of a jeer thrust some Pistoles into their Hands unknown to me, to buy a new Bonnet in the room of that which was lost; and thus the Dispute ended.
I have been the more punctual in relating this Story, because, on this occasion, I understood from Rustan’s own Mouth, what Opinion the Sultan had of the Janizaries: For he, hearing of this Scuffle, sent a Messenger to me, to desire me to cut off all occasion of Dispute with the Janizaries as the worst of Men. You know, said he, ’tis a time of War, whereby they may be said to reign, rather than the Sultan, who himself stands in fear of them. This he spake, as being well acquainted with the Sentiments of Solyman, who always suspected some Men of their own to lie in wait against their Militia, who would break out when he had no Opportunity to prevent them.
And the Truth is, though there may be some use of a standing Guard and Militia, yet there are also many Inconveniences attending it, of which this is the chief. Their Emperor is very fearful of them, lest, having the Sword in their Hands, they should alter the Government as they pleas’d, of which there had been many Precedents; yet, there are ways also, whereby this may be prevented.
While I was in their Camp, there came Albertus de Ubiis, a worthy and learned Person, born I think at Amsterdam, as an Envoy from my Master Cæsar. He brought with him some Presents for their Sultan, as some Goblets gilt with Gold, with a Clock neatly made, and carried like a Tower on an Elephant’s Back; as also some Money to be distributed, amongst the Bashaws. Solyman would have me deliver these Presents in the Camp, that the Amity betwixt Him and my Master might be more publickly known, and so no Danger at all to be feared from the Christian Arms.
But to return to Bajazet, after the Fight at Iconium, who retired to his Government of Amasia, pretending to live quietly there, if his Father would permit him so to do. For why? He had sown his wild Oats, and for the future seem’d pliable to obey his Father’s Will; and for this he employed sundry Persons to carry submissive Letters to his Father, begging his Pardon: Neither did Solyman pretend that he was averse to a Reconciliation with his Son, and therefore he admitted his Messengers into his Presence. He read his Letters, and answered them mildly: So that the Report was spread over all the Army, what an Agreement was like to be between Father and Son; what he had done amiss, was to be imputed to the hot Blood of his youthful Age, provided he would shew himself obsequious for the residue of his Life. This Solyman did by the Advice of his Bashaws; for the cunning old Man would not declare himself, till he had brought Bajazet into the Noose of his own Power. He was terribly afraid, lest out of Desperation he should march furiously into Persia (his only place of Refuge,) with such furious Expedition, that all his Sanziacks should not be able to get before him. To prevent which Mistakes, he sent many Letters to all the Governors upon the Borders, to watch Bajazet, and not to suffer him to escape, if he should attempt it.