Next to the Mufti or Cadaleskires are the Mollas, of which these four are the chiefest in Dignity. The Molla of Galata, Adrianople, Aleppo, Prusa; and after them are reckoned these eight, Stambol Ephendi, Larissa, Misir or Cairo, Sham or Damascus, Diarbekir or Mesopotamia, Cutaia, Sophia, Philippi.
The Priests have no Habit peculiar to their Profession, whereby they are distinguish'd from others. If they are put from their Moschs for miscarriage or neglect of doing their Duty, or if they think fit to resign and be Priests no longer, they may betake themselves without any Scandal to secular Employments, their former Character and Quality wholly ceasing. While they remain Priests, they counterfeit a more than ordinary Gravity in their Discourse and Walking: and affect to wear Turbants swelling out, and made up with more cross folds: which was all the difference which I could observe by their Head Attire, which is various, tho' I could not find that this was constantly and strictly observed.
In Byram time, which is the great Festival of the Year, at which time every one looks cheerfully and merrily, among other signs of mutual Respect, they besprinkle one another with sweet Water. They indulge to several Sports: and some are mightily pleased with swinging in the open Air, the ordinary sort of People especially, paying only a few Aspers for the diversion.
The Government is perfectly Arbitrary and Despotical; the Will and Pleasure of the Emperor having the force and power of a Law, and oftentimes is above it. His bare Command without any process is enough to take off the Head of any Person, (tho' never so Eminent in Dignity, tho' usually for formality and to silence the Murmurings of the Soldiery and People, the Sentence is confirm'd by the Mufti) sometimes Bassa's who have amassed great Treasures in their Governments, are cut off in their own Houses in the midst of their Retinue, the Messengers of Death producing the Imperial Command, usually sent in a black Purse, and not a Sword drawn in their Defence. Others, if they are obnoxious to the least Umbrage or Jealousie, tho' dismist the Seraglio with all possible demonstrations of the Grand Signior's Favour, and with Rich Presents in order to take possession of Places of great Command in the Empire, before they have got two or three Days Journey from Constantinople, have been overtaken and strangled. In the Army Commands are given according to Merit, Courage and Conduct are sure to be rewarded, the way lying open to the meanest Soldier to raise himself to be the chief of his Order. But other Preferments depend upon meer Chance, and upon the fansie of the Emperor, whether the Person be fit or no, and they are as soon lost. The least ill Success or Miscarriage proves oftentimes fatal, and a more lucky Man is put in his Place, and he succeeded by a third, if unfortunate in a Design, tho' managed with never so much Prudence and Valour. They admit of no hereditary Honours, and have no respect to Descent or Blood, except the Ottoman Family: He only is Great and Noble, whom the Emperor favours, and while his Command lasts. According to a tradition, that passes current among them, a Bassa's Son by a Sultana or a Daughter or Sister of the Emperor can rise no higher than to be a Sangiac-bei or Governor of some little Province, much inferior to a Bassa and under his Jurisdiction. Being born of Slaves for the most part, they do not pride themselves in their Birth, very few among them being scarce able to give any account of their Grandfathers. They have no Sirnames, but are distinguish'd by their Possessions and places of Abode, and enjoying by Law a Liberty of having what Women they please, they have little or no regard to Alliance or Kindred.
Their Empire owes the continuance of its being to the severity of the Government, which oftentimes takes place without regard either to Justice or Equity, and to their frequent Wars, which prevent all occasions of Mutiny and Faction among the Soldiers, which happen frequently when unimploy'd. So that tho' Ambition may put a warlike Sultan upon enlarging his Territories by new Conquests, yet reason of State forces a weak and effeminate Prince, such as was Ibrahim, to make War for his own Security. Their Politicks are not owing to Books and Study and the Examples of past times, but to Experience and the plain Suggestions of Nature and common Sense: They have Rules of Government, which they firmly adhere to, holding the Reins strait, especially being cruel and inexorable to Criminals of State, who never are to expect any Mercy or Pity. Their Councils formerly were open, and their Designs known, and proclaimed before Hand, as if this had been a Bravery becoming their Greatness, and that they scorned to steal a Conquest. But they have learned since the Art of dissimulation, and can Lie and Swear for their Interest, and seem excessive in their Caresses to the Ministers of those Countries, which they intend to Invade. But their preparations for Arming are made with so much Noise, that an ordinary Jealousie is soon awakened by it to oppose them, in case of an Attack. They seldom or never care to have War at both Extremes of the Empire at the same time, and therefore they are mighty sollicitous to secure a Peace with Christendom, when they intend a War upon the Persians: And as much as is possible, they avoid quarrelling with two Christian Princes at once, being usually at League either with Poland and Muscovy, when they War upon Hungary, and so on the contrary; dreading nothing more than an Union of the Christian Princes, bordering upon them, which would prove so fatal to their Empire, and quickly put a Period to their Greatness. For hereby they would be put upon a necessity of making a defensive War to their great Loss and Disadvantage, and at last either be forced to beg a Peace of the Christians, or run the hazard of losing all, by a further Prosecution of War.
This they are very sensible of, and therefore as they take all occasion to promote Quarrels and Dissentions in Hungary and Transylvania, so they greatly rejoyce, when the Princes of Christendom are at War one with another. This is their great time of Advantage, and they know that it is their true Interest to pursue it, tho' they do not always, by reason of the ill condition of their own Affairs, make use of it. During the Civil Wars of Germany, the Bassa's and other Commanders of the Army were very importunate with the grand Signior, to make a War on that side, and to enlarge his Conquests as far as Vienna, no conjuncture having been ever so favourable to consummate such a Design, in which Solyman so unhappily miscarried. They promised him an easie Victory, assuring him that the Animosities of the Princes of the Empire were so heightned, that there was no room left for a Reconciliation, that he was but to go in the Head of an Army to take Possession, and that Austria would Surrender at the first News of his March towards it. The Emperor was not to be moved at that time by these Insinuations and plausible Discourses; being continually urged, He as often denied. One day when they came to Renew their advice about the German War, He having given order before, that several Dogs should be kept for some Days without Meat, commanded that they should be brought out, being almost Starved, and Meat thrown among them, whereupon they snarled and bit one another: In the midst of their Noise and Fighting, he caused a Bear to be let loose in the same Area; the Dogs forgetting their Meat, and leaving off their fighting, ran all upon the Bear, ready to Prey upon them singly, and at last killed him. This Diversion the Emperor gave his Bassa's, and left them to make the application.
A certain Prophecy of no small Authority runs in the Minds of all the People, and has gain'd great Credit and Belief among them, that their Empire shall be ruined by a Northern Nation, which has white and yellowish Hair. The Interpretation is as various as their Fansie. Some fix this Character on the Muscovites: And the poor Greeks flatter themselves with foolish Hopes, that they are to be their Deliverers, and to rescue them from their Slavery, chiefly because they are of their Communion, and owe their Conversion to the Christian Faith to the Piety and Zeal of the Grecian Bishops formerly. Others look upon the Swedes, as the Persons describ'd in the Prophecy, whom they are most to fear. The Ground and Original of this fancy I suppose is owing to the great Opinion, which they have of the Valour and Courage of that Warlike Nation. The great Victories of the Swedes in Germany under Gustavus Adolphus were loudly proclaimed at Constantinople, as if there were no withstanding the shock and fury of their Arms: And their continued Successes confirmed the Turks in their first belief, and their Fears and their Jealousies were augmented afterwards, when Charles Gustave, a Prince of as heroick a Courage, and as great Abilities in the Art and Management of War as the justly admired Gustavus, entred Poland with his Army, and carried all before him, seized upon Warsaw and drove Casimire out of his Kingdom, and had almost made an entire and absolute Conquest, only a few Places holding out. This alarmed the Grand Signior and the Bassa's of the Port, as if the Prophecy were then about to be fulfilled, who did not care for the Company of such troublesome Neighbours, who might push on their Victories, and joyning with the Cossacks, advance their Arms further, and make their Country the seat of a War, which might draw after it fatal Consequences. To prevent which, Couriers are dispatch'd from Constantinople to Ragotski, Prince of Transylvania, then in concert with the Sweeds, to Command him to retire with his Army out of Poland, as he valued the Peace and Safety of his own Country, and the Friendship of the Grand Signior, whose Tributary he was, and by whose Favour he had gain'd that Principality: And the Crim-Tartars, the Sworn Enemies of the Poles, who at that time lay heavy upon them, were wrought upon by the same Motives and Reasons of State, to clap up a Peace with them, that being freed from these Distractions, they might unite their Forces the better together, and make Head against the Sweeds.
The Ambassadors of Christian Princes, when they are admitted by the Grand Signior to an Audience, (their Presents being then of course made, which are look'd upon as due, not to say, as an Homage) are dismiss'd in few Words, and referred by him to his Wakil or Deputy, as he usually stiles the chief Vizir: And a small number of their Retinue only permitted the Honour of kissing his Vest, and then rudely enough sent away.
The Grand Signiors keep up the State of the old Asiatick Princes: They do not expose themselves often to the View of the People, unless when they ride in Triumph, or upon some such solemn Occasion; when they go to the Moschs, or divert themselves in the Fields, either in Riding or Hunting, they do not love to be stared upon, or approached. It is highly Criminal to pry into their Sports, such an Insolent Curiosity being often punished with Death. The Story is Famous of Morad the Third, who baiting a Bear in the old Palace with a Mastiff, and espying three Fellows upon the Tower of Bajazid's Mosch, who had planted themselves to see the Sport, commanded their Heads to be struck off immediately, and be brought before him, which was done accordingly. Instances of such Capricio's are frequent in the Turkish History; this following happened during my stay at Constantinople.