But when these Infidels please to abuse poore Christian women against their husbands will, they little regard the transgression of the Christian Law; who as well defloure their daughters, as their wives; yet the devout Mahometans never meddle with them, accompting themselves damned to copulate (as they thinke) with the offspring of dogges. The Turkes generally, when they commit any copulation with Christians, or their owne sexe, they wash themselves in a South running fountaine, before the Sun rising, thinking thereby to wash away their sinnes.
The Turkes Justice.If a Turke should happen to kill another Turke, his punishment is thus; after he is adjudged to death, he is brought forth to the market place, and a blocke being brought hither of foure foote high; the malefactor is stripd naked; and then layd thereupon with his belly downeward, they drawe in his middle together so small with running cords, that they strike his body a two with one blow: his hinder parts they cast to be eaten by hungry dogges kept for the same purpose; and the forequarters and head they throw into a grievous fire, made there for the same end: and this is the punishment for man-slaughter.
[IV. 154.]But for murder or treason he is more cruelly used, for being convicted & condemned, he is brought forth before the people, where in the street there is an exceeding high Stripad erected, much like to a May-pole: which tree from the roote, till it almost come to the top, is all set about full of long sharpe iron pikes, and their poynts upward: The Villaine being strip’d naked, and his hands bound backward, they bind a strong rope about his shoulders and cleavings: And then hoysing him up to the pillow or top of the tree, they let the rope flee loose, whence downe he falles, with a rattle, among the iron pykes, hanging either by the buttocks, by the breasts, by the sides, or shoulders; and there sticking fast in the ayre, he hangeth till his very bones rot and fall downe, and his body be devoured being quicke, with ravenous Eagles, kept to prey upon his carkas for the same purpose.
Turkish marriages.But now I come to their nuptiall rites, their custome and manner of marriage is thus: If a man affecteth a yong mayd, he buyeth her of her parents, and giveth a good summe of money for her, and after she is bought, he enrolles her name in the Cadies Booke, witnessing she is his bound wife, bought of her father. Loe, this is all the forme of their marriage: This being done, the father of the woman sendeth houshold-stuffe home with the Bride; which is carried through the streets on Mulets or Camells backes, the two new married folkes marching before, are conveyed with musicke, their owne acquaintance, and friends unto his house.
The Turkes in generall, whensoever they loath or dislike their wives, use to sell them in markets, or otherwise bestow them on their men-slaves: And although their affection were never so great towards them, yet they never eate together, for commonly the women stand, and [IV. 155.]serve their husbands at meate, and after that, they eate a part by themselves, secretly; without admission of any mankind in their company, if they be above foureteene yeares of age. They goe seldome abroad, unlesse it be each Thursday at night, when they goe to the Graves to mourne for the dead, alwayes covering their faces, very modestly with white or blacke masks, which are never uncovered, till they returne to their houses. Many other ceremonies they have, which would be too prolixe for me to recite. And notwithstanding of all this externall gravity, amongst these hirelings, yet there are in Constantinople above 40000. brothel-houses, Turqueski as Libertines; in any of which, if a Christian (especially Francks) be apprehended, he must either turne Turke, or Slave all his life: But the women by policy apply a counter-poyson to this severity, for they accustomably come to the Chambers of their Benefactors and well-willers, or other places appointed secretly, whereso they learne either a French Syncopa, or an Italian Bergamasko.
The Emperors Concubines.As for the great Turkes Concubines, they are of number eight hundred, being the most part Emeeres, Bashawes, and Timariots daughters: The third and inmost part of the Seraglia is allotted for their residence, being well attended at all times with numbers of Enuches, and other gelded officers: Every morning they are ranked in a great Hall, and set on high and open seats: where when he commeth, and selecting the youngest and fairest, he toucheth her with a rod; and immediately she followeth him into his cabine of leachery, where if any action be done, shee receiveth from the Head-Clarke her approbation thereupon, which ever afterwards serveth her for a conditionall dowry to her marriage, with much honour and [IV. 156.]reputation besides: And if any of them conceave, and the child borne, it is suddenly dispatched from this life: A hundred Concubines changed every moneth.The oldest hundreth, every first Friday of the moneth are turned out, and another new hundred come in to make good the number: Their entrie and issue is alwayes at one of the posterne gates of the Parke, toward the sea side, and joyning nigh to their Pallace: Whence crossing Bosphore, in an appointed barge, they both goe and come in one day, from and to the Galata, which I my selfe did see three several times: The oldest and last hundred that are every moneth dismissed, they depart from the Galata, home to their Parents and severall Countreys, rejoycing that they were counted worthy to be chosen and entertained to be their Emperours Concubines. The custome of the great Turke is, every Friday being their Sabboth day after divine service and dinner, to run at the Glove in a open place before all the people, with some Hagars, or yong striplings that accompany him; who have the Glove hanging as high on a sticke, as we have the ring with us: And truely of all the Turkish Emperours that ever were, this Achmet was the most gentle & favourable to Christians; who rather for his bounty and tendernesse might have beene intitulated the Christian Emperour, then the Pagane King: for he dissanulled all the exactions that had beene inflicted by his predecessors upon his tributarie Christian subjects; and cancelled the custome or tythe of their Male children, abrogating also that imposition on their Female dowries.
The Lent of the Turkes is called Byrham, which continueth the space of a moneth once in the yeare: In all which time, from the Sunne rising to his setting, they neither eate nor drinke: And at their prayers (especially in this fasting) they use often to reiterate these words [IV. 157.]Hue, hue, hue, that is; He, he, he, alone is God; or, There is but one onely supreme Power; which they doe in derision of Christians, who (as they say) adore three Gods. They have also this sinister opinion, that at the day of Judgement, when Mahomet shall appeare, there shall be three displayed Banners, under the which all good The Turkes Paradise.people shall be conducted to Paradise: The one of Moses, under the which the children of Israel shall be: The second of Jesus, under which Christians shall be: The third of Mahomet, under the which shall be the Arabs, Turkes, and Musilmans: All which, they thinke, shall be elevated to severall honours; and they in promotion shall be discerned from the rest, by Chambers made of resplendant light, which God will give them; wherein they shall have banquetings, feastings, dancing, and the best melody can be devised; and that they shall spend their times with amorous Virgins, (whose mansion shall be neare by) the men never exceeding the age of thirty yeares, and the Virgines fifteene, and both shall have their Virginities renewed, as fast, as lost.
They hold also this, as a confident article of their Beliefe, there are seven Paradises in heaven, the pavements whereof are laid with gold, silver, pearles, pretious stones, and garnished with stately buildings, and pleasant gardens, wherein are all sorts of fruit, and Princely Pallaces; through the which runne Rivers of milke, honey, and wine.
The first Paradise, they call it Genete Alcholde, the second Alfirduzy, the third Anthinak, the fourth Reduasch, the fift Azelem, the sixt Alcodush, that is holy, and the seventh Almega, that is, the greatest. And that in the midst of this last Paradise, there is a stately tree, called Tubah, the leafe of which is partly of gold, [IV. 158.]and partly of silver: whose boughes extend round about the wals of this seventh Paradice, whereon the name of Mahomet is written, neare to the name of God, in these words, Alla, illa, he, allah, Mahomet Rezul allah. The which words are in such reverence amongst the Turkes, that if a Christian should happen, unadvisedly to repeate them, he is adjudged to a most cruell death, or compulsed to renounce his Christian Religion.
The Turkes Lent.Their Lent lasteth thirty dayes, called Byrham, some name it also Ramadan; induring which time, they eate nor drinke nothing from Sunne rising to its setting downe: but when night commeth they Cormandize at their selfe pleasures: Their moneth of Lent is our January, where every day after their severall devotions, they goe to solemne playes; and all kind of prophane pastimes: counting that best devotion, which is most sutable to their dispositions; allotting fancy to follow their folly, and blindnesse, to overtop the ignorance of nature, drawing all their drifts within the circle of destruction: But indeed, as they are blind, in the true way of sacred worship; yet are they masked with a wonderfull zeale to their devoted blindnesse; surpassing farre in shew, and observations, the generall Professours of Christianity, and all the Ceremonies can bee annexed thereunto: Theirs running on with the flouds of ignorant affection, and ours distracted with the inutile novelties of superfluous Schoole questions: which indeed do more distemper the truth, than render God to be rightly glorified.