Part 4
By these Reasons _Solyman_ was induced to yield to the Murder of his Grandchild, and thereupon sent _Ebrahim_ Bashaw to _Prusa_, to destroy the innocent Youth. As soon as the Bashaw came thither, he made it his great Business to conceal his intended Design from the Child’s Mother; for, he thought, it would be look’d upon as an inhuman Thing in him, to cut off a Youth, with the Privity of his Mother, and, as it were, before her Eyes. And, besides, he was afraid the People would rise in Arms upon the Perpetration of so cruel a Fact; and therefore at first, Fox like, he sets his Wits at work to deceive the Mother. He pretended that he was sent by _Solyman_, out of Respect to her and her Son, to visit them; that his Master saw his Error in putting his Son to Death, which he now, too late repented of; but that the crueller he had been to the Father, the more indulgent he would be to his Son; and many such colloguing Words he used, whereby he imposed upon the too credulous Mother, who was the rather induced to believe him, because of _Rustan_’s Disgrace and Fall; and to crown his Flattery, he presented them with many Gifts. This past on for a Day or two, and then some Discourse was administred concerning their going abroad, out of the City, to enjoy the fresh Air. And the Bashaw, being an Eunuch, persuaded her the next Day to take a Turn in the Suburbs, she in her Coach, and himself, with her Son, would ride afore on Horseback. The Matter seemed not to afford any Suspicion, and therefore she consented, and a Chariot is prepared for her; but (mark the Fraud!) the Axle-Tree of the Coach was so made, on Purpose, that it must needs break, when it came to be jogged in any rough Way. Thus she, in an unlucky Time, began her Journey out of the City. The Eunuch and the Child rode a pretty Way before, as if they had Occasion for some private Discourse, and the Mother speeded after as fast as she was able; but when the Coach came to the designed craggy Place, the Wheel violently hit against the Rocks, and so the Axle-Tree broke. This the Mother looked upon as an unlucky Omen, and therefore, in a great Fright, she could not long be restrained from leaving her Coach, and with a few of her Maids, from following her Son on Foot. But, alas! ’twas too late; for the Eunuch being come to the House designed for the Slaughter, without any more ado, shewed the Child the Emperor’s Mandate for his Death. He answered, according to the Principles of their Religion, That he looked upon that Command as proceeding not from the Emperor, but from God, which must necessarily be obeyed, and so he yielded his Neck to the Bow-String.
Thus died this innocent and hopeful Youth. When the Eunuch had perpetrated this wicked Fact, he stole out at a Back-door, and fled as fast as he could. The Mother, soon after, beginning to smell out the Fraud, knocks at the Door; when they thought fit they opened it, and there she saw her Son sprawling on the Ground, his Breath being yet hardly out of his Body. Here let me draw a Vail; for a Mother’s Affection to a Son in such a lamentable Juncture, may be better conceived than expressed. Upon this dismal Sight she was hurried back to _Prusa_, where she tore her Hair, rent her Garments, filled the whole Town with Howlings, Moans, &c. The _Prusian_ Ladies, with their Daughters and Waiting-Maids, came in Multitudes to her, and were stark Mad to hear of so great a Butchery; and running in that raving Manner out of the Gates, all the Cry was, _Where’s the Eunuch? Where’s the Eunuch? Let’s have him to tear him to pieces_: But he foreseeing what would happen, and fearing, like another _Orpheus_, to be torn Peace-meal by those raging Furies, had cunningly withdrawn himself.
But to return to my Purpose. As soon as I came to _Constantinople_, Letters were sent to _Solyman_, then at _Amasia_, to acquaint him with my Arrival; and, till his Answer was return’d, I had Leisure to take a View of the City of _Constantinople_; and first, I had a Mind to visit the Temple of St. _Sophia_, which I was not admitted to do, but by special Favour; for the _Turks_ think that their Temples are prophaned, if a _Christian_ do but put his Foot within them.
That Church is a magnificent Pile, and a worthy Structure to behold. It hath a great Arch or Hemisphere in the Middle, which hath no Light but only from the Sky: All the _Turkish Mosks_ are built after the Form of this. Some say, that heretofore it was much larger, and contained many Apartments, which were all destroyed by the _Turks_, and only the _Quire_ and _Nave_, in the Middle of it, standing.
As for the Situation of the City itself, it seemed to me, to be naturally placed as fit to be the Mistress of the World; it stands in _Europe_, and hath _Asia_ in view, and on its right, hath _Egypt_ and _Africa_; which, though Countries not adjacent to it, yet by reason of frequent Intercourse and Naval Commerce, they seem as it were, contiguous. On its left Hand is the _Euxin Sea_, and the _Palus Mætis_, whose Banks are inhabited round about by many Nations, and so many navigable Rivers have their Influx into them, that there is nothing grows in any of the Countries thereabout, fit for Man’s Use; but there is a great Conveniency of transporting it by Sea to _Constantinople_.
On the one Side, it is wash’d with the _Propontis_; on the other, the River makes an Haven, which _Strabo_ calls, _The Golden Horn_, from the Similitude it hath to an Horn; on the other Side, it is joined to the rest of the Continent, so that it almost resembles a Peninsule; and with the continued back of a Promontory, it runs out into the Sea and a Bay, which is made there by the River and the Sea. So that from the middle of _Constantinople_, there is a most pleasant Prospect into the Sea, and even to the Mount _Olympus_, in _Asia_, which bears a snowy Head all the Year long. The Sea there, is wonderful full of Fish, which sometimes swim down from the _Mæotis_ and the _Euxine_, through the _Bosphorus_ and _Propontis_, into the _Ægæan_ and _Mediterranean Seas_, and sometimes they swim from thence into the _Euxin_, according to the Nature of the Fish; and that in Shoals so thick and numerous, that you may catch them with your Hands. So that here is excellent fishing for _Mackrel_, _Tunny_, _Cod_, _Porpois_ and _Sword-Fish_. But the _Greeks_ fish more than the _Turks_, though these latter love Fish well enough; provided, they be of the Number of those, which they count _clean_; as for others, they had rather eat Poison than taste them, for a _Turk_ had rather his Tongue or his Teeth were pluck’d out of his Head, than taste of any Thing they think to be _unclean_, as a _Frog_, a _Snail_, or a _Tortoise_. And herein, the _Greeks_ are every jot as Superstitious as they; of which I will give you the Instance following.
I entertain’d in my Family, a Youth of the _Greek_ Religion; I employed him as my Steward. The rest of my Servants could never persuade him to eat any _Periwinkles_ or _Cockles_; but at last, they put a Trick upon him; they caused them to be so high-season’d and disguis’d, that he, mistaking them for another sort of Fish, fed upon them most heartily. Whereupon, my People set up a Laughter, and threw down the Shells before him, where by he perceiv’d himself to be cozen’d: Whereupon, ’tis incredible to relate how much he was troubled. He went presently to his Chamber, and there fell a Vomiting, Weeping, and Afflicting himself most grievously, without any Intermission; insomuch, that two Months Sallary was not sufficient to expiate this Offence; for that’s the Guise of _Greek_ Priests, according to the kind and greatness of the Offence, they lay a pecuniary Mulct upon those who come to _Confess_, and they never _Absolve_ them till they pay it down to a Penny.
In the furthest Point of that Promontory which I mentioned before, stands the Palace, or _Seraglio_, of the _Turkish_ Emperors: To me, it did not seem very magnificent, either for Work or Workmanship (for you must know, that as yet, I had not made an Entrance into it.) Under the Palace, in a low Ground, and as it were, upon the Sea-shore, are the Gardens of the _Grand Seignior_, where the greatest Part of _Old Bysantium_ is thought to have stood.
I hope you do not expect to be informed by me, why the _Chalcedonians_, who built a City over-against _Byzantium_ (the Ruins whereof are yet to be seen) were Sirnam’d _The Blind_; nor shall I tell you the Nature of that Sea, which always runs downward with a vast Stream, but never recoils with any Tide; nor will I spend Time to speak of those _Hautgis_ which were brought to _Constantinople_ from the _Palus Mæotis_, such as the _Italians_ call _Moronella’s Botargues_ and _Caviare_; the Description of all these Particulars would swell my Epistle to too great a Bulk, and besides, it would be needless; for both the _Antients_, and also _Modern_ Writers, have given Information of those Particulars at large.
To return then to the Site of _Constantinople_. There is no Place in the World more pleasantly seated to the Eye, nor more convenient for Trade. But, let me tell you, the Buildings therein (as in all other _Turkish_ Cities) are not magnificent, nor are their Streets stately or large; nay, in _Constantinople_, they are so narrow, that they much eclipse the Beauty of the Place. Yet there are in it some valuable Relicks of old Monuments to be seen; but not so many as a Man would imagine, considering how many _Constantine_ brought thither from _Rome_. It is not my Purpose to insist upon each of these Particulars; yet, a Word or two of the principal ones.
In the _Area_ of the old _Hippodrome_, there are two Serpents cut in Brass; as also, a mighty _Obelisk_. Moreover, _Constantinople_ doth gratifie us with the Sight of two memorable Pillars; _One_ over-against the _Caravaserai_, where I lodged, and the _Other_ in the _Forum_, called by the _Turks_, _Aurat-basar_, i. e. _The Womens Court_, wherein, from Bottom to Top, is engraven the History of a certain Expedition of one _Arcadius_, who built it, and whose Statue, for a long time, stood on the Top of it. And yet it may rather be called a _Stair-Case_, than a _Pillar_, because it goes winding up like a Pair of Stairs. I caused the Shape of this Pillar to be drawn, which I have by me. But the other Pillar, over-against the House the _German_ Ambassadors used to lodge in, the whole Structure, besides the Basis and the Chapiter, consists of eight solid Marble or Red _Porphyry_ Stones, so curiously joined together, that they seem but one continued Stone. For, where the Stones are jointed one into another, upon that Commissure, there is wrought a circular Garland of Lawrels round about the Pillar, which hides the jointing, so that they which look upon it from the Ground, perceive no jointing at all. That Pillar hath been so often shaken by Earthquakes, and so battered by Fires happening near it, that it is cleft in many Places, and they are forced to bind it about with Iron Hoops, that it may not fall to pieces.
They say, That the Statue of _Apollo_ once stood upon that Pillar, and that afterwards the Statues of _Constantine_, and of _Theodosius_ the Elder, were erected there; but they are all thrown down, either by the Force of the Winds, or by Earthquakes.
The _Greeks_ tell this Story concerning the _Obelisk_, in the _Hippodrome_, which I mentioned before, _viz._
That it fell from its Basis, and lay for many Ages upon the Ground; but in the Time of the later Emperors, there was an Architect found, who undertook to raise it up to its Place; but he demanded a vast Reward for his Pains. After the Price was agreed on, he prepared abundance of Ropes, Pullies, and other Instruments, and by those means, he lifted up that vast Stone, within one Inch of the Place where it was to stand; but his present _Apparatus_ being able to raise it no higher, the People, who in great Numbers were his Spectators, were of Opinion, that all his former Cost and Pains were lost, and he must begin anew to try to do the Feat some other way, to his vast Expence and Charge. The Artist himself was not discouraged; but being skilful in _Mechanick Philosophy_, he caused abundance of Water to be brought up to him, which, for many Hours, he cast upon the Ropes, to which the _Obelisk_ hung; and those Ropes, being often wet and dry, shrunk a little, and by that means, lifted up the Weight to its designed Station, to the great Admiration and Applause of the Vulgar.
At _Constantinople_ I saw several Sorts of wild Beasts, such as _Lynxes_, _Cat-a-Mountains_, _Panthers_, _Leopards_, and _Lyons_; but they were so gentle and tame, that I saw one of the Keepers pull a _Sheep_ out of a _Lyon_’s Mouth, so that he only moistened his Jaws with the Blood, without devouring it. I saw also a young _Elephant_, so wanton, that he would dance, and play at Ball. Sure you cannot chuse but laugh, when I tell you of an _Elephant_’s dancing and playing at Ball; but if I should say no more, why may you not believe me as well as _Seneca_, who tells us of one that could dance upon the Rope? Or as _Pliny_, who speaks of another that understood _Greek_? But that you may not think me an egregious Forger, give me leave to explain myself: When this _Elephant_ was bid to dance, he did so caper or quaver with his whole Body, and interchangeably move his Feet, that he seemed to represent a kind of a Jig; and as for playing at Ball, he very prettily took up the Ball in his Trunk, and sent it packing therewith, as we do with the Palm of the Hand.
Among those wild Beasts, there had been a _Camelopardalis_, but she died a little before I came to _Constantinople_; however, I caused her Bones, which had been buried in the Earth, to be digged up, that I might inspect the Make of this Creature. It is an Animal a great deal taller in the Forepart than in the Hinder; and, for that Reason, it is unfit to carry a Man, or any other Burden. It hath an Head and a Neck like a _Camel_, but a spotted Skin like a _Leopard_, and therefore it is called by a Name derived from both, (_i. e._) _Camelopardalis_.
It might have been imputed as a Piece of great Neglect in me, not to have visited the _Euxine_, especially as I had an Opportunity of sailing thither; seeing the Ancients used to account it as great a Piece of Curiosity to see _Pontus_, as to visit _Corinth_. Thither, therefore, I sailed with a prosperous Gale, and had the Privilege to be admitted into some of the Pleasure-Houses of the _Grand Seignior_.
In the Valves of one of them, I beheld the famous Fight of _Selimus_ with _Ishmael_ King of the _Persians_, excellently described in Checker-Work. I had also the View of many of the Orchards and Groves of the _Turkish_ Emperor, which were seated in most pleasant Vallies. This I may say of them, That they ow’d little to Art, but almost all to Nature; so that I could not chuse but entertain such _Epiphonema’s_ as these in my Thoughts, O most pleasant Houses for Nymphs! O choise Seats for the Muses! O Retirements fit for the Learned! To deal plainly with you (as I told you before) they seemed to me, as it were, sensibly to bewail their present Posture, and to cry aloud to _Christians_ for their better Cultivation; and not they only, but much more _Constantinople_ itself, yea, and all _Greece_ too; which being, heretofore, the most flourishing Country in the World, is now wofully enslaved by _Barbarians_. Formerly it was the Mother and Nurse of all good Arts and liberal Sciences, but now, alas! it seems to call for that Culture and Humanity which once it delivered down to us; and, by Way of Requital, claims the Redemption of our common Religion from that _Scythian Barbarism_ under which it groans; and call it may long enough, for (with Grief may we speak it) _Christian_ Princes, now a-days, are otherwise employed; so that the _Turks_ do not more domineer over the poor _Greeks_, than Vices, such as Luxury, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Pride, _&c._ do over _Christians_, which so clog, enervate, and depress our Minds, that we can hardly look Heaven-ward, or aspire to any Thing that is truly Great and Excellent.
Methinks, Duty and Piety should have been sufficient Motives to us to help our afflicted Brethren; but if we had been proof against those Incentives, so that neither brave nor praise-worthy Actions could unthaw our frozen Courage; yet Profit and Advantage, which are now the great Bias of the World, might have stirred us up to recover such opulent and commodious Countries from Infidels, and to possess them ourselves: But, on the contrary, we plow the Ocean, even as far as the _Indies_, and the very _Antipodes_, because there we get rich Prey and Spoil at a cheap Rate, even without Bloodshed, by imposing on the simple and uncrafty _Indians_. ’Tis true, we pretend the Conversion of the _Heathens_, but, if we go to the Root of the Matter, (to our Shame be it spoken) ’tis their Gold, not their Godliness, is the Gain we seek for. Our Ancestors carried it at quite another Rate, who did not, like trading Merchants, seek after those Places where there was most Wealth, but where there was greater Opportunity for noble and virtuous Atchievements; so that it was not Profit, but Honour, which put them upon hazardous and remote Expeditions: And when they came home, they were more laden with Glory than with Plunder. I speak this in your Ear; for others, perhaps, may think it a peculiar thing in me, to detract from the Manners of the present Age. But, let them think what they will, I see that the Arrow is drawn to the Head to destroy us; and I am afraid, that we, who would not fight for Glory, shall be forced to do it to save our Lives. But to return to _Pontus_.
The _Turks_ call the _Euxine_, _Caradenis_, (i. e.) _The Black Sea_. It falls down thro’ narrow Streights into the _Thracian Bosphorus_, where its Waters are tossed up and down by many Vortices, Turnings, and Windings, occasioned by several Promontories jutting out into it; and thus, in one Day’s Passage, it descends to _Constantinople_, and from thence, almost by the like strait Passage, it breaks out into the _Propontis_. In the Middle of the Bay, where it makes its Influx into the _Bosphorus_, there is a Rock with an erected Pillar, in the Basis whereof is writ the Name of a certain _Roman_, called _Octavian_, (if my Memory fail not) in _Latin_ Letters.
On the _European_ Shore there is a Tower, called _Pharos_, where they hang out Lights in the Night, to guide Sailors by. Not far from this Place, a River falls into the Sea, in the Channel whereof there are found Stones, little inferior to _Onyxes_ or _Sardonyxes_, and, if they be polished, are as shining as they. A few Miles from that Bay, which I lately spoke of, we may see those Streights over which _Darius_ wasted his Army against the _European Scythians_: And about the Middle, between the two Mouths of the _Bosphorus_, there are two Castles, one of which is in _Europe_, and the other on the opposite Shore, in _Asia_. This latter was possessed by the _Turks_ long before _Mahomet_ took _Constantinople_. The other was built by him some few Years after he became Master of that City. The _Turks_ make use of it, at this Day, as a Prison for the nobler Sort of their Captives. _Lazarus_, a Commander, or Prince of the _Epitots_ not long ago was taken Prisoner by the _Turks_, together with some _Spaniards_ at _Castlenovo_, and committed to this Tower; from whence making his Escape, and being retaken, he was impal’d, (_i. e._) put to a most cruel Death, by having a Pole thrust thro’ his Body, from his Fundament to his very Neck; yet he indured it with incredible Patience.
Perhaps you expect that I should here give you an Account of those floating Islands, called _Cyaneæ_ or _Symplegades_. But, to deal freely with you, those few Hours that I spent on the _Pontus_, I saw no such Islands at all; whether they had been carried to any other Place, I know not: If you desire to have a more particular Information concerning them, you may consult _Peter Gyllius_, who was an exact Enquirer into such Curiosities; for my Part, I shall record only what I saw, or know to be true. Yet I think it is not fit for me to conceal a Mistake that _Polybius_ is guilty of; for he proposes many Arguments, to prove that, in Tract of Time, the _Euxine_ will be choaked up with Sand and other Trash, brought in by the _Danow_, the _Borysthenes_, and other great Rivers falling into it, that it would be made unfit for Navigation; whereas, the contrary appeared to me; for that Sea is every jot as navigable, at this Day, as it was of old in the Days of _Polybius_. And though he seemed to have some Grounds for his Opinion, that to him were irrefragable, yet Time hath shewed them to be weak. The like Observation holds in other Cases; for, of old, who would not believe the Ancients, who affirmed, upon seemingly imaginable Grounds, That the Torrid Zone was inhabitable? whereas, later Discoveries have fully convinced us, That those hot Countries are as well inhabited as any other Part of the Terrestial Globe; nay, when the Sun is at the highest with them, and darts down its Rays perpendicularly upon them; even at that very Time the Ardency of the Heat is so tempered and cooled by continued Rains, that those Countries are rendered very fit for human Habitations. But to return.