"THE Embassadors entered the FIRST gate of the Great Turk's palace. This gate is built of marble in most sumptuous manner, & of a stately hight, with certain words of their language in the front thereof engrauen & gilt in marble. So passing thorow the base court, which hath on the right side very faire gardens, and on the left, diuers buildings seruing for other offices, with a little Moschy; they came to the SECOND gate, where all such as come in riding, must of necessity alight: here so soon as they were entered in at the second gate, they came into a very large square court, with buildings and galleries round about it, the kitchins standing on the right hand, with other lodgings for such as belonged to the court, and on the left hand likewise roomes deputed to like seruices. There are moreouer many halls and other roomes for resort, where they sit in councel, handling and execut. ing the public affaires either of the court or of the empire, with other matters, where the Bassas and other officers assemble together. Entring in at this second gate, in one part of the court, which seem'd rather some large street, they saw the whole companie of the Solaches set in a goodly ranke, which are archers keeping alwaies neere vnto the person of the great Turke, & seruing as his footmen when he rideth: they vse high plumes of feathers, which are set bolt vpright ouer their foreheads. In another place there stood the Capitzi in like array, with black staues of Indian canes in their hands: they are the porters and warders of the gates of the palace, not much differing in their attire from the Ianizaries; who stood in ranke likewise in another quarter. And beside all those, with many more that were out of order, as well of the court as of the common people, those Knights of the court which accompanied the Embassadors thither, with other great ones also, of like degree, were marshalled all in their seueral companies. And among the rest the Mutfaracha's, men of all nations and all religions (for their valor the only freemen which liue at their own liberty in the Turkish empire) stood there apparelled in damaske veluet and cloath of gold, and garments of silke of sundrie kinds and colours: their pompe was great, and the greater, for the turbants that they wore vpon their heads, being as white as whitenes itselfe, made a most braue and goodly shew well worth the beholding. In briefe, whether they were to be considered all at once, or in particular, as well for the

Vide Fragment, No. XXIX. page 53.

"The chief priests-led Jesus to the hall of judgment-and delivered him to Pilate-they went not into the hall-but Pilate came out unto them-[i. e. not out of his palace into the street, but into a court, (the first court probably) of his then residence, which I conclude was fort Antonia; Vide the MAP of JERUSALEM, and FRAGMENT No. CXXX.] where the following incidents took place: Pilate repeatedly returned into the hall of judgment, to examine Jesusat length he ordered a tribunal, or judgment-seat, to be brought out, and to be placed on an elevated pavement [a kind of terrace, perhaps,] raised above the other parts of the court, which kept the priests, &c. separated from him: it might run along the front of the judgment-hall; so that Pilate might easily bring Jesus forth to the people in his mock-royalty dresseasily receive water, &c. to wash his hands, as the whole passed within the precincts of his palace; the first court of which was sufficiently well adapted to the reception of the accusers, their company, &c. See the history in the Evangelists, especially John, chap. xix.

See the history of the queen of Sheba and Solomon, J Kings x. 5.

order that they kept, as for their sumptuous presence, altogether without noise or rumor; they made the Embassadors and the rest of their followers there present, eye-witnesses both of their obedience, and of the great state and royaltie of the Othoman court. Passing through them, the Embassadors were led into the HALL where the Bassas and other great men of the court were all readie to giue them entertainment: they of their traine being at the same time brought into a 100m that stood apart vnder one of the aforesaid lodgings all hung with Turkie carpets. Soone after (as their vse and manner) they brought in their dinner, couering the ground with table cloaths of a great length spred vpon carpets, and afterwards scattering upon them a maruellous number of wooden spoons, with so great store of bread, as if they had been to feed 300 persons: then they set on meat in order, which was serued in 42 great platters of earth, full of rice pottage of three or four kinds, differing one from another, some of them seasoned with hony, and of the colour of hony; some with soure milke, and white of colour; and some with sugar: they had fritters also, which were made of like batter; and mutton beside, or rather a daintie and toothsome morsell of an old sodden Ewe. The table (if there had any such bin) thus furnished, the guests without any ceremonie of washing, sate down on the ground (for stooles there were none) and fell to their victuall, and dranke out of great earthen dishes, water prepared with sugar, which kinde of drinke they call Zerbet, But so hauing made a short repast, they were no sooner risen vp, but certaine young men, whom they call Giamoglans, with others that stood round about them, snatcht it hastily vp as their fees, and like greedie harpies rauened it downe in a moment. The Embassadors in the mean time dined in the hall with the Bassas. And after dinner certaine of the Capitzies were sent for the twelve of the embassadors followers, before appointed to do the greate Sultan reuerence: by whom (their Presents being already conueied away) they were remoued out of the place where they dined, & brought on into an vnder roome, from whence there was an ascent into the hal, where the Bassas were staying for the Embassadors: who soone after came forth, and for their ease sat them downe vpon benches, whilest the Bassas went in to Selymus; who before this time had made an end of dinner, and was remoued in all his royaltie, into one of his chambers, expecting the coming of the Embassadors. All things now in readiness, and the Embassadors sent for, they set forward with their traine, and came to the THIRD gate, which leadeth into the priuy palace of the Turkish Emperor, where none but himselfe, his eunuchs, & the yong pages his minions, being in the Eunuchs custodie, hath continuall abiding: into which inward part of the palace none entereth but the Capitzi Bassa (who hath the keeping of this third gate) and the Cesigniers (that serue in the Turks meat) with the Bassa's and some few other great men; and that only when they

Compare FRAGMENT No. XXIX. the extract from DE LA MOTRAYE.

"Ahasuerus the king made a feast...... to his princes 180 days......to the people seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace. The hangings were white, green, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple, to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, on a pavement of red, and blue, and white and black marble. And they received drink in vessels of gold; the vessels being diverse one from the other," &c. Esther i. 3-8.

haue occasion so to do by reason of some great busines, or sent for by the Sultan. Being entered in at this gate, which is of a stately & royal building, the Capitzi by whom they were conducted, suddenly caused them to stay, and sent them one from another about fiue paces, in a little roome, which neuertheless was passing delicate, all curiously painted ouer with diuers colours, and stood between the gate and the more inner lodgings. On both sides of which roome, when all things els were whist & in a deep silence, certain little birds only were heard to warble out their sweet notes, and to flicker vp and downe the green trees of the gardens (which al along cast a pleasant shadow from them) as if they alone had obtained licence to make a noise. Selymus himselfe was in great maiestie set in an vnder chamber, parted only with a wall from the roome wherein the Embassadours followers attended, whereinto he might looke through a little window, the portall of his said chamber standing in counterpoint with the third gate aboue mentioned. The Embassadors entring in, were led single, and one after another, to make their reuerence unto the Great Turke. And in the mean time certain of the Capitzi with the presents in their hands fetching a compasse about before the window, mustered them in his sight. All this while not the least sound in the world being raised, but a sacred silence being kept in every corner, as if men had bin going to visit the holiest place in Ierusalem. Yet for all that, the Embassadors followers placed one from another (as is aforesaid) were not aware that the great Sultan was so neere, looking still when they should haue bin led on forwards altogether; howbeit they were fet in one after another, neither did they that were so fet out, return again into the roome, but having seuerally done their reuerence, were all (except the Embassadors, that still staid in the chamber) by one and one sent out another way into the court: neither could he that came after, see his fellow that went before him, after he was once taken in to do his reuerence: but suddenly as the former was let out, the next was aduanced forward to the doore, where Isman the Capitzi Bassa and the OddaBassa, taking him by both arms and by the necke, the one at the right hand, and the other on the left, & so leading him apace, by the way softly felt his wrists with their hands, lest peradventure he might haue some short weapon in his sleeue. And thus they were presented vnto his Majesty: he sitting upon a pallet, which the Turks call Mastabe, used by them in their chambers to sleep and to feed upon, coured with carpets of silke, as was the whole floore of the chamber also. The chamber itselfe being not very great, was but darke, altogether without windows, excepting that one whereof we haue before spoken, and hauing the walls painted and set out in most fresh and lively colours by great cunning, and with a most delicat grace: yet vsed they neither pictures nor the image of any thing in their painting. The six Visier Bassa's before mentioned, were standing at the left hand as they entered in at the chamber dore, one by another in one side of the chamber, and the Embassadors on the

"I will go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." ver. 17.

"Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne, in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. And when the king saw queen Esther standing in the court, she obtained favour in his sight." Esther v. 1, 2. "And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayer, she put on her glorious apparel......and took two maids with her and upon one she leaned as carrying herself delicately, and the other followed bearing up her train. And she was ruddy through the perfectness of her beauty, and her countenance was cheerful, and very amiable, but her heart was in anguish for fear. Then having passed through all the doors, she stood before the king, who sat upon his royal throne, and was clothed with all his robes of majesty, all glittering with gold, and precious stones, and he was very dreadful. Then lifting up his coun tenance that shone with majesty, he looked very fierce. ly upon her-and the queen fainted...and the spirit of the king was changed into mildness," &c. Esther xv, Apochrypha.

Vide FRAGMENTS, Nos. XII. XIII.

"The king said to the wise men-the SEVEN princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face." "Esther i. 13; Dan. v. 7.