Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
- Page 45 of 258 - First - Home
As
Thus In Their Owne Language, Saying, Olla, Mahumet, Ali.
But if he will
sweare by the Shaughs head, in saying Shaugham basshe, you may then beleeue
him if you will.
[Sidenote: The king's magnificence.] The Shaugh keepeth a great
magnificence in his court: and although sometimes in a moneth or six weekes
none of his nobilitie or counsaile can see him, yet goe they daily to the
court, and tary there a certaine time vntil they haue knowen his pleasure
whether hee will commaund them any thing or not. [Sidenote: Pursuiuants.]
Hee is watched euery night with a thousand of his men, which are called his
Curshes, who are they that hee vseth to send into the Countreis about his
greatest affaires. When he sendeth any of them (if it be to the greatest of
any of his nobilitie) he will obey them, although the messenger should beat
any of them to death.
[Sidenote: The kings company with his wiues and concubines.] The Shaugh
occupieth himselle alwayes two dayes in the weeke in his Bathstoue, and
when he is disposed to goe thither, he taketh with him fiue or sixe of his
concubines, more or lesse, and one day they consume in washing, rubbing,
and bathing him, and the other day in paring his nailes, and other matters.
The greatest part of his life hee spendeth amongst his wiues and
concubines. Hee hath now reigned about fiftie and foure yeeres, and is
therefore counted a very holy man, as they euer esteeme their kings, if
they haue reigned fiftie yeeres or more: for they measure the fauour of God
by a mans prosperitie, or his displeasure by a mans misfortune or
aduersitie. The great Turk hath this Shaugh in great reuerence, because he
hath reigned king so long time.
[Sidenote: The succession of the kingdom.] I haue sayd before that hee hath
foure wiues, and as many: concubines as him listeth: and if he chance to
haue any children by any of his concubines, and be minded that any of those
children shall inherite after him, then when one of his wiues dieth, the
concubine whom hee so fauoureth, hee maketh one of his wiues, and the
childe whom he so loueth best, he ordaineth to bee king after him.
[Sidenote: Circumcision.] What I heard of the maner of their mariages, for
offending of honest consciences and chaste ears, I may not commit to
writing: their fasting I haue declared before. They vse circumcision vnto
children of seuen yeeres of age, as do the Turkes.
[Sidenote: Their houses, and maner of eating.] Their houses (as I haue
sayd) are for the most part made of bricke, not burned but only dried in
the Sunne: In their houses they haue but litle furniture of houshold
stuffe, except it be their carpets and some copper worke: for all their
kettles and dishes wherein they eate, are of copper. They eate on the
ground, sitting on carpets crosse legged as do Tailors.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 45 of 258
Words from 23649 to 24148
of 136233