and her conversation
would be a great relief to me, if I could persuade her to live
without those forms and ceremonies that make life so formal and
tiresome. But she is so delighted with her guards, her four and
twenty footmen, gentlemen, ushers, &c. that she would rather die than
make me a visit without them; not to reckon a coachful of attending
damsels ycleap'd (sic) maids of honour. What vexes me is, that as
long as she will visit me with a troublesome equipage, I am obliged
to do the same: however, our mutual interest makes us much together.
I went with her the other day all round the town, in an open gilt
chariot, with our joint train of attendants, preceded by our guards,
who might have summoned the people to see what they had never seen,
nor ever perhaps would see again, two young Christian ambassadresses
at the same time. Your ladyship may easily imagine, we drew a vast
crowd of spectators, but all silent as death. If any of them had
taken the liberties of our mobs upon any strange sight, our
janizaries had made no scruple of falling on them with their
scimitars, without danger for so doing, being above law. These
people however (I mean the janizaries) have some good qualities; they
are very zealous and faithful where they serve, and look upon it as
their business to fight for you on all occasions. Of this I had a
very pleasant instance in a village on this side Philippopolis, where
we were met by our domestic guards. I happened to bespeak pigeons
for supper, upon which one of my janizaries went immediately to the
cadi (the chief civil officer of the town) and ordered him to send in
some dozens. The poor man answered, that he had already sent about,
but could get none. My janizary, in the height of his zeal for my
service, immediately locked him up prisoner in his room, telling him
he deserved death for his impudence, in offering to excuse his not
obeying my command; but, out of respect to me, he would not punish
him but by my order. Accordingly he came very gravely to me, to ask
what should be done to him; adding, by way of compliment, that if I
pleased he would bring me his head.--This may give you some idea of
the unlimited power of these fellows, who are all sworn brothers, and
bound to revenge the injuries done to one another, whether at Cairo,
Aleppo, or any part of the world. This inviolable league makes them
so powerful, that the greatest man at court never speaks to them but
in a flattering