halfe an houre with great sobrietie and silence performed, was
not so orderly taken vp; for certaine Moglans officers of the kitchin (like
her maiesties black guard) came in disordered maner and tooke away the
dishes, and he whose hungry eie one dish could not satisfie, turned two or
three one into the other, and thus of a sudden was a cleane riddance made
of all. The ambassador after dinner with his gentlemen, by certaine
officers were placed at the vpper ende vpon the left side of the court,
nere vnto a great gate which gaue entrance to a third court being but
litle, paued with stone. [Sidenote: Gownes of cloth of gold for the
ambassador and his gentlemen.] In the midst whereof was a litle house built
of marble, as I take it, within which sate the grand Signor, according to
whose commandement giuen there were gownes of cloth of gold brought out of
the wardrope, and put vpon the ambassador and 7 of his gentlemen, the
ambassador himselfe hauing 2, one of gold and the other of crimosin veluet,
all the rest one a piece. [Sidenote: The Present.] Then certaine Cappagies
had the Present, which was in trunks there ready, deliuered them by the
ambassadors men, it being 12 goodly pieces of gilt plate, 36 garments of
fine English cloth of al colors, 20 garments of cloth of gold, 10 garments
of sattin, 6 pieces of fine Holland, and certaine other things of good
value; al which were caried round about the court, each man taking a piece,
being in number very neere 100 parcels, and so 2 and 2 going round that all
might see it, to the greater glory of the present, and of him to whom it
was giuen: [Sidenote: The Present viewed.] they went into the innermost
court passing by the window of that roome, where the grand Signior sate,
who, as it went by to be laid vp in certaine roomes adioining, tooke view
of all. Presently after the present followed the ambassador with his
gentlemen; at the gate of which court stoode 20 or 30 Agaus which be
eunuchs. Within the court yard were the Turkes Dwarfes and Dumbe men, being
most of them youths. At the doore of his roome stood the Bustangi-bassa,
with another Bassa to lead the ambassador and his folowers to the grand
Signior who sate in a chaire of estate, apparelled in a gowne of cloth of
siluer. The floore vnder his feete, which part was a foote higher then the
rest, was couered with a carpet of green sattin embrodered most richly with
siluer, orient perles and great Turkesses; the other part of the