THE POLICY OF The Turkish Empire The first Booke LONDON Printed by Iohn Windet for W.S. and are to be soulde at Powles Wharfe at the signe of the Crosse Keyes 1597 To the thrice Honourable and most worthie Lord George Baron of Hunsdon Lord Chamberlaine of the Queenes house Captaine of her Maiesties Gentlemen Pensioners gouernour of the Ile of Wight Knight of the Honorable order of the Garter and of her Highnesse nost honorable priuie Counsell RIght Honourable The remembrance of your forepassed fauors And a desire to make knowne my honest thankefulnes hath encouraged me to present you Lordeship with a collection of Turkish Histories Discouering the policie of the Ottoman Empire both in the state of their Religion and in the manner of their ciuill Gouernment and marshall Discipline The which my labour though it may seeme an Idle worke and farre vnworthie of so Honorable a Patron Yet as the pure and fine Gold being artificially layed vpon Copper or some such base mettall doth make it seeme ritch and glorious gracing the basenesse of the stuffe with the excellencie and ritchnesse of her colour So the least aspect of fauour and good countenaunce from your Lordship towards the gracing of this work may make others to haue it in some regard and estimate though of it selfe it bee reputed worthlesse and of no accompt Howsoeuer it bee my hope is that your Lordship will accept of it as a signe of my good affection And in that respect vouchsafe it your good liking For as a certaine cunning Geometrician in the games of Olimpus by the view of the proportion and bignesse of Hercules foote did giue a coniecture of the quantitie stature of his whole body So by the consideration of my well willing minde in so meane a matter your Lordship may measure the redinesse of my heart and most inward affections Which being wholly deuoted to doe you seruice doe tie me to be euer both an assured follower of your Lordship and a vowed Orator for the continuaunce and encrease of your most happie fortunes vnder the which I rest euer to be commaunded To the Reader MAnie men doe wonder at the great power and puissaunce of the Turkes And they thinke it strange how this nation being a people most rude and barbarous and their beginning most base vile and ignominious coulde attaine within the compasse of so few yeares to the excessiue height of their present greatnes Which their admiration as it semeth proceedeeh onely of ignoraunce Because they know not the manner nor the meanes by which they haue so sodenly preuailed in their Conquests For such as are acquainted with the Histories of the Turkish affaires and doe aduisedly looke into the order and course of their proceedinges doe well perceiue that the chiefest cause of their sodaine and fearefull puissaunce hath beene the excellencie of their Martial discipline ioyned with a singular desire and resolution to aduaunce and enlarge both the bounds of their Empire and the profession of their Religion The which was alwaies accompanied with such notable Policie and prudence that the singularitie of their vertue and good gouernment hath made their Armes alwaies fearefull and fortunate and consequently hath caused the greatnesse of their estate And yet as their vertue hath made them way to their excessiue fortune so is this one thing worthely to be wondered at How so rare vertue could be found in so brutish and barbarous a nation rather then how they could attaine to so great conquests dominions Considering therefore both the wonderfull puissance of their Empire And Conferring it with the basenesse and obscuritie of their beginning as also with the barbarousnesse of their disposition To the intent this strange vnion and coniunction of so rare vertues with so notable Barbarisme might be the better discouered I supposed it would bee a matter neither vnpleasing nor vnprofitable in some sort to make known that order of Policie Discipline and gouernment by which the Turkes haue purchased so goodly and glorious an Empire making themselues Lords and masters of a great part of the world In so much as the furie of their Armes hath not onely by this meanes swallowed vp infinite and those most mightie nations in the East But the terrour of their name doth euen now make the kings and Princes of the West with the weake and dismembred reliques of their kingdomes and estates to tremble and quake through the feare of their victorious forces This was hit that first drew me to Collect into English the summe of the Turks Religion The manners life and customes of that people in generall The order fashions and Maiestie of their Emperours Court and person And the manner of their Ciuill policie and Martiall discipline For by discouering the nature and state of their religion and their immoderate zeale in affecting it by shewing their inueterate hatred against Christians christianitie by making knowne their Barbarous customes and most cruell disposition by obseruing their politique and aduised course of proceedings in all their affaires both Ciuill and Militarie we shall easily discerne That the whole Policie of the Turkish estate both for their religion life and customes as also for their ciuil gouernment and Martiall discipline And that all their actions Counsailes studies labours and endeuours haue beene euer framed and directed and wholy bent and intended to the enlarging and amplifying of their Empire and Religion with the dayly accesse of new and continuall conquests by the ruine and subuersion of all such kingdomes prouinces estates and professions as are any way estraunged from them either in name nation or religion Seeing then the discouerie of these things doth represent vnto you matter of so good consequence both for pleasure to delite and of knowledge for your profit Let not my honest endeuours subiected to the diuersitie and vncertantie of your iudgements be recompenced with vnfriendly acceptaunce It may be exception will be taken both against the forme of this worke for the rudenesse of the stile and against the matter for the imperfection of it because the one is homlie and nothing curious and the other doth seeme to promise more in shew and apparaunce then it doth yeelde in proofe and performaunce But how so euer it be faultie in the penning yet for the imperfection thereof it is not without excuse For though I do now present you onely with one part of that Policie which the title of this Booke doth promise to impart vnto you Yet seeing the other part is but delayed for a season some needful respects causing it for a while to be concealed My hope is that in the meane time neither the imperfection of the matter shall draw it into reproofe nor the basenesse of the phrase shall turne it to disgrace Wherein if the successe be answerable to my hope and if I finde this my first attempt to bee fortunate by the friendly acceptation of this discouerie of the Turkes religion You shal shortly see it seconded
and licentious libertie The Opinion of the Turkes touching the sinne of Gluttonie Cap. 17. THe sinne of Gluttonie they do repute nothing inferiour to anie of the other dead-sinnes For they hold the same to be verie odious in the sight of God because as they say this was the first sinne that man committed after his Creation and therefore they teach that the same ought to be auoided and that men ought to abstaine from it with al their studie and endeuours For seeing the first Parents of mankinde Adam and Euah were expelled out of Paradice for the sinne of gluttonie in eating of the forbidden fruite where they had abundance of other frutes to haue satisfied both their hunger and appetites they doo therefore firmely beleeue That the same punishment is prepared for all those that are giuen to surfetting gurmandize or to excessiue feeding They haue a Tale also in theyr Alcoran of a certaine Hermit who liuing a solitarie life in a place farre remoued from anie Cittie or resort of men did seeme in regard of his hard austere life to be more like a beast than a man and yet he was so addicted to continuall praier and deuotion that hee was held to be a verie holy and religious man Thys Hermit hauing vppon a time fedde vppon certayne hearbes and rootes more greedily than he was accustomed hauing filled his belly with more thē ordinary he fell into a sound heauie sleepe During the which he dreamed that he had the companie of a certain woman with whom he committed sinne and folly Afterwards awaking from his sleepe which had been longer than his wonted vse a little before Sunne set he beheld aloft in the ayre aboue him a certaine Deuill or Fiend of hell making a great noyse in the ayre and carrying a great Bundle or Roll of writings Wherevpon the Hermit hauing coniured the Spirite to aunswere vnto that he should demaund vsed these words vnto him Bremelcon vecchialer Durchini Indumirsin That is O thou Enemie of our Faith what writings are those which thou carriest there with thee Whereunto Sathan answered These quoth hee be the sinnes which haue been committed this day within the compasse of this place and I haue been licensed to collect them together to record them Whereupon the Hermit his conscience somewhat touching him as beeing in doubt of himselfe demaunded the Spirit if hee had found and obserued anie fault that he had cōmitted Yea quoth the Deuill this daye hast thou sinned in Gluttonie in eating hearbes more greedily licentiously than thou wast wont which was an occasion that thou hast also exceeded in thy sleepe and hast offended in sloath and sluggishnes Therof also it hath insued that thou hast polluted thy selfe with vncleannesse and hast abused thy bodie in lust with a Woman Last of all thou hast all this while neglected and left vndone thy Prayers and Deuotion whereunto thou oughtest earnestlye to haue betaken thee Wherefore holde on and continue still in thy sinne of Gluttonie and then it will be easie enough for mee euerie day to register not onely one sinne but many committed by thee Hauing thus saide the Deuill departed from him with great noise and furie After which the Hermit bethinking himselfe of his fault became verie pensiue and penitent and praied earnestly to God to pardon and forgiue him this errour wherein hee had offended Now out of this tale or olde wiues fable the Turkes doe gather this doctrine That if the Hermite did sin so grieuously in eating of a few herbs drinkinge of a litle water more then ordinarie howe much greater care and regard ought those men to haue who feede vsually vpon other meates and drinks more delicate and delicious least they fall into this dangerous sin of gluttonie and gurmandise which will indaunger their soules bodies to euerlasting death damnatiō Of the opinion of the Turkes touching slouth or Lazinesse Cap. 18. COncerning slouth they say it is a secreate and vnknowen sin caused and engendred by a certaine diabolicall and filthy Idlenes which maketh men both forgetfull and negligent in all their affaires not onely in those that concerne both their publique and priuate estate but euen in their seruice dutie towards God making men altogether secure and carelesse of the saluation of their soules And inducing the mind of man to a most wicked prophane contempt both of God himselfe and of all his creatures To this effect they haue in their Alcorā a fable not much vnlik to y e others aboue recited of a certaine King that liued in the time of MAHOMET and was altogether drowned in this sin of slouth and securitie In so much that he did not only neglect all the matters and affaires of his estate and kingdome but he was growne to that excessiue Lazines that he was loth to take the paines or to imploy any time in obseruing the necessities of nature till at length it happened that hee was brought to see the enormitie of this sin to perceiue what holde the Deuil had gottē of him by meanes of this security wherin he had of a long time held him tied enchayned For one morning as this King lay Idle in his bed and loath to arise Beating his braines and deuising vpon many vaine toyes and light fantasies as he was alwaies accustomed He chaunced to espie an Angel in the shape likenes of a man running and coursing hither and thyther about the house top and still remouing from one side of the house to another At last seeing him somewhat neere him hee demanded him what hee ment in that maner to run vp and downe Vnto whom the Angell presently made answere That he had the charg keping of certaine Camels some of which he had lost and that he did goe to seeke them out and to see if hee could possibly discerne them in any place ther abouts The King replyed Truely I thinke that either thou art mad and out of thy wits or else thou art a theefe purposely come hither to rob and steale For how is it possible for any Camels to be going or walking vpon the top of the house And yet I do not so much maruell at the folishnes of thy speech as to see how thou couldest get vp thither so high without the helpe of any ladder The Angell speedily answered Much more difficult impossible a thing it is to flie into Paradise without wings And hauing so said he vanished sodenly out of sight The King being both astonished at the strangenesse of this sight and musing also at the manner of his speach continued a long time in a deepe profound studie what shuld be meant by that which he had seene and heard At length considering that the persons who had thus spoken vnto him did not in all things resemble a humane shape and confering both his person his speeches together hee began to imagine and coniecture that it should be some Angell come from
delicate taste and sauour than the wylde weedes and hearbs of the fields growing at randon on the barren Rockes Mountaines and Deserts so the Christian religion is of a most excellent and diuine nature and full of heauenly comfort and consolation to al those that know God aright according to his word and it leadeth them the true way to endles and perfect felicitie whereas the Mahometists following the vanitie of fond and fantasticall illusions little differing from the impiety infidelitie of the Ethnicks doo erre and wander in the Labyrinth of straunge superstitions In the which whilest they seeke after an imaginarie felicitie they doo plunge themselues into the depth of all blasphemie idolatrie wherein sticing fast as Flies entangled in a Spiders web they doo miserably perish in the blindnes of their hearts and so make shipwracke both of their soules and bodies Notwithstanding howsoeuer their Religion be erroneous and abhominable and though God himselfe haue it in hatred and detestation as being opposite to his truth and derogating from the maiestie of his Deitie yet hath God suffered these reprobates to preuaile against the Christians because they haue not walked in the right way and truth of his religion not with that sinceritie reuerence and due obedience as becommeth the Professors of Christian pietie For the crie of their sins hauing pierced the Heauens hath brought downe vpon them a most heauie vengeance and hath drawne the sword of these Miscreants against them against the places of their Habitation as a iust plague for all their vnthankfulnes securitie and negligence Whereof we haue at this day too too lamentable a proofe experience by the prosperous successe which that People hath had in their Conquests gotten vppon manye great Kingdomes Nations and Prouinces of Christendome The manner of whose ruine and miserable subuersion shalbe ere long represented vnto you in our Historie of the Ottoman Kings and Emperours FINIS LONDON Printed for William Stansby 1597. Mahomet his birth parentage Sergius a Monke Arrian coâ—federat with Mahomet in the inuention of his Religion Mahomet his doctrine deriued out of sundry sects and Religion Mahomet setteth abroch and publisheth his religion Phocas murdereth Mauritius the Emperour and vsurpeth the Empire Warres betweene Heraclius the Emperour the Persians The originall of the Sarracens Heraeclius hireth the Sarracens to serue him against the Persians The cause of the Sarracens reuolt from the obeisance of the Romaines Mahomet proclaimed Prophet Prince of the Sarracens Mahomet writeth the Alcoran Mahomet dieth poysoned by one of his Disciples named Albunor Mahomet his body torne in peeces by Dogges after his death Ebubezer second king of the Sarracens Damascus Gaza and Ierusalem wonne by the Sarracens Haumar the third king of the Sarracens and first Caliph of Babilon Caliph what it signifieth Suldan or Sultan what it signifieth Orimasda or Hormisda king of Persia. Of the Originall of the Turkes Haiton a king of Armenia his historie Turke a Tartarian word and what it signifieth The Turks their first comming into Asia The Turks embrace the Religion of the Sarracens Saracens raise new kingdomes in Egypt and Afrique Godfrey of Builoyne his expedition into the holy land Belchiaroc the fifth and last emperour of the Turkes before the time of Ottoman Soliman and Artolus Sultans of the Turks in Asia Tartarians raise an Empire in Scithia and Asia Turkish Empire in Asia decayed Ottoman restoreth the Turks Empire Ottoman made king of the Turkes Alcoran of the Turkes containeth the whole summe of their religion Alcoran of the Turkes not made by Mahomet The Alcoran how it is reuerenced of the Turkes The manner and gesture of the Turkes in handling reading hearing of their Alcoran The grouÌ„ds and principles of the Turkes law religion The eight commaudements of the Turkes law The beliefe of y e Turks touching the Godhead Opinion of the Turkes touching the holy Ghost Opinion of the Turkes touching the diuinity of Christ. Opinion of the Turkes touching the prouidence and goodnes of God Opinion beliefe of the Turkes touching their Prophet Mahomet Opinion of the Turkes touching Moyses Christ and Mahomet and the lawes of each of them Blasphemy against Christ or his mother how punished amongst the Turkes Blasphemie against God and and Mahomet how punished by the Turkes Practises deuices of of y e Turks to drawe men to the law of Mahomet and to turne to Turke Circumcision vsed by the Turkes as a token that they coÌ„secrat themselues to the lawe and loue of Mahomet Circumcision what it is and the first institution and end thereof Genes 17. Genes 28. and Genes 35. Circumcision of the Turkes first instituted by Mahomet The maner of the Turkish Circumcision done vpon their children The manner of Turkish circumcision done vpon Christians and other Strangers The differeÌ„ce betweene the Turkes and Iewes in their Circumcision Opinion of the Turkes touching the curse of parents vpon their children The notable care of pareÌ„ts in the education of theyr children and the great obedience of children to theyr parents amoÌ„g the Turkes Sentence of the Turkes The behauior of the Turkes towards all persons required in their law Ciuill Iustice of the Turkes for the most part grouÌ„ded on the third Commaundement of theyr law and yeelding like for like The ordinary times of praier vsed by the Turkes The manner of the Turkes both how they are assembled and how they prepare themselues to their Praiers The maner of the Turkes praiers in their temples A praier vsed by the Turkes supposed to be made by Mahomet Fridaies kept for holyday by the Turkes What persons may not enter into the Churches of the Turkes nor be present at their prayers The time and order of fasting amongst the Turkes The punishment inflicted vp onthose that obseru not the custome of fasting amonst theTurkes The cause and maner of the Turkish sacrifice Of sacrifices done by the Turkes in the nature of vowes Charity of the Turkes to the poore Opinion of the Turkes of almes beggers Opinion of the Turkes touching the necessitie of marriage in all men The auncient order of marriages amongest the Turks The common vsage and ceremonies of the Turkes in their marriages at this day Sagdich one that giues the Bride to the Bridegroome amongest the Turkes The licentiousnes of the Turkes in hauing manie wiues and in the manner of their diuorces The opinion of the Turkes touching murther and murtherers In what cases the Turkes do thinke that manslaughter is tollerable The seueritie of the Turkes in pâ—nishing of quarreling fighting manslaughter c. “ Theodore Spaudugin The opinion of the Turks touching pride and prowde men Saying of the Turkes touching the enuious man The cause of y e Turks pilgrimage to Mecha in Arabia The Temple of Mecha in Arabia visited by y e Turks supposed to be built by Abraham The maner vsage of the Turkes when they goe to Mecha on Pilgrimage The nature of the Camel to endure thirst and labour more than any other creature Of the sepulchre of Mahomet at Modin in Arabia and howe it is visited by the Turkish pilgrims Opinion of the Turkes touching double purgatory The Mahometan and Turkish pilgrims visite the sepulchre of Christ at Ierusalem The manner and ceremonies of the Turkish pilgrims at their departure homewardes from Mecha Of the last willes and testaments and legacies of the Turkes The manner of the Turkish Temples The description and excellencie of the Temple of Saint Sophy in Constantinople Opinion of the Turkes touching the hauing worshipping of Images The order of the Turkish Hospitalls Of the place of burial amongest the Turkes and the maner of their sepulchres The manner and time of mourning for the dead amongest the Turkes Opinion of the Turkes of the state of the soule presently after the departure thereof out of the bodie The opinion of the Turkes touching the maner of the worldes end Opinion of the Turkes that the Angelles are mortall Alcoran of the Turkes must not be contradicted by any man vpon paine of death The opinion of the Turkes touching the manner of the Resurrection of the Dead The opinion of the Turkes touching the manner of the General iudgment The opinion of the Turkes touching the felicitie of the soules in Paredice Opinion of the Turkes touching the estate of women after this life The opinion of the Turkes touching the paines of hell The office of the Muphti the chiefe or high priest of the Turkes The office of the Cadileschier among the Turkes The office of the Cadi amongest the Turkes Of the ofice of the Modecis or Gouernors of the Turkish hospitals Of the ordinary sorts of Priests amongest the Turkes The Meizin or Turkish Priest which calls the people to prayers Imam are Turkish prists hauing care of their cemonies Antippi are Turkish prists that reade interprete their Alcoran Sophi Turkish priests emploied in singing of Psalmes at their times of prayers Seiti priests descended of the liue of Mahomet Chagi or Fachi priests of the Turkes liuing by almes Of the Giomailer a kinde of religious order among the Turkes of their habit manners and Customes Of the Calenderi a kind of religious order amongest the Turkes and of their habite manners and customes Nerzimi one of the order of the Turkish Calender iâ— martyred for confessing the deitie of Christ. Of the Daruisses or Deruisi a kind of religious Order amongst the Turkes and of their habit manners and customes Hali the sonne in law of Mahomet Scidibattal two Patrons highly honored of the Daruisses Asserai the name of an herbe vsed by the Turks and the vertue thereof Of the Torlacchi a religious order of the Turkes and of their habite manners and customes Baiazeth the second emperour of the Turks in danger to haue bin murdred by one of the Torlacchi The Order of the Torlacchi banished by Baiazeth the Second and restored by Selim the first
sect and profession hee came in short time to haue so great a name and report ouer all the lesser Asia that by meanes thereof there flocked vnto him daily infinite troopes of Turkes in hope to restore the name honor of their natiō to recouer their former fortune With these forces within a while had OTTOMAN subdued diuerse Prouinces in Asia as the greatest part of Bithynia and al Natolia now named Turkie besides many citties vppon the Euxine sea Through the happy successe of his fortune in these conquests and victories hee purchased so great an opinion both of his wisedome and courage that the Turkes with a generall consent and incredible ioy elected and proclaimed him for their King or Amira And so strangely did they growe in processe of time to affect him that they decreed ordained from thencefoorth neuer to admit nor endure any other to raigne ouer them but such a one as should descend of the line and seede of OTTOMAN Thus was the empire of the Turkes reuiued out of their former ruines by the rare vertue and fortune of this OTTOMAN by the ciuill discordes dissentions which were then rise both amongst the Mahometists and the Christians Since which time it hath so wonderfully encreased by the valure and prowesse of his successors and by the resolution good discipline of that Nation and our owne intestine diuisions the most pestilent poyson and plague of all kingdomes and common-weales that the whole estate of Christendome hath at this day iust cause both to deplore the miserable condition and calamities of the Christians from whome these miscreants haue extorted infinit kingdomes estates and empires and also to feare and suspect the violent course of their fortune the excessiue greatnesse of their puissance and the cruel dispositiō of their courages as being fatall to the christian religion For this people being more eager and zealous than euer were the Sarracens or any others Pagans or Barbarians in the propagation and extending both of their empire and of their damnable sect and profession do openly as it were by nature professe themselues the sworn vowed enemies of Christ and his Gospel And holding it a meritorious deed to tyrannize ouer his members they do bend and employ all their Forces Studies and Counsailes how they may vtterly extirpate the name memorie and faith of the Christians And how they may plant and establish the blasphemous traditions of their prophet MAHOMET in all the regions and kingdomes of the worlde But for the more particular discouery and manifestation of al these matters as also touching the maner of the rising increase and augmentation of the Turkish Empire out of so meane and base a beginning to that glory height and puissance of dominion whereunto we see it now growen and exalted wee will referre you to a Discourse which wee haue written of the liues and actes of the OTTOMAN Kings and Emperours wherein all the former matters are sufficiently and at large layd open In the mean time we wil now proceed to the vnfolding of the sum and secrets of their religion to discouer the qualitie of their law ceremonies traditions Of the Turkish Alcoran and of the great reuerence which the Turkes beare vnto it Cap. 3. HItherto haue we deliuered the inuentiō first beginning of the Turkish religion with the continuaunce and establishment thereof both vnder the Sarracen and Turkish Empire whose original also and increase hath in part been touched Now are we to consider of the substance of their religion wherein first we will speake somewhat of their Alcoran in which their law traditions are contained and deliuered and then wil we proceed to the grounds principles of their religion The whole sum and substance of the Turkish religion laws ceremonies together with the maner and form of their prayers sacrifices almes and whatsoeuer els they do hold needful and necessary to the saluation of their soules is deriued and drawen out of a certaine book which in their language they call Musaph This book is diuided into 30 parts or Tomes The Arabians call the same Curaam which is as much to say as The Beginning and end of the Turkes law And it seemeth to be the very same word which is vsuall amongst other Nations though with some difference it is most commonly called by the name of Alcoran Vpon this Booke as vpon the very groundworke and chiefe foundation doth the whole religion law of the Turks seeme to rely and depend And it is a common and generall tradition constantly helde and affirmed by all Turkes whatsoeuer that the Archaungell GABRIEL and their prophet MAHOMET did by the singular grace and fauour of God first of all publish and disperse this booke throughout al partes of the world And that MAHOMET togither with his disciples did frame put the same in writing in the same maner form as it is now receiued amongst them But howsoeuer the Turkes do dreame of the first writing and inuention of this their Alcoran and attribute the same to their prophet MAHOMET yet it is more thē probable by many cōiectures euen out of their own books writings That neither the religion now professed by the Turks nor that Alcoran out of which they do now deriue their superstitions ceremonies is not the same that was first inuēted written by MAHOMET besides it is apparant by the testimony of many those most approoued Histories that at such time as the Sarracen empire being risen to some strength and perfection was first established vnder their Caliph in Babylon and that the Turkes came to be vnited and incorporated into the societie and religion of the Saracens there was a new Draught made by the authoritie of their chiefe Gouernours and with the aduise and consent of their priests who secretly amongst themselues caused an other Booke to be deuised and written of such traditions rites and ceremonies as were thought requisite and needefull to bee vsed and obserued amongest them And because that forme of religion which had beene at first conceiued and inuented by MAHOMET and his disciples was found in many thinges greatly repugnant in it selfe and ful of contrarieties and absurdities it was in most points either altered or abrogated new traditions and ordinances inserted in their places The which for that it was done in secret and without the notice knowledge of the common sort from whom it was purposely concealed al those that are of the Mahometan sect and religion haue euer bin and are yet still persuaded their Priests and Gouernors still norishing and feeding that conceit in them that it was the same which was first supposed to be written by their great Prophet MAHOMET And that there was no change nor innouation made of any of their auncient traditions lawes or ceremonies but that all things did continue and remaine entire vnaltred in their Alcoran according to the first