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standing in ranke within the Courts of his Pallace, and from the Court Gate to the Church dore, betweene which troopes on both sides, he passed as betweene walles of brasse, with great pompe. And when a Chaus (or Pensioner) being on horseback did see mee close by the Emperours side, hee rushed upon me to strike me with his mace, saying, What doth this Christian dog so neere the person of our great Lord? But the Janizare, whom our Ambassadour had given me for a Guide and Protector, repelled him from doing mee any wrong, and many Janizares (according to their manner) comming to helpe him, the Chaus was glad to let mee alone, and they bade me be bold to stand still, though I were the second or third person from the Emperour. Neere this Church is the stately Sepulcher of Selymus the second, and another The Sepulcher Sepulcher no lesse stately, and newly built for Amurath of Selymus lately deceased, where he lay with those male children round about him, who according to the manner were strangled by his Successour after hee was dead. Not farre thence is the Market place having some one hundred marble pillars about it, and adorned with a Pyramis or pinacle, erected upon foure Globes, and with a pleasant Fountaine of water, together with other ornaments left (as it seemes) by Christian Emperours.

(R) The wonderfull Mosche and Sepulcher of Solyman, numbred among the miracles of the World.

the second.

(S) Two houses for the same use, as the Exchange of Two houses London, where the Merchants meete, namely, for the for Exchange. selling of fine wares, but no way to be compared to the same for the building. They are called the great and the lesse Bezestan, and use to bee opened onely certaine daies of the weeke, and for some sixe howers, at which times small and more pretious wares are there to be sold, as Jewels, Semiters (or Swords), set with Jewels, but commonly counterfet, pieces of Velvet, Satten, and Damaske, and the like. And the Market place is not farre distant, where Captives of both sexes are weekely sold, and the buyers if they will, may take them into a

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[I. iii. 263.] Fort Jadicule.

Description of a Giraffa.

house, and there see them naked, and handle them (as wee handle beasts to know their fatnesse and strength.)

(T) Here is a Fort that is fortified with seven Towers, called by the Turkes Jadicule, and by Christians the seven Towers, where a garrison of Souldiers is kept, because the Emperors treasure is there laied up, and cheefe Prisoners use to be kept there. The treasure is vulgarly said to bee laied up there, but the great Turke seldome goes thither; and since it is true, that where the treasure is, there is the mind, I thinke it probable (which I have heard of experienced men) that most of the treasure lies in the Seraglio, where the great Turke holds his Court.

(V) Here be the ruines of a Pallace upon the very wals of the City, called the Pallace of Constantine, wherein I did see an Elephant, called Philo by the Turkes, and another beast newly brought out of Affricke, (the Mother of Monsters) which beast is altogether unknowne in our parts, and is called Surnapa by the people of Asia, Astanapa by others, and Giraffa by the Italians, the picture whereof I remember to have seene in the Mappes of Mercator; and because the beast is very rare, I will describe his forme as well as I can. His haire is red coloured, with many blacke and white spots; I could scarce reach with the points of my fingers to the hinder part of his backe, which grew higher and higher towards his foreshoulder, and his necke was thinne and some three els long, so as hee easily turned his head in a moment to any part or corner of the roome wherein he stood, putting it over the beames thereof, being built like a Barne, and high (for the Turkish building, not unlike the building of Italy, both which I have formerly described) by reason whereof he many times put his nose in my necke, when I thought my selfe furthest distant from him, which familiarity of his I liked not; and howsoever the Keepers assured me he would not hurt me, yet I avoided these his familiar kisses as much as I could. His body was slender, not greater, but much higher then the body of a stagge or Hart, and his head and face was like to that

of a stagge, but the head was lesse and the face more beautifull: He had two hornes, but short and scarce halfe a foote long; and in the forehead he had two bunches of flesh, his eares and feete like an Oxe, and his legges like a stagge. The Janizare my guide did in my name and for me give twenty Aspers to the Keeper of this

Beast.

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divided by the

Hellespont.

(WX) Here be two Castles or Forts, divided by the Castles Hellespont, one seated in Europe, the other in Asia, whereof I made mention in my sayling to Constantinople, and of which I shall speake more largely at my going from this City.

Constantinople built (sixe hundred sixty three yeeres before Christ was borne), by Pausanius a Lacedemonian, was first called Bizantium, till Constantine the Great in the yeere of the Lord 315, did rebuild it, after it had beene destroied by the Emperour Severus, and called it by his name. The Turkes under Mahomet the second, first tooke this City, in the yeere 1453, from the Christians, with destruction of great multitudes of them, and at this day it is called (of the great circuit) Stimboli by the Græcians, and Stambolda by the Turkes. It is seated in Thrace (also called Romania) and is built in forme of a Triangle, whereof two sides towards the North and East, lie upon two seas, and the third side towards the West, lies upon the continent of Greece. For many causes this City is famous, and in two respects may be justly preferred to any other in the World knowne to us, namely for the pleasantnesse of the situation, and the largenesse and safety of the Haven. The forme thereof formerly set downe, doth in part shew the pleasantnes of the situation, but the fruitfulnesse of the fields, the sweetnes and beauty of the flowers, and the variety and goodnesse of the fruits cannot sufficiently be praised. The fishes in the winter season flying from the cold of the Euxine or black Sea, fall downe in great numbers into the Sea Propontis, passing close by the wals of the City; and againe in Summer time, not induring the heat of the Mediterranean sea,

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97

G

The situation of Constan

tinople.