A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill].

  • Hill, Aaron, 1685-1750.
Date:
1710
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    AFTER the Men, the Women come, in a Knott by themfelves, and in the midft, the Bride, all cover’d witha Veil of Laivn, which reaches to her Heels, made like a Sack, without the fmalleft peeping Place for her imprifon’d Eyes , ty’d pretty clofe about the Neck, and falling widely from the Head, o’er the Tides of a fquare piece of Paf board like a Trencher, over which is hung a Garland, of the lweeteft Flowers, I N this Order they advance, guarded before and behind by Janizaries, for fear of Infults from the Turkijh Rabble. At the Church, the Brief is fure to meet them, and ent’ring there, the Bridegroom leaves his Dagger flicking in \ method to the Door, for fear of Incantations or Enchantments, often pradis’d in this Prevent En- Country, by which means, they pretend to render the moil vigorous Bride-1 hmrm 1 groom altogether Impotent upon his Wedding Night. HOWEVER, arm’d againft fo unlucky a Difappointment, they go into Church, and by the Prijl are joined, with feveral Prayers for the fuc- cefsful Iifue of their Marriage ; after which, they change their Garlands, and retire to their Houfes, where the remainder of the Day being lpent in loud Caroufng and making merry, the New-mamed Couple are put to Bed, and the next Morning early, the Mother, or neareft Female Relation of the A way to Bride, coming into their Chamber, takes pofleftion of the Wedding Sheets, Erove Virgl* to be preferv’d as a perpetual Proof of her Dear Daughter's fure Virgi-nli)' nitj. I’LL tell you a pleafant Story, and leave your-felf to guefs, how ad¬ mirably Nature has endued the nimble-minded Grecian Ladies, with thefineft qualifications in the World, for Cuckolding their Husbands. THERE is a little Village, call’d Belgrade, about fifteen Miles from A pleafant Confantwople, wonderfully pleafant for its airy Situation ; here a Greek, who Q^zciari* was grown rich by Merchandizing, kept a very pretty Country Houfe, and Lady, in it a young Wife, extreamly handfome, but, as fomewhat brisker than he wifh’d her, Hie alarm’d his Jealoufy to watch her ftriddy, nor wou’d he often let her walk alone in the adjoining Groves and Meadows. HOWEVER, I was one Day going by a Wood-fide*, at the bottom of a Hill to Angle in a River, that ran by it, and perceiv’d upon the Bank a charming youthful Lady bufy at her Needle, with a Pot of Water ftanding by her, I immediately imagin’d right, and guefs’d her the fne Wife of the rich Greek abovenam’d ; I muft own I was furpriz’d to find her, fo, beyond my expectation, gay and beautiful; I faw fhe was alone, and ventur’d to addrefs her in Italian, file return’d my Salutation in that Language, and permitted me to fit down by her, and converfe with all the Liberties of decent Familiarity. . SHE prefently began to make Complaint of the ReftriCfion fhe was Her familiar under, by her Husbands Jealoufie, and the Reftraint, which Women in Temper, that Country were oblig’d to undergoe, and really thence proceeded to make fuch kind advances, and fo prettily encourage me to hope her fa¬ vour, e’er I ask’d it, that I only wanted vanity, to think I might have met fuccefs in any kind of offer, Touth, or Inclination might have tempted me to make her. BUT on a fudden, in the Height of her Difcourfe and Gayety, we A wonderful heard a Voice among the Trees upon the other fide of the River, Im- Prefence of mediately fhe knew it was her Husband, and expecting every moment, Mind‘ when he wou’d appear in fight, was fure he muft Difcover me to have been talking with her, fo the very minute, that lie call’d her, Hie fell A a fide-