our ambassador likewise apparelled in a sute of cloth of siluer, with an vpper gowne of cloth of gold, accompanied with 7 gentlemen in costly sutes of sattin, with 40 other of his men very well apparelled, and all in one liuerie of sad french russet cloth gownes, at his house tooke boate: at whose landing the ship discharged all her ordinance, where likewise attended 2 bassas, with 40 or 50 chauses to accompany the ambassador to the court, and also horses for the ambassador and his gentlemen, very richly furnished, with turkish seruants attendant to take the horses when they should light. [sidenote: the ambass. came to the seraglio.] the ambassador thus honorably accompanied, the chauses foremost, next his men on foote all going by two and two, himselfe last with his chause and drugaman or interpreter, and 4 ianissaries, which he doeth vsually entertaine in his house to accompany him continually abroad, came to the seraglio about an engush mile from the water side, where first hee passed a great gate into a large court (much like the space before whitehall gate) where he with his gentlemen alighted and left their horses. from hence they passed into an other stately court, being about 6 score in bredth, and some 10 score yards long, with many trees in it: where all the court was with great pompe set in order to entertaine our ambassador. [sidenote: all these are captaines of hundreds and of fifties.] vpon the right hand all the length of the court was a gallerie arched ouer, and borne vp with stone pillars, much like the roiall exchange, where stood most of his guard in rankes from the one end to the other in costly aray, with round head pieces on their heads of mettall and gilt ouer, with a great plume of fethers somewhat like a long brush standing vp before. on the left hand stood the cappagies or porters, and the chauses. all these courtiers being about the number of 2000. (as i might well gesse) most of them apparelled in cloth of gold, siluer, veluet, sattin and scarlet, did together with bowing their bodies, laying their hands vpon their brests in curteous maner of salutation, entertain the ambassador: who likewise passing between them, and turning himself sometime to the right hand and sometime to the left, answered them with the like. [sidenote: the ambassador receiued by the vizir with all kindnesse.] as he thus passed along, certaine chauses conducted him to the douan, which is the seat of iustice, where certaine dayes of the weeke the grand vizir, with the other vizirs, the cadi-lesker or lord chiefe iustice, and the mufti or high priest do sit to determine vpon such causes as be brought before them, which place is vpon the left side of this great court, whither the ambassador with his gentlemen came, where hee found the vizir thus accompanied as aforesayd, who with great shew of kindnes receiued him: and after receit of her maiesties letters, and conference had of the present, of her maiesties health, of the state of england, and such other matters as concerned our peaceable traffique in those parts: [sidenote: diner brought in.] dinner being prepared was by many of the courtiers brought into another inner roome next adioining, which consisted of an hundred dishes or therabouts, most boiled and rosted, where the ambassador accompanied with the vizirs went to dinner, his gentlemen likewise with the rest of his men hauing a dinner with the like varietie prepared vpon the same side of the court, by themselues sate downe to their meat, 40 or 50 chauses standing at the vpper end attending vpon the gentlemen to see them serued in good order; their drinke was water mingled with rose water and sugar brought in a luthro (that is a goates skinne) which a man carieth at his backe, and vnder his arme letteth it run out at a spout into cups as men will call for it. [sidenote: diner taken away] the dinner thus with good order brought in, and for 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 house was couered with a carpet of cornation sattin imbrodered with gold, none were in the roome with him, but a bassa who stood next the wall ouer against him banging down his head, and looking submissely vpon the ground as all his subjects doe in his presence. [sidenote: the ambassador kisseth the grand signiors hand.] the ambassador thus betwixt two which stood at the doore being led in, either of them taking an arme, kissed his hand, and so backward with his face to the turke they brought him nigh the dore againe, where he stood vntill they had likewise done so with all the rest of his gentlemen. [sidenote: the ambassadors demands granted.] which ended, the ambassador, according as it is the custome when any present is deliuered, made his three demaunds, such as he thought most expedient for her maiesties honor, and the peaceable traffique of our nation into his dominions: whereunto he answered in one word, nolo, which is in turkish as much as, it shal be done: for it is not the maner of the turkish emperor familiarly to confer with any christian ambassador, but he appointeth his vizir in his person to graunt their demaunds if they be to his liking: as to our ambassador he granted all his demands, and gaue order that his daily allowance for his house of mony, flesh, wood, and haie, should be augmented with halfe as much more as it had bene before. hereupon the ambassador taking his leaue, departed with his gentlemen the same way he came, the whole court saluting him as they did at his comming in: and comming to the second court to take our horses, after we were mounted, we staied halfe an houre, vntil the captain of the guard with 2000 horsemen at the least passed before, after whom folowed 40 or 50 chauses next before the ambassador to accompany him to his house. and as before at his landing, so now at his taking boat, the ship discharged all her great ordinance, where arriuing, he likewise had a great banquet prepared to entertaine those which came to bring him home. [sidenote: the sultanas present.] the pompe and solemnitie of the present, with the day thus ended, he shortly after presented the sultana or empresse who (by reason that she is mother to him which was heire to the crown imperial) is had in far greater reuerence then any of his other queens or concubines. the present sent her in her maiesties name was a iewel of her maiesties picture, set with some rubies and diamants, 3 great pieces of gilt plate, 10 garments of cloth of gold, a very fine case, of glass bottles siluer and gift, with 2 pieces of fine holland, which so gratefully she accepted, as that she sent to know of the ambassador what present he thought she might return that would most delight her maiestie: who sent word that a sute of princely attire being after the turkish fashion would for the rarenesse thereof be acceptable in england. [the sultanas present to the queene. letters sent for england.] whereopon she sent an vpper gowne of cloth of gold very rich, an vnder gowne of cloth of siluer, and a girdle of turkie worke, rich and faire, with a letter of gratification, which for the rarenesse of the stile, because you may be acquainted with it, i haue at the ende of this discourse hereunto annexed, which letter and present, with one from the grand signor, was sent by m. edward bushell, and m. william aldridge ouer-land the 20 of march, who passed through valachia and moldauia, and so through poland, where michael prince of valachia, and aron voiuoda prince of moldauia receiuing letters from the ambassador, entertained them with al curtesie, through whose meanes by the great fauour which his lordship had with the grand signior, they had not long before both of them bene aduanced to their princely dignities. [sidenote: the other vizirs presented.] hee likewise presented sigala the admirall of the seas, with abrim bassa, who maried the great turkes daughter, and all the other vizirs with diuers pieces of plate, fine english cloth and other costly things: the particulars whereof, to auoid tediousnesse, i omit. [sidenote: the ascension departeth.] all the presents thus ended, the ship shooting ten pieces of ordinance at the seraglio point, as a last farewell, departed on her iourney for england the first of nouember, my selfe continuing in constantinople vntill the last of iuly after. this yere in the spring there was great preparation for the hungarian wars: and the great turke threatned to goe himselfe in person: but like heliogabalus, his affections being more seruiceable to venus then to mars, he stayed at home. yet a great army was dispatched this yere; who, as they came out of asia to goe for hungary, did so pester the streets of constantinople for the space of two moneths in the spring time, as scarse either christian or iew could without danger of losing his money passe vp and downe the city. what insolencies, murders and robberies were committed not onely vpon christians but also vpon turks i omit to write, and i pray god in england the like may neuer be seene: and yet i could wish, that such amongst vs as haue inioyed the gospel with such great and admirable peace and prosperity vnder her maiesties gouerment this forty yeeres, and haue not all this time brought forth better fruits of obedience to god, and thankfulnesse to her maiesty, were there but a short time to beholde the miserable condition both of christians and others liuing vnder such an infidell prince, who not onely are wrapped in most palpable and grosse ignorance of minde, but are cleane without the meanes of the true knowledge of god: i doubt not but the sight hereof (if they be not cleane void of grace) would stirre them vp to more thankefulnesse to god, that euer they were borne in so happy a time, and vnder so wise and godly a prince professing the true religion of christ. the number of souldiours which went to the warres of hungary this yeere were 470000, as by the particulars giuen by the admirall to the ambassadour hereunder doe appeare. although all these were appointed and supposed to goe, yet the victories which the christians in the spring had against the turks strooke such a terrour in many of the turkish souldiours, as by report diuers vpon the way thither left their captaines and stole away. the number of turkish souldiours which were appointed to goe into hungary against the christian emperour. may 1594. sinan bassa generall, with the saniacke masould, that is, out of office, with the other saniacks in office or of degree, 40000