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I
was led into a large room, with a sofa the whole length of it, adorned
with white marble pillars like a ruelle, covered with pale-blue figured
velvet on a silver ground, with cushions of the same, where I was
desired to repose till the Sultana appeared, who had contrived this
manner of reception to avoid rising up at my entrance, though she
made me an inclination of her head when I rose up to her. I was very
glad to observe a lady that had been distinguished by the favor of
an emperor, to whom beauties were every day presented from all parts
of the world. But she did not seem to me to have ever been half so
beautiful as the fair Fatima I saw at Adrianople; though she had the
remains of a fine face, more decayed by sorrow than by time. But her
dress was something so surprisingly rich, I cannot forbear describing
it to you. She wore a vest called donalma, and which differs from
a caftan by longer sleeves, and folding over at the bottom. It was
of purple cloth, straight to her shape, and thick-set, on each side,
down to her feet, and round the sleeves, with pearls of the best water,
of the same size as their buttons commonly are. You must not suppose
I mean as large as those of my Lord ____, but about the bigness of
a pea; and to these buttons large loops of diamonds, in the form of
those gold loops so common upon birthday coats. This habit was tied
at the waist with two large tassels of smaller pearl, and round the
arms embroidered with large diamonds: her shift fastened at the bottom
with a great diamond, shaped like a lozenge; her girdle as broad as
the broadest English ribbon, entirely covered with diamonds. Round
her neck she wore three chains, which reached to her knees: one of
large pearl, at the bottom of which hung a fine colored emerald, as
big as a turkey-egg; another, consisting of two hundred emeralds,
close joined together of the most lively green, perfectly matched,
every one as large as a half-crown piece, and as thick as three crown
pieces; and another of small emeralds, perfectly round. But her earrings
eclipsed all the rest. They were two diamonds, shaped exactly like
pears, as large as a big hazelnut. Round her talpoche she had four
strings of pearl, the whitest and most perfect in the world, at least
enough to make four necklaces, every one as large as the Duchess of
Marlborough's, and of the same size, fastened with two roses, consisting
of a large ruby for the middle stone, and round them twenty drops
of clean diamonds to each. Beside this, her headdress was covered
with bodkins of emeralds and diamonds. She wore large diamond bracelets,
and had five rings on her fingers, all single diamonds, (except Mr.
Pitt's) the largest I ever saw in my life. It is for jewelers to compute
the value of these things; but, according to the common estimation
of jewels in our part of the world, her whole dress must be worth
above a hundred thousand pounds sterling. This I am very sure of,
that no European queen has half the quantity; and the Empress' jewels,
though very fine, would look very mean near hers.
She gave me
a dinner of fifty dishes of meat, which (after their fashion) were
placed on the table, but one at a time, and thus extremely tedious.
But the magnificence of her table answered very well to that of
her dress. The knives were of gold, the hafts set with diamonds
but the piece of luxury that gripped my eyes was the tablecloth
and napkins, which were all tiffany, embroidered with silks and
gold, in the finest manner, in natural flowers. It was with the
utmost regret that I made use of these costly napkins, as finely
wrought as the finest handkerchiefs that ever came out of this country.
You may be sure that they were entirely spoiled before dinner was
over. The sherbet (which is the liquor they drink at meals) was
served in china bowls; but the covers and salvers were massy gold.
After dinner, water was brought in a gold basin, and towels of the
same kind as the napkins, which I very unwillingly wiped my hands
upon; and coffee was served in china, with gold sou-coupes.
The Sultana
seemed in very good humor, and talked to me with the utmost civility.
I did not omit this opportunity of learning all that I possibly
could of the seraglio, which is so entirely unknown among us. She
never mentioned her husband without tears in her eyes, yet she seemed
very fond of the discourse. "My past happiness," said
she, "appears a dream to me. Yet I cannot forget that I was
beloved by the greatest and most lovely of mankind. I was chosen
from all the rest, to make all his campaigns with him; I would not
survive him, if I was not passionately fond of my daughter. Yet
all my tenderness for her was hardly enough to make me preserve
my life. When I lost him, I passed a whole twelvemonth without seeing
the light. Time has softened my despair; yet I now pass some days
every week in tears, devoted to the memory of my husband."
There was no
affectation in these words. It was easy to see she was in a deep
melancholy, though her good humor made her willing to divert me.
She asked me to walk in her garden, and one of her slaves immediately
brought her a pellice of rich brocade lined with sables. I waited
on her into the garden, which had nothing in it remarkable but the
fountains; and from thence she showed me all her apartments. In
her bed chamber her toilet was displayed, consisting of two looking-glasses,
the frames covered with pearls, and her night talpoc1te set with
bodkins of jewels, and near it three vests of fine sables, every
one of which is, at least, worth a thousand dollars (two hundred
pounds English money). I don't doubt these rich habits were purposely
placed in sight, but they seemed negligently thrown on the sofa.
When I took my leave of her, I was complimented with perfumes, as
at the grand vizier's, and presented with a very fine embroidered
handkerchief. Her slaves were to the number of thirty, besides ten
little ones, the eldest not above seven years old. These were the
most beautiful girls I ever saw, all richly dressed; and I observed
that the Sultana took a great deal of pleasure in these lovely children,
which is a vast expense; for there is not a handsome girl of that
age to be bought under a hundred pounds sterling. They wore little
garlands of flowers, and their own hair, braided, which was all
their headdress; but their habits all of gold stuffs. These served
her coffee, kneeling; brought water when she washed, etc. It is
a great part of the business of the older slaves to take care of
these girls, to teach them to embroider and serve them as carefully
as if they were children of the family.
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