not very well pleased, either with the Religion, or the Government of the Turks. 'Twas this: Solyman, says he, as he was returning home, was forc'd to lodge one Night in the House of a certain Asiatick, and when he went away in the Morning, his Host brought a great deal of Perfume, and us'd a great many Ceremonies, to cleanse and purge his House, as if it had been polluted by such a Guest as Solyman; when Solyman heard of it, he caused the Man to be slain, and his House to be levelled with the Ground. This Punishment the poor Man underwent for his Aversion to the Turks, and his Propensity to favour the Persians.
I staid about fourteen Days at Constantinople to refresh my self, and then I entred on my Journey back again to Vienna: But I was entertain'd with an inauspicious Omen, even a very sad Spectacle; just as I was gone out of the Gates of Constantinople, I met whole Waggon-Loads of Boys and Girls, which were brought out of Hungary to Constantinople to be sold; no Merchandize is more frequent amongst them than that. For, as when we leave Antwerp, we meet with all sorts of merchantable Commodities importing into the Town, so here, ever now and then, there passed by us abundance of poor miserable Christian Slaves, which were going to be sold in the Markets to a perpetual Bondage. There was no distinction of Age; Old and Young were driven in Herds, or Companies, or else were tied in a long Chain, as we use to tail Horses when we carry them to Fairs. When I beheld this woful sight, I could not forbear weeping and bemoaning the unhappy State of poor Christendom. And if that miserable Spectacle were not afflicting enough to a new Traveller, take another bad and mortifying Occurrence: My Collegues
