The historie of the holy vvarre; by Thomas Fuller, B.D. prebendarie of Sarum, late of Sidney Colledge in Cambridge

Chap. 30. Of the greatnesse, strength, wealth, and wants of the Turkish Empire; What hopes of the ap∣proching ruine thereof.

THe Turkish Empire is the greatest and best-compacted (not excepting the Romane it self in the height there∣of) that the sunne ever saw. Take sea and land together (as bones and flesh make up one bodie) and from Buda in the West to Tauris in the East, it stretcheth about three thousand miles: little lesse is the extent thereof North and South. It lieth in the heart of the world, like a bold champion bidding defiance to all his borderers, commanding the most fruitfull countreys of Europe, Asia, and Africa: Onely America (not more happie in her rich mines then in her remotenesse) lieth free from the reach thereof.

Populous it is not; for men will never grow thick where meat groweth thinne: It lieth waste, according to the old pro∣verb, Grasse springeth not where the Grand Signors horse setteth his foot. Besides, a third part (I may say, half) of those in Turkie are not Turks, but either Jews or Christi∣ans.

The strength of this Empire consisteth either in bones or stones, men or munition. Of the first, The best stake in the Turks hedge is his great number of Horsemen called Tima∣riots, conceived to exceed seven hundred thousand fight∣ing men: These are dispersed over all his Dominions, and have lands allotted unto them in reward of their good service and valour, much in the nature of those souldiers of the Romish Empire called Beneficiarii. And indeed the Tur∣kish Empire resembleth the Romane in many particulars: not that they ever studied imitation, and by reading of Historie conformed their State to Romane precedents, (farre be it from us to wrong them with the false imputation of so much learn∣ing) but rather casually they have met in some common principles of policie. Of these Timariots, on occasion and competent warning, he can bring into the field an hundred and fiftie thousand, all bound by the tenure of their lands to arm, clothe, feed, pay themselves: So great an armie,

which would drain the wealth of other Princes, doth cost the great Turk no drop of expense.

Next follow his best footmen, called Janizaries, taken young from their Christian parents (parallel to the Romane Pretorian souldiers) being the guard of the Grand Signors person. But as they watch about him, so he casteth a watch∣full eye on them; seeing of late they are grown from pain∣full to be proud, yea insolent and intolerable: it being true of these Janizaries in the Turkish Empire, as of Elephants in an armie; If well ruled, they alone are enough to winne the bat∣tel; if unruly, they alone are enough to lose it. As for all other sorts of the Turks, both foot and horse, they are but slugs; as whom the Grand Signor little trusteth, and others need lesse fear.

His frontier cities, especially those which respect Christen∣dome, are exactly fortified. Rank with these such places of importance and castles as command passages of conse∣quence. As for his inland-cities, there is no superfluous, scarce competent, strength in them. But if we allow those people to be chaste who never were solicited to be otherwise, then may many cities lying in the bowels of his Empire passe for strong, which for a long time have not had nor in haste are like∣ly to have the temptation of a siege.

Of Ordinance he hath great store, and hath excellent ma∣terials to make them of; and is also very powerfull in shipping. Indeed ships of great burden would be burdensome in those narrow seas, and experience hath found lesser vessels of greater use; whereof he hath store. And though the Turks either want ingenie or industrie, either care not or cannot be good ship∣wrights themselves; yet the spite is, as long as there is gold amongst the Turks there will be drosse amongst the Christi∣ans, I mean some who for base gain will betray the mysteries of our usefull arts unto them. As for wood to build with, he hath excellent in Bithynia; yea, generally in this wild Empire, trees grow better then men. To his sea-munition may be re∣duced his multitude of slaves, though not the informing yet (against their wills) the assisting form of his Galleys, and in whom consisteth a great part of their strength and swift∣nesse.

Nor must we forget the Pirates of Tunis and Algier; which are Turks and no Turks: Sometimes the Grand Signor dis∣claimeth, renounceth and casteth them off to stand upon their own bottom; as when those Christian Princes which are con∣federate with him, complain to him of the wrongs those sea-robbers have done them. But though he sendeth them out to seek their own meat, he can clock them under his wings

at pleasure: And we may verily beleeve, though sometimes in the summer of his own prosperitie he throweth them off as an upper garment of no use, yet in cold weather he will buckle them on again; and if necessitie pincheth him, receive them not as retainers at large but as his best servants in ordinarie.

Nor is it the last and least part of the strength of this Empire, that all her native people are linked together in one religion: The discords about which in other kingdomes have been the cause, first of the unjoynting, and then of the finall ruine & desolation of many worthy States: Whereas here, the Mahometane religion (if I wrong it not with so good a name) is so full of unitie and agreement, that there is no difference & dissension about it. Yea, well may that coat have no seam which hath no shape. A sense∣lesse ignorant profession it is, not able to go to the cost of a controversie: And all colours may well agree in the dark.

Next the strength followeth the wealth; yea, it is part there∣of: For all rich Kingdomes may be strong, and purchase arti∣ficiall fortification. The certain and constant revenues of the great Turk are not great, if withall we consider the spatious∣nesse of his Dominions. Some have mounted his ordinarie yearly in-come to eight millions of gold. But men guesse by uncertain aim at Princes revenues, especially if they be so re∣mote: We may beleeve that in their conjecture herein, though they misse the mark, they hit the butt. Farre greater might his intrado be, if husbandrie, and chiefly merchandise, were plied in his countrey: merchants being the Vena porta of a King∣dome; without which it may have good limbes, but emptie veins, and nourish little. Now although this Empire be of a vast extent, having many safe harbours to receive strangers there, and Staple commodities (chiefly if industrie were used) to allure them thither; yet hath it in effect but foure prime places of trading; Constantinople, Cairo, Aleppo, and Tau∣ris. As for the extraordinarie revenues of the Grand Signor, by his escheats and other courses if he pleaseth to take them, they are a Nemo scit: For in effect he is worth as much as all his subjects (or slaves rather) throughout his whole Empire are worth, his spunges to squeeze at pleasure.

But the Lion is not so fierce as he is painted, nor this Empire so formidable as fame giveth it out. The Turks head is lesse then his turbant, and his turbant lesse then it seemeth; swel∣ling without, hollow within. If more seriously it be consi∣dered, this State cannot be strong, which is a pure and abso∣lute tyrannie. His subjects under him have nothing certain but this, That they have nothing certain; and may thank the Grand Signor for giving them whatsoever he taketh not away from them. Their goods they hold by permission not proprietie;

not sure that either they or theirs shall reap what they sow, or eat what they reap: and hereupon husbandrie is wholly neglected: For the plowman (as well as the ground he ploweth) will be soon out of heart, if not maintained and (as I may say) composted with hopes to receive benefit by his labours. Here great officers, if they love themselves, must labour not to be beloved: for popularitie is high treason; and generally wealth is a sinne to be expiated by death. In a word, it is a cruel ty∣rannie, bathed in the bloud of their Emperours upon every succession; a heap of vassals and slaves; no Nobles (except for time being, by office) no Gentlemen, no Free-men, no in∣heritance of land, no Stirp or ancient families; a nation with∣out any, moralitie, arts and sciences, that can scarce measure an acre of land or houre of a day.

And needeth not that Kingdome constant and continued pointing, which is cemented with fear not love? May we not justly think, that there be many in this Empire which rather wait a time then want desire to overthrow it? For though some think the Grecians in Turkie bear such inveterate hate to the Latine Christians, that they would rather refuse deli∣verance then accept them for their deliverers; yet surely both they, and perchance some native Turks, out of that principle of desiring libertie (the second rule next preserving life in the charter of Nature) would be made (if this Empire were seri∣ously invaded, so that the foundation thereof did totter) sooner to find two hands to pluck it down then one finger to hold it up.

And we have just cause to hope that the fall of this unwel∣die Empire doth approch. It was high noon with it fiftie yeares ago; we hope now it draweth neare night: the rather, because luxurie, though late, yet at last hath found the Turks out, or they it. When first they came out of Turcomania, and were in their pure naturals, they were wonderfully abste∣mious, neglecting all voluptuousnesse, not so much out of a dislike as ignorance of it: But now having tasted the sweet∣nesse of the cup, they can drink as great a draught as any others. That Paradise of corporall pleasure which Mahomet promised them in the world to come, they begin to anticipate here, at leastwise to take an earnest of it, and have well soked them∣selves in luxurie. Yea, now they begin to grow covetous, both Prince and people, rather seeking to enjoy their means with quiet then enlarge them with danger.

Heaven can as easily blast an oak as trample a mushrome. And we may expect the ruine of this great Empire will come: for of late it hath little increased its stock, and now begin∣neth to spend of the principall. It were arrant presumption

for Flesh to prescribe God his way; or to teach him, when he meaneth to shoot, which arrow in his quiver to choose. Per∣chance the Western Christians, or the Grecians under him (though these be better for seconds then firsts, fitter to fo∣ment then raise a faction) or his own Janizaries, or the Per∣sian, or the Tartarian, or some other obscure Prince not as yet come into play in the World, shall have the lustre from God to maul this great Empire. It is more then enough for any man to set down the fate of a single soul; much more to resolve the doom of a whole nation when it shall be. These things we leave to Providence to work, and posteritie to be∣hold. As for our generation, let us sooner expect the dissolu∣tions of our own Microcosmes then the confusion of this Em∣pire: For neither are own sinnes yet truly repented of, to have this punishment removed from us; nor the Turks wickednesse yet come to the full ripenesse, to have this great judgement laid upon them.

Notes

• Knolls, in his descript. of the greatnesse of the Tur∣kish Empire.
• Knolls.