The ofspring of the house of Ottomanno and officers pertaining to the greate Turkes court. Whereunto is added Bartholomeus Georgieuiz Epitome, of the customes rytes, ceremonies, and religion of the Turkes: with the miserbale affliction of those Christians, whiche liue vnder their captiuitie and bondage. In the ende also is adioyned the maner hovv Mustapha, oldest sonne of Soltan Soliman, twelfth Emperour of the Turkes, was murthered by his father, in the yere of our Lorde 1553. al Englished by Hugh Goughe.

❀ The maner of the turkisne circum∣cision, after vvhat sort it is done, and of their names.

THey vse Circuncision called in theyr propre spech Tsuneth, not on y^e eighte

daye, accordynge to the custome of th•• Jewes, but after the childes birth whe he is in the age of seuen or eyghte yea∣res, then skilefull in speaking their lan∣guage: and that ceremonye is obserued amonge them at that time, for the wor∣des of confessyon, whiche are required before the circumcision (the Thumbe of his hande called Larmath, lifted vp) and they are those to witte, that before we haue mentioned to bée written in their temples. And the childe is not brought vnto the chuch, but circumcised at home in his parentes house, At this solemnity haue I ben often present, which is done after this maner. First of all their frin∣des are called together to a bankete, for whom of dayntye dishes, ther are suffi∣cient prepared, of all kyndes of fleshe, suche as they may lawfully féede on, and here and ther, (as among the richer sort) is slaine an Oxe, in the which (flean, & his boweles taken out), they encloase a

sheepe, in the shepe a henne, and in the henne an egge, all whiche holye toge∣ther are rosted in honour of that daye.

After that at the time of their banketing and feast, the childe is brought fourth to bée circumcised, then the Phisition or Surgion seruinge for that purpose, ope∣neth the mitte of his yarde, and taketh the skinne folded in a crampe wire, sōne after whereby to rydde the childe from feare, he sayeth that y^e circuncision shal∣be deferred vntill the nexte daye, and so departeth, not longe betwine, fayninge as thoughe some thynge were omitted or forgotten, whiche necesarye apper∣taineth to the accōplishinge of that acte, vpō a sodaine he cutteth of peace of that skinne, whiche couereth the heade of the childes yarde, putting vpon the wound a litle salte and softe silke thense fourth he shalbe called Musulman, which is cir∣cumcised, and they haue no names geuē them on the daye of circumcision, but at

their very birthe, when firste they are brought into light and this worlde, whi∣che are these, and firste of kynges as Su∣leiman, interpreted Solomon Sultan Ste∣lim, whiche is a Prince of peace Murath Begh, a desyred ruler: Mustapha & suche like. Of captaines as Pirin, Haradon, Hader, Ebrahim. And the names of lordes of the meaner condition are Spahalar, Sauslar, Eminler, Behram, Memmi Mehē∣met, Alli, Ahmat, Tcielebi, Paiazith, Chatsun, Hutscref. Vnto all the reste, Mutsa, Ionutz, Sthender, Perhat, Ferro. Their captiues and bondemene, for the greater parte are called Seremeth, which name signifyeth a bolde and spedye ser∣uante. From that time forewarde the feast continewing by the space of three dayes, the circumcised childe is brought with a moste solemne triumphe vnto a Bathe. And in retourning home, he is leade by the guestes and banketters, which offer giftes vnto him before pro∣uided:

some silke garmentes, some siluer cuppes, other mony or horses. The wo∣mē also present him with shirtes, napt∣kinnes, and other suche like. Euerye of the feasters geueth acording to his plea∣sure, habilytye, or riches. The women are not at all circumcised, but confessing only the fornamed wordes, are counted Mulsuman But if any amonge the chri∣stians of his voluntarye will, graunting him selfe to bée a Mehemmetiste, dothe suffer circumcision whiche not seldome chaūceth by reason of the most greuous yoke and burthen of tribute, he is caried throughe all the streates & highe wayes of the cytye, with great honour and ioye of all the people, playing vpon timbrel∣les: vnto him also are geuen certain gif∣tes, after that he is made frée frō paying any tribute, in their mother tounge cal∣led Haracs. And throughe gredines of this lucre and aduantage, manye of the Grecians, whiche they call Vlumlar, and

Albanians, that are named Arnautla haue bene circumcised. If anye manne forced by vyolence, as one whiche hath stroken a Mulsuman, misused him with reproche, or blasphemed Mehemmet wiche I sawe chaunce vnto a certaine Bishoppe of the Grecian religion) be circumcised, ther is no thing geuen vn∣to him, albeit he shalbe discharged from paying any tribute, as the reste Mulsul∣manlar, whiche is of the circumcised are.