The nauigations, peregrinations and voyages, made into Turkie by Nicholas Nicholay Daulphinois, Lord of Arfeuile, chamberlaine and geographer ordinarie to the King of Fraunce conteining sundry singularities which the author hath there seene and obserued: deuided into foure bookes, with threescore figures, naturally set forth as well of men as women, according to the diuersitie of nations, their port, intreatie, apparrell, lawes, religion and maner of liuing, aswel in time of warre as peace: with diuers faire and memorable histories, happened in our time. Translated out of the French by T. Washington the younger.

Of the Peicz or Laques of the gerat Turke.

Chap. 8.

BEsides the number of these Solaquis, the great Lord hath 40. Lackies being Persians, called in their language Peicz or Peiclars, euery one hauing eight or ten Aspres by the day, and twise in the yeare new clothed with garmentes of sattin or damaske, figured of diuers colours, vpon their heads they do weare a high Bonnet of fine siluer gilted, called in their lan∣guage Scuff, set round about with diuers stones, whereof some are fine and some false, and in the toppe a great and high tufte of Eastrige fearhers, set out with many diuers & rare small fea∣thers of byrdes. About their bodie they are girded with a large girdle of Tissue, or of silke and golde, called Cochiach, beeing verie fayre and of great value, and of such length that it goeth three times about the hodie, & ouerthwart the same, do weare a braue dagger by them called Biciach set with Iuorie or bones of fishes,* 1.1 carrying in one of their handes an Anagiach being a small hatchet, and in the other a handkercher full of Suger Cā∣die, which in running they do eate, aswell for their sustenance and strength, as to take away the faintnes. These Peicz do run before the great Lord, alwayes leaping on theyr toes without ceasing or rest: and if it chaunce that in their course they com into any greene meddow or vpon any plaine way, they sodain∣ly turne their faces towarde their great Lord,* 1.2 & so do go back∣warde a certeine space, or so long as the fayre way dureth, cri¦yng loudly, Alau Deicherin, which is to say God maintain and preserue the Lord long time in such power and prosperitie.

The light running of these swift Peicz is also employed in seruices of more importance, for if it happen y^t the great Lord hath to send & dispatch in hast any matter into any places of the Empire the same is committed vnto these, who, so soone as they haue receiued the same, & with great reuerence takē their leaue, they do speedily depart, crying with a loud voice, Sauli, Sauli, which is asmuch as beware, beware: & vpon this readie

departure, they runne leaping amongest the people like vnto young rammes, and trauailing both day and night without a∣ny rest or stay, do dispatch more way then the best horse in Tur¦kie coulde doe: it is thought certainely, that these light run∣ners in their youth doe consume their mylte, by a mean which they keepe so secret, that for nothing in the worlde they will disclose vnto any person: as for my part I referre me too that which it may be, and will not otherwise assure it to bee true, for that I haue not my selfe seen it, notwithstanding that diuers at Constantinople haue affirmed vnto me the same be true & ac∣cordingly hath written Iohn Antonio Menauino of Genua, which as a yong slaue was brought vp within the Sarail in the time of Sultan Baiazet.

[illustration]

Peich or Peicler of nation a Persian one of the Lackies of the great Turk.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sugar candie good for fain••¦nes.
• * 1.2

  They runne backwards on the way.