of what the most refined luxury could plant, or build; but spring-gardens and walks, adorned with ladies and gallants, are things unknown to us barbarians.

I have now told you all that is good; for this airy pleasure of the eye is lost in so many solid inconveniencies, that I never was yet, in any city, more uneasy, nay, more insupportable; the buildings, except a mosque or two, so mean and contemptible, that they would disgrace a poor village; the water bad, wine worse, the streets and all avenues to the city so crouded with carts, dunghills, and carrion, that nothing can be more troublesome, or offensive, to the sight and scent: in a word, what the riches and invention of mankind did contribute to make Rome delightful and glorious, the stupidity and sordidness of these people have outvied in the reverse, making this place the metropolis of filth and inconvenience.

Our arrival here was on the tenth of May; on the fifteenth began the festivals for the circumcision of the young prince. In a large piazza, or rather field, before the seraglio, were pitched the tents of the grand signior, visier, and other great men, which made a side and half of the square; another side and half was taken up with lamps hung upon ropes, and fastened to poles, disposed into several figures of ships, buildings, and woods, &c. which were changed every night: others, as they use in Egypt at their rejoicing, when they cut the Nile. The fourth side was the seraglio, where the women had the convenience of seeing through lattices.

The show begun in the afternoon, the morning being spent in entertainments. The grand signior, sitting in an elevated place by his tent, much like a summer-house in our gardens, which overlooked all, received the presents brought him by the bashaws, and all the officers of the empire, and all the arts of Constantinople. These were not left to the liberty and generosity of the presenter; but they were taxed what they should give, and an officer appointed to survey the quality of them; which, if not approved, was returned, and perhaps augmented; for, in this country, it is no ill manners to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

The mechanicks and some of the soldiery were every day entertained in a great tent with a Turkish feast; afterwards were antick dances in several habits, singing and dancing with most obscene gesticulations, jack-pudding, and Punchinello's representations; wrestling, rope-dancing, feats of activity and strength; all these promiscuously in the area of the square. Had there been but a noise, rabble, and abominable pig's-head, nothing could have been an exacter scene of Bartholomew.

fair.

At night, a row of poles, about a man's height, were stuck in the ground; on the top were hoops of iron, in which burnt pine-wood, with a brisk and lively flame, which, with the lamps, gave a delightful and magnificent prospect.

About an hour in the night began the fire-works, which were plentiful, and not amiss; though, I think, those I have seen at Rome surpass them: one sort, indeed, I never saw, which was a great bason, like a mortarpiece, fixed into the ground, and filled with wild fire, which sent out a

violent stream of fire, with a hideous noise, a great height: it was an object equally terrible and delightful. These were the constant divertisements, all the time of the solemnity.

The twenty-fifth, the mufti, visier, and all the bashaws and great officers, with the janisaries walking before, and the chiaux on horseback, attended the prince, who was so adorned, or over-laden with jewels, both himself and his horse, that one might say, he carried the value of an empire about him.

The twenty-seventh, which was Mahomet's birth-day, he accompanied his father to the moschea; here was no solemn cavalcade, only the grand signior's own retinue; and, though it was less in number far than the cavalcade, yet adjusted neater, and court-like, the grand signior's footmen and pages being very rich in clothes and jewels.

This evening, the prince was circumcised in the arms of his father; he is about eleven years old, of a good aspect, his name Mustapha. About two thousand others were cut at this solemnity, who had money and a quilt from the grand signior. It was done publickly, in the tents, and any one, Turk or Christian, admitted to see them.

June the fifth, this solemnity was concluded with horse-races. After ten days repose, began the feasts for the marriage of the grand signior's daughter, of about seven years old, unto the mussaip, or favourite, who, by the tefterdar, or lord-treasurer (who was the compeer) in a solemn show, sent his presents to her, thirty mules laden with sugarplums and sweet-meats; figures of several sorts of birds and beasts, of sugar, so ill-favouredly represented, that they could not be said to break the law against making images, though the solemnity of the time had not dispensed with it; fifty-six men, each with five more vests of cloth of gold, sattin, &c. then her jewels, several suits very rich; five led horses, with rich furniture of pearls and precious stone; and, at last, coaches with slaves.

On the nineteenth of June, was the visier, &c. in a solemn cavalcade, to accompany the presents the grand signior gave her; eighty-six mules laden with rich houshold-stuff, very rich habits for her, and jewels of all sorts; twelve coaches with slaves, and six and thirty black eunuchs.

And, the twenty-third, was the last cavalcade of all the great men, to attend her from the seraglio to her husband's house; they were in a close coach plated with silver, attended with five-and-twenty others. At last came the hassaki, or queen regent's coach, attended with ten more; to every one of these coaches were two black eunuchs. In a great court-yard of the mussaip's palace, were repeated all the sports and fire-works that were before, at which the grand signior was a constant spectator. Besides, there was a rope fastened to a high steeple, whence several men came flying down; one having a boy tied to his back with a drum, the rope broke; but, being near the ground, and falling on another man, they had none of them any considerable hurt. The most remarkable was a man that walked upon a rope, fastened to the same steeple, forward and backward; and another man, that, upon a high loose rope, hanging by his hand, his body extended, swung himself over twelve times, without stop, or touching any thing.

But too much of these trifles, though the grand signior was much de

lighted with them, and made them be continued many more days than were intended. He took that fancy to a gypsy-boy, that swung and danced, as he hath him in the degree of a favourite, being taken into the seraglio, and presented by the great bashaws.

The mussaip, that hath married the grand signior's daughter, is a man that meddles in no business, nor is thought to be much capable of it; for, being chimacham in the visier's absence, he shewed no great abilities. The grand signior takes him for a constant companion in all his diver tisements, and hath a strong affection to him, which time does not impair, but rather augment, he being a prince most constant where he fixes. You would think this marriage would make him happy, but it is quite contrary; for it not only cuts him off in his pleasures, to which he is indulgent, he being forced to discharge all his women, even his own sisters; but it ruins his fortune, both by the expence in maintaining her, while she lives, and, should she die, he must refund to the treasury all he hath had with her, besides four millions (according to common report) of dollars, which is her dote; which he is so far from an ability of, that he cannot pay his present debts: she hath good proofs of his abilities another way, he having, it is said, two-and-thirty children.

To our own private affairs, his excellency my lord ambassador, Sir John Finch, had all satisfaction, and hath obtained very advantageous additions to our capitulations; but, they being things mercantile, and, though not beyond, yet beneath your knowledge, I shall not particularise.

We had a very hot plague; my lord ambassador retired to a village, but it soon arrived there; so he lived in his tents till the sickness got among the servants, of whom five died: then he returned to the village. Mr. North and I stuck to the city, where, though in our street only two houses were free, besides our own, and the two adjoining had five sick on the one, and two on the other side, yet, God be praised, we and our servants passed well along the road; and here it is not much less: Sir Thomas Baines, my lord ambassador's companion, that attended him in his chamber, three days after our arrival, was taken, and in three more died; he is the only Englishman that hath been visited. His excellency hath retired upon this, a little way out of town, for some time.

Dated from Pera, the 9th of October, 1675.

A PERFECT NARRATIVE OF

The Apprehension, Trial, and Confession of the five several Persons that were Confederates in

STEALING THE MACE & THE TWO PRIVY PURSES

FROM THE

HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND.

As it was attested at the sessions held at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, the seventh and eighth of March, Anno 1676-7. With permission. Quarto, containing eight pages.

ΜΑΝ

ANY and intolerable are the injuries and abuses that are committed almost daily within the city and suburbs of London. I

need not run no further to find out examples that may equalise the barbarian infidel, do but consider in what sphere we move; with double diligence our natives run to hasten others and their own destruction; one brother can't put confidence in another, but still is fearful, lest he should betray him; one neighbour hates another, and are grown so implacable and almost incorrigible, that, did not timely justice supersede, no man could find safety in his own castle; the superviewing of each sessions will demonstrate the vices and perverseness of our

times.

But not to derogate too far from the intended subject of this present narrative; I shall give you an account of the audacious burglary that was committed on my Lord Chancellor, the sixth of February, being 'Tuesday night, one-thousand six-hundred seventy-six, and the parties that were apprehended the Saturday night following.

The manner of their apprehension was thus: some of the head of the gang had taken a lodging in Knight-Rider-street, near Doctor'sCommons; and there, in a closet, they had lodged the mace and purses.

The woman's daughter of the house, going up in their absence to make the bed, saw some silver spangles, and some odd ends of silver scattered about the chamber, which she, with no small diligence, picked up, not knowing from whence such riches should proceed. In this admiration she paused a while, and it was not long before her fancy led her, like the rest of her sex, to pry into and search the furthermost point of this new and strange apparition, and directing her course to the closet door, she, through the key-hole, could discern something that was not commonly represented to her view, which was the upper end of the mace, but knew not what it was; however, she thought it could not be amiss to acquaint her beloved mother with what she had beheld; and, with this resolve, she hastens down stairs, and, with a voice betwixt fear and joy, she cries out: Oh mother! mother! yonder is the king's crown in our closet! pray, mother, come along with me and see it.'

The admiring mother, being something surprised at her daughter's relation, as also having no good opinion of her new lodgers, makes haste, good woman, and goes to the closet door; and, opening the lock with a knife, she entered into the closet, where she soon discerned that it was not a crown, but a mace; and, having heard that such a thing was lost, sends immediately away to acquaint my lord chancellor that the mace was in her house; upon which information, a warrant was soon granted, and officers sent to Mr. Thomas Northy, constable of Queen-hithe ward, who, with a sufficient assistance, went into Knight-Rider-street, to their lodging, and very luckily found them, being five in number, and of both sexes, viz. three men, and two women, whom they carried before the Right Worshipful Sir William Tur. ner, who, after examination, according to justice, committed them to the common jail of Newgate.

At the sessions held in the Old Bailey, beginning the seventh day of this instant March, the five prisoners aforesaid were first called to the bar, where, according to the custom of England, they were bid to

hold up their hands, and asked, whether guilty or not guilty? they all replied severally, not guilty. After that the witnesses were sworn and examined, who very manifestly proved the fact, the woman and her daughter where they lodged being two great evidences against them.

After this the principal of those malefactors, a person very well known in court, having been arraigned at the same bar five or six several times before, very confidently speaks to the bench in this manner: My lord, I own the fact, and it was I, and this man, pointing to one that stood by him at the bar, that robbed my lord chancellor, and the other 'three are clear of the fact, though I cannot say but they were confe. 'derates with us in the concealment of the prize after it was taken. This I declare, said he, to the honourable bench, that I may be clear of the blood of these other three persons.' The bench, and all spectators else, admired to hear him thus confidently declare himself guilty before examination, knowing that the fact was of so high a nature, and, without all doubt, would prove capital. However, the court went on in a legal way; and another witness begun to demonstrate in what manner he was taken; to whom the prisoner answered in this manner: Prithee, fellow, do not make such a long narration of my being taken, thou seest I am here, and I own that I and this man, 'as aforesaid, are guilty of the fact.'

With that the other prisoner, whom he thus impeached, endea voured to clear himself, after this manner: My lord, said he, this man, meeting me in Paul's churchyard, asked me to go and drink, with whom I went, and, after we were seated, he told me, that he knew of a booty that would make me smile, telling me of the mace and purses; and further saying, that, if I would be his assistant, he 'would give me my share of the prize. To whom the prisoner aforesaid made this reply in open court; Yes, my lord, I look like a fellow that 'would commit a robbery, and give him half the prize.' At this there was a great shout in the court, but silence was straight commanded. And the other man with the two women were examined, who endeavoured to clear themselves; but sufficient evidence was produced in court, who did attest, that they found some of the plate with them at the time of their apprehension; so they were put to silence, and dis missed the court for that time.

It was observed, the prisoner whom the chief malefactor impeached to be equally guilty of the fact with himself, had a great sense of sorrow upon him whilst he was at the bar, and complained to himself of lewd and lascivious women, saying, that they were the cause of his and many other men's ruin; which is certainly true, that they are the ruin of many a hopeful young man.