his gold, and the other his silver coffee-pot, on a staff; another carried a silver stool on his head for him to sit on.—–­It would be too tedious to tell your ladyship the various dresses and turbants (sic) by which their rank is distinguished; but they were all extremely rich and gay, to the number of some thousands; so that perhaps there cannot be seen a more beautiful procession.  The sultan appeared to us a handsome man of about forty, with something, however, severe in his countenance, and his eyes very ——­ ——­ ——­ [Editor’s note:  as above a few words are illegible but seem to be ’sultry and black’.] He happened to stop under the window where he stood, and (I suppose being told who we were) looked upon us very attentively, so that we had full leisure to consider him.  The French ambassadress agreed with me as to his good mien; I see that lady very often; she is young, and her conversation would be a great relief to me, if I could persuade her to live without those forms and ceremonies that make life so formal and tiresome.  But she is so delighted with her guards, her four and twenty footmen, gentlemen, ushers, &c. that she would rather die than make me a visit without them; not to reckon a coachful of attending damsels ycleap’d (sic) maids of honour.  What vexes me is, that as long as she will visit me with a troublesome equipage, I am obliged to do the same:  however, our mutual interest makes us much together.  I went with her the other day all round the town, in an open gilt chariot, with our joint train of attendants, preceded by our guards, who might have summoned the people to see what they had never seen, nor ever perhaps would see again, two young Christian ambassadresses at the same time.  Your ladyship may easily imagine, we drew a vast crowd of spectators, but all silent as death.  If any of them had taken the liberties of our mobs upon any strange sight, our janizaries had made no scruple of falling on them with their scimitars, without danger for so doing, being above law.  These people however (I mean the janizaries) have some good qualities; they are very zealous and faithful where they serve, and look upon it as their business to fight for you on all occasions.  Of this I had a very pleasant instance in a village on this side Philippopolis, where we were met by our domestic guards.  I happened to bespeak pigeons for supper, upon which one of my janizaries went immediately to the cadi (the chief civil officer of the town) and ordered him to send in some dozens.  The poor man answered, that he had already sent about, but could get none.  My janizary, in the height of his zeal for my service, immediately locked him up prisoner in his room, telling him he deserved death for his impudence, in offering to excuse his not obeying my command; but, out of respect to me, he would not punish him but by my order.  Accordingly he came very gravely to me, to ask what should be done to him; adding, by way of compliment, that if I pleased