This copious subject has drawn me from my description of the exchange, founded by Ali Bassa, whose name it bears.  Near it is the sherski, a street of a mile in length, full of shops of all kind of fine merchandise, but excessive dear, nothing being made here.  It is covered on the top with boards, to keep out the rain, that merchants may meet conveniently in all weathers.  The besiten near it, is another exchange, built upon pillars, where all sorts of horse-furniture is sold:  glittering every where with gold, rich embroidery, and jewels, it makes a very agreeable shew.  From this place I went, in my Turkish coach, to the camp, which is to move in a few days to the frontiers.  The sultan is already gone to his tents, and all his court; the appearance of them is, indeed, very magnificent.  Those of the great men are rather like palaces than tents, taking up a great compass of ground, and being divided into a vast number of apartments.  They are all of green, and the bassas of three tails, have those ensigns of their power placed in very conspicuous manner before their tents, which are adorned on the top with gilded balls, more or less, according to their different ranks.  The ladies go in coaches to see the camp, as eagerly, as ours did to that of Hyde-park; but ’tis very easy to observe, that the soldiers do not begin the campaign with any great cheerfulness.  The war is a general grievance upon the people, but particularly hard upon the tradesmen, now that the grand signior is resolved to lead his army in person.  Every company of them is obliged, upon this occasion, to make a present according to their ability.

I TOOK the pains of rising at six in the morning to see the ceremony which did not, however, begin till eight.  The grand signior was at the seraglio window, to see the procession, which passed through the principal streets.  It was preceded by an effendi, mounted on a camel, richly furnished, reading aloud the alcoran, finely bound, laid upon a cushion.  He was surrounded by a parcel of boys, in white, singing some verses of it, followed by a man dressed in green boughs, representing a clean husbandman sowing seed.  After him several reapers, With garlands of ears of corn, as Ceres is pictured, with scythes in their hands, seeming to mow.  Then a little machine drawn by oxen, in which was a wind-mill, and boys employed in grinding corn, followed by another machine, drawn by buffaloes, carrying an oven, and two more boys, one employed in kneading the bread, and another in drawing it out of the oven.  These boys threw little cakes on both sides amongst the crowd, and were followed by the whole company of bakers, marching on foot, two by two, in their best clothes, with cakes, loaves, pasties, and pies of all sorts on their heads, and after them two buffoons, or jack-puddings, with their faces and clothes smeared with meal, who diverted the mob with their antic gestures.  In the same manner followed all the companies of