radesmen were Jews. That
people are in incredible power in this country. They have many
privileges above all the natural Turks themselves, and have formed a
very considerable commonwealth here, being judged by their own laws.
They have drawn the whole trade of the empire into their hands,
partly by the firm union amongst themselves, and partly by the idle
temper and want of industry in the Turks. Every bassa has his Jew,
who is his _homme d'affaires_; he is let into all his secrets, and
does all his business. No bargain is made, no bribe received, no
merchandise disposed of, but what passes through their hands. They
are the physicians, the stewards, and the interpreters of all the
great men. You may judge how advantageous this is to a people who
never fail to make use of the smallest advantages. They have found
the secret of making themselves so necessary, that they are certain
of the protection of the court, whatever ministry is in power. Even
the English, French, and Italian merchants, who are sensible of their
artifices, are, however, forced to trust their affairs to their
negotiation, nothing of trade being managed without them, and the
meanest amongst them being too important to be disobliged, since the
whole body take care of his interests, with as much vigour as they
would those of the most considerable of their members. They are many
of them vastly rich, but take care to make little public shew of it,
though they live in their houses in the utmost luxury and
magnificence. 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 apartme