A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill].
- Aaron Hill
- Date:
- 1710
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
240/406 page 184
![of St. George, but in fome ancient Church, or Monaftery, and in either of thofe places feldom mifs it. nnce8of Mo •N ° Y’.tho tjcy feem t0 value Pa,nting> they h ave nothing of the Ge- dem Greeks in nfm ot their tam’d Apelles left among them ; what they do is very flat, and painting. fcarce deferves a better Name than that of daubing; and it is oblervable, that, notwithftanding their refpeft for Pidures, they abhorr all forts of Sculpture, with a ftrangeantipathy, refuhng to admit them in their Chur¬ ches, or even Dwelling Houles, out of a ridiculous Opinion, that the very looking on fuch Pieces favours of Idolatry. Ever burning VAST quantities of Oyl they daily waft, by burning it in Lamps, in Limps. a]j their Churches, never fullering them to extinguifh, as believing it a fort of Duty well receiv’d by God, and fhewing their refped to the Receptacle of his Divinity. THEY all agree in the neceffty of ufing Extream Vnttion, which they pradice, as induded by St. James ; they rigoroufly diffent from the Opini- oftheYtatT5 011 Ythe Romm Catholieks, in relation to the Exijlence of a Purgatory ; of the Soul maintaining, moil: of them at leaft, that the departed Souls of Mortal Men are alter Death, fenfihle of neither Joy nor Torment till the Day of Judgement. Hoi GlJJcllri T PI E Year they reckon in the Roman way, but mark above an hundred °> d>s- Holy-Days, to be obferv’d on pain oi Excommunication ; this I take to be an undeniable Example of their hatred to Adivity, and Inclinations to the Pradice of an idle and luxurious Life, forgetting Mifery, while drown’d in. Sloth, and wallowing fupinely in the Down of Idlenefs, amidft thofe tortu¬ ring Proofs of Slavery, which ought to fting a generous Mind with Senfe of his Misfortunes. T,hf F(fS THEY Faft on JVednefdays, Fridays, and all Holy Eves, but Feaft on an ea s' Saturday, becaufe fay they, it was the ancient Sahaoth,' but I rather am in¬ clin’d to think, becaufe they are unwilling to omit the leaft pretence, whereby they may indulge a craving Appetite. How far they THE Clergy are allow’d to Marry once, but Bigamy is look’d upon too trim'on' M*’ wanton a delire t0 be permitted them, and Trigamy is fo abhorr’d by all the Greeks, that it is never known among them, but forbidden with the ftrideft Prohibition even to the Laity themfelves. ikeir Lents. T H E Y keep four Lents within the Year, fo ftridly, that in either ’tis efteem’d a damnable Tranfgreflion, and a Sin beyond excufe, to eat the Imalleft Piece of Flefh,or Fifh,wherein there is a drop of Blood contain’d: yet one Exception may be made to this ftrid Rule, becaufe the Lent preceedino- Eajler, is not held lo rigid as the other, wherefore all the Laity are then allow’d to eat what kind of Fifh their Fancy leads ’em to, or Circumftanqes can afford ’em. . Their Litur. THEY read the Liturgy of St. Chryfofiome, urdefs upon their Fefti vals, gies, and uni-and then their Priefts attir’d Pontifically, read St. BafRs, but with little ranee1 ami°’ S’Sns of Decency or Devotion ; and indeed fo miferably are they led away Stupidity, by love of Idlenefs, and long Captivity, that they poffefs in any kind, but few of thofe Perfeftions, which, in former times, diftinguilh’d their Politer Countrymen, retaining nothing but their Name, their very Language be¬ ing, as I faid before, entirely loft among them; and that ruin’d Nation funk fo low, that from the dread and admiration of thediftant World, they are become at prefent the contempt and pity of the vileft Wretches of the whole Creation ; fuch is the uncertainty of humane Blefjings, and the cer¬ tain Frailty of our weak Mortality. CHAP.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30450895_0240.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
