BEsides the number of these Solaquis, the great Lord hath 40 Lackies being Persians, called in their language Peicz or Peiclars, euery one hauing eight or ten Aspres by the day, and twise in the yeare new clothed with garmentes of sattin or damaske, figured of diuers colours, vpon their heads they do weare a high Bonnet of fine siluer gilted, called in their language Scuff, set round about with diuers stones, whereof some are fine and some false, and in the toppe a great and high tufte of Eastrige feathers, set out with many diuers & rare small feathers of byrdes. About their bodie they are girded with a large girdle of Tissue, or of silke and golde, called Cochiach, beeing verie fayre and of great value, and of such length that it goeth three times about the hodie, & ouerthwart the same, do weare a braue dagger by them called Biciach set with Iuorie or bones of fishes, carrying in one of their handes an Anagiach being a small hatchet, and in the other a handkerchef full of Suger Candie,which in running they do eate, as well for their sustenance and strength, as to take away the faintnes. These Peicz do run before the great Lord, alwayes leaping on theyr toes without ceasing or rest: and if it chaunce that in their course they com into any greene meddow or vpon any plaine way, they sodainly turne their faces towarde their great Lord, & so do go backwarde a certeine space,
Sugar candie good for faintnes. or so long as the fayre way dureth, crying loudly, Alau Deicherin, which is to say God maintain and preserue the Lord long time in such power and prosperitie.
They runne backwards on the way.
The light running of these swift Peicz is also employed in seruices of more importance, for if it happen yt the great Lord hath to send & dispatch in hast any matter into any places of the Empire the same is committed vnto these, who, so soone as they haue receiued the same, & with great reuerence taken their leaue, they do speedily depart, crying with a loud voice, Sauli, Sauli, which is asmuch as beware, beware: & vpon this readie departure, they runne leaping amongest the people like vnto young rammes, and trauailing both day and night without any rest or stay, do dispatch more way then the best horse in Turkie coulde doe: it is thought certainely, that these light runners in their youth doe consume their mylte, by a mean which they keepe so secret, that for nothing in the worlde they will disclose vnto any person: as for my part I referre me too that which it may be, and will not otherwise assure it to bee true, for that I haue not my selfe seen it, notwithstanding that diuers at Constantinople haue affirmed vnto me the same be true & accordingly hath written Iohn Antonio Menauino of Genua, which as a yong slaue was brought vp within the Sarail in the time of Sultan Baiazet.
16th Century English text from The nauigations, peregrinations and voyages, made into Turkie by Nicholas Nicholay