Page:Busbecq, Travels into Turkey (1744).pdf/146

 *nadoed; but the Bailo of Venice (so they call their Ambassadors or Residents there) hearing of the Matter, sent presently one of his Servants to demand the Man, and the Turkish Cadi was so merciful as to let him go; but many of the Turks grumbled at his Freedom. Thus the poor Goldsmith scaped a Scouring: I laughed heartily at the Story, for he told it me himself, as coming often to my House, and in what a terrible Fright he was in for the time; and, to oblige me the more, he brought me the Bird to look upon. 'Tis of the same Form, as I lately described; it flies about in the Night, and (as they say) will suck Milch-Kine, so that I am apt to believe 'tis the Goat-Sucker of the Ancients. Such Commiseration do the Turks use towards all sorts of brute Animals, especially those of the winged Kind.

against my Lodgings there is a tall Plane-*tree, whose spreading Boughs make a delightsome Shade; under that Tree, sometimes Fowlers sit with abundance of such Birds to sell in Cages. You shall have the Turks buy several of these Birds for a small Matter; and when they have bought them, they'll let them fly out of their Hands. The Bird presently flies up to the Tree; there she picks her Feathers, and cleanseth them from the Filth contracted in the Cage, and then she spreads abroad her Wings, and chirps. The Turks that bought them, say, don't you hear how glad this Bird is, and how he gives me Thanks for his Liberty?

this be so, you'll say, What! are the Turks such Pythagoreans, that they count all Brutes sacred, and will eat none of their Flesh? I lay not so; but, on the contrary, they'll eat any Flesh set before them, either boil'd or roasted; only they count Mutton the properest Meat, because Sheep