The Turks who compose the garrison of the Seven Towers have, in the
first place, the advantage of being esteemed persons of a certain
distinction in their quarter; and, secondly, they are exempted from
going out to war, to which every Musselman is liable.
[1] Probably on the plan of the lord mayor's household table.
Well, Swift is right in supposing the great art of life to be
that of hoaxing.
This castle stands at the eastern extremity of the Propontis, or Sea of
Marmara; it is a tolerably regular pentagon, four out of the five angles
of which are flanked by towers; the fifth angle had also a tower, but it
exists no longer. Its principal front is towards the west, and has,
besides the tower at one of the angles, two others, which stand on each
side the ancient triumphal arch of Constantine. The gate of entrance to
the Seven Towers on the side of the town is to the east, in a small
square. The longest side of the pentagon is that in which Constantine's
arch is included; while towers existed at all the angles, this side
presented a front of four towers; but it has now only three. The first
marble tower is an enormous mass, between eighty and ninety feet high.
The triumphal arch of Constantine, which occupies the centre between the
two marble towers, conducts to the golden gate in the exterior enclosure
of the castle.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25