MS. Douce Or. C. 2 (Bodleian Library, Oxford University)

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A collection of thirty coloured drawings, with a short English description at the bottom of each, the first twenty-seven representing: 1. The Grand Seigneur or Sulṭān Selīm III (A. H. 1203-1222=A. D. 1789-1807) and his chief dignitaries, viz. 2. The Primate of all Turkey (i.e. the Şeyḫülislām); 3. High Admiral in his uniform (i. e. KapudanPaşa); 4. High Admiral (underneath the English title ḤasanPaşa); 5. Colonel of the Life Guards; 6. Officer of the Life Guards; 7. Officer of the Guards; 8. Chief of the Tax Gatherers; 9. Chief of the Grand Seigneur's Library; 10. A gentleman in high office in Constantinople (Stambūl Efendisi); 11. A gentleman of high rank; 12. Chief Steward to the Grand Seigneur; 13. Chief of the Servants of the Grand Seigneur; 14. Head Cook to the Grand Seigneur; 15. An Officer of the Household of the Grand Seigneur; 16. Coffee-pot Bearer to the Grand Seigneur; 17. Sword Bearer to the Grand Seigneur; 18. The bearer of the stool for the Grand Seigneur to mount his horse; 19. Bearer of the Grand Seigneur's Turban; 20. One of the chief attendants at the court of the Grand Seigneur; 21. A servant of the Grand Seigneur; 22. One who walks before the Grand Seigneur; 23. One who carries the Coffee to the Grand Vezīr; 24. An attendant of the Grand Vezīr; 25. A gentleman's servant; 26. A common soldier in uniform; 27. A drummer. The remaining three drawings represent: 28. A tomb of the Grand Vezīr; 29. A gentleman's tomb; and 30. Presents to Muḥammed from the Grand Seigneur. Inserted at the beginning of this collection is the following letter from the Turkish Embassy: "The Turkish Ambassador presents his compliments to the keeper of the Bodleian Library, and begs to inform him that an answer has been received from the Historiograph(er) of the Empire in connexion with the classification of the old Turkish plates about which the Embassy has been consulted. This gentleman says that the indications given in the list are, in most cases, of too vague a character to enable him to place the plates according to the rank of the persons represented, as some of the names and indications of charges do not correspond to those who were in use in those days. The charge of colonel, for instance, did not exist then, so that the dignity of the officer represented must either be higher or lower than the one corresponding to the modern rank of colonel. The classification could only be made upon an examination of the plates; and Rustem Pacha regrets, therefore, that there is no possibility of complying with the request kindly made to him by the keeper of the Library. London, March 9th, 1886".

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