*6 The ADVENTUB E
You may well believe that if I aflifted .at the prayers which the muffulmcn put up in their molques, and fulfilled the other duties of their religion, it was or.lv out of pure grimace. I preferved a determined resolution to re-enter into the bo tom of the clmrch ; and for that purpofe, to withdraw o-ne day, into Spain or Italy, with the riches which I Ihould aniafs. In ihe mean time, I lived very agreeably; was lodged in a fine houfe, had fuperb gardens, a great number of fiav.es, and very bandfome women in my feraglio. Though the ufc of wine is forbid in that country, to Mahometans, they don’t fail, for the molt part, to drink it in private* As for my own part, I drank it without ceremony) as almolt all renegadocs do. I remember I had two companions with whom I often committed a debauch in the night. One was a Jew; the other an Arabian; and both, as I imagined, honeftmen; fo that I lived with them in the l^reatefi familiarity. One evening I invited them to fupper, and a dog, of which 1 was paflionatcly for.d, having died that day, we bathed his body, and buried it with all the ceremony that is obferved at the funerals of the Mahometans. In fo doing we had jio intention to ridicule the Muflfulman religion ; but only to amufc ourfelves and gratify a foolifii whim that feized us in the middle of our debauch, to render the lafi duties to my dog. This action however had well-nigh ruined me. Next day a man came to my houfe and faid, “ Signior Sidy Hali, I am come hither on an important affair. The Cady - * wants to fpcak with you : take the trouble, il you pleafe, to go to bis houfe immediately. An Arabian-merchant, who fupped with you laft night, lias informed him of a certain impiety committed by you, with regard to a dog which you buried. Tor this reafon I fummon you to appear this day
* The Cady is the civil magiflratc in cv.ery town in Tuikcy.
before