lowedthemtoaplishmiracles,wereesaddetheywereholdingafakeceremonyinplaceoftheowasnolongerperformedbecauseageandillhealthboundtheHeadPoeticiclerLokmanEffendi,whowrotemostofthebookswhichwereillustrated,tohishome;becauseMasterOsmanoftendisappearedinacloudofindignationandwrath;becausethefourmastersknownasButterfly,Olive,Storkaworkedathome;andbecauseOurSultannolongerwaxedenthusiasticlikeachildintheworkshop.Ashappeomanyminiaturists,NuriEffendihadgrownoldinvain,withouthavingfullyexperiencedlifeorbeasterofhisart.Notinvain,however,didhespendthoseyearsoverhisworktablebeinghunchbacked:Healaidcloseattentiontopeheworkshop,towhomadewhichexquisitepage.

    AndsoIeagerlybeheldforthefirsttimethelegendarypagesoftheBookofFestivities,whichretedthecircumcisionceremoniesofOurSultan’sprince.WhenIwasstillinPersia,Iheardstoriesaboutthisfifty-two-daycircumcisionceremonywhereinpeoplefromalloccupationsandallguilds,allofIstanbul,hadparticipated,iatimewhenthebookthatmemorializedthegreateventwasyetbeingprepared.

    Inthefirstpictureplacedbeforeme,fixedintheroyalenclosureoflateIbrahimPasha’spalace,OurSultan,theRefugeoftheWazedupoivitiesintheHippodromebelowwithalookthatbespokeHissatisfa.

    Hisface,eventhoughnotsodetailedastopermitoodistinguishHimfromothersbyfeaturesalone,wasdratlyandwithreverence.Asfortherightsideofthedouble-leafpictureshowingOurSultano,therewereviziers,pashas,Persian,Tatar,Frankishaianambassadorsstandinginthearchednadesandwindows.Becausetheywerenotsultans,theireyesweredrawnhastil