and to dissipate the fear that masters thee know that I am resolved to place thee in our illustrious alliance by making thee mary Asteria and to leave thee yet a more precious gage receive the word which now I give thee thou knowst being what I am that it is inviolable and sacred remember then that I swear to thee by ALLA that as long as Soliman shall be living thou shalt not die a violent death judge now whether I can doe more and whether thou hast not been too blame to doubt of the firmness of my affection It is true my Lord said Ibrahim that I am the most ingratefull and the most faulty of all men but my Lord and as he would have proceeded he was suffocated in such sort with grief as it was impossible for him to speak in a long time The Sultan surprised with this unexpected emotion knew not whereunto to attribute the cause of it In the mean while Ibrahim being somewhat come to himself again resolved no longer to conceal the truth of his History casting himself then once again at the feet of great Soliman I know well my Lord said he unto him that if thy Highness be just thou wilt hate me as much as thou hast loved me for after I have been so daring as to disguise my thoughts unto thee after I have been yet more in now telling thee that I am not in a condition to accept of the honor which thou presentest unto me I dare not hope for so much patience from thy moderation as to hear that which might render me excusable It seemes to me Ibrahim ansvvered the Sulttn that after all the graces vvhich I have conferred on thee thou oughtest to expect any thing from me and yet to add one more to that which thou hast craved of me I promise thee to suspend my judgement and not to think any thing to thy disadvantage till I am forced therunto by thine own confession prepare thy self then no longer to conceal any thing from me that concernes thee Thou knowst that I have divers times endeavoured to oblige thee punctually to recount unto me both thy birth and thy adventures but having alwaies observed how that discourse did not please thee I have had so much goodness as to speak to thee no further of it but now that there is question of thy rest and my satisfaction thou must make a recitall to me of it with as much truth as thou hast used dissimulation heretofore It is true my Lord replyed Ibrahim that all that I have told thee hitherto is but a fable but it is true also that all that which thy Highness is now to understand is the very truth I cannot chuse but blush to think how I am going to discover all my weaknesses and if I did not know that Love doth oftentimes become the tyrant of the greatest spirits and that thy Highness hath not been alwaies insensible of that passion I should not be so inconsiderate as to acquaint thee with my miseries The Sultan desiring that none should come to interrupt this narration went from his chamber into his Cabinet where siting down on Cushions of cloth of Gold Ibrahim began to speak in these tearmes The History of Iustiniano and Isabella THe City where I took beginning and that gives name to our Republique is situated on the bank of the Sea which the antient Romanes called Ligustique and is at this day termed the River of Genoua this goodly City I say whereunto for the magnificence of Palaces of marble Jasper and Porphirie is given and that with reason the title of Superb by all the people of Italy is built on the bending of certain high and barren Mountains which are so unfruitful as all the industry of agriculture joyned to the heat of the Sun the serenity of the air and the sweetness of the dew cannot make one tree to grow one flower to spring or so much as one herb to come up there But if as nature had taken pleasure to shew contraries opposed there is leading toward France a Coast all alongst the which Final Savonna Saint Reme and Monaco are seen whose fertility is so great that it produceth abundantly Dates Oranges Pomegranads Iasemine and Mirtle The many Rivers and Fountaines which are there make not the lest beauty of those places for those waters are so pure and quick as they furnish sufficient coolness to temper the extreme heat of the Sun It is on that Coast about tvvo miles from Genoua in going out of a Gate called the Lanterna that a Borough stands by the Italians named Arena where one may say that winter never comes since it is certain that the spring and Autum reign there alwaies together the first causing flowers continually to spring and the other fruites to ripen in it But before I ingage my self to a more particular description of the deliciousness of a place that hath been the occasion of so much misfortune unto me it vvill not be from the purpose to make an abridgment of the Government of Genoua to thy Highness to the end thou maist the more easily comprehend what the persons are of vvhom I am to speak in my History It is to be knovvn then that about two hundred yeares since the Genoneses elected a Duke according to the manner of the Venetians who after he had conquered the Island of Ciprus taken the King and Queen thereof prisoners and performed many other brave exploits died at length in the warres After him they elected two more whereof the first acquired by his valor the Isle of Meteline to the Genoueses but at length after the death of the last they put themselves into the protection of Charles the seaventh King of France of whom being weary they not long after chose the Duke of Milan for their Defendor who having not given them full satisfaction it obliged them to chuse a Duke once again but that proceeding being not equally agreeable unto all because some held the party of France and others that of Milan it hapned that this disorder returned them absolutly under the Dominion of the French which commanded them untill the time that Andrea Doria who is of one of the most illustrious races of Genoua put our City into the estate which now it is namely under the Government of the Nobility I have made known unto thy Highness the divers mutations which have befallen our Republique to the end thou maist with the less difficulty comprehend that which hath made all this Commonalty be divived a long while since into two principall factions the Heades of these two parties are the Fregozes and the Adornes ingaged as well as all the rest of Italy in two opposite factions so known and famous under the name of the Gnelphes and Gibelius with whom the Fiesques the Doriaes the Spinolaes the Grimaldies the Justinianoes and all the other illustrious Families of Genoua have taken part But to come to that which regards me directly I
doth not live it will appear to thee by the same reason that during the said time Ibrahim may dye without breaking of thy Highness word The Sultan hearing him speak thus beleeved that this man knew not very well what he would say but the other nothing daunted and speaking to him with as much confidence as if he had been inspired from Heaven My Lord said he unto him it is a matter whereof no body is ignorant that Sleep is called the brother of Death by all Nations and in all Languages and truly it is not without cause that he is termed so it being certain that a man which is asleep cannot with reason be said to be living since we see that he is deprived of all the functions of a reasonable life which alone is the life of man I confess indeed how in that estate he still enjoys the life of plants but not that of man which consists not but in the use of Reason whereof he is wholly bereft in that estate Sleep equals Kings and Shepherds as well as Death the stupid and the witty the happy and the unhappy good men and bad and there is no difference seen between them but that sleep is a short death and death an eternal sleep Wherefore it being evident that a man asleep cannot to speak reasonably be said to be living I conclude from thence that thy Highness without breaking thy word may take away Ibrahim's life when as sleep hath throughly benummed thy sense and Reason Roxelana failed not to approve of this advice and maintained that he had spoken judiciously But for Soliman he yielded not with so much facility he made many objections to the Muphti whereunto he still answered with as much cunning as wickedness Thus although this Prince had a very piercing wit in all other things yet the desire which he had to make away Ibrahim perswaded him that the Muphti had Reason and that he might put the grand Visier to death when he was aslâ—ep For this wicked man said to him thy Highness hath not absolutely promised him not to put him to death but only that he should not dye a violent death as long as Soliman lives and Soliman shall not live when as the Bassa shall dye This design being concluded it was resolved that they should tarry till night was come for the executing of it For whereas sleep is not a voluntary act they thought it requisite to attend till the time of sleep was come In the mean season Ibrahim had been brought back to the place which served him for a prison not knowing whether grace would be shewed him or whether his execution was but deferred This incertainty was almost as displeasing as the assurance of an approaching death had been grievous to him yet did he not ask any thing that regarded himself directly but only enquired after Isabella who on her part was not without a world of grief She had understood that Ibrahim had been lead to a place where oftentimes the grand Visiers had been deprived of their lives and that made her to be as much afflicted as if she had already seen him breathe out his last It may be said she that now whil'st I am speaking Justiniano is defending himself against his Executioners it may be he is yielding up his last breath and is thinking of me once for all Ah! if it be so cryed she I beseech Heaven at leastwise to spare me the affliction that I may not hear of his loss and by my death to keep me from the grief of lamenting his Howbeit I fear said she that my prayers will not be heard and that Soliman's cruelty will let me live to persecute me But let him arm his Executioners let him invent torments I will complain no more after this sorrow he that shall acquaint me with the loss of Justiniaeno shall render me insensible to all others Alas what say I added she it seems in hearing me speak that I will conserve my life after he shall be deprived of his no no Isabella will not survive Justiniano and that which the rage of Soliman will not do grief alone shall execute Let this unjust Prince do what he will I hope that I shall get out of his power by getting out of my life Heaven is interessed in the prayer which I make unto it I beg this grace of it to preserve mine innocence and if my despair be a fault I hope it will pardon it in regard of the greatness of my misfortune of the purity of my affection and of mine own weakness In this deplorable estate Isabella having understood that Ibrahim had been brought back to his quarter hope began again to find some place in her Soul and she beleeved that Soliman having desired to see him had peradventure been moved to compassion Sophronia Hipolita Leonida Emilia and the rest of their Troop which were in another place had the same hope hearing what had past But the matter went otherwise for as soon as night was come Rustan who wholly governed this deadly ceremony went himself a second time to fetch Ibrahim by the Grand Signior's Command He led him then into the same Hall where formerly he had been and having left him in the company of four mutes which were to strangle him as soon as Soliman was asleep he returned to this Prince who had at that time no greater a longing then to make away Ibrahim As for him although he did not fear death and was exceeding peaceable yet had his Soul great agitations Ah said he to himself I shall never see Isabella more I and I shall not only be deprived of her sight but I shall abandon her to the violence of a Prince who I beleeved had been her Protector and who it may be provoked by her vertue will take away her life as well as mine for since Soliman can consent to my death he may well sign hers Alas continued he to what an estate am I reduced If I wish that she should live I make wishes against her glory I consent to the exposing of her to the rigor of a violent and amorous Prince I cannot wish her her life without doing her wrong and then again not only I cannot desire her death but I cannot so much as think of it without a despair that is not to be parelled If this Prince who is my Rival could be her husband I would make vows against my self and I love Isabella so much as to be willing to save her life with the loss of all my felicity But as the case stands she cannot be his not only without infidelity not only without infamy but with an horrible crime Alas added he if it were not so my loss should not be without comfort loving me as she doth she would live without pleasure but also without shame She would bewail my death without other interest then that of conserving my memory and fear having no place in her heart the grief alone of having
ignorant how the Sophi had loved him very much and was obliged to him for more then one victory He knew lâ—kewise that my Masters party was not so weak at Court but that if it came so extream violence it might peradventure cause a general revolution of the State which would not be advanâ—ageous to him So that to provide for all the misfortunes which might arrive unto him he had recourse to artifice And to that purpose just at the time when as the Sophi commanded Vlama to repair unto him Deliment made him be several ways advertised of the bad designs which were upon his life and carryed the matter so dextrously as the faithfullest of my Masters friends served to the wickedness of this man who in stead of keeping the design of ruining Vlama very secret caused it to be bruited with address abroad â—wo days before he who was to carry the commandment to Vlama set forth towards him So that when he came to Vlama he had already received advice from many not to come to the Court. Even Mahamed himself had caused him to be written unto about it but with so many circumstancâ—s as made him see his undoubted ruine if he obeyed in so much as it was impossible for him to suspect that there was any artifice in all these things Some counsellâ—d him to seek out a place of retreat amongst strangers promising to labor the justifying of his flâ—ght whil'st he was absent Others would have had him fortifie himself in his Govâ—rnment But none advised him to trust to his innocency I leave you to think Madam whether Deliment's wickedness could have had a more favorable success and whether all these things were not capable of bringing to pass the design which he had so to order the matter that Vlama should not onely not repair to the Sophi but should also render himself effectively culpable in the eyes of all the world who after this would not be so forward in â—ndertaking his interests Vlama in this cross conjuncture knew not what resolution to take for if on the one side he considered the peril whereunto he should be exposed by going to put himself into his â—nâ—mies hands if he thought I say that you not being at Court his party would thereby be the wâ—aker and Deliment's the stronger on the other side he saw that in not obeying he lâ—ft his Enemy Master of the Field that he furnished him with Arms to destroy him that he should behave himself as if he were guilty and to say all that he should abandon you and qâ—it Felixana This last thought made him resolve to go couragiously to the Court howbeit he was kept from parting so soon by a sickness wherewith he was taken but at length finding himself better he set forth on his way with a purpose to oppose Deliment's malice as much as he could and to forget nothing that might conduce thereunto But scarcely had we made two days journey for as you know Madam I have never abandoned him when as we encountred one of his dearest friends who came in all haste to acquaint him that all the Court was filled with the news of your loss and Felixana's That in the Royal House it was said how going a fishing you were cast away but that such as looked farther into matters beleeved that your loss was a meer supposition and that without doubt you were â—â—pt shut up in some part That it was an effect of the Sophi's passion and of Deliment's violâ—ncâ— that in the fashion as the matter was carryed there was no remedy to be sought for it that going to the Court he should sacrifice himself unprofitably for you and much to the advanâ—age of Dâ—liment and that in conclusion the best he could do was to seek a sanctuary with some Prince mighty enough to defend him and just enough to acknowledg his merit Juâ—g Madam in what manner my dear Master received this deadly news and how much he resâ—nted â—n adventure whereby he for ever lost the hope of seeing you again and whereby he saw Felixana in the possession of another His grief was so great that if I could describe it unto you I am sure the recital of it would make you shed tears At first he appeared more insensible then afflicted his silence his paleness the little motion that he had after he had understood this sad news and his immovable look would not permit me to be able to judg what new misfortune it was that had arrived unto him for this man had spoken very softly But I no longer doubted of it when as suddenly breaking his silence and speaking with much precipitation Let Fortune said he do with me as she will I am very certain that she cannot make me more unhappy then I am Then turning himself to him who had acquainted him with your loss wholly transported with grief and quite changed in his countenance Let us go said he dear friend let us go and dye in some remote place since I am separated for ever from Felixana At this word he fell down dead in my arms and I beleeved seeing him in this pitiful estate that grief had done that which his despair would have executed By good hap we were not very far from a Country house whither having carryed him with the help of his friend we brought him out of his swoon but it might be said that it was some cruelty in us to bring him to his senses again because withall we restored him to his sorrow and despair Oh said he Felixana is in a condition that the best she can be for me is not to be at all Oh Felixana is in the arms of death or in the power of the Sophi Ah! no no let us not be so base as to support this grief If Felixana be dead let us follow her generously and if she be anothers let us not survive our ill fortune Then on a sudden beginning again after he had held his peace a little What shall the Princess Axiamira the glory of her sex and of our age be the wife of a man unworthy to be her Slave and shall we live after we have so often sworn to her to dye for her service and to defend her from the insolency of Deliment Ah! that may in no sort be and since I cannot succor her I know at least-wise how to testifie to her by my death that the fear of losing my life hath not kept me from opposing her Enemies Saying so he walked up and down a great pace and seemed to have some strange design upon himself But perceiving that his scimitar was gone which by chance was fallen from him we not being aware of it as we were carrying him in a swoon to that house Think ye said he unto us to keep me from dying by taking my arms from me Ah! no no continued he I shall easily finde wherewithall to end my life and my miseries Generous Vlama answered his friend unto him we
this Prince should know Rustan and when we shal mark him out the time that he came to Mazanderon he wil remember whether he were at the Port then or no or if he be ignorant thereof he may dextrously enquire in what place he was at that same time Moreover if he perished when we suffered shipwrack his death will justifie my discourse and if he escaped it is impossible but that the bruit of this accident should be spread abroad amongst some and that at least it should be heard spoken how he thought he should have been drowned though it be not known upon what occasion or in what voyage But Madam without searching for so many proofs to confirm that which I purpose to say I am confident how I shall no sooner tell Gianger that you are the Princess of Persia but he will finde in your eyes the justification of my discourse he will wonder that he did not know you and repenting him of his error he will crave pardon of you for it For Madam there is something so majestical in your face as I doubt not but you have had more ado to conceal your self then you will have to make your self be known And then again the greatest misfortune that can arrive to us by it is not to be beleeved and that being so we are in the same estate as now we are and in the same liberty to have recourse unto death The Princess perceiving some reason in that which I said permitted me to speak to Gianger provided that she might be in her Cabinet during our conversation I sent then presently to desire the Prince that I might speak with him whereupon he came forthwith to my chamber and when as he would have used the same respects to me as he had accustomed It is no longer time said I unto him my Lord to abuse your goodness It was requisite at first when as yet we knew you not that we should be unknown to you for reasons that you shall hear but now that we know your wisdom your vertue and your generosity it is just that you also should know us and that the freedom which we use in acquainting you with out misfortunes and in confiding absolutely in you should obtain us that pardon which we crave for having deceived you The Prince remained very much surprized with my discourse and whereas I perceived it I see my Lord said I unto him the impatience you are in to understand that which I am to say to you doth disquiet you and therefore to satisfie you in few words know that I am not Axiamira You are not Axiamira said the Prince unto me exceedingly amazed O Madam labor not to perswade me the contrary since it would be in vain No my Lord continued I I am not the Princess of Persia and you see before your eyes onely that Felixana of whom you have heard speak too advantageously yet think not that I will take the Princess Axiamira out of your power she is in it my Lord and she is in it in an estate that hath need of your protection It is you alone on whom her good or bad fortune doth depend or to say better it is you on whom her life or death doth depend And to draw you quite out of the pain wherein I see you know my Lord that the same incomparable person whom you have so esteemed of under the name of Ismaida is truly Axiamira and the most excellent Princess that is in the world This last amazement of the Prince was as great as the other but with this difference that amidst the trouble of his soul I saw some joy in his look He beleeved me not for all that at first but I perceived that it was a matter whereof he would have gladly been perswaded Is it possible said he unto me that you should speak the truth and will you not take it ill if I should not beleeve you or if not being able to rely on your words I request you to tell me some circumstances that may clear me in a thing that is so doubtful It is just said I unto him that you should not beleeve me upon the bare report of my words but that your reason should perswade you And then I recounted unto him not onely Rustans arrival at Mazanderon the sleights which he had used to get a sight of me the forcible carrying of us away the discourse that he had made to Axiamira how he had given her to understand that Soliman was fallen in love with her picture which he had in his keeping and how for that cause he had brought her away by force but also to testifie the more confidence unto him I told him in part upon what occasion we were at Mazanderon the Sophi's rigor and the Princesses avertion to Deliment I made this relation with so much sincerity as Gianger found himself capable of discerning it and that which yet helped me to perswade him that I did not lye was that he remembred how he had heard that Rustan who was his enemy as well as his brother Mustapha's was gone from the Port upon a secret expedition and had embarqued himself at Pera in a vessel laden with merchandize This consideration having removed all scruples from his minde I saw a great dâ—al of joy in his countenance and the questions which he asked of me afterwards were no more then testimonies that he was perswaded But why said he unto me after some silence do not I see this Princess of whom I am to crave pardon for my error Is it to punish me for the fault which I have ignorantly committed that she will dâ—prive me of her sight My Lord said I unto him this great Princess to leave you the liberty to doubt of my words is retired into her Cabinet whither if you please we will go unto her Saying so she opened the Cabinet door and Axiamira advancâ—ng towards them in some confusion the Prince went and cast himself at her feet Ah! Madam said he unto her how faulty soever I appear in your eyes my heart is innocent it being most certain that it hath advertised me more then once what you were I have had respects and thoughts of veneration for you which I durst not make shew of in the error wherein I was both by that of the Merchant and your discourse My Lord said the Princess lifting him up your error is so much the more pardonable because in taking Fâ—lixana for me you were not much deceived seeing it is certain that she is another my self But my Lord continued she let not the confidence which we have in your vertue be in vain Nor let not Madam replyed he the remembrance of that which is past be disadvantageous to me and for my part beleeve absolutely that there is nothing which I will not perform to do you service For Madam since my good fortune would have you unknown to me that I might take upon me the boldness to testifie some
affairs and the last Baptista Verrin a Citizen of Genoua who dwelling close by the Counts Palace had by his submissions and his wit so gained his friendship as he was of all his counsel and disposed almost absolutely of all his estate It was then by the means of these three pernicious Counsellors that this ambitious woman hoped to carry the Count to the taking of some violent resolution She had advertised them to be ready to go to her son as soon as she should come out of his Cabinet As indeed she was no sooner retired but encountring them she said unto them Go my dear friends and labor for your selves in laboring for the Count but above all things remember said she to Raphaello Sacco to counsel him unto nothing that is violent which you cannot give a pretext unto of the publique good of equity and of glory for continued she I know the Count so well that if you propound nothing to him but his own conservation his utility the advancement of his fortune and the undoing of his enemies you will never vanquish him You must spur his mind forward with the desire of honor and dextrously beguile him to keep him from beguiling our hopes They promised her then as much as she could wish and too faithful in this occasion they kept their word with her at leastwise Raphaello and Baptista for as for the third he did that out of fear which another would have done out of vertue They went then to the Count's Cabinet and to give him no cause of suspicion they repaired to him separately The first that came thither found him in a deep muse and never taking notice of him he continued walking without speaking a word A little after the other two arrived making shew as if they had not seen one another of all that day The Count in the mean time not doubting of the Treason which they had plotted against his vertue seeing the three men of the world in whom he most confided come by chance unto him as he believed at a time when he had need of counsel could not forbear testifying a great deal of joy unto them for it What good Angel said he unto them hath brought you so opportunely to draw me out of the thought I am in at this present I know not answered Baptista cunningly whether my sight be pleasing to you or no but I know very well that I have nothing that is pleasing to tell you We are in an age said the Lawyer wherein good men have no great cause to rejoyce seeing every day the ambition of some few carry insolently away all that which ought to be the recompence of vertue It may be some one will be found continued Baptista that will make a change in things But said the Count interrupting him and addressing his speech to Verrin what bad news have you to impart to me My Lord answered he it is badder for the Republique then for you for in fine to acquaint you that Jannetin hath still new honors conferred on him is to tell you that the power of Andrea Doria will pass into his hands that his Tyranny will be perpetuated in the person of his Nephew and that we shall never have the happiness to see vertue where it ought to be It is certain added Raphaello Sacco that this is the sence of all good men and in the misery of the age it seems said he addressing himself to the Count that all the world turn their eyâ—â— upon you Your illustrious and great birth accompanyed with so many rare qualities as are in your person makes all them that love the publique good desire that your fortune were as great as your heart And for my particular I would gladly see your vertue on a Theater higher then that whereon you are to the end you might be seen of every one But you are born in so unhappy an age as it seems you cannot aspire to the power of doing good to your Citizens so true it is that Andrea and Jannetin Doria under the name of the publique liberty have solidly established their Power or to say better their Tyranny And in this sort one may well assure that the people do sufficiently chastise themselves for the blinde resolution which carries them to shake off the yoke of a great and excellent Prince to suffer to be imposed upon them that of two Tyrants who will be so much the more cruel by how much they are less accustmed to raign Their weakness being supported by the power of Caesar and rendred insolent by the great number of warlike Vessels which we see in the Port will never suffer a couragious and resolute spirit They will beleeve the high vertue of a man of condition too dangerous for their rising fortune to endure They will make use of the ambitious Titles of Fathers of their Country and Restorers of the liberty which have been given to Andrea Doria for the oppression of the most magnanimous with the pretext of the common good So that a man of your courage under this unjust dominion is more sure of offences then of life and if unto this day we have not seen such like things it is because the power of Andrea Doria hath not yet attained to its supreme greatness and that his moderation hath in some sort retained the imperious humor of Jannetin You know how insolent he is how proud and how insupportable think then if when he shall see himself in an estate of being able to do whatsoever he will and followed by young people who reverence him by reason of his Charge whether there be any thing which will not be permitted to his capricious humors Do you beleeve that a spirit insatiable as his is will be restrained within the bounds of Reason Do you beleeve that the desire or thirst of raigning exasperated by so certain a hope can be extinguished but with the blood of innocents Do you beleeve that content with the power which Fortune and the simplicity of our Citizens have given him he will dye with the sole name of Jannetin For me I do not beleeve it His minde is not so moderate as that he will or knows how to contain himself upon the point of arriving at his last felicity He attends as I conceive the death of Andrea which cannot be but neer at hand that he may follow all his inclinations and to that effect being already in the possession of the hearts of the Nobles he goes nourishing the people in idleness and the gain of commerce to the end that this effeminacy depriving them of courage and being disaccustomed from the exercise of Arms they may not dare to resist him when he shall enterprize any thing and by this means he hides a parricidial design under the vail of the publique repose and tranquillity But let us presuppose that the divine providence for the preservation of this Republique should take him off from this dangerous design the continuance alone
Ismael should prove incapable of reigning his intent then was that the Empire should devolve to Perca not holding them for his lawfull successors which had cast themselves into the armes of his enemy All those things exceedingly astonished those which heard them the death of Tachmas afflicted them the order which he had left did not please Ismael's Soveraignty was a thing they could not resolve for and that of Perca seemed yet worse to them They would willingly have called home again Mahamell Axiamira and Ulama but besidâ—s that it was not a proposition to be made to Perca they were not ignorant that the exiled Princes were no longer in their own povver but in theirs that protected them and that consequently they were not to go tumultuously and acquaint the enemy with the death of Tachmas for fear lest he should make use of this advantage to ruin them yea and those persons too whom he had in his hands and which were so infinitely dear unto them The most of them then resolved without making any shew thereof to defer the manifestation of their hatred to Perca of their contempt of Ismael and of their affection to Mahamed Axiamira and Vlama untill such time as they had recovered new forces to the end they might oppose Perca and to the end also that in making some propositions of peace they might yet be in a condition to defend themselves if it were refused Concealing then their true meaning after they had lamented the death of Tachmas they acknowledged Ismael for their lawfull Prince saying nevertheless to Perca that shee was to assist him with her counsell and that she should raign under the name of Ismael This Princess who thought that the most faithfull might be corrupted and that particular interest was alwaies preferred before honor and glory because such were her true thoughts beleeved that if shee inriched all these which were in this counsell she should absolutely gain them to her selfe and oblige them to set the crown on her head To which effect whenas the Assembly was ready to break up shee said further that the Sophy her Father having given all his treasure unto her by a testament which he had made in her favor as indeed it was true she did not think that she could better dispose of it than in distributing it amongst those that were capable of aiding Ismael to sustain the Scepter which he was going to bear After this she made them pass though they were unwilling to it into a great room where she had caused all the Sophyes riches and treasure to be laid to the end that by the sight of so tempting an object their hearts might be overcome with the desire of making themselves masters of it They proved notwithstanding more generous than she imagined for although they testified a great deal of acknowledgement to her for her liberality yet would they not accept of it In the mean time they resolved to let no body go out of the Citty which might acquaint the enemy with the death of Tachmas for being so powerfull as he was it might give him a minde to come and assault them in Sultania which otherwise it may bee hee would not doe During all these things every one had their designes Perca thought of nothing but of making Ismael to be hated the friends of Mahamed Axiamira and Vlama attended with impatience the troopes which were to come unto them from the remote Provinces to the end they might doe that which they thought would bee most requisite Ismael sought how he might free himself from the care of affaires Things having continued some time in this sort it hapned in the end that the same facility which she had so much liked in Ismaels disposition gave her a great deal of unquietness for even iâ— the like manner as she had made her self mistress of it so did others he was no sooner out of his sight but this Prince altered his mind according to the humor of those that talked with him and whereas every one was enemy to Perca as often as she returned to him she found him changed and thought it was not difficult for her to bring him to her bow again yet shee feared that at some time or other use would be made of his name to undoe her They unto whom Ismael had told that Vlama had saved his life having reported it to others all the people came to know it and began to murmure far more than before And whereas in such like occasions a weak beginning hath many times great and long consequences Perca going about to punish one of Ulamaes antient domesticall servants for something he had said against her the people mutined in such sort as they went and besieged her in her Palace The servants of Mahamed and Axiamira began then to discover their true intents in not opposing asmuch as they might the fury of his incensed people who began to cry in the streets let the cruell Perca dye and long live Mahamed and Axiamira In the mean time Perca finding her self in so great a danger would have made use of Ismael to reduce this multitude to their duty by obliging him to take up armes and shew himself to the people But Ismael who naturally was cowardly and fearefull seeing the danger neer little company about him and hearing from the chamber where he was that horrible noyse which alwaies accompanies sedition answered her trembling that for his part hee had rather yield the Crown to Mahamed than to expose himself to the loss of his life Ah base coward cryed this ambitious Princess whosoever is capable of yielding up a Crown is not worthy to live In the mean season the first gates of the Palace were forced there wanted no more but breaking up the rest for to get in they which garded them having abandoned them In this dreadfull estate Perca taking a dagger which had been brought to Ismael out of a beleef that he would have armed himself and seeing that she could not avoyd falling into the power of a people filled with fury did yet what she could to get him to shew himself Shee joyned threatnings to intreaties and perceiving at last that all which shee said was in vain that in an instant she should no longer be mistress of her self rage so seized on her soul as presenting the dagger unto him with an extreme transport Chuse said she unto him either to pierce my heart or to doe what I would have you And when as Ismael had told her that he would not doe either the one or the other and that she heard a great noyse whereby she knew that the laâ—t door was broken open since thou knowest not said she unto him either how to reign or how to obey I will keep thee at leastwise from dying a shamefull death saying so shee stabbed the dagger into Ismaels heart who presently fell down dead and without further delay struck it into her ovvn bosom
his face the interest of Isabella alone was the cause of it indeed this thought made him suffer very much The regret of being separated from her the uncertainty of what should become of her after his death which was scarcely irksom unto him but for the grief which Isabella would take at it replenished him with heavy thoughts Whilst he was in this estate whilst he attended the time of his execution and whilst he was preparing to intreat some of them that were about him to say something to Soliman for the preservation of Isabella the Sultan was not without unquietness Roxelana who had still remained with him had not only kept his mind from inclining to compassion but contrarily had so incensed it as he many times seemed to be very impatient for that he could not receive news of Ibrahims death Nevertheless he had no sooner had such a like thought but straightway he was of another opinion He would have a thing and he would not have it and in this incertainty his imagination represented unto him all Jbrahims whole life He sought not for all that to remember the friendship which he had born him and the marks which he had given him of it but to hate him the more This ingratefull man said he could not resolve to comply with a Prince who would have given him his daughter in mariage who would have allied himself to him and who besides yeelding up his Throne to him hath done all things for him This remembrance wrought a strange effect in Soliman he suddenly changed colour after he had mused a little as it were to call something to his memory he cried out with strange precipitation to have Rustan fetched back again and looking about him the matter is at an end said he wholly transported with fury I cannot destroy mine enemy he must live since I have sworn it let one go with all speed said he to some of his attendants and revoke the sentence which I have given but no delay must be made for otherwise I shal draw the heavy wrath of heaven upon my head Roxelana surprised with this discourse would have kept them from obeying the grand Signior untill she knew from whence this mutation came But having commanded a second time that one should go do that which he had ordained she was compelled to consent unto it What so sudden a change said she unto him is arrived in thy Highness mind is it possible that Soliman whom I have heard an hundred times say that repentance is a weakness whereof he was not capable should at length be possessed with it at this present No said Soliman to her I do not repent but contrariwise that I may not repent and that I may keep my word I am carried to that which I do The Sultana having obliged him to explain himself more clearly he informed her how as he was laboring to remember the obligations wherein Ibrahim was ingaged to him to the end he might detest his ingratitude so much the more his memory had represented unto him how he would once have given him the Sultana Asteria to wife how at the same time on the same day to secure Ibrahim from the fear which he seemed to have of the change of his fortune he had sworn to him by Alla that as long as he lived he should not dy a violent death After this said he to her Never ask me what hath made me alter my minde I do not repent I would still have Jbrahim destroyed but being unable to put him to death without violating violating my Oath I must no longer think of it mine Enemy must live I must not be revenged and all this is because I my self have tyed the hand which should strike a dagger into his heart The Sultana who was not so scrupulous as Soliman nor made so exact a profession of keeping her word did what she could to perswade him not to keep his No said he unto her I may not fail in it and had I promised my Empire and my Liberty I should descend from my Throne and put on the Irons my self which I was to wear Ibrahim must live since I have promised it I have sworn by ALLA and that is to say all that can be said I should draw down the wrath of Heaven upon me and I should do that which I have never done if I should do otherwise I have observed all that ever I have promised in my life even without an Oath having then sworn so solemnly I may by no means break it I should destroy mine enemy but thereby I should bring one into my heart that would persecute me eternally and repentance which is a motion unknown to me would without doubt find place in my Soul At length after a long contestation Roxelana perswaded Soliman to take the advice of the Muphti who she knew was absolutely hers as having gotten him the place which he held during Ibrahim's absence And albeit Soliman did not think that this man could find out any thing that would satisfie him yet he sent for him When he was come and that Roxelana in propounding the matter unto him had dextrously signified to him that she desired the death of Ibrahim this man who naturally had wit malice and cunning was nevertheless sufficiently troubled to answer precisely unto that which was demanded of him for the contenting of Roxelana He said then that this affair was not to be spoken of precipitously and having required an hours time to think of it after he had caused Soliman to repeat unto him the very same words which he had before-time used to Ibrahim he fell deeply a musing But he was not long in searching out that which he did not think to find My Lord said he to Soliman the Prophet whom we worship hath no doubt inspired me with that which I am going to tell thy Highness that thou mayst be able to punish him whom thou wouldst destroy And when as Soliman had asked him how he thought to perform that which he said he obliged him to repeat once more unto him the promise which he had made to Ibrahim I remember it but too well answered the Sultan and lo the very words which I spake Remember said I unto him how I swear unto thee by ALLA that as long as Soliman lives thou shalt not dye a violent death This sufficeth replyed the Muphti for my Lord to express my thought to thy Highness is it not true that the promise which thou hast made to Ibrahim is a thing which cannot secure him but only during thy life and is it not certain that thy Successors should not be obliged to preserve him It being so my Lord said he unto him it will not be hard for me to content thee For thy Highness having promised Ibrahim that he shall not dye a violent death as long as Soliman lives if I can make it appear to thee that there are every day some hours wherein Soliman
sighs to go out of my Empire when you please I should also be generous enough to share it with Ibrahim to whom it appertains more justly then to me if I could infuse into the hearts of my subjects the thoughts which are in mine During this discourse Rustan was in a strange unquietness and when as he believed that Soliman had his minde busied and did not think of him he would have slipt out of the Chamber to go and advertise Roxelana of that which was doing But Soliman perceiving it Stay said he unto him infamous wretch and then he commanded him to be turned out of the Serraglio without permitting him to speak to any body and charged him with a great deal of fury never to shew himself more before him After this he sent for the vertuous Achmat and the Sultana Asteria It is by these two persons said he to Ibrahim that I will be counselled to know what way we may take that Justiniano may cease to be Ibrahim without making a noise amongst the people which might prejudice my State For as for my self continued he sighing it is so little a while since my Reason hath recovered its place as I dare not yet rely upon it Ibrahim whom we will call most commonly hereafter Justiniano answered the Grand Signior with as much generosity as joy for wheras he had exceedingly loved this Prince how great soever that was which he felt to see Isabella escaped from so great a danger yet was he not a little glâ—d also to see in Soliman the marks of his ancient vertue again In the mean time after that the Sultan had acquainted the sage Achmat and the generous Asteria with the business in question in such terms as well declared the repentance of his soul and after they had commended the resolution he was in and mightily confirmed him in the design which he had to restore Justiniano and Isabella to their liberty Achmat who never knew of Justiniano's disguising till then counselled since the matter was so far advanced that the people should be made to believe how the Grand Signior had put Ibrahim to death upon some discovery that he had held intelligence with the Emperor Charls and favored the Christians in all things yea and that some letters too should be forged which should be said he had been made to confess by which means the matter would easily be credited because it was true that every one knew how the illustrious Bassa had always protected the Christians He said moreover that if the business was not carryed in that sort it would be impossible to finde out a plausible pretext to keep the people from suspecting some trick in the absence of Ibrahim which might produce dangerous consequences Thâ—s advice being approved of yet because Justiniano and Isabella could not be sent away towards Genoua presently it was thought requisite to have them secretly conveyed to Pera and there to remain concealed with those Greek Priests whom Justiniano had so much favored until such time as a vessel could be made ready for them This farewell could not be taken without shedding of a world of tears Soliman craved pardon of Justiniano and Isabella who after they had anâ—wered him with tenderness and submission and assured him that they would forget what was past desired him he would be pleased to give their friends their liberty which the Sultan having granted them they were sent for and conducted along with them to Pera. The Sultana Asteria and Isabella said to one another all that a most strict friendship could make two generous persons say in such like encounters And the prudent Achmat charging himself with the conduct of Justiniano and his Mistress conveyed them with all their Troop aboard a Barque which carryed them to Pera. Soliman could not for all that see Isabella part without following her with his eyes nor could he see Ibrahim go away without forgetting Isabella it being most certain that never was there a truer repentance then that of this great Prince In the mean time to make it be beleeved that Ibrahim was dead a black Standart was set up before the gate of his Palace Achmat fearing a sedition put all the Janizaries into arms and gave them to understand that Ibrahim was a Traytor that he had gone about to overthrow the Empire and that his death had been absolutely necessary for the preservation of the State He shewed them also certain forged Letters to give the more credit to that which he said But whatsoever he could say no sooner was the black Standart seen before the gate of his Palace but all the people began to murmur There was nothing but weeping and crying all over Constantinople Those Janizaries that had been the best perswaded left not for all that to be exceedingly afflicted for he was so universally beloved as there was not any body which did not lament and commend him Some said that Roxelana without doubt was the cause of this mischief and that she still remembred how he had been the Protector of Prince Mustapha Some cryed out to have at leastwise the body of their Defender given unto them others that his Executioners might be delivered into their hands and all of them together agreed in the belief that Soliman had lost the force of his Empire and the support of his State During this tumult Rustan passing through a street the people who had understood by some that had been in the Serraglio how it was he which had been made use of for this deadly Ceremony and that he had put Ibrahim to death fell upon him with so many imprecations and with such fury as they tore him in a thousand pieces From thence they went to his Pâ—lace to set it on fire but at length the prudent Achmat having appeased this sedition returned to the Serraglio where he found that Heaven had made an end of revenging Justiniano on his enemies For Roxelana having understood that he was not dead and that Rustan had been torn in pieces by the people this fierce and proud spirit was so sensibly touched with spight for that she could not exercise all her whole fury that after she had continued three hours together without speaking a word she dyed for very rage and madness and Justiniano had the satisfaction to know that he was lamented of all the world and that the only persons which could rejoyce at his death had been punished for their injustices In the mean time Achmat by Soliman's Command caused the same Christian Vessel to be made ready which Justiniano had formerly used to get from Constantinople and in one night he sent aboard her all the riches of Ibrahim's Palace and a great deal more which he was constrained to accept of against his inclination The Sultan wrote also with his own hand to the illustrious Bassa and again assured him of his repentance and affection whereunto Justiniano and Isabella answered with a great deal of generosity The death of Roxelana touched
to lie with him I resolved then to propound unto him his escaping out of my fathers hands at first he doubted it was but to try him that I spake so to him and withall his own generosity withstood it but having acquainted him with the truth of the matter he believed me and said that seeing my father had broken his word with him he might fail in his fidelity to him also and on condition that Osman would promise him his freedom he would expose himself to any thing for my sake I assured him of what he desired and having so good a second it was not hard for me to finish my enterprise But without importuning thy Highness my Lord by a long relation let it suffise to say we were no sooner at the road of Chio where Osman had some acquaintance but night being come and my father a sleep I went and stole away the key of the Cabbin wherein Osman was loâ—ked and the generous Slave having shut up my father in his where he soundly slept came along with me to unlose his friend snatched away a sentinells armes that would have cryed out and having killed him as well as the Pilot we got into the skiff and for the more surety the generous Slave with a blow of his scimitar cut asunder the cable that held the vessell at anchor which by the light of the Moon we saw fall away from us and float at the pleasure of the wind without a Pilot or any man awake in her In the mean time Osman and that Slave rowed with such speed as wee soon approched to land where we happily arrived and meeting with a sanctuary in the house of one who knew Osman â—t Châ—o we in a little time found the meanes to come unto Constantinople leaving Arsalon no doubt in an extreme rage at our flight which was made with much the more security for that my father seldom suffered his great Vessell to enter into any Port that was suspected unto him but sent a Barque in for the dispatch of such business as he had to do there and upon that it was that I had grounded my enterprise Now my Lord after I had delivered Osman with the help of the generous Slave and had brought him back to his paternall house when he would have made good his word which he had given us this incensed father hath intreated me as an infamous person and a vagabond and hath put that Slave into irons to whom his sonne oweth his liberty since that without him I could not have executed that which I had promised it is that Slave my Lord whom thou hast so lately pardoned and of whom the Illustrious Ibrahim hath undertaken the protection Behold my Lord the difference that is between the Bassa of the Sea and his sonne whose sense I will not deliver for fear I should be suspected to interpret it too advantagiously for my self wherefore it is for thy Highness to understand it from his own mouth and absolutely to dispose of my happiness or of my unhappiness of my life or of my death Alibech having given over speaking a confused noise was heard which seemed to judge the matter for her advantage but Soliman desiring to render equall Justice commanded the Bassa of the Sea to speak his intentions I have no other my Lord said he than to chace from my house a woman that ought to be driven from all the earth and whose disposition is so base and unjust that she could love a captive when she knew him not for that which he was and betray her father a woman descended from a Pirate nourished amidst blood and cruelty brought up amongst wicked villaines whom the earth cannot bear and the daughter of a Persian thy Highness enemy Behold what this woman is whom my sonne will mary and for all her estate brings nothing with her but infamy he will tell me it may be that he owes his liberty to her and I will answer him that it is a good which she hath not done him but to doe it for her self she knew he was the sonne of a Bassa that he had Palaces that he was rich and that he was honored with thy Highness favors she betrayed her father to possess them and hath not so much followed my sonne as she hath sought after his good fortune and then who knowes whether her hatred to Arsalon is not rather the cause of her flight than her love to Osman She was weary of living in a continuall prison and to speak truly of things she owes her liberty rather to Osman than my sonne doth ow his to her since that at length a ransom might have redeemed him whereas nothing could have drawn her out of her fathers hands What assurance can one place in a person that gives no markes of her affection but treasons that stifles all the motions of nature to follow those wherewith she is inspired by a disordinate love and that begins her mariage vvith an impiety Believe me Osman said the Bassa beholding him she that hath been so audacious as to betray her father for to follovv a Slave may yet more easily betray an husband for a man of free condition she that could so cunningly steal avvay the keyes of a sleeping father may peradventure being become the more daring by the happy success of her former designes stab a dagger into the heart of an husband when as she shall be as weary of him as she vvas of her father And then my Lord said he turning himself to Soliman who knows whether all that she hath said be not a trick and that being the daughter of a Persian she comes not hither to observe what is done here and seek occasion to hurt us Howsoever it be I find that she ought to be suspected of us and that in this incounter my particular interest is the same with the publique As for the freedom of the Slave whom thy Highness hath been pleased to pardon I have no more to say for to make it appear that I am not obliged to render it unto him than that he is the cause of all the pain I am in seeing that he alone as this woman her self saies made Osman the slave of Arsalon let my sonne keep his word with him if he can but as for me I have promised him nothing I will retain him in irons not only as a Christian not only as a Captive but also as an enemy Behold my Lord what my sense is in this occasion which as I think is not far from reason Soliman seeing that the Bassa of the sea had done speaking told Osman that he was to declare his mind I am very sorry replyed he that I must be constrained to contradict a man to whom I ow my life and to have that cross conformity with the vertuous Alibech as to have a father as inexorable as hers is cruel but my Lord since the prime duty ought to prevail over all others and that reason will have
me speak without fear in this occasion I will beseech thine Highness to consider whether I can without ingratitude and without being the basest of all men abandon a person who hath abandoned all for me and that as one may say hath made her self a slave to deliver me since that remitting her self to my conduct and relying on my word it was no longer in her power to alter her mind but was necessarily to follow my will Can I consider that even at this present I should be loden with Irons exposed to the insolency of Pirates and the cruelty of Arsalon if this woman had not broken my chains and not have for her all the affection and all the acknowledgment whereof I am capable As soon as I was a captive she began to do me good I was wounded she had a care of me with her charitable offices she healed the wounds which her father had given me I no sooner saw her but I knew her vertue she comforted the afflicted took care to relieve them and to say all in a word she bewayled the Victories of her father because she beleeved them not to be just I confess ingenuously that the beauty of her mind moved me more than that of her face and finding my self surprised by the lustre of so great a vertue I engaged my self in such sort unto her as nothing can be able to change it But if vertue be the foundation of the love I bear her that which she bears me hath had no less noble a cause She saw me constant enough in my misfortune she saw me wounded a captive and ready to be sold into a strange Country and knew though she seemed to be ignorant of it that I loved her much the gorgiousness of my clothes did not win her for they were all torn in the heat of the fight I was wan and disfigured she saw me abandoned of my father of whom I had no news ill-entreated by Arsalon because he had lost the hope of my ransom and fâ—nally in a more deplorable estate than ever man was seen Love then did not enter into her heart by voluptuousness but I can say it was introduced thereinto by goodness acknowledgement and compassion for if she had not been pittifull she had not assisted me when I was ill she had not loved me if she had not been acknowledging she had despised the love of a slave that had not the liberty to do her any service and if her heart had not been tender she had not been moved with my misfortunes nor given an end to them It is true that she is the daughter of the Pirate Arsalon that she hath quitted her father to follow me that she hath been brought up amongst cruell and bloody men and that she is the daughter not only of a Pirate but of a Persian But my Lord all this which seems to make against me makes for me in this occasion for what greater mark can one desire of a solid and immoveable vertue than to see a woman of eighteen years of age whose inclinations are not corrupted amidst so many vices and whose innocencie is preserved so entire as she could not so much as excuse cruelty in her father It is true that she hath followed me but it was to see no more murthers nor fights and because she saw a juster temper in my mind She hath not betrayed her father to follow a slave but she hath quitted the Pirate Arsalon to deliver a husband for having promised to be so unto her nothing but death alone can keep me from it Moreover my Lord she is not to be suspected of thy Highness for though she be the daughter of a Persian it is of a Persian the enemy of Tachmas who hath for these eighteen years waged War against him I will not stand to say that this woman albeit the daughter of a Pirate is for all that of a noble extraction because the Mussulmans make Nobility personall and beleeve that it ought not to pass unto children but I vvill only say that in the estate wherein my fathers fortune now is all that can be desired in a woman is contracted in this same she is fair she loves me and she is vertuous It is true that she is without wealth and without parents but she hath lost them for the love of me and whereas by thy bounty my father hath no need either of support or of riches what can I wish for more in a Wife If I take one that is rich it may be she will abandon me if I should happen to fall into misery but this that I have chosen wil be the companion of all my misfortunes without any fear that ever she will quit me I know that I ow a great deal of respect to my father but I know that I ow my life and my liberty to this woman I must then love both the one and the other or keep my word which I have given her for if my father will not suffer himself to be perswaded we will go voluntarily into banishment we are already accustomed to misfortune and the misery that we shall endure together will no doubt be more supportable to us than greatness and riches would be if we were separated As for the generous Slave to whom I have promised liberty I know not by what reason my father can pretend any right to deprive him of it he is neither his slave nor mine and by the severest law of War he can lay no claim at all unto him He is a Christian I acknowledge but all the Christians here in Constantinople wear not fetters he is a captive but that is to Arsalon and not to him and a captive too who after a breach of promise might with justice break his chains nor hath he sought for liberty but to give it me and that is it peradventure that hath made my father his enemy It is true also that he took me but it was in a just fight by that reason I am his slave rather than he is mine Let thy Highness so order it if it be possible that I may acquit me as I ought Behold all the crimes my Lord that I have committed my father would have me perfidious and ingratefull and I had rather my father should hate me with injustice than love me unjustly The generous Alibech seeing that Osman had made an end of speaking and having observed by the Bassa of the seas countenance that the discourse had rather incensed than perswaded him turned her self to Osman with tears in her eyes and conjured him to obey his father I will not sayd she unto him have you faulty for the love of me and since our affection cannot be innocent extinguish it in your heart and leave me the care of conserving it in mine remember that you are the sonne of the Bassa of the sea and that you are not yet my husband you cannot dispense with your self for that first duty and fortune doth dispense
he was inclosed An action so strange it is impossible not to be moved with it But let us see how the eldest of his children began to reestablish the disorders of his father The Pourtrait of Iosue the sixth Emperor of the TURKS IT is easier to conquer than to reestablish to increase ones felicity than to retire from a misfortune of a petty Soveraign to become a mighty Monarch than to remount into a Throne from whence one is descended It is no little glory to Josue after the utter dissipation of his fathers Sate to have been the first in raising up again that mighty Empire by regaining from Tamerlan the City of Prusia which you have already seen as having been before the chief seat of their Empire and very near all that his Predecessors had possessed in Asia He did the like in Europe as you may see in this Table and when he was returned into Asia his brother Musulman fortified with the succor of the Greeks incountred him in Cappadocia gave him battail which he wâ—n and taking him prisoner caused him to be strangled after he had reigned four yeares But this cruelty was repaid unto him as you will quickly understand The Pourtrait of Musulman the seaventh Emperor of the TURKS ALthough that Musulman shewed himself exceedingly couragious before he vanquished his brother yet shall you see but two battailes in this Table That which you see a far off is the same whereof I have spoken and the other which you see near hand is one that he obtained against a brother of his called Moyses who had established himself in Greece And truely the History doth declare that Musulman did in his own person perform miracles at that battel whereof he had all the glory and all the advantage but as soon as he saw that he was peaceable in his State he abandoned himself in such sort to voluptuousness as he became more cowardly than he was valiant before so that Moyses having rallied his forces which were dispersed by his deafeat gave battel again to Musulman who shamefully fled was taken and brought to his brother that quickly revenged the death of Josue by taking away his life But let us behold the sequel of the History of this third Sonne of Bajazet which will not be long The Pourtrait of Moyses the eighth Emperor of the TURKS MOyses having reigned but three years you may not expect the sight of many conquests in this Table all that he could doe was to give some rest unto Asia to spoil the Country of the Bulgarians take the Town of Spenderovia reduce the Pogdan to his obedience and win the battel which his Nephew Mahomet presented him with who not long after rallied his forces and came upon him with a fresh charge where Moyses had the worst by being abandoned of his Souldiers in this sight so that he was taken in a marish with one of his hands cut off whereof they soon cured him by putting him to death Now though this Table be not much filled yet certainly it is none of the meanest the colours of it are so Vive the digesting of it so beautifull this order of the Architecture so well understood as it may be said in viewing this piece that the art of the Painter hath supplyed the defect of the matter The Pourtrait of Mahomet the ninth Emperor of the TURKS AT length after so many Losses Captivities Sackings Massacres Fratricides and civill dissentions the Turkish Empire began to reassume its antient lustre under the conduct of Mahomet who after he had repulsed all them that had atttacqued him conquered Pontus Cappadocia and all those other Provinces which the Painter hath so well represented a far off his armes were also victorious in divers incounters under the leading of Amurath his Eldest sonne Mahomet subdued likewise Servia Valachia a great part of Sclavonia and Macedonia chaced all the petty Kings out of the lesser Asia to establish a Beglierbey there which is as much to say as a Vice-Roy at last after he had performed a thousand brave exploits for a recompence of his vertue he reigned a long time and dyed peaceably in his State of a naturall death exceedingly regretted of all his Subjects But before we pass on I must cause you to mark one address of the Painter that peradventure you have not heeded which is that to make one know the diversity of Provinces and Armies which you have seen throughout all these Tables he hath alwaies observed the attire armes standarts and briefly all the particular things of every Nation After this advertisement the rest of these pieces will give you more contentment yet than the other have done Let us see then whether Amurath was the worthy successor of his father The Pourtrait of Amurath the second the tenth Emperor of the TURKS THe Physiognimy of this Prince is not deceiving and although it doth promise us much wee shall yet find more After then that this Prince had defeated Mustapha the last sonne of Bajazet whom the Greeks had made to rise up against him as also another Mustapha his brother whom the same Greeks had likewise protected he turned the fury of his armes against them taking from them the City of Thessalonica which the Painter hath represented unto us as fair as the Historians have described it and whereof the perspective is so marvellous as one hath much adoe to believe that the running in of this gate is not effective But let us return to the Victories of this Prince who spoiled the higher Misia took the Town of Senderovia conquered the Countries of Sarmian and of Sarcan two mighty Princes of the lesse Asia and the Town of Coni from the Caraman The Hungarians having in the mean time broken the peace which they had contracted with him he returned into Europe and was so fortunate that the Christian Gallies which lay at the streight of Helespont to hinder his passage were constrained by foul weather to retire he in the mean while came to that memorable plain which gave name to the famousest battel that ever was heard spoken of And see you not how the Painter hath been pleased to represent it Mark this Squadron a little which gives ground and this other which is broken consider the left wing which is routed observe this close Battalion which is going to attacque this other that is ready to fly As for the body of the Battail where you see so great a disorder and such a confusion of dead horses men overthrown blood spilt and armes broken it is here in this place where the Painter would represent the death of Ladislaus which arrived in this battel with the loss very near of all the Nobility of Hungary some fighting to revenge the death of their Prince and others to recover his body but to shew clearly that the victory was on Amuraths side the Painter hath represented Renown which seemes to fly over his Troopes for to advertise them of it Howbeit not to stand
Madam where fortune hath done such strange and so unlikely things as albeit they arrived unto me yet do I doubt many times in thinking of my adventures whether it be not an effect of my depraved imagination that represents them so unto me or a faithfull report of my memory but not to lose time in exagerating the phantasticalness of fortune which hath been but too well known by all Ages and all Nations and to give you an extraordinary proof of it in my person you shall understand that after I was come to Constantinople laden with irons as well as my companions without any difference betwixt us but that they tried every day to break their chains and that I bore mine with a tranquillity of minde yet melancholick withall which made them perceive that life and liberty were not the object of my desires this knowledge which they had of my apprehensions during the voyage was the cause that they concealed from me the resolution they had taken when we were come to Constantinople of killing their Guard that so they might save themselves ere they should be presented to the Grand Signior and they carried their design so well as it was not discovered above two hours before it should have been executed And whereas amongst the Turks the desire of liberty is a capitall crime in a Slave unless it be in paying a ransom for it this enterprize being proved against them the Bassa Sinan a violent man and that saw how in one only night he was like to have lost three hundred Slaves without examining the circumstances of the matter without distinguishing the guilty from the innocent condemned us all to be exposed to the cruellest punishment of that Countrey This Sentence was received diversly according to the diversity of minds but at last though there were some generous souldiers amongst that great number of Slaves yet heard they all this wofull news with grief As for me who did not desire to live longer because I saw my self constrained to live without you I beheld the end of my life as an assured port to shelter me from all the storms wherewith I was agitated so that though it had been easie for me to have exempted my self from this perill by letting the Bassa know what ransom I could have paid him yet had I no purpose so to do Howbeit this generall consternation indured not long for the Bassa Sinan comming to consider that he could not satisfie his revenge and his avarice both together resolved not to lose that himself which others would have taken from him and therefore for examples sake only he commanded that we should draw lots and that the tenth part of our number should expiate the crime of the rest This grace was received with joy by all the company and albeit fear had still some place in their souls yet was hope the povverfuller and perswaded them all in particular that the misfortune should not fall upon them In the mean time the lots were drawn and chance having decided the matter I was of the number of the thirty that were to die It was then that I well observed how human weakness is the cause why every one is in some sort comforted by having companions in his misery for when we were all condemned I saw nothing but tears of sorrow but as soon as the lot had separated the fortu-tunate from the infortunate these last changed their sorrow into rage and choler so transported them as they could not endure the sight of them that were delivered Yet was it not they whom destiny reserved for this supreme disgrace for the Bassa having moderated his fury would have our lives once more depend absolutely upon the caprichiousness of fortune he ordained then tâ—â—t of thirty which we were no more than three should suffer and the lot so favoured the desire I had to die that I was one of those unhappy men according to the sense of others though in mine own heart I was of a contrary opinion The two that proved my companions in this sad adventure were without doubt the worthiest of all the slaves they were young handsom and courageous and even such as the very Excutioners themselves who were to take away our lives had some regreet to see that chance had made a choice so unjust according to their thinking so that one of them moved with compassion went and advertised the Bassa that in losing us he would lose the properest slaves that were in Constantinople and the fittest to make a present of to his Highness The Bassa who repented him already of his violence in regard of his own interest and yet desired that some one of us should be punished resolved at length for the last cast that of we three but one should dye and that according to the first order chance should still be the absolute master of our life or of our death The lot was not more favourable to me in this last incounter than in all the former and I was the sacrifice destined for the publique s fety I was then presently bound more straitly than before they made me my self carry the preparations of my punishment and without boasting I can avow that I faced death with tranquillity enough I dare not almost say that in this wofull estate you were the only object of my thought yet it is true how I imagined that this obstinacy of fortune in chusing me still to be sacrifised was an effect of your desire and that she did not judge me unworthy to live but because you judged me unworthy of your affection In the end I received this sentence as if it had been pronounced by you and in that thought I went to my punishment with so much resolution as bred wonder and compassion in them that beheld me As for my self I was far from being afflicted at mine own proper miseries I had some delight in my fetters and chains and the very sight of death could not keep me from having some happy moments for my love doing its last and uttermost indeavour in following me to the grave perswaded me that if you had seen the same Justiniano upon whom at other times you had accumulated glory be ready to yeeld up the ghost in adoring you with the most cruell torments that the rage of tyrants hath ever invented you would at leastwise have breathed forth some sighs and shed some tears The Princess not able to endure that he should continue this discourse any longer so much trouble did this deadly image excite in her soul assured him with a great deal of tenderness and her eyes full of tears that this narration touched her so sensibly as albeit she could not doubt but that he had escaped this perill yet could she not chuse but be in fear for him and feel such a grief in her mind as she was not able to express Justiniano was no less moved with the tears of the Princess than she had been by his relation and when he
and refuse me not the grace that I may be permitted to bewail them for the miseries which I have brought them to and to prepare them for my death but if your inhumanity doth carry you not to grant me this that I desire as me-thinks I observe in your countenance remember that birth not depending on fortune I am still the daughter of the Sophy of Persia and that you are but a Slave who doubtless have nothing more recommendable in you than fraud and cunning wherewith to serve the violences of your Master get you out of this Chamber then and enter no more unto it till the hour of my death be come for surely the rank which I hold doth ordain you to have so much respect unto me who commands you unto it Rustan who had no other interest in the carrying away of this Princess but that of conducting her to Soliman fearing nothing more than to see her die before she should arrive at Constantinople was affraid in hearing her speak so imperiously that she would have fallen into some extreme resolution if he should have contradicted her wherefore he went out of her chamber and assured her that she should see by his respect that he had not forgotten what he owed unto her But first he took heed with a great deal of care not to leave any thing wherewith she might hurt her self which the perceiving said further unto him You may take from me iron fire and poison but not the will to die and by it I shall alwayes find means to execute my design Rustan would return her no answer knowing full well that she was not in an estate to be perswaded After this he caused her to be served very carefully without ever entring into her chamber yet did he for the most part hear all that she said to her women for fearing lest she should offer to get out of the Cabbin for to go and cast her self into the Sea he lay alwayes at the Cabbin-door not daring to trust any body with the guard of a treasure from whence he hoped for all his fortune I will not recount unto you the generous and pitifull discourses of this infortunate Princess during this voyage since it would but augment the regret which you will have for her loss For Madam after a Navigation prosperous enough after they had passed over all the Caspian Sea by gayning the Coast on the left hand after they had arrived at the River of Araxes which disimbokes it self into this Sea had traversed by Land thorough the whole Countrey of Colobâ—â—da now called Mingrelia where Rustan betook him to his former Vessell again which had stayed still for him there had travelled Mare major or Pontus Enxinus from one end to another in its length after that I say they were come to the Bosphorus of Thrace in a place where they even touched the shoar there arose so furious a wind as they were constrained to take in all their sails And whereas the Pilot had advertised Rustan that he fore-saw the comming of a great storm and that within an hour at the farthest he thought that in regard they were not far from a place where the Skiff might easily land it would not be amiss to perswade the Princess to go ashoar seeing they were within Solimans Dominion and where they needed not fear to abandon their Vessell He caused then one of the Princesses women to be called unto him for to acquaint her with the perill wherewith they were threatned that she might propound unto her the avoyding of it by the means which I have related this Maid who out of the fear of death approved of â—usâ—ans proposition did all that she could to get her Mistress to imbrace it But this couragious Princess said unto her with an admirable constancy that she was resolved to attend the succor of Heaven imagining indeed that the storm wherewith she was threatned could bring no alteration to her fortune which would not be advantagious to her During this contestation the Sea was moved in such sort as it was out of all probability had the Princess consented to what they desired of her for one to think that she could be saved in the Skiff the tempest was so furious the ayr so obscured the thunder so loud the lightning amidst the darkness so dreadfull the waves so high the winds so terrible the rain and hail so abundant and the roaring of the Sea so horrible as it was impossible for one to conceive any hope of escaping from so evident a danger They were two days beaten in this manner with the tempest and tossed up and down with the wind and the waves without ceasing in the mean time to use their uttermost indeavour to with-stand it but at last they were fain to give way to this violence and refer their lives to the conduct of fortune Already had the Pilot abandoned the Helm his Compass stood him in no stead the Mast was all to shattered the Sayl-yards torn off the Tackle rent in pieces the Vessell took in water on every side the souldiers cried out in despair the Mariners abandoned themselves to grief the Princesses women were all dissolved into tears Rustan himself had almost lost his understanding whenas in the midst of so generall a consternation he heard the Princess cry unto him with a quiet spirit and with a setled and confident voyce at length Axiamira shall not be a Slave she shall dye with glory Heaven is armed for her succour and if I deceive not my self her death shall be the cause of her revenge Scarcely had she finished these words whenas an hideous wave hitting the Vessell with an unexpressable impetuosity dashed it with such violence against the point of a Rock as they suffered shipwrack in that very place I will not tell you Madam that which Rustan himself could not tell us for this misfortune was so sudden as in an instant he found that of all his Vessell he had nothing left him but a plank which floated to his hand as he was labouring in the water and wherewith he saved his life by sustaining himself upon it for this man was so fortunate as without other industry than strongly fastning himself to this plank the Sea which according to its custom retains nothing of all the rapines that it makes cast him on the shoar where he remained almost in a swoon till the tempest was over which was not long first so as it might have been said that this Princess had served for an oblation to pacifie the fury of the incensed waters for two hours after she had suffred shipwrack the Sun beginning to appear dissipated the darkness of the night and the tempest and restored calmness and tranquillity to the Sea Rustan being wholly come to himself again got up to the side of a Rock to see if he could discover any mark of so sad a wrack but he could discover no other thing than some of the Tackle and Planks
seeing him in this case conjured him again with more earnestness to acquaint her with the cause of all these alterations in him that they might labor to give some remedy unto it Alas Madam said he unto her with somewhat a low voice that he might not be heard by one of the Princesses women who was at the other end of the Cabinet the knowledge which I shall give you of my disease will not make you find a remedy for it for it is of a nature not to be cured but by death Yet if I should suffer it my self alone I would not complain of it but I am afraid that it would be contagious for you that the knowledge which you should have of it would increase my grief by causing yours that I should be more infortunate in your person than in mine own and that in conclusion you would be yet more to be lamented than I who deserves the miseries which oppress me since I am the cause of all yours The Princess judging rightly by this discourse that there was some great matter to be known commanded her woman that was still in the Cabinet to go and stand at the door for to keep any from coming to interrupt her This order given she turned back to Justiniano and scarce knowing what to say or what to demand in so unexpected an occasion she beheld him a while without speaking neither durst he likewise open his lips but after she had recollected her spirits and knew that it concerned not the sickness of the body having a great and generous soul she said unto him with a firm and assured voice What mark have you had my dear Justiniano of my little affection or of my weakness that you fear so much to give me a part in your griefs No no cast off this fear and permit me to tell you before you acquaint me with that which I can neither divine nor comprehend that besides the loss of your affection there is no misfortune wherein I shall not receive some comfort partaking it with you Ah! Madam said Justiniano interrupting her cease to be unjust in being too good to me and believe that when you shall know the point where at this present we are you will finde that I have reason to be greatly troubled in resolving to acquaint you with it Why said the Princess exceedingly impatient concerns it life liberty or honor if it be the first provided I may die before you I have felt sorrows sharper than death if it be the second and that I may be a slave with you I will accustom my self to wear irons but if it concerns honor I confess that we have reason to despair and that to conserve it any thing is to be done you see said she unto him that I am prepared for the greatest misfortunes and for such as seem to be the furthest off from me hold me no longer then in pain if it be true that I have any power over you Justiniano seeing he could not avoid it went on with his History from the point where he had left it he recounted unto her his pains his unquietness and his joys when as he knew that she was not inconstant that not knowing what els to do he had been constrained to acquaint Soliman with his whole life and consequently that the permission which he had obtained to come and see her was but for six months only having ingaged his word to that Prince to return unto him precisely within that time Judge after this Madam said he with sighs that well neer suffocated him and that scarcely suffered him to speak whether my complaints be not just whether I am worthy of your favour and whether death alone be not the remedy which I can find for my miseries For consider I beseech you the pitifull estate whereunto I am reduced which way soever I turn me I see you still infortunate but unhappy and infortunate only for the love of me Ah Madam if you knew how touching this object is how sensible and grievous it is you would easily apprehend the evill that I suffer it is so great as there is no expression strong enough to represent it well You have believed me to be dead and I have thought that you were inconstant your vertue hath been tryed by a long absence and my crime hath been punished with slavery but when as fortune seemed to be weary of persecuting us when as your constancy was sufficiently known and when as my crime was punished enough she made some truce with us I knew that you lived for me and you were not ignorant that I always lived for you I am returned Madam but must I repeat it once again I am returned a Slave fortune hath but lengthened my chain and not broken off my irons You seem Madam continued he by your silence to tell me that I had done better for your rest not to have returned and to have left you in the belief of my death than to come for to assure you that I do live but that I do not live for you I think Madam that reason is on your side but it is a reason which I cannot follow My voyage is not an effect of my reason nor of my will I never stuck at the taking of this resolution I followed my sense and my love and my passion so mightily blinded my reason as my soul abandoned it self wholly to joy I no longer thought that I was to return again to Constantinople but only that I was going to Monaco that I should have the pleasure to see you there and that afterwards I could not be unhappy In fine Madam I have not done that which I ought but I have done that which I could not choose but do In the mean time I have no sooner seen you but I have beheld you as a good which I was to lose and as a person which I have made unhappy For Madam if I break my word with Soliman I am an infamous creature I shall put your State and your Honor in danger and if I abandon you I am treacherous to you and cruell to my self and to say all I am so unhappy as death alone can succor me But for all that Madam it is you that must pronounce my sentence and dispose of my life Justiniano then felt himself so prest with grief as he could say no more The Princess who had heard him with a great deal of attention astonishment and sorrow was also a good while without answering him agitating in her self so difficult a thing to be resolved She was then leaning with one arm on a little table of ebony looking on Justiniano who durst not lift up his eyes for fear of incountring those of the Princess which were full of teares But at length this generous person who had a great and noble soul brak off her silence and said unto him with a constancy which hath scarce any example I confess my dearest Jusâ—iniano that our miseries
you follow a wretch and an infortunate man Do you not consider how if it should happen that I should dye in what an estate you would remain Ah! my dear Princess if I may be permitted to call you so give over so wofull a design Live in tranquility whilst I go and combat my evill fortune at Constantinople with a promise if I cannot overcome it not to survive her victory very long But it may be we shall not be so miserable Soliman hath a great and vertuous soul that which I am going to doe may please him he may be moved with my teares and prayers he may break that invisible chain which tyes me unto him and being no longer a slave you might then without shame accord me the honor which now I refuse This hope is too weak said the Princess to make me change the resolution I have taken No Justiniano to speak to me thus is not to love as you should this is to blind me with an artifice to doubt of my affection and courage and to say all this is to offend me sensibly My teares shall not hinder yours from having their effect but contrarily I am of a sex accustomed to vanquish even cruelty it self with such like armes Suffer me then to share this victory with you if you are to carry it or that I may be vanquished with you if you are to be so You do not consider Madam said Justiniano that if Soliman should see you at Constantinople it would be the meanes of never obtaining my liberty because I should then have all there that could render me happy The Princess stood a whiles to answer so pressing a reason But whereas her affection would not be surmounted May I not follow you replyed she without being known and under the habit of a slave No Madam you cannot answered Justiniano there is something that is so great and so dazeling in your face as you could not conceal your self But it is not for this reason alone that I will not consent thereunto I love you Madam and that is to say all I will keep my word then with Soliman since you do consent unto it if it be true that I can absent my self from you without dying in dispair and all the grace which I demand of you is that you will not dispose of youâ— self untill my return or the newes of my death have made you shed teares either of joy or of grief Ah! cruell man cryed the Princess cease to outrage my affection Madam answered Justiniano pardon a wretch who not knowing how to hope is capable of fearing all things Assure your self of my person replyed the Princess for to assure you of my constanâ—ie and permit me to follow you in the manner that I have told you I may not too generous Princess said Justiniano my love and my reason will not suffer it But sufficeth it not that I will have it so replyed Isabella for the obliging you to obey me No my Princess it is not enough answered Justiniano and my misery is arrived to that point that I must for the love of you oppose you and I cannot acquit my self of all that I am owing to you but in disobeying you The Princess then found herself so seized with grief as she remained a long time without abilitie to speak the use of her eyes was almost gone and so was that of her teares too for the easing of herself so much had the excess of her sorrow suspended all the functions of life in her She was negligently leaning on the table neer to which he sate and without giving any sign of sence save that of breathing she was in an estate of moving to pitty even cruelty it self Justiniano seeing her so was affraid she would have swooned He took her by the hand and besought her to remember that great courage which she had alwaies shewed against the persecutions of fortune It is not fortune that surmounts me said she sighing it is thy insensibility Ah! Madam replyed he falling down on his knees before her and wetting her hand with his teares wholly transported with love and grief will you have me render my self infamous break my word and not return to Constantinople I am ready to obey you This couragious Princess did her uttermost then to take heart again and beholding him with eyes whence the first teares began to issue forth No my Justiniano I would not have that said she unto him but onely I would have you promise me that within the time you are to stay here you will obtain the resolution from your self to mary me and to permit me to follow you for in conclusion I cannot consent that we should be separated from one another but by death alone This last word was no sooner pronounced but the Princess found hee self very ill she became pale and languishing her eyes that were so clear so piercing and so full of fire grew dead and dull on a suddain and gently closing themselves up she fell backward on her chair her head leaning on the left side and weakly reaching out her right hand to Justiniano who was so surprised to see her so changed in an instant as he could not forbear crying out pretty lowd But forcing herself to speak she bid him with a low voyce not to fear the end of an evill whereof the beginning was so violent foreseeing well that fortune was not yet weary of persecuting her But Justiniano without answering her opens the Cabinet door calls her women who frighted to see her in that case advertise Aemilia of it and losing their respect in this sorrow they demand of her all at once what she ayles What her disease is and so busie themselves in succoring her as they render her no service at all But she being unwilling to give them leisure to inquire it to the cause of her sickness did her uttermost for to tell them in half opening her eyes that some days past she had indeed foreseen that she should be sick and having neglected those little symptomes which she had concealed she perceived very well that she was entring into a fit of a feaver which was beginning upon her by this weakness that she felt Justiniano admiring her wisdom and prudence did what he could to imitate her and concealing a part of his grief he perswaded her to goe and lye down on her bed but having not strength enough to sustain her self they carried her in the same chair wherein she sate to her chamber whither her Physicians where already come for being incountred by good hap in the Castle they had been advertised of this accident by one of the Princesses women They beheld her feel her pulse ask her questions to come to the knowledge of her disease and not able to find out the cause of it they testifie by their actions and by their unquietness that not knowing it perfectly they are troubled how to resolve on the choice of the remedies that they
fearing the sad event of Justiniano's malady to acquaint her with that which they had concealed from her Aemilia was she that charged her self with this heavy Commission she carried the matter so dextrously as she ingaged the Princess to speak of Justiniano and to marvâ—ll at his unexpected absence and so unthought-of a silence It would not be hard for me answered Aemilia with a sad countenance to take you out of this unquietness if I did not fear to give you another greater than that Whereupon the Princess leaning with her right arm on the pillow and with her left hand also drawing the curtain fixed her look on Aemilia and after she had been a pretty while without speaking as it were to divine of that which she should be acquainted with she said unto her in such a fashion as shewed that she would bee obeyed disguise not the truth unto me let me know my miserie as great as it is and tell me whether Justiniano be dead or unfaithfull for provided he be neither the one nor the other I shall receive all other misfortunes with a great deal of indifferencie The last cannot be answered Aemilia and heaven will not permit that the other should arrive unto you But not to disguise the truth unto you Justiniano never parted from Monaco and the fear alone of redoubling your sickness in acquainting you with his hath kept us from telling it to you but finding it to continue longer than we thought it would I held it my duty to advertise you of it You are a cruell creature replyed the Princess to conceal a thing from me which concernes my life And what will Justiniano say of the little care I had of him It is by his order answered Aemilia that we have caried the business in this sort If you will have me pardon you this fault said the Princess so order the matter that Justiniano may not be surprised when he shall see me Aemilia did what she could then to keep her from getting out of her bed but neither her intreaties nor the counsell of the Physicians could alter her resolution She calls her women gets on a night-gown and causing her self to be held up by the armes she goes to Justininoes lodging whom she found so changed as he could hardly be known Assoon as he saw her enter he indeavoured to salute her but being unable to lift up his head he was constrained to be contented onely with turning his eys towards her and saying to her with a feeble and languishing voice which could not be heard by any but her self for her women were a pretty way distant from them At length Madam fortune shall not separate us and death is going to doe that which I expected from the cruelty of the former Nevertheless I shall die contentedly since I have still the pleasure to see you provided you will promise to live for the love of me and that my memory shall be dear unto you For I find this advantage in death that it keeps me from being unfaithfull to you It finishes the combat of love honor which could not be vanquished in my soul it makes me satisfie them both and to say all it separates us but I do not forsake you and I doe nothing in this occasion but what I cannot chuse but do The Princess having her cheekes all bedewed with tears answered him sighing I am not yet so far from the grave but that I may enter into it with you if death should carry you thither but if you doe love me you will strive to live Think not of conserving your self since you have no will to it but of conserving me and believe not that you can die without me I have let you see what grief can do upon me and I should have no need either of poison or poignard to quit me of this life for the loss of you alone would suffice for it Think not for all this that I speak to you thus out of the fear to die it is an apprehension which is not my soul and I doe not find death dreadfull but in the person beloved let me not make tryall then of so sharp a grief live if it be possible and contribute at least what you can unto it I will indeed obey you replyed Justiniano but take heed you do not thereby deprive me of a remedy which I shall not easily meet with again As he would have proceeded one came and advertised the Princess that Doria having understood of his Friends sikness was arived at the Castle and desired to see him The Physicians then approched to Justinianoes bed side and told the Princess that if she loved his life she was to let him rest in quiet and suffer few to see him Justiniano intreated them to let him imbrace Doria who presently was brought in This interview moved all them to pitty that saw it for Justinianâ— appeared so constant Doria so afflicted and the Princess so forlorn as it was impossible to forbear shedding of teares at so lamentable a spectacle The chiefest of the Physicians coming to Justiniano and feeling his pulse found that his feaver was increast and judged by the unequall beating thereof that the agitation of his spirit had redoubled that of his blood and humors so that approching once more to the Princess he told her that Justiniano was not to be succoured with tears and that she must absolutely be resolved to leave him to their conduct and not to see him again till he was in a better estate Since my sight is so deadly to him replyed the Princess I must obey you but I believe it will not be for any long time This said she went out of Justinianoes chamber after she had charged him again not to resist any remedy and to remembrr that she would have him live Doria and Aemilia helped to lead her to her chamber but that which was wonderfull in this incounter was that the Princess who had not been out of her bed since she thought she should have dyed felt her self less weak than before and the desire she had to be able to assist Justiniano in person whether the Physicians would or no was so powerfull in her as in four daies she found her sels in an estate strong enough to be almost continually with Justiniano for the space of two monthes and an half 〈◊〉 that the violence of his sickness lasted During which time the Count Doria and the Marquis made many voyages to Monaco and whereas Justiniano was very considerable at Genoua there was not a person of quality which took not great care to be informed of his health All the assemblies which were made at Leonoraes were melancholy too and their conversations which were wont to be full of nothing but love and gallantery were wholly now of the inconstancie of things of the necessity of dying and of the little lastingness of the most assured pleasures They could not mervail enough that after so long an absence after
hovv to chastise me seeing it is certaine that I carry a tormentor about me in my memory vvhich follovves me every vvhere and vvill persecute me eternally Hovvsoever I am most ready to obey thy Highness and to die that thou mayest be revenged of me since I cannot live to be thine Herevvith Alicola made an end of her speech and the faire slave began hers and though she spake not one language perfectly yet vvas not her discourse the least couching The rest said she to Soliman have laboured to execuse their crimes to thy Highness but for me vvho may not black mine innocency voluntarily since I cannot partake vvith Bajazet in his crime I must at least vvise partake vvith him in his misfortune I must I say indeavour to make mine innocency appeare only to obtaine pardon for his crime But the misery wherein I find my self is so great as I cannot think to save him this way but in rendring him the more faulty I must say then my Lord that when Amurath put me into his hands I knew not that I was destined to thy Highness he conducted me to his house and retained me there without ever suffering me to understand so much and having rendred me all the testimonies of love and respect which I could have desired from a man that had not had me in his power I acknowledge that his affection moved me that I gave him mine and that in the wretched condition whereunto fortune hath reduced me I esteem my self happy to be his wife I acknowledge also my Lord that he hath confessed his crime unto me since but whereas this crime was a testimony of the affection he bore me and that our mariage had made me unworthy of being able to repair his fault by restoring me into thy hands would not thy Highness have blamed me for coming to accuse my husband of a fault which he hath not committed but out of an excess of love After this my Lord I do not think thy Highness can doubt of mine innocencie and not doubting of it I dare hope that thou wilt not punish me more cruelly than Bajazet by letting me live and putting him to death and that contrarily thou will have the goodness to grant me his pardon For my Lord what reason would there be that I who am absolutely innocent should have the same destiny that the guilty have Is it not enough that fortune hath forcibly carried me from out of the armes of my parents to put me into the hands of Pirats that I have been sold for a Slave and to say all that she hath deprived me of the honor of being thine but that by the order of the greatest and most equitable of Princes I should also be deprived of an husband who is to me in stead of Parents of country of treasures and who in conclusion makes up all my felicity Consider my Lord in this occasion how his crime and mine innocence are linked so together as thou canst not be just towards him without being unjust towards me and how the other way thou maist be just towards me and clement towards him But to carry presumption as far as it can goe or to say better the confidence which I have in thy goodness I humbly beseech thee again that as it is I who have robbed the unhappy Alicola of Bajazet and that in consideration of me she hath suffered so mâ—ch so thou wilt likewise in consideration of me pardon him But if nevertheless thy Highness is otherwise resolved grant me at leastwise the grace that I may die with Baiazet The fair Slave mollified the heart of Soliman and as hee was about to have spoken Amurath made hast to say to him I know very well that I am the accuser of these offenders and that in some sort too I am a party with them so that my Lord I am to be their defendor also in this occasion and doe most humbly beseech thy Highness to pardon them It is an act worthy of Soliman not to be revenged on them that are in his power and the true felicity of Kings is without doubt to make up that of their subjects It will be long of none but thy self then if thou be not satisfied in rendering us all four happy For my Lord if thou leavest the possession of the fair Slave to Bajazet he will certainly esteem himself happy as well as she As for me my Lord if the purpose which I had to tender thee a present that I thought would be agreeable to thee merits any recompence as thy highness hath beene pleased to assure me I beg the pardon and possession of Alicola who by what I have noted in her discourse is more sensible of ambition than love so that injoying by thy bounty a rank considerable enough about thee she will have means to be satisfied and I too seeing I am constrained to acknowledge that my opinion is not like unto thine for the beauty of Alicola and that I have been a whole day the most amorous of all men Soliman seeing him about to proceed would not permit him and reaching his hand to him smiling I am glad said hee unto him that we are not of the same opinion for beauty since thereby I am enabled to satisfie thee And for thee said he to Bajazet I remit the offence thou hast committed against me but know that if Love combatted for thee in thy discourse the goodwill which I have alwaies born thee hath far better defended thee in my heart Then turning him to the fair Slave he commended her generosity and the affection which shee carried to Bajazet assuring her that he would never trouble her rest As for Alicola he told her that to render the conquest which she had obtained more worthy of her and more capable of contenting her he would make Amurath grand visier After this he said to Baiazet hee was sorry that for the preservation of his authority and for example sake hee could not let him live at Constantinople but in regard it was impossible the matter should not be divulged by those who had accompanied Amurath he must needs resolve to absent himself from the Port for fear least this importunity should give others the boldness to commit the like or greater faults than this That he did not condemn him to go out of the territories of his Dominion but he would have him abide in one of the Islands of the Achipelago and there lead a private and particular life To represent unto you the joy of these four persons would be an impossible thing however so it was that after they had rendered a thousand thanks to Soliman and that he had made them all recount the severall thoughts which they had had during the time wherein he had been deceived by them they departed away Amurath conducted Alicola home to his house where he married her the next day and Baâ—azet went to give order for his affaires Behold Madam how this matter passed
learned were combated by the wisdom of her mother whom I have alwayes called the fair Slave because my memory could not give you her name This woman was good and vertuous and did all that she could to make Roxelana resemble her as well in the qualities of the soul as in the features of the face which Bajazet perceiving and having in vain forbidden her to reprehend her daughter for her bad conditions he fell into such a hatred of her as he could not indure her and having looked upon her in former times as the object of his love he considered her no longer but as an obstacle of his ambition But to keep her from destroying that which he had established in the young heart of Roxelana he thought it would be requisite to make her hate her And to that end he dextrously perswaded her that her mother standing yet upon her beauty was jealous of seeing hers surpass it that her reproving her was an effect rather of hatred than affection and that therefore she should beware of hearkning to her Remonstrances there needed no more to stifle all the motions of Nature in so depraved a spirit and to carry her to insolency Roxelana to obey her father was to do no more than follow her own humour but to content her mother she was to fight with all her inclinations The first was the easier and made her hope that it would produce great things and the other being harder and without other recompence than that which gives us the satisfaction to do what we ought she had not much adoe to resolve upon the despising of vertue and imbracing of vice Behold her then abandoned to her own sense and to the evill counsells of Bajazet and the fair Slave almost reduced to be a Slave to her daughter who within a while used her so cruelly that she fell sick with grief upon it Now to make a tryall of what she could do in dissimulation as long as there was any company with her mother she seemed respectfull affectionate and obedient but as soon as they were gone she mocked openly at her goodness and with an hundred bitter jeers struck a dagger into the heart of her that had given her life This prudent woman was for all that so good as not to publish the cruelty of her daughter who in the opinion of all them which saw her was as vertuous as beautifull Bajazet seeing so fair a beginning in Roxelana caressed her extraordinarily and by this cruell proceeding still advanced the death of her whom he had loved so much before At last that deadly moment wherein she was to leave this life being arrived this infortunate one called to her the Slave who hath recounted all these things unto me and that had wit and some vertue and secretly commanded her not to abandon her daughter after her death because it might happen that this first heat of youth being over she might peradventure be capable of following the counsell which she had given her that for this effect she prayed her to doe two things the one was not to bewail her death for fear it should oblige Roxelana to turn her away and the other that she should not directly oppose her will for fear of incensing rather than correcting her but to wait upon her till she was of a more reasonable age This Sâ—ave promised to perform all that she desired and indeed kept her word with her Presently thereupon this woman dyed and left Bajazet in full possession of Roxelanaes heart who with feigned tears testified so much grief for the loss of her mother as she moved all them to pity that saw her though in her mind she was very joyfull She lived two years in this sort after the death of her mother being then about fifteen during which time she was beloved of all the young Gallants where she dwelt she perswaded them all that she loved them without ingaging her self for all that in any thing and taking delight in giving them great hopes to put them into despair afterwards she made some dye with grief others killed one another by means of the hatred that she sowed amongst them and the jealousie which she her self gave them when as they importuned her and that she would be rid of them And all this with so much address as all the world believed her to be innocent of all these crimes and attributed iâ— to nothing but the excess of love which her extreme beauty had begot in the heartâ— of all those that beheld her But at length being arrived at the age which I have noted unto you Bajazet called her to him one day in private and after he had told her that the time was then come wherein he was to reap the fruit of his travells and she to put in practise that which he had so often taught her to the end she might that way become the chief of all the Orient Roxelana answered him that he was but to explane his intention unto her and then he should be sure to have it executed Whereupon he recounted all his History to her which she had never understood well before and after that elevating his voice and taking her by the hand Thou seest then my dear child said he unto her that love did heretofore undo my fortune and that a Slave which I took from the grand Signior took from me all my hopes and banished me from my Country But to find out my re-establishment by the same way that caused my undoing love and a voluntary Slave shall restore me into grace with Soliman And not to conceal my thoughts from thee I purpose to present and give thee to the Grand Signior leaving the rest to fortune and thy address I know that this Prince being advanced in age is become yet more sensible of love than he was fifteen years ago when as he was but nineteen for out of the design which a long time I have had I have carefully informed my self thereof He is still young he is handsome he is full of spirit he is couragious he is liberall and what is most considerable he is one of the greatest Princes of the world If thou makest good use of the lessons which I have given thee continued he and of those which I will give thee thou mayest become Sultanâ— and crown the rest of my days both with honor and wealth Bajazet stopping here Roxelana answered him according to his desire and assured him that if she couâ—d be received into the Seraglio she would make no doubt of the rest and for a conclusion she so prest him to part away that in a little after having found out a Vessell which was bound for Constantinople he imbarqued himself in her with his daughter and the slave to whom her mother had recommended her who had so insinuated her self into her affection as she had often believed her in things which contraried her inclinations At length they arrived at Constantinople and went to the
perceiving that his mother did eat nothing he besought her not to afflict her self so much and that she would eat something for the love of him Saying so he presented her with some of those impoysoned fruits which were prepared for him he little dreaming of any such thing The poor afflicted Mother thinking it a crime to refuse her sonne takes the fruit which he presents her with and to content him eats it vvith her eyes all bathed in tears But the infortunate Mustapha knevv not that he gave death to her vvho had given him life and that this crime vvhich he committed so innocently should be one day severely punished in his person though he vvere never accused for it Having been in this occasion like those innocent offerings upon whom in times past amongst certain Nations the crimes of all the people were charged The poyson which Roxelana had caused to be prepared was slow to the end it should make no noise and that when Mustapha should be out of the Seraglio and Soliman should be told that he was sick she might make him beleeve that change of air had caused this malady But destiny would not have the matter go so for in fine not to prolong this discourse any further Mustapha went out of the Seraglio in good health with no little grief to Roxelana vvho had been advertised that he had not eaten of the impoisoned fruit As for the mother that never troubled her for though she fell sick the very same day and dyed a moneth after no body beleeved there was any thing extraordinary in her death because Roxelana had caused it to be bruited how the sorrow for Mustaphaes cloignment was the cause of it and how since that day she had never been well as indeed she lyed not and this was so generally beleeved as the sick Sultana her self sayd so much to them that came to visit her she never suspecting any wickedness Behold Madam Roxelanaes first persecution of the Prince Mustapha Indeed it is true that he was not sensible of it for he never knew any thing of that which I have told you Now you must not imagine that this violent desire which she hath alwayes had to destroy Mustapha whereby her children may reign is a sense of affection for them she hath not so legitimate a design and the only thought which she hath is to remain the mother of an Emperor after the death of Soliman because she knows very well that this quality gives alwaies a great credit to those which possess it and brings them into veneration amongst us I should never have done if I would relate all her wickednesses unto you But at length Mustapha in spight of all her artifices lived was brought up with great care maryed an excellent Princess of the bloud of the antient Kings of Capadocia whom he loved passionately and proved as you know as excellent a Prince as ever was And the hate which she bore him could not keep the Prince Gianger from having as much good will for him as she had aversion But to strengthen her self still the more as soon as her daughter had attained the age of thirteen yeares she got Soliman to mary her to the traitor Rustan who for all that hath not forborn often betraying her self for he seekes his own greatness and not hers Behold Madam what the first wickednesses of Roxelana have been for as for the rest you know them but too well And it may suffice that I have onely shewed you her inclination This woman never incountred person that opposed her violences but the grand Visier Ibraehim who ever since he hath been amongst us hath had so much power with Soliman as she could never he being the most vertuous of men make any of her wicked devices succeed either against him against Mustapha or Gianger for he loved them both dearly untill such time as for our ill fortune he went away some six monthes agoe upon a secret expedition whereof all the world talks diversly for seeing the mischiefes which have arrived by his absence it is feared lest she hath caused him to be murthered by the way It being very certain that if he had been here the rage which she had long shut up in her heart had not broken out so deadly as it hath done Alas said Axiamira interrupting her how much hath he whom you speak of been wished for in vain of the Prince Gianger And how often hath he spoken to me of him with a world of praise But mother continued she you have recounted so many things unto me as Soliman me thinks should be above an hundred yeares of age and yet he seemed not so old unto me on that unhappy day wherein I saw him It is answered Halima because I having enchained two Histories in one and begun to speak of Soliman at the age seaventeen yeares your mind by the length of my narration and the number of things which I recounted hath thought that which you say But if you please I will let you see the contrary Soliman was seaventeen yeares old when Bajazet put the supposition of the Slave upon him at the end of sixteen yeares when Roxelana was presented unto him he was thirty and three she fifteen and Mustapha seaven So that if you are ignorant of all these things you will find that Roxelana is not above seaven and thirty yeares of age Mustapha was nine and twenty Gianger eighteen and Soliman is fifty and four though he seem not to be more than forty And that which is strange in this Prince is that he is at this present of a more amorous humor than he was in his younger yeares I shall not have much ado answered Felixana who had not spoken yet to believe that which you say and I know but too well by mine own experience that there are men in whom age doth rather stir up passions than appease them With such like discources Halima indeavoured to divert the Princesses melancholy but remembring that she had not eaten any thing of all that day she went to give order for the serving up of dinner On the other side Ibrahim who had not forgot the design which he had and the request of Ulama after he had spent part of the morning at the Divano which was held that day and the rest of it with the Grand Signior without speaking of any other thing than the war of Persia he returned to his Palace there to take along with him the Slave which Ulama had sent to him that he might carry him to the Castle of the seaven Towers whither he went with an intention to ease the miseries of others since fortune would not let him find a remedy for his own The end of the fifth Book IBRAHIM OR THE ILLUSTRIOUS BASSA The Third Part. The First Book WHen as Ibrahim arrived at the Castle of the seven Towers where Axiamira and Felixana were prisoners he commanded the gate to be opened to him as they used
case I should not be discreet enough to conceal this secret from others he would be so confident as to disavow all that he had said to me For Deliment he had a long time before won an old Satrap in whom the Sophi very much confided for the affairs of the Empire and who had oftentimes perswaded him by Deliment's direction that the Law which had caused Arsalon to be banished was very judiciously made for his subjects but not for him perswading him that Kings which did not marry their daughters to forraign Princes were never to admit the noblest and the greatest of their subjects into their alliance because that most commonly was to take Tutors in taking sons in law of an high birth and that for the good of the Prince of the State and of the Princesses it would be better to do otherwise For said he unto him one day coming to particulars if by example the Princess Axiamira had marryed Deliment what a felicity would yours be to have a son-in-law that should owe all his glory to you and absolutely depend on you and what an happiness would it be for Axiamira to have an husband without having a master it being certain that the inequality of their conditions would always keep Deliment in the terms of duty and obedience With such like reasons as these it was that this wicked man had caused the minde of the Sophi to be prepared before he would discover his love unto him But whereas he had understood by his Agent that he had not rejectâ—d those propositions the morning that he had been to see the Princess which was the same wherein the Sophi discovered to him the love which he bore to me he wrought so dextrously with him as he made him comprehend that if he had a passion in some sort unworthy of his rank he on the contrary had one that was far above all he could pretend unto and that would not permit him to hope for any thing He spake this to him with so much cunning as he designed Axiamira unto him yet without engaging himself so far but that he might interpret his discourse after another manner if he perceived the Sophi to be offended at it But he had too much need of him for me and his minde was too much possest with maxims of State which were advantageous to Deliment for him to be so and indeed far from being displeased with it he embraced and told him that his hopes might go so high as that he permitted him to lift up his eyes even to the Princess Axiamira For said he unto him since Nature hath not given me children which can govern this Empire I would be willing that love and fortune would give me such a one as Deliment who may if not be Sophi after me at least-wise counsel him that shall be Deliment cunning and dextrous as he was made as though he did not beleeve that which the Sophi said to him and out of a fâ—â—gned respect not seeming to acknowledg that to be his passion the Sophi said unto him to oblige him thereunto that it being not so far from him to the Princess Axiamira as from me to the Sophi of Persia he was not to fear that he would thence forward oppoâ—e an unâ—qual affection seeing he had discovered his unto him But when as Deliment continued saying that respect was stronger in him then all other things the Sophi that he might know whether it were Axiamira indeed whom he was in love withall carryed him to her lodging and it was then that this rash man was so audacious as to speak with such insolency to the Princess For whereas he had tryed that love could not move her he beleeved that ambition might and that the hope of reigning over Persia would move her more then the certainty wherein she was of reigning over his heart As for the Princess Perca they had a long time before treated together and he had perswaded her that the Crown of Persia was to be shâ—red between her and her sister and for that effect she was to be kept from marrying any man whose generosity for so it was that he spake should carry him to let stupid Ismael or blinde Mahamed reign And when he made a shew of seeking out who in the Court might be Axiamira's husband he play'd his part so well that he led her as cunning as she was to the point he desired For after she had mused awhile as well as he what need have we said she unto him to seek so far off for that which we may finde in the person of Delâ—ment He seeming to have no other interest in this affair then the good of the Princesses held off a good while that he might be the more prest unto it But at length being come to agreement about their conditions they judged that albeit Ismael was not capable of rendering a party much stronger then if he were not of it yet it would be advantageous for them to seize upon his spirit and Perca took the care to do it As indeed she easily perswaded him that it was requisite Axiamira should be marryed to a man that depended on him and not on Mahamed who after the death of the Sophi might trouble him in demanding a great portion as if he were not blind so that to weaken his party it would be good to marry Axiamira to Deliment who would tye himself wholly to his interests Behold my Lord the motives and the causes of Deliment's insolency to Axiamira of the discourses which he made to me touching the love of the Sophi of the perswasions of Perca and Ismael and of the unquietness which this unpleasing entanglement gave us For being advertised of part of these things which we understood much better afterwards Prince Mahamed Axiamira Vlama and I who was also of the counsel resolved that the Princess should always treat Deliment with a great deal of coldness and indifferency without giving him for all that any notable cause of complaining That the best would be carefully to avoyd all occasions wherein the Sophi might speak of this man it being more expedient that the matter should not break forth but upon extremity because it might arrive that it would not have a sâ—quâ—l so grievous as we foresaw it That in the mean time we should labor to let Perca know that Deliment did not intend to use her better then Ismael and Mahamed That for me I should receive the discourse which he should make me concerning the Sophi's love as a thing I did not beleeve and that I would not have to be true and that I should give him as little occasion as I could to speak to me of it I offered the Princess to retire to my father under pretext of a supposed sickness but if the good-will which she bore me opposed it Prince Mahameds love hindred it absolutely In regard whereof they represented unto me that if I should do so it
part of the passion I am in for you which peradventure I durst not have done otherwise although it be most pure and most innocent be assured that now when as I know how this passion is worthy of the son of Soliman nothing can separate me from your interests Command then absolutely and be most confident that you shall be obeyed I had not much ado to be perswaded continued he that a person whom I judged worthy to be Queen of all the world should be the daughter of the Sophi of Persia but I marvel much at my blindness that I could not discern you were that indeed which I have so often wished you were Since your generosity permits me to speak said the Princess interrupting him Let not the wicked designs of Rustan my Lord be executed by Prince Gianger let me not be conducted by your hand to the Serraglio nor let the Princess of Persia have the destiny of Slaves For my Lord not to conceal my thoughts from you I will dye a thousand times over rather then do any thing unworthy of that which I am You know my Lord that Soliman having marryed Roxelana cannot according to his Law have any other lawful wife so that if you put me into his hands and that I am not generous enough to have recourse unto death this Princess who all her life-time hath had no other passion but that of glory and honor would be the most infamous of her condition Judg now my Lord whether my prayers be not just and if I have not reason to employ my tears to obtain that which I desire of you The Prince heard Axiamira with great agitations of spirit He was ravished to see that his passion had so noble and so great an object but the Sultan's love gave him no little unquietness and not knowing what to do he continued a while without speaking but at length he said thus Do not think Madam that my silence is an effect of my irresolution I have not been considering whether I ought to serve you but of the means I am to use for it Fear not then that I will carry you to Constantinople and beleeve that therein I shall serve my self no less then I shall serve you But Madam when I shall be resolved exactly to follow your pleasure will it be just that for saving you from peril I should remain the most unhappy of men That for delivering you from the violence of Soliman you should abandon me to the violence of my despair by ordaining me to let you return into Persia For Madam henceforward my destiny is inseparable from yours and I see no mean betwixt dying and abandoning you The Prince made this discourse with so many testimonies of affection as the Princess was in some sort moved therewith My Lord said she unto him I should esteem my self very infortunate if my encounter should prove fatal to you and that by a destiny wholly particular to me my misfortune should be so great as to be communicated to the persons that assist me But I will beleeve that the matter shall not go in that manner and I wish with all my heart that you may have as much prosperity as I have misery And that you may know I desire your felicity consider to what rigors of Fortune I am exposed I request you that you will not conduct me to Constantinople to avoyd the violence of Soliman and I request you also that you will not conduct me into Persia to avoyd the violence of a father and the insolence of a brutish man who will both usurp the Empire and force me to be his wife But my Lord as I request these two things of you so I request yet one more and that out of a sence of glory and honor which are the two most powerful inclinations of my Soul and it is my Lord that I may remain no longer in your hands For albeit I fear nothing from so vertuous a Prince yet shall I be very glad that Envy may not find any thing to charge my reputation with So do then my Lord that I may not go to Constantinople that I may not return into Persia that I may not continue in your hands that I may find a sanctuary where Civility permits me to abide or that I may dye at your feet Gianger was so ravished with the vertue and wisdom of Axiamira as turning himself to me It must be acknowledged said he to me that the Princess is incomparable that I have been blind indeed not to know her and to resist the secret motions which advertised me of my duty After this he stood a pretty while without speaking then suddenly beginning again If I had not Madam said he unto her found out the means to place you in safety and to content my self also I should dye with grief but if I be able to offer you the company of a Princess whose vertue is without stain whom you may absolutely command and who is wife to Prince Mustapha my Brother I think you will have cause to be satisfied Axiamira was exceeding glad of this proposition having oftentimes before heard speak of the vertue of Mustapha's wife who she had been told was descended of the ancient Kings of Cappadocia So that addressing her self to the Prince with a great deal of satisfaction may I hope my Lord said she unto him that Prince Mustapha and his excellent wife will permit me to live unknown in their Palace until that Fortune weary of persecuting me shall no longer keep me from returning into my Country Your vertue alone will oblige theirs to succor you but if that were not the strict friendship which is betwixt us will oblige them sufficiently unto it All Mustapha's interests are mine even as my Fortune is his And truly we are far from those apprehensions of State which for so long a time have made the children of the Othoman family to tear one another in pieces like enraged Tygers and I am well assured that if Mustapha my eldest Brother comes once to the Empire he will let me enjoy the felicity of his Raign and will not send me either mutes or slaves to strangle me I tell you all these things Madam to the end you may not doubt but that the sanctuary which I have propounded unto you will be inviolable Moreover whereas Mustapha is Governor of Amasia and that City is the Capital of Cappadocia which we call Amasia you may well conceive that you will be far enough from Constantinople and not so far from Persia but that you may easily hear from those which are affected to you there All these particulars having seemed very reasonable unto me I the more confirmed the Princess in the design she had to accept of them both for her interest and mine own it being most certain that I no less feared the Sophi's love then she did Deliments This resolution taken nothing was thought on but executing it Gianger dispatched a man who was faithful to
Highness that may displease thee Ah! infortunate that I am and most base as thou art continued Soliman how readily hast thou obeyed me in a wicked action He asked him then whether he had not seen Achmat and having understood that he arrived not till after the death of the Prince he shewed such excessive grief as the like was never seen Rustan amazed at so sudden a change would have represented unto him how much this death assured the quiet of his Empire but the Sultan exceedingly moved with choller chased him from his presence and forbad him for ever appearing before him again In the mean time Soliman not knowing whom to make his moan to about his crime and his misfortune commanded Achmat to be sent for again to him He was sought for and found with Prince Gianger much busied in moderating the violence of his grief for he had acquainted him with the death of his brother These two Princes had always loved so dearly together as never was there a more perfect and dis-interested amity then theirs so that it is easie to imagine the despair Gianger was in when he knew not only that his brother was dead of a violent death but that which touched his heart more nearly that he dyed for his sake without being culpable of any thing but of too much loving him Ah! my Lord that I could repeat vnto you all that this afflicted Prince said in so lamentable an adventureâ— but you will see but two well the resentment he had of it by one only action of his without my insisting on the relation of his discourse unto you Felixana observing that Axiamira and Ibrahim had their cheeks all bedewed with tears as well as she told them that it was not time yet to shed them all for Madam said she to the Princess you know that I have that still resting to deliver which is not unworthy of your sorrow and which without doubt will possess this illustrious Bassa with pity and grief Whereupon she held her peace to wipe her eyes and to give them leasure also to do as much and when her sighs and theirs had had all the liberty could be required for them and that a sad and heavy silence had renewed their attention she proceeded in this sort Achmat having received the Sultan's command for his repair to him thought it was fit for him to obey He left Prince Gianger then in the guard of five or six of his followers with order carefully to observe him and not to leave him out of their sight In going from his Tent to the Grand Signior's he discerned the beginning of a Tumult amongst the Soldiers he heard not onely their lamentations and their cries but also the propositions which they made against Rustan and even against the Emperor himself So that being come to him and perceiving by his tears and discourse his true repentance for his violences he represented unto him how it was requisite for his safety and for the good of the Empire that he should shew unto all his Soldiers the sorrow he was in for the death of Mustapha That he could not do it better then in taking care to preserve that which had been dear to him in his life-time to which effect he was to give a place of retrent to Sarraida have a good regard of Axiamina and labor to appease the grief of Gianger who was come with them to the Camp and whose affliction was so great as it was capable of putting him into despair Soliman not knowing what to do in this occasion retained Achmaet with him and sent to offer Gianger by the Aga of the Janizaries all Mustapha's Governments But this excelâ—ent Prince abhorring the enriching of himself with the spoyls of a brother who was dead for the love of him generously refused them demanding no other portion of Soliman said he then the same string wherewith his brother was strangled At the same instant the Sultan was advertised how the Soldiers who knew not that Sarraida was in Rustan's Teâ—t thrust on by the fury that mastered them were going to set it on fire So that to hinder this mischief Soliman sent Achmat to let the Soldiers understand how Sarraida was in that Tent and that in seeking to revenge Mustapha they were upon the point of burning his wife and his son But to take from them an object which might exasperate their grief Achmat held it convenient not to leave Axiamira Sarraida or Mustapha's son any longer in the Camp so that having drawn Soliman to like of it and kept the Soldiers from offâ—ring any violence to the place where we were he came to Axiamira to assure her from Soliman that she should be entreated by him with the respect which was due to her condition and that in attending till they might advise what was fit to be done therein he desired her she would be pleased to suffer her self to be conducted to Constantinople As for Sarraida he told her with tears in his eyes that the Grand Signior permitted her to chuse a retreat in what place of his Empire she would assuring her that he would have as much care of protecting her as he had had violence in the person of Mustapha Sarraida no longer doubting of the death of her dear husband after this discourse and Axiamira being but too well assured of it as well as she they both of them said things that were stronger then the constaâ—cy of Achmat. He wept with these two great Princesses and recounting to them the matter as it had past excusing Soliman as much as he could he made them comprehend that Rustan waâ— the cause of all this mischief In the mean time Axiamira in the midst of her affliction demanded news of Gianger and after she had been assured that he lived and that the Grand Signior had none but good thoughts for him she craved pardon of the infortunate Sarraida for having been the cause of her miseries and made this discourse with so much tenderness and grief as Sarraida her self was moved with her resentment Mustapha's son yet further augmented the Princesses displeasure for albeit this childe had not attained to the tenth year of his age he seemed to be so afflicted for the loss of his father and said such generous and reasonable things as it might be said that he would have as much resembled him in the qualities of the minde as in the features of the face if Fortune had permitted him to live He assured Sarraida that he would one day revenge the death of his father he grieved that he had not so much strength as courage and that he could give her nothing but tears in this occasion I should never have done my Lord if I should repeat all this conversation unto you but in the end Achmat having assured Axiamira that it was not to the Serraglio they would conduct her and having made her apprehend that she would be better at Constantinople then in the Camp he also caused
Sarraida to promise that she would conserve her self for her son So that being resolved for that which they could not avoyd the Princesses consented to their voyage and Sarraida chose the Town of Prusa for her retreat not enduring to return unto Amasia Achmat commanded charets to be brought appointed men for theâ—r convoy and offering his assistance to the two Princesses Axiamira earnestly requested him to have a care of Prince Gianger and to assure him that she esteemed her self infinitely unhappy in being the cause of his misfortunes After this Sarraida and she bid one anothâ—r adâ—eâ— or to say better they onely mingled their tears together and with that dumb and sad language took their eternal farewel Sarraida was put into her charet almost in a swoon and Axiamira entred into that which was prepared for her so besides her self as I beleeved she would have dyed in my arms In the mean space the preparation for our departure had not been made so secretly but that the bruit thereof was spread over the Camp and whereas news do change the further they go from him that first delivers them it was noised amongst the most part of the Soldiers That they were conducting Axiamira to the Serraglio that Soliman purposed to repudiate Roxelana and declare the Princess Sultana Queen In this belief they testified so much joy by reason of the hatred they bare to Roxelana as being an Enemy to Mustapha that though she was the mother of Gianger yet knowing how dearly he had loved his brother some amongst them went inconsiderately to declare this false and deadly news unto him He no sooner heard it but he beleeved it and losing the little reason he had resting he got out like a mad man spight of them whom Achmat had left with him and without knowing whither he went he found what he sought for that is to say the body of Mustapha which could not yet be drawn out of the Soldiers hands who had layd it as I have already told you upon a great heap of their arms As soon as Gianger approached to it they made way for him to pass through them and redoubling their cries and lamentations some of them offered him to revenge this death and all of them together protested that they would have the same affection for him they had had for his brother But he without harkening to their complaints their offers or their prayers throws himself upon his brothers body wets him with his tears then looking round about him as it were to seek for something he espyed a dagger amidst that great number of arms which he layd hold on and then lifting up his voyce with a more quiet countenance then before Let some of you O Soldiers said he if the memory of Mustapha be dear unto you declare unto Soliman that in giving my brother his death he hath put this steel into my hand and let the Princess of Persia know also that I did not dye till I had lost the hope of possessing her saying this he stab'd the dagger into his heart no body being able to prevent him and fell down dead upon the body of his brother Alass my Lord I know this truth but too well for by ill fortune the charet wherein we were passed so neer to that place as I saw Gianger when as he stab'd himself This sight and this action then made me give a great skriek Is there said the Princess unto me who did not look that way some more new misfortune befallen us Ah! Madam said I unto her the greatest that can happen to you in the estate wherein you are We heard a redoubling then of the wailings lamentations and cries of the Soldiers who making the name of Gianger to resound all about said so much of his death as they had acquainted her but too well what this misfortune was without putting me to the trouble of telling it her She commanded the charet wherein we were to stand still but the confusion was so great and the noise so dreadful as her Order could not be heard besides they that conducted us took such care to get us speedily out of the Camp as I beleeve if they had heard what she said they would not have obeyed her so that we went away in this manner without more particularly knowing the death of this miserable Prince having not learnt all that I have recounted unto you and all that I shall tell you hereafter till we came hither where the generous Achmat imparted it unto us It is easie my Lord to comprehend what the grief of Axiamira was That great and generous Soul which never fainted under her own misfortunes found it self then too weak to support those of another For though love had no place in her heart amity compassion and the obligations wherein she stood engaged to Prince Gianger produced the same effects in her upon this occasion What said she not to testifie her affliction or to say better what did she not that she might not survive this last mishap she absolutely declined the care of her preservation she refused to eat and I dare say she would never have resolved to live if with my tears and prayers I had not conjured her not to leave me in the hands of a Prince which might entreat me as one culpable It was not because I was possest with that fear but seeing this Princess no way sensible of her own conservation I beleeved that the same generosity which made her despise her life to lament anothers misfortune would induce her to preserve it for the easing of mine As indeed after that she suffered me to take a care of her and without abandoning her grief she resolved to attend death and not to seek it We in this sort arrived at this place where we are and where afterwards we understood that Gianger had no sooner stabbed himself to the heart with a dagger but the Soldiers affliction anger and fury redoubled far more They which had thrown down their Arms took them up again maugre the vow which they had made and testified by their threats that they had strange designs It seemed to them that they had a second time lost Mustapha in the person of Gianger for the love of these two Princes was so generally known as they regarded him as another himself This tragique news was instantly carryed to the Sultan who received it with so much grief as the abundance of tears which he shed in that occasion hath almost defaced his crime and if Achmat had not provided for his conservation he would peradventure have let the Soldiers gone on in their fury without applying any remedy unto it But whereas he was faithful unto him and had no less prudence then affection he counselled him not to conceal his tears to shew himself to the Janizaries and with his presence to calm a storm which certainly had caused some strange disorder if this wise servant had not dissipated it For the matter went so
the certainty of an evil whereof he was already but too well assured He remained then without speaking and shutting up his thoughts in his heart he grew to be the melancholickest man in the world He abandoned the care of affairs and making to himself a prison of his Palace he went no more abroad but now and then to go to the Serraglio and that too very seldom His presence which was wont to charm all Soliman's unquietnesses now begot nothing but grief in him for he saw him so altered his eyes so sunk into his head his face so pale his humor so sâ—d and his spirit so troubled as he could not behold him without extream displeasure but a displeasure which he held to be so much the more just as he knew it to be the cause of that of our illustrious Bassa He sought nevertheless to deceive himself by laboring to be perswaded that peradventure the alteration which he saw in his dear Ibrahim was a malady of the body as well as of the minde wherefore he consulted with a Jewish Physician and an Arabian about him who having some time observed the Bassa without his being aware of it judged the alteration which was seen in him to proceed from some strange cause discerning no marks or signs of a known disease in him His frequent sighs the indifferency which he seemed to have for liâ—e and some interrupted words which he had spoken when as by Soliman's order they went to visit him perswaded them that the melancholy which appeared in him was not an effect of his temper but of some affliction that troubled his mind and which questionless was derived from some violent passion After so right and so well-grounded a debate they told the Grand Signior freely that they could not warrant Ibrahim's life that they were Physicians for the diseases of the body and not for that of the minde that in the estate wherein the Bassa was he was to be his own Physician himself though according to their opinion he was in terms rather of being the cause of his death then of his health that for their parts all they could do with their remedies was to fortifie Nature as much as they could but at length so long and so violent a melancholy would make an end of him and so much the rather for that the Bassa to be rid of them said that he was not sick and consequently had no need of remedies Soliman hearing this discourse was extraordinarily grieved at it but he could easily appâ—ehend the occasion of Ibrahim's melancholy For not seeing any reason that he had to be afflicted but for the absence of the person whom he loved he was assured that love was the cause of his heaviness In this opinion he dismissed his Physicians howbeit he was no sooner alone but accusing himself for the loss of Ibrahim he was almost resolved to go and ask of him what he would have without considering how in this occasion he deprived himself of the onely consolation he had and of the onely person he could love when as the Sultana Queen entred into his chamber according to the priviledg which she had for it As soon as she looked on him she knew that he was somewhat troubled in his mind but whereas she was not able to discern whether it were an effect of choller or of affliction she employed all her address to be cleared therein Soliman had no longer that violent love for her which had so often blinded him yet had she still that Empire over him as he could never refuse her any thing but the grace of Rustan so that in this occasion he almost suffered himself to be vanquished by her He confessed not the whole truth unto her but he told her that Ibrahim's melancholy was the cause of all his sadness and without imparting to her that he was a Christian under the habit of a Turk or of what Country he was he told her further that being fallen passionately in love with a Christian Princess whom he had seen during the voyage which he had made by his order the grief of being deprived of her presence and of the hope of possessing her had brought him even to deaths door Afterwards he declared unto her the sorrow he was in for it and how he would give half his Empire to save Ibrahim My Lord said the Sultana unto him if thou wilt accord me one grâ—ce which I will demand of thee I will oblige my self to restore thy favorite to his wonted joy I swear by Alla replyed Soliman to accord any thing so as Ibrahim may be saved My Lord said she unto him I will ask of thee but till to morrow to engage my self absolutely for the performance of that which I have propounded to thy Highness Although Soliman sâ—vâ— nâ— great likelyhood in that which the Sultana said yet he found some content in not resolving so soon to be deprived of Ibrahim In the mean season Roxelana without losing a minutes time sent Rustan word who lay still concealed in Constantinople to come at the beginning of the night to one of the gates of the Serraglio where he should finde two of her black slaves attending for him and not to fear repairing thither because the Capigibassi that kept the gate was absolutely hers Rustan failed not to be present at this assignation no more then the Slaves to receive him and to bring hiâ—â— in When he was in her chamber she told him that whatsoever she could do it was impossible for her to obtain his grace and that she thought he would never obtain it but by some very extraordinary way that there was one did then present it self which she would propose unto him to the end that if he saw any likelyhood in it she would finish that which she had begun and then she recounted unto him what Soliman had said to her and what she had answered But it appeared that Rustan was better informed of Ibrahim's fortune them she imagined for this man who thought of nothing but his re-establishment had suborned one of the Grand Visiers servants to endevor to finde out whether this illustrious Bassa were the cause that he was not restored This servant suborned by Rustan went often to him to give him account of that which he learned and the very same day that Roxelana had sent for him he had acquainted him that Ibrahim was in love with a Princess of Italy to whom appertained a Town called Monaco that the grief for being absent from her had made him sick and would cause his death if the Grand Signior gave him not liberty to retuâ—n thither to see her that he had heard all this through Ibrahim's chamber door who talked thereof in private to an Italian Slave whom he very much loved and whom he had commâ—â—ded if he dyed for sorrow as he seemed not to doubt to obtain permission of the Grand Signior to go and execute his last Will in carrying a Letter to the
other would have had nothing undertaken at all But Baptista for his own interest would be sure not to yield in this occasion He saw that as long as the Government was in the hands of the Nobility he should never pretend to have any part in the sway thereof And then again he had brought his affairs into so strange a disorder by the debts which he had run into as judging that he could hardly conceal his misery longer if the tranquility of the Republique should last any time he was desirous to steal it from the eyes of the world by a universal confusion He considered also that if the enterprize were prosperous he should raise his fortune to an high pitch that it contrarily the suâ—cess of it should be infortnate his ruine being accompanied with that of others and dying in his endeavoring the execution of a great design it would be some comfort to him to think that the infamy of his name would pass unto posterity so true it is that the ambition of men is so unreasonable as to make them oftentimes to put no difference between good and bad fame provided it be great Baptista then opposed himself with a great deal of vehemency against their Reasons that appugned his and told the Count that it was a thing unworthy of a noble Soul to let himself be vanquished by fear or to say better by Chimera's He represented unto him that the Garison of Genoua consisted of no more then two hundred Soldiers that Doria's Gallies though many in number would be unprofitable for his defence so as the time of execution were chosen when as they were disarmed at their return from scouring the Seas which they usually did every year that Andrea and Jannetin far from all suspicion lived without any particular Guard and in a confidence which would be very commodious to them that it would be easie for him to draw into Genoua a good number of selected men and taken out of the Lands of his obedience who on a sudden should go and seize upon Doria in his own Palace and that at the very same time it would be facile to render himself Master of the Gallies that the hatred of the people against the Nobles would make an end of the rest of the enterprize and give it an happy success He offered for his own particular to get the Citizens to rise in favor of this design assuring him that by his means they were wholly disposed already to rebellion With such like Reasons which Verrin amplified with a great deal of address he became Master of the Counts mind who plainly testified that he determined either to perish or to raign And after he had made known that nothing could alter his resolution he said unto Raphaello Sacco who had perswaded him to the business under the pretext of the publique good Heaven is my witness that if I did not beleeve I should make my Country more happy under my Command then it is under the Tyranny of them that oppress it I would chuse rather to dye then to attempt that which I am going to undertake This speech ended they all resolved with one accord that since the Government could not be changed without the death of Andrea and Jannetin Doria they were chiefly to think of giving such order to the matter as the end of their lives should be the beginning of the execution thereof This Conspiracy being made the Count went out of his Cabinet with a marvelous tranquillity of spirit and we were all the evening with him talking of Musick and Painting as if he had hid nothing else of importance in his thought As for his Counsellors they told her who had employed them that she was to attend great matters from her son without particularizing any thing unto her for fear lest she should discover them In the mean time the Count having certain days after taken great care for the Gallies which he had bought not long before used to go oftentimes to the places belonging to him where with an admirable Providence he furnished his Subjects with Arms and made them to exercise them upon pretext of being in some fear of the Duke of Placentia whose neighbor he was but indeed it was to render them capable of serving him in his design The end of Autumn being come he return d to Genoua and applyed all his care to gain the good-will of all the young men of those families newly ennoblâ—d which are called Popular He introduced himself into their conversation with a marvelous compliance He sent pâ—esents to some he served others according to occasions and offered himself to all with an extraordinary courtesie And whereas he had a quick and pleasing wit and a supple and charming humor he won their affection in so high a manner as he was their Master rather then their friend When as he knew that he might begin to confide in them and that their wills depended absolutely on his he fell to jeering as occasion served at the Government of Genoua which he termed the Tyranny of the Nobles Sometimes he testified with interrupted speeches that he suffered in the miseries of the popular families sometimes he seemed to tell them that the matter was not past remedy and that they might abase the pride of the Nobles if their hearts did not fail them somâ—times also with a bitter scoff he exhorted them to servitude yet still leaving them a sting behind in their minds by his doubtful and uncertain words And above all things he aggravated the injustice of the Government when by chance any accident fell out that displeased the popular families But if he were agreeable to them he had rendred himself no less pleasing to the common people by such means as he had câ—refully used for it He most readily saluted some he smâ—led upon others as he met them he was magnificent in his apparel gentle and courteous to every one and that which advanced his design more was as you know as well as I that he was wonderful handsom and of an exceeding jovial humor that the air of his face was sweet and agreeable and his carriage so noble so free and so fair as one was forced to love him at the very first sight He exercised himself also in fencing and riding of the great horse and that with so gallant a grace and so great an address as they that saw him could not chuse but love a man who gave them so much delight But whereas liberality is the strongest chain wherewith the people may be captivated he met with no occasion of demonstrating his unto them but he testified it with a magnificence past compare Yet would not our prudent Conspirator cast himself so absolutely into the hands of the people as to minister any jealousie thereby to the Nobles but he used so just a temper in a conjuncture where mediocrity was so hard to be observed that the good-will of the one did not make him lose the friendship
from coming forth After this he commanded meat to be brought in but in such a fashion as this meal might be rather named a collation then a supper fearing lest they should be too much taken up with good chear Whil'st then that some did eat standing and others were arming themselves with the Arms which the Count had caused to be presented unto them he went to Leonora's chamber who was talking with Sophronia her sister about the unquietness she was in to see so many Soldiers in her Palace As soon as he was entred he approached to her and taking her by the hand he told her in few words the design he had desiring her to pardon him for not having spoken to her of it till then The great heart of Leonora found not it self firm enough to remain constant in this occasion and considering the extream peril whereinto the Count was going to expose himself affection and fear troubled her in such sort as falling at the Counts feet and her face all bedewed with tears My Lord said she unto him imbracing his knees to what danger are you going to expose your self I conjure you by the thing that is dearest to you in the world by the love which I bear to you by that which you bâ—ar to me by the tears which I shed and by your own glory to preserve my life in preserving yours The interest of our Country is dear to me but yours is yet far more to me I had rather have Jannetin raign insolently then to see you perish for the saving of others And I shall resolve with joy to wear chains rather then to see my self exposed to the hazard of wearing mourning for your death But what say I sensless as I am could I preserve my life if you were no longer living No no my destiny is tyed to yours and what my despair could not do in this occasion my grief alone would execute Let Jannetin then my dear husband usurp the Empire let our Country be ruined let all our Citizens be made Slaves provided that you live it imports me not For in the end Jannetin may indeed raise himself up into the Throne but he can never surmount you in greatness of courage and vertue You have told me an hundred times that I made up all your felicity what do you seek for then O my dear husband Is it just that you should be so far sensible of the complaints of a people that may be ingrateful as to lose your life for their liberty And that my tears should move you so little as that you will not preserve me in preserving your self What will you have me do in this fatal adventure Will you have me letting you go attend here the news of your death Ah! I can never endure this thought no more then your design For my Lord what can this design be which I see you undertake without communicating it to your dearest friends To whom of all those which are in this Palace may I entrust your life Are you your self assured that they will not abandon you If I saw the generous Justiniano the French Marquess and so many other illustrious friends which you have about you I could say that they would vanquish or dye together with you But in the estate wherein I see you it may be that those whom you beleeve to be most faithful unto you have betrayed you and have undertaken to destroy you Ah! my Lord give an end to my fears and tears in changing so deadly a resolution But if nevertheless you are determined as methinks I observe by your looks not to let your selâ— be vanquished with my tears suffer me at leastwise to accompany you that I may in this abandonmen of all your friends serve you for a buckler to bear off all the blows which shall be made at you that I may at least expire before your eyes or you dye in my arms In fine my Lord permit me to enter into your Charet of Triumph or into your Tomb with you The Count feeling himself very much moved with Leonora's tears and fearing to be surmounted by them interrupted her with embraces do not make so ill a presage of my enterprize said he unto her and carry that great heart which I have always admired in you to higher and more happy thoughts I am going to a place whither Justice and Fortune call me and if I have concealed this design from my friends it is because I knew they loved my life too well to counsel me unto it And then again I shall be glad if Heaven will permit me to prevail over my Enemies that I have given them a content which hath cost them nothing and if I fall in so brave an enterprize they shall at least-wise remain to comfort you In fine my dear Leonora prepare your minde for all events that may arrive either happy or unhappy for the business is at such a pass as I can neither defer or break it off But this I can assure you that you shall not be long in uncertainty and that in a few hours you shall hear of my death or victory howsoever it be remember that glory excepted I never loved any thing more then you Farewell my dear Leonora At this word his ambitious Mother came and interrupted him who knowing that the Count was touched with his Wives tears and fearing he should be overcome by them Go go said she unto him and call to minde that if Coriolanus had never been wrought upon by the tears of a woman he had gotten himself the Empire and preserved his life Fear not my son that I will be Volumnia in this encounter but contrarily I command you as much as I can to hasten the execution of your enterprize for all the time which you have lost here would already have served you for your approach to the Throne Go then my son perform an action proportionable to your courage or finde a death worthy of your birth The Count having heard his Mother speak in this sort and having told her that he would obey her turned himself once again to Leonora whom grief suffocated and beholding her with a troubled countenance Farewell said he unto her either you shall never see me more or you shall see your self in Genoua above all others of your sex At these last words he left her without harkening to the generous Pansa or the sage Sophronia For as for Leonora she was so strucken with the Count's speech and departure as she fell into a swoon In the mean time Baptista Verrin was come back from the City to assure the Count that there was no obstacle which could hinder his design that his Gally was in a posture of fighting full of a great number of Soldiers throughly resolved to do then duty and ready to shut up â—he mouth of the Port by that means besieging all those of Doria The Count seeing all things in such order as he could have wished went to his
hearing any passing by we proceeded on in our way towards the Port where we arrived without any obstacle Ottobuono's Gentleman conducted us to the Count's Gally where we were received and Leonora put into the Captains Cabbin being told that the Count would come thither to her The Mother when shâ— was there asked of every one where the Count was I approached to her and told her that she should know ere it were long In the mean time we were no sooner got aboard but we propounded the sending to Giralomo that he might come to save himself with us Verrin without harkening thereunto commanded them to steer for Marseilles whereupon all the Slaves betaking them to their Oars the Gally made from the Port which was left free and open to the Turks who had abandoned their own Vessel and taken one of Doria's Galliâ—s named the Temperance They went away in this sort and could never be overtaken by two Gallies which were sent after them the next day The most part of the Gally-Slaves having knocked off their Irons stole all the Arms and all that they could lay hold of and getting away they alone enjoyed the liberty which the Count would have acquired for himself This while Madam we remained in the Gally of this illustrious infortunate man but with so much grief as never voyage had so sad a beginning Baptista Verrin was mad to see his enterprize broken Vincentio Calcagna upbraided him with being the cause of all this mischief Raphaello Sacco repâ—nted him for having counselled so unlucky a design and Ottobuâ—no without testifying his thoughts continued in a silence that would not permit us to know what they were As for the rest of us although we had all of us misfortunes which diversly regarded us yet the death of the Count prevailed over all our other sufferings and his loss in this occasion made up all our sorrow In the mean season Leonora not seeing him and perceiving the Gally make from the Port pressed Sophronia that she might see him and hearing her sister make her no precise answer she of her self knew the misfortune that was happened unto him And when as we entred into her chamber all at one time and that she saw him not amongst us she cryed out and said There is no longer doubt but that the Count it dead The Count dead said the Mother with a great deal of precipitation Yes Madam continued Vincentio Calcagna who was extreamly touched with this loss and dead by your commandment you enjoyned him to vanquish or to dye and he hath done both Madam for he is dead after the death of his Enemy We were very sorry that this man had delivered the matter so bluntly before the infortunate Leonora who unable to support so many sorrows at once swooned in the Arms of Sophronia As for the Count's Mother she entred into a rage that cannot be represented unto you the apprehensions of a Mother having re-assumed their place in her soul she said all that grief anger repentance fury and despair could make one say Oh! cryed she it is I that have layd the Count in his grave I am thinking of my safety and making from a place where it may be I should be punished for the crime I have commited Ah no no I must be carryed back to Land I must go and be torn in pieces by an enraged people I must acquaint them that I am the onely cause of the Conspiracy and so losing my life by their fury receive the punishment which I deserve But whil'st this ambitious woman repented her of her violence and punished her self for her own fault the unhappy Leonora came out of her swoon she had no sooner opened her eyes but turning her self to her sister she demanded of her where the Count's body was and pray'd her that at least-wise they would let her see it We thought then to the end her grief might not be renewed another time that it was bâ—st to tell her the truth of the matter and acquaint her that being drowned his body was not in our power This last circumstance of the Count's misfortune redoubled Leonora's affliction Could I not at least said she with a languishing voyce have had the consolation to be inclosed with him in the same Tomb scarcely had she ended those words but suddenly passing from one extremity to another she rose up with violence and intreated us that we would leave her on the shore there to spend her life in seeking for the body of her dear Husband And when as we resisted her intreaties she termed us ingrateful cruel and insensible nay she would have rid her self out of our hands to have gone and cast her self into the Sea but at length the excess of her grief and her weakness made her tumble down again into Sophronia's arms almost without any sense and after that as long as we were upon the Sea we never heard her speak but once onely which was the next day at night when as there arose so furious a tempest as we verily believed we should have suffered shipwâ—ach Leonora having observed by the cries of the Mariners that we were in danger seemed to receive some consolation from it then looking on Sophronia and Hipolita whom the fear of death which they believed to be so near possessed with strange unquietness Do not afflict your selves said she unto them I am too unhappy to suffer shipwrack and death will be sure not to succor me But not to weary you with so doleful a relation I shall tell you in few words that the tempest redoubled in such sort that it drove us to Albengua where Leonida having a house was gone thither a good while before We had no sooner cast anchor but having been advertised of the mishap of her dear friends she came to visit them and would so far take part with them in their afflictions that when we had furnished our selves with another Vessel at Albengua and were putting forth again to Sea she would not abandon them But I forget that it is not yet time to speak of our departure from Albengua you shall understand then that at such time as we arrived there Leonora suffered her self to be carried whither soever one would and without so much as demanding where we were so exceedingly was her Soul possest with sorrow As for the Counts mother the distemper whereinto she had put her self with her crying lamentations and repentance brought her to so violent a feaver as refusing all kind of remedies she dyed a little after And to make an end of telling you the whole sequel of the Counts Conspiracy you are to understand that which we learned at Albengua where we tarryed a good while which is that after we parted from Genoua and that Giralomo was retired to Montobio the Count's body was found and dead as he was remained still a terror to his Enemies Andrea would not suffer him to be exposed to the view of the people for fear lest so
make them change their resolution Seeing then that her prayers her tears and perswasions were all to no purpose with her father-in-law Hamet and that Muley Zidan her husband told her how he could not but follow him in this War who had given him birth that he was not an enemy to Mahomet but only an obedient son that it was not for children to ask who were the enemies of those to whom they owed their lives but only to hazard them against whomsoever they were for the conservation of the lives of them who had given them theirs This wise Princess seeing I say things in this estate abode in Marocco and without making vows for the victory either of the one of the other she wished that their Arms would fall out of their hands and that Reason might be stronger in them then ambition But things went not after this sort for after many encounters wherein the Kings of Marocco and Taradant had each in their turn had the better and the worse the chance of war being fallen in the end on Hamet she saw Muley Zidan her Husband return almost alone of all his whole Army which had been utterly defeated and acquaint her with tears in his eyes that his Father and a Brother which he had named Muley Buaçon were prisoners in the hands of Mahomet This vertuous Princess hearing this news had generosity enough to weep for the victories of her Father and when as she saw that her Husband after he had assembled together all the Alfaquis Cavaliers and Captains that were in Marocco to advise on that which might be done found out no expedient which could be commodious for him she presented her self unto the Councel and demanded the permission to go and cast her self at the feet of Mahomet her Father to endevor the effecting of a peace or to offer her self and three children she had for the ransom of Hamet or to obtain a◠least that she might serve him during his captivity if her tears could not move her Fathers heart So generous a proposition was approved of by the whole Assembly and Muley Zidan went himself to conduct his wife and his children forth of the Gates of the City yet was h◠in some trouble to part with her out of the fear he was in lest Mahomet knowing how ardently she was beloved of him should retain her without rendering up his Father and without harkening to peace But she assured him that when as she could no longer be useful to her Father-in-law nothing but death alone should keep her from returning back to him again The voyage of this sage Princess was not fruitless and albeit that her Father was one of the greatest Politicians in the World and one of the most ambitious Princes on the Earth yet her Reasons her Tears and her Prayers drew him to grant her the liberty of Hamet and Muley Buaçon and by a Treaty as reasonable as if Hamet had not been a prisoner they contracted a peace which seemed inviolable But scarcely was Mariama re-entred into Marocco as it were in triumph after she had brought the King thither again scarcely had Muley Zidan her Husband rendred her thanks for so brave an action but that Hamet began to assemble new forces and to say that whatsoever he had promised in prison was not to be kept and for that effect he went out of Marocco to go and make new Levies himself but at this time the victory fell to the juster side For during Hamet's absence Mahomet having been advertised of his designs came to Marocco and made himself Master of the City partly by force and partly also by the revolt of some who could not approve of Hamet's changings So that when he thought to return to Marocco with Muley Zidan who had followed after him with an intent to divert him from the design he had to make war he understood that he was a King without a Kingdom and that the people who ever follow the victorious party had acknowledged Mahomet for King of Marocco This Prince was so mightily strucken with this adventure that abandoning all things he retired to one named Cidy Ben Cecy who lived solitarily in the Mountains and past amongst them for a very great and holy person As for Muley Zidan he retired to the King of Fez their confederate In the mean time Mariama who was in the City when it was taken carryed by her ordinary generosity and fearing lest she should have been suspected for contributing somewhat thereunto cast her self at her Fathers feet to obtain leave of him to follow the infortunate party And when as he refused her she suborned one of the Captains that guarded the gates and accompanyed with two women and some of her servants she got out one night and went to Cidy Ben Cecy's retirement This action so touched Mahomet's heart as it carryed him once again to treat with his Brother but it was upon condition that he should not re-enter into Marocco because he had promised so much to the inhabitants who feared to be ill-intreated by him But not to prolong this discourse any further you shall understand that Hamet recommenced the War four or five times and that so often Mariama obtained his liberty and always followed his and her Husbands fortune Howbeit in the end Mahomet after he had conquered the Kingdom of Fez took him in the last War and committed him to close prison with four of his children and three of Mariama's because he accused Muley Zidan her Husband for having succored the King of Fez whil'st he made war upon him And the unhappy Zidan having been taken lost his life by the command of him whose daughter he had marryed True indeed it is that it was by the counsel of Aly who afterwards was Abdalla's favorite and in the absence of Mariama who at that time was not with her Father In fine not to aggravate the sorrow of this excellent Princess Mahomet dyed a little while after and Abdalla the eldest of his children succeeded him having ordained by his Testament that after him the second of his sons should succeed and in order all his other brothers without any pretence to be made by any of Abdalla's children to the Crowns of Marocco Fez and Taradant as long as their Uncles lived At such time as Mahomet dyed Abdalla was not at Marocco so that when the news of his death arrived there Aly who commanded in the City and was Visier of the Kingdom which is the next dignity to the King fearing lest the people should revolt and should draw Hamet and Mariama's children out of prison to set them on the Throne which appertained to them carryed by an inconsiderate zeal and an extream cruelty caused the infortunate Hamet and his children together with Mariama's to be put to death for the assuring of the Crown to Abdalla whose favorite he would be as he had been Mahomet's And truly it was not hard for him to be so for whereas this man
could behold his picture without tears and sorrow I should rather then have shunned you with care then received you favorably had I not been forced by a power which I could not resist You make me new wounds said Alphonso thereupon to her in seeking to cure the old for if it be true that you have this intention why do you tell me that the sight alone of one of Octavio's pictures hath made you weep I told it you replyed she to let you see that a man which could comfort me for so excessive a grief must needs have a great deal of power over my soul Alphonso not able to contradict Leonida suffered her to continue her discourse You perceive very well then said she unto him that in the beginning of our good-will I gave you more marks of a strong inclination then ever Octavio received of me seeing when I loved him I was in an age wherein flattery complacency and gallantry do extreamly touch the minde Octavio was my first conquest and the first man that told me I had something that was pleasing in me and by this reason it was almost impossible for me not to have admitted of his affection But for yours I accepted of it in such a manner as would not permit you to doubt of mine if you be reasonable And to pass from the beginning to the progress of it tell me I pray you what is that I have done for him as long as he lived All things answered Alphonso and whereas more marks of affection are given by grief then by joy without running over all the complacencies which you have had for him I will only say that you hâ—ve wept an hundred times for him and that all the love which I have born you hath not cost you a tear It is not time yet to discover my weakness unto you replyed Leonida and to answer precisely to that which you say as long as we lived well together it is true that I have not wept but it was because you were not unhappy and I doubt not but if our affection had been thwarted as Octavio's and mine was I should have had the same sorrow And then again you have this advantage over that infortunate man that I have not forsaken you as I did him for indeed if I had known how to love perfectly I had not marryed Livio I had not abandoned Octavio I had not been the cause of his death Therefore it is answered Alphonso that to repair that failing in not loving Octavio enough you love his ashes and his Tomb you cannot speak of him without tears you cannot think of him without sighing and it may be if I should lose my life I should not give you a minute of unquietness Ah cruel creature I cryed Leonida must I acknowledg my weakness unto you Yes insensible as you are said she unto him I will resolve to do it to the end I may cure your minde or have so just an occasion to complain of you as absolutely to cease from loving you It is true said she unto him that I have wept for Octavio but it is true too that spite of the grief which your capricious humor hath possessed me with I can assure you not onely that I should dye with affliction if your death should happen but that I cannot call that a life which I have led since thus unjust passion hath troubled my rest in troubling yours In fine Alphonso I have shed as many tears for the fear alone of losing your good-will though you were faulty towards me as ever I shed for Octavio who dyed for my sake so that if I am unjust it is onely to him and no way to you It is true that he hath rendred me all the testimonies of affection that I could attend from him but it is true also that I have not done the same I abandoned him to marry Livio and I have been capable of a second love which without doubt must be stronger then the other was because it hath been able to comfort me for the loss I had sustained For you Alphonso it is not so you have no occasion to complain of me I have done for you all that reasonably I could do and when I gave you a mark of my desire to please you it is come to pass that out of an unheard of inhumanity you have made use of the same Arms which I gave you to combat me my ingenuity hath been thâ— cause of your malice and mine innocency hath made your crime In conclusion Alphonso said she unto him with a countenance wherein appeared more grief then choller you must resolve upon the choyce of two things either to quit your error or never to see me more For continued she I can no longer endure to see you in the disposition you are in but know unjust and cruel as you are that if you chuse the last you will peradventure be constrained to have whether you will or no ere it be long more affection for the ashes of Leonida then you have had for her her-self Alphonso touched with so obliging a discourse and not able to resolve to see Leonida no more cast himself at her feet and having not the power eithâ—r to repent him of his error or to crave pardon for it or to say any thing that might shew he was not yet cured of it he gave her so many testimonies of an extream love both by his silence and by his tears as Leonida being sensibly touched with compassion asked of him once again what it was he desired of her I know not answered he onely I know that I can never cease from loving you nor ever separate my self from you Be reasonable then said she unto him and believe that nothing in the world is so dear to me as Alphonso Have pity of my weakness answered he and if you will have me comfort my self say not that nothing in the world is so dear to you as Alphonso but say without reserve that nothing is so dear to you as Alphonso I know not said she unto him whether I have ill expressed my self or no but my intention was such as you would have my words to be I should never have done if I should repeat all Alphonso's questions and all Leonida's answers it shall suffice me then to say that after an hundred odd precautions to assure himself of the love of Leonida against Octavio's phantosm whereunto this amiable creature out of her goodness answered seriously he returned to Reason and certain days after craved pardon of her for his error and absolutely promised her never to fall into it again I believe notwithstanding that he was not so soon rid of it and though he hath not spoken to Leonida since of it because it was one of their conditions yet he hath not for all that left off having many times very odd thoughts This dispute and this peace were so secret amongst us that I was she alone who was acquainted with it
it self in the end so weak as he absolutely resolved to speak to Isabella of his passion I know very well said he to himself that this is to betray the friendship which I have promised to Ibrahim but I know withall that it would be the betraying of my self and the cause of my death if I should bereave my self of the hope which I have of prevailing one day with Isabella In this resolution Soliman went to the Princesses chamber on a time when as the Sultana Asteria was come from her and that none but Emilia was with her When as first the Princess saw him she changed colour and Soliman on his part who very much respected her and that still loved Ibrahim thought to alter his resolution and in this sort fear troubling Isabella and respect silencing Soliman they were a while unable to speak to one another The Sultan was he at last that began the Conversation in craving pardon of Isabella for the constraint wherein she lived My Lord said she unto him since it concerns the quiet of thy State I dare not murmur at it and though the privation of my friends be a displeasure sensible enough I do endure it without complaining of thy Highness I do accuse Fortune and do justifie Soliman who without doubt will never be but equitable Would to Heaven said he unto her I might be sure that you would speak thus always My Lord replyed she this is a thing which will absolutely depend on thy Highness it being most certain that I shall ever be reasonable and not be so inconsiderate as to think ought to the disadvantage of thy Majesty if I be not constrained thereunto by thy self I could have wished replyed Soliman that without exception you had promised me never to think amiss of me for it may be you will learn from mine own mouth that I am faulty Isabella blusht at this discourse and casting down her eyes without daring to look any more on Soliman and being unable to answer him she was a pretty while in this incertainty but on a sudden Soliman carried away by his passion resolved to discover it unto her I know full well said he unto her that I am going to destroy my self that in acquainting you with my thoughts I am going to make you hate me but I would sain have you tell me added he before I confess my crime unto you whether an error which is not voluntary merits as much chastâ—sâ—mâ—nt as a prâ—mâ—ditated malice My Lord answered Isabella all persons that have great Souls like thy Highness can never commit faults but voluntarily There is nothing that can â—orce Reason when one will make use of it and the most violent passions without doubt are but the pretext of weak ones when as they will excuse the bad actions which they do it being certain that it is not impossible to furmount them I knew well enough said Soliman interrupting her that you would be a rigorous Judg to me that you would judg of others by your self and that you would condemn in another that which is not found in you But amiable Isabella continued he you are unjust to deal so seeing it is impossible that ever your Soul should be put to so difficult a tryal as that is which I have encountred You have but weak enemies to sight with and a great deal of vertue to resist them your Reason in what a occasion soever you find your self is always on your side but amiable Isabella in this wherein I am my Reason is my cruelest enemy It is not because she hath not opposed all my thoughts as much as she could and this is it which puts me out of all hope of vanquishing having no longer arms to defend me For my Reason hath been so absolutely surmounted as it is rather by her then by my passion that I am resolved to discover my hurt unto her which hath caused it Let thy Highness take heed said Isabella to him then that in discovering it thou make it not the worse and that that which thou believest would be a remedy for thy grief be not a means to increase it That which you say answered Soliman may easily fall out but continued he what would you have a Prince do who is no longer Master either of his heart of his soul or of his will who seâ—s his death indubitable if he conceals the disease wherewith he is stricken and who is absolutely resolved to dye or to move the person whom he adores with love or pity Isabella knowing not what to answer to a discourse which she understood but too well for her rest fetched a great sigh in lifting up her eyes to Heaven as it were craving succor from thence which Soliman having obâ—ervâ—d I perceive said he unto her incomparable Isabella that you have understood me that you are not ignorant of the Conquest you have made and I thank Fortune for that she hath not compelled me to tell you that I love you so to make you know it for it is certain that I should have been much troubled to execute the resolution which I had taken for it But after I have perswaded you continued he without giving her leasure to answer him that Soliman adores you suffer not that which hath accustomed to be beneficial to all Lovers to be prejudicial to me For added he I see very well that the more I shall perswade you that I love you the more you will hold your self injured by mâ— But to take away at leastwise the means from you of reproaching me with my crime I will acknowledg divine Isabella that I know being your Protector I ought not to be your Lover that loving Ibrahim as I do I ought not to be his Rival that respecting you as I ought I should not use any discourse to you that offends you that loving glory I ought not to endure an affection which may blemish it but I know more then all this that love never shews it self either greater or more perfect then when it destroys friendship forces Reason and without considering either honor or glory carries us to dye or to make our selves be beloved of the person whom we adore This incomparable Isabella is the estate whereunto you have reduced my Soul but if notwithstanding I may be permitted to employ Reason for the obliging of you to pity remember that you would be unjust in causing the death of a Prince who heretofore hath saved Ibrahim's life and that cruelty can never pass for a vertue Be then in some sort indulgent to my passion and at leastwise bemoan the hurt which you have done me Soliman holding his peace and Isabella being somewhat come to her self again Is it possible said she unto him that this which I hear is true and that the greatest Prince of the Earth should be the weakest amongst men No I cannot think it and the discourse which thy Highness hath used to me is doubtless a design to prove my constancy and resolution
But my Lord to oblige thee no longer to continue so dangerous a fiction know that if it were true that thy Highness had for me the violentest affection that ever was heard spoken of it should not serve but to hasten my death it being most certain that the most terrible and horriblest torments that can be imagined should never carry me to be wanting either to that which I owe to Ibrahim to my self or to thy Highness No my Lord I should never be a Complice of great Soliman's fault and for his own interest I ought always oppose my self against him But continued she it is in some sort an injury to thy Majesty to answer so precisely to a discourse whose foundation is not truâ— Would to Heaven replyed Soliman both for your content and mine that it were so But amiable Isabella it is but too true what I say and if there be any feigning in my discourse it is that I have not said all that I feel I confess that I am faulty towards Heaven that I am so towards Ibrahim that I betray the friendship which I have promised him that I forget the care of my glory and honor and that I betray my self but in conclusion being faulty towards all the world I am innocent towards you since it is certain that a violent love to speak reasonably can never offend the person that hath begotten it And how constant soever you be for Ibrahim how rigorous foever you be for me you cannot without injustice but take pity of the deplorable estate wherein I am I do not demand of you your love as yet but some compassion and at least bemoan me if you cannot love me Great Princes replyed Isabella ought to be sensible of pity but they never ought to put themselves into a condition of being the object of it to others Neither will I be drawn to beleeve that Soliman hath a thought so unworthy of himself For my Lord how can I think that thy Highness will stab a Poignard into the heart of Ibrahim after thou hast saved his life if it should be so it had better both for him for me and for thy Highness that he had been left to languish in his irons or to dye of melancholy then to save him for to kill him the more cruelly Let thy Majesty consult well with thy self and thou wilt find without doubt that thy heart agrees not with thy mouth that thy words betray thy thoughts and that Ibrahim is yet more powerful in thy Soul then the fatal beauty of Isabella No said Soliman interrupting her do not justifie me in this sort since in the terms wherein I am I have no other design then to let you know that I am the most faulty of all men in perswading you that I am the most amorous Ah my Lord said she to him weeping doth not thy Highness consider that at this very time it may be wherein thy Highness useth so strange a discourse unto me Ibrahim is fitghing with thine enemies is hazarding his life for thy service and shedding his blood for a Prince who makes me shed tears and who without doubt will bring me to my grave if his unjust love doth continue Soliman being moved with so pressing a discourse stood a while without answering thereunto but at length his passion still surmounting his vertue in this occasion I know said he unto her that Ibrahim's life ought to be dear unto me but I know withall that mine ought to be considerable to me and I am certain that what exploits soever he can do in Persia I have done more yet in consideration of him I have fought for him against my self I have felt my self in the flame without daring to complain love and friendship have torn my heart and I know no torments so terrible which I have not endured since the first instant that I saw you rather then to do any thing against the affection which I bear him But being come to the terms either of dying or speaking I chose the last and so much the rather because I do not think but a man who could abandon you at Monaco to come unto me to Constantinople will easily enough resolve to quit you for the saving of a Princes life to whom he is indebted for his own Ah my Lord I cryed Isabella if Ibrahim be faulty in this occasion it is against me and not against thy Highness who by this very fault art yet the more straitly obliged not to commit one against him For what doth not a man deserve who rather then he would fail in his word which he had given thee resolved to abandon not only his Country not only his Friends but the only person whom he could love who was in stead to him of all the world and without whom his life had been irksom and death the term of his desires No my Lord continued she flatter not thy self in this occasion think better both of Ibrahim and of Isabella and be most assured that as I am certain he would dye a thousand times rather then abandon me so should I do the like rather then be unfaithful to him And if by some prodigy which I cannot fear should happen Ibrahim should consent to thy passion if he himself should speak to me of thy love yet let thy Highness know that I am not capable of failing by example I should cease to love Ibrahim if he ceased to be generous but I should love thee never a whit the more contrarily I should regard thee then both as having outraged me and as having bereaved me of a vertuous Lover Isabella was going on in her discourse and Soliman was going to interrupt her when as the generous Asteria entered And whereas the Sultan had still some respect for Isabella he would not command the Sultana to withdraw but being unable withall in the estate wherein his Soul was to begin an indifferent Conversation he went away leaving Isabella with an affliction that may be better imagined then described He was no sooner departed but Asteria who had observed a great deal of alteration in Isabella's and Soliman's faces demanded of her with much impatience and grief what it was that had caused the trouble wherein she saw her Alas answered the Princess how have my fears been too well grounded and how true have your suspicions been and then she recounted unto her what had past betwâ—â—n her and Soliman with so many testimonies of resentment that the Sultana Asteria was exceedingly moved therewith This misfortune did not altogether surprize her for all that bâ—cause she had sufficiently observed in divers occasions that the Sultan her father was desperately in love with Isabella but she had nevertheless conserved some remainder of hope that his reason and the friendship which he bore to Ibrahim would surmount his passion or at leastwise keep him from discovering it to her Isabella for her part had thought as much so that being equally surprized one might almost say that
first sent a Command to the Sultana Asteria to go to that of Roxelana for she had for a pretty while before been seldom absent from the Princess This command exceedingly disquieted the Sultana but not able to do any other then voluntarily obey a Prince who had power and right to constrain her thereunto she left Isabella with Emilia without letting her know any thing of the feâ—r she was in that Soliman had a purpose to use some displeasing discourse to her seeing he removed her from her Scarcely was she gone out of her chamber when as Soliman came in to it and whereas it seemed to her that he had less civility for her then he was wont and that his looks gave more signs of choller then of love she was in some joy hoping that it may be her constancy had so far provoked him as to oblige him to turn her out of the Serraglio but she soon understood that this incivility and this choller was an effect of his love I see very well said he unto her that my visits do importune you that my presence displeases you that my passion begets your hatred that my respects augment your pride that my prayers render you inâ—xorable and that tears do harden your heart Wherefore continued he I am resolved to take another course I have treated you too long as a Mistress it is just then since you will not be so that I cease to be a Slave but whereas I cannot cease to be a Lover I must tell you once for all that if by your cruelty I am reduced to despair I shall be capable of undoing others in undoing my self How my Lord said Isabella then to him can thy Highness perswade me that which thou sayst No no continued she I know thy vertue too well and it is as equally impossible for thee to possess me with fear as with love thou mayst have unjust desires but I hold thee uncapable of a wicked action Thou mayst I say have weakness but not cruelty and love cannot produce in thee the effects of hatred It is not added she because I do not wish with all my heart both for thy glory and my content that either out of choller or hatred thou couldst resolve to chase me from thy presence and never to see me more The opinion whâ—rein you are râ—plyed Soliman that the same passion which carries me to persecute you will keep me from hurting you is that without doubt which makes you speak with so much confidence but know that a Prince who sees nothing in his choyce but death or your affection ought to enterprize any thing for the avoyding of the one and obtaining of the other It can never be unjust for him to think of his preservation that ought to be preferred before all other things I have friendship for Ibrahim I have veneration for you but I have also some interest in my life I have done what I could to procure my content without troubling yours but at length seeing I cannot do it and that there is a fate which will not let me live without you I must seek out the means for it Remember then that he which craves your affection can command you that he which offers you his heart is not unworthy your love that Ibrahim owing his life to me ougt to render it me in this occasion that after so many services submissions respects sighs and tears the anger and spite of being despisâ—d may seize upon my Soul and for a conclusion remember that revenge is the dâ—light of incensed Kings that Ibrahim is in my Armies that you have in Constantinople persons which are dear to you and that you are in the Serraglio It is true my Lord replyed Isabella that I cannot be ignorant of all these things but I know withall that thy Highness commands both in thy Armies in Constantinople and in the Serraglio and that consâ—quently I have no cause to fear any thing but contrarily I think that Ibrahim my friends and I are in more safety in thy Estates then in our own Country And then again my Lord I cannot imagine that the remembrance of Ibrahim is utterly defaced out of thy memory that a man whom thy Higness hath so much loved and so much obliged can be ill-intreated by thee nor can I believe that Isabella can inspire thee with such unjust thoughts no my Lord I cannot think it Isabella replyed Soliman hath not possâ—st me with unreasonable thoughts I have nothing but love for her howbeit I must confess that her cruelty possesses me with fury and that she may carry me to destroy all that I shall think can ravish her from me and consâ—quâ—ntly to do all that I shall believe can serve my turn concerning her This being so answered Isabella I need not be threatened in the person of my friends nor in that of Ibrahim since on my onely will that absolutely dâ—pâ—nds which thy Highness calls rigor and which I term an effect of Reason and Vertue For my Lord continued she were not my heart nor my word engaged to Ibrahim nay had I as much affection for thy Highness as I am capable of yet should I not give thee more testimonies of it then I have done Were not my Religion I say different from thine yet in that I could not be thy wife I should not be thy Slave since the heart of Isabella can never have thoughts contrary to her honor and her glory The Slaves of Soliman replyed he are more then Queens of other Nations and then again to say the truth to have you command absolutely in my heart and soul is not to treat you as a Slave Isabella thinking she was to speak more throughly to the Grand Signior then as yet she had done and believing that whâ—n he had no more hope he would have no more love said to him with a more confidâ—nt voyce then before Finally my Lord all that I can say to thy Highness is that if forgetting thy usual mildness and generosity thou couldst resolve to carry me by fear to that which thou couldst not get by love and for that effâ—ct wouldst persecute me in the person of Ibrahim who is dearer then my self to me I would see him dye rather then change my resolution Let thy Highness judg after this whether death can fright me and whether fear hath any power over my Soul Consider then that though thou hast no hope left thee yet thou hast a mean left thee to be gâ—nerous but in fine added she let thy love in this occasion suffer it self to be surmounted either by reason or by choller have hatred or friendship for me be my Protector or my Enemy let thy Highness not see me but to comfort me for the absence of Ibrahim or never see me more I know continued she that I speak with a great deal of boldness but my Lord since my complaints my tears my prayers and Reason it self have not been able to obtain any thing of thee
him joy so that Ibrahim and he being equally satisfied thought of nothing more then preparing themselves for the Battel Tachmas and Deliment on their parts thought no less of it and during these eight days both the Armies were in impatience for the arrival of this Battel whâ—ch was to accumulate them with glory or confusion And whereas the news of this particular Combat was spread over all both Camps a superstition crept in amongst the Soldiers which perswaded them that the event of this Combat would be a presage of that of the Battel so that each one on either side made vows for the advantage of his party but above all the rest Tachmas earnestly wisht that Deliment might be victorious over Vlama yet was it not so much for his conservation and his glory although he loved him infinitely as for to have the satisfaction of seeing Vlama dye whom he beheld in this occasion not as a revolted Subject but as the Lover of Felixana and his Rival and it might be said that he had rather Deliment should vanquish him on condition that he lost the Battel then that he should win it without the loss of Vlama Out of this thought also was it that he permitted the Combat to Deliment At length the sixth day being come both the two Armies marched to the Plain of Niphates and encamped in the sight of one another to the end that reposing themselves one whole day they might fight with the more courage Never was there a goodlier or gallanter thing seen then these two Camps nor Peace with all its abundance what publique feasts soever it hath caused ever shewed more state thâ—n War did at that time in these two Armies For Soliman out of a particular grace was pleased that Ibrahim should march with the same pomp in this voyage as if he had been there in person that the Officers which are not accustomed to serve in it but when he is there should accompany him that those Ensigns which are never displayed but in his presence should be set up that the Spachis who fight not but before him should be present there and that the same pavillions which he himself used should be his And whereas the custom of the Turks and Persians is to lodg all the Soldiers in Tents and that ordinarily they are all very sumptuous these two Camps shewed the goodliest object that can fall under the eye of man There was nothing but Cloth of Gold and Tinsel in all Ibrahim's Pavillions with Silver Cressents Penons and Streamers on the top of them The least Tents were painted on the out-side with Arabesque foliage of Gold and Silver intermixt with different colours and those of the very Slaves were of Cotton Cloth of lively colours and woven Checquerwise Ibrahim in the evening out of a warlike gallantry sent to tell the Sophy that he was arrived and desired to receive his pleasure whereunto Tachmas answered that the next morning at Sun-rising he should see him in the head of his Army At last this so long expected day being come scarcely had the first beams of the Sun begun to gild the tops of those four high mountains which environ this Plain but Ibrahim as well as Tachmas drawing his Army out of their Trenches put it into Battel array and whereas he followed the order of the Turks in the greatest part of exterior things he ranged his Troops into the form of a Cressent but with this difference nevertheless that contrary to the custom of their Generals of Armies he would be the foremost and for that effect he placed himself between the right horn and the left in the head of a Battalian of six thousand Janizaries He gave the Command of the left to the Beglierbey of Amasia and of the right to the Bassa Pialli He caused part of his Ordnance to be set in the midst and to surprize the Enemy the more the rest was placed between two Battalions of Foot He chose four thousand also from out of his Horse to ride up and down about the Camp for the succoring of those that were in need He placed his best Troops in the head and body of the Battel leaving the rear-ward to the conduct of the Sangiac of Morea And whereas the Persians have more Horse then Foot he so well disposed of his that on what side soever they were assaulted his Squadrons might make head on all parts Order being given then every where and Ibrahim having gone more then once from Battalion to Battalion and from rank to rank to see that every one performed his duty he began at length to speak to his Troops much after this sort IBRAHIM's Oration to his Soldiers FEllow Soldiers It is rather to follow the custom then for necessity that I come thus to speak to you seeing sufficiently by your faces that you are resolved to do well and that you have not forgotten how these enemies which we are going to fight withall are the very same whom we have heretofore vanquished so that without standing on vain discourses remember onely that all the design I have in this battel is to vanquish or to dye that flying is oftentimes more deadly then fighting and that a noble death is to be preferred before an ignominious life Let us go then Fellow-Soldiers to seek out the Victory which is attending to crown us In fine I demand but one thing of you which is that you will not lose the sight of me and to go onely so far as I will lead you Ibrahim having made an end of speaking and his Soldiers having assured him that they would follow him by a joyful shout which they gave all together alighted from his horse and went and put himself in the head of six thousand Janizaries whom he had placed between the left horn and the right And whereas this action made all them that saw it give a great shout You see said he Fellow-Soldiers that I have no intent to abandon you since I dâ—prive my self of the means to fly After this he commanded to march on and that great body composed of so many different parts began to advance with so regular a motion as it might be said that one spirit made it move In the mean time Tachmas who knew the manner of the Turks fight had ranged his Army in battel array much after the same sort with this difference nevertheless that whereas he had more Horse then Foot behinde the battalion which corresponded to that of the Janizaries in the head of whom Ibrahim had set himself was a squadron of the most couragious Nobility of all his Empire in the midst of whom he was And when as he saw that his Enemys Army moved he caused his to set forward so that these two great bodies advancing equally came within five hundred paces one of another and by the manner of their marching it had been a very difficult matter to discern to which side the victory would lead When as they were
deceived made him resolve to fight with her For which effect he commanded two of his vessels to attacque her but the Persian who had no design to endanger himself to no purpose perceiving the intention of them that were making towards him struck sayl hung out a flag of truce and putting himself into the skiff with three of his companions to testifie the more confidence he went in this sort to encounter those which were advanced towards him When he was so near them as he might be heard the Persian to have audience the sooner required to speak with Osman from the Bassa of the Sea his father This name made them all to shout for joy thaâ— heard it and the word passing strait from Vessell to Vessell and from Gally to Gally theâ—e was a generall reioycing over all the whole Fleet. In the mean time Osman having been advertised of it attended with as much joy as impatience him that brought him news of his father And whereas he shared all his bad and all his hood haps with his dear wife she was with him at such time as the Persian was conducted unto him The sight of this man made the vertuous Alibech change colour for she presently knew him as having seen him with her father all the time that she lived at sea This first motion was quickly seconded with an extreme grief for when as Osman out of an impatience derived from his affection had demanded of this man where his father was My Lord said he unto him with a great deal of boldness he is in a place from whence you may easily draw him and to clear the matter unto you know that the chance of War or rather the equity of Heaven hath made him fall into the power of the invincible Arsalon Alas said Alibech looking on Osman what have I heard and what a destiny is ours like to be What said Osman interrupting her and all amazed is my father in the hands of Arsalon Yes my Lord replyed the Persian and it is from him that I come to tell you that you shall never see the Bassa your father more if you do not render him his daughter This is the price he hath set for his liberty and it is that which you ought to pay him I know that I speak boldly and that in some sort I endanger my self but be-think you that you have a person in the power of Arsalon which ought to keep you from entreating me ill I leave you to judge generous Ibrahim what this proposition effected in the minds of Osman and Alibech and what a combat that was where one must resolve to abandon a father or lose a wife yea a wife to whom Osman owed his life and liberty which made up all his felicity and which was both his wife and his mistris Nature and Love could not be satisfied in this occasion Osman could not be acknowledging without being ingratefull and finding cruelty in both the parties he knew not what resolution to take Osman never reasoned at first for all that on this adventure but without sticking a whit at it he told him that had spoken to him how he could not render his wife neither could he abandon his father but he knâ—w well enough how to destroy Arsalon Ah my Lord cryed Alibech then who had done nothing as yet but weep being scarce able to form a word If the Bassa of the sea is your father Arsalon is mine and you cannot hurt him without wronging me Osman being come again out of this first transport and ravished with Alibeches generosity craved pardon of her and this Persian returning to speak I know my Lord sayd he unto him that this choice is hard to be made wherefore permit me to go back to my vessell and let me within a day have your answer but consult with your reason remember that Alibech is the daughter of him that demands her and that the Bassa of the Sea is the father of a man that stole her away If Osman had followed his first thoughts he had caused this man to be thrown into the Sea but fearing lest such violence should prejudice his father he chose â—ather to grant his demand When he was gone away and that without other witnesses than his dear Alibech he might let his grief break forth Do not think sayd he unto her that I consult whether I should deliver you into the hands of Arsalon no that is not my thought but I am considering which way I may deliver my Father For in fine it is equally impossible for me to resolve to love him and abandon you I ow my life to both of you I ow obedience to my Father and love to Alibech If my death could satisfie you both I should dye no doubt with joy but fortune that delights to pick me out extraordinary miseries will not let any thing be able to succour me The more I consider the matter the less remedy do I finde for it which way soever I look upon it I am still guilty and still unhappy I cannot break my fathers chains without giving them to you I cannot end his punishment but in beginning yours I cannot restore him his liberty but in depriving you of it nor can save his life but in putting yours in jeopardy and that is it which is absolutely impossible for me to do But added he if I conserve you I load my father with irons I my self fasten the shackles wherewith he is bound I am the cause of his captivity and it may be of his death I am a parricide and I stab a dagger into the heart of him that gave me life See generous Alibech said he unto her what the choice is which I can make in so cross an adventure My Lord said she unto him wholly dissolved into tears you require a counsell of me which is very hard to be given it is not because I fear the rigor of my father so much as I cannot resolve without pain to indure it to deliver yours but my Lord it is because I cannot do it without abandoning you Yet I must continued she for whereas I am the daughter of Arsalon it is for me to receive the chastisement of her fault and whereas I am in part the cause of his captivity it is for me also to deliver him and it is for me also to dry up the tears which you shed for him Suffer me then to go and undo his chains and wear his irons Ah! too generous Alibech answered Osman do not offer me a remedy worse than the disease and which I cannot accept of My father is too generous too continued he to indure it and he would disavow me for his sonne if I were capable of such a baseness To have such thoughts would be a thing worthy of his great heart replyed Alibech but it would also be a thing unworthy both of you and of me if I could suffer you to be cruell to the Bassa your father and that he
should lose his life by my means No Osman it is that which I can never indure and since we cannot live happy together let us at leastwise die innocent Do what you ought for your father owing him your life you ow him all things sacrifise your wife to deliver him it is just and she desires it I must added she for the love of you deprive my self of you and fear not that I will accuse you of want of affection whenas you shall consent thereunto no Osman I should not be glad that your love to me should stifle the motions of nature in you Reason must be stronger than all other things and he that could abandon his father might also in some other occasion abandon his wife Permit me to do what I ought and leave the rest to the conduct of fortune That would not be just answered Osman What will you do then replyed Alibech I do not know answered he onely I know that the estate wherein my soul is I can neither be wanting to my father nor to you and yet being unable to save you both I see that nothing but death can succour me After this Osman fell a musing then suddenly comming to himself again he seemed to take the resolution to go and seek out Arsalon for to fight with him But Alibech having apprehended his design What my Lord said she unto him casting her self at his feet could you command your men to shoot at a Vessell where your father or mine might be killed and it may be both of them Could that so generous heart of yours permit you to dip your hands in my blood or in yours Think well my Lord of that which you say and know that I am capable of taking away mine own life rather than see you blemish your glory with so strange an action whereas then you would not be carried thereunto but only to save my life whenas I should be deprived of it you would deal in another manner It is true my Lord that my father is cruell and inhuman but remember that when the Bassa your father would have banished us from his house I left not respecting him have the same thought for Arsalon Regard him rather as a man whom misfortune hath bereft of reason than as one that is wicked and to say all consider him as my father I do not refuse to deliver oyurs but contrarily I conjure you to permit me to do it but have also the goodness to spare mine Heaven can witness answered Osman after he had raised her up whether I have any intent to hurt Arsalon no Alibech I will never do it but in the disorder wherein my soul is I say whatsoever my grief suggests unto me without giving my reason leasure to examine whether the thing be just or whether it be not In fine generous Ibrahim after so long and so sad a conversation Osman not able either to deliver his father or deprive himself of his wife or fight with Arsalon resolved at least and made Alibech resolve so too to go with all his Fleet and set himself in the sight of that of Arsalon for all the Pirates of the seas of the Levant had a little before betaken themselves to him and acknowledged him for their Chieftain It was nevertheless after he had promised Alibech that he would not fight with him and that it should be only to endeavour to make him do that by fear vvhich he could not make him do by reason All the difficultie of the matter was but to know precisely where he was but this obstacle lasted not long for Osman having sent for the Persian to come again to him he talked to him with so much address that he learnt the place of his retreat after which he told this man in a gentle manner for fear his father should be ill intreated that before he answered directly to the proposition which had been made to him he would willingly have a Letter from his father to the end that being sure he was living he might deal with the more certainty The Persian finding some justice in Osmans demand presently left him with a promise to return him an answer of it within a few days but take heed sayd he unto him that you go not away for fear lest Arsalon should revenge himself on your father if you should deceive him So Osman having assured him that he vvould not stir and this Persian having set sayl he made his whole Fleet to steer the same course so that two dayes after at the break of day the Pirate Arsalon who could not oblige the Bassa to write to his sonne saw his whole Navy appear At first his design was to fight with it and to that effect he caused also his Fleet to be made ready but when as that of Osman approched and that enlarging it self he could distinctly count all the vessels whereof it was composed he found it so great and his so small in comparison of it as seeing that it would have been temerity and folly in him to hope for the Victory with so unequall a number he took another resolution And after he had instructed the same Persian whom he had formerly imployed with his intentions he sent him back to Osman who seeing a vessell loose from Arsalons Fleet and comming towards him hoped that it might be his design had succeeded Alibech was not of this opinion and fear so absolutely oppressed her soul as there was no place left for hope And truly she had reason for this man was no sooner brought before Osman but he made it appear by the confusion which he had in his countenance that the message which he was to deliver was fatall I come hither my Lord sayd he unto him to tell you that if you do not render Alibech and do attempt to set upon Arsalon he will make your father be slain before your eyes and to deprive you too of the pleasure of revenge if he happen to have the worst in the fight he will blow up himself and so steal from your victory This strange discourse surprised Osman and Alibech in such sort as they stood a good while beholding one another and not able to speak but their resentment suddenly breaking forth they sayd all that an extreme grief can make one think It is no longer time to consult said the generous Alibech our love would be criminall if it could produce so strange an effect Suffer me my dear Osman suffer me to go and make tryall all alone of my fathers fury for provided I can restore you yours death will not be altogether cruell to me In vain you seek for other remedies to your miserie and as things stand I ow my self not only to him which hath given you life but I ow my self also to Arsalon to the â—nd I may keep him from dipping his hands in innocent bloud As for me he may deal with me as he pleaseth I am his daughter I have abandoned him I have
doubt of nothing but Pirates and Tempests Doria Horatio and Alphonso prepared themselves for all that might happen with constancy enough the French Marquis began already to talk according to his accustomed humor when as Justiniano who was not so well assured of his good fortune but that he had as much fear as hope began to cry out that they were pursued and that he saw a Galley which made towards them amain Indeed he discovered Rustans Galley even as they were near to that strait where the two Castles of Sestos and Abydus are situated which the Turks at this day call Dardanelli Justiniano having seen this Galley turned himself to Jsabella and asked her whether she would not permit him to dye in defending her Your death sayd she unto him him I may not endure but that excepted I will consent to any thing rather than to fall again into the hands of Soliman After this discourse Justiniano and his freinds began to prepare themselves for defence and though he had but few men for to carry the business the more secretly he durst bring no more yet were they not easie to be vanquished for as well slaves as Merchants were sufficiently obliged to fight and the others had not only their lives liberties to defend but their Sisters their Mistrisses too On the other part Rustan knowing that this vessel was the same which he sought for and fearing that the Christian slaves which were in his Galley would not row speedily enough he promised them their liberty if they imployed all their force in this occasion and that by their means he might stay Ibrahim so that carried by this hope and without inquiring whether those which they would take were Turks or Christians they rowed with so much vigor as in a little time his Galley was within Cannon shot of Ibrahims Vessell And to keep him from flying he discharged a piece of Ordnance to advertise them that were of the Guard in the Castles of Sestos and Abidus that enemies vessells were in that place This device failed not to work the expected effect for Ibrahim knowing that there were on both sides of this straight forty pieces of Ordnance planted even with the water which without doubt would after this signall discharge upon him if he attempted to pass found himself strangely troubled For of one side he feared lest he should see Isabella carried away with a Cannon-shot on the other Rustans violence was little less terrible to him and in this unquietness he commanded his Pilot to doe one thing and by and by unsayed it again Isabella would have had them expose themselves rather to the fury of the Cannon than to fight with Rustan but they were not long in an estate to choose what they had to doe for this Galley which pursued them having overtaken them and spite of their utmost indeavours to the contrary having grapled her self to them Ibrahim followed by his friends performed such things in this occasion as surpassed the valour of the most illustrious Heroes He wounded Rustan with his own hand all those that presented themselves against him fell presently dead either at his feet or into the Sea All Rustans souldiers fled from his incounter and chose rather to set upon ten others than defend themselves from him alone In the mean time fresh succor came to Rustan for they of the two Castles of Sestos and Abidus hearing the piece which he had caused to be shot off came in Frigots with a great number of souldiers to see what the matter was and finding a Christian Vessell set upon by Turks they never inquired further but joyned with them and Ibrahim seeing his enemies redoubled redoubled his courage too One would have said that he had recovered new forces he past from one place to another in an instant he maintained his own men assaulted his enemies and fighting desperately yet without losing his judgement he might peradventure have wearied and vanquished them that assaulted him had not Rustan whilst he was busie in defending himself from fix which fought with him together bethought him of a wile which alone made him victor He went with some souldiers to the Captains Cabbin with his Scymitar in his hand where the Princess and her dear friends were more dead than alive in attending the event of the fight When first he entred Isabella gave a great skriek but this cruell man without hearkning to her complaints drawing her with one hand and holding his Scymitar in the other pulled her to the Cabbin-door and calling to Ibrahim who turned his head that way Resolve thy self said he unto him to render up thy arms or if thou dost it not to see the head of her I hold here taken from her shoulders This dreadfull speech made Ibrahim stop a little during the which Jsabella without daunting prayed him not to yeeld for to keep her from death seeing she desired it But Jbrahim being about to advance towards Rustan and seeing him lift up his arm to strike Isabella hold said he unto him throwing down his arms and tendring his hands to them that invironed him spare the life of this person since I did not fight but to preserve it set her free and make me a slave and if I may obtain this of thee I will not complain of thy cruelty Alas cried Jsabella then the laying of you in irons is not giving me liberty nor is the putting your life in the power of your enemies the preserving of mine In the mean time Doria Alphonso Horatio and the French Marquis were still indeavouring to doe their uttermost but Jbrahim fearing lest some out-rage should be done to Jsabella cryed to them to render themselves which they were constrained to doe for Jbrahim fighting no longer and being loaden with chains by Rustans commandment they had all the enemies upon them so that fight how they could number prevailed over valour and Rustan made himself Master of the Vessell and of the persons whom he sought for and having forced them to pass into his Galley he returned to Constantinople These infortunate ones had yet the consolation to make this voyage together without being separated for Rustan busied about stopping the blood which he lost at the wound he had received had not the inhumanity to keep them from talking together Jbrahim was likewise as well as Horatio Alphonso Doria and the French Marquis loaden with chains which had been knocked off from some of those slaves who had been the cause of their taking by rowing with such speed Jsabella and her friends being with them and not able to succour them augmented their torments yet more with the extreme affliction that appeared in them Alas said Jsabella to Jbrahim if I were sure that death would be the greatest misery that can arrive unto me in the place whither we are going I should easily comfort my self yea and I should regard it as an happiness rather than a misfortune but the crueltie of our enemies will
not stay there for whereas Soliman knowes that I fear neither torments nor death he will make me suffer in your person and that makes up all my grief Fear not for me said Jbrahim unto her but onely think of preserving your self Soliman loves you labour then to move his heart rather than to incense it and be confident that death cannot be grievous to me if I were assured of your life No no answered Jsabella this is not the way I mean to hold and you would blame me without doubt if I should follow your counsell I will die as well as you and if my prayers can obtain any thing of Soliman it shall be that we may die together Augment not my torments replyed the Illustrious Bassa and speak not of your death if you will not have me advance mine live my dear Jsabella and let me alone perish I live cried Jsabella Ah! no no Jsabella knows not how to survive her glory and Justiniano which are the only things that can make her life agreeable without the which she wil not preserve it I may added she live unhappy infortunate laden with chains exiled from my country without means and without liberty but I cannot live without honor and without Justiniano so that if Soliman will ravish me of my glory and bereave me of the onely person that I love I shall not waver between death and life and I know what coâ—rse I am to take Ah! too generous Isabella cryed Ibrahim then why have I loved you to cause you to fall into so many miseries Why have I not alwaies been your enemy to keep you from having such cruell ones But what say I sensless man continued he I merit the torments which I suffer if I can repent me of having loved you No Madam I cannot doe it I would that my death might hinder yours I would that I might indure all things for you but I cannot wish that I could not adore you That wish would be unjust replyed she and would questionless doe great wrong to our affection which is not the cause of our misfoâ—tunes it is two pure and too innocent to bee punished for a crime and the onely thing which comforts me in our miseries is the belief I am in that wee doe not deserve them and that Heaven sends them to us rather to try our vertue than to correct our faults But added she before we are seperated as without doubt we shall be promise me that what artifice soever our enemies may use to perswade you unto any thing to my disadvantage you will never beleeve it For hold it for most assured that Isabella will dye a thousand times rather than do any thing unworthy of her vertue and yours Let me then have the satisfaction to hope that the malice of our persecutors shall make you beleeve nothing to my prejudice Ah! Madam cryed Ibrahim it is for me to demand this favour of you for whereas I have not rendred you so many markes of my affection as I have received from your vertue you may the more easily doubt of it But beleeve Madam that I will dye adoring you and if the loss of my life may oblige Soliman to restore you to your liberty as I purpose to beseech it of him I shall dye even with pleasure Let us not separate our destinies anfwered the Princess either let us live together or let us dye together After so sad a discourse the excess of their affection forced them to hold their peace and their displeasure being shut up in their heart they felt it more vively than they did whom as they eased themselves with their complaints The unhappiness of the persons which were ingaged in their misfortune afflicted them the more and they saw all about them so many occasions of dispair as it might be said that never was the vertue of a person put to so hard a triall Hipolita Sophronia Emilia and Leonida were wholy dissolved into teares Alphonso Doria Horatio and the French Marquis were also infinitely afflicted and if Rustan could have been touched with any compassion hee had been doubtless with so lamentable an object But far from having any humanity for another he was cruell to himself for though he were wounded yet the desire which he had to destroy Ibrahim and to finish a thing which he had so well begun made him in stead of repayring to his house to look to his wound to goe directly to the Serraglio assoon as he arrived at Constantinople and to behave himself so as if he had not been hurt at all Presently upon his landing hee sent to advertise Soliman of his return and of the success of his voyage And whereas this Prince had increased his fury with his solitariness he instantly commanded that Ibrahim and Isabella should be brought into the Seraglio and put into severall places with a sure guard and that all those which had followed them should bee put likewise into another place Never was so deplorable a thing seen as the execution of this commandment Isabella would not quit Ibrahim he too would not abandon her and though they had well enough foreseen that they should be separated yet could they not for all that consent thereunto Their frends likewise would not leave them and if Soliman could have been a spectator of so sad a conversation hee might peradventure have been moved to pitty But at length Ibrahim and Isabella being constrained to resolve for that which they could not avoyd took their farwell of each other as persons that were never to see one another again and following each other with their eyes as far as they could they svvare unto themselves to dye loving one another as faithfully as they had mutually promised After Rustan had conducted Ibrahim to one quarter of the Seraglio caused Isabella to bee carried to another and their friends to a third he went to Soliman whose minde had never been quiet since he knew the success of his voyage For seeing Jbrahim and Jsabella in his hands he scarcely knew what resolution to take for in the estate wherein things were he must destroy the Bassa or render him his Mistress Regarding him as the Lover of Jsabella he desired his death considering him as a fugitive he sound it just but remembring the affection which he had born him hee had much ado to resolve to destroy him What shall I do said he to himself with this ingratefull creature who after so many favors which he hath received from me so many honors which I have conferred on him so many marks which I have rendred him of my good will goes out of my Empire without my leave This perfidious man cried he should have considered me-thinks how I had heretofore broken his chains to share my Empire with him and how he to whom he owed his life and his liberty ought to have obliged him to a more exact fidelity But this wretch preferring the possession of a woman before the greatness wherein
I had set him and my friendship quits and abandons me and not content to steal a person from me whom I love and without whom I cannot live he gets him away it may be with intelligences that he hath in my Empire to make war upon me and to recover from me that which he saith appertains unto him But he was never of the Race of the Paleologues And then continued he if he could perswade me to it that would be yet a further reason to oblige me to destroy him It behoves he should die out of reason of State as I pretend he shall die out of reason of Love If I regard him as a slave I have power over his life since every slave that breaks his irons deserves to lose it If I regard him as my subject he is worthy of death for going out of my Empire without my consent If I regard him as a Christian I cannot hate him enough and if I consider him as an Enemy-Prince it behoves he should die that the end of his life may make an end of setling my Throne to my successors Soliman having as it seemed to him setled his resolution firmly enough felt some rest in his minde Howbeit suddenly some beam of light coming to him again he was ashamed of his own thoughts yet would he not oppose them but rather sought how he might fortifie them nevertheless there was one thing that retained his fury for a while Suppose said he that I resolve to destroy Jbrahim that he be already punished for his ingratitude and perfidiousness that the end of his life hath ended the love which he bears to Jsabella let us see after this whether in thinking to do our self service we do not hurt our self For can she love a Prince who bereaves her of the person that is dearest to her in the world But can she continued he love any other than Ibrahim as long as he is living No no sayd he raising his voyce it behoves hee should dye and I shall alwayes have this consolation that if shee love not mee shee shall at leastwise love nothing in the world But cried he again after he had continued a while without speaking he whom I will destroy is the same Jbrahim who hath done me such important service and whom I have so much loved howbeit continued he it is Jsabellaes Lover it is a fugitive slave it is a revolted subject it is a Prince my enemy or it may be an impostor In such like thoughts as these was the Grand Signior when as Rustan came to him who out of his malice carried him to further violence against Jbrahim by forging matters which he affirmed he had heard him speak against him Presently therupon Roxelana entred who making as if she did not know that there was any interest of love in the hatred which Soliman bore to Jbrahim spake not but of the good of the State and of the glory of the Empire She represented to Soliman how mightily he had alwaies protected the Christians in all occasions that had been presented as indeed she lyed not But although the most part of those things were done by Solimans consent in the favor of Jbrahim yet was this Prince so unjust as to hearken to this accusation as if he had been acquainted with new crimes After then that this wicked woman had made him resolve to put Jbrahim to death she told him moreover that if hast were not made to take away his life the people undoubtedly would rise to save him for said she out of the design which he hâ—th had to usurp the Empire he hath alwaies taken great care to make himself to be beloved of them Soliman seeing himself upon the point of absolutely resolving the matter felt a new combat in his heart love hatred jealousie friendship shame and glory did their last and uttermost endeavor to vanquish one another but at length vertue was surmounted in this occasion by the wickedness of Roxalana and Rustan And Soliman consented that without further delay he should go and execute this fatall sentence which their hatred rather than he pronounced against the illustrious Jbrahim Away he went with a great deal of speed for fear lest the Sultan should alter his mind Nevertheless not daring wholly to fall in the usuall form he sent for Jbrahim to come to supper and this perfidious wretch who feared a revolt kept all that were in the Seraglio from going forth In the mean time Jbrahim being set at table as the rest Rustan in the midst of the meal presented him with a robe of black velvet which was an undoubted mark that the end of this fatal feast should be the end of his life For after this manner is the news of death denounced to persons of quality that are to lose their lives in the Seraglio Jbrahim seeing his ruin certain received this robe for all that with a great deal of constancie And whereas it was presented to him by Rustan because no body else would tender him this strange present I receive it sayd he unto him without fearing the death which it presageth and without being any whit surprised therewith knowing full well that it is a dependance of the charge which I have possest and that few Grand Visiers have dyed otherwaies But I receive it with grief because it blemisheth the glory of a Prince whom I have loved and for that it is offered to me by the hand of Rustan This ceremony much afflicted all them that saw it yet did not Ibrahim rise til the time which custom requires in such like occasions was past nor forbear talking to some Officers of the Empire which were at this fatal supper by Rustans order in the grand Signiors name for he feared if they should have gone forth and acquainted the people that Ibrahim was going to be put to death they would have risen before he had been executed And truly this design was not amiss for whereas Ibrahim was infinitely beloved their eys were all bedew'd with tears and certainly had they had arms they would have attempted to succor him or at leastwise would have lost themselves with him Never was there a more deplorable feast than this same none that were present at it did eat any thing they seemed all to be condemned to death and Ibrahim only testified by the tranquillity of his countenance and by his constancy that he was in case to comfort the rest Four mutes which were to strangle him stood before him with each of them a black silk bow-string in his hand which was to serve for that deadly office Now though this object possest all those that considered it with terror and pitie Ibrahim seemed no more sensible of fear than Rustan was of compassion This Illustrious Bassa was seen with an admirable tranquillity and with a constancy without affectation he indured his misery without murmuring he beheld the tears of others without shedding any and if any sign of sadness appeared in
lost me would wholly possess her Soul If I dyed added he in defending Isabella if the loss of my life could restore her to her liberty I should be happy and I should think my fortune worthy of envy But I dye to leave her in the power of her enemy I dye without serving her and without dâ—livering her nay I dye without bidding her farewell Hereat Ibrahim redoubled his grief and his mind seeking for new occasions to torment him he was taken with a remorse of Conscience for having so long a time worn a Turkish habit He was perswaded that the misery whereinto he was fallen was a punishment for this dissembling He thought he had been ill counselled and though his intention had been pure and that he had not done it but out of a design to serve Christendom to whom it had been very profitable and that his faith had never been shaken yet he beleeved notwithstanding that he was faulty This reflexion made him lift up his spirit to Heaven crave pardon for his levity repent him of his misdeeds and then pray that Isabella's innocency might not be involved in the chastisement of his crime The last thing that yet afflicted Ibrahim was that in his misfortune he could not find any that would tell the Sultan that which he had resolved to request of him in the favor of Isabella for Rustan had taken order to the contrary He had also by the power of Roxelana kept every body from going out of the Serraglio after Ibrahim was entred into it so that although it was known in Constantinople that there was some great disorder between Soliman and Ibrahim yet the people did not suspect that the Sultan could hate him with so much violence for if they had been of that opinion loving Ibrahim as they did they would without doubt have set fire on the Serraglio rather then not have succored him In the mean time Rustan being returned to Soliman whose mind was full of nothing but deadly thoughts this Prince to satisfie that fantastick scruple which obliged him not to beleeve the death of Ibrahim to be unjust but because he had promised him that he should not dye as long as he lived commanded him to keep at his beds head and to be sure not to go to put Ibrahim to death till he was fast asleep After this order given Soliman layd him down with an intention if one may be permitted to speak so as it were to summon sleep with silence and quietness He did what he could to divert his mind from all kind of objects to the end that ceasing to think he might the more easily let himself be vanquished by this invisible Enemy who always surmounts those more easily which resist him then those which seek him The Sultan being thus recollected within himself remained a while with so much tranquillity in appearance as Rustan beleeved that he was asleep and that he might go and put Ibrahim to death But he had scarcely made one step when as this Prince rising up in his bed Stay said he unto him I am not asleep and I will not have thee part from hence till thou art certain I am so Rustan not daring to contradict the Grand Signior and fearing to make him more awake then he was if he talked longer to him only promised him not to offer any more to go out of his chamber till he was well assured that he could hear nothing After this Soliman did yet all that he could to sleep howbeit he had no sooner closed his eyes but his unquietness augmented he was vexed that he could not be master of his thoughts and that that which he did to provoke sleep was that which awakened him the more He turned him on one side and then on the other and yet was not able to find any rest One might have said that he met with thorns every where that the change of place redoubled his unquietness and when of purpose he forbore from speaking and complaining aloud his sighs gave Rustan but too many signs that he was not asleep Soliman's impatience growing stronger he thought if he walked a while that it may be he should become drowzy with weariness He got out of his bed then and walking sometimes with violence and sometimes with less precipitation it might have been said that he was the cause of as much unquietness to Rustan as he felt himself to see that he gave him not the means to execute the desires of the cruel Roxelana He stood still many times and then began again to walk faster then he had done Afterwards he leaned down in one place and then in another scarcely knowing what he did nor what he would do When as he had walked a long time and that through weariness he had layd himself down again upon his bed he found yet less disposition to sleep then before for his agitation having dissipated some vapors which peradventure might have lulled his Reason and charmed his displeasure he no sooner had a mind to close his eyes but his imagination represented things yet more lively unto him And whereas a long time before he had had none but violent passions such then too were all his thoughts How unhappy am I said he to himself I find an impossibility in all that I desire the least things are forbidden me even sleep which all my Subjects enjoy is to me a prohibited good that which I do to get it is that which deprives me of it and though I change place yet still is it all one with me surely I must be separated from my self if I will find the rest which I seek for In fine I am more an enemy to my self then Ibrahim is yea and I am more unhappy then he After his unquietness had made him change place an hundred times Rustan seeing day approach would have perswaded him not to amuse himself about this scruple and to permit him to go and strangle Ibrahim with his own hands to punish him said he for the unquietness which he gives thy Highness But Soliman spake unto him with so much fury as he was constrained to hold his peace This cruel motion of Rustan's struck this Prince with horror and whereas it is a way to compassion leaning on a table which was near to his bed his imagination insensibly presented him with other objects He saw Isabella all in tears for the death of Ibrahim yea it represented to him the deplorable estate wherein he was he remembred the time when he was his Slave and that glorious day wherein loaden with chains he had saved him his Empire and his life And comparing it with that wherein he was then he could not chuse but be moved at it After this the sight of Rustan brought to his memory all the miseries of his house and all the violences which he had done by his and Roxelana's counsel The death of Mustapha that of Sarraida of her son of Gianger the forcible carrying away of Axiamira
her imprisonment the War of Persia the things which Ibrahim had performed therein the death of Zelebis and many other such like things which filled his mind with so many deadly ideas as the love which he bore to Isabella began to be too weak to dissipate them He felt some repugnancy in his heart for that which he did and his Reason being suddenly untangled What do I said he to himself sensless that I am not to consider that the impossibility which I find to destroy a disarmed man whom I hold in my hands who is loaden with irons and who is without defence in the midst of his Executioners is without doubt a sign that Heaven protects him For if it were not so I had destroyed him ere this I had not promised him so long ago that I would not put him to death I had not remembred it so precisely this Artifice which they have found out for me to be revenged had succeedâ—d I had slept and Ibrahim had been dead But I see plainly as I have said that Heaven guards him and that it will not let me be revenged But alas said he still to himself for what crime for what injury for what outrage will I be revenged No no continued he Ibrahim is not guilty and I alone am the offender for I owe all things to him and he owes nothing to me It is true that he would have gone out of my Empire without my leave but it was to save his Mistress and this generous man who might have overthrown all my State to secure himself and to be revenged of the infidelity which I have used to him was contented to fly away like a simple Slave Let us harken to Reason which speaks to us let us harken to the voyce of the Prophet who holds our hand and let us harken no longer to this unjust love that possesseth us Here Soliman could not retain his tears and the love which he bore to Isabella made him that he still found some difficulty in resolving to be deprived of her But Rustan's endevoring once more to carry him to violence made him incline wholly to Vertues side No no said he unto him base as thou art I will commit no more crimes by thy counsel the Prophet who guards me will keep me from dipping my hands in the blood of Ibrahim and if I am to shed any it must be theirs who blemish my glory with their pernicious counsels Rustan hearing Soliman speak in this manner thought that he had lost his Reason for whereas nothing new had happened he could not comprehend how in so short a time so great a change should arrive unto him But he knew not that they which have vertuous inclinations and which are not wicked but by a violent passion or the counsel of others have need but of a moment to carry them to that which is good Their Reason is no sooner cleared but they find a mighty succor in themselves and so soon as they have a will to fight the victory is certainly theirs Soliman gave an illustrious example of this verity in this occasion it being most sure that never was there a greater or more sudden change made then that which was made in his Soul He charged Rustan not to go out of his chamber and commanded another to go and fetch Ibrahim and Isabella to him who little thought what Vertue was doing for their advantage This Prince nevertheless had great unquietness still he seemed uncertain in his resolutions and during the agitations of his Soul he cryed out sometimes O Heaven must Ibrahim be destroyed then suddenly checking himself but also said he can I resolve to lose Isabella After this he sat him down on four Cushions and hiding his face with both his hands leaning on a table as it were the better to think of that which he would resolve of Rustan remained in strange pain In the mean time Ibrahim could not comprehend for what reason they made him attend so long for his death He feared lest some violence should be done to Isabella he doubted lest they should be so cruel as to put her to death before his eyes and in this pain death no doubt would have been a remedy unto him had not the thought of never seeing Isabella again rendred it more grievous to him for that consideration then for the loss of his life The disorders of his Soul for all that appeared not in his face and one would hardly have beleeved in looking on him that he did think he should dye every minute Isabella on her part was not without trouble for having understood that they came to fetch Ibrahim she certainly believed that he was lost and was already preparing to follow him when as they who had order to go for her entred all into her chamber As soon as she saw them and that they had told her how they had order to carry her before Soliman if it be to put me to death in his presence answered she I will give him thanks But acquaint me at leastwise whether Ibrahim be living and whether we shall dye together or no. These men not knowing Soliman's intentions durst scarce answer her only they assured her that she should see the grand Visier very suddenly as indeed they led her into the Hall where he was attending the time of his execution There were seen about him his Guards weeping and four Mutes that were to strangle him and that having in their hands Bow strings of black silk for that purpose seemed also to haue some compassion of him This doleful object having touch'd the heart of Isabella she could not forbear giving a great skriek Alass said she how do I repent me of my wish and how much more supportable had it been for me to dye alone then to dye with you Ibrahim seeing and hearing her speak thus What Madam said he unto her will they attempt upon your life Ah! no no continued he turning him to those that invironed him it is a thing I shall never endurâ— when they shall meddle with none but me I will tender my neck to them without resistance but if they attempt any thing on this Princess I protest that I will strangle him with mine own hands that shall offer any outrage to her This is not that which I will have answered she defend not my life if they attempt upon yours since they are to be inseparable I have not wish'd to live but onely that I may not see you dye As they would have continued speaking they that came for them told them that they had nothing else in charge but to carry them before the Grand Signior Let us go then said the Princess to him let us go my dear Justiniano I repent me of my weakness and since I must dye provided that I dye in your presence I shall be glad that we may dye together Let us go then and beg for death of Soliman as a grace Ah! Madam cryed the illustrious Bassa
speak not of your death if you will not have me dye in despair Let us go Madam let us go rather to beg your liberty of Soliman and obtain of him that the loss of my life may be the price of it I will not have it without you answered she wherefore persist not in wishing to save me In the mean time they arrived at Soliman's Chamber whom they found still leaning on a Table and in a posture that they could not see his face As soon as they were there Ibrahim and Isabella cast themselves at his feet My Lord said the Princess if I may obtain the grace of thee that I may dye with Justiniano I will not complain of thy Highness but contrarily I will praise thy justice I am guilty my Lord and of an horrible crime against thee I have made thee despise the friendship which thou barest to Justiniano I have made thee abandon Reason I have put a stain on thy life I have blemished thy glory I have troubled thy rest and I have constrained the greatest Prince of the Earth to oppose all his inclinations which carry him to vertue for to follow an unjust passion Thou plainly seest my Lord that wrath ought to have a more just foundation in thy soul then this Love which afflicts thee and persecutes me Change thy passion in my favor but in such sort that as I have been the object of thy love so I may be likewise of thy hate Think of revenging thy self on the true cause of thy unquietness think of destroying and not of gaining me the last is impossible and the other is very easie for thee It is not because if my tears could move thee I can yet assure thee that hate should have a place in my soul For know my Lord that even Justiniano from whom thou wilt take away both his honor his life and my person which is as dear to him as both the other yet cannot hate thee I have seen it in his eyes I have known it by his discourse he complains of fortune he accuses that which thy Highness calls beauty in me he names that weakness which another would name injustice in fine my Lord being ready to dye innocently by thy directions and command yet am I well assured that he will dye without hatred and that even in dying he will make vows to obtain of Heaven an advantageous change for thee Judg after this whether thou oughtest to refuse me the grace that I may dye and that he may be saved since I am guilty and he is innocent My Lord said Justiniano interrupting her harken not to the vertuous Isabella but to admire the greatness of her courage and suffer not thy self to be perswaded to that which she desires of thee I will not stand to examine whether I am culpable or whether I am not since to be hated of thee is to be so but my Lord I will onely tell thee that if the sentence of my death shall be pronounced by thy mouth I will not murmur at it I confess my weakness to thee my Lord I cannot yet believe but that all that which I have seen since my return is an inchantment and not a truth For how can it be imagined that great Soliman who hath loved me so tenderly and given me so glorious marks thereof can be carryed at this present to such unjust designs That with the same hand wherewith he broke my chains and put the reyns of his Empire into mine he can put about my neck the string which is to strangle me Doth thy Highness no longer remember the thoughts which thou hadst at such time as seeing me ready to enter into the grave rather then displease thee with craving my liberty of thee thou resolvedst to have the incomparable Isabella be brought away by force Was it then my Lord out of a design to ravish her from me to persecute her to blemish thy glory and to take away my life in having unjust thoughts for her Think not my Lord of the services I have done thee but of those which I purposed to do thee yet think not of them my Lord for to pardon me but think of them to save Isabella Restore her to her liberty make not me the cause of her undoing send her back into her Country and after that put me to death here But grant me at leastwise the grace to pronounce my sentence unto me for I confess to thee once more that I doubt whether it be possible that thou shouldst be the same Soliman which hath so dearly loved me It is in vain for you to desire said Isabella that we should be separated that thought is unjust and does wrong to our affection it is a motion whereof I repent me and whereof you ought to repent you Beg then of Soliman that we may dye or that we may live together for provided he will grant us this I will attend his sentence without grief and without unquietness You shall live said Soliman then to her discovering his face which he had all bathed with tears you shall live generous Princess Ibrahim's vertue hath surmounted me Approach said he unto him and if it be so that thou dost not hate me still beliâ—ve for a certain that the good-will which I have born thee is recovering its place in my Soul Repentance which was a motion unknown to me chases the love of Isabella from it therein to re-establish my friendship to Ibrahim I feel it coming my Reason re-assumes its use I see my injustice and my violence with confusion I see the vertue of Isabella and no longer see her beauty she strikes me with admiration and no longer strikes me with love I wish I could imitate her generosity and no longer desire the possession of her In fine said he to Ibrahim know that of all the marks of affection that which thou receivest from me at this present is without doubt the greatest and to give no bounds to it and to make thee see that knowing my fault I will punish it and to keep my self from falling into it a second time I do not onely give thee thy life which I would have unjustly taken from thee but I do also give thee thy liberty as well as that of the incomparable Isabella Oh! my Lord cryed Ibrahim I hear the voyce of Soliman they which spake to me from him have betrayed his true thoughts No continued Ibrahim let us speak no more of this doleful adventure but as of a fable and without thâ—nking of that which is past suffer me onely to give thee thanks for thy clemency As for me added Isabella who eternally remembers benefits and very easily forgets injuries if it be so that great Soliman hath vanquished himself I promise thy Highness to make vows as long as I live for thy glory Doubt not of that which I say replyed Soliman and the better to assure you thereof I permit you said he unto her with a voyce interrupted with
since as I have before delivered he was at Genoua unknown The matter failed not to fall out even as he had conceived it for he was advertised that the Prince of Masseran was in this walk attended but with two of his servants he went forth then speedily with the like number and overtaking him in a place where few persons could be witnesses of his action As soon as he was so near him as he might speak to him he asked him whether he knew my name and whether it were possible he should be ignorant that Isabella could not lawfully be his because she was mine but since the thing was done he must at least render himself worthy of so noble a conquest by the loss of his life as I had bought it with my blood in saying so they both drew out their swords and Doria without attending the Prince of Masserans answer attacqued him so vigoriously as he was constrained to give ground They that accompanied him would have opposed themselves to this fury but they that followed Doria would not suffer them so to do and whereas they were equall in number they began a just combat whereof the modesty of my friend kept him from telling me the particulars but in the end notwithstanding whatsoever the Prince of Masseran could perform the victory sided with reason and Doria after the receiving of a slight hurt pressed his enemy with so much courage as he ran him into the body in four severall places which made him fall down as if he were dead A minute after Nature doing her last devoir he opened his eyes and seeing Doria coming from parting their followers and giving order to his help to carry him to some place he had yet so much strength as to call him and before he expired to crave pardon for the outrage he had done me and to pray me to consider the power of Isabellaes eyes for the excusing of his fault moreover he conjured him to tell me that the Princess had kept her faith inviolable to me then he acquainted him in few words with all the violences of her mother with all the resistances which she had made thereunto and at the last swore that he was not her husband but that Julia had used this artifice in hope to make me away as I have already told thy Highness not doubting but that if I were dead she should have carried her daughter to all that she had desired Scarcely had that infortunate Prince made an end of speaking but he dyed in Doriaes armes who with sorrow remitted him into the hands of his servants to goe and provide for his own safety so that without losing time and before this combat was divulged he sent to hire a Feluca and without returning into the City he imbarqued himself for Naples for in the uncertainty of the event of the combat he had brought mony enough about him to mak his retreat into that place and had left a letter in his Cabinet which instructed one of his friends with the order hee would have taken in his affaires He departed then safely away in this sort but the next day he incountred the Pirate Arsalon and in the manner which thy Highness understood yesterday he came to Constantinople But my Lord to make all the rigor of my destiny known to thy Majesty I am to tell thee further that not long since Doria hath met with a slave of Monaco who hath related unto him that as sooon as Julia knew of the death of the Prince of Masseran anger and grief seized so upon her as she died therewith in a little time so that Isabella seeing she was Mistress of her self had sent a man into Germany to desire me to come and take care of her State and to receive her person for a reward of my fidelity For she knew nothing either of my jealousie or despair which having carried me far enough from the place whither she had sent to seek me beguiled all her hopes and destroyed her felicity by the fruiteless return of him she had imployed unto me since that she lived in a very austere and melancholick solitariness saying openly that she was resolved to renounce the world as soon as she knew that I was no longer in it And whereas there ran a bruit in Genoua about a year ago that I had been seen in Naples she dispatched away this man for to goe and see if it were so having made a vow if his voyage proved vain to shut her self in a Cloister for all the rest of her life but whereas fortune hath never done any but extraodinary things in my adventures she so wrought that this man putting himself into a French Barque to pass over thither was taken by a Pirate whose vessells lay under the covert of a Rock which is near to a place by the Italians called Porto Hercoles And whereas he had a grat number of Slaves he stayed not long from going to sell them at one of the Islands of the Archipelago from whence by divers accidents this man came to Constantinople where Doria by chance knew him as having at other times seen him in Rhodolphoes service After all this my Lord it will not be difficult for thy Highness to imagine the deplorable estate wherein I find my self by thy bounty and by the proposition which thou hast made me concerning the Sultana Asteria I should not be so hardy as to speak to thee in these termes if I did not call to mind that the charmes of the divine Roxelana have been of sufficient force to vanquish the most victorious Monarch of the world and that for this reason I may hope to see thee sensible of my misfortune to obtain pardon for my ingratitude and to be heard in my justifications It is true indeed that to excuse my fault I need no more than to beseech thy Highness to consider that if I could even banish from my heart the image of Isabella forget her affection her oathes and her constancie become the most ingratefull of men to his Princess cause her death by my change which she would quickly know prefer my Master before my mistress and my duty before my love the Religion I profess prohibiting me the plurality of wives which that of the Mahometans doth permit I could not dispose of a faith which I have already given seeing I am a Christian under the habit of Mussulman although I be not believed to be so in all the extent of thy Empire But whereas for all that it is not just that my temerity should be vanquished deprive a man of thy favor who refuseth an alliance which a great King outght to receive on his knees Banish from thy sight and Court a man whom so many benefits whom so many greatnesses and to say all whom thy affection cannot make perfectly happy and to satisfie the Sultana Austeria I am ready to reenter into the irons from whence she drew me and to die her Slave since I cannot
live her husband Or if thy Highness will render my end more profitable and glorious command me to seek out death in the midst of thine enemies and I shall not be long without testifying by the loss of my life that I am not ingratefull but because I cannot be acknowledging And to incense thy just wrath I will say further that the chastisement which I demand will be instead of grace to me since that in depriving me of light I shall no longer be sensible of all the misfortunes wherewith I am so heavily oppressed I shall cease to live but I shall cease also from being rebellious to thy pleasure I shall restore the life which I ow to the incomparable Asterin and I shall dye for the glory of Isabella In brief my Lord since I cannot be Asteriaes because my love doth oppose it and my Religion doth forbid it and since I cannot likewise live for Isabella because my duty doth tie me to thy service both by a generall right and by a particular obligation death is the onely remedy that remains for me to get out of so many miseries If thy goodness had not broken off my fetters and that I were still thy slave now when that I know that the constancy of Isabella hath triumphed over the artifice of our enemies that I reign still in her heart and that on me alone her felicity or her happiness doth depend I would employ all my endeavour to free me of my chains by a ransom But my Lord I am tyed to thee by stronger bonds the obligations wherein I am ingaged to thy Highness the benefits which I have received from thee the honours thou hast done me and the last degree of glory whereunto I am mounted are too certain proofs of thy love and of thy confidence for me not to be retained in my duty It is then by these sacred bands that I am tyed unto thee and which I cannot break without sacrilege Finally my Lord the thoughts of liberty which pass for a just desire in the minds of all men were an horrid crime in me and I may well promise thy Highness that I will never so much as dream of it And as I am generous enough not to doe any thing that may blemish my love so am I yet more not to doe any thing that may wrong my duty There is no need then of guards to keep me from going out of thy Empire being fully resolved to sacrifise all my pleasures rather than doe any thing unworthy of the name which I carry and the choice which thy Highness hath made of my person for to be the first in thy favour as I am in thy Estates But without further deferring pronounce the sentence of death so just and so much wished for Ibrahim having given over speaking Soliman rose up fell to walking a great pace and with his eyes fixed on the ground continued in so deep a muse as the Bassa doubted that he should obtain the effect of his request but he was not long in this uncertainty for the Sultan standing still and beholding him in a manner that testified more grief than anger and more compassion than wrath said unto him with all imaginable kindness that he held himself infinitely unhappy in that possessing so great an Empire that being so victorious and triumphant and that being able to give felicity to so many people yet could not render the onely man whom he could love happy Upon this so obliging a discourse Jbrahim would have fallen on his knees but he would not suffer him saying unto him that he would fain have obtained so much resolution of himself as to part for ever from a man who was so dear unto him that he had debated the same in his mind when as he walked in that manner as he saw but that at last the affection which he bore him had surmounted his generosity and that it was impossible for him to resolve on so grievous a separation that he conjured him to excuse the effects of his friendship as he excused those of his love and to testifie unto him that as well as himself he did all that he could he would permit him to goe atd see Jsabella provided he would pass his word unto him to return again within six monthes with this promise also that if during his absence he could accustom himself to this privation he would give him his liberty wholly and intirely The Bassa was so surprised and so transported with joy as having cast himself at the feet of the Sultan he was a good while without speaking but at length after he had recovered the use of his tongue he rendrâ—d him thanks for so notable a favor and told him that none but Soliman could vanquâ—â—â— Soliman that this victory which he had gotten over himself was so glorious to him as all that he had done till then was nothing in comparison of it that battailes were gained by the valour of Captaines and Souldiers buâ— in this occasion he owed this victory to none but his own proper vertue As for the rest if he would permit him to go to Monaco he would ingage his faith to render himself at Constantinople within the time that he had prescribed and that he was not to fear that he would break his word with his Highness since he would keep it with his very enemies After this assurance the Sultan told him that he did not doubt of it but that which obliged him to require an oath of him for it was the knowledge that he had of the force of the passion which reigned in his heart and that his friendship would be secured against this enemy of its content Jbrahim swore then solemnly that nothing but death alone should keep him from accomplishing his promise That done Soliman told him that he would not have consented to his voyage knowing that his affairs were not composed at Genoua had he not had the meanes to have the sentence revoked which had been given against him And when as Jbrahim besought him to to let him understand how he thought to perform so unexpected a a thing the Sultan told him that to comprehend his design he was but to remember how one of his Chaoux returning out of France and staying at Genoua had been murthered in the streetes by a popular commotion so that having been advertised thereof by one of them that accompanied him who instantly imbarqued himself away he had caused all the Vessells of the Genoueses that were found in his Ports to be arrested and that for the better favouring of his design an Ambassador was the day before arrived from his Republique whom he had caused to be put in prison at Pera being perswaded that he had done nothing unworthy himself therein since the Genoueses had first violated the Law of Nations in the person of his Chaoux how it was for to communicate this affair unto him that he had sent for him in the morning but the sadness