Lofty Menaces the Vital Airs of War then let thy Noble Heart flourish with brave Thoughts and brisk Resolutions Yet let not a false Assurance of Victory make thee Rash and bereave thee of that Conduct which is as necessary a Qualification in a General as Courage Consider that the Fortune of Battels is Uncertain Therefore do all Things with great Precaution Trust not to the Force of thy Commission in that thou fightest for the Law and Honour of the Prophet But remember the Proverb of the Ancients which says The Devil often carries the Standard of the Living God There may be those in thy Fleet who are Treacherous and at the Devotion of the Nazarenes For I hear that both Spahi's and Janizaries were very unwilling to embark themselves and God knows how far the Venetian Gold may work on some of the Officers Tho' their Resentments seem'd to be appeas'd by the Bounty of our Glorious Sovereign get the smallest Occasion may renew their Old Discontent again and put 'em on more dangerous Tumults at Sea than those they were guilty of ashore Or at least they will become more Remiss and Cold in the Service of the Grand Signior Be it how it will if the Navy has not good Success the Blame of all will be laid on thee Pardon therefore the Freedom I take in advising thee since 't is an Argument of my Affection and Concern for thy Honour and Safety And no Man can with Reason be offended at another for warning him of Dangers In a Word I wish thee the good Fortune of the English who have lately taken an Island in the West-Indies from the Spaniards They call it Jamaica It seems the Kings of Spain had possess'd this Isle from the Time of his First Conquests in America where his Subjects had committed horrid Cruelties on the Natives For which they are now punish'd by that New Commonwealth who boast that they are establish'd by God to reform or overturn all the Kingdoms of Europe Thou hast heard I suppose of Oliver the Sovereign of that Nation He appears like another Jingiz Chan setting up for a Prophet and Founder of a New Empire He has refus'd the Title of King which was offer'd him by the English States with all the Ensigns of Royalty But he aims at a more Sublime Character laying the Foundation of his Hopes in a pretended Modesty assuming onely the Style of Protector They say he talks of leading an Army to the Gates of Rome and when he has subdu'd the Pope that he will march or sail to Constantinople and drive the Grand Signior out of his Seraglio I tell thee these are not Things to be contemn'd or laugh'd at For this Oliver has the Fame of a Great and Invincible General And I can assure thee all the Neighbouring Kings and States court his Friendship In fine he makes the most Formidable Figure at present of any Prince in these Western Parts If it will divert thee at Sea to hear of the Transactions by Land know that Leopoldus Ignatius Josephus Son of the German Emperor is Elected King of the Romans in the Room of his deceas'd Brother There is also a Diet Assembled at Frankford where they have too many Discords and Quarrels of their own to have Leisure to plot any Mischief against the Empire of True Believers These Infidels in their Publick Councils are like Women Scolding away the Time that shou'd be employ'd in Action There arrives daily a great Deal of News out of Sueden Moscovy and Poland One Post informs us of a Plague raging at Mosco and other Cities of that Northern Tract Another alarms us with Intelligence of Sieges and Plundering of Towns Dispeopling of Provinces and a Deluge of Blood and Slaughter For the Suedes espousing the Quarrel of the Moscovites endeavour to make their own Game in Poland Many Princes and Great Men with their Towers Villages and Vassals Revolting daily from the Unfortunate Casimir and submitting to the Suedish Monarch And here in France those that go not to the Wars make Private Campagnes at Home Here 's Nothing but Duelling and Murder among Men of the Sword Whilst the Ecclesiasticks are Combating one another with their Pens and the Lawyers with their Tongues In Suisserland they 're Mad about Religion At Dantzick Two Eagles were seen Combating in the Air. And as if all Nature were in a Ferment the Winds have been at Variance in the Bowels of the Earth which has occasion'd frequent Earthquakes in the Parts of Germany The King of Poland's Brother is dead and the Queen-Mother of Sueden We must all die at the determined Hour And there is no other Terror in Death but what is Created by our own Opinion nor any greater Pain than attended our Birth For at our Dissolution every Element of which we were compounded takes its proper Share and that which is Divine in Vs returns to that which is Divine in the Vniverse Paris 28th of the 9th Moon of the Year 1655. LETTER XIII To Pesteli Hali his Brother Master of the Grand Signior 's Customs OUR Kinsman Isouf is now gone for Moscovy having visited the most Remarkable Places in this Kingdom I receiv'd a Letter from him dated at Diep a Sea-Town over against the English Coasts He was just going aboard as he tells me when he deliver'd his Dispatch to the Post God grant him à Prosperous Voyage to that Region and whithersoever his Genius or Fortune carry him I am extremely pleas'd with his Conversation Whilst he was in Paris I was never sensible of Melancholy unless 't were in the Evenings which forc'd us to part Company He has an Excellent Memory and recounts all the Adventures of his Life with a great deal of Ease both to himself and his Hearers He never was at a Loss for Matter or confounded one Circumstance with another but ranking every Thing in its due Time and Place deliver'd all with a Clearness and Grace which affected me with singular Delight Besides he has a ready Wit lively Fancy and Judgment enough for one of his Years I tell thee the Relations he has made of his Travels with his Regular Deportment here in Paris of which I have been a Witness have Imprinted in me such an Opinion of his Abilities that I have trusted him with some Particular Instructions in order to a settl'd Correspondence between us in whatsoever Court he resides For in a Word I find him Mature enough for Business of Moment And 't is Pity his Parts shou'd be bury'd without ever appearing in Action If he succeeds in what I have put him upon when he arrives at Archangel a Sea-Port of Russia and a Place of great Commerce and Traffick I shall have good Reason to hope for more Important Matters when he comes to Mosco the Chief City of the Men who worship the Eyes of their Emperour And then it will be Time to give a due Character of him to the Ministers of the Port Wherein thou wilt have many Opportunities
't will be pleasant meditating on what thou hast read at thy spare Hours Thou wilt find thy self much more happy in thus mixing Studies with the necessary Offices of thy Trade than in abandoning thy self wholly to a Contemplative Life And in the Midst of thy Disgusts thou mayst comfort thy self with this Reflection That thou art of none of the most Despicable Callings which serve the Necessities of Man's Body Had thy Employment been onely to make Papouches or Sandals which cover the Feet it might have been an Argument of Discontent to thee in Regard the Foot is the most Contemptible Member in the Body But now thou passest thy Time in making Ornaments for the Head which is the Noblest Part and Commnader of all the Rest thou hast no Reason to repine If after all thou resolvest to change thy Course of Life I advise thee to turn Soldier for then thou must be contented and patient per-force Paris 13th of the 4th Moon of the Year 1656. LETTER XVII To Melec Amet. THE Nazarenes boast much of the New Converts they have made from the Moselman Law to the Faith of Jesus the Son of Mary On the 23th of the last Moon a Moor of Tripoli was baptiz'd in a Church of this City and the next Day he was Anointed with their Chrism or Holy Oyl as they call it which they say has a Vertue to confirm and strengthen him in his New Religion On the 25th he was cloath'd all in White Linen and walk'd in Procession through the Streets with Musick playing before him whilst the Ground was strew'd with Flowers When he arriv'd at the Great Mosch of this City a Priest gave him that which they esteem the Body of the Messias But in Reality is onely a Wafer with the Figure of a Man Crucify'd on it These Wafers are made and sold to the Priests by the Common Bakers of the Town and yet they make the Poor Ignorant People believe with Four Words they can change them into an Immortal God The Renegado Moor appears very zealous and devout frequenting the Temples and visiting all Holy Places He walks along the Streets with Beads in his Hands which the People Interpret as an Argument of his Piety to the Virgin Mary the Mother of Jesus For when they pray to her it is the Custom to number their Oraisons on Beads But all this while they consider not that he may be a Hypocrite as to their Religion and instead of addressing his Prayers to her may direct them to God alone as all the True Faithful do who use Beads in rehearsing the Divine Ejaculations as well as the Christians in repeating their Ave Maria which they say was the Salutation that Gabriel gave the Virgin when he enter'd her Oratory Be it how it will he gets Abundance of Money by his Devotion For the Franks are really very Charitable and give plentiful Alms to the Poor But especially to one under his Circumstances they are extremely Liberal that so they may imprint in him a more fervent Affection and profound Reverence for their Religion But he is not the onely Convert they brag of Many Captives they either wheadle or force to turn Christians Thus he that was taken at Sea by the Ships of Malta Twelve Years ago when it was reported through Christendom that he was the Grand Signior's Son is of late turn'd Christian and Friar having solemnly and in Publick abjur'd the Mussulman Law curs'd our Holy Prophet and all those of his Race with the Believers of the Alcoran He is like to come to great Preferments in the Roman Church They call him the Ottoman Father and boast That the True Heir of the Turkish Empire is a Christian and in their Custody Yet after all the Proselyte of greatest Fame is Don Philippo the Son of the Dey of Tunis of whom I made mention in one of my former Letters This Prince is now at Valentia under the King of Spain's Jurisdiction who allows him a Considerable Pension and has given him Leave to marry a Princess of that Country very Beautiful and Ingenious but of a Poor Fortune He has one Son by her and 't is said the King of Spain designs to set forth a Mighty Fleet of Ships And having furnish'd this Prince with all Things necessary for a Warlike Expedition will send him thus Equipp'd to claim the Government of Tunis or in Case of Denial to make a Descent in that Kingdom and fight for it But I believe this will onely prove a Spanish Rhodomontade that Monarch having Work enough cut out for him in Europe and America by the French and English to divert him from any such Wild Enterprize on Africk However it be this Don Philippo is much talk'd of in Christendom and the Spaniards flatter themselves with the Hopes of Conquering a Great Part of Barbary by his Means he having many Friends and a considerable Interest in those Parts Thou mayst acquaint the Divan that Osmin the Dwarf is still living and serves the Port with a secret and untainted Zeal Two days ago he discover'd a Cunning Practice of Cardinal Mazarini whose Motions and Intrigues he watches very narrowly He assures me That this Minister has dispatch'd away Two Agents to the King of Sueden and Elector of Brandenburgh with a Letter to each of these Princes from the King of France also with Blank Papers and the King's Seal giving them Instructions to fill up those Blanks and Seal them with the King's Signet according as they found the Treaty go forward between those Princes The main Design of this Trick being to hinder them from entering into a League against the King of Poland by all the Artifice these Agents cou'd use in exactly timeing and suiting their Counterfeit Letters to the Difficulties and Misunderstandings that always happen in such Treaties that so they may exasperate each Party against the other as Occasion offer'd without being oblig'd to send to France for fresh Letters which wou'd breed too much Delay and spoil their Design By this thou mayst perceive that Cardinal Mazarini comes not short of his Predecessor Richlieu in managing the Affairs of Foreign Courts He is the very Soul of all the Grand Business in Christendom A general Heart-burning has possess'd the French especially the Inhabitants of Paris ever since the Conclusion of the last Year when the King issu'd out certain Orders commanding that all the Gold and Silver-Money in the Kingdom shou'd be brought in to his Mint to be new Coin'd The Merchants first complain'd of this Edict and then it was murmur'd at by all Trading People At Length the Parliament of Paris took it into their Consideration and oppos'd the King's Pleasure Upon which he banish'd Eight of their Members and has several Times prohibited them to Assemble yet they persisted to meet till he banish'd more of them Which instead of awing them into the expected Compliance has but incens'd 'em more And the discontented Clergy blow up the Coals as do
Courage and brave Actions of Ajax deserv'd all due Honour and Acknowledgment yet the Surprize of Troy and ending the War was onely owing to his Wit and Contrivance who deluded the Trojans with a Wooden Horse in the Belly of which lay a Detachment of Armed Men and these after the Horse was admitted into the City came out of their Nest in the Dead of the Night and set Fire to the Houses opening the Gates also to the Grecian Army If the Venetians cou'd invent some such Stratagem perhaps there wou'd be Danger of their taking Constantinople But till then Illu strious Bassa there 's no Reason to fear these Infidels Besides it will be very easy to dispossess 'em of that Ominous Island and so dissipate the Charm which has bewitch'd the Seditious Rabble But I wou'd counsel that it be attempted in Time before the Venetians are got into the Hellespont with their Navy For there 's no Success against these Infidels by Sea That Element it seems is the Wife of the Duke of Venice being Espous'd with a Ring and other Solemn Ceremonies on a certain Festival of the Nazarenes One wou'd think also that the English had made successful Love to the Sea For their Navies are always prosperous We have fresh News come in of an Encounter between them and the Spanish West-India Fleet near the Island of Teneriff wherein there were Seventeen of the Spanish Ships sunk and burnt and among them were Five great Galleons They took from them an Immense Treasure of Gold and Silver with other costly Merchandise The French Court rejoyces mightily at this Exploit not in any Real Love to the English but in Hatred of the Spaniards For between these Two Nations there seems to be an Irreconcilable Antipathy Besides the French have Reason of State for their Joy being in League with the English Common-wealth That which renders this Victory the more Remarkable is that it was obtain'd in a Spanish Harbour the Port of Santa Cruz in Teneriff Every one extols the English Commander for a very brave Person His Name is Blake I am the more Particular in this Relation because thou art expert in Marine Affairs having had the Command of the Invincible Ottoman Armado There is a Post newly come in from Germany who informs us that the King of Sueden and Prince Ragotski have taken the strong Fort of Brzeski Litenski from the King of Poland The Portuguese Embassador at this Court presses the King with much Earnestness to send Aids to his Master in Regard the Spaniards are actually enter'd into Portugal and have taken Olivenza a City of that Kingdom I formerly acquainted the Ministers of the Divan that the King of Spain had caus'd all the People of his Kingdom to be Numbred Now I tell thee farther That in Order to carry on the War effectually against Portugal this Monarch has commanded the 5th Man in every Family to take up Arms and follow the Campagne At which Rate they say he will have a Hundred Thousand Men in the Field In the mean time all the Discourse here at present is concerning the Siege of Montmedi a very strong Place in Flanders It was Invested by the French Army on the 11th of this Moon under the Command of Mareschal de la Ferte Seneterre Fâ—ance has sent a great many Brave Generals inâ—o the Field this Summer and I perceâ—vâ— the Bassas of the Ottoman Empire are not like to tarry at home God inspire thee and thy Equals with a Resolution which knows no Medium between Victory and a Glorious Death Paris 26th of the 6th Moon of the Year 1657. LETTER XVII To Nathan Ben Saddi a Jew at Vienna THE Beginning of thy Letter surpriz'd me with wonder when I Read that a Chiaus from the Grand Signior the Sovereign of Sovereigns Lord of Three Empires and Five and Twenty Kingdoms shou'd have the Dishonour not to find Admittance within the Walls of Vienna and that in a Time when the Germans have no Reason to provoke a Foreign War being sufficiently embarrass'd with Domestick Troubles But when I read farther and perceiv'd That no Embassador not even of the Christian Princes has any more Privilege at this Juncture and that it is an Establish'd Law of the Empire thus to reverence the Majesty of their deceas'd Sovereign and consult the Safety of the next Election I ceas'd to resent this any longer as an Indignity to our Great Master and only concluded it to be some Mystery of the Austrian State It is an Argument of profound Respect to the Imperial Ghost That the Churches are all hung with Mourning throughout the Hereditary Dominions and that no Musick is permitted either in the Temples or elsewhere no Jollity or Mirth till the Funeral Obsequies are perform'd and the Body of Caesar is consign'd to the Place of its Everlasting Repose As to the Quarrel between the Duke of Bavaria and Prince Palatine about the Vicariate there 's much to be said on both Sides And it ought to be a Thing Indifferent to thee and me which of those Two gets the Victory Yet for the Sake of Truth I will tell thee in Short what I have collected out of the Journal of Carcoa thy Predecessor and out of other Memoirs as they came to my Hands It appears then that by the Golden Bull of Charles V. this Dignity was declar'd Inherent in the Palatinate Family in Right of their Possession of that Principality and that it had been so for many Ages even before there were any Electors Establish'd in the Empire 'T is upon this Ground the present Elector Palatinate claims it But on the other Side it is as manifest that when Maximilian the Father of the Present Duke of Bavaria was Invested with the Electoral Dignity it was Inserted in the Imperial Bull that the Vicegerency of the Empire during an Interregnum shou'd henceforth belong to that Family Yet this Grant was again disannull'd by the late Pacification at Munster And so the Business is left in Dispute between these Two Families He of Bavaria trusts to his Strength and Riches being also back'd by the Ecclesiastick Princes whilst the other only confides in the Justice of his Cause the Right of Unquestionable Inheritance Leaving therefore these Grandees to prosecute their several Claims I 'll tell thee what makes the freshest Noise in this City is an Attempt which the Prince of Conde made lately on the Town of Calais a Sea-Port of this Kingdom He had receiv'd certain Intelligence that the Governour had sent out the best Part of the Garrison to fortify Ardres a Place not far from Calais and suppos'd to be in greater Danger Upon this News the Prince march'd with great Expedition designing to surprize Calais by Night But he was discover'd before he came near them and the Inhabitants taking up Arms appeared on the Walls and Ramparts to welcome him so that he was forc'd to retire again with the Loss of near a Thousand Men. Here are Two Men
which just comes into my Mind Of a Certain Great Man in Asia who possess'd vast Herds of Cattle and was accustom'd to make Magnificent Oblations to the Gods This Grandee once made a Pilgrimage to Delphos Famous in those Days for the Oracle of Apollo He carried with him a Hundred Bulls whose Horns were enchas'd in Gold being spurr'd on with Extraordinary Devotion and designing to do a singular Honour to the God When he arrived at the Place puff'd up with his Costly Presents and the Flatteries of his Attendants he boldly approach'd the Temple thinking no Man on Earth more worthy of the Gods Friendship than himself demanding of the Pythoness for so they call'd the Woman who perform'd the Office of Priesthood there Who among all Mortals made the most acceptable Sacrifices and departed with the Greatest Blessing from the Oracle for he presumed the Preheminence would be granted to himself When she answered That one Clearchus of Methydrium was the most devout and dear to the Gods of all Men. Astonish'd above Measure at this unexpected Reply the vain Bigot resolv'd to find out this Man and learn of him what Method he took to please the Divinity He hastens therefore to Methydrium And when he first came within View of it he despis'd the Meanness of the Place judging it impossible That one Man or all the Town could be able to present the Gods with more Magnificent Oblations than he Having found out Clearchus he ask'd him What Sacrifices he us'd to make to Appollo To whom Clearchus replyed I am a Poor Man and when I go to Delphos I carry neither Silver nor Gold but onely a Basket of Fruits the Best that my Farm affords which I freely offer to the Powers which Govern All Things and from whom I receive whatsoever I enjoy Moreover I keep the Appointed Holy Days and my Poorer Neighbours go Chearful from my Table I never Kill'd any Thing Nor have I done to Another that which I would not have done to my self I pray to Jupiter every Morning before the Sun arises and at Night when he goes down I keep my self and my Cottage clean In all Things else I live like the Beasts that is according to Nature Thou wilt perceive by this O Pious Eremit that Simplicity and Innocence are the most Acceptable Sacrifices to the Supreamly Merciful And that the most High God takes no Pleasure in the Smoke of Burnt-Offerings or the Pompous Addresses of the Great but onely in the Pure Flames of a Devout Heart the Integrity of a Just Man void of Deceit and Guile Thou Illustrious Mahummed art the Person in whom these Things are verify'd May God shelter thee with his Mercies to the Hour of Transmigration and beyond the Last Flight of Time Paris 1st of the 8th Moon of the Year 1654. LETTER IV. To the Kaimacham THere are Two Actions which take up all the Discourse at Present One is the Siege of Stenay a Strong Town in Flanders before which the French Army is newly laid down The other is the Investing of Arras by the Spaniards 'T is the Presence of many Illustrious Personages that renders both these Sieges considerable In the French Camp are present the King Cardinal Mazarini and all the Grandees of the Court. In the Spanish are Arch-Duke Leopold the Prince of Conde Francis Duke of Lorrain with others of Prime Quality They are very Vigorous on both Sides in pressing and defending these Two Places as if the Fate of both Kingdoms were now at Stake In my Opinion France runs the Greatest Hazard For if the Spaniards shou'd prove Successful in what 't is said they have resolv'd upon that is the Relief of Stenay If they should give Battle and get the Victory a Way would be open for them to penetrate into the Bowels of France And 't is thought many Towns in this Kingdom wou'd open their Gates to them whilst the Prince of Conde is at the Head of their Army who does all Things in the Name of the French King Even his Rebellion it self is masqu'd under the Specious Title Of taking up Arms to rescue the Captive King from the Hands of Mazarini and his Adherents A pretty Way of seducing the People from their Obedience The Parisians and indeed all the French are divided into Cabals and Parties some espousing the Prince of Conde's Interest whilst others manifest an Incorruptible Loyalty to their Sovereign I approve the Morals of the Latter yet privately rejoice at the Treasons of the Former wishing their Intestine Quarrels may continue till the Day of the Earthquake Eliachim the Jew follows the Court which rather ought now to be call'd the Camp His Private Affairs call him that Way From him I receive frequent Advice of the most Important Matters in that Theatre of War He informs me That the King of France's Presence in the Siege of Stenay inspires his Soldiers with more than Ordinary Vigor And That he shews daily Proofs of an extraordinary Courage He was one whole Night on Horse-back giving Orders and directing his Enginiers Next Morning he sent a Summons to the Governour Who made a stout Reply being resolv'd to hold out to the last Extremity and therefore sally'd out of the Town with a Party of Resolute Men who kill'd near Four Thousand of the Besiegers But alas these Infidels are only stout whilst well fed Not knowing what it is to endure the Rigours of Famine and other Intolerable Hardships In all the Western Histories they cannot match the Bravery of a Garrison in the Impregnable Fortress of Merdin Famous in our Annals for sustaining a Seven Years Siege when the Mighty Timurlen lay before it with his Invincible Army That Scourge of Heaven to terrify the Besieged and give 'em an Earnest of his Resolution caus'd all the Old Trees round about this Place to be cut down and Young ones to be planted in far greater Numbers Declaring at the same Time That he would not raise the Siege till those Trees shou'd be mature enough to bear Fruit. When that Time came he sent a Present of the Fruits to the Governor of the Garrison as likewise of Mutton with this Message That he took pity on so brave a Man fearing lest he would starve for want of Necessaries As soon as the Governor had receiv'd these Presents turning to the Messenger he said Go tell thy Master I thank him for his Present of Fruits But for the Flesh we shall have no Occasion so long as our Ewes afford us Milk enough to sustain the Whole Garrison And that thy Master may be assur'd we are not in Want of that I will send him a Present of Cheeses made of the same Accordingly he commanded Four Cheeses to be deliver'd to the Messenger Which when Timurlen saw and had heard the Words of the Governor he despair'd of reducing that Place tho' he had lain before it Seven Years wanting only Two Moons But had he understood what sort of Cheeses these were he wou'd no
tell me have I guess'd right at the Cause of so tedious a Reservedness or no Hast thou been forc'd all this while to speak with thy Hands Feet Nose and the Emphatick Motions of thy Head and Eyes If it were so I phansie thou wert excellent Company among thy Grave Flegmatick Brethren and in a fair Way to understand the Language of the Beasts who by curvetting creeping leaping frisking their Tails and other Postures express their various Passions Desires and Necessities as Intelligibly to those who are us'd to them as we can do by the most Elegant Addresses in Words But to be serious If for the Sake of Vertue this Penance be impos'd on thee by him who Presides over thy Convent or thou hast Voluntarily undertaken so difficult a Part of Self-Denyal on the Score of Philosophy or Religion thou hast approv'd thy self wise and brave in not flinching A Coward in Religious Matters is as despicable as in the Engagements of the World 'T is Honourable to face Temptations and come off with Victory As for what thou desirest to know concerning the Sepulcher of King Childeric It is esteem'd a Piece of great Antiquity In Regard he was the Fourth Monarch of France He Reign'd over the Gauls or Franks in the Year 458. Severus being Emperour of Rome Severinus and Dagalaiphus Consuls Yet in little more than Three Years he was depos'd and banish'd by his Subjects whilst one Aegidius a Roman was Crown'd in his Stead Neither did this Man please the People so well but that after some Experience of his Oppression Avarice and other Vices they expell'd him also and recall'd their Lawful Sovereign For Aegidius had vex'd them with Unreasonable Taxes fleecing them of many Millions which he privately sent out of the Kingdom disposing of this vast Treasure at Rome and among his Friends in other Parts as a Support against Future Contingencies For he look'd for some Back-Blows of Fate Childeric therefore being restor'd to his Crown enjoy'd it till his Death which was in the Year 484. After whom succeeded in the Kingdom Clodovaeus the Great who was the First French King that embrac'd Christianity The Time when Childeric's Tomb was first discover'd was about Two Years ago when the Cathedral of Tournay wanted Reparation For as the Labourers were digging up the Old Charnel-House they encounter'd a Long Stone which giving 'em some Fatigue they broke in Pieces and found under it the Entire Skeleton of a Man lying at Length with Abundance of Greek Medals of Gold and some other Curiosities of the same Metal among which was a Ring with this Motto SIGILLVM CHILDERICI REGIS All these Reliques were at first possess'd by the Canons of that Church where they were found Of whom they were begg'd by the Arch-Duke of Austria who has them in his Custody Therefore those who told thee they are in the King of France's Hands were misinform'd themselves or design'd to abuse thee For this cannot be suppos'd during the present Wars between France and Spain When they are more ready on both Sides to plunder one another than to grant Civilities of this Obliging Nature I perceive thou art grown a great Antiquary and therefore in Token of my Esteem I have sent thee a Cabinet of such Old Things as I have scrap'd together in my Travels and during my Residence in this City The Agates which thou wilt find in the Vppermost Drawer may easily be dated by their Figures which are all after the Fashion of Gentile Rome As for the Shells in the Second I leave 'em to thy own Judgment onely this I will say That they are not Common The Third contains a Miscellany of several Antiques The Knives were us'd by the Ancient Roman Priests in their Sacrifices The Weights are at least Twelve Hundred Years Old by the Parallels which I have seen in the King's Library The Rings also are of the Parthian Make And the Arrow to which they are fasten'd retains its Oriental Venom to this Hour as thou wilt find by trying it on any Animal that deserves it But after all the Lowermost Drawer contains Nothing but Counterfeits For those Medals are the Work of Parmezan the Finest Graver in the World If thou know'st not his Character I 'll tell thee in a Word He was Famous for Imitating so Exactly the most Ancient Medals that the Transcripts cou'd not be discern'd even by the most Skillful Artists from the Originals Accept these with the same good Will as I did when they were presented to me and tell me wherein else I can gratify thy Wishes You Monasticks are infinitely Happy in the Advantages of Retirement and Tranquility You are free from the Cares which molest other Mortals The Bell rings you to Prayers and to your Repast You have Nothing else to regard but your Contemplations and Studies Many Great Lights have sprung from your Various Orders And I tell thee Father William the World will be disappointed if thou should'st prove a Dark-Lanthorn and onely be Wise for thy Self Paris 25th of the 6th Moon of the Year 1655. LETTER VI. To the most Illustrious and Invincible Vizir Azem at the Port. BY the Sound which the Sun makes at his going down I swear I was not mistaken in the Idea I had of thy Generosity And the Dispatch with which thou hast honour'd the Slave Mahmut confirms me in a perfect Security of thy Favour and Protection I shall with exquisite Diligence obey thy Orders But it cannot be attempted without vast Sums of Money And if I may be thought worthy to give Advice to my Superiours the most Effectual Way to accomplish this will be by sending one of the Principal Ministers to this Court with a splendid Embassy For this Young King expects very Honourable Addresses from all that seek his more Intimate Friendship Therefore a Chiaus wou'd be slighted on such an Occasion and marr all the Design I wou'd counsel That some-body be sent who perfectly understands the Genius of the French and the particular Aims of Cardinal Mazarini Under the Protection of such a one I shou'd be able without Hazard of a Discovery to act all that is necessary to carry on this Design with good Success Here are Abundance of needy Courtiers on whom Gold will have a powerful Influence But neither I in Person nor any one whom I shall depute can make such Tenders unless there were here some known Publick Embassador from the Grand Signior to countenance the Business For otherwise it will presently be whisper'd That some Private Agent lurks here Incognito They will start a Thousand Chimaera's of Jealousie and so I may run the Hazard of a Second Imprisonment when the Cardinal shall call to mind the Occasion of my First All that I can then say of my being a Moldavian will find no Credit and 't will be no less than a Miracle if they do not expose me to a Scrutiny for the Mark of Circumcision Which if it be found all 's betray'd and ruin'd
to perform the Office of a Kinsman and Friend Those of the same Blood ought thus to serve one another with Integrity and Affection For in so doing we help our selves strengthen the Interest of our Family and shall find Returns in Time of Need. As thou hast receiv'd Favour from Kerker Hassan Bassa on the Score of being his Countryman so there is greater Reason that thou should'st shew Kindness to Isouf who partakes of our Blood There arises a vast Complacency from doing Good Offices tho' to a Stranger or even to an Enemy Man is Naturally Generous and he has debauch'd his Soul who acts contrary to this Principle Yet the greatest Part of Men are degenerated They pursue Lyons Tygers Bears and such like Ravenous Beasts with Inexorable Hatred and Revenge they bear secret Antipathies against Spiders Toads Serpents and other Venomous Creatures and yet they are all these Things or worse themselves Ever since Astraea abandon'd the Earth there has been a strange Metamorphosis in our Race Men have for the most Part forsaken their Humanity and chang'd Nature with the Salvages Nay we transcend them in whatsoever is Cruel and Vicious As if our Reason were given us onely to teach us the most Refin'd Methods of Impiety and to be a more exquisite Spur to Vice Isouf has presented me with Solid Observations of this Kind in his Travels especially in Africk He say that Region is not more Prolifick of Strange and Horrible Beasts than it is of Monstrous Men Brutes and Devils in Humane Shape And tho' he relates some Fair Things of the Indians and other People in Asia yet they are intermix'd with Tragical Reports and Mournful Memoirs Such as stain the History of our Race and make it evident That it is hard to meet with one Good Man among Ten Thousand The whole World is over-run with Oppression Cruelty Avarice Perfidy and Lust He relates strange Things of the Antiquities of Egypt He calls it the onely Scene of Wonders and Miracles on Earth Indeed this Country was ever Famous among all Nations for the Wisdom and Learning of her Priests who in the First Ages of the World understood all the Secrets of the Elements the Vertues of Plants and Minerals and were perfectly vers'd in the Science of the Stars and Spirits and in all Manner of Mysterious Knowledge They were said to make Statues and Images that cou'd Speak Walk Run and counterfeit all Human Actions They were also exquisite in making Miraculous Talismans and Mirrours with any kind of Magical Work whereby they kept the People and even the Princes in a Profound Awe and Veneration of their Prodigious Knowledge and Power and likewise defended their Country against all Invaders For no sooner did an Enemy appear with his Armies on the Frontiers of Egypt but these Priests had present Intimation of it by their Secret Art even in their Chambers perhaps at a Hundred Leagues Distance Then by their Enchantments they either caus'd Fire to consume them in their Camps or turned their Swords against each other or sent an Army of Winged Serpents to destroy ' em So that for many Ages no King ever prospered that fought against the Egyptians But let not thou and I dear Brother suffer our Reason to degenerate by giving Credit to Fictions and Romances though vouch'd by some of our Countrymen such as Morat Alzeman Eb'n Abdalhokm and others He also tells many Remarkable Passages of the Pyramids of Caire the overflowing of the Nile the Mummies and other Things which I have not now Time to rehearse but in another Letter I will gratify thee with a more Ample Account of his Observations In the mean Time live thou to enjoy the Fruits of thy own Travels in the East Which if it matches not the South in Prodigies and Stupendous Inventions yet it surpasses both it and all the Rest of the World in Justice and Morality Paris 17th of the 11th Moon of the Year 1655. LETTER XIV To Ismael Kaidar Cheik a Man of the Law THou hast the Character and Fame of a Great Historian a Man of Intelligence both in the Records of Past Times and the Transactions of the Present Therefore the Name of Christian late Queen of Sueden cannot be strange to thee I doubt not but thou hast heard of this Princess so celebrated throughout the Earth for her Learning and other Noble Accomplishments and how she voluntarily resign'd the Crown to one of her Kinsmen But perhaps thou know'st not the true Motives which induc'd her to this Royal Caprice For it deserves no better Name as thou wilt understand by the Sequel Her Father who for his Successful Wars and perpetual Victories was call'd the Great Gustave dying left her in the Entire Possession of his Kingdom and New Conquests in Germany But during the Time of her Reign Piementelli the Spanish Embassador at Stockholm by daily conversing with this Great Queen us'd such plausible Insinuations as prevail'd on her to have a more favourable Opinion of the Pope and his Religion than she had before entertain'd For all the Suedes are Educated in an Aversion for those of the Roman Faith I need not explain to thee these Distinctions of Belief among the Nazarenes Thou art vers'd in their History as well as in our own Suffice it to say that this Embassador possess'd Christina with so fair an Idea of the Catholick Religion that she abandon'd her Crown and has ever since been a Queen-Errant a Royal Rambler through Europe being resolv'd to make Experiment of the Generosity of Catholick Princes whose Vertues Piementelli had so highly extoll'd ' Twou'd be a Work of Seven Moons for the most Industrious Scribe to relate all the Particular Magnificences with which she has been entertain'd in her Travels through Germany Flanders Alsace Inspruck Italy and Rome where she now resides Every Prince of the Roman Church through whose Territories she pass'd was Ambitious to appear Prodigal of his Favours and Civilities to their Illustrious Stranger Perhaps to evade the Lashes of her Wit which they say is very Satyrical Or it may be for other Reasons more forcible and poignant Be it how it will the Roman Wits have not spar'd her as thou wilt perceive by the Following Verses which on the First Day of the Moon of January were found in the Hand of Pasquin and on the Portal of the Palace Farnese where she resides Pazza Gobba Zoppa viene dal Norre Del Monarcha Invitto l indegna Figlia Mentre Pologna Gente si ' Scompiglia A vane Pompe Roma apre le Porte Contra questi Applausi l'ungrida forte Et in bassè Note l'altro bis Biglia Corre la Sciocca Gente alza le ciglia Ride Pasquin del Papa della Corte Su su venite voi Ruffiani Snelli Et portate a Christina ' stravagante Di Venere il Scettro nei Pazzarelli Vuol parer dotta e rozza Pedante E in Braccio a mangiator di Ravanelli Vuol parer
likewise the Friends of the Prince of Conde The Parliament are very bold and peremptory in their Proceedings having expressly forbid the Citizens of Paris to obey the King's Order and decreed that Nothing shall be done in their Assembly till the Banish'd Senators be recall'd Things being at this Pass we expect Nothing but Insurrections Massacres and other Effects of Popular Fury The Rich are laying in vast Quantities of Corn and other Provisions as if they expected a Siege And the Poor fare the better for it whilst great Largesses are given among them by the Grandees of the Parliament to engage them in the Faction Besides thou know'st the Multitude always delights in Novelty and State-Tempests hoping for Plunder and to enrich themselves by the Ruine of others I know not what Conduct is fittest for me to use in this Case Whether it will be best for me to abide in this City or follow the Court which is now at La Fere in Picardy Or Whether I should retire to some other Place less liable to Civil Disturbances I wish the Ministers of the Port would send me full Instructions what I ought to do in these Emergences From Rome we hear that the Pope and Cardinals are in great Consternation on some Intelligence they have receiv'd That the English intend to make a Descent on the Territories of the Church That Nation is now become the Great Bug-bear of all Europe since they have molded themselves into a Commonwealth Every Kingdom and Empire has a Time to rise and another to fall But who can determine the Period wherein the Ottoman Glory will decline which is not yet advanc'd to its Zenith Paris 27th of the 5th Moon of the Year 1656. LETTER XVIII To Sedrec Al' Giraw'n Chief Treasurer to the Grand Signior THY Vertues have at Length rais'd thee to a Glorious Trust the Charge of Immense Wealth Thou hast in thy Custody the Riches which cannot be match'd in the Universe God inspire thee with Graces suitable to a Dignity so full of Temptations I hope thou wilt not be affronted at my Prayer as was thy Predecessor Kienan Bassa at some Counsels of like Nature which I gave him in a Letter Some Men are strangely Cholerick and look on him as an Enemy who gives them good Advice I onely warn'd him of the ordinary Cheats that are practis'd at Certain Times in the Treasury which thou know'st to be true as well as I. And I tell thee farther he himself was suspected by many in the Seraglio not to have been altogether exempt from Guilt Whether he were or not I perform'd but my Duty in giving him necessary Cautions For such is the Will of my Superiours that I shou'd not be afraid to unravel the Secrets of those who are false to the Grand Signior I did not charge him with such a Crime and therefore he had no Reason to be angry But some Men will pick a Quarrel with their own Shadows In a Word this Grandee forgot himself In saying so I do not reflect on his Original or that he was found sleeping on a Dunghill in Russia a poor ragged Infant when the Tartars took him Captive among many Thousands of others in the Plunder of Tsinarow and sold him to the Capa Agasi for Thirteen Piasters by Reason of his Beauty I do not call to mind the Circumstances of his Youth since 't is common for the meanest Slaves to arrive at an Extraordinary Grandeur by their Merits or at least through the Favour of the Sultan But what I aim at is that in his being disgusted at the Remonstrances I made of some private and sinister Practices in the Treasury he forgot that he himself is still a Slave to the Grand Signior as well as I and therefore not above Instruction Well it seems he is now made Captain Bassa and thou succeedest him in the Office of Treasurer To him I wish all Imaginable Success and Victories at Sea for the Sake of our Great Master and the Mussulman Empire To thee for thy own Sake and for my Brother's whom I know thou wilt ever respect as a Friend I wish Encrease of Riches and Honours even as thy Merits and Services augment in the Esteem of the Sultan and of all the World And I tell thee I have far livelier Hopes to see this Latter Wish take Effect than the Former For what Reason have we to expect better Luck from the Courage or Conduct of this Ouroos Kienan than from the brave Zornesan Mustapha who commanded the Fleet last Year This Unhappy Thought has put me into as melancholy a Humour as Aeneas was in when the Queen of Carthage required an Account of the Trojan Wars For I have heard that Cara Mustapha Bassa succeeded Zornesan in the Command of the Fleet and in the Revolution of a Moon was made Mansoul again for the Sake of Kienan Bassa or rather for the Sake of the licentious Souldiers who it seems command all Things I have been inform'd also of all the other Tragedies Acted at the Seraglio since the Second Moon of this Year Neither are the Causes and Origin of so much Slaughter and Blood-shed hid from me 'T is too apparent that there is an Universal Disorder and Corruption in the Discipline of the Janizaries I formerly wrote to the Kiaya Bey on this Account But it seems Avarice the Root of all Evil had render'd him Insensible and Obdurate Is it not a Shame that the Pay of those who serve the Grand Signior in the Wars shou'd be detain'd not Three or Four Moons but Five or Six Years by their corrupt Officers They sit at home enjoying their Ease revelling in Taverns and committing a Thousand Riots whilst the others undergo numberless Fatigues abroad and are reduc'd to the extremest Necessities not having so much as the Vests allow'd 'em by the Sultan to cover their Nakedness And if they complain of their Sufferings instead of Redress they meet with Nothing but Taunts and Reproaches as if they were not worthy to eat the Sultan's Bread and Salt tho' they freely hazard their Lives for him It is no Wonder the Janizaries are so unbridl'd in their Rage after so many Provocations Yet I cannot but lament the Fate of those Unfortunate Men who were sacrific'd to the Fury of that insolent Militia Especially I condole the Loss of the brave Solyman Kyzlir Aga. The Janizaries had on old Grudge against him ever since his hot Dispute with the Bostangi Bassa and now they were resolv'd to execute their Revenge As for the Kiaya Bey it seems to be a Stroak of Divine Justice that he who had been the Cause of all this Mutiny shou'd in Remorse strangle Himself and so go to Hell as an Expiation for the many Lives he had cast away And there 's little less to be said in Respect of the Mufti who was the Chief of those that betray'd their Master Sultan Ibrahim To tell thee my true Resentments I am heartily sorry for all the Rest
But to those who were concern'd in that Treason there seems no Pity due And the Mufti may thank God and his good Stars that his Life went not with the Others They report here he is fled into Egypt But what was that Gelep Assan who headed this Rabble of Mutineers I have heard Nothing of him before the Intelligence I receiv'd of his sudden Rise and equally precipitate Fall during this Tumult He was I suppose some passionate Fool of an ill-contriv'd Midriff which us'd to make a Quarrel between his Heart and his Spleen And from this Intestine Broil he habitually learn'd the Way to set People together by the Ears A popular Man an Incendiary and one that knew how to wheadle the Vulgar to his own Ruine Who can give an Account of these Things Or who can unravel the Web of Destiny Tho' there 's nothing strange in his particular Case yet in the General 't is prodigious That such little Instruments shou'd be able to give so terrible a Shock to the Frame of an Ancient and Mighty Government He was a Man of no Fame or Character and yet for the Space of Two Moons he may be said to command the Greatest Sovereign in the World Sole Proprietor of Fame and Honour And had he push'd on his Interest 't is not improbable but that he might have exalted himself above his Master and secur'd his Post against all After-claps For according to my Intelligence he had during the Sedition heap'd together prodigious Sums of Money the Presents of Bassa's and other Ministers of the Port who all ador'd this new rising Comet and sought his Protection and Favour against the Barbarous Rabble But it seems he was infatuated with too much Glory and consider'd not that every Body watch'd all Opportunities and Occasions to ruine him And that his very Followers wou'd be the First to betray him as soon as the Hurry of their Insurrection was over This generally happens to all Ringleaders of Parties When once the Spirits of a Faction are spent the Lees which consist of Regret and Confusion are discharg'd on those who first fermented them mix'd with the Revenge of the State There are Abundance of Great and brave Men gone But the old Negidher was of their Council and he brought them to Ruine as he did the Coreis of Mecca when they conspir'd against the Life of the Prophet This Devil enter'd the Temple where they were assembled in the Shape of an Ancient Man decrepid and leaning on a Crutch And when he was commanded to withdraw he told them He was a Senior who had seen all Ages and remark'd the Occurrences of Times that he was expert in unfolding Secrets and rendring Difficult Things easie In a Word he us'd so many plausible Insinuations that they admitted him into their Assembly But none of their Counsels prosper'd That malicious Daemon is often present in the Cabals of Seditious Men and tho' they see him not yet he secretly undermines their Plots and brings 'em to Shame and Punishment For he is the Spirit of Envy And tho' he be himself a Rebel and the Ringleader of a Faction in the Kingdom of the Air yet such is his spightful nature that he seldom suffers any Rebellion to thrive on Earth Not for any Love that he bears to Government but because he delights to be active in Mischief be it where it will and the Guardian Spirits will not suffer him to mix with the establish'd Divans of an Empire The All-Good God preserve thee from the Malice of Wicked Daemons who always hover about Treasures of Gold and Silver Paris 22d of the 7th Moon of the Year 1656. LETTER XIX To the same THE Troubles of the Sublime Port touch'd me so nearly and embark'd my Soul in such a Tempest of sollicitous Thoughts and Anxieties for the Honour and Safety of the Osman Empire that I had no Leisure to think of my own particular Hazards whilst I was writing the other Letter Yet I have been engulph'd in Abundance of Vexatious Circumstances and perillous Accidents It generally happens that when one Misfortune befalls a Man it brings a Train along with it So that at some Seasons we seem to be besieged with Evils or at least so closely block'd up by an Army of Calamities that there is no Passage left open either for Relief or Intelligence So has it far'd with me of late and with Thousands of others I doubt not in this Populous City The Rebellion of the Prince of Conde is the Occasion of all this For the King having some Reasons to apprehend a secret Conspiracy of the Prince's Friends and Well-Wishers in Paris and other Places has caus'd a very severe Scrutiny to be made of all Strangers and Sojourners The Soubashi's or Officers go to every House within their Precinct taking down the Names of all the Inhabitants in Writing and seizing the Persons of those whom they suspect The Prisons are fill'd with People of all Ranks and the Nobles are sent to the Castle of the Wood of Vinciennes 'T is said the King has a List of many Thousands of Conde's Party in Paris who design'd on a prefix'd Day to take up Arms for that Prince and that their Example wou'd have been follow'd all over the Kingdom God knows what is in the Hearts of these Infidels I am sure Mahmut is wholly a Stranger to their Plots Tho' last Year I receiv'd certain Instructions from the Vizir Azem commanding me to act secretly in the Prince of Conde's Behalf to abett the Faction and use all the Endeavours and Art I could to raise a New Party for him among the Courtiers But I wav'd so dangerous an Employment by proposing to him the vast Expences it wou'd require and the Necessity of sending some Extraordinary Embassy to this Court to countenance the Business To tell thee the Truth I esteem'd it a Thing Impracticable and a mere Caprice of that Active Bassa who had a Natural Kindness for Rebels and delighted to have a Hand in difficult Undertakings whether there was any Likelyhood of Success or not But he is dead and let that atone for all his Rebellions when he had the Command of Aleppo I love not to load the departed Souls with Accusations What I have to say is in my own Vindication who cou'd not approve his Politick Chimaera In Regard had it succeeded no Profit or Advantage wou'd from thence arise to the Ottoman Empire And had it been discover'd not only I and all the Secrets of my Commission wou'd have lain open to the Infidels but also it wou'd have been an Eternal Dishonour and Blemish to the High Resplendent Port to be found guilty of violating in so notorious a Manner the Faith it had given to the most Ancient and Puissant Monarchy among the Nazarenes Besides I knew not but this Minister had a private Grudge against me for accusing him formerly to the Divan when he held Correspondence with the Venetians and that he study'd this Way
precise in relating the Transactions of the Twelve Tribes which descended from them even down to the Present Age. I do not insist on this to teach thee something whereof thou art Ignorant but to put thee in Mind of the Benefit and Advantage besides the vast Delight which accrues to a Nation by thus preserving the Memoirs of their Ancestors In which my Countrymen have exceeded the Fidelity and Care of all other People Had it not been for the Industry of Arabian Writers the History of the whole Saracen Empire the Succession of the Caliphs with their Wars and Conquests would have been either quite lost to this Age or at least much deprav'd and falsify'd by the Malice of Christian and Persian Authors both Equally Enemies to the Truth By which it is Evident that every Nation ought to Register their own Transactions What therefore I chiefly aim at is That the Glorious Osmans who have by their Valour enter'd into the Possessions and Territories of many Ancient Nations might also be acquainted with the Histories of those People whose Lands they Enjoy But above all I wish that after they have found a way to so much Wealth and Honour they would not lose themselves and their own Original I speak of the Turks properly so call'd the Descendants of the Scythians who by some were esteem'd the most Ancient Nation on Earth a People form'd by Nature for the Empire of the World were never Conquer'd themselves yet spread their Victories over all Asia They routed Zopyrio a General of Alexander the Great and drove back a huffing King of Egypt with Shame and Loss to his own Country In fine they were a People Naturally Just Temperate Hardy and Endu'd with all the Excellent Qualities which the Philosophy of the Greeks and Romans cou'd never Inspire into their Subjects though they aim'd at it These were the People O Oracle of Believers from whom the present Turks descend And is it not a Shame that they can give no other Account of their Ancestors but what they borrow from the Christians who in the mean Time reproach the Mussulmans with Ignorance and Barbarism 'T is for this Reason I renew the same Request to thee which I often made to thy Predecessor that Learning may be encourag'd Let all the Ancient Records and Histories of the Greeks and Romans be sought out and Translated by Men skillful in Languages into the Familiar Speech of the Ottomans Some I know are already Common among the Grandees as Herodotus Plutarch and others but let not any Credible Writer be wanting In doing this thou wilt put a Check to the Scoffs of Infidels augment the Honour and Interest of the Moselmans and leave an Immortal Name behind thee on Earth Which will make thy Joys in Paradise more sweet to an Infinity of Ages Paris 19th of the 3d. Moon of the Year 1657. LETTER XIII To the Kaimacham ALL Europe except the French and Suedes hangs down the Head for the Death of the German Emperour He went to the Immortals on the 2d Day of this Moon after a long Fit of Sickness and Forty Nine Years Life on Earth Nathan Ben Saddi the Agent of the Port at Vienna informs me That on the same Day whereon the Emperour died the Imperial Palace took Fire on a sudden and with such Impetuosity that a great Part of it was presently consum'd and the King of Hungary and Bohemia the Emperour's Son narrowly escap'd with his Life This is esteem'd a bad Omen to the Empire And without being Superstitious I can assure thee That Germany is in a very bad Condition at this Juncture The Electors are so divided on the Score of Religion and their Secular Interests and Allyances That in all Probability they will not with Ease decide the Succession The Duke of Brandenburgh having United himself to the Suedes will not consent to the Installing Leopoldus Ignatius Josephus the Emperour's Son because that Prince supports the Cause of the Poles and Danes The Palatine of Heydelberg and Duke of Bavaria are at odds about their Private Pretensions The Duke of Saxony wou'd fain be Emperour himself or have one at least of the Lutheran Religion And the Rest are so incens'd against the House of Austria that it is thought none but the Ecclesiastick Princes will vote for the King of Hungary and Bohemia So that there being no King of the Romans to claim the Succession by the Laws of the Empire the Throne is like to be Vacant yet a while Cardinal Mazarini who watches all Opportunities to Aggrandize his Master has dispatch'd away several Couriers into Germany to negotiate privately with the Electors and concert those Measures which will be most for the Interest of France And I tell thee this Minister has no small Influence on the Elector of Colen and Prince Palaetine of the Rhine Besides thou wilt say he goes the Right Way to Work when thou shalt know that he makes Use of the French Gold to compass his Designs No sooner did the News of the Emperour's Death arrive at this Court but it was observ'd the Cardinal took up a Hundred Thousand Pistoles of the Publick Banquiers in this City And every Body guess'd how 't wou'd be dispos'd The Portugueze Embassador at this Court has caus'd Extraordinary Fire-works to be play'd on the River Seyne before the Palace of the King in Honour of his Master's Coronation the Young King of Portugal But the Spaniards are preparing more destructive Fire-works on the Frontiers of that Kingdom being ready to enter it with an Army of Sixteen Thousand Men to recover the Portugueze Crown In sending thee these Intelligences Sage Minister I am not concern'd for the Infidels Who dies or who lives who rises or who falls is all one to Mahmut provided the Grand Signior's Health Life and Happiness be augmented And this I speak as an Arabian and True Believer Paris 30th of the 4th Moon of the Year 1657. LETTER XIV To Raba Mahomet General of the Ottoman Forces at his Camp near Adrianople THE Sacred Empire of True Believers is beset at this Time with Infidels Rebels and Hereticks Here are many Rumours spread abroad concerning the Persians and the Interest they have in the Bassa and Citizens of Babylon They talk also that some Male-contents design Things which ought not to be nam'd God has given me Two Ears and I hear these Discourses with both but I entertain them with one Unchangeable Judgment That they are only the Whispers of Fame which has a Thousand Double Tongues If it be true that the Four Chiauses who were dispatch'd to Babylon from the Grand Signior to confirm the Inhabitants of that City in their Allegiance and assure them of speedy Succours were Murder'd by the disloyal Citizens I doubt not but 't is as true That the Plague has consum'd the Greatest Part of the Red-heads in their Camp at Aransacat What tho' these Babylonian Mungrels cry Long Live the King of Persia The rest of the Empire
with true Zeal and Devotion pray for the Health and Prosperity of the Grand Signior What tho' the Sultan has sworn by God and his Throne by the Heavens and Earth That he will go against the Venetians in Person The Mufti can easily absolve him in Case of Supreme Necessity when his Presence is requisite against the more Accursed Kysilbaschi 'T is probable the Osman Monarchy may be much embarass'd by Domestick Troubles and Foreign Wars Yet he that founded it and is the Conservator of Ages will out of these very Distempers and Evils produce a good Constitution of Health in the State and a Firmer Establishment against all Enemies In the mean while the Venetians are very busy in their Levies at Home and in making Interests abroad Couriers are perpetually posting up and down Christendom to and from that City They wou'd willingly have all the Business of Europe superseded for their Sakes Every where 't is whisper'd There 's some Grand Design a foot against the Turks but no body knows what And I tell thee France Spain Germany Poland Sueden and the Rest of the Nazarene Kingdoms are too much entangl'd among themselves to have any Thoughts of medling with Remote Affairs The Poles wou'd have had the German Emperour taken that Crown in Vassalage on Condition of Protecting it from the Suedes But whilst the Emperour was alive he weigh'd the Difficulties and refus'd so Chargeable an Offer Now he is lately dead and the Empire is hardly capable to defend it self Differences are newly risen between the Duke of Bavaria and the Elector Palatine of Heydelburg each claiming the Right to be Vicar of the Empire during the Vacancy And they are preparing on both Sides to dispute the Matter with the Sword Whilst the King of Sueden smiles secretly at their Intestine Quarrels resolving to be reveng'd on Germany for the Assistance they have given to Casimir King of Poland At the same Time the Danes are Arming and Equipping by Sea and Land to Demand Justice of the Suedes Whilst the cunning Moscovite stands aloft amusing all Parties with specious Pretexts but designing only to play his own Game and espouse that Quarrel which will bring him most Booty Prince Ragotski promises fair to the Suedes but 't is thought will prove false in the End The Counsels of these Vncircumcised are full of Treachery They are infatuated blinded and know not what they do The Case is as bad in Spain where the King is making vast Preparations to enter Portugal and claim that Crown hoping to make Advantage of their Domestick Factions since the Death of Dom Juan de Braganza the late Portuguese King Not considering that the French are like to find him Work enough in Italy Flanders and Catalonia besides the Continual Damages he receives by Sea from the English and the Losses he sustains in America I tell thee in a Word all Europe is at this Time in such a Hurly-Burly that they have no Leisure to attend our Motions in the East every Kingdom and State being wholly busy'd in their own Affairs And Venice can rely on Nothing but her own Strength Go on then Brave General of the Army destin'd to Chastise these Infidels and let nothing discourage thee from pursuing the Aims of Honour and Religion Let the proud Franks know That there is a Sword drawn in the East which will never be put up till it has not only cut off the Exteriour Members but even ript up the Bowels of the Western Empire The Inhabitants of Sicily are in great Consternation by Reason of a fresh Eruption of Fire fron Mount Aetna or Mount Gibel whereby the City Catanea and Adjacent Parts are much in Danger and the Ashes are scatter'd all over the Island This Mountain has at Times flam'd forth in an Extraordinary Manner from Immemorable Ages and in all Probability will continue to do so till the Day of Judgment There is like to be a New Quarrel between France and Holland The latter complaining that they have had above Three Hundred Merchant Ships taken from 'em by the French within these Seven Years Upon which they have stopt Two Vessels belonging to this Kingdom and Misunderstandings encrease apace between them In the mean Time the German Court is preparing to chuse a New Emperour His Son is the Person design'd for this Dignity if the Electors do not oppose it His Name is Leopoldus Ignatius Josephus King of Hungary and Bohemia He lies sick of a dangerous Disease not less loathsome than the Plague And now I have mention'd this Scourge of God it will not be amiss to inform thee that in Rome and Naples where it has rag'd these Eleven Moons and has destroy'd a Hundred and Eighty Thousand People 't is not now to be heard of Commerce is restor'd Publick Courts sit Ambassadors have Audience and all Things run in their wonted Channel Yet in Genoua they feel it still The Souls of these Infidels are Infected with an Infernal Pestilence and therefore God rains Curses on them whilst the Elect in all Nations are preserv'd from all Evil being mark'd in the Forehead by the Angel of Health Paris 15th of the 5th Moon of the Year 1657. LETTER XV. To Cara Hali Physician to the Grand Signior I Have encounter'd a Passage in the History of the First Caliphs which a little entangles me My Faith is disjoynted Thou know'st we Mussulmans believe that Abu Becre was the True Successor of the Prophet Yet when I consider that he attain'd the Sovereignty by Surprize without the Consent of the Mussulmans I know not what to think of it After the Death of the Messenger of God the Inhabitants of Mecca and Medina rais'd a Sedition and took up Arms each Challenging the Right of Election to themselves When to prevent the Ill Consequences of this Tumult Abu-Becre and Omar immediately came to them and to end the Controversy Omar stretching forth his Hand to Abu-Becre saluted him Caliph and lifting up his Hand to Heaven swore Allegiance to him Which Example suddenly prevail'd on others and so the Tumult was appeas'd Yet Omar himself seem'd to repent of what he had done For a while after he was heard to say Assuredly the Inauguration of Abu-Becre was a Rash Vnadvis'd Thing God avert the Evil which may result from it But let it be a Law That if any one hereafter shall presume to do as I have done and swear Fealty to another without the Assent of the Mussulmans he shall be put to Death But that which is of greatest Moment with me is that Ali Eb'n Abi Taleb the Son-in-Law of the Prophet was not present at this Election who had as much Right to the Caliphate as any of them if not more At least he had a Right to Vote And when he first heard the News he protested against what they had done as Null and Invalid in Regard they had not consulted him Certainly Ali Eb'n Abi Taleb was a Matchless Hero performing Miracles of Valour in
Tribe and Name of her next Husband He told her He was an Arabian of Mecca of the Tribe of the Corei's and that his Name was Mahomet As yet the Prophetick Widow knew Nothing of the Nephew of Abu-Taleb But thou may'st imagine she felt strange Passions when his Uncle afterwards recommended him to her Service and she knew that he was the Man in whom the Astrologer's Character was verifi'd as to his Country Tribe and Name For Mahomet was the Son of Abdalla who descended from the Bani Haschim who were the Noblest Family in the Tribe of the Corei's Who can express her Sentiments when she saw the Beautiful Youth making his First Addresses to her as an humble Slave whom she believ'd Heaven had ordain'd for the Partner of her Bed With what a Grace and becoming Modesty did he receive the last Instructions and Farewel of his parting Uncle However she conceal'd her Transports and sent her beloved Slave with a Caravan into Syria allowing him a Noble Pension In that Journey there happen'd something very Remarkable in Honour of the Admirable Young Man For at a certain Place on the Road as he waited on the Captain of the Caravan to a Synagogue of the Jews no sooner had Mahumed set his Foot o'er the Threshold of the Synagogue but all the Lamps therein were loosen'd from their Chains and fell down on the Floor All those of thy Nation that were present being astonished at the Portentous Accident fell at the Feet of the Rabbies desiring their Advice in this amazing Circumstance They having perform'd the accustom'd Ceremonies and Expiations answer'd It is revealed in the Traditions of the Seniors That at what Time soever an Arabian call'd Mahomet shall be present at our Solemnities God shall remove the Candlestieks out of their Place It is therefore most certain that such a one is now among us let him not escape our Hands lest Reproach and Contempt come on Israel But behold whilst they were busy in searching for the Cause of this Prodigy Two Angels conveyed Mahomet to Mecca where he soon after married Chadijah It were easy to recount many more Miracles in the Life of the Prophet such as that of the Cloud Overshadowing him the Eagle perching on his Head when he was asleep the Trees and Stones proclaiming him the Apostle of God And if we were to make Parallels I think the Stupendous Descent which the Moon made at the Prayer of the Divine Messenger comes not far short of the Celebrated Disorder on Mount Sinai when your Law was delivered by Moses If thou requirest Undoubted Testimonies for the Truth of this Miracle on Our Side offer something that is Unquestionable on thy Own We both equally confide in the Different Records of our Nations which were penn'd by Men as liable to Temptations and Errors of all Sorts as thou and I and all that believe what they write Therefore unless thou canst start some more Infallible Authority to prove the Eternal and Universal Obligation of your Law than I can to the Contrary thou liest under a manifest Disadvantage Since I profess with our Holy Prophet and all the Mussulmans that the Alcoran contains Nothing Repugnant to the Law of Moses but is only a more Perfect and Complete Idea of the Divine Will And that as Moses was the Lawgiver of the Sons of Isaac so Mahomet was the Apostle of the Sons of Ismael and the Seal of all the Prophets Use thy own Reason and rather be of no Religion than in the Number of those to whom it shall be said at the Last Day Drink ye Worshippers of Ozair and be damn'd for ever Paris 10th of the 9th Moon of the Year 1657. LETTER XXI To Dicheu Hussein Bassa THere has been a mighty Quarrel of late between the French and Spanish Embassadors at the Hague about Precedency The Occasion was this One Evening the French Embassador was Riding in a Coach in a Place where the Spanish Embassador met him in another Coach and both striving for the Upper Hand they met with their Horses Heads one against another and so stood still There was presently a Tumult of People gathered about them And the French being most respected many Gentlemen came in to his Side with Swords and Pistols and all Things seemed to portend a Combat But the Magistrates having Notice of this Disturbance sent some of the Guards to keep the Peace and defend the Embassadors from any Attempts of the Rabble In the mean while several Great Lords walked to and fro between the Embassadors proposing Expedients of Accommodation But it being at the very Juncture when the French Embassador had received the News of the Surrender of Montmedi he wou'd not in the least yield to any Terms So that at last the Spaniard was forced to drive out of the Way thinking it a Matter of sufficient Triumph That he had stopp'd the French Embassador so long There is a Post come in from Denmark who brings News of the Total Destruction of Itzchow by Fire This was a Town belonging to the Danes and was fir'd by the King of Sweden's Order The Danes are very Unfortunate of late Years they make no Figure in Europe There is a Period set to the Grandeur of every Kingdom and State and the Danes were once very Victorious and Formidable but now their Monarchy declines apace to make Way for the Rising Lustre of the Suedes By Sea the Dunkirkers make a great Noise They have lately taken from the French Twenty Merchant Vessels and from the English near half that Number But if they have not better Fortune than their Neighbours the French will take their City from them e'er long Every Campagne makes a fair Advance toward it I sent an Account already to the Kaimacham of the Surrender of Montmedi one of the most Important Places in Christendom Now I acquaint thee that St. Venant which has not so great a Character yet Considerable enough has yielded upon Articles This was done on the 28th of the last Moon At this Rate the French Priests will have little else to do but to sing Te Deum for their repeated Successes and Victories From Portugal we hear that that Court to secure themselves the better against the Spaniards have sent to implore the Assistance of Morocco and Fez Which is much censur'd among the Nazarenes Others say they are only Messengers gone to buy up all the Horses they can get in that Country In the mean while the King of France is taking all the Politick Measures he can for the Empire of the West His Embassadors in Germany appear with a Magnificent Train of Three Hundred Men and they style their Master His most Christian Majesty King of France and Navarre Sovereign Prince in Germany and Italy Which last is look'd upon as a Fair Step to the Title of Emperour The Counsels of the German Court are not a little disturb'd to hear that our Invincible Forces are approaching toward the Confines of Hungary It will
put some Stop to the design'd Election Besides they cannot agree among themselves about a Successor The Queen Christina of Sueden is come back again into this Kingdom being frighted out of Italy a Second Time by the Return of the Plague There is a War commenc'd between the City of Munster and the Bishop of that Place So that he has laid a Formal Siege to it and presses them very close All this is of no such Importance as the News that I receive from Constantinople which assures me that the Mussulmans have retaken the Isles of Tenedos and Lemnos tho' with some Loss of Men. I wish they cou'd as easily drive the Venetians out of the Archipelago and then the Imperial City would have no longer Reason to complain for Want of Bread Paris 10th of the 9th Moon of the Year 1657. LETTER XXII To Dgnet Oglou I Know not what 's the Matter but most of my Friends are of late grown strange to me They write but seldom and then their Letters are full of Reserves as if they suspected my Integrity Or that because I am Commanded to inform the Divan of all Criminal Practices therefore they are afraid to communicate their Sentiments with the same Freedom as formerly tho' on Themes no Ways belonging to the State but purely Speculative and the Common Discourse of all Sensible Men. Are you become more Morose and Rigid at Constantinople than you were Twenty Years ago In those Days I remember it was Common in the Publick Coffee-Hans for Mussulmans Greeks Curds and Franks or Men of any other Religion to meet together and vent their Thoughts with Liberty No Man being willing to be Stigmatiz'd with the Character of a Clown for taking Offence at another's Faith tho' different from his own It was then esteem'd a Point of Gallantry to favour the Christians of all Sects and let 'em talk and act as they pleas'd provided they Blasphem'd not God or his Prophets And they themselves wou'd have Condemn'd any of their own Party who shou'd have been Guilty of such an Immorality and Affront to the Established Religion of the Mussulmans and the General Sence of Mankind But why then is the same Liberty retrenched now and that among Mussulmans who are Intimate Friends Is it not now as Lawful for us to converse with one another by Letter or any other Way as it was then to enter into Dialogues with Infidels I would not encourage or imitate the Bold and Prophane Efforts of their Wit who deny the Being of a God or utter Blasphemies against his Messenger The whole Vniverse is an Irrefragable Testimony of an Eternal and Omnipotent Nature And the Alcoran is an Evident Proof of the Sanctity and Indispensible Commission of Our Holy Lawgiver But I hope 't is no Crime to enter into Speculations of Things liable to Controversy At least I will venture to disclose to thee my Thoughts who art the most Agreeable of all my Friends I tell thee my dear Gnet it appears to me Ridiculous and like the Quarrels of Children for Moselmans to wrangle about mere Trifles in Religion and that the Resign'd to God shou'd be Zealous for the Whimsies of Men. One Party believes the Alcoran is Eternal Another says 't is Created In my Opinion they are both Absurd Assertions The First because then it will follow That there are more Eternals than One which is a fair Step to Polytheism and Idolatry The Second is only an Impropriety of Speech For we do not usually say of any Writing That it is Created but Pen'd I can easily believe the Manifold Descents of Gabriel from Heaven when he brought down the Hundred and Four Sheets of Science and Faith But whether Adam had only Ten of these Sheets or One and Twenty as some say Or whether his Son Seth had but Twenty Nine of them or Fifty according to Others is not Material according to my Faith It is Possible Edris had no more nor less than Thirty and Abrahim our Father just Ten of these Divine Manuscripts Of this we are sure That the Volume of the Law was sent to Moses the Psalms to David the Gospel to Jesus the Son of Mary and the Mighty Alcoran to Mahomet the Seal of the Prophets It is as easy for me to believe the Celestial Pen with which all these Manuscripts were written to be of some Admirable Substance But why it shou'd be made of Pearls rather than of Diamonds or any other Jewels I see no Reason Or that it shou'd be a Journey of Fifty Years for the Swifrest Horse in Arabia to run from one End of it to the other Yet if I have not Faith enough for these Things I will not be Angry with those that have Let every Man enjoy his Phancy But I cannot be so Indifferent when I hear Men tell me That God has a Body like Ours with Eyes Ears Nose Hands Tongue and all other Members and Organs of Life Sence Speech and Morion That he is subject to Passions of Love Hatred Anger Grief and all the Affections that are Common to Mortals Yet thou knowest there is a Sect of Mussulmans who believe all this and preach it to others with great Assurance What is this but to set up an Idol in the Place of God For the Original of all Idolatry was the Vain Presumption of Men who represented the Incomprehensible Divinity under some Common Visible Figure of Men or Beasts If we must assign a Body to God it wou'd seem more Rational to adhere to their Opinion among the Sephatim who say his Body is Infinite Vncircumscrib'd and beyond all Form Neither is it of any Import that the Western Philosophers assert It is of the Essence of all Bodies to be Circumscrib'd and Finite Since though this may be readily granted true of Particular Bodies yet must it ever be deny d of the Immense and Vniversal Body out of which the World is Form'd Unless they will allow an Unlimited and Interminate Unbody'd Space which is more Unintelligible and Absurd Doubtless if the Eternal Mind has a Body 't is Expanded Wide as the Endless Aether and Equally Present in all Places Neither can this Body be any more Circumscrib'd Confin'd or shut up in any Place than the Light of the Sun can be Restrain'd within a Room or Separated from its Source by the drawing of a Curtain For all the World is Pervious to this Infinite Body which is altogether Indivisible into Parts even as that which we call a Spirit In a Word we must conceive it to be simple and uncompounded the Finest and First Matter of the Vniverse But if thou wilt have my Opinion all this is Infinitely too low and narrow an Idea of that Eternal and most Exalted Essence that Intellectual Beauty which no Mortal Eye has seen no Tongue or Pen can describe the smallest Glimpse of whose Ineffable Majesty falling on the Thoughts of Holy Men and Prophets snatches away their Souls in Sacred Passions and Divine Exstasies