have gain'd on both sides God Almighty prosper and direct you to compleat it What you send to me pray let be clear to avoid Replies and that Count Marsigli may be perfectly instructâ—d who knowing the pâ—sture and â—â—moâ—r of Affairs here will I hope expedite their Counsels and resolve them The Iuncture seems very favourable and the Allies I believe very pressing this Opportunity lost God knows the Consequences Senior Marsigli will tell your Lordship some things I have charged to his Memory and desire your Lordship to send to my Lord Nottingham My haste and length of Letters will not permit me to use Cypher at present I have presumed to write to His Imperial Majesty and most of the Ministers to acknowledge my Obligations and readiness in their Interests which I humbly beg of your Lordship to deliver and if the Bearer who goes directly to your Lordâ—â—ip be present he can supply all that is deficient God Almighty prosper your good Offices I am with all Respect My LORD Your Lordship 's Most Devoted Servant William Hussey In the last Month of Iuly we left the two Ambassadors Sir William Hussey and the Heeâ— Collier at Adrianople where having received the News of the total Defeat of the Turkish Army with the Death of the Grand Vizier a stop was given to their present Motion towards Belgrade with intention to proceed with the New Vizier thither and there to reassume the Mediation towards a Peace for which the present Conjuncture seemed very seasonable The New Vizier was called Ali Pasha had been Pasha of Scio and Kahya or Deputy to Kupriogli the Grand Vizier now slain in Battle But whilst they were meditating of these Matters and preparing to accompany the New Vizier in 10 or 12 Days as was given out unto Belgrade it pleased God that the English Ambassador Sir William Hussey fell Sick and Died the 14th of September after 13 Days of Sickness at Adrianople he was a Person much lamented by all for his excellâ—nt Qualities and Experience in the Affairs of Turkey of which he had learned much at Aleppo and there gained a good Estate with which returning for England he Married the Daughter of that Worthy Person and Citizen Sir Iohn Buckworth after whose Death he was chosen by the Levant Company to be their Deputy-Governour in the Place of Sir Iohn Buckworth his Father-in-Law Deceased in which Office having acquitted himself for some Years with much Honour he was afterwards sent by King William and Queen Mary to succeed Sir William Trumball in that Embassy His Excellent Lady resolving to accompany him in all his Travels and Dangers patiently bore and sustained all the Fatigues and Inconveniencies of a Journey over Land which was never performed before by any other English Ambassador designed for Turkey who were always Transported either in the Companies own Ships or the King's Men of War by Sea But now things had changed their Face and as it was dangerous whilst the French were Masters of the Mediterranean Seas to expose those rich Ships to the danger of the Enemy so it was thought most convenient to hasten the Journey of the Ambassador by Land and that taking the Imperial Court at Vienna in his way he might there receive such Instructions from the Emperor and his Allies the King of Poland and the State of Venice as were most proper at that time in order to a Peace with the Sultan of which King William of England and the States of Holland offered themselves by their Ambassadors to be the Mediators Upon this Occasion Sir William Hussey with his Lady remained some Months at Vienna before he could procure his Dispatches and then the Winter coming on when the Danube was frozen up he departed not from Vienna until the Spring and arrived as we have related before in the Month of Iune of this present Year And whereas the Mediation of this Peace was of high Concernment to all Europe we shall here insert the Methods Rules and Instructions which the Emperor and his Allies gave to the English Ambassador in this Matter The first Paper given to Sir William Hussey at Vienna was dated March 1691 and called Informations for the English Ambassador designed to be Mediator of the Peace at Constantinople and which may serve to obviate the Objections which the Turks may make Annotata ad informationem à Dominis Ablegatis Turcicis ultimò exhibitam pro informatione Excellentissimi Domini Legati Anglici ad Portam Ottomanicam proficiscentis MISSIS omnibus iis quae Negotii tractandi substantiam alterare non videntur ad ea tantùm respondere visum fuit quae praedictam substantiam tangunt vel contra Legationis jura admissa praetenduntur à praefatis Portae Ottomanicae Doâ—minis Ablegatis ad concludendam pacem huc Missis Quorum in ordine primùm occurrit quod Domini Ablegati Turcici in praeterita sua informatione de Colloquio inter Eminentissimum Dominum Cardinalem à Kollonitsch illos in Coenobio PP Augustinianorum extra urben instituto commemorant in quo parum refert an Dominus Cardinalis à Kollonitsch illos Ablegatos Turcicos an verò hi praefatum Dominum Cardinalem à Kollonitsch ad Colloquium illud invitaverint in eo tamen substantia posita est quod nunc asseverent Domini Ablegati Turcici propositionem quam se Domini Cardinali à Kollonitsch tùm fecisse fatentur non ex mandato Portae verùm propriâ mentis occurrentià nunc demùm se fecisse profiteantur etenim saepe saepius per literas interrogati num super illa tractare sufficienter instructi sint Non tantùm se adaequata Plenipotentia provisos constanter responsoriis suis affirmarunt verùm etiam patefactam sibi diffidentiam Ministerii Caesarei super hac qualitate conceptam saepius repetitam aegrè demum ferre coeperunt quaestiuncularum inutilium nomine appellantes moram principali negotio per haec fieri questi sunt quod si ab initio statim ejusmodi propositionem Domino Cardinali factam non ex Portae mandato sed suâ tantùm privatâ mente originem ducere professi fuissent Ministerium Caesareum vel ejusmodi propositionem planè ab initio non recepisset vel de modo legis timandae dictae propositionis dictis Dominis Ablegatis temperamentum aliquod idoneum suggessisset quam circumstantiam cùm tacuissent tacere perseverassent Domini Ablegati Turcici eam nunc demum professi satis constat unde mora illorum detentionis causa processerit cui consequenter imputanda sit nam saepius per literas interrogati num puncta proposita Domino Cardinali à Kollonitsch ipsis copialiter transmissa menti suae conformia essent Affirmative responderunt quamvis non super iis quae Domino Cardinali à Kollonitsch proposita fuerunt aliquis Tractationis motus à Caesareo Ministerio ostensus sed tùm demùm fides rei adhibita fuit cum hanc ob causam
and his rest in Paradise This Paternal Empire and Monarchical Kingdom hath almost untill this present blessed time been always hereditary from Grandfather to Father from Father to Son and so cursively on that manner but having regard unto the Age and Years of our great and noble Vncle Sultan Mustapha he was preferred and honoured to sit on the Othoman Throne and being settled for some time took care for the Affairs of the Empire and for all that might concern the People both in general and particular But he having been many years retired in Solitariness and given to Devotion and Divine Obedience being also as it were wearied with the cares of the Empire of his own accord withdrew himself from the Government for that the Diadem and Scepter of the Empire of the seven Climates was the true Right and Inheritance of our most excellent Majesty of the which with the meeting and consent of all the Visiers and other Deputies of State of the Primate of the Mussulman Law and of the other honourable Doctors of the Souldiers and of all Subjects both publick and private the Almighty God hath made an high Present and worthy Gift unto us And in the happy day in the beginning of the Moon Rebea-il-evel of this present Year 1027 in an expected time and in an acceptable hour was our blessed and happy sitting establish'd upon the most fortunate Othoman Throne the Seat and Wisdom of Solomon In the Pulpits of all the Mosques the Congregations of the faithful and Devotion of the Musselmen throughout all our Dominions is read to our Imperial Name the Hutbeh And in the Mints where innumerable Sums of money are coined as well upon the Silver as the Gold our happy Name and Stamp is signed And our most powerful Commandments are obeyed in all the Parts and Dominions of the World and the brightness of the Light of the Sun of Iustice and Equity hath caused the darkness of Injuries and Molestations to vanish away Now seeing it hath been an ancient Custom of our famous Predecessors to give notice of the same unto such Princes as are in sincere Friendship and do continue it with the House of great Majesty and our Imperial Court We also have written these our princely Letters and appointed for their Bearer the choice among his Equals Hussein Chiaus whose Power is great one of the honoured and respected Servants of our magnificent Port the refuge of the World to the end that such News might cause great joy of our most honourable Assumption And we do hope that when they shall come to your hands in conformity of the well grounded friendship upon the sure League Articles and Writings which hath been established of old with our most Royal Race and permanent Empire you will manifest infinite Ioy and Gladness and certifie as much to the Rulers and Governours of the Dominions and Countries under you that they may know that the Articles of Peace and League and the points of the Oath which are firm and to be desired on both parts from the time of our Grand-father and Predecessor of Royal Stock now in Paradise whose Souls God inlighten undoubtedly during the time of our Reign shall be observed with all respect And let there not be the least imagination of any want of due observance of the signs of Friendship on our part or by any manner of means on your part for the violating the Foundation of the Peace and League The Copy of a Letter written by Halil Baâ—sa chief Visier and General in the Expedition against the Persian at his Return from the Wars to the City of Senit in April 1618 unto Sir Paul Pinder Knight then Ambassador for the King's Majesty at Constantinople The Humble Visier Halil Bassa TO the courteous Lord of the Nation of the Messiah both great and honourable among the people of Jesus and the true Determiner of Christian Affairs our good Friend Paul Pinder the English Ambassador whose latter days be with all felicity To whose noble presence after our many kind Salutations tending to all good Affection and manifestation of Ioy worthy and beseeming our Friendship our loving Advice is this That if you desire to hear of our Estate and Being you shall understand that after we departed from the happy Port with the Army for the Wars of Asia we arrived and wintered in Mesopotamia and removing thence in the Spring with all the Musselman Host always victorious we went to Van from which place untill we came to Tauris the Mussulman Army went on always sacking and destroying all those Places and Towns of the Persians which we met withal by the way in those parts where were burnt pillaged and ruined some thousands of Villages and tormenting all those people that came to hand And when we were come near to Tauris the General of the Persian Forces of perverse Religion called Carelghai Han the accursed retired himself into the said Tauris where beating up his Drums in every quarter he made a shew that he had a will to fight so we sent a little before us some Tartars and others of our Army to hearken out and take notice of the Enemy who meeting with seven or eight hundred Persians of note put them to the Sword very few escaping and that with very great difficulty and hazard by which the said General finding himself unable to resist the power and fury of the Mussulman Host or to stay any longer in the said place the very same day that we arrived there the said General having spoiled all the City sled away so we took the place ransacked it and burned all the Buildings Towers Gardens and whatsoever else we found in it And thus the great City Tauris by Divine Favour and Grace became ours Then forthwith we sent after the Enemy the Tartar with some Beglerbegs who overtaking them gave them Battel and albeit some of ours did fall yet they which fell on the Enemies side were innumerable And so going forward towards Erdevil their obscure Residence about ten days Iourney of the Country we went burning and sâ—oiling it and killing all the Persians that we met that indeed there was so much glory and honour won as that all the ancient men of the Country do affirm there was never seen the like insomuch that from the Confines of Erdevil twenty days Iourney of the Countâ—y was on that manner by us destroyed Thus afterward the King caused to empty the said place of Erdevil and sled into a place called Hulchal and caused his Army to go to the top of a high Mountain from whence having sent three or four times men of Quality unto us seeking and intreating for peace with promise to give yearly to our Emperour an hundred Somes of Silk and all such places as are upon the Confines gotten in the time of Sultan Solyman except Der Ne and Der Tink wherewith we were contented with the peace and his Ambassador is upon the way coming toward us And so
by His Majesty for Ambassador to the Grand Signior in the place of Sir Daniel Harvey who dyed in August 1672. at his Country-house not far from Constantinople His Excellency entred the City on the first day of Ianuary 1673 4. rejoycing the English Factory with the sight of their new Ambassador that Office having been now void for the space of sixteen months who was welcome also to people of the Country judging him fortunate for arriving at the Feast of their great Biram nor less pleasing was the News thereof to the Court especially to the late Pasha of Tunis whose Goods and Monies taken by one Dominico Franceschi out of an English Ship called the Mediterranean in her passage from Tunis to Tripoli this Ambassador had recovered from Ligorne and Malta which being an action without example was greatly admired and applauded by the Turks and esteemed an evident demonstration of that great Interest and Power which the Glory of our King hath acquired in Foreign parts and of the singular dexterity of such a Minister About the 18 th of March Sir Iohn Finch arrived at Constantinople being transported to the Dardanelli on his Majesties Fregat the Centurion and thence on a Gally hired at Smyrna for that purpose Some few days after his arrival the Grand Signior and Vizier being at Adrianople the Lord Ambassador had audience of the Chimacam whom he saluted with this speech I am come Ambassadour from Charles the Second King of England Scotland France and Ireland sole Lord and Soveraign of all the Seas that environ his Kingdoms Lord and Soveraign of vast territories and possessions in the East and West-Indies Defender of the Christian Faith against all those that Worship Idols or Images To the most Powerful and mighty Emperor of the East to maintain that peace which hath been so useful and that commerce which hath been so profitable to this Empire For the continuance and encrease whereof I promise you in my station to contribute what I can and I promise to my self that you in your will do the like But to proceed to the Wars The Pâ—landers being thus prosperous made use of their success and the sharp cold of the Winter-sâ—ason to make their Incursions and Winter-quarters through all the Principalities of Moldavia for they being born in cold Countries and accustomed to the Snows and Frosts were more patient and enduring of extremity of weather than were the Turks who were brought forth from more mild and moderate Climates so that neither could the Poles be driven out from those Countries nor Keminitz be relieved by them until such time that the Sun getting high and thawing the Snows and warming the Earth prepared a season fit for return of the Turks who marching according to their custom with an Army composed of great multitudes quickly compelled the Poles to retire For the Grand Signior and Vizier having both seated their Winter-quarters on the Banks of the Danâ—be were ready at the first opening of the Summer to enter their Arms into the Enemies Countries and having called the Tartars to their assistance did according to the usual custom make Incursions for depredation of Slaves Cattel and whatsoever else was portable in a running March. The Chan or King of this People was at that time greatly indisposed in his health of which he advised the Great Vizier as if he intended thereby to obtain a release from his personal attendance that year in the War But the Vizier who either supposed this excuse to be only a pretence or that he had a kindness for his Person immediately dispatched away his own Physician called Signior Masselini an Italian born a worthy Learned man a good Christian and my intimate Friend with whom maintaining a constant correspondence by Letters he wrote me That from the Grand Signiors Quarters which were at Batadog near the Banks of the Danube he arrived after seventeen days Journey in Chrim where he said he was received with singular honour and kindness by the Great Chan whom he found to be a Prince of admirable prudence gentleness and generosity but greatly afflicted with a Hypochondriacal Melancholy which being an infirmity of some years standing was with the more difficulty removed howsoever he was so far from being uncapable to follow his Army that he advised him to divert his mind with the thoughts of War which counsel having taken after thirty days abode in the Camp he found himself much more chearful than before and greatly relieved of that pressure of Melancholy and caliginous Vapours which offended his Brain We are now said he at Vssia at the Mouth of the Boristhenes which we have passed from the other side unto this where the River is nine miles brâ—ad from hence we are marching towards Bender upon the Niester to pass into Moldavid and there to joyn with the Ottoman Army The Poles have sent to demand Peace but with condition that Kemenitz be restored to them which Proposition was with great disdain rejected and will never be granted whilst this Emperour reigns These people greatly desired a Peace with Poland which the Election of Sobieski for King may probably facilitate for not only they but the Turks also dread a March into Poland and are so inveterately bent to take revenge on the Muscovites and Cosacks who lately became their Subjects that they could accept of any reasonable Terms of Accommodation with Poland I for my part found Tartary a very pleasant Country plentiful of all Provisions and the people much more courteous and obliging to the Strangers and Christians than those Turks with whom you and I have conversed Thus far Masselini writes in commendation of the Tartars and in farther confirmation hereof I have read in some Books That as to their Morals there are very few Nations to be found less vicious they are extremely severe and faithful they have no Thieves or false Witnesses amongst them little Injustice or Violence and live in union and great tranquillity the marvellous fidelity of the Captive Tartars in Poland is every day to be observed who never fail to return at the time appointed when they are licensed upon their word to go and procure their Liberties by the exchange of Polish Prisoners which they execute punctually or return themselves not failing a minute And it is observed That the Polish Gentlemen do rather trust the young Tartars which are in their Service with the keys of their Money and Jewels than any of their Houshold The time for Armies to draw out of the Winter-quarters and take the Field being now come the Grand Signior and Vizier with great numbers both of Horse and Foot passed the Danube and prosecuting their March to the Câ—nfines of Poland they relieved Kemenitz in the first place the Poles at the News of their approach rasing the Siege Thence they proceeded to Chuâ—zim a strong Fortress on the Niester taken from them in the last year by the Christians after the defeat given to Chusaein Pasha
their places and a New Governor being set up he began to make a through Reâ—ormation and to alter and change every thing according to his own humor and pleasure In the first place he gave leave to all people to Arm in Corso or to set out Private Men of War as every one pleased and was able different to the practise of the former Pasha who reserved that benefit and priviledge to himself and next it was proposed to constitute a Divan after the manner of Algier in whom the supream power of all should be lodged In order hereunto they immediately set forth to Sea six Sail of Ships from forty to fifty Guns excellent Saylors and armed them with the best and stoutest of their Men together with four more from twelve to thirty Guns with these Ships they took many prizes belonging to French Venetians and other Nations and though they had long desired to taste also of the sweetness of English Estates yet not encountring a prize worthy the trouble and evil consequences of such a breach they for some time deferred the design which they had long meditated Till at length about the Month of August 1674. they unhappily encountred the Martin a rich Ship bound from Venice to Cadiz which they carried to Tripoly and on the 17 th of September following they seconded this outrage by other of the like nature committed on the Hunter Fregat Thomas Parker Commander bound from Ligâ—rne to Smyrna whom the Tripolines meeting with six Men of War at the entrance into the Arche-pelago they brought her into the Port of Tripoly where having plundered all the strangers goods laden upon her to the import of forty thousand dollars the particulars of all which were given under Oath of the Commander the Ship was dismissed and dispeeded on her Voyage to Smyrna with no other damage to the English then the embezelment of 726 dollars robbed or pilfered by the Souldiery together which such charge as the Consul of Tripoly challenged for his service therein This news being advised into England as a breach of Peace his Majesty out of his usual and gratious care of the welfare of Trade was pleased to order Sir Iohn Narbrough his Commander in chief in the Mediterranean Seas to demand satisfaction from that people who accordingly Sailing thither and requiring restitution of the goods injuriously taken received a denial and denunciation of War. Whereupon Sir Iohn Narbrough wrote to the Consul of Smyrna in this manner These are to advertise you that the people of Tripoly have broken the peace with his Majesty they are resolved to take all the English Ships they can meet and overcome I have been there with a Squadron of his Majesties Ships to demand restitution of the goods taken out of the Martin â—nd Hunter they refuse to make any so that now it is open War with those people I am now at Malta taking in water I intend to fit at Ligorne I suppose his Majesty will have a Squadron of Ships to look after these people of Tripoly this Summer Sir I pray signify this to my Lord Ambassador at Constantinople and to all others his Majesties Subjects where you converss that they may prevent falling into their hands in hast I conclude and kiss your hand and I remain Your Humble Servant Iohn Narbrough On board his Majesties Ship Henrietta at Malta March 15th 1674 5. Sir Iohn Narbrough having fitted himself at Ligorne and recruited with an additional Squadron of six or seven Men of War he departed for Tripoly taking under his Convoy the Vyner Bristol Merchant and Mediterranean for Smyrna and now appearing before the Port of Tripoly in a formidable manner the Pyrates began to repent of their late violation knowing that they must now either disgorge their ill got goods or prove the evil effects of War their hearts began now to fail them so that they unrigged all their Ships laying them up close in the harbour and with them for the present all thoughts of roving on the Seas for supposing that the English Ships could not lye alwaies in that Station but that bad weather or want of provisions would enforce them some time to retire they hoped in that interval to find an opportunity to lanch into the Seas where being clear and good Saylors they might have room enough to escape Howsoever Sir Iohn Narbrough with his Squadron continued with such diligence of the coast plying them with continual allarms standing off to sea at night and towards the land in the day that they found not the heart nor opportunity to adventure abroad until one of their Ships which had formerly been their Rere-Admiral bound with Negroes for the Morea resolved to hazard an escape but not being able to make her passage good she was forced ashoar and burnt by our Ship most of the Negroes falling into the â—nglish hands some few days after Sir Iohn Narbrough fired three of their Galeots burnt a Satee took a fisher-boat and a Sambechin with which success being encouraged and the Enemy affrighted their Ships were blocked up in Port for some months whilst ours found free passage on the Seas until that at length growing weary of so long a demorage necessity drove them to adventure abroad which two of their best Men of War successfully effected on the 8 th of September in despight of the English Squadron year 1675. being assisted with calm weather and help of their Oares four others observing the success of the former in a few days after attempted the like and escaped in the same manner And now the Commanders of English Ships in diverse Ports taking false measures on confidence that the Tripolines were blocked up in their Ports trusted themselves with unadvised security into the Seas amongst which none was so unfortunate as a Ship called the Bristol Merchant one Plummer Commander laden with eighty two Bales of Silk besides other rich commodities bound from Smyrna to Ligorne wherâ—on were several Merchants some of which having lived many years in Smyrna had acquired plentiful Estates namely Mr. Iohn Foley Mr. Thomas Laxton Mr. Iacob Turner year 1674. Mr. Phillip Gell and Mr. Tison Nephew to Mr. Foley Persons who expected a prosperous Voyage and a happy arrival in their own Country But observe here the course of humane disappointments for being imbarked on the Ship aforesaid they set Sail from Smyrna the 10 th or 11 th of September in company with the Vyner which happened to be about two or three days after the Tripolines had first broken out of their Port these two Ships by bad weather or want of due care lost company each with other in the Arche-pelago which proved a happy fortune to the Vyner for the Bristol Merchant some few days after being off of Cape Sapientia encountred the two Tripolines which first came out of Port and being Vessels of forty to fifty Guns soon made themselves Masters of a Merchant-ship laden and of mean force The Tripolines were greatly elevated with
sustained on either part shall be quiet taken away and forgotten and this Peace shall be in fâ—ll force and vertue and continue for ever And for all Depredations and Damages that shall hereafter be Committed or done by either side before Notice can be given of this Peace full satisfaction be immediately made And whatsoever remains in kind shall instantly be restored XXIII That whatsoever shall happen hereafter that any thing is done or committed by the Ships or Subjects of either side contrary to any of these Articles Satisfaction being Demanded therefore shall be made to the full and without any manner of Delay and that it shall not be Lawful to break this Peace unless such satisfaction be denyed and our Faith shall be our Faith and our word our word and whosoever shall be the Cause of the breaking of this Peace shall assuredly be punished with present Death Confirmed and Sealed in the Presents of Almighty God the fifth day of March Old Stile and in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ one thousand six hundred seventy five Being the last day of the Moon Zelheldga and the year of the Hegeira on thousand and eighty six WHereas there were several Articles of Peace and Commerce between the most Serene and Mighty Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of Great-Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Christian Faith c. And the most Illustrious Lords Halil Bassa Ibraim Dei Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary lately made and concluded by the said Lords on the one part And by Sir John Narbrough Knight Admiral of his said Serene Majesties Fleet in the Mediterranean Seas on the other part and by them confirmed and Sealed in the Presence of Almighty God the fifth day of March Old Stile And in the year of our Lord Iesus Christ 1675 6 being the last day of the Moon Zelhedga And the year of the Hegeira 1086. Since which time of Confirming and Sealing the aforesaid Articles of Peace and Commerce The aforesaid Lord Ibraim Dei being fled away from the Government of the City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary Now we Halil Bassa Aga Divan Governors Souldiers and People of the aforesaid City and Kingdom of Tripoly have Choosen and Elected Vice Admiral Mustapha Grande to be Dei of the aforesaid City and Kingdom of Tripoly to succeed Ibraim Dei in the aforesaid Government And now we Halil Bassa Aga Divan and Governors Souldiers and People of Tripoly aforesaid having seen the aforesaid Articles of Peace and Commerce which were lately made and concluded as aforesaid And having seriously perus'd and fully considered all particulars therein mentioned Do fully approve of all and every the aforesaid Articles of Peace and we and every one of us do now by these presents consent and agree to and with Sir John Narbrough Knight aforesaid for the just and exact keeping and performing of the said Articles And do accept approve ratifie and confirm all and every of them in the same manner and form as they are incerted and repeated in the preceding Articles aforesaid hereby firmly engaging our selves and successors assuring on our faith sacredly to maintain and strictly to observe perform and keep inviolably all and every the aforesaid Article and Articles of Peace and Agreements for ever And to cause and require all our Subjects and people of what degree or quality whatsoever within the City or Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary or Dominions thereunto belonging both by Sea and Land punctually inviolably carefully and duly to observe keep and perform all and every the aforesaid Article and Articles thereof for ever And our Faith shall be our Faith and our word our word and whosoever shall at any time violate and break any part of the said Article or Articles of Peace they shall be assuredly punished with greatest severity and his or their heads shall be immediately cut off and forthwith be presented unto any Officer whom the most Serene King of Great Britain c. shall Authorize to make Demand thereof It is further agreed that the Subjects belonging unto the most serene King of Great Britain c. Trading unto the Port of the City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary aforesaid or to any Port or Place of the Dominions thereunto belonging in any Merchants Ship or other Vessel belonging to the said Serene Kings Subjects shall not pay so much Custom by one per Cent. for whatsoever Goods or Merchandize they sell or buy as other Nations do for the Customs of the like Goods or Merchandize notwithstanding whatsoever is Specified in the Second Article aforesaid to the contrary And that the most Serene King of Great Britains Consul residing in Tripoly aforesaid shall have Liberty at all times when he pleaseth to put up his said Serene Majesties Flag on the Flag-staff on the Top of his House and thereto continue it spread as long time as he pleaseth likewise the said Consul to have the same Liberty of puâ—ting up and spreading the said Flag in his Boat when he passeth on the Water and no Man whatsoever to Oppose Molest Disturb or Injury him therein either by Word or Deed. These and all other preceding Articles are to remain firm for ever without any alteration and in all other particulars not mentioned in any of these Articles the Regulation shall be according to the Capitulation general with the Grand Signior Confirmed likewise and Sealed in the Presence of Almighty God at our Castle in the noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary the first day of May Old Stile and in the year of our Lord Iesus Christ 1676 being the twenty sixth day of the Moon Zaphire and the year of the Hegeira 1080. Halil Bassa's Seal Mustapha Dei's Seal Aga's Seal Ally Admiral 's Seal A True Coppy Examined out of Sir John Narbroughs Thomas Fowler HAving thus related the original cause proceedings and conclusion of our War with Tripoly Let us Travel to Tunis which though since the year 1655 hath ever maintained Peace with England yet the civil dissentions among themselves have administred unto us Subject of discourse and more especially since it hath some relation to Hoffse-bey whom formerly we named as Mediator of the Peace between Us and Tripoly On the sixth of September 1675. Morat Bei General of all the Land Forces in the Kingdom of Tunis dyed the most Politick and Popular Person that ever mannaged that Office his Sons Ciddi Mehmet and Ciddi Ali by the general approbation and consent of the Souldiery joyntly succeeding him in that charge But the ambition of these two young Gallants would admit no union in the Government the Elder would know no equal and the younger no superior so that it was necessary for one to govern or both to be laid aside the decision of which was referred to a full Assembly of the Turks In the mean time Hoffsey-bey Brother to Morat deceased and Uncle to the two
not to be disjoyned they therefore offer'd them Concessions they durst not have hoped for at the beginning of the War. They would yield to the Emperor all Hungary as far as the Drave to the King of Poland Caminiec and all Podolia and restore to the Venetians the Kingdom of Candia on condition they would part with what they had gained in Morea FINIS THE PRESENT STATE OF THE Ottoman Empire CONTAINING THE MAXIMS OF THE Turkish Polity The most Material POINTS of the MAHOMETAN RELIGION Their SECTS and HERESIES Their Convents and Religious Votaries Their MILITARY DISCIPLINE With an exact Computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land. In Three Books By Sir PAVL RYCAVT late Consul of Smyrna and Fellow of the Royal Society LONDON Printed by I. D. Anno MDCLXXXVII To the Right Honourable HENRY Lord Arlington His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State. MY LORD AFTER five Years residence at Constantinople in Service of the Embassie of the Earl of Winchelsea my ever honoured Lord and this my second Journey from thence by Land into my own Country I judged it a Point of my Duty and of my Religion too to dedicate this following Treatise as the Fruits of my Travels Negotiations and Leisure in those remote Parts to the Noble Person of your Lordship as that Votiva Tabula which many both in Ancient and Modern Times after some signal Deliverance or happy Arrival at their desired Port use to offer to their Gods their Saints or their Patrons And truly my Lord this Discourse treating chiefly of the Turkish Polity Government and Maxims of State seems naturally to appertain to the Patronage of your Lordship whose Faculties of Wisdom and Vertue have given you the Blessing of your Prince's Favour and the Reputation as well Abroad as at Home of an Eminent and Dexterous Minister of State. It were a great presumption in me to offer any Observations of my own in the Courts of Christian Princes to the Test of your Lordship's Experience and Judgment who not only is acquainted with the Customs and Manners but penetrates into the Designs and knows the Cabinet-Councils of Neighbouring Principalities with whom our divided World may possibly be concerned but perhaps without disparagement to your Lordship's profound Wisdom or over-value of my own Abilities I may confidently draw a rude Scheme before your Lordship of the Turkish Government Policies and Customs a Subject which Travellers have rather represented to their Country-men to supply them with Discourse and Admiration than as a Matter worthy the Consideration or Concernment of our Kings or our Governors It hath been the happy Fortune of the Turk to be accounted Barbarous and Ignorant for upon this Perswasion Christian Princes have laid themselves open and unguarded to their greatest Danger contending together for one Palm of Land whilst this Puissant Enemy hath made himself Master of whole Provinces and largely shared in the rich and pleasant Possessions of Europe This Contempt of the Turk on one side caused the Emperor to be so backward in opposing that Torrent of the Ottoman Force which in the first Year of the late War broke in upon him and the suspicion of Designs from France on the other altered the Resolutions and Councils of the Emperor for prosecution of the War which then running favourably on the Christians part was no less than with the astonishment of the whole World and of the Turks themselves on a sudden understood to be clapt up with Articles of a disadvantagious Peace admiring to see the Emperor give a stop to the Current of his Victories and relinquish the Game with a lucky Hand But this will seem no Riddle to those who penetrate Affairs with the same Judgment that your Lordship doth and consider the unfirm Condition the House of Austria was in by a daily expectation of the Death or fall of so main a Basis of it as the King of Spain and the Division amongst the Princes of the Empire the League of the Rhine the Freneh Practices to make the Duke of Enguyen King of Poland and the extravagant Demands of the French and Rhinish League for Winter-quarters and places of Strength not only in Hungary but also in Styria and the adjacent Places and at the same time look on the Factions in Hungary and a considerable Army of French in the Bowels of Germany who were supposed in those Parts to have rather come with Design to overawe the next Diet and force the German Princes to elect the French King for King of the Romans than with sincere and simple Intentions of opposing themselves to the Enemy of the Faith For then it will appear that the best use the Emperor could make of his good Success was Moderation in Victory and Reconciliation with his powerful Enemy And hereupon Earl Lisle being dispatched for Extraordinary Ambassador from his Imperial Majesty to the Grand Signior though the Turk was elevated with the thoughts of the Necessity the Christians had of a Peace did yet so happily manage his Charge and Employment as created in the Turks an extraordinary Reverence towards his Person and obtained such Honours and Treatments from them as the Turkish Court never bestowed before on the Emperor's or an other Christian Ambassador extorting this Complement from the Great Vizier That he was more satisfied the Emperor had sent so brave and illustrious a Person than if he had sought to reconcile his Affections with an hundred thousand Dollars more of Present And to do justice to this worthy Person he hath brought a Reputation to the British Nation above any in our Age whose Vertues and Industry have acquired the highest Trusts and Preferments in Foreign Parts and done the same Honour to his King under whom he was born a Subject as to the present Emperor and his Ancestors under whom he is and hath always been a faithful Minister having deserved so eminently for saving the whole German Empire from the Treason of Wallestein by hiw own single Act of Bravery a Story notoriously known to all the World as can never in gratitude be forgot by that Nation nor want its due Record and Place in the History of that Country The Speculation of what is contained in this following Discourse may seem unworthy of your Lordship's precious Hours in regard of that Notion of Barbarity with which this Empire is stiled yet the knowledg hereof will be like a Turquoise or some other Jewels set within the Rose of those many Gems of your Lordship's Wisdom and Vertues This Present which I humbly consecrate to your Lordship may be termed Barbarous as all things are which are differenced from us by diversity of Manners and Custom and are not dressed in the Mode and Fashion of our Times and Countries for we contract Prejudice from Ignorance and want of Familiarity But your Lordship who exactly ponderates the Weight of Humane Actions acknowledges Reason in all its Habits and draws not the Measures of Oeconomy or Policy from Eternal Appearances or
That such were the Ancient Customs of the Ottoman Empire which they were resolved to observe and abolish the Abuses introduced by the late Grand Seignior and his Prime Vizier Mustapha Then the Seraskier with much earnestness did exaggerate the Unjust Oppression which was practised by Christians to those of the same Faith who Inhabited the Country called Syrmium situate between the Drave Save and Danube who were barbarously spoil'd of their Cloaths robb'd of their Cattle and obliged to pay excessive Impositions against all Laws of Humanity and a regulated Government whereas on the contrary their Sultan sent Money to be distributed among the Poor Subjects to buy them Cattle and Seed thereby shewing himself a Father of the Miserable and not a Tyrant and this Charity continued he which ought to be natural to you Christians towards one another need not hinder the Hostility of Soldiers when they meet and encounter leaving the poor Country-Men in Peace who labour only for the Publick Good and the Service of that Prince whom God shall place over them I answered with applauding such Pious Maxims and that I hoped so good Dispositions would incline them more favourably to hearken to what I was to propose in the Name of my King towards the ending this Bloody War between the two Empires and that as to the Particulars he mentioned I being a Stranger knew nothing of them He then proceeded to charge Count Chizzâ—ola Commandant of Esseck to have deceived him on several Occasions after his Word given a Crime says he which will be punished by God and if the Charity of my Emperor towards the Poor Subjects and Country-men had not restrained me what wou'd have hindred me this Winter to have made Excursions even to Buda But all I shou'd have gained wou'd have been only the Tears and Curses of the Miserable I answer'd with commending the generous Clemency and Mercy of the present Government and our Conference ended with the usual Ceremonies of Coffee Sherbet and Perfumes In the Afternoon I was call'd for by the Seraskier to a Private Audience at which only his Effendi and my Secretary who was instead of an Interpreter were present I represented to him that this perillous Journey I had undertaken and by a way so unusual to Ambassadors from England was a Mark of the high Friendship and Affection which the King my Master bore to the two Empires of Germany and Turkey who resenting sensibly the fatal Consequences of so long and bloody a War commanded me to pass by Vienna there to receive the Orders and Instructions of the Emperor of the Romans towards the amicable ending of it to which good Work shou'd not the Grand Sultan and His Ministers likewise correspond it might be justly feared that the Mischiefs and Desolations hereafter ensuing wou'd call down Vengeance from God upon the Musselmen The Seraskier applauding the King 's Generous Design took notice that there never yet was between England and the Ottoman Empire either War or any alienation of Affection but always perfect Friendship which he beg'd God wou'd continue He commended the Wisdom of the present Vizier his Humanity and Treatableness and approved my Solicitous Earnestness to continue my Voyage leaving it to my Choice either to go by Land or Water I told him I resolved to go by Water as far as Rusgiuk a Days Journey below Nicopolis and to Travel thence by Land He again renew'd the Complaints made in the Divan in behalf of the Poor Inhabitants of Syrmium and press'd me to Write to your Excellency to forbid the Plundering of Villages and Excursions of the Heâ—dukes who behave themselves more like Thieves than Soldiers and that your Excellency wou'd order that they who are Peaceable and Disarm'd may continue not only in Repose but also be protected to the Benefit of that Prince to whom God shall give the Government He assured me further That whatsoever Expedient shall be proposed by the Imperialists towards the preventing such Violences he will readily agree to and cause it to be rigorously observed and in this so Christian a Cause intreated me to interpose the good Offices of my King. I do therefore beseech your Excellency to Correspond herein with Amet Passa either by Letter or by Deputies on both sides to meet on the Confines and to be pleased to inform me of your Resolution herein by an open Letter sent to the Seraskier with whom I also leave a Copy of this as I will likewise do with the Grand Vizier not designing to expose the Confidence they have in my King to the Hazards of any Accidents which might prove equally prejudicial to both Empires I took this Opportunity to shew my self equally Charitable towards the Poor Christians taken in Orsoâ—a and made Slaves as was reported after they had Capitulated to have safe Conduct into the Emperor's Territories I was answer'd That they had Surrendred themselves with condition That if Belgrade were lost they would be Prisoners of War and that the Grand Vizier was not capable of violating the Publick Faith so shamefully I demanded concerning some other Prisoners recommended to me by their Friends but was answer'd That they were all the Grand Seignior's Captives and without his express Order they could not treat either for their Ransom or Exchange He told me That all Officers were well treated and kept without Irons in a Chamber apart with their Servants at the Expence of the Grand Seignior I left 100 Ducats of Gold to be distributed by Capt. Runkel to the Poorest of them which was all the Service I could do them and of which I intreat your Excellency to give their Friends an Account A Courier being dispatched to Constantinople I have had Permission to Write to the Grand Vizier and Sir William Trumbal giving Information of my Arrival I purpose suddenly to continue my Voyage with full intention to do all the Service I can to both Empires in execution of the Commands of my King in whose Name I continue to press as desired your Excellency that some Means may be found out to prevent the Rapines daily practised upon the Poor Country People The inclosed short Letter for my Lord Pagett I intreat your Excellency wou'd transmit to him as also this Original that his Lordship being sufficiently informed may better know what to sollicite from the Emperor and what to acquaint the King my Master I am Belgrade April 30. May 10. 1691. Sir William Hussey's Letters to the Lord Pagett at Vienna Adrianople May 25. 1691. My Lord I Sent a full Account of our Arrival at Belgrade April 30. S. N. From thence we came by Water to Rustick two Days lower than Nicopolis and thence in eight Days Land-Iourney hither whence we advanced forwards two Days but met there by my Secretary and Interpreter from Constantinople with Letters and Advice from Sir William Trumbal that the Vizier was upon departure and ordered us to stay his Arrival at Adrianople We returned back two Days past
observantiae vinculum accipiet inducet cum omnia singula quae de Confiniis suprà recensito modo ultrò citroque promissa acceptata sunt tam de distinctionibus limitum quà m de evacuationibus demolitionibus plenarie in effectum executionem deducta fuerint ita ut absolutae designatione limitum in unoquoque Consinio statim subsequatur demolitio aut evacuatio quod ut quam câ—lerrimè succedat designentur ad limites terminos Confiniorum ponendos distinguendos ex utraque parte Commissarii qui die Aequinoctii scilicet 22. mensis Martii aut 12 secundum veterem Stylum Anni Millesimi Sexcentesimi Nonagesimi noni in locis inter Commissarios consensu Gubernatorum utriusque Confinii determinandis mediocri pacifico Comitatu conveniant atque intra spatium dúorum Mensium si possibile sit aut etiam citius ubi fieri poterit Confinia limitibus terminis manifestis per superiores articulos constitutis distinguant separent determinent Statuta inter legatos Plenipotentiarios utriusque imperii accuratissimè citissime exequantur XIX Has vero conditiones articulos ad formam hic mutuò placitam à Majestatibus utriusque Imperatoris ratihabitum iri atque ut solennia ratificationis Diplomata intra spatium triginta dierum à die Subscriptionis vel citius in Confiniis per Illustrissimos Excellentissimos legatos Plenipotentiarios Mediatores reciprocè recteque commutentur legati Plenipotentiarii utriusque imperii sese infallibiliter obligant atque praestituros compromittunt XX. Duret Armistitium hocce extendatur favente Deo ad viginti quinque Annos continuè sequentes à die qua ejusdem subscriptio facta fuerit quo Annorum numero elapso vel etiam medio tempore priusquam elabatur liberum esto utrique partium si ità placuerit Pacem hanc ad plures adhuc Annos prorogare Itaque mutuo libero consensu quaecunque stabilita sunt Pacta inter Majestatem Serenissimi Potentissimi Ramanorum Imperatoris Majestatem Serenissimi Potentissimi Ottommannorum Imperatoris Haeredes eorundem imperia quoque Regna ipsorum Terrâ item marique sitas Regiones civitates urbes subditos clientes observentur sanctè religiose ac inviolabiliter demandâ—tur seriò omnibus utriusque partis Gubernatoribus Praefectis Ducibus Exercituum atque Militiis quibusvis in eorundem clientela obedientiae subjectioni existentibus ut illi quoque praedeclaratis conditionibus clausulis pactis articulis sese adaequatè conformantes omnibus modis caveant ne contra Pacem amicitiam hanc sub quocunque nomine aut praetextu se invicem offendant aut damnificent sed quolibet prorsus inimicitiae genere abstinendo bonam colant vicinitatem certò scientes quod si eatenus admoniti morem non gesserint severrisimis in se poenis animadvertendum fore Ipse quoque Crimensis Chanus omnes Tartarorum Gentes quovis nomine vocitatae ad Pacis hujus bonae vicinitatis reconciliationis Jura ritè observanda adstricti sint nec iisdem contraveniendo hostilitates qualescunque exerceant erga quasvis Caesareas Provincias earumque Subditos aut Clientes Porro sive ex aliis Exercituum generibus sive ex Nationibus Tartarorum si quis contra Sacras Imperatorias hasce Capitulationes contra Pacta Articulos earum quidpiam ausus fuerit is poenis rigorosissimis coerceatur Incipiat verò modo dicta Pax Quies Securitas subditorum utriusque Imperii à supradata die Subscriptionis cessent exinde atque sustollantur omnes utrinque inimicitiae Subditi utriusque partis securitate tranquillitate fruantur Eoque fine quò magis per summam curam ac sedulitatem hostilitates inhiberi possint transmittantur quà m celerrimè Mandata Edicta publicandae Pacis ad omnes confiniorum Praefectos cumque spatium aliquod temporis requiratur intra quod officiales in remotioribus praesertim Confiniis istam conclusae Pacis notitiam obtinere valeant statuuntur viginti dies pro â—ermino post quem si quis hostiâ—e â—uidpiaâ—â— alterutra ex parte admittere praesumpserit poenis superius declaratis irremissibiliter subjaceat Ut demum Pacis Conditiones Viginti hisce articulis conclusae utrinque acceptatae debito summòque cum respâ—ctu inviolatae observentur Si quidem Domini Plenipotentiarii Ottomannici vi concessae iisdem facultatis Imperatoriae instâ—umentum Turcico sermone exaratum subscriptum legitimum validum nobis exhibuerint Nos quoque vi Mandati Plenipotentia nostra propriis manibus propriis Sigillis Subscriptas Signatas haâ—ce Pactorum literas in Latino Idiomate tanquam legitimum validum vicissim Instrumentum extradidimus THE INSTRUMENT OF THE Treaty of Peace BETWIXT THE GERMAN and OTTOMAN Empires Subscrib'd Ianuary 26. 1699. FOR the perpetual Memory of the Thing Be it known to all whom it may Concern That after a cruel and pernicious War had for 17 years been carried on with the Effusion of much Blood and Desolation of many Provinces between the most Serene and most Potent Prince and Lord Leopold Elect of the Romans and Emperor of Germany always August King of Hungaria Bohemia Dalmatia Croatia Sclavonia Arch-Duke of Austria Duke of Burgundy Brabant Styria Carinthia Carniola Marquis of Moravia Duke of Luxemburgh of the Upper and Lower Silâ—sia of Wirtemberg and Tecka Prince of Swevia Count of Hâ—bsburgh of Tyrol Kyburgh and Goritia Marquis of the Sacred Roman Empire of Burgovia of the Upper and Lâ—wer Lusatia Lord of the Marquisate of Sclavinia of the Port of Naon and the Salt Mines on one part And between the most Serene and most Potent Prince and Lord Sultan Muâ—â—apha Han Emperor of the Ottâ—mans and of Asia and Greece and his Glorious Predecessors on the other Part. These two most Potent Emperors out of a just Sense of Compassion towards their afflicted Subjects at length resolving to put an End to these Mischiefs every Day encreasing with Destruction to Mankind the Divine Goodness brought it to pass that by the Endeavours and Mediation of the most Serene and most Potent Prince and Lord William III. King of Great Britain France and Ireland and the High and Mighty Lords the States General of the United Belgic Provinces that Solemn Treaties of Peace were set on foot at Carlowitz in Sirmium upon the Confines of both Empires and there brought to a Conclusion There Meeting at the said place on the part of his Sacred Caesarean and Imperial Majesty of the Romans as his Plenipotentiaries the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords Wolfang Count d'Ottingen of the Sacred Roman Empire Chamberlain of his Sacred Caesarean Majesty and Privy-Counsellor and President of the Imperiaâ— Aulic Council and the Lord Leopold Schlik Count in Passaun and Weiskirchen of the Sacred Roman Empire Chamberlain of his said Caesarean Majesty Captain General of the Guards and Colonel of the
Regiment of Desvetorii Both these at these Treaties of Peace with the Ottoman Port Deputed Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries But on the part of his Imperial Ottomannick Majesty the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords Mehemet Effendi Supreme Chancellor of the Ottoman Empire and the Lord Alexander Mauro Cordato of the Noble Family of Scarlati Privy Counsellor and Secretary of the said Empire By the Intervention and Care of the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Lord William Paget Baron Beaudesert and the Lord Iacob Colyer Ambassadors from the most Serene King of Great Britain and the High and Mighty States General to the Ottoman Port and both of 'em Ambassadors Extraordinary for the Establishment of this Peace and both of 'em perform'd the Office of Mediator with â—ntegrity Industry and Prudence after having Invok'd the Name of GOD and Exchanged the Powers receiv'd the Twenty following Artiâ—les of Peace which were Agreed upon to the Glory of GOD and the Safety of both Empires I. THE Region of Transylvania as it is at present in the Possession and in the Power of his Caesarean Majesty so it shall remain under his Dominion Bounded by the Confines of Podolia and with the Mountains on the side of Walachia which were its Antient Limits before the present War between Transylvania on one part and Moldavia and Walachia on the other and on the side of Walachia it iâ— to extend to the River Merisch to be Circumscrib'd by the Mountains that were its Antient Boundaries and so the Antient Limits are to be observ'd by both Empires without extending or diminishing them on either side II. The Province subject to the Fortress of Temeswaer with all its Districts and Rivers shall remain in the Possession and under the Power of the Sublime Ottoman Empire and it shall remain Bounded by Transylvania on one side and by Walachia on the other to the River Merisch the Antient Boundaries of Transylvania mention'd in the former Article Then from the River Merisch to the nearer Banks of the Tibisch and from the Tibisch to the Danube to be Limited by the hither Banks of the Tibisch and as for Caransebes Lugos Lippa Csanad Kiscanisia Betche Betskerecke and Sablia which are comprehended within these prescrib'd Limits between the Merisch and the Tibisch and were before the present War belonging to the Territories of Temeswaer both these and any other place of the like Nature shall be slighted by the Imperialists so that by Virtue of this present Treaty they may not be Rebuilt and this foresaid Region of Temeswaer is to be left Free and Entire so that for the time to come neither in these Places nor on the Banks of Merisch or Tibisch shall it be lawful to Build any Places that shall carry the Appearance of Fortifications The use of the Rivers Tibisch and Merisch between the Province of Temeswaer and those subject to the Imperialists shall he left Free and Common to those Subjects of both Empires as well in relation to the Watering of their Cattle as to the Fishing and any other Conveniencies to both Subjects Ships of any Burden coming from Parts subject to the Imperialists whether it be from the Merisch into the Tibisch and from the Tibisch into the Danube are by no means to be hindred or stop'd whether they are going up or down the Streams so that the Navigation of German Ships or other Subjects of the Empire are neither going nor coming to be Incommoded but their Passage both going and coming is to be Free in both the said Rivers And because the common Convenience of mutual Friendship and Kindness requires that the Ottoman Subjects should likewise partake of the Benefits of these Rivers therefore they may freely make use of Fishermens Ships or other Boats. But Mills built on Bottoms of Ships can be only planted there where they do not Obstruct the Navigation of the Imperialists and that to be done by Communicating with and Consent of the Gâ—vernours on both sides and the Intent of this is That the Navigation of the Merisch be not rendred worse to the Imperialists whether it be by lessening the Stream for the sake of Mills or any other pretence whatsoever The Islands in both the said Rivers that are in the possession of the Imperialists are to remain so and that the Subjects on both sides may live Quietly and Peaceably is to be provided by severe Edicts forbidding all sort of Insolencies and Contraventions to the present Articles III. Considering the Region commonly call'd Batska betwixt tbe Tibisch and the Danube is in the sole Possession and under the Power of his Imperial Mâ—jâ—sty it is agreed it shall for the future continue so and Titul is not to be more Fortify'd than it is at present IV. A rigbt Line to be drawn from the Extreme Bank of the Tibisch opposite to that of Titul and to that Angle of Land made by the Conjunction of the Tibisch and Danube to the Bank on the other side the Danube and thence to be stretch'd streight to Moravitz on the hither Bank of the River Bossut and from thence to the place where the Grand Stream of the River Bossut falls into the Save and Moravitz is to remain without any Fortification and only open Villages to be built on both sides the River and the Empires shall remain separated by the foresaid Line to be mark'd out either by Ditches Stones or Pales or any other way after the following manner viz. That part of the Country within the foresaid Limits towards Belgrade shall remain Subject to the Ottoman Emperor but the Country on the other side the said Line shall continue under the Dominion and in the Possession of the most Potent Roman Emperor and according to the foresaid Boundaries the adjacent Rivers are to remain in the Possession of each Party V. Reckoning from the River Bossut flowing into the Save and likewise the Entrance of the River Unna into the same River that part of the Save adjoyning to the Imperial Country is to remain to his Imperial Majesty and the other part to the Turkish Emperor The River Save flowing betwixt both Dominions and the Islands situated in it shall be common to the Subjects of both Empires as well for the Use of Navigation up and down the River as any other sort of Conveniencies who are to enjoy a peaceable and undisturb'd Commerce That Country on the side the River Unna towards Bosnia belonging to the Turkish Empire shall be terminated by the Banks of that River Novi Dubizza Jessenovitza Doboy and Brod on the side of Bosnia are to be Evacuated and ev'ry other such like place in this Tract of Land and the Imperial Garrisons to be all withdrawn and the Country to be left Free But Castanovitz and the Islands on this side Novi towards the Save and the further Banks shall be left distinct from these Limits considering it is Agreed they should remain in the Possession of the Roman Emperor As to
Magno Cancellario Reis Mehmet Effendi cum Selectissimo Domino ab Intimis Secretis Alexandro ex Prosapia Scarlati Mauro Cordato altè memoratae suae Sultanicae Majestatis Plenipotentiariis Commissariis Extraordinariis Legatis ad Tractatum Constitutionem Negotii Pacis perfectâ Authoritate destinatis ac deputatis Mediationem inter Serenissimi Potentissimi suae Regiae Majestatis Magnae Britanniae Praepotentum Generalium Statuum Nederlandensium Hollandiorum Illustrissimorum Excellentissimorum Plenipotentiariorum Eorundem Extraordinariorum Legatorum Domini Wilhelmi Lord Pagett Baronis de Beaudesert c. Domini Jacobi Colyer c. ab utraque autem parte ad Pacem Inducias propensio inclinatio adhibita fuit attamen non facile fuit intra breve tempus sublatis difficultatibus res universas convenientes amicitiae vicinitati perfectè debitè in bonum ordinem redigere sed ne interrumperetur continuatio horum almorum Tractatuum quinimo deinceps perficiatur ad finem deducatur hac intentione utrinque per mutuum consensum id est à Die 25 Decembris anno 1698. à Nativitate Domini Dei Jesu Christi in futuros duos integros annos inter altè fatos ambos Magnos Dominos fiant Induciae in quibus almus hicce Tractatus in bonum ordinem reducatur atque inter suam Czaream Majestatem Moscoviticam Sultanicam Majestatem Turcicam Deo Altissimo secundante Pax perpetua aut in sufficientes annos Induciae concludantur vetus Amicitia restauretur Proinde in hâ—c constituto determinato unanimi consensu desinat omne praelium bellum pugna conflictus utrobique amoveantur tollantur hostilitates à Subditis suae Czareae Majestatis Moscovitis Cosaccis ac aliis Confiniis Musulmannicis Crimensibus atque reliquis suae Sultaniâ—ae Majestati subjectis Terris Subditis nulla incursio hostilitas fiat neque clam neque palam ullum damnum inferatur Pariter ex parte suae Majestatis Sultanicae adversus partem suae Czareae Majestatis nullius ordinis Exercitus potissimùm verò Crimensis Chanus omne genus Tartarorum Hordarum penitùs ullas incursiones faciant nec ullum damnum palam aut clam in Civitatibus Oppidis subditis Territoriis suae Czareae Majestati perpetrent Et si qui clam vel apertè motum aliquem dispositionem hostilitatem ac incursionem contra hanc constitutionem conditionem quae nos inter confecta est fecerint ex quacunque demùm parte tales contumaces reperiantur apprehendantur incarcerentur sine remissione indefense puniantur Hâc itaque praefatâ ratione tempore colendi observandi hujus Armistitii conflictatio hostilitas absolutè amoveatur tollatur ac ab utraque parte ad concludendam Pacem perfecta propensio plena inclinatio adhibeatur Crimensis Chanus ex munere suae erga Imperialem suam Majestatem Turcicam obedientiae subjectionis huic Paci adjungatur Quae omnia ut ab utraque parte acceptentur observentur quoniam altè memoratae suae Sultanicae Majestatis Plenipotentiarii Legati Commissarii vigore suae facultatis Authoritatis Turcico Sermone scriptum legitimum firmum Instrumentum ex eoque Latino Serâ—one propriis manibus Sigillis firmatam Copiam dederunt pariter ego facultatis Plenipotentiae mihi datae vigore manu propriâ subscriptum Sigillo firmatum hoc Scriptum Ruthenico Latino Sermone copiatum tanquam firmum legitimum Instrumentum tradidi Scriptum in Carlowiz Ann. 1698. Mense Decem. Die 25. A COPY OF THE Turkish Treaty WITH THE MUSCOVITE It is God the most Powerful the most Iust who brings all Things to pass In the Name of God the Merciful always Compassionate THE Reason of the making this Writing Refulgent in Truth and the necessity of the Description of this Instrument stamp'd with Reality is this The War betwixt the Sublime Empire of Mustapha by the Concessions of the Plenitude of the Eternal Confirmations of the Incorruptible Lord Creator and the Immortal Maker of most Freewill the Lord God whose Glory be extoll'd beyond Similitude or Equality and by the Grace of the most Honour'd Mecca and the Servant of the most Illustrious Medina Defender and Rector of the Holy Jerusalem and other Blessed Places Sultan of the two Earths and King of the two Seas Lord of Potent Egypt and the Abyssine Provinces and Arabia the Happy and the Land of Adenum and Caesarean Africk and Tripoly and Tunis and the Island of Cyprus and Rhodes and Crete and other Islands of the White Sea and Emperor of Babylon and Bosnia and Laxa and Revanum and Carsia and Erzirum and Sehresul and Mussul and Diarbekir and Rica and Damascus and Aleppo and Sultan of the Persic and Arabic Irachian Region and King of Ghiurdistania and Turchistania and Daghistania and Trapezuntum and Emperor of the Provinces of Rum and Zulchadria and Maras Emperor of the Regions of Tartary of Circassia and the Abastans and the Crimea and Desti-Capzac Emperor of the East and West and Anatolia and Rumelia Possessor of the Royal-Seat of Constantinople and Protected Prussia and Defended Adrianople and besides of so many the most large Provinces and of â—o many Climates and Cities and most Celebrated Governour Sultan of Sultans King of Kings most Serene most Potent most August Lord our Emperor the Refuge of Musulmen Sultan Son of Sultans Son of Sultan King Mehmet whose Empire God perpetuate and establish his Government to the Day of Iudgment And the most glorious amongst the principal Christians Director of the great Affairs of the Christian Commonwealths Adorn'd with the Robes of Greatness and Majesty Conspicuous with the Power of Greatness and Glory the Czar of the Muscovite Regions and Lord of all the Ruthenic Provinces and Possessor of the Lands and Cities Subject to them the Sublime Czar of Muscovy Peter Alexovic whose End let God crown with Salvation and Righteousness considering this War for some Years has been the Occasion of Calamity to the Subjects on both sides with an Intent that it might be chang'd into Friendship and Kindness that Affairs might be put into better Order and the State of the Servants of God might be reduc'd into a better Condition in the Congress of Sirmium in the Confines of Carlovitz upon Treaty with the most Illustrious and most Excellent amongst the Christian Grandees Lord Procopius Begdanoviz Vosniziri Plenipotentiary Commissionated by the Czar and Ambassador Extraordinary and Privy-Counsellor and Lieutenant of Bolchia Design'd and Deputed by the said Czar with full Powers to Treat and Conclude a Peace and the most Illustrious and most Excellent amongst the Christian Grandees William Lord Pagett Baron of Beaudesert c. and Lord Jacob Colyer performing the part of Mediators with great good Offices and Diligence Deputed so to do by the most Glorious amongst the most Illustrious Christian Princes and the Resort of
the Rulers of the Nations William III. of England Scotland and Ireland King and the States General whose Ends God crown with Salvation and Righteousness altho' both Parties show'd a Propensity and Inclination to Peace and Reconciliation but considering in so short a time it was not easie to remove all Difficulties and to settle all things Agreeable to Friendship and good Neighbourhood Therefore least the Continuance of these good Treaties should be interrupted but that they should proceed and be brought to an End with this Intent on both sides by mutual Consent the Term of Two Years is Agreed on to begin from the 25th of December Christmas-day A. Heg 1110. within which time this good Treaty may be reduced into Order and by the Grace of the most High God a Peace or Truce may be concluded betwixt the Sublime Empire and the Muscovitish Czareate by which perpetual and ancient Friendship may be Renew'd Therefore within the Term thus prefix'd by unanimous Consent all War Battles and Skirmishes shall cease and all Hostilities shall be remov'd and forbid to the Subjects of the Czar of Muscovy both Muscovites and Cossacks and all others there shall be no Excursion Hostility Damage whether privately or publickly done or committed upon the Musulman Confines subject to the Sublime Empire whether in the Crimea or any other Places or upon the Subjects of this Empire In like manner on the part of the High Empire no Army of what Condition soever especially belonging to the Crimean Cham and all sorts of Tartars or Hords shall make any sort of Excursion nor commit Damage privately or publickly upon the Cities and Towns and Subjects or Dependants upon the Czar And if contrary to this Compact and Agreement which is made betwixt us any either privately or publickly shall raise any Commotion or make Preparation for it or shall commit Hostility or make Incursion or shall be Obstinate or not Obedient let 'em â—e of what â—ide the◠〈◊〉 they shall be Apprehended â—â—prison'd and Punish'd without Mercy Therefore after this method shall this Truce be cultivated and observ'd during the time of it all Conflicts and Hostilities shall be remov'd and extinguish'd and both Parties with full Inclination shall apply themselves to the Conclusion of a Peace and the Crimean Cham shall be included in this Place by reason of the Obedience and Subjection he owes to the Sublime Empire That it may be receiv'd and observ'd on both sides the Plenipotentiary Ambassador and Commissary of the highly foremention'd Czar by Virtue of his Powers and Authority has deliver'd an Authentick Instrument in due Form written in the Muscovite Language We likewise by Virtue of our Powers and Deputation have deliver'd this Authentick Instrument in due Form Subscrib'd with our Hands and Seal'd with our Seals God is favourable to Justice A COPY OF THE Muscovite Treaty WITH THE TURKS IN the Name of the Omnipotent Lord God One in Holy Trinity By whose Grace the most Serene and Potent Lord Czar and Great Duke Peter Alexovic Emperor of the Whole Great and Little Russia of Muscovy Kiovia Wolodimiria Novogardia Czar of Carania Czar of Astrachan Czar of Siberia Lord of Plescovia Great Duke of Smolenscum Lord of Treria Ingoria Permia Viatka Bolgaria and of other Dominions Great Duke of Novogardia of the Lower Country of Csernihovia Resania Rostovia Jarosclavia Belovroria Valoria Obdoria Condinia and Emperor of all the Northern Country and Lord of the Land af Iveria Czar of the Cartalinensians and Grunizensians and Duke of Karbardia of the Csercassians and Mountaneers and many other Dominions and Lands to the East West and North from Father and Ancestors Heir Successor Lord and Commander between his Majesty and the most Mighty Great Lord Sultan Mustapha Han Son of Sultan Mehmet Han Lord of Constantinople of the White Sea the Black Sea of Anatolia Rumia Romania of the most Honour'd Mecca and Medina and Holy Jerusalem of Egypt of the Abyssines of Babylon and Rica and Commander of Damascus Emperor of the Tartarian and Crimean Hords as also of many other Dominions Kingdoms and Cities Islands and Provinces Whereas the War for many years has been the Cause of the Misery of the Subjects and Dependants on both Parties that Friendship and Kindness might be restor'd and by that means the Civil Affairs might become better settled and all things chang'd into a more flourishing Condition with this intent a Congress was had in Sirmium on the Confines of Carlovitz with the most Illustrious and most Excellent the most Select Lord Great Chancellor Reis Mehmet Effendi and the most Select Lord of the Privy Council Mauro Cordato of the Family of Scarlati Plenipotentiary Commissioners and Ambassadors Extraordinary of the highly mention'd Sultan Majesty Deputed with full Powers to Treat of and Settle the Business of a Peace through the Mediation of his most Serene and most Royal Majesty of Great Britain and of the States General of the Netherlands by their most Excellent Plenipotentiaries Ambassadors Extraordinary the Lord William Lord Pagett Baron de Beaudesert c. and Lord Jacob Colyer c. both sides show'd an Inclination to a Peace and Truce but in so short a time it was not easie to remove all Difficulties and put all things into an Order agreeable to Friendship and Good Neighbourhood yet least the Continuance of these Treaties should be Interrupted and that they might be perfected and brought to an end with this Intent by mutual Consent on both sides a Truce betwixt the two great highly mention'd Lords is Agreed on for Two Years to Commence from Christmas-day the 25th day of December Anno Domini 1698. within which Term this Treaty may be reduc'd into good Orâ—er and by the Blessing of God a perpetual â—eace or a Truce for a sufficient Number of years may be Concluded and Antient Friendship restor'd betwixt his Czarish Muscovite Majesty and Turkish Sultan Majesty Therefore within this prefix'd time all War Battles Fights and Skirmishes shall Cease and on both sides all Hostilities shall be remov'd and extinguish'd nor shall any Incursion or Hostility be done or any Damage committed either privately or publickly by the Subjects of his Czarish Majesty whether Muscovites or Cossacks or others within the Mussulman or Crimean Confines or within any other of his Sultan Majesty's Dominions or on any of his Subjects In like manner on the part of his Sultan Majesty no sort of Troops of what Condition soever shall be brought against his Czarish Majesty especially the Crimean Cham and the Tartars of what Nation or Hord soever shall be oblig'd not to make any Incursions or do any Damage publickly or privately either in the Cities Towns or Territories Subject to his Czarish Majesty And if contrary to this Constitution and Agreement made betwixt us any privately or publickly should raise any Commotion or make Preparation for it or make Incursion or Commit Hostility such obstinate and disobedient Persons of what side soever they are shall be
Christian Troops to the place of Rendezvous Pr. Lewis views the Troops The Forces joyn Titul surrendered to the Turks The Turks falsifie their Faith. July PeterWaradin fortified Preparations for a Battle The Turks strong in Ships hinder the Provisions of the Army Skirmishes in Parties The Armies near Pr. Lewis marches back to Salankement The Turks repulsed An Aâ—arm given The Germans in â—anger Count Bucquoy 's Regiment cut to pieces The Christians lose all their Provisions 1691. August 19th The Disposition of the two Aâ—â—mies The Battle of Salankement 1691. Aâ—gust Thâ— Christians in a daâ—â—gâ—ous poâ—â—â—re The Christians enter the Enemies Camp. The Turks land 5000 Men out of their Fleet. A New Vizier Ali Pasha The Death of the Lord Ambassador Sir William Hussey Treaties of Peace are laid aside The Army at Belgrade dispersed The Misery of the Turkish Army A Consultation held at Adrianople The Misâ—eâ—es amongst the Turks 1691. Novemb. The French Ambassadoâ— encourages the Turks He scarcely escapes the People Counsels held by the Prime Officers Complaints against the Tartars And against other Pasha's of the Army 1691. August Are Punished August The Turks pursued by the Rascians Te Deum sâ—ng A Resolution at a Council of War. Pr. Lewis made Lieutenant-General 1691. Septemb. Lippa 〈◊〉 to Genâ—raâ— Veterani 〈◊〉 Lewis continues his March. Reiâ—forces Lippa A Party of Tekeli 's Men defeated C. Schlick defeats a Party from Gr. Waradin Count Marsigli and his Chiaus at Great Waradin October 1691 October Brod. 〈…〉 Turks And fly tâ— another 〈◊〉 Which was a so dâ—serted by them and flying into the Woodâ— arâ— for the most part cut off Great Waradin Attacked The Palanca of Great Waâ—adin taken The Town Bâ—sieged Novemb. 1691. Novemb. Novemb. 10th The Mannâ—r oâ— the Blockade Pâ— Lewis 〈◊〉 oâ—f Sultan Achmet fallen into a Fever by ill News He Râ—â—â—vers The Grand Vizier sick and recovered His Qualifications 〈…〉 of Constantinopâ—e an 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 French. Resolutions at a Council oâ— War. Tumults against Copper-Money The Turks râ—sâ—lve to continue the War. A Teftish Pasha sent into Asia A Persian Ambassador at Adrianople February The Persian Ambassador's Manner of going to Audience March. The Persian Ambassador continues at Adrianople against the Inclination of the Turks A Character of the Grand Vizier The Artifices of his Son. The Arts by which the Grand Vizier was kept in his Office. Tekeli at Adrianople His Audience with the Grand Vizier The French Ambassador visits him Tekeli and the Tartar dispatched away Change of Officers The French Ambassador encourages the Turks 1692. March. Preparations for the War. Instances for a Pâ—ace promote the War. Thâ— Persian Ambassador continues at Adrianople Preparations for the War. Factions in the Court. The Grand Vizier seeks the Life of the Chimacam He is ruined thereby The Chimacam refuses to be Vizier Another Vizier named The Old Vizier Banished And his Estate seized The Soldiers at Belgrade offer to prefer another but denied The Persian Ambassador pleased herewith All at a stâ—nd until the Vizier's coming The Vizier arrives and received by the Grand Seignior A Counsel of War May 1692. The Vizier marches towards Belgrade The Ianisaries mutiny for Pay Are pacified A New Châ—macam made The Mufti recalled Waradin in great distress May. Heusler Summon's the Town They refuse to yield The Turks make Sallies and are repulsed Continue resolute to maintain the Town Howsoever they Capitulate June The 〈◊〉 march out of Waradin June The Turks repulsed by the Rascians from Titul and Titz The Croats take Behatz from the Turks Tâ—e Turks 〈◊〉 confusion â—y changeâ— Conspiracy against the Vizier July The Persian Ambassador takes his Conge of the Grand Seignior The Marquis of Loâ—and arrives fâ—om France Hâ—s Reports made to the Turkish â—ourt The Vizier promises to continue the War. The Marquis permitted to go to Belgrade Reports from the Tartars 1692. July The Turks repulsed from Portsâ—a The Ban of Croatia Attacks the Turks 1692. August The Rascians take great Boâ—ties The Campaign of the Year 1692 ends Poland 〈◊〉 Tuâ—ks 〈…〉 Sorâ—ka â—ctober 〈◊〉 Turks 〈◊〉 1692. October Raise the Siege Mr. Herbert sent Ambassador to the Turks Mr. Herbert 's Letters to the Author Tâ—e grâ—aâ—est difficulty in all this Treaâ—y was this 5 th Article about Transylvania Mr. Herbert at Belgrade His Death Old Style Reflexions on the Death of the two English Ambassadors The Grand Vizier at Belgrade A thousand French desert the Venetian Service Fires in Constantinople Debates about a Peace March. Lord Paget arrives at Adrianople His Audiences * Interpretâ—r Sultan Achmet sick of the Dropsie Changes aâ— Coâ—rt The â—ew Vâ—zier sâ—nt to thâ— Aâ—my May. The Mediators dismissed Pr â—oâ—â— for the Seâ—â— The Vizier begins his march from Adrianople Fire at Constantinople July The Turks in Asia drowned in the Waters Junâ— July 11. August The Palanca of Boskoua capitulates 1693. August The Turks make a Sally Are driven in with loss Another Sally Bombs thrown into the Town The Grand Vizier marches to relief of the Town Septemb. The Christians loss 1693. Septemb. The Siege of Belgrade raised Septemb. Brunzieâ—â— taken by Storm August Constantinople burn'd a second time this Year Corban made at Constantinople and Adrianople The Grand Viziâ—r dâ—posed Ali Pasha Vizier Chimacam Ahmet Pâ—sha banisâ—â—d April Polish Envoy's Audience with the Tartar Han at Adrianople A sham Envoy from Poland The Turks averse to a Peace with the Surrender of Caminiecâ— Thâ— Polish Envoy seâ—t awâ—â— with Disgraceâ— Mâ— Heeâ—skirk seâ—t â—aâ—k The Nogay Tartar The Grand Vizier deposed March The New Vizier Character â—f the New Vizier Sultan Achmet in danger of Death August Septemb. A Storm on the Danube A Fight by Water and Land. Septemb. The Brandenburg ers râ—infoâ—ce the Gâ—rmans The Grand Vizier raises the Siegâ— Sâ—io takâ—n by the Venetians The ill condition of the Turkish Affairs A Seditious Preacher 1694. October A Sedition quâ—lled The Sultan sends in haste for the Grand Vizier The Mufâ—â—'s 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 Letters to Exhort the Scheriff to Peace The Vizier delays his return The Turks design to recovâ—r Scio. The good Qualities of Mustapha Pasha Sultan Achmet's Deatâ— The Queen Mother Sultan Mustapha's Beginnings Sultan Mustapha his Saying The Sulâ—an's Humour February Lord Paget at Adrianople A Fight between the Poles and the Tartars The Tartars beaten The Tartars withdraw Scio regained by the Turks Thâ— Greeks in Scio fâ—vâ—â—â— by the Turks Changes at Court. 1965. March. March. All Persons Taxed A Donative refused to the Soldiers 〈…〉 The Mufti Depâ—sâ—â— the Vizier Strangled June New Orders for the Army The Grand Seigniâ—r's Severities June Septemâ— Veteranâ— dâ—fenteâ— The ill Conduct of the Imperial Army in Anno 1695. Great Honour gained by the Sultan The Sultan Orders for his Return to Adrianople The Grand Seâ—gnior marcheâ— back The Turkish Discipline The Grand Sâ—igniâ—r marchâ—s to Constantinople Novemb. The Allai or Triumph at the Entrance into Constantinople Sahin Pasha killed Tekely neglâ—cted The Venetians at Sea give a Defeat to the Turks The Pasha of Diarbekir put to Flight And the Turks defeated The Grand Seignior with the Queen Mother leaves Constantinople April A Fiâ—e at Constantinople June July The Battle of Olâ—sch The Tuâ—ks 〈◊〉 Septemb. 27 onâ— 28. October Thâ— French do greaâ— Serviceâ— Novemb. Audience of thâ— Persian Ambassador The Persâ—ans aâ—paâ—t Septemb. Preparatiâ—â—s for the Turkish â—leet Alteration of the Coyn in Turky Maritime Preparations for the Year 1697. A Storâ— oâ— the Consul and a Jew at Gran Cairo March. The Greek Patriarch a Rash Man. Tekely 's Poor State and Condition April Tekely's â—â—â—lâ—ctions August The Battle of the Tibiscus Inclinations of the Turks towards a Peace October Castle Doboy Surrenders October 1698. January June Octob. 26. O. S. Novemb.
away into Captivity Women ravished before their Husbands faces and afterwards slain with their Children young Infants were ript out of their Mothers Wombs and others taken from their Breasts were cut in pieces or else thrâ—â—t upon sharp Stakes yielding up again that breath which they had but a little before received with many other incredible Cruelties which were then by the merciless Enemy committed Solyman himself shortly after followed these forerunners and seting forward with all his Army from Buda towards Vienna by the way took the Castle of Altenbourg whether by force or composition is diversly reported of the Garrison Souldiers there placed by King Ferdinand he reserved three hundred Bohemians whom he commanded to follow his Camp. He also assaulted the little City of Neapolis seven times in one day and was as often repulsed but being loath to spend any longer time about a Town of so small importance he forsook that and held on his way to Vienna whither he came about the six and twentieth day of September and incamped in five places round about the City with such a World of People that unto them which viewed his Camp from the highest Tower in Vienna it seemed that the ground was for the space of eight miles all covered with the multitude of his Tents and People King Ferdinand who from the time that he had by his Embassador Oberdanscus received the hard answer from Solyman alwaies stood in doubt of his coming and beside his own Forces which were not great to oppose against so mighty an Enemy craved Aid of the Christian Princes his Neighbours especially of the Princes of the Empire Who granting him Aid against the common Enemy appointed Frederick Count Palatine of Rhene and Duke of Bavaria General of their Forces But whilst the Germans after their manner slowly set forward and made less hast than the greatness of the present danger required Solyman coming in the mean time had so belaid the City that it was not possible for Duke Fredrick by any means to get into it but was glad to stay with his Army at Chremse about twelve miles from Vienna A few days before by good hap upon the report of the loss of Buda twenty thousand Souldiers Horsemen and Footmen out of divers Countries were in good time come to Vienna Amongst these the chief Commanders was Philip the Palsgrave Duke Fredericks Nephew a young Gentleman of great Courage and Hope sent thither but a little before with a few Companies of Horsemen and Footmen by Frederick his Uncle who was coming after with a great power himself but was now shut out of the City by Solyman Nicholaus Count of Salma the Lord William Rogendorff Steward of the Kings Houshold Ioannes Cazzianer a noble man of Croatia and afterwards Governor of Vienna and next unto them Nicholaus Turrianus Ioannes Hardecus Leonardus Velsius Hector Ramsack Men both for their Birth and Valour of great account amongst the Gâ—â—mans The City of Vienna as it was of some good strength toward the North by reason of Danubius so in other places it was at that time neither by Art nor Nature strong The Ditches such as they were were altogether dry and easie to be passed over the Walls of Brick built round without any Flankers and neither high nor thick but after the ancient simple manner of Fortification of Cities for before that time neither had King Ferdinand fearing no Enemy neither they of Vienna who had not of many years seen an Enemy had any care to fortifie the City but as men altogether buried in security and nothing fearing the coming of so mighty an Enemy although they were thereof before admonished by Oberdanscus had not so much as cast up any Rampier or Bulwark more than at the Gate of Carinthia whereon they might conveniently place their great Ordnance so that of an hundred great Pieces and three hundred others of less charge which might have wonderfully annoyed the Enemy a great part served to no use for want of convenient place to mount them upon Yet as the suddain coming of the Enemy and the shortness of the time gave leave such Bulwarks as they could upon the suddain they cast up and planted their Ordnance thereon The City was divided into divers quarters and to every part a strong Garrison appointed for the defence thereof all the Gates of the City were mured up except such as were of purpose reserved to sally out at Now had Abraham the great Bassa encamped himself upon an high Hill where stood a ruinous Castle from whence he might overlook all the City yet so as that he lay out of danger of Gun shot Becrambeius Solymans great Commander in Asia lay at the Gate called Pâ—rgatoria near the Church of Saint Ulderich In the third Camp towards the rising of the Hills lay Michael-Ogli towards the Church of Saint Vitus At the Scottish Gate toward Danubius lay the Aspi with divers Companies of the Janizaries which with Shot out of their Trenches suffered no man to appear upon the Walls in that quarter without most manifest danger and poured such showers of Arrows over the Walls into City as if they had fallen out of the Clouds that hardly could any man stir in the City unarmed but he was forthwith wounded Solyman himself lay near unto Saint Marks Church compassed about with the Janizaries and other Souldiers of the Court defended also with the brick Walls of the Gardens thereabouts Whilst the Turks were thus incamping themselves the Christian Defendants oftentimes fortunately sallied out upon them and slew many of them In one of which sallies Wolfgangus Hagen a valiant Captain with cetain old Souldiers of the Spaniards was slain fighting most valiantly at the Gates of the Castle and in another skirmish Christopherus Zetlitz a man of great courage sallying out of the City with five hundred Horsemen even unto the Enemies Trenches was intercepted and taken with six others of his Company who were all compelled by the Turks to carry so many Heads of their slain Fellows upon Poles and so presented unto Solyman of whom he inquired many things as well concerning Ferdinand himself and where he was as concerning the Princes which had the charge of the City whether they were in hope to defend the same against his mighty power or not Whereunto Christopherus aptly and wisely answered although not altogether so truly That King Ferdinand lay not far off at the City of Lintz expecting the Assembly of a great Army and that the Princes of Germany Bohemia Moravia and of divers other places were coming unto him with great Aid so that if he would but stay a little until his Forces were come together he should then see whether of them were of great Strength and Power forasmuch as it would not be long before the King would come and give him Battel as for the Princes in the City he said he knew no more of their minds but that both they and all the Souldiers
to have entred made a bloody Fight with the Germans which defended that place which they sought so desperately to have entred that without regard they thrust one another upon the points of their Enemies Weapons who glistering in good Armor readily received them being for most part naked Men and slew them without number and so enforced them again disorderly to retire having before filled both the breaches with their dead Carkases Three days after ensued a most cruel Fight when as another part of the Wall near unto the Gate of Carinthia and not far from the first breach was so suddainly overthrown that the Turks through the new made breach seeing the Christians as they stood ready to come to the defence thereof and likewise the Christians them now approaching for eagerness and hast on both sides threw away their Pieces and Bows and came to handy blows in the middle of the breach the Turks with their Scimiters and the Germans with their long Swords At which time as the Christian Captains encouraged their Souldiers with chearful perswasions so the Turkish Commanders enforced forward their Turks both with words and wounds The Assault began so terrible that it was thought a more fierce and deadly Fight was never seen from the beginning of the World which was with great resolution maintained by the Turks for that many of their most valiant Horsemen forsaking their Horses thrust in with their Targets and Scimiters or else with their Lances amongst the Janizaries and other Footmen and there fought most desperately At last after this furious Fight had endured by the space of three hours and many of the Turks best Captains and Souldiers lay dead upon the ground by heaps the Turks seeing no hope to prevail gave over the Assault and retired to their Camp. Long and tedious it were to recount every Assault given during the time of that dreadful Siege with every particular accident not unworthy the remembrance which for brevity wittingly I pass over Yet among the rest the most valiant Leader though afterward unfortunate the Lord William Rogendorffe is not to be forgotten who oftentimes perceiving many of the Turks stragling disorderly abroad in the Country one day upon the suddain sallied out upon them with certain Troops of Horsemen with such violence that at the first onset he overthrew them and having them in chase did such speedy execution that of five thousand three hundred scarce one hundred and forty escaped his hands after which time his Name became terrible unto the Turks Solyman was exceedingly grieved with the often and bloody Assaults by him in vain given to the City but purposing now to prove the last and utmost of all his Forces he called to him the chief Commanders of his Army whom at the first he sharply reproved as Men of no Courage which being many times as good as possessed of the Victory had most cowardly contrary to the manner of that victorious Nation turned their backs upon their Enemies in the breaches already half won wherefore he willed them to pluck up their Hearts and to make all things ready for a new Assault wherein he expected that they should with couragious forwardness and resolution recompence their late Cowardise for why he accounted it a greaâ— dishonour to forsake the Siege begun whereâ—oâ—e they should resolve the next day as victoâ—ious Conquerors to take the City or else theâ—◠〈◊〉 faint hearted Cowards to end their days The next day after this heavy charge given which was the fifteenth of October the great Commanders of the Turks Army with all their Forcâ—s assailed the City thrusting their Men into the breaches by heaps as if they would if no wâ—y else yet with very multitude if it had been possible have discouraged or overborn the Christians they were come to handy Blows and the Fight was in every place most terrible the Christian Defendants still repulsing them with greater Courage than they were able to assail them Besides that to the great advantage of the Defendants many Pieces of their great Ordnance skilfully mounted in places most convenient and continually discharged among the thickest of their Enemies as they pressed on made of them such slaughter and so cut them off that being throughly discouraged they shrunk back and could not by any threats or command of their Captains be thrust forward chusing rather to be slain of their own Captains as some of them were than to be rent in sunder with the murthering shot of the Christians So that the Captains seeing now no other remedy gave over the Assault and retired leaving behind them many thousands of their dead Turks in the Town-ditches The next day after this Assault Solyman despairing to win the City and fearing the coming of King Ferdinand and the Count Palatine with a strong Army as it had been to him reported considering also that Winter was now coming fast on determined to raise his Siege and to colour the dishonour thereof he sent certain of the chief Prisoners which he had taken richly Apparelled with their Purses full of Mony into the City to tell the Captains that he came not with purpose either to besiege or take the City but to revenge the wrongs done unto him by his Enemy King Ferdinand and to have fought a Battel with him for the Kingdom of Hungary whom forasmuch as he could not draw unto Vienna he would remove thence to seek for him as his Capital Enemy wherefore they should do well to yield themselves which if they would he promised not to enter their City but to receive both the Citizens and Souldiers into his protection reserving unto them their Lives and Goods with perpetual freedom Which his offer the Defendants scornfully refused as proceeding of meer desparation The next night following Solyman with more than barbarous Cruelty caused all the Prisoners in his Army to be slain which pitiful Outcries was of the Souldiers heard into the City not knowing what the matter should be until that the next day after the departure of the Enemy they found the dead Bodies of Men Women and Children in all places of the Camp wallowed in their own Blood a most lamentable Spectacle to behold Solyman purposing to forsake the Siege caused Abraham the great Bassa to shew himself in order of Battel as if he would have given a fresh Assault In the mean time he himself rose upon the suddain with the rest of his Army and returned towards Buda in such hast that he neither put any Garrison into such places as he had taken neither demanded of them any Tribute After whom the Bassa followed keeping himself a days journey behind him and so in five days he arrived with all his Army at Buda thirty two German Miles from Vienna This Siege was given over by Solyman about the sixteenth of October wherein he is reported to have lost eighty thousand Men amongst whom was his great Lieutenant of Asia with many other of
upon charity take upon him the protection of the Widow and Fatherless Child in their so great distress and danger Wherefore calling unto him the Embassadors the three great Bassaes standing by he said That he had of his meer bounty before given the Kingdom of Hungary unto King Iohn to descend to his posterity so long as they should retain the kind remembrance of so great a benefit wherefore to declare his constancy inseparable from his bounty he said he would take such a course in the matter as that the Germans his Enemies should not long rejoyce of the Wars they had begun And in token of friendship and that he had taken upon him the protection of the young King he caused to be delivered unto the Embassadors a royal Robe of Purple and Gold a Buckler with the Boss most curiously wrought a Horsemans Mace with a handle of Gold and a Scimiter with the Scabberd richly set with Stones and afterwards wrote effectually to Ustref and Mahometes his Lieutenants That they should without delay aid the Queen and not to make excuse because it was Winter threatning them that if she took any harm through their default and negligence it should cost them their Heads The Queens Embassadors glad of their good dispatch were scarce departed from the Turks Court when Laschus came to Constantinople and understanding by his Physician the success of the Hungarian Embassadors proceeded for all that in his business and delivered his Message and upon reasonable conditions requested the Kingdom for King Ferdinand But when he in speaking had oftentimes made mention of Charles the Emperor as if he would with all the power of Germany aid his Brother Solyman was so moved therewith that he was presently taken away and committed to Prison the great Bassaes but especially Rustan Solymans Son in Law a proud and furious young Man chiding him and taking him up as worthy of death for offending with his liberal Speech the Majesty of so courteous a Prince and as it were mocking the King of Kings requiring friendship when in the mean time his Master most impudently made Wars in Hungary Ustref and Mahometes the Bassaes aforesaid having received such strait commandment from Solyman assembled their dispersed Souldiers and by shipping brought them down the Rivers Savus and Dravus into Danubius for it is a hard matter to perform any great thing by Wars in Hungary without the help of a great Fleet for conveying of the great Ordnance Victual and other such necessaries of the Army frome one side of the great Rivers to the other as occasion requireth but as then being the midst of Winter and the North Wind blowing hard Danubius was so Frozen on both sides that the middle of the River was scarce open so that the Turks not able to pass for the extremity of the Weather not daring to return for the strait command of Solyman were enforced in their Tents there to abide the hardness of Winter to shew their readiness It is almost incredible to be spoken with what patience and resolution the Souldiers endured all the extremities of the time in so bare a place their Horses which of all other things they hold most dear starving for Cold and want of Meat The Spring at length coming on year 1541. right welcome both to the Turks and the Queen Mahâ—metes with his Turks and wild Illyrians and Ustref with his Souldiers of Bosna entred into Hungary with whom Valentinus General of the Queens Forces joyned also with an Army of Hungarians brought from Buda And the Queen to further the matter sent Presents to the Turks Generals victualled the Camp and furnished them with great Ordnance for the besieging of such Cities as were holden by King Ferdinand her Enemy They passing over Danubius took the City of Vacia being but badly defended for King Ferdinand and putting many to the Sword after the manner of their barbarous Cruelty burnt the City From thence they removed to Pesth which was so valiantly defended by Barcocius and Fotiscus the one a Hungarian Captain the other a German that the Turks despairing of the winning of the City and not well relieved with Victual by the Queen then fearing future want passed again over Danubius and faithfully restoring the great Ordnance without any more doing returned again into their own Countries but in their retiring the Hungarians by the leading of Ferentius Gnarus slew many of them amongst whom was one Achomates one of their best and valiantest Captains King Ferdinand advertised of the Turks departure returned again to his old hope of recovering the Kingdom perswading the Emperor his Brother not to give over the War so fortunately begun especially now that the Turks having forsaken the Queen were departed and gone Wherefore the new Forces lately before raised in Austria Bohemia Silesia and Moravia for the new supply of Velsius his Army were presently sent into Hungary under the leading of the Lord William Rogendorff Steward of the Kings House who was then gone as far as Possonium to have relieved them of Pesth unto whom as a more ancient and honourable General Velsius gave place He furnished with these new Supplies three months Victuals and great Artillery from Vienna joyning with the old Army marched directly to Buda and besieged it Overagainst the stately Castle of Buda wherein the Queen lay was a great Hill called St. Gerrards Mount so high that the middle thereof was equal with the highest place of the Castle and from the top thereof they might look into the Streets of the City betwixt which Hill and the Castle was a great Valley and a deep Ditch Upon this Hill Rogendorff to beat the Castle and to terrifie the Queen planted his Battery and so shook a new built Tower thereof that it was thought that it would have suddainly fallen which if it had yet was it supposed a dangerous matter to have assaulted it because it was walled about with a treble Wall. But the sumptuous Turrets and the princely Galleries of the Kings Palace in the Castle which every Man saw Rogendorff might have beaten down with his great Ordnance he spared but whether of himself or else commanded by the King as loath to destroy so goodly Buildings as could not without great charges be in long time again repaired was uncertain Wherefore by divers Heralds sent unto the Queen he wished her to break in sunder those Gyves and Fetters wherein the Bishop under colour of protection had fast bound her Son and her and to accept of King Ferdinands offer who was ready to bestow upon her a goodly Seigniory wherein she might most honourably live in quiet and bring up her Son in safety Which thing if she as a simple Woman and ignorant of her own danger should refuse and obstinately contemn the peril wherein she stood he would forthwith in most terrible manner beat down the Palace about her Ears Whereunto the Bishop in the Queens behalf answered That she
to honour them with their Presence to the Palace putting themselves in readiness betimes in the Morning and taking Horse set forward toward the Court. The formost were they that did bear the Present in their hands the people of the City in every Street flocking together in exceeding multitudes to behold them as they passed and verily there had been seldom times seen the like Embassage in those parts for besides the Fame that was blown abroad in every quarter That they were Men sent from one of the greatest Princes in Christendom the diversity of their Attire so few as they were more than any thing beside did represent the Majesty of the Christian Emperor to them that gazed upon his Embassadors and their Train the people conceiving thereby that he was Lord and Ruler over many Provinces and Countries For they that were Hungarians belonging to the Bishop of Agria the chief Embassador being attired in long and sober Garments of very fine Purple-Cloth having their Shoos pieced over the soles with Iron-Plates and half their Heads shaven seemed to differ from them but little but on the other side the High-Dutch attired in black with their Velvet Caps and short Clokes laid with Silver Lace and long Breeches little less than Rutter-wise and Chains of Gold about their Necks appeared very strange and uncouth to the Turkish people so accompanied in this honourable wise the Embassadors entred the first Gate of the Great Turks Palace This Gate is built of Marble in most sumptuous manner and of a stately height with certain words of their Language in the front thereof ingraven and gilt in Marble So passing through the base Court which hath on the right side very fair Gardens and on the left divers Buildings serving for other Offices with a little Moschy they came to the second Gate where all such as come in riding must of necessity alight here so soon as they were entred in at this second Gate they came into a very large Square Court with Buildings and Galleries round about it the Kitchins standing on the right hand with other Lodgings for such as belonged to the Court and on the left hand likewise Rooms deputed to like Services There are moreover many Halls and other Rooms for resort where they sit in Council handling and executing the Publick Affairs either of the Court or of the Empire with other matters where the Bassaes and other Officers assemble together Entring in at this second Gate in one part of the Court which seem'd rather some large Street they saw the whole Company of the Solaches set in a goodly rank which are Archers keeping always near unto the Person of the Great Turk and serving as his Footmen when he rideth they use high Plumes of Feathers which are set bolt upright over their Foreheads In another place there stood the Capitzi in like Array with black Staves of Indian Canes in their hands they are the Porters and Warders of the Gates of the Palace not much differing in their Attire from the Janizaries who stood in rank likewise in another quarter And beside all those with many more that were out of order as well of the Court as of the common people those Knights of the Court which accompanied the Embassadors thither with other great Ones also of like degree were Marshalled all in their several Companies And among the rest the Mutfarachaes Men of all Nations and all Religions for their Valour the only free men which live at their own liberty in the Turkish Empire stood there apparelled in Damask Velvet and Cloth of Gold and Garments of Silk of sundry kinds and colours their Pomp was great and the greater for the Turbants that they wore upon their Heads being as white as whiteness it self made a most brave and goodly shew well worth the beholding In brief whether they were to be considered all at once or in particular as well for the order that they kept as for their sumptuous presence altogether without noise or rumor they made the Embassadors and the rest of their Followers there present eye-witnesses both of their Obedience and of the great State and Royalty of the Othoman Court. Passing through them the Embassadors were led into the Hall where the Bassaes and other great Men of the Court were all ready to give them Entertainment they of their Train being at the same time brought into a Room that stood apart under one of the aforesaid Lodgings all hung with Turky-Carpets Soon after as their use and manner is they brought in their Dinner covering the ground with Table-Cloths of a great length spread upon Carpets and afterward scattering upon them a marvelous number of wooden Spoons with so great store of Bread as if they had been to feed 300 persons then they set on Meat in order which was served in 4â— great Platters of Earth full of Rice-pottage of three or four kinds differing one from another some of them seasoned with Honey and of the colour of Honey some with sour Milk and white of colour and some with Sugar they had Fritters also which were made of like Batter and Mutton beside or rather a dainty and toothsome morsel of an old sodden Ewe The Table if there had any such been thus furnished the Guests without any Ceremony of washing sate down on the ground for Stools there were none and fell to their Victual and drank out of great earthen Dishes Water prepared with Sugar which kind of Drink they call Zerbet But so having made a short repast they were no sooner risen up but certain young Men whom they call Giamoglaâ—s with others that stood round about them snatcht it hastily up as their Fees and like greedy Harpies ravened it down in a moment The Embassadors in the mean time dined in the Hall with the Bassaes. And after dinner certain of the Capitzies were sent for and twelve of the Embassadors Followers before appointed to do the Great Sultan Reverence by whom their Presents being already conveyed away they were removed out of the place where they dined and brought on into an under Room from whence there was an ascent into the Hall where the Bassaes were staying for the Embassadors who soon after came forth and for their ease sat them down upon the Benches whilst the Bassaes went in to Selymus who before this time had made an end of Dinner and was removed in all his Royalty into one of his Chambers expecting the coming of the Embassadors All things now in readiness and the Embassadors sent for they set forward with their Train and came to the third Gate which leadeth into the Privy-Palace of the Turkish Emperor where none but himself his Eunuchs and the young Pages his Minions being in the Eunuchs custody have continual abiding into which inward part of the Palace none entreth but the Capitzi Bassa who hath the keeping of this third Gate and the Cesigniers that serve in the Turks Meat with the
belong unto the Kingdom of Polonia which the Transilvanians took to be no other but mere and open wrong This supposed Title such as it was the Chancellor had so fashioned out unto the King and the States of that Kingdom that they referred it to his Discretion to invade the Country and removing the Vayvod placed by the Prince to place another in his stead and the rather to perswade them laboured by many forced Reasons to shew the Power of the Transilvanian Prince to be so far inferiour unto the Turks that it was to be feared he should at length be thrust out of all his Dominions and so they together with Moldavia become subject to the Turks which if it should so come to pass then should the Polonians have an untrusty and troublesome Neighbour and that therefore it were better that Moldavia were possessed by them that were better able to defend it than was he that so the Turk might be kept farther off from Polonia Which occasion he said was not longer to be delay'd but now betime to be laid hold upon perswading himself to find such Grace and Favour with the Turkish Emperour as that he should be therewith right well contented which was like enough for a time to be for that the Transilvanian should thereby be much weakened By these and such like Reasons framed to serve his own turn the Chancellor so prevailed with the King and the States of the Kingdom that he received as I said full Authority to proceed in the matter as he did and as is before declared to the great trouble of the Prince and benefit of the Turk the late chosen Vayvod not long after opening a way in three places for the Tartars into Transilvania one by the Country of Siculi another by the way that leadeth to Alba-Iulia and the third by Valachia The Transilvanian Prince seeing the Country of Moldavia by the practice of the Chancellor thus taken from him and dissevered from the other united Provinces to the great weakning of his Estate after the flight of Sinan sent â—ertain Companies both of Horse and Foot to Stephen the late Vayvod but now driven out by the Polonians to prove if haply he could by that means drive out the Polonians again and recover his former Dignity With this aid sent from the Prince and others that favoured his Quarrel he joyned a bloody Battel with the Polonians but being therein by them overcome and taken and for a space kept as the Prince feared to have been delivered unto the Turk he was by them as is reported cruelly afterwards put to death This foul dealing of the Polonian in Moldavia much grieved many good Christians as tending to the general hurt of the Christian Commonweal For which cause the Emperour by his Ambassadors sent for that purpose unto the Polonian King sought to perswade him to desist from such Invasion of the Transilvanian Prince by his Chancellor as nothing standing with his Honour and that some good Reconciliation might be made between the Prince and the Cardinal Bator and his Brother the Princes Uncles Authors of all these Troubles To which purpose also the Pope sent a Messenger with like Instructions and Letters unto the King perswading him not so to prosecute his Wars against the Prince but to turn his Thoughts unto a more peaceable and Christian-like course especially with him with whom he was so near linked in Marriage To the like effect he writ also unto the Cardinal Bator and after many grave Admonitions peremptorily cited him to Rome But forasmuch as the Proceedings of the Polonian against the Prince are more plainly to be gathered by the Pope's Letters unto the King it shall not I hope be mistaken if I here set them down thus as I find them by others reported POpe Clement the Eighth to our best beloved Son in Christ Sigismund by the Grace of God King of Polonia with the Benediction Apostolical sendeth greeting By how much greater affection of fatherly Love we embrace your Majesty in the Lord so much the more fervently we wish all your Actions to be adorned with the greatest commendation of true Godliness and Wisdom both before God and Men whereof it proceedeth that we are so much the more vehemently and grievously moved if we hear any such thing of you as may seem not agreeable to your Vertue and approved Zeal toward the Catholick Religion or tending to the obscuring of the Glory of your Name as is now brought unto us concerning the Affairs of Moldavia whereof not without great grief we write unto you And to rehearse things a little before past with what earnestness and fervency dealt I with you that for God's Cause and the defence of the health and liberty of the Christian Commonweal against the Tyranny of the Turks you would combine your self with our most dearly beloved Son Rodolph the Emperor and divers other Christian Princes and that you should not let slip so notable an occasion so worthily to deserve of God of the Catholick Faith and of the Christian Commonweal in general And albeit we then thought as well for many your own private respects as also of your Kingdoms That you were to be borne withal and excused if you did not now openly descend into this Confederation of the Christian Princes against the most mortal and common Enemy neither apertly joyn your Forces or give aid for the repressing of his Insolency yet we always assured our selves that no let should in any case proceed from you whereby either theEmperour or the other Christian Princes should be the rather hindered justly to prosecute their Injuries or to cast off from their Necks the heavy yoke of the most cruel Tyrant whose desire of Sovereignty is not comprised within the compass of any bounds But that you should in favour of the Turks impugn the Catholick Princes and Defenders of the Christian Faith and so joyn hands with the Enemies of the Cross of Christ as that by your help their force and fury should be encreased and ours not only weakened but in the very course of Victory hindered and cast into most grievous perils this we have not only not thought of you but not so much as once suspected yea and can now scarce be persuaded to believe those things to be done by you which are reported unto us as most true and undoubted For the report goeth That you having Intelligence with the Turks and Tartars have with them conspired and namely against our well-beloved Son Sigismund Prince of Transilvania who with invincible Courage fighteth the Battels of the Lord and lest he should be able to abate the force and attempts of the most proud Enemy which by the singular mercy of God he hath hitherto above his own power performed but rather be enforced much to fear his own Estate a new Vayvod and Prince as it were by a triumvirate Authority and compact to be placed in Moldavia and him by the Turks You and the
Holiness's Letters directed both unto the Kings Majesty and my self understood as well his Royal Majesty and my most gracious Lord and Master as also my self as his Servant to be both accused unto your Holiness as if by those things by us done in Moldavia the Endeavouâ—s of the Christians had been hindered and the Power of the Enemy confirmed Whereof I am not with many Words to purge my self unto your Holiness forasmuch as I assure my self your Holiness to have already fully understood both what the things were that were done in Moldavia and how they were done partly by the Kings Majesties Letters and partly by his principal Secretary for that cause especially sent unto your Holiness Yet doubt I not to request this one thing of your Holiness that if it hath known me for a man I will not say of any Capacity or Wit but even of the least Experience in the World or of any Religion at all so to perswade it self of me nothing to have been done especially in this matter either rashly or to the hinderance of the Christian Common-weal I will not now repeat what mine Opinion was concerning the League and Confederation to be made with the rest of the Christian Princes for the combining of their Forces against the common Enemy especially his Sacred Majesties as also what mine own Labour and Endeavour was in the last assembly of the States in the high Court of Parliament Which thing after it was even by them whom it most concerned either delayed or neglected or utterly cast aside and yet his Majesty had still a great desire to do the Christian Common-weal some great good I also to the uttermost of my Power laboured to that end that by the common decree of the Kingdom an Expedition might be made into Tartaria not so much in revenge of the Injuries done by that Enemy in these late years past as so in the mean time to turn him from the Necks of the Christians as that he should not joyn his Forces with the Turks or if it so pleased God to bless those our Endeavours utterly at length to root out that so great a Mischief But how it came to pass that this Expedition so much by the King desired yet scarcely begun or taken in hand took not effect it is not needful for me to declare for that I suppose your Holiness hath by others especially your Nuntio understood the same In the mean time by others and often Messengers News was brought That Sinan Bassa with a great Army was already come over Danubius and I by Letters from the Vayvod of the farther Valachia was advertised how that he not able to encounter him had forsaken that Province which at the first Impression taken and almost utterly wasted by Sinan he was now come fast upon Transilvania and in Moldavia the Tartar was still expected insomuch that Roswan who having taken Prisoner Aaron the Palatine whom he secured in his House and so himself invaded the Palatine began now also to quake for fear and to crave help of me or rather to seck how he might fly away as not long after he did neither having any great strength about him or expecting any greater from the People of that Country for why that Province was brought so low by the Miseries of the former years but especially by such as had evil governed the same that at such time as I entred into Moldavia I assure your Holiness there were not in it of Housholders above 15000 and those also for the most part poor Country People of the basest sort in whom there could neither be any great help neither if they had been able to have done any thing durst Roswan have trusted himself with them upon whom he had with all kind of Cruelty tyrannized Chotiim a Castle in the very Confines of this Kingdom was kept with no greater Garrison than 200 Hungarians who perceiving themselves neither of sufficient strength to hold the Place nor to withstand the Enemy they also by and by followed after Roswan All the rest of the Province was not only unarmed but altogether poor and naked without any certain Government without Counsel without Strength and without any Defence at all two Castles only excepted which standing upon the Confines of Polonia might have served better for the Enemy out of them to have infested us than for the defence of Moldavia against them so that had the Enemy once set foot into that Province neither could it without a great Power have been recovered neither being recovered could easily have been defended against so puissant an Enemy and that which worse was was not it self alone to have been consumed with that Fire but like enough to have carried away with it Podolia also bordering upon it with a great part of Ruscia Wherefore in this state of things when as both that Province was in greatest danger to have been lost and so many Enemies hovered not more over the Heads of all Christendom than over this Kingdom what was of us to be done I know to whom I speak these things even unto him not only whose divine Wisdom but singular Love also towards my native Country is to me most known Verily I entred into Moldavia with no great Army yet such an one as haply as in like case it often chanceth Fame had made amongst the Enemies a very great one so that Sinan fearing if he should thrust himself with his Army into the Streights whereby he was to break into Transilvania to be shut in by our Army stayed his Journey and the Tartar the more earnestly he was called upon by Sinan by reason of the Fame of this our Army resolved to make himself so much the stronger So that whilst he assembled the Nogaian Tartars and others farther off and so from all parts raised the greatest Power he could the matter was delaied almost unto the end of November at which time he with a most huge Army accompanied with Sendziak Iehivense and a great power of the Turks raised out of their Provinces thereby came directly upon me in the Fields of Coroce Sendziack the Tartar Cham's Sisters Son now called himself the Bassa of Moldavia as did the Tartars eldest Son name himself Prince of another part of that Province also for so that Country was to have been divided betwixt them that that part which was next unto the Tartars Dominions should be allotted unto the Tartar and the other part confining upon this Kingdom to be governed by Sendziak as Bassa thereof and so to make it the seat of a perpetual War from whence Podolia Ruscia and the lesser Polonia might be with continual Incursions wasted even before our faces concerning which matter they now dispersed their Letters wherein they published the Power and Authority given them from the grand Seignior exhorting the People of that Country to receive the same A whole day we fought with this multitude our men always by the goodness of God having not only
fourteen days to beware of the Excursions of the Haiducks and in the mean time for their more safety to bring their Wives and Children with such other things as they made most reckoning of into the City for that he could not as yet as he said repress the unruly and head-strong Haiducks being yet in their Rage and Fury as the manner of the discontented Multitude is Of which Haiducks some going forth toward Newhuse and bringing home a great Booty of Cattel were by Collonitz and Trautmanstorf pursuing them with their Horsemen overthrown and all the Booty again recovered Botscay about this time viz. the nine and twentieth day of March summoned all the Nobility and States of Hungary unto an Assembly to be holden at Serentium the seventeenth day of April writing unto them in this sort YOU know said he right worthy and valiant men into what extream Miseries our afflicted Country all the ancient Priviledges and Immunities thereof being contemned and troden under foot is by the coming in of Strangers brought whose Insolency is gone so far that we cannot only not quietly possess our own Goods but so much as enjoy the Liberty of our own Consciences For which cause the Nobility of the whole Kingdom being the last Year sent in Embassy and as it were foreseeing what was to come the Assembly of the Empire being ended openly protested before the whole Imperial Diet and by their Letters oftentimes declared That they should of necessity be at length inforced to take upon themselves the defence of their Priviledges and of their Religion by which their Protestations for all that they so little prevailed that forthwith after such an intolerable Edict was by the Emperour's Commandment published as had exposed us all and every one of us to most certain Death had we not betime provided for our selves All which things are unto you all most certainly known both by the unlawful Acts themselves and the whole Proceeding of the Provost General All which things considered you met together at Galest and from thence again openly signified unto the aforesaid Provost General unto whom his Imperial Majesty had committed the shedding of our Blood the abolishing of our Priviledges and Religion viz. the execution of this cruel Edict that if he proceeded to go forward in that Business you would put into Execution what you had before publickly protested in the general Assembly of the whole Empire at Presburg But what Answer you received from him forasmuch as it is not unto any of you unknown it is not needful here to rehearse Wherefore when as he going about the execution of the aforesaid Edict did in forcible manner with certain Pieces of great Ordnance impugn the Army of his Imperial Majesty both in his and our dread Lord and Sovereign and by force took from us some of our Castles and besieged some others we found no other remedy against these so great Evils but that which God himself even then shewed unto us which was by force of Arms to defend our selves so far as we might In which our purpose seeing that the Grace of God and the good Success which we have hitherto had will us to continue although we have suffered no little harm from the Germans and Haiducks which for all that is for the recovery of the liberty of our Country patiently to be borne to the intent that we united with other our Brethren through Hungary may the better withstand our Enemies and fight against them it is most necessary that we should meet together and all matters set apart enter into Consultation how hereafter to resist our Enemies and set our Country in Peace and Quietness Wherefore seeing that we have determin'd to hold an Assembly at Serents the Seventeenth day of April we by these Presents warn and request you all there at the aforesaid Seventeenth day of April to make your personal Appearance to joyn in Amity with us and after God's Name called upon to consult and conclude upon such things as may be both acceptable and pleasing unto God and most profitable and necessary for the good of our afflicted Country in general But if there shall be any which upon a presumptuous or careless Contempt shall not at the time appointed come nor seem to regard such things as so much concern the common Good and Welfare of their Native Country let them assuredly know Both themselves to be therefore to be accounted for Enemies unto their Country and their Goods also so to be disposed of as shall unto the Nobility and States then and there assembled be thought meet and convenient Much about this time a great Tumult was raised amongst the Janizaries and other Souldiers of the Court at Constantinople at which time a great Fire arose also in the City as oft times the like hath before done through the Insolency of the Janizaries who in such Confusion of mens Minds use to make their own Gains wherein many both Men and Women perished with above five hundred Shops and Ware-houses full of rich Merchandise most part whereof belonged unto the Iews of whom almost two hundred are said to have been there burnt the Deformity and Spoil made by which Fire in the City remaining long after to be seen These Troubles brought a great fear upon the young Sultan who first therewith half dismayed and seeing the like to arise in Pera also on the other side of the Haven about a mile off from the Seraglio could not otherwise think but that the Souldiers were about some dangerous Treason Which suspicion two Messengers but a little before come from Cicala Bassa increased who by the same Messengers desired new Supplies to be forthwith sent unto him protesting that for as much as he had not long before in a great Battel lost a number of his Men if he were not with new Supplies speedily relieved he must of force retire and leave all unto the Persian Howbeit the Fire quenched and the Janizaries and other Souldiers with the Spoil they had of the Losses of others gotten satisfied the Tumult was without much ado again quieted Now beside the aforesaid Troubles from the Rebels in Transilvania and the upper Hungary that nothing might be wanting unto the Misery of those so miserable Countries the Emperour's Souldiers which served under Basta having of long from day to day in vain expected their Pay and seeing neither Pay nor other Relief to come unto them rose up in Mutiny and so in a great Rage brake into Basta the General 's Lodging where having heaped upon him many unworthy and despightful Reproaches with their Pieces bent against him and taking the spoil of certain Carriages loaded with many rich Commodities they departed from him and so marching thorow the Country toward Presbourg by the way used such Insolency and Cruelty by rifling and spoiling whatsoever came in their way as that they seemed unto the People as they went worse and more inhumane than the very Turks and
but especially in Bavaria to be made and divers Consultations in many Places to be holden against the States of the Religion his Imperial Majesty and the other his faithful Counsellors thereof not knowing which might tend unto the Ruine and Destruction both of his Majesty and of the whole Kingdom they themselves would take upon them the defence thereof and do their endeavour that furnished with Men and Arms they might to the uttermost of their power defend him their Sovereign together with themselves and the whole Kingdom against the Force and Invasion of their foreign Enemies In the mean time while these things were thus in doing an Ambassador came from the Duke of Saxony to Prague to intreat the Emperour for the States and for the granting of them the free Exercise of their Religion the Ambassadors of the States of Silesia forthwith following of them also who in like manner requesting also of the Emperour to have the liberty for the free Exercise of their Religion by him confirmed unto them promised their most ready help and aid unto the States of Bohemia if need should so require But the States of Bohemia having from day to day in vain expected answer from the Emperour turning themselves unto their former Resolution for the defence of themselves and of their Religion forthwith raised a great number both of Horse and Foot whom with their well-known Captains and Commanders they brought even unto the City of Prague Howbeit at length viz. the eleventh of Iuly the Saxon Ambassador earnestly solliciting their Cause and urging their request they according to their desire received answer from the Emperour by Letters from his Majesty written to this effect He gave all Men as he said to understand and by these his Letter witnessed to eternal Memory That after that all the free States of his Kingdom of Bohemia which in the receiving of the Lord Supper participate the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under both kinds his faithful Subjects had in the Assembly holden in the Castle at Prague in the year 1608 in all humility requested That it might be lawful for them to hold and freely to Exercise their Religion according to the Confession of Augusta as some call it exhibited unto his Father Maximilian the Emperour of most happy Memory and by him unto the said States allowed and that he then and at that time by reason of other most weighty business for which that Assembly was then called and such as could suffer no Procrastination or delay had thought it good to deferr the allowing and ratifying of this their Petition unto this present Assembly of Parliament and that the same States now again assembled incessantly renewing this their former Petition and having thereunto joyned also the request and Intercession of certain Noble Personages had requested to be therein satisfied and that he with his Counsellors would consult how Provision might be made for his Subjects in the Kingdom of Bohemia as well Commucating under both kinds as under one now at length to have effected the same Wherefore seeing that his Will and Desire was that both in these and future times Peace and Quietness might for the increasing of the Kingdom be preserved and kept amongst his Subjects of all the three Estates of the Kingdom of Bohemia communicating as well under the one as under both kinds that both parties might freely and without any impediment or let have the free Exercise of their Religion whereby they were both in hope to obtain everlasting Salvation And to the intent that Accomplishment and Satisfaction might in all points be made as well according unto the breaking up of the Assembly of Parliament in the year 1608 as to the performance of his own Precept of late published whereby he hath acknowledged and even yet acknowledgeth those same Estates communicating under both kinds and subscribing to this Confession for his faithful and loyal Subjects unto whom the Rights and Immunities of the Kingdom of Bohemia belonged He by the common consent of the Counsellors and other Magistrates of the Kingdom did determine That his Subjects communicating both under one and both kinds should friendly and peaceably live together without wronging or reviling of one another and that upon the Pain and Penalty in the Law set down to be inflicted upon them that should otherwise do And moreover seeing that they which communicated but under one kind enjoyed the free Exercise of their Religion in all points throughout the Kingdom of Bohemia that he gave leave and commanded that they also which communicated under both kinds viz. all the States of the Religion with all such as embraced the Confession of Bohemia sometime exhibited to Maximilian the Emperour his Father in the Parliament holden in the year 1575 and now again to himself presented should every where and in all places of the Kingdom have the free Exercise of their Religion without the let or interruption of any to retain the same until a general Union of Religion and an ending of all Dissention and Controversies might be made Moreover That He did grant unto the States of the Religion this Favour That they should have the lower Consistory at Prague with Power to conform the same according to their own Confession That they might lawfully make their Priests as well in the Bohemian as German Tongue and set them over their Churches without any let of the Arch-bishop of Prague That he did also restore unto them the University of Prague which for many years ago belonged unto the States of the Religion under both kinds giving them Power again to open the same to furnish it with grave and learned Men of their own Confession to beautifie it with good Laws and to appoint certain of their own Company and Profession for Governours and Defenders as well of the Consistory as of the University whom so by the States appointed and chosen he without any stay or delay or other instruction or information than they should from the States receive would confirm in that their Office and pronounce them for the lawful Defenders yet so as that if he being letted by other greater business cannot perform the same within the space of fourteen days they shall nevertheless continue Defenders and as well enjoy the charge of the Office committed unto them as if they had been therein by him confirmed and that one or other of their number being dead it shall be lawful for the States to chuse others in their Places And if that beside the Churches which they now hold they would build other more or erect more Schools for the instructing of the Youth it shall be lawful for them freely and without any let so to do as well in the Cities as in the Country Towns and Villages And forasmuch as in some of the Cities of the Kingdom of Bohemia Men of both Religions dwelt together he therefore did will and command That for the preservation of Peace and Quietness
of holy Jesus which follow the Popes Religion may build Temples in our Realms there to say divine Service after their manner and read the Gospel We will yield them all favour and will not suffer any one to disturb thâ—m contrary to Law and Equity 8. It shall be lawful for the Inhabitants born in the Realm of Hungary of either part to re-edifie the Villages ruined and laid waste and after they are inhabited they shall pay Tribute to the one and the other if they be such Villages as have been accustomed to pay to both 9. Merchants shall have free leave to traffick passing from our Port into those Countries and the transport of Merchandise shall be free to such as shall take Letters from the Governours of the Frontiers or from the Receivers of the thirties the which they shall represent in passing and the Lord of the Place or the Receiver shall attest the said Letters by his manual sign or seal for the which they shall not take any thing of the Merchant If the Merchant be to pass by any dangerous Place they shall give him a sufficient Convoy to conduct him in safety and after that the Merchant hath paied of either side the thirtieth which is the full due no man shall molest him nor hinder him to go where he pleaseth 10. The Merchants which would pass from the Realms and Seigniories of the Emperor of the Romans and the House of Austria into our Kingdoms with Merchandise or Money shall come under the Ensign of the Emperour of Romans and shall have his Letters patents to us without the which they shall not be suffered to pass And if they enter without Ensign or the said Patents the Agents and Consuls of the Roman Emperour may seise upon their Vessels Merchandise and Money and shall give advice thereof unto their Emperour wherefore all the Merchants of the Emperours Countries of the House of Austria and of the King of Spain both as well those of the Low-Countries as his other Realms may come with all assurance into our Realms with their Ships Money and Merchandise paying three in the hundred And as for the Agents and Consuls of the Roman Emperour they shall pay unto them two Aspers for the hundred and in doing so the said Agents and Consuls of the Roman Emperour shall have a care of the Merchants Affairs If any Merchant chance to die the Emperours Agent and Consul shall cause his Goods to be sealed up and shall take them into their Possession to the which our Treasurer shall have no colour or pretension And when as the Merchants have paid the Custom of three for the hundred in one place they shall not be bound to pay it in another for the same Merchandise If the Merchants have any Controversie amongst themselves or with others the Cadi or Iudge of that Place may take knowledge of the cause if it exceed not the value of 4000 Aspers but it shall be judged by the Cadi of our Port. 11. As long as this holy Peace shall continue the Posts which shall be sent with Letters by the Bassaes Begues Lords and Agents or by the Visiers on our behalf to the Emperour of the Romans and respectively from him to our Court shall be honourably entertained by our Officers and if the way be dangerous they shall give them assistance to conduct them into a place of safety with their Letters And if the Agent which is with us desire to write any particular Letter unto the Emperour and not send an express Messenger that this Letter shall be carried by the post and delivered safely where it is directed That the Messengers of the Bassaes and Begues shall go no more into the Villages but the Iudges shall bring the Tribute and deliver it where they ought An Accord for the Execution of the Articles touching the Villages in Controversie and the raising of Fortifications TO conclude all Differences touching the division of Villages and demolition of Fortifications made in prejudice of the Peace of Situa Torok We the Commissaries deputed had agreed upon the time of four Months But for that all Controversies cannot be decided within that time by a common consent we have concluded the time of twelve Months for the Expedition of all that shall remain undecided all things remaining in the same Estate during the time For the ending of these Affairs on the behalf of the Majesty of the Roman Emperour shall be sent the Noble Lord Adolph of Althen Earl of the sacred Empire with others according to his Maâ—esties good Pleasure And on the behalf of the Othoman Emperour hath been named the Noble Lord Ali Visier Bassa For the greater assurance of these things we the said Commissioners have caused six Copies of this Treaty to be dispatch'd in the Italian Hungarian and Turkish Tongues And we the Director or President of the Privy Council to his Imperial Maâ—esty and Cardinal with other Counsellors of his Privy Council and Commissioners having full Power and Authority have confirmed these Presents under our Hands and the Seals of our Arms. As also We Ali Bassa of Buda Visier to the most powerful Sultan Achmat Tyhaia Mutafaraga and Gasper Gratiani Ambassadors to the Turkish Emperour with the Imperial Majesty of the Roman Emperour having full Power and Authority to conclude this Treaty have signed it with our Hands and sealed it with our ordinary Seals whereof there were three Copies delivered to either party Given at Vienna the first of March 1616. This new Declaration of the Othoman Emperour upon the first Articles concluded at Situa Torok shews plainly how much the Turks are of late days refined from their antient barbarism and rudeness having made themselves capable of great Affairs And these frequent meetings betwixt the Emperour of the Romans and the Sultan by their Ambassadors as a holy watering of the Olive Tree of Peace seems to make it so flourishing as the sweet savour may pierce further and make us hope that God will make use of this peaceful Union to prepare unto himself some means to a new Harvest or a healthful Conquest of Souls wandering amidst the falshoods of the Alchoran Alexandrina Wife to Prince Coreskie having been taken at that unfortunate overthrow of the Polonian Princes in Moldavia by Skinder Bassa and Prince Michna she was carried away as you have formerly heard by a Tartarian Captain and led Captive unknown to Bialigrot where she received many Indignities being with Child yea during the time of her lying in which was five or six Months after her taking all which time she bethought her self of a means to hasten her own Delivery and withal to free a Polonian Souldier called Iaques who had carried Arms under Prince Coreskie This man although he knew the Princess well and might by her discovery have purchased his own Liberty yet he would not do it wherefore the Princess having tried his Fidelity taught him a means how to work his own Liberty and hers in
which had been fought wherein there had been an hundred thousand men slain And although the Turks lost the greatest number yet they remained Masters of the Field and spoiled the Perâ—ians Camp who was retired or fled for that the manner of the Sophy is to fight with the Turks in retiring or giving way a little and with this manner of fighting they have always made Head against the Turks After this Overthrow the Visier advanced with his Army and entred far into Persia which made many doubt that his Return would prove difficult yet soon after there came Letters to Constantinople importing That the Turks being in Persia in great distress for Victuals the Sophy had sent an Ambassador to the Visier to demand Peace promising hereafter to satisfie the Tributes of Silk which he ought yearly unto the Turk and that the Visier in regard of the necessity of his Army had accepted his Offer and granted him Peace the which Sultan Osman did afterwards ratifie After the conclusion whereof the Sophy sent many Camels loaden with Victuals unto the Turks Army which was in great distress and want During the Turks War in Persia upon the Anniversary day of Sultan Achmat there appeared in the Night a Comet over the City of Constantinople in form like unto a crooked Sword or Turks Scimiter and it was so great as it extended from the Meridian near unto our Zenith unto the Horizon the point began to shew it self an hour after midnight and then it appeared little and somewhat whitish and gave but a glimpse after an hour it was more apparent and of a deeper colour and the more it did rise the redder it was and like unto blood but at the break of day it vanished by little and little in the light and it was so big when the point approached near unto the Zenith as the Hilt was hidden under the Horizon The Mathematicians did observe that it followed the motions of the Heavens it did always rise in one place and the bending of the said Sword was toward Crates more Southerly than it It did appear directly in the East a quarter toward the South the point coming directly towards Constantinople and the Blade extending it self to the said East a quarter to the South which is justly the part where Persia is situated The Edge looked directly towards Constantinople the which made men discourse diversly and many were amazed fearing that it did signifie the loss and defeat of their Army in Persia whose Return they feared much Vri and Husseine Chiaus having finished his Embassy in France came into England with the like Charge and had Audience from his Majesty at White-hall Sir Thomas Glover being Interpreter from whom I received a true discourse of his whole Speech as followeth The Turkish Ambassador's Speech to his Majesty HAc subhanehu ve Allahuteale Saadetlu ve izzetlu Padishah hazeretlerinung vmriny ve deuletiny ziyad ve berziyad eileie Amen yah Rabil alemin Ziyade cudretlu ve saadetlu Sultan Ali Osman Chan Padishah Hazeretleri saadetlu Padishah Hazeretlerine juzbin selamler ve doaler idub bu namei humaiun saadet maakrunile Sultanum Hazeretlerine irsal idub vmidleri oldurchi maabenilerinde munakid olan sulhu selah bu anedeghin ne veczuzre chywz olundise halia dachi ol vslub vzre her daim giunden ginne artirub mucarer olmasina murad humaiunleridur Ali Osman Padishahung dachi Lala ve Bash vezirazam Bassa hazeretleri saadetlu Sultanum hazeretlerine juz bin selamber idub bu mektub sherifleri dachi haki pay sheriflerine irsal idub doaler ider Assitanei saudette dachi mutemekin olan elczighiz nam Paulo Pinder Cullighiz haki pay sheriflerine juz kylyndikdensongra mubarek aiaghyn pusse idub bu mektub Sultanum hazeretlerine irsal eiledy ler. The Interpretation hereof is thus THat most true incomprehensible and most high God increase and multiply your Majesties Years in all Happiness and Felicity Amen oh thou Lord of the World. The most invincible most mighty and most happy Sultan Osman Chan of the Othoman Empire Monarch sendeth unto your excellent Majesty a hundred thousand Salutations and Greetings evermore praying the most high God for your Majesties Happiness sendeth unto your Highness with all possible Honour and Renown this his Imperial and most noble Letter and withal hopeth that the sacred bond of Peace which hath been hitherto inviolably on your Majesties parts kept and observed your Majesty will be well pleased still on your part with daily increase more and more of Friendship earnestly to continue therein And his Imperial Majesty on his behalf is also resolved in like manner evermore punctually to keep and observe the same Also the most mighty Emperour's Tutor and his chief Visier Bassa hath addressed to the dust of your noble Feet this his most honourable Letter with a thousand Commendations praying everlastingly that mighty God for your Majesties long Life and Happiness Also your Majesties Ambassador at Constantinople your Slave Paul Pinder bowing his Forehead to the dust of your Majesties Feet and most humbly kissing your Highness blessed Feet hath directed unto your Majesty this his submissive Letter This that now followeth is the said Ambassador's Speech to his Majesty at the taking of his Leave at White-hall SAadetlu Padishahum Nitekim bu kullighiz haki pay sheriflerine effendimuz olan Cudretlu ve adaletlu Ali Osman Padishah Hazeretlerinung name humaiunlerin destimuzile teslin eileduk Regia ve temenamuz budurki Sultanum hazaretcleri dachi angha giore effendimuze name sheriflerile giouab idub bu killighize teslim èi lemek erzany buriurila ve herdaim saadette ve deulette peydar ola The Interpretation verbatim is thus MOST happy Emperour As I have with mine own Hands bowing my self to the dust of your Princely Feet appresented unto your excellent Majesty the most mighty and high Sultan Osman my Lord and Master his Imperial Letter so likewise I most humbly beseech your Majesty that you will be pleased in conformity thereof to vouchsafe your princely Answer by your noble Letter and to deliver the same into the hands of me your Slave and be ever Partaker of all Blessedness and Happiness A Copy of the Letter of Sultan Osman the Othoman Emperour written to the King's Majesty and presented by Hussein Chiaus ALthough in this transitory World if the King or the Beggar should enjoy the longest term of Life that might be and obtain all that his heart could wish yet it is most certain that in the end he must depart and be transported to the World Eternal and it is well known unto the wise that it is impossible for man to abide for ever in this World. The occasion of this Prologue is that the immortal omnipotent and only God hath by his divine Will and Pleasure called unto himself our Father of blessed Memory Sultan Achmat Chan who in life was happy and in death laudable and departing out of this momentary World to be nearer the merciful Creator being changed into perfect Glory and eternal Bliss hath his habitation on high
to the Arsenal he called the Visier Bassa the Admiral and the great Treasurer before him where it was concluded to make ready at least an hundred Gallies for the preparation whereof sixty thousand Chequines were then delivered the Visier promising to furnish the rest of the whole charge with expedition of his own purse and to take it up upon the King's Assignations Whereupon the Grand Seignior with great content did vest them as a mark of favour and gave present Commission to the Admiral to be ready to depart by the midst of April following and for his better strength he gave a command to send for Aids to Tunis and Algier which was thought requisite because it was reported that the Prince Philibert of Savoy then Viceroy of Sicily had in readiness sixty Gallies and six Gallions at Messina which force was doubted would be employed to give Succour to the Emir of Sidon or to revenge the attempt and late sack of Manfredonia so that they were with all expedition rigging and preparing the Armado in the Arsenal and for provision and prevention of the worst there was ordained twelve small Gallies and the ordinary Fleet of Frigots to keep the black Sea from the incursion of the Cossacks And though it was given out that this Army was only prepared against the Emir yet many that understood the secrets of that Empire knowing it to be too great did believe it should be sent to prevent a general revolt which was then murmured and suspected in Asia About this time contrary to the counsel and will of all his Ministers the Grand Seignior married the Grand-child of a Sultana Wife to Pertau Bassa only for her Beauty without any Pomp which was ill interpreted in that Court his Ancestors of late years not usually taking Wives especially of a Turkish race for respect of Kindred This and other inconstancies with extream Avarice made him odious with the Souldier and his daily haunting the Streets on foot sometimes disguised with a Page or two prying into houses and Taverns like a petty Officer increased his contempt even in the City Secret Order was given about the same time to Diac-Mahomet the Bassa of Canisia and to Gelut-Emirze a Tartarian to unite themselves with Bethlem Gabor against the Emperour of Germany But the Bassa of Buda did advertise the Grand Seignior that Bethlem Gabor had concluded Peace with the Emperour which news did greatly displease him being ardent in the desire of War. The Peace between the Grand Seignior and the King of Poland was not yet fully concluded but Ambassadours were weekly expected at the Port from Poland and other places to hasten a full consummation thereof Amongst which Sir Thomas Roe Knight Ambassadour in ordinary from his Majesty of Great Britain to the Grand Seignior arrived there the first of Ianuary and had his first audience of him speedily when he made this Speech unto him in English which immediately followeth MOst High and Mighty Emperour his sacred Majesty the King of Great Britain France and Ireland my most gracious Lord and Sovereign according to the antient League of Friendship and Amity of long time begun and continued between the most noble Ancestors of your Majesties and in his Royal Person confirmed by his sundry Ambassadors and Letters both to your renowned Father and your Imperial Majesty being fully determined on his part to maintain and inviolably to hold a fair and good Peace and Correspondency with your Majesty hath commanded and sent me with his Letters of Credence and friendly Present to reside as his Ambassador in your Royal Court Not doubting but your Imperial Majesty will accept them and receive me his unworthy Servant with your wonted Honour and Favour and that you will give Credit unto me in divers matters of importance which he hath commanded me to deliver in his Name comprehended in five Articles written in this Memorial And that you will be pleased to do therein according to the Royal Friendship of his Majesty and your Princely Wisdom and Iustice. The particulars whereof I desire your Majesty to read and consider at your ease and leisure and to afford me your Royal answer his Majesty resting assured he shall receive Content and Satisfaction worthy his Royal Friendship The Letter of Credence sent by Sir Thomas Roe IAMES by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Christian Faith against all those that falsly profess the Name of Iesus c. To the most High and Mighty Prince Sultan Osman Han chief Lord and Commander of the Ottoman Kingdom and Empire of the East sendeth Health and Greeting WE doubt not but you received our Letters sent you by our Subject John Chapman whereby we signified unto you our Royal Pleasure to recall and discharge our Ambassador Sir John Ayre from his Employment and Residency in your Court whom we desired you in your Frincely Favour to dismiss for our especial Service and to receive the bearer of our said Letters as Agent to remain in your Protection for the better support and maintenance of our Subjects which do trade and abide in your Dominions and for the advancement and continuance of the mutual Commerce and Friendship which hath been a long time contracted between your Predecessors and ours until the arrival of our Servant Sir Thomas Roe of whom as then we made choice to send unto your Port as Ambassador as well to propound unto you divers things necessary for the general Peace as to reside in your Court for our particular Service Notwithstanding lest the said Letters should not come safely to your Royal Hands we have thought sit again to make known our purpose of recalling our former Ambassador Sir John Ayre and to desire you to discharge and dismiss him from your Port and to receive and admit in his room our trusty and well beloved Servant Sir Thomas Roe one of the principal Gentlemen of our Court and of our Privy Chamber whom we have now expresly sent and whom we authorise under our great Seal of England as our Ambassador to reside at your Port and to negotiate in our Name and in the behalf of our Subjects abiding within your Kingdoms of whose Fidelity and Discretion as we are well assured so we doubt not but he will give you good content in his Demeanour and Negotiation with you We have also thought fit to put you in mind of those common Rovers upon the Seas who are Enemies to the Laws of Nations and spoilers of the quiet and peaceable Merchant by whom Amity and Friendship is maintained between Kings and Princes That you would please to exercise your Great and Mighty Power to chastise and destroy them as Traitors to your Honour and infringers of the sacred and publick Peace In full assurance that you will extend the same good respect unto us as your Royal Ancestors have done unto our most renowned Predecessors whereby that antient League and Commerce may be
make any such Additions as should be requisite agreeable to their Law and conformable to the antient League and that therein his Majesties Ambassador should find no Difficulty for they honoured his Majesty and were resolved to give him assurance of their will to maintain a true Friendship and therefore desired the Ambassador to draw and prepare the Capitulations and send them to him and the Chancellor who would consider them and being such as were fit to be granted the Ambassador should have speedy order To the Second the Visier answered with great Subtilty First justifying the occasion of the War and imputing the Fault to the Cossacks maintained by the Pole to rob even at the Port of Constantinople therefore that the Emperour could not in Honour but chasten and destroy them having first by message demanded Justice against them and now his Master being ingaged with great charge and in his Honour he could make no Peace with them who had beguiled him pâ—etending that they had no other intention but the War because having raised his Camp and dissolved his Army the Polacks now scorned him and kept no Faith neither sending Ambassador nor Messenger no not any Letter since their return That therefore they could not hearken to any Condition and that his Majesty of Great Britain did not value the Honour of the Grand Seignior in this motion To the Third he replied That the motion for the Prisoners was unseasonable because in order it should follow the general Treaty and making Peace which if finished his Majesty of Great Britain should find that for his sake all those mentioned in the Memorial should be free except only the Prince Coreskie who had been the cause of many Troubles and had made escape from Prison formerly To the Fourth he made Protestation in the Grand Seignior's name against the Pyrats offering that his Majesties Ambassadors should have what Commands what Message he would desire in company of any Englishman To the Fifth he replied It was an old obsolete Quarrel and that the Ambassador did him Injury to press him when in the time of three former Visiers his Predecessors could obtain no Relief therefore he would not look back upon the Actions of other Men nor rake among the Bones of the dead but he desired the Ambassador should rest satisfied that while He had the Honour to govern there should no wrong be done unto the English Nation and that he would hear all Complaints so as no man should need to look back upon his Actions This perfunctory Answer did not much satisfie his Majesties Ambassador but that he desired some other of Effect being loth to accept of Generalities and therefore required a direct reply for his own discharge which was promised after much pressing by the Visier who had first undertaken the same The long stay of the Duke of Sbaraskie chosen extraordinary Ambassador by the King of Poland to consummate the Peace between him and the Grand Seignior did much trouble the Emperours Court and especially the Visier who procured the Cessation of Arms but that a Letter was writ by the King of Poland which did a little prolong their hopes In the mean time the Emperour divulged a pretence to visit Mecha the Tomb of Mahomet his great Prophet contrary to the Counsel and instance of all his Visiers that knew not the secret and even to the hazard of a general revolt for they were jealous that under colour of that Voyage he had some other design and it was feared the Duke would not proceed to follow him at random nor treat with his Deputies left at the Port For the Polacks seemed in performing and assuring the Peace a little too glorious of their good Success year 1622 and the Nobility not so obedient to the King as that he could absolutely command which did both trouble their Agents at the Port and discontent the Turks so that a little motion of the Cossacks or Tartars at that time spoil being both their livelihoods had kindled new Fires and had disturbed or quite broken the Peace In the mean space the Grand Seigâ—ior writ his Letter to his Majesty of Great Britain in answer to his Royal Letter by his Ambassador wherein was contained a Satisfactory reply to all the particulars of those five Articles delivered unto him And the Grand Seignior made such demonstration of great care to give his Majesty all content and satisfaction that his Letter was presented to the Ambassador with Ceremonies of Honour requiring that it should be sent by an express Messenger and gave command for a safe conduct for that purpose The true translated Copy whereof doth immediately follow Prince Osman ever victorious To the Mighty Prince renowned among the Majesties of the Princes of the Law of Iesus obeyed of the great Potentates followers of the Messiah the only director of the important Affairs of the Nazarene People Sovereign of the Limits of Power and Honour Lord of Advancement and Authority the most Glorious IAMES King of Great Britain France and Ireland to whose last days We wish all Felicity THIS our Imperial Letter arriving you shall know that your Honourable and Famous Ambassadour and worthy Knight Sir Thomas Roe is with your Royal and acceptable Letter come unto our happy Port the refuge of the Princes and Commanders of the World. Whereof the sincere Contents and Substance was That our antient Capitulations should be renewed and divers Articles therein reformed and explained and some others inserted And whereas certain Customers and other Officers of our Empire have often transgressed our Royal Agreements and done many Violences and Injuries to the Merchants your Subjects that for the time to come they may be secured from all Oppression and concerning the Affairs of the Polacks that the Enmity and War lately begun between us and them might be converted into Peace and Friendship and that there should be established a sincere League and Amity as in the Time of our Ancestors And that divers Noblemen of Poland and one of your Majesties Subjects now detained in our Captivity should be set at Liberty Complaining also against the Inhabitants of Tunis and Algier That they who have violated our Imperial Capitulations Amity and League ought to be duly punished And lastly That whereas one of your Subjects named Arthur Garaway from whom upon a pretension there was a great fine taken and other wrong done unto his Person you desire that his cause may be with Iustice renewed All which being made known unto us with prudent and mature Deliberation we have duely weighed and perfectly conceived them Wherefore by the favour of the great and prosperous God we do promise that in all these matters propounded we will imploy our Imperial Care and Diligence And we have already given our high and express Command that our antient Capitulations should be renewed and confirmed And such Conditions as are correspondent to the Peace Amity and League between us shall in due form be granted
SIGISMVND by the Grace of God King of Poland Sueden Gothia Vandalia Great Duke of Lituania and of many other Provinces Prince and Lord To your most Renowned Majesty most Mighty Emperour of Asia and Europe and King of many Kingdoms and Provinces ever most happy wisheth Health and by me his Great Ambassador salutes you with all convenient Reverence and Honour desiring to your Majesty from the most high God the fulness of all Prosperity Happiness long Life Triumph above your Ancestors Princes worthy of all Memory HIS High Majesty of Poland considering the depth and height of the decrees of the Great God marvelling with all the World and praising his High Name doth comfort and joy himself being more than certain that that eternal Power which hath preserved your Majesty from all evil destinies of Men and from the Bowels of the Earth and hath placed you in the shining Throne hath not done it but for the publick good and like a wise Gardiner who hath weeded out all venemous and noysome Plants that he hath placed your Majesty in their room as a noble and sweet smelling Flower full of Virtue Clemency and Peace desired of aâ—â— the World. His Majesty my Lord and Sovereign hath always wished that not only the Actions of later years but of many Ages past might have been forgotten and that that Friendship and Peace begun with the Renowned Ottoman Kings two hundred and more years since might have been without interruption continued But seeing that the Great God hath been pleased to chastise the People of both parts by the means of wicked men that must be accepted for good which commeth from his divine Will and therefore blotting out of Mind whatsoever is past doth now return to desire the continuance of the first antient Peace and doth offer himself to your high Majesty to keep it inviolably as it was maintained in the time of Sultan Amurath of happy Memory In witness of which his Sincerity he hath not apprehended the Opportunity of the breach begun by the Persian the expiration of the Truce with the Emperour of Germany nor the many Revolts and Troubles in Asia nor hearkened to the Instigation of many Christian Princes his Friends and Allies nor to the Tartar discontented but rather having refused all other ways hath with the Blood of his own Subjects and the charge of his Purse regained from the Rebel Valachia Moldavia and a part of Transilvania and rendred those Provinces into the Hands of your Majesties Father and suffered no man at any time to disturb on that side the Friends of your Empire giving Intelligence like a good Friend and a Neighbour to your Ancestors of all your Enemies Designs and Machinations and in as much as was possible endeavoured to preserve a good Peace and Friendship which he offereth to your most serene Majesty contenting himself with the Capitulations treated at Chotyn and those of your most happy Father and Brother praying your Majesty that they may be confirmed and maintained And not doubting but your Majesty will restrain the Tartars as he will do the Cossacks and that you will suffer no occasion of kindling new Fires he beseecheth your Majesty to do what Iustice you think meet upon Cantemir and Tomsha who contrary to the agreements and publick Faith have made spoil and new Incursions into Poland even since my departure from thence and with many Deceits and false Advices have desired to disturb the happy beginnings of Accommodation And seeing that by the antient Capitulations made with the most warlike Sultan Solyman and his Successors the Father and Brother of your Majesty the Princes of Moldavia the Bassaes of Silistria and the Beghs of Ackirman ought to keep the Passages of the Rivers to restrain the Tartars and that those now in Possession of those Governments are already known and grown old in their rapine and spoil the King my Lord desireth your renowned Majesty that they may be dismissed and their Provinces given to some others more inclined to Peace For Cantemir it is a true rule observed That one Tartar can hardly govern another where both live upon spoil and how easily upon any occasion new Troubles are apprehended by those who are antient Enemies I leave to your Highnesses Wisdom in which his Majesty is so assured that he doubteth not that for the publick good and for the Complaints and Tears of both Subjects you will also vouchsafe to accept the request of your Friend and a King your Neighbour And if all the World and the People thereof rejoyce and praise God for the Friendship and Peace between your Majesty and the King my Master begun and concluded he hopeth that the poor and miserable Prisoner shall participate of your Clemency that they may joyn in the general care to pray to the eternal God for increase of your Greatness The King my Master doth therefore desire your Majesty to grant Liberty to those who are in your Captivity as he bindeth himself to set free all such of your Majesties Subjects as are now his Prisoners and I do promise on the behalf of my Master that he shall be a Friend to your Friends and an Enemy to your Enemies In conclusion he desireth all Happiness and Prosperity to your Majesty from a clear Heart in sign and testimony whereof and of the Friendship begun on his part he honoureth you with a Present which you may be pleased to receive with your accustomed benignity and shutting your Ears to such Informers Enemies of Peace as are found at your Port that you will esteem him for a Friend and Neighbour of the most Royal and Antient Kings of your most Princely Family The Souldiers continued still in their mutinous Disposition even in Constantinople the Head City of the Turkish Empire and grew to that height of Insolency that going in Troops to the Court they demanded all Offices of gain to be Stewards to the Revenues of the Churches which are great to take the Farms of Customs and there committed many other Outrages which were unsufferable The Visiers durst deny them nothing they drunk Wine in the Streets without Prohibition contrary to their Law and stood in Companies in the open day exacting Money of all Christians to pay for their Wine and being denied it stabbed and murthered without any Punishment and when complaint was made to the Visier or Magistrate they answered None durst meddle with them who had murthered their own King and the Bassaes themselves desired the Complainants patience and that they would bear a part with the general sufferance About the same time the Janizaries in the Gallies which rid before Smirna commanded by the Captain Halil Bassa assaulted against his Will the Houses of all the Christian Consuls there The English with all those of the Nation were forced to run naked from their Lodgings and to swim to the Admirals Galley to save their Lives they ransacked the lower parts of the House and carried away to the value of
People which would trouble that good Correspondence which hath been so long established between Vs and our Empires And as we have cause to believe that Your Highness desires much to continue this friendship and good understanding upon what hath been wrote Vs on Your Part and to concur with You herein we desire much likewise to continue to maintain an Ambassador at Your High Port in place of the said Sieur de la Haye And since We have none of Our People that is more intelligent than the Sieur de la Haye the Son in what concerns the Affairs and Functions of this Embassy We have elected him for this employment to which we We shall willingly dispatch him if We may be assured of the good usage and kind reception which shall be given him This is that which We expect from Your Highness reserving a more particular information to be sent by the Sieur de la Haye the Son of the good Correspondence which We desire always to have and maintain with You. And hereupon We pray God That You may be most High c. as above in his Holy and Worthy Protection Written at Paris the twelfth day of Ianuary 1662. Your true and perfect Friend LOVIS De Lomenie The Viziers Answer to the foregoing Letters TO the most Glorious amongst the Sublime Christian Princes chosen amongst the Great and Sublime of the Religion of the Messiah Mediator of the Affairs of all the Nazarene Nation Lord of Majesty and Reputation Master of Greatness and Power Louis Emperor of France the end of whose days be happy The Salutations which respect Friendship and are desired from Love and Affection being premised Your Majesty shall know that the Letter which was sent to Your Friend by the Honourable du Pressoir and Fountain hath been delivered me by the Sieur Roboli Agent and Attorney of the Embassy at the High and Imperial Port the Contents whereof We have apprehended to be as Your Majesty gives to understanstand touching the intire Amity and good Correspondence Certainly Your Majesty knows that the Augmentation and daily Encrease of that Amity proceeds from the protection and honourable Observance of Conditions and Capitulations between both Parties By the Grace of the Most High GOD the Sublime and Imperial Port of the most Happy most Puissant most Valarous most Magnificent and most Strong Emperor Support of the Mussulmans My Lord whose Arms God prosper with double Force is always open for our Friends and others without any Obstacle as all the World knows and particularly for Your Majesty Who is our Friend and hath been long in Amity with the most Serene Ottoman Family whom Gâ—d establish until the day of the Ballance It being a most certain Truth that there hath happened neither on one side or other any Action contrary to the promised Faiâ—h And now since Your Majesty desires for a new Ornament of the Ancient and Good Correspondence and to the end that the Agreement and Conditions thereof be honoured as they ought that the considerable Person amongst the Nâ—bles of the Court of Your Majesty the Sieur Denys de la Haye Son of the late Ambassador a Subject of Reputation Your Gentleman of Credit whose Days may they conclude in happiness be sent to reside at this Happy and Imperial Port for Your Majesty according to the ancient custom to the end that the Intention of Your Majesty may be performed We have exposed it at the High Throne of the thrice Happy most Mysterious and most Great Emperor My Lord Who with an Imperial regard of courteous Demonstration hath accepted the said Demand with willingness and therefore in signification of his Pleasure We write You this Our present and friendly Letter and if it please God according to the ancient Custom when the said Embassador shall arrive at this High Port with the Letters of Friendship from Your Majesty he shall be honoured on the Imperial part and entertained according to the ordinary custom the Imperial Capitulation shall be renewed the Ornament of Affection on one side and the other shall be confirmed and for an efficacious Confirmation of a good Peace between both Emperors an Imperial Letter shall be sent to Your Majesty whose health be happy and prosperous From the Imperial City of Constantinople The Poor Hamet Pasha In Answer to the Kings Letters the Grand Signior made no reply but only by his Vizâ—er by reason that in all the Ancient Turkish Registers and Archives there was no example found that the Grand Signior ever wrote to any King who had not an Ambassâ—dor actually resident at his Port. But this Negotiation about a French Ambassador took not effect until some time after in which other Letters and Messages intervened as will appear by the following â—equel of this History It was now towards the beginning of Winter when the Season of the Year compelled the Turkish Fleet of Gallies to return according to custom to the Port of Constantinople The whole Summer before they had for the most part passed in some Harbour or Creek amongst the Greek Islands having afforded nothing of Convoy or succour towards the safe Conduct of the Fleet of Grand Cairo but suffered them to fall into the hands of the Enemy as before mentioned and indeed for several years the Marine Affairs of the Turks have always gone decaying in Fame and Force and the preparations of the Armata every Spring have been of Form and Course rather than with hopes of success correspondent to the expence In their return home near Constantinople they encountred a fierce storm so that three Gallâ—es were cast away at Ponte Piccolo by the Turks called Cucuccheckmage about four Leagues distant from Constantinople Howsoever the Weather clearing the remainder of the Fleet got into Port entring with Joy with Vollies of great and small Shot with Streamers flying Pipes sounding and all other sorts of their Country Musick bringing with great Ostentation a small Flyboat which had been a â—â—gornese Man of War taken by them as she was cruising singly in the Arches of Pelago which was brought in with so much Ceremony used in toaing her into Port decking her with Streamers and Pendants with such signs oâ— Victory and Triumph as if they had led Captive the whole Venetian Armaâ—a But I must not omitâ—the relation of what befel one of the Beghs Gallies designed with the reâ—t to rendezvous at Constantinople whilst she loitered amongst small Isles in the Gulâ— of Nâ—comedia It was a Gally the Commander of which had newly received as the Portion of his Wife being a Young man lately married who entertained great thoughts of raising his Fortunes by the spoils and prize he was to make At these isles several of the Officers and Levents went on shore where whilst they entertained themselves with Wine and merriment the Slaves made an insurrection in the Gally seized the Captain cut off his Head and threw his Body into the Sea and so becoming Masters
always be a Plea in defence of the English Nation in Turky when at any time His Majesty provoked by the Injuries of those faithless and piratical Nations should take due Revenge upon them not only on the Seas but also on the Land subverting those very Cities and Fortresses which are the Nests of Piracies and the common Chastisement and Gaols of Christendom When these Articles came to the hands of His Majesties Ambassador the Earl of Wiâ—chelsea with Orders to have them ratified and subscribed in the manner foregoing the Turkish Court was then at Adrianople to which place on this occasion the Lord Ambassador made a Journey from his usual Residence at Constantinople and having acquainted the Chimacam with the whole matter and the Propositions rightly apprehended by him they were offered and the next day communicated in behalf of the Ambassador to the Grand Signior who readily promised compliance with His Majesties desires ordering the Articles and Conclusion of them to be ingrossed and prepared for the Imperial Assent Howsoever some considerable time ran on before they were delivered out in regard that being matters of State relating to War and Peace they could not be fully granted without Privity and Knowledg of the Grand Vizier who was the supreme Counsellor and therefore we were forced to attend thirty five days before an Express could go and return from the Frontiers with the Answer expected which was as easily granted by the Vizier as before it was entertained by the Grand Signior On August 5. the Confirmation of the several aforesaid Articles were consigned unto my self in presence of our Lord Ambassador by the hands of the Chimacam being my self designed in Person to deliver them for which Service a Frigat of His Majesties Navy attended at Smyrna so that very Evening I departed and arrived at Smyrna the 15 th of August In my Journy from Adrianople to Smyrna omitting the Geography of the Countries and the pleasent view I had from the top of a Mountain between Malagra and Gallipoli from whence I could survey all the Hellespont and at the same time take a prospect of the Propâ—ntick and Ionian Seas I shall only relate two passages which beâ—el me in this Journey not unpleasant to be remembred The first was at a small Village called Ishecle at the foot of the Mountain Ida not far from the Ancient Troy now named by the Turks Kauzdog which signifies the Mountain of Geese the People that inhabit here are of a rude Disposition great Thieves and of a wild and savage Nature at my entry thereupon I was advised by those that were with me that it was necessary to take Mules to carry my Baggage through the Mountains and to press the People to convoy me to the next Government by Virtue of a Command the Grand Signior had granted me for the security of my Travels so that arriving at this 〈◊〉 by break of day I went directly with all my Attendance being about eighteen or nineteen Horse to the Kadi's House where knocking hard at the Door a Servant looked out at the Window and spying so great a company wholly affrighted ran to his Master and awakening him with such dreadful news he had scarce any Soul or Life remaining to render an Answer for he was one of those who three times a day was used to take his Dose of Opium which gave him a strange kind of Intoxication or Drunkennesâ— during the Operation of which men have their Spirits violently moved and agitated that afterwards it leaves them so wearied and languid that in the morning when they first awake they remain like dead Stocks their Members are benumbed and can scarce turn from one side to the other In this condition the News of new Guests surprized this Kadi when wholly feeble he called to his Servant to reach him his Box of Opium of which when he had taken his usual Propotion and that it began to work his Life returned again to him and he began immedâ—ately to recover so that he had Courage to open his Gates and receive us in when he had read the Command and found no hurt in it the Man was transported with Joy and Opium and was so kind chearful and of a good humour that I could not but admire at the change he told me â—â—at he lived in a barbarous Country and was forced to use that for Divertisement and as a Remedy of his melancholly hours I easily perceived the effect it had upon him for he seemed to me like a Bedlam in which humour he called all his Neighbours about him and after a wise Consultation they provided me with two Mules and five Men on foot with rusty Muskets without Powder or Shot to guide and guard me through the Mountains I had not travelled two Miles before all my Guard were stollen aside and taking advantage of the Woods and Mountains were fled from me so that I found my self with no other than my own People in an unbeaten Path and a way unfrequented the man excepted who drove the Mules who for sake of his Beasts was obliged to a farther attendance We travelled in this manner through the Mountains about four hours when near a Village called Suratnee we met one of the Principal men on Horse-back carrying a flead Mutton behind him which upon Examination we discovered to be carried for a Bribe to the Kadi of Isheclee that so he would be his Friend and favour him in his Cause And further upon inquiry finding that our Entertainment was likely to be mean at Suratnee we forced the Gentleman to return with us and to sell us his Mutton at the market-price and so for that time we disappointed our Kadi of his Fee or Reward and being upon the rise of a Hill descending to Suratnee so that the People could see us at a distance they like true Sons of Kauz-dog forsook their Habitations and fled which we perceiving posted after them and catched two of their men whom we brought under Shart or the Country-mans Oath which they account very sacred and will by no means break to be true and faithful to us to serve and not leave us for so long time as we should remain in their Village and accordingly these men were not only serviceable but diligent so soon as they discovered me to be one who would pay justly for what I took and was not a Turkish Aga or Servant of Great men who harrass the People and take their Service and Meat on account of free Quarter the whole Village returned again from their places of Refuge amidst the Woods so that I neither wanted Provisions nor Attendance Another passage happened unto me of better Civility and Enâ—ertainment in the Plains of Pergamus where noâ— many Miles from that Ancient City I arrived about six a Clock in the Evening aâ— certain Tents or Cots of Shepherds being only Hurdles covered with Hair-cloth lined within with a sort of loose Felt a sufficient defence agâ—inst the Sun and
not permit them to be sold within the Territories of Tripoly X. That if any of the Ships of War of the said King of Great Brittain do come to Tripoly or to any other Port or Place of that Kingdom with any Prize they may freely sell it or otherwise dispose of it at their own pleasure without being molested by any And that his Majesties said Ships of War shall not be obliged to pay Custome in any sort And that if they want Provisions Victuals or any other things they may freely buy them at the rate in the Market XI That when any of his said Majesties Ships of War shall appear before Tripoly upon Notice thereof given to the English Consul or by the Commander of the said Ships to the chief Governors of Tripoly Publick Proclamation shall be immediately made to secure the Christian Captives And if after that any Christians whatsoever make their escape on board any of the Ships of War They shall not be required back again Nor shall the said Consul or Commander or any other his Majesties Subjects be obliged to pay any thing for the said Christians XII That if any Subject of the King of Great Brittain happen to dye in Tripoly or its Territories his Goods or Monys shall not be seized by the Governors or any Ministers of Tripoly but shall all remain with the English Consul XIII That neither the English Consul nor any other Subject of the said King of Great Brittains shall be bound to pay the Debts of any other of his Majesties Subjects Except that they become surety for the same by a Publick Act. XIV That the Subjects of his said Majesty in Tripoly or its Territories in matter of Controversie shall be lyable to no other Iurisdictions but that of the Dai or Divan except they happen to be at Difference between themselves In which case they shall be lyable to no other Determination but that of the Consul only XV. That in case any Subject of his Majesty being in any part of the Kingdom of Tripoly happen to strike wound or kill a Turk or a Moor if he be taken he is to be punished in the same manner and with no greater Severity than a Turk ought to be being guilty of the same offence But if he escape Neither the said English Consul nor any other of his said Majesties Subjects shall be in any sort questioned or troubled therefore XVI That the English Consul now or at any time hereafter living in Tripoly shall be there at all times with entire freedom and safety of his Person and Estate and shall be permitted to chuse his own Druggerman and Broaker And freely to go on board any Ship in the Road as often and when he pleases And to have the Liberty of the Country and that he shall be allowed a place to pray in And that no Man shall do him any Injury in Word or Deed. XVII That not only during the Continuance of this Peace and Friendship but likewise if any Breach or War happen to be hereafter between the said King of Great Brittain and the City and Kingdom of Tripoly The said Consul and all other his said Majesties Subjects shall always and at all times both of Peace and War have full and absolute Liberty to Depart and go to their own or any other Country upon any Ship or Vessel of what Nation soever they shall think fit and to Carry with them all their Estates Goods Families and Servants although born in the Country without any Interruption or hindrance XVIII That no Subject of his said Majesty being a Passenger from or to any Port shall be any way molested or medled with although he be on Board any Ship or Vessel in Enmity with Tripoly XIX That whereas a War hath lately happened between the most Serene King of Great Brittain and the most Illustrious Lords Halil Bassa Ibraim Dai The Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary by reason of the Injuries done unto the King of Great Brittain and his Subjects by the Government and People of Tripoly contrary to the Articles of Peace We Halil Bassa Ibraim Dai Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary do acknowledge the Injuries done And that the Breach of the Peace between his most Excellent Majesty of Great Brittain and Us of Tripoly was committed by our Subjects for which some are banished and some fled from our Iustice And for further Satisfaction to his most Excellent Majesty for the Breach of Articles we are sorry for the same and do by these engage to set at Liberty and Deliver unto the Right Honourable Sir John Narbrough Knight Admiral of his Majesties Fleet in the Mediterranian Sea All English Captives Residing in the City and Kingdom of Tripoly and Dominions thereunto belonging without paying any Ransom for them And likewise by setting at Liberty and delivering unto the said Sir John Narbrough Knight all other Persons taken under English Colours without paying any Ransom for them And by paying eighty thousand Dollars in Mony Goods and Slaves to the aforesaid Sir John Narbrough Knight And moreover we do engage our selves and successors That if any Injuries for the future be done contrary to these Articles by the Government and People of Tripoly to the King of Great Britain and his Subjects if upon demand of satisfaction from the Government and people of Tripoly We or they refuse or deny to give satisfaction therefore so that a War be occasioned thereby between the King of Great Britain and the Government and people of Tripoly We do engage our selves and successors to make restitution for the Injuries done and likewise to make satisfaction to the King of Great Britain for the full charge and damage of that War. XX. That no Subject of the King of Great Britain c. shall be permitted to turn Turk or Moor in the City and Kingdom of Tripoly being induced thereunto by any surprizal whatsoever unless he voluntarily appear before the Dei or Governor with the English Consuls Druggerman three times in twenty four hours space and every time Declare his Resolution to turn Turk or Moor. XXI That at all times when any Ship of War of the King of Great Britain c. carrying his said Majesties Flag at the main-top-â—ast-head appear before the City of Tripoly and come to Anchor in the Road That immediately after notice thereof given by his said Majesties Consul or Officer from the Ship unto the Dei and Government of Tripoly They shall in honour to his Majesty cause a Salute of one and twenty Cannons to be shot off from the Castles and Forts of the City and that the said Ship shall return an Answer by shooting of the same Number of Cannons XXII That presently after the Signing and Sealing of these Articles by us Halil Bassa Ibraim Dei Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble Kingdoms and City of Tripoly all Injuries and Damages
Effects but from the Fundamental and Original Constitutions so that your Lorship will conclude that a People as the Turks are Men of the same Composition with us cannot be so Savage and Rude as they are generally described for Ignorance and Grossness is the Effect of Poverty not incident to happy Men whose Spirits are elevated with Spoils and Trophies of so many Nations Knowing my Lord that this Work which I have undertaken is liable to common Censure I have chosen to shrowd my Name under the Patronage of your Lordship to protect me from the ill-understanding and mis-conceptions of our Country-men both at Home and Abroad against which I doubt not but to be sufficiently armed in all parts where I travel when the Countenance your Lordship affords me is joined to the Authority of his Excellency the Earl of Winchelsea His Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary now actually Resident at Constantinople my ever honoured Lord to whom I read a long time before published to the World the greatest part of this following Treatise and as I received his favourable Approbation and Assent to the Verity of most Matters herein contained so I must ingenuously confess to have been beholden to that quick and refin'd Genius of his who often rectified my Mistakes supplied me with Matter and remembred me of many material Points which I might otherwise have most unadvisedly omitted And his Excellency knowing that in his absence this Book might want a favourable Patron left me to my self to seek out one who might concur with him in the same Innocent Defence And as my Lord you are a Publick Person and under our Gracious Sovereign are one of those Generous Spirits which have espoused the common Interest of the Nation so I presume on this present Occasion not to want your Protection also in a single Capacity For which excess of Favours I shall ever pray for the Exaltation of the greater Glory of your Lordship and for ever acknowledg my self My Lord Your Lordship 's most Humble most Faithful and most devoted Servant PAVL RICAVT TO THE READER Courteous Reader I Present thee here with a true System or Model of the Turkish Government and Religion not in the same manner as certain ingenious Travellers have done who have set down their Observations as they have obviously occured in their Iourneys which being collected for the most part from Relations and Discourses of such who casually intervene in Company of Passengers are consequently subject to many Errors and Mistakes But having been an Inhabitant my self at the Imperial City for the space of five Years and assisted by the advantage of considerable Iourneys I have made through divers parts of Turky and qualified by the Office I hold of Secretary to the Earl of Winchelsea Lord Ambassador I had opportunity by the constant access and practice with the chief Ministers of State and variety of Negotations which pased through my hands in the Turkish Court to penetrate farther into the Mysteries of this Polity which appear so strange and barbarous to us than hasty Travellers could do who are forced to content themselves with a Superficial Knowledg The Computations I have made of the Value of their Offices of the Strength and Number of their Souldiery according as every City and Country is rated are deduced from their own Registers and Records The Observations I have made of their Polity are either Maxims received from the Mouth and Argument of considerable Ministers or Conclusions arising from my own Experience and Considerations The Articles of their Faith and Constitutions of Religion I have set down as pronounced from the Mouth of some of the most learned Doctors and Preachers of their Law with whom for Mony or Presents I gained a familiarity and appearance of friendship The Relation of the Seraglio and Education of their Youth with divers other matters of Custom and Rule where transmitted to me by several sober Persons trained up in the best Education of the Turkish Learning and particularly by an understanding Polonian who had spent nineteen Years in the Ottoman Court. If Reader the Superstition Vanity and ill foundation of the Mahometan Religion seem fabulous as a Dream or the Fancies of a distracted and wild Brain thank God that thou wert born a Christian and within the Pale of an Holy and an Orthodox Church If the Tyranny Oppression and Cruelty of that State wherein Reason stands in no competition with the Pride and Lust of an unreasonable Minister seem strange to thy Liberty and Happiness thank God that thou art born in a Country the most free and just in all the World and a Subject to the most indulgent the most gratious of all the Princes of the Vniverse That thy Wife thy Children and the Fruits of thy Labour can be called thine own and protected by the valiant Arm of thy fortunate King And thus learn to know and prize thy own freedom by comparison with Foreign Servitude that thou mayst ever bless God and thy King and make thy Happiness breed thy Content without degenerating into Wantonness or desire of Revolution Farewel THE MAXIMS OF THE Turkish Polity BOOK I. CHAP. I. The Constitution of the Turkish Government being different from most others in the World hath need of peculiar Maxims and Rules whereon to establish and confirm it self I Have begun a Work which seems very full of Difficulty and Labour for to trace the Footsteps of Government in the best formed and moulded Common-Wealths such as are supported with Reason and with Religion is no less than to unriddle and resolve a Mystery For as a Common-Wealth by many Authors hath not been unaptly compared to a Ship in divers respects and proper Allegories so principally the small Impression or Sign of Track the floating Habitation leaves behind it on the Sea in all the Traverses it makes according to the different Winds to attain its Port is a lively Emblem of the various Motions of good Government which by reason of Circumstances Times and multiplicity of Changes and Events leaves little or no Path in all the Ocean of Humane Affairs But there must be yet certain Rules in every Government which are the Foundations and Pillars of it not subject to the Alteration of Time or any other Accident and so essential to it that they admit of no change until the whole Model of Polity suffer a Convulsion and be shaken into some other Form which is either effected by the new Laws of a Conqueror or by intestine and civil Revolutions Of such Maxims as these obvious to all who have had any practice in the Ottoman Court I have made a Collection subjoining to every Head some Reflexions and Considerations of my own which at my leisure Hours I have weighed and examined bâ—â—nging them according to the proportion of my weak Judgment and Ability to the Measure and Test of Reason and Vertue as also to a Similitude and Congruity with the Maxims of other Empires to which God hath given
with his Dispatches which they for some time detain'd and restored not without much difficulty The Emperor being inform'd of this Affront cited the Chief Lords of Hungary to appear at Vienna Where the Prince Lukovitz President of the Imperial Council told them That the Conditions of Peace whiâ—h his Master the Emperor had concluded with the Turk were not so disadvantageous as they imagin'd for that the first overture of Peace came from the Turks themselves with whom it was agreed and concluded that Transilvania was to continue in its ancient Liberty and not subjected to the Government of a Pasha in nature of a Mahometan Province That the Counties of Zatmar and Zambolish which were anciently esteem'd dependencies on Transilvania were to be transferr'd into the power of the Emperor That the better to secure the Frontiers of the upper Hungary and to prevent the Incursions of the Turks on the other side of the Danube It was provided in the Capitulations that the Emperor might Build Forts on each side of the River Waagh which would very much annoy and restrain the Turks of Waradin and Newhawsel from making Depredations or Incursions on that side of the Country Now considering that this Peace was thus advantageous as well to Hungary as to the Hereditary Dominions his Imperial Majesty judged it convenient to embrace so fair an opportunity expecting that the Hungarian Lords would likewise concur with him in Confirmation of the Treaty and restrain their Soldiers from committing farther Outrages on the Frontiers That his Imperial Majesty as to his part was resolved to withdraw all his German Regiments out of Hungary Provided That they themselves would take care to furnish and supply those Garrisons with Soldiers of their own and at their own charge repair the Fortifications of Levents Schentra Neutra Schella and Gutta which are Neighbouring places to Newhawsel and to furnish them with all sorts of Ammunition and Provisions necessary for their Maintenance and Defence The Hungarian Lords returned no present answer to this Discourse having not Authority so to do until they had first consulted with the Nobility of the Upper Hungary who had often protested that they would never agree to any thing which was concluded without their consent and revenge themselves on their Palatine in case he should engage them in matters without their Privity or Concurrence first obtain'd In fine after Consultations had with the Estates an answer was giving in Writing to this effect That to conclude a Peace without the Privity and Concurrence of the Estates was against the Statutes and Privileges of the Kingdom That in case they could flatter themselves so far as to believe that true Tranquillity and Ease would be the effect and consequence of the late Truce made with the Turk which would be the greatest blessing that coulâ— befal a Nation which above all the People in this World had been harassed with War Yet it was difficult and almost unpracticable for them to build the Fortresses intended upon the Waagh and in the mean time restrain the Turks from their Incursions and let them do what was possible for them yet still Hungary would lie open and exposed for at least 60 Leagues spaâ—e to the Incursions of the Turks and to the extortions and insolences of the German Soldiers In short â—herefore they resolved to Ratify nothing they would neither exchange the Garrisons nor Builâ— new Forts nor Repair old ones but leave every thing to his Majesty to provide what was necessary for the defence and conservatioâ— of that miserable and unfortunate Kingdom This memorial being given in with a kind of sad and a discontented behavior despairing as it were of the welfare of their Country the Hungarians were retiring from the Emperor and his Council when the Prince Lubkovitz reassum'd in a calm and sober manner his former Discourse which he pressed on them with new and perswasive Instances Telling them That he could not imagin upon what Grounds or Reasons they did desire a continuance of War the Stage and Theater of which was to be their own Country That out of a sence of those Miseries which were to ensue and from a pious and gracious regard he conceived for the repose of Hungary the Emperor had concluded a Peace with the Turk which he was contriving to secure against all violences and irruptiâ—â—â— of the Enemy And that entire satisfactioâ— might be given to the Hungarian Lords his Imperial Majesty declar'd That he would build those Forts upon the Waagh which were design'd to restrain all Incursions from the Garrison of Newhausel at his own expence and charge That he would withdraw the German Troops from burdening the Country and quarter Hungarians in their places That whilest these Forts were in Building the Guards thereunto belonging should consist of Hussars and Heydukes That all places of Trust and Profit both Civil and Military should be put into the Hands of Hungarians And that they might at their own will and pleasure put what Forces and Commanders they pleased into the Garrisons of the Mountain Towns and other places These Concessions from the Emperor being so gracious and free as nothing could be desir'd more ample and satisfactory the Hungarian Lords acquiesced and signed the Treaty with the Turks So that all things began to put on a Face and clear aspect of Tranquillity and Repose as well in reference unto Foreign Wars as to civil and intestine differences And thereupon the Crown wherewith the Hungarian Kings were usually Crown'd and which the Lords had removed from Presburg to prevent the Emperor from taking it upon him with Right of Inheritance was again return'd by them and restor'd to its former place But these fair promises and assurances given by the Prince Lubkovitz in behalf of the Emperor proceeded no farther than to words for neither were their Churches restor'd Nor the German Forces recalled out of the Country Nor the Towns of Nitria and Levents lately taken from the Turks deliver'd into their Hands as was promised But instead thereof German Garrisons were put into Tokai Zatmar Kalo and Onod Towns which are bordering on Transilvania and were belonging to Prince Ragotski In short nothing being perform'd as was promised the Spirits of the Hungarians were so exasperated that they desponded of any good from the Imperial Court but rather beheld it as a Cabal contriving and meditating only to bring them under an Arbitrary power and an unsupportable Slavery And this general Humour of discontent so spread it self in the Minds of the People that they grew Sullen and Angry in an Instant and both the Roman Catholicks and Protestants and all sorts of Religions in that Nation became so concern'd for the Liberty and Privileges of their Country that they freely and openly declar'd That they would rather subject themselves to the Turks than become the Slaves of the Germans The consequences of which War have been so dismal and even the Imperial Victories gain'd at the expence of so much
Blood and Treasure as all Germany as well as Hungary has felt the fatal effects of it So that Men are apt to look back with Indignation on the Authors of these Troubles and to think them worthy of the extreamest Punishments that have brought their Country to such Ruin and Desolation The greatest part of which Censures will without doubt fall upon the Protestants whose Arms have wanted even Success that popular justification and whose Cause labours under two such fearful appearances as a defection from their Prince and the joyning with the Common Enemy of Christendom tho' perhaps a considering Man will be apt to reâ—lect on that Cruel severity which forc'd them to take shelter in the Arms of an Infidel at least he will see a fatal instance of the unhappy Conâ—equences of driving Men to Despair by subverting their Laws Liberties and Religion I shall therefore give an impartial Account of the Causes that exasperated the Protestants of Hungary to this degree and leave them to the Readers judgment either to be condemn'd or acquitted And therefore let us hear what Account the Protestant Writers give of this matter when the Protestant Religion began first to insinuate it self into Hungary under the Reign of King Lewis it met there with the same fate it did in other Countrys viz. Opposition and Persecution But this King unhappily engaging himself in a War against the Turks fell in Battle and leaving no Heir Male the Hungarian Nobility were divided in the choice of a Successor one part Electing Iohn Zapolya Vaivode of Transilvania and the other Ferdinand the first But Iohn dying soon after his Election Ferdinand remain'd in sole possession of that Kingdom who the better to gain the affection of his Subjects granted free exercise of Religion to Cassovia Bartphia Eperias Leuchenia and Libinia the five free Towns of upper Hungary and afterwards to several of the Towns of lower Hungary besides the same Priveleges which he gave to divers of the Nobility Notwithstanding which there being several Commotions and Disturbances on account of Religion still remaining in the year 1606. at the Pacification of Vienna made between Rodolph Emperor and King of Hungary and Stephen Botscai-Kis-Maria in the first Article it was said That as to the business of Religion that notwithstanding the first Constitutions and the last Article of the year 1604. according the Resolution taken by his Imperial Majesty All the Inhabitants and Persons of what Order or Condition soever within that Kingdom as well the great Lords as the Cities and Privileg'd Towns immediately belonging to the Crown or upon the borders of that Kingdom as likewise all the Soldiers of Hungary shall have free and entire Liberty of Conscience without being troubled or molested Nevertheless without prejudice to the Roman Catholick Religion so that that Clergy the Churches and the Temples of the Catholicks may remain in the State wherein they are without Violation or Molestation And that those which had been taken by one side or other should be restor'd to their lawful owners Afterwards the Emperor Matthias himself explain'd that Clause nevertheless without prejudice to the Rom. Cath. Religion by assuring them That it was put in upon a good design and that it only meant that neither Party should be disturbed in the exercise of their Religion This liberty was afterwards often confirm'd as you may see in the Grievances presented to the Emperor which are affix'd to the end of this History The now Reigning Emperor Leopold solemnly confirm'd this Article at his Coronation Vide the sixth Condition in the Imperial Patent running thus Ordered That the exercise of Religion granted to the States of Hungary according to the Constitution of Vienna and those Articles establisht before our Coronation shall remain entirely free as well for the Barons Lords Gentlemen as free Cities and all Orders and States of the Kingdom of Hungary as likewise for the Towns Villages and Hamlets that will accept of it so that no Person of what Condition soever shall be hinder'd in the exercise of his Religion in what manner or under what pretence soever Given in the Royal Citadel of Posonium Iune the 25 th 1655. In despight of all these Edicts made in favour of the Protestants the Clergy especially the Jesuits had so much interest in the Court of Vienna as to get a Manifest publish'd there and Entitled Truth declared to all the World or a Treatise wherein is proved by three Argument that his Caesarean Majesty is not obliged to tolerate the Lutheran or Calvinist Religion in the Kingdom of Hungary Writ by George Barzon titular Bishop of Waradin Priest of the Society and Councellor to his Sacred Majesty The first Argument was drawn from three Conditions under which the liberty of Religion was granted at the Pacification of Vienna The first That it should be without prejudice to the Protestant Religion which Condition being impossible ought to pass for nothing The second That the Clergy and the Catholick Churches should remain in their former Condition without being toucht which was violated by Bethlem and Ragotski The third That what was taken either by one side or the other should be restor'd which the Protestants had not perform'd To this was answered That it did by no means follow that if one Condition or Clause was lookt upon as impossible and so null that the whole Treaty should be so also and besides that the Emperor Matthias himself had explain'd the Condition by declaring that it was not to be made use of for the ruining of that liberty which was granted That whatsoever Bethlem or Ragotski had done this Liberty was notwithstanding confirm'd by the Edicts and Ordinances of the Emperor That if it had been so that Protestants who being daily provok'd by the Papists had gone a little too far yet the innocent ought not to suffer That the Destruction of Temples which were made use of during the Troubles only regarded those that Botskai had taken in the War and not such as had been for a long time in their Hands The second Argument is That this liberty was not establisht by the unanimous consent of the States of the Kingdom to whom it belongs to make Laws with the Consent and Approbation of his Majesty and consequently that those Articles ought to be abolisht But it was urg'd that this was extreamly injurious to those Kings who had confirm'd and ratify'd them and who no question were not so ignorant of the rights of the Kingdom of Hungary That when this Affair was manag'd at Lintz 1645. Tho' the Arch-Bishop of Strigonium George Lippai and some seculars opposed it yet Count Palfy President of the Chamber and divers Catholick Lords consented notwithstanding that opposition so that the Affair being extreamly hindred by that Arch-Bishop and his adherents the Protestants were upon the point of complaining to his Majesty had they not been stopt by the Declaration that was made that they voluntarily subscribed to the Articles of
over-run and harass'd with German and Foreign Souldiers wherefore in a sense thereof they sent their Deputies to the Emperor representing their Fidelity and constant Allegiance to his Majesty from which they had never suffer'd themselves to be sedâ—c'd and therefore they humbly pray'd that they might not be number'd with the guilty nor their Towns and Lands made a prey to the Liberty and Licentiousness of Soldiers In case any of their Country-Men had offended they ought to be legally Cited before the Tribunals of Justice but to make his Loyal Subjects equally noxious with the Disobedient was a Severity unagreeable to the known Clemency of his Imperial Majesty But all the moving Language which the Deputies could use in behalf of their Principals avail'd little for General Sporke being recruited with a considerable Army which General Heister had brought out of Bohemia was Commanded with all expedition to march into Hungary the appearance of which not only troubled the Hungarians but alarm'd the Turks who assembling in great numbers about the Quarters of Kanisia dispatch'd several Messengers one after the other to Vienna to know and to be satisfy'd of the Reasons and Causes which mov'd the Emperor in a time of Peace to send so considerable an Army to lodge and encamp on the Frontiers of the Grand Seignior's Country In like manner the Pasha's of Newhawsel and Agria being alarm'd with the near approach of this Christian Army prepar'd for a Defence and withal sent a Chiaus to General Sporke to assure him that the Grand Seignior had resolved not to assist or afford Aid unto the Malecontents nor to enter on the Emperor's Lands or to do any thing to the infringment or violation of the Truce some few years before concluded And on the other side the Chiaus told General Sporke that the Grand Seignior did conjure him to let him know the Causes and design which moved the Emperor to appear with a Force so considerable and in the times of Peace so unusual on the Frontiers To which the General returned answer That the Emperor his Master had no design or intention to pass the Limits of his Dominions or to act any thing towards a Rupture or to the Infringement of the Peace between him and the Grand Seignior and that the Commission he had received from the Emperor was only to suppress the Rebellion of his own Subjects who had taken up Arms against him And thus much he supposed to be lawful without any concernment of the Grand Seignior therein With these assurances the Chiaus departed and Suspicions and Jealousies seem'd to clear up on the side of the Turks And herewith did the Clouds in all quarters seem to disperse for a while For Ragotski who was chief of the League being brought into favour by the intercession of his Mother and all things accommodated by a Treaty which he held wâ—â—h the Prince of Holstein and General Heister a Passport or Writing of Safe Conduct was sent him by the Emperor and all the Offences and Crimes which were past were pardoned and forgiven to him And Ragotski on the other side that he might make a Return agreeable to so much Goodness and Clemency of the Emperor published his Edicts in all parts of his own Dominions forbidding his Subjects to Rise in Arms or to favour the Cause of the Malecontents either directly or indirectly upon pain of losing their Noses or Ears or being more severely proceeded against by Punishment of Death year 1670. Ragotski had thus wisely made his peace with his Sword in his Hand whil'st poor Serini and Frangipani had partly by their own Fears ill Conduct and Treachery of others fallen into the power of their Enemies With whom at first they received a kind Treatment and hopes of being set at Liberty with restitution to their Estates Dignities and Privileges But afterwards time discovering many private Practices which at first were unknown and lay concealed the Chief Ministers of State for the Reasons before mentioned and to make some Examples of the Emperor's Indignation for the late Revolt perswaded his Caesarean Majesty to proceed against them by Impeachment of High Treason which when Serini perceived he wrote an Expostulatory Letter to the Emperor to this purpose That tho' the Hungarians had much to say for themselves in regard to their Laws and their Country which Nature and Religion obliged them to dâ—fend And tho' the Provocation was high when the House of Austria labour'd to make that Kingdom Hereditary which was originally Elective and to subvert the Laws and Liberties of the People who were by their Constitutions free as any Nation of the World and to introduce upon them Tyranny and Oppression with the loss of their Privileges and Religion yet he would not justifie himself upon any of those Topicks but rather insist on his Innocence and Avow that he did never Enter into any League with the Turk nor take up Arms against his Sovereign against whom neither by himself or his Subjects he had committed any act of Hostility but to the contrary had blindly obey'd the Commands of his Imperial Majesty the which appear'd by the Negotiation of Father Forstal in his behalf by whom he sent his only Son for a Hostage and with him a blank Paper that the Emperor might inscribe therein what Articles and Conditions he judged fit moreover that he had enjoyned his Son-in-Law Prince Ragotski to submit unto the Emperor at a time when he was at the Head of an Army and possessed the Narrow passes leading to the Mountains and other advantageous places of great importance He deny'd all Intercourse and Correspondence with the Turks unless it were with intention to betray them and that when they tempted his Faith and Fidelity to the Emperor with large offers of reward he discover'd all to the Count of Rothal to whom he Read the very Letters which were sent to him and held no Treaty with any but what he had made known to his Imperial Majesty He highly insisted on the promises made him by the Baron Oker Lord Chancellour who assured him that the Disgrace into which he was fallen should serve to raise him to higher Dignities and that Prince Lubkovitz had in the presence of Baron Oker promised him great rewards in case he could take off Prince Ragotski his Son-in-Law from the disaffected Party Which he had accordingly done and so well succeeded therein that immediately upon the Receipt of his Letter Ragotski had set Count Staremberg at Liberty and entirely submitted himself with all his Forces to the Will and Devotion of his Majesty After all which and much more that he could alledge in justification of himself he might reasonably hope that his Majesty who was a Prince of unparallell'd Clemency would deal with him after the generous Example of Julius Caesar who burnt the Letters of Pompey and Scipio without Reading tho' thereby he might have discover'd the Names and Plots of all the Conspirators against
when it was resolv'd that the War should be carry'd into Hungary which Resolution was first taken in the Year 1681. then the Vizier concluded a Truce with the Moscovites for twenty Years upon Conditions which the Czars sent by way of their Ambassador residing at the Court of the Tartar Chan call'd Baucha Sarai whose chief Business there was to Redeem and Exchange Prisoners the which Letter directed to the Grand Vizier was to this effect AT the instance of the Tartar Chan We have wrote to the Czars that he would be pleas'd to grant you a Peace as desir'd by you In answer unto which he hath given us to understand that he will consent thereunto provided that besides Kiovia you renounce all Title and Pretence to Tripol Staiki and Vasikow which have always been Dependences thereupon And that you farther promise that your People shall not Inhabit nor hold Fairs Commerce or Markets on our side of the Nieper but that all that Country shall remain desert and waste as it is at present And that from the Towns of Tripol Staiki and Vasikow to the Isles of the Cosacks Zoporoges you renounce all your pretensions unto us This is what we demand and without these terms we shall conclude nothing with you The Vizier having resolv'd on a War against the Emperor receiv'd these Propositions with full satisfaction and immediately return'd Answer thereunto in a Letter wrote to the Czars full of their usual sublime Expressions and of high and fulsom praises of their Wisdoms and Grandeur Signifying that in the Name of the Grand Seignior he did accept and confirm all the Conditions propos'd desiring him to send an Extraordinary Ambassador to confirm the Treaty But lest the Czars should refuse to send a new Ambassador before the other then residing was return'd the Vizier about six Weeks afterwards gave License for his Departure and accompanied him with Presents of greater value than those which the Grand Seignior had formerly bestow'd upon the Czar Of all these Particulars Kaunitz who Resided at Constantinople in the Place of the Secretary Hoffman lately there Deceas'd gave Intelligence to the Emperor signifying also that after the Moscovite Ambassador was arriv'd with Ratification of the Peace the Grand Seignior would soon afterwards remove to Adrianople in Order as was most probable and in all appearance to a War against Hungary This Matter was acted in the year 1681 which we have anticipated that we might not abruptly break off the Treaty with Moscovy the nature of which may be best understood when it is carried forward in one Piece which having done we must look back again to the year 1680. and to the Actions of the Malecontents Tekeli was very active all this time in Recruiting his Army and preparing for War and having compos'd a Body of four thousand Transilvanians he march'd with them to the General Rendezvous intending as he had done the year before to take upon him the Command of the Army But when he came thither he was strangely surpriz'd to find the same refus'd to him by Count Wessellini Son of the late Paul Wessellini deceas'd who so resolutely contended for the Chief Command that nothing could decide it but the Sword. In short both Parties drew out into the Field and charg'd each other and after a long Dispute Tekeli got the Victory and put Wessellini and his Forces to the Rout and having pursuâ—d them with a Detachment of his Forces the Competitor Wessellini was taken and brought Prisoner to Tekeli who causing him to be tied on his Horse sent him to Prince Apafi in Transilvania after which Tekeli without a Rival took upon him the sole Command of the Army The Emperor besides a War against his Râ—bâ—l Subjects was under great Mortifications and Troubles his Imperial Palace at Vienna was burnt the Plague Rag'd violently in his Hereditary Countries and in his Army of which the Baron de Kaunitz year 1680. and other principal Officers died And at the same time nine hundred Paisants of the Circle of Braslaw in Bohemia arose in Arms against the Counts Galas and Bredaw their Lords pretending that they were treated like Slaves and refus'd to pay the Contributions which were demanded for the Emperor Howsoever to make the Justice of their Cause appear they sent four Deputies to Prague to make known unto his Imperial Majesty their many Aggrievances which were so Tyrannical and Burthensom as could not longer be sustain'd and therefore they desir'd that Council might be assign'd them to plead their Cause against their Lords at the Bar of Justice But instead of hearkning to the Petition of these distressed Paisants the Deputies were Imprison'd and to stifle this Tumult in the beginning two Regiments under the Command of Count Piccolomini were sent to reduce them upon the appearance of which the Mutineers dispers'd and fled every Man to his own home But this Combustion was not long suppress'd before it burst forth again in a more violent and outragious manner than before for four thousand of these discontented Paisants were got together in a formidable Body Conducted by several Reformed Officers with Colours flying and Drums beating and with Mottos on their Ensigns which serv'd to incite others to joyn in their Rebellion They at first attempted a Castle belonging to the Count de Thun who was Envoy about that time in England for the Emperor where they expected to find Arms but missing thereof they proceeded on other Designs but were interrupted and stop'd by Count Piccolomini who was sent with Forces to reduce them to Obedience Whereupon these Rebels made a second Experiment of sending their Deputies to represent their Aggrievances who were as before clap'd into Prison But Advices coming that some other Counties were up in Arms in like manner and for the same Cause the Deputies were set at Liberty and a General Pardon Granted to all those who would lay down their Arms and remit their Pleas to be Treated at the Tribunals of Justice Upon this Declaration five thousand submitted and return'd to their own Habitations And the Emperor himself upon hearing the Cause between the Lords and the Paisants did determine that the Paisants should be oblig'd only to Labour three days for their Lords whereas formerly they were constrain'd to the Service of five Days in the Week having but one single Day allow'd them for the Care and Support of their Family In the mean time the Resident for the King of Poland at Vienna press'd very instantly to have the League between his Master and the Emperor against the Turk to be Compleated and Sign'd to which at length this Answer was given That so soon as the Poles had drawn the Moâ—covites into an Union with them and that the Turks had also declar'd a War that then the Treaty which was already drawn should immediately be Sign'd Tekeli on the other side offer'd New Propositions of Peace and in the mean time desir'd a Cessation of Arms. Upon
Sixthly Every body knows that by Vertue of the 25 th Article not only a free return and stay in the Kingdom is granted to the Banisht Ministers and School-masters but also a free exercise of their Religion and Profession and by Vertue of the following 26 th Article it is Order'd That amongst the imperial and free Cities of Upper Hungary Cassovia and Epperies shall be appointed and establish'd places for the publick and free exercise of the Protestant Religion and that hereafter no Subject shall be disturb'd in the free exercise of his Religion under the pain expressed in the 8 th Article of the 6 th Decree of Uladislaus Nevertheless the Magistrate of Epperies on the very Festival Day of St. Bartholomew the Apostle in the Year 1688 last past dar'd deprice the Protestant Church of Epperies establish'd by the Articles of their Ministers and with great dishonour expel all the Protestant Ministers of the three Nations out of the said City and its Territory without letting them know any cause of so injust an usage or shewing them any Warrant of His most Sacred Majesty for it pretending only an unheard of Title of Lord of the Manor which cannot be admitted among Civilians since they enjoy equaly with the Magistrate the common civil Liberty nor amongst Clergy Men who enjoy a special Liberty nor can it in any wise be taken by Magistrate whose Office is but for a year to the great diminishing of His most Sacred Majesty's Authority and the Contempt of the before mentioned Articles Wherefore they humbly beg that the innocent and unjustly Banish'd Protestant Ministers of Epperies be restor'd and may perform as before their Ecclesiastical Duties and that both the Protestant Ministers of Cassovia and those of Epperies employ'd either in Preaching or in Teaching Schools present or to come being always presented by the right Patrons may live quietly and safely in their own or hir'd dwelling places which they have or shall have within the Walls of the said Cities Seventhly No body that knows the Law will deny but in the beginning of the aforesaid 41 st Article of the Diet of Sopron where the Common Liberties and Privileges of the imperial and free Cities are confirm'd and besides the there mention'd Laws and Articles of the Kingdom made in several places are renewed it is expresly ordain'd That the same Laws and Articles be strictly observed both by the Chambers and the Officers of the Army and by any other person whatsoever so that they viz. the same imperial and free Cities be no way disturbed by any one in their free right to chuse a Civil Magistrate nor in any other Privilege Nevertheless the modern Magistrate of the said Cities against the Prohibition contain'd in the 83 th Article of the Illustrious Chamber of Scepusium in the year 1647 out of meer private hatred against our Religion was pleased to take upon him such a Power as to degrade and turn out of their publick Dignities and Civil Employments all the Senators of Cassovia and Epperies and several other Protestant Officers well deserving and qualified for publick Offices and Civil Dignities against the evident Constitution of the aforesaid Article and of those that are cited in it but especially of the 13 th before the Coronation in the year 1608 of the 44 th in the year 1609 and of the 12 th in the year 1649 to the most evident prejudice of the Common Liberties and Civil Privileges and to the considerable oppression of the Protestant Citizens and in the room of the said Senators and Protestant Officers the said Magistrate has put Catholick Citizens either less fit or wholly unacquainted with the Affairs of the said Cities and more minding their private concerns to the damnifying and even undoing of the said Cities Wherefore we require with the deepest Humility First That the free right of chusing the Civil Magistrate and other Officers which hitherto has been so disturbed and wholly taken away from the Protestants against the positive Laws of the Kingdom made in the Illustrious Chamber of Scepusium belonging properly and only to the Sworn Citizens of the same Cities and as well to the Protestants as to the Catholicks be restor'd and maintain'd in its former State and in no wise any more disturbed by any one under the pain mention'd in the renewed and aforesaid Articles Secondly That in order to maintain a Civil mutual Union and put out any Fewel of Division and Hatred a free Election be made of the same Magistrate and other Officers out of the well deserving and well qualified Sworn Citizens without any difference of the Catholick and Protestant Religion and that the Employments and any Civil Dignities whatsoever be indifferently and equally conferr'd and bestowed so that the Catholicks and Protestants promote mutually one another to publick civil Honours according to the intention of the aforesaid 13 th Article of the year 1608 before the Coronation and of the 44 th of the year 1609. Thirdly That in order to observe a just equality of Turns and procure the publick good of the Cities it be graciously granted that the Offices of Judged and Tribune be by Turns and promiscuously exercised for a year according to the intention of the aforesaid Articles and of the 12 th in the year 1649. All the Protestant Citizens and Inhabitants of the three Nations of the Free and Imperial Cities Cassovia and Epperies The Grievance of the Protestants of the Free and Imperial City of Carpona IT is not without a great deal of Grief that all the Noblemen and Gentlemen all the Auxiliary Forces and hired Soldiers of both sorts and all the Protestant Inhabitants and Citizens of Carpona think it their Duty to Represent to Your most Sacred Majesty that altho' according to Your most Sacred Majesty's Resolution inserted in the 26 th Article of the Diet of Sopron Anno 1681. Among the places of the Kingdom which were to be appointed for the Building of new Churches and Schools and Erecting Parishes for the conveniency of those of the Helvetian Confession and of that of Ausbourg the same City of Carpona is particularly named and established to be one of the places where the free exercise of Religion should entirely and quietly be enjoyed as it may be seen in these words In the Division before the Mountains at Leva Carpona and Tulekin Nevertheless Your Majesty's High Commissioners appointed in the year 1688 last past in the Mountain Cities being come to that of Carpona whereas according to the intention of the aforesaid Article and of Your Majesty's Gracious Resolution and Declaration contain'd in it instead of the convenient Churches and Schools and Parishes which were from the Protestants of the Confession of Ausbourg they should have appointed other convenient and fit places and left the Protestants in the quiet Possession of them according to the intention of the 19 th Article in the year 1647 did on the contrary turn the Protestant Ministers and School-masters out of
the Diet. The Turks had not as yet declar'd a War for their Forces and Troops from the remote parts of Asia were not in a readiness nor on their March till which time the Emperor was to be amused with Treaties and the appearance of that great Body of Turks near Belgrade was with pretension only to restore Tekeli to the Possession of his Lands Houses and Estate of which he had been unjustly deprived by the Emperor and his Favourites The Emperor finding it now absolutely necessary to conclude an Accommodation with the Malecontents amongst whom new difficulties daily arose returned in Person from Newstadt to the Diet at Oedemburg where the Malecontents thought it reasonable that the Tribute which they had engaged to pay unto the Turks should be charged and levied on the Estates of those who had been the causes of the Troubles and Confusions in that Kingdom This motion had so little ground and was so unlikely to succeed that it put all things backwards and induced the Emperor to limit the Session of the Diet to the 16 th of August hoping within that time to agree on all Points with such who continued constant in their Loyalty and Allegiance to him and for particular Aggrievances they were to be composed by a Select Committee appointed for that purpose But all this while most of the Protestants refused to come to the Diet by reason that the Points about Religion were post-poned by the endeavours of the Archbishop of Strigonium which they in the first place and before all other Matters desir'd to have decided This Point being laid aside the Diet fell to debate on the Proposition sent by Tekeli relating to a Tribute demanded by the Turks and as an expedient and by way of Equivalent for that it was proposed to resign into the Hands of the Turks three Counties viz. Kalo Zatmar and Liptpow to which the Turks seemed with some reason to claim a Title in regard that no longer than since the year 1660 they had been disjoyn'd from the Principality of Transilvania But an end was soon put to this Controversie for both the Hungarians themselves were unwilling to have a Peace purchased from the Turk at the price of their Country by dismembring three Counties from that Kingdom at the mentioning only of which the People were so enraged that fearing lest the Emperor should privately conclude some Article with the Turk in reference thereunto they would not be satisfied until he had permitted them to joyn one of their Confidents with Caprara the Emperor 's Resident at Constantinople who might be privy to all the Treaties and Negotiations with the Turk nor would the Turks accept thereof in satisfaction for renewing the Truce but raised new and greater Demands as they found the Emperor inclinable to yield and condescend For now the Grand Vizier required to have Leopolstadt demolish'd on pretence that it had been Built and Fortified contrary to the Articles of the late Treaty And declar'd likewise the Grand Seignior's resolution to give aid and assistance to the Malecontents until such time as he had put them into a capacity of paying the Annual Tribute for which they were engaged New difficulties were every day started at the Diet so that the Emperor was desirous to dissolve it so soon as was possible but yet he thought not fit to do it abruptly or to break it up in discontent but that something might be done in matters of Religion on which the Protestants most insisted In order unto which it was agreed to grant them a hundred Churches with Money to build others in places most convenient That all Cities and Towns should enjoy a free exercise of their Religion And that all Hungarian Soldiers in the Frontier Garrisons should do the like That all Churches which since the year 1670 had been in the Possession of either Party should so remain That Lutherans and Calvinists might build Churches in any Town or City where they were wanting and Lords and Gentlemen might build Chappels or Oratories in any of their Houses or Castles That in case any Points of Difference should arise relating to Religion or the Matters preceeding they were not to be decided by the Sword but by the Sentence of the King of Hungary And that all People of what Perswasion soever might live amicably no Person was to Revile the other on account of his or their Religion or to utter injurious or unhansome Terms thereof These particulars with some additional Regulations being at last agreed in the Diet and sign'd by the Emperor The next great work was in what manner the Malecontents might be restor'd to their Estates and to their Goods which had been confiscated And how the German Troops and stranger Soldiers might with safety and ease be removed out of their Garrisons and all parts of Hungary which next to the business of Religion was the greatest concernment of the Diet. The next Aggrievance was the Chamber of the Kingdom which Office contrary to the will and approbation of the Deputies of the States was executed by the Bishop of Newstadt whom they consider'd as the Chief Author and Fomenter of all the Troubles of that Kingdom But herein the Emperor was not willing as yet to gratify the Diet. Nor could the Deputies agree amongst themselves of the manner how to make those things practicable which they in the most erarnest manner desir'd And such were the Divisions amongst them that what the Seculars agreed upon in the Morning was disturbed and undone by the Clergy in the Afternoon which the Emperor well considering and how Men of such different interests perplex all Councils was pleased to dismiss the Archbishop of Strigonium and the Bishop of Newstadt as also the Count Capliers a great stickler for the Rights of the Church from their attendance on the Diet so that the Imperial Commissioners were reduced to three Persons namely the Prince of Swartzemburg the Count of Nostiz and Oker the Chancellour And farther to satisfy the Malecontents in their pretensions the Bishop of Newstadt was put by his Office of Vice-President of the Chamber of Hungary and the same was conferr'd on Count Erdedi a Person much more acceptable to the People This gracious Clemency and Compliance of the Emperor was so satisfactory to the Protestants that they wholly submitted that point about the confiscated Goods to the favour and benign inclinations of his Imperial Majesty who not to abuse that confidence which his Subjects reposed in him did freely and of his own accord give order that the Goods and Estates of the Counts Serini Nadasti and Frangipani with those of several other Lords that had been confiscated for High Treason should be restor'd again to their Children or Heirs And the States on the other side to demonstrate the Gratitude and Duty which they professed unto their Prince did in Testimony thereof make a Present unto the Empress of a Purse of Gold containing 2000 Ducats which her Majesty
VIII In the Town of Maromaruss and in the places round about it private Men have forbidden the whole exercise of Religion charging with Beat of Drums all the Evangelicks to go and exercise their Religion out of that Frontier under pain of Imprisonment and other severe Punishments After the same manner the King's Commissioners in Carpen and the Deputies in Tokai have forbidden the exercise of Religion and seiz'd upon the Churches although both these places be particularly named in the Articles Against the IX The said Commissioners or their Deputies have appointed places for Churches Schools and Parishes out of Trenschin Modra Cremnicz and Novizolium and none at all in the rest of the Towns of Lower Hungary now why should the Case of some be worse than that of others since all have the same Priviledge of Liberty in Upper Hungary They have likewise appointed some places for Churches Schools and Parishes not in but out of the Cities against the true meaning of the opposite part of the Article which most evidently declareth that those places must be appointed within and not without the Walls of the Cities or else they could not be such as are appointed Fig. 6. i.e. convenient and fit to be consecrated for the publiek service of God. Against the X. In many Counties and particularly in that of Sachsag and the Town of Gyongyos the King's Commissioners have taken such Churches together with their Appendages as were possessed by the Evangelicks when the Article was made which we have hinted in the foregoing fifth Grievance Moreover in the aforesaid Town of Gyongyos many private Persons have taken all the Ecclesiastical Revenues and Pious Legacies from the Evangelicks forbidding them withal to Bury their Dead in the usual places which has made many keep Corps in Cellars a long time rather than Bury them in Carfax and Cross-ways as they were appointed The Commissioners have also deprived the Evangelicks of the use of the Bells almost every where the Officials have done the like in the County of Semlin and particularly in these Towns of the aforesaid Dominion of Tokai Thalia Mod Zantho Kerethur Tarezal Liszka Benny Tolezva Patak Veyelly Borzi and Tokai seizing upon all the Churches Schools and Parishes which at the time of and after the Treaty were possessed by the Evangelicks and left to the same by the said Article together with the Revenues that have been given to them by the Evangelicks forbidding with most severe threatnings the free exercise of our Religion even in private Houses and hindering the Evangelicks from the common use of Burials and Bells though made at their own care and charge Likewise the Magistrates and Clergy Men of the Town of Cassovia and Epperies have taken by force all the pious Legacies left to our Churches and forbidden absolutely the common use of Bells and Burials Threatning with the most severe Punishments those that would make publick Burials within the Walls with the usual Singing and decent Ceremonies Against the XI Every where in the Counties the Commissioners have adjudged all the Payments to the Catholick Curates and Ordered in the Cities that they should be paid out of the common Purse wherein the Chatholicks could contribute but little they being but few in number in comparison of the Evangelicks thus they have forced us maugre our selves to be at extraordinary Charges out of our own States for the maintaining of our Ministers and School-masters not only against the right intention of the aforesaid Articles but also against the plain Sense of the Holy Scripture which allows a Salary for such as Labour and even nothing to Eat for such as Labour not After the like manner the Official of the abovementioned Dominion of Tokai in Upper Hungary do all their endeavours to make both Noble and Ignoble Evangelicks pay without distinction the Chatholick Curates Against the XII In many Counties viz. in that of Lypcz of Turocz of Zolnock of Arva c. the said Commissioners have suppressed and forbidden under pain of Military Execution the exercise of Religion which is granted to Noblemen in their places of Residence and which they had enjoy'd long since the Churches were seized accordingly in the County of Lypcze the Clergy Men have caused some such Noblemen's Houses to be assaulted and plunder'd by the Garrison of Likavia and in the County of Trenschin the Noble Family of Nosdrovisky which did keep a Minister for the Exercise of Religion in its place of Residence has been much damnified also by the Soldiers of Mersia's Regiment and the Ministers put into the Prison of the Fort of Ledniche where he is kept to this day likewise the Noblemen of Hodossia of the places round about in the Isle of Shut have been deprived of the free exercise of Religion in their places of Residence and the Ministers that lived there then have been Plunder'd of all their Goods which Injustice the Evangelick Noblemen of Lower Hungary do also complain of Would to God that this Conclusion were observed and the Punishment hinted in the Article inflicted upon the Opposers thereof then we might promise our selves to enjoy quietly and undisturbedly the free exercise of our Religion and then the fewel of Divisions would be extinguished and taken away for fear of being Punish'd which that it may be done is our Hearty Prayer and Desire Now having lay'd before Your Sacred Majesty the Articles of Sopron and the Abuses committed in the executing of them it is as clear as the Sun that we require nothing but what is granted in them We humbly beseech Your most Sacr'd Majesty through Christ's Precious Death and Glorious Resurrection that having known and laid up in Your Royal Heart our lawful Requests Your Sacred Majesty suffer no longer the same to be hinder'd by any Person whatsoever but rather since after so long time they have been Reported before Your most Sacred Majesty and before Your Privy Council together with some Treatises of the appointed Commission Nay being inform'd that a certain Point of the said Treatises that doth not concern us has been examin'd by the Lords of the Privy Council it makes us fear lest something else be taken into consideration whereby an Answer to our Requests may be occasion'd and we yet longer detain'd here under the inconveniency of Doubt of Delay and of continuance of the vast Charges we have already been at according to Your most Sacred Majesty's Gracious Consent given to the most High Prince President of the Court and intimated to us by his Highness to dispatch first the Business of Religion that Your Sacred Majesty be graciously pleased to appoint and commit our Requests which so narrowly concern the Salvation of our Souls to be consider'd again and determin'd by the Lords of â—he Privy Council so to Establish us in the Liberty of Religion to the Immortal Fame of Your Royal Government after the Example of Your Glorious Predecessors that being reliev'd We may speedily Return to our Principals and God will
obtain the Enjoyment of this long wished Felicity Be it therefore Enacted Established and made known to this present and to future Ages That to the Glory of the Omnipotent God and for the more quiet and prosperous State of this Principality both in this and in Ages to come We the said Plenipotentiaries deputed by the Illustrious Prince and States of this Kingdom do with our free Will and Christian Zeal Renounce all Protection from the Turk declaring that for the future We will send him no Presents nor pay him Tribute Nor will we maintain any Correspondence with the Ottoman Port their Adherents or Dependants whether Turks or Christians or with any others who are Enemies to the Majesty of the Roman Emperor our gracious Lord or to his lawful Successours and Hereditary Kings of Hungary upon Penalty of High Treason to be punished according to the Laws of this Country after due Conviction of the Crime And in lieu of that Power which we have now renounced We do with all Sincerity and Purity of Heart Enter and List our selves under the Protection of the most August Emperor and engage not only our selves but our Posterity of this Kingdom of Transilvania And for an Evidence of this our Submission and Agreement by vertue of the power we have received from his Highness the Prince and the States of the Country We do admit and receive the Imperial Forces into the Fortress of Kôvar Huss Georgim and Braslavia besides other places already garrisoned by German Soldiers Moreover we declare That we shall be ready at all times to take up Arms against the Common Enemy of Christendom and against all others as we shall be commanded by our most gracious Lord whom with all Humility We Pray and Beseech that he would be graciously pleased to confirm our Priviledges and the free Exercise of our Religion as we have hither to enjoyed And also that he would Protect and Defend our Posterity and Successors in the said Liberty and Priviledges And in the mean time that the Teaty and Convention made with the Duke of Loraine may remain in full Force and Vertue We have in Testimony thereof and for greater Evidence and Manifestation to all the World ratified and confirmed this our Abjuration and Renuntiation of the Ottoman Protection under the Seal of the three Nations of the Kingdom of Transilvania Given at Hermanstadt the 9 th of May 1688. These happy Successes made way for the Surrender of Alba Regalis which all this time held out supplying themselves sometimes with Provisions by Sallies and Excursions which they often made even to the Walls of Buda Wherefore it being wisely considered that this Garrison might still defend it self for a long time unless the Blocade were more streightly watched and such Forces disposed on all sides as might suffer none either to go in or come out of the City Prince Herman of Baden President of the Counsel of War projected a formal Blocade year 1688. and with some Parties of Germans and Hungarians within the Jurisdiction of his own Government together with some Militia of General Count Bathyani Commanded by himself and the former Conducted by Colonel Baron Areyzaga Governour of Leopolstadt and these were enjoyned to make an actual Attack upon the place in case they understood that a Blocade was not likely to succeed About the beginning of May these Forces appeared in view of Alba Regalis and a strict Blocade was formed on all sides of the Town Howsoever the Defendants seemed not to lose Courage but on the contrary made a stout Sally both with Horse and Foot the Issue of which was of no greater Importance than only the taking off the Heads of some unfortunate Soldiers on one side and the other And now at length to make their last effort the Turks made another Sally on the Germans but soon retired again without any Action which gave opportunity to the Van-guard to advance within Cannon shot of the Town with which the Defendants became so terrified that the three Chief Commanders sent forth a Turk well clothed and mounted to make some motion for a Treaty The Turk approaching near the Vanguard desired to speak with some of the Chief Captains letting them know that he had Offers to make of a Surrender which whilst he was uttering several other Turks Sallied out with a kind of cheerful Air and Briskness one of which advancing before demanded of the Christian Soldiers what it was they required To which Answer being made The Town Reply was made But we must know first on what Conditions may we not said they expect to receive the same Articles that were given to Agria And may not we obtain the Favour to have our Treaty Signed at Vienna by the great Emperor of the Romans To which Answer was made That thô they had no Power nor Authority to give them any assurance of the latter yet they would endeavour to give them satisfaction in that point as well as in others year 1688. Hereupon Articles were drawn into several Heads and sent into the City the which next day being consider'd in the Divan and by common consent agreed unto were Signed by the three Pashas and Chief Commanders of the Garrison the Sum of all which being this That the same Conditions should be given in all Points as to Agria And as to the Confirmation of these Articles by the Emperor that the Turks might be satisfied therein an Express was dispatched to Prince Herman of Baden that he might send Advice to the Emperor of this Success and withall to intimate the Desires of the Turks to have their Articles confirmed by the Imperial Signature The which being granted Ali Aga and Ali Beg were commissioned by the Garrison to carry the Articles to Vienna and being come near to the City an Officer was sent to meet them with a Coach by whom with a Guard they were conducted to the chief Inn of the City where they were Lodged and provided with all things necessary for their Entertainment The Emperor not being in the City but at his Country House at Luxemburg the Turks lost the curiosity of their Desires and Honour of Kissing the Hem of the Emperor's Garment Howsoever after having been courteously treated they were with much expedition dispatched away that the Surrender of the Town might not be delaied for in War are many Hazards And perhaps the Commanders of the Town might have projected this pretence for a delay not knowing what might happen in the interim by Succours from Belgrade which were promised and daily expected to relieve them In consideration of which the Marquis Herman of Baden President of the Council of War procured the Imperial Signature to their Capitulations with all hast imaginable and having made a Present to each of them of a Watch they were Conducted back to Alba Regalis by Count Zicchy year 1688. who had all that Winter been very Active to Watch that Garrison and force
Persons The Rais Effendi came into the middle of the Safra and read aloud Signior Heemskirk's Proposals which â—e owned This was done only to exasperate the Militia The Vizier said They must consider of them and give an Answer The 17th the Vizier was turned out and his Excellency finding the Vizier had his Design in Irritating the People by such Extravagant Demands went to the new Vizier Mufti Cadelesker and Ianisar-Aga telling them these Proposals read were none of â—is which was only one plain Proposition â—n a Uti posseditis which His Majesty â—hinking equal was willing to interpose his Offices thereon if the Port thought fit out of real Friendship The Vizier said They would consider of it and give an Answer The Mufti said Thâ— coming of three Embassadors had rais'd great Expectations in the People and they could do no less than make known what Proposals had been made They were very well satisfied of His Majesty's Friendship The Cadelesker and Tefterdar said Without Restitution of the Morea there could be no Peace Tâ—e Ianisar-Aga who was come from Constantinople said he had seen the Proposals That God would humble the Pride of the Enemy and chastize it he hop'd this Year But his Excellency Lord Paget had vindicated himself clearly to all Ministers as his Proposal was but the other was sent over all the Empire to preposses the People but Signior Tyles had set all right in three Days It is observable when Signior Heemskirk had no Intimacy with Tyles he wrote to my Lord Paget in January and to the Emperor there was no hopes of Peace but when he came into a Familiarity with Tyles he was Illuminated and in March wrote His Majesty the Peace was in a faiâ— way and he hoped to be himself the bringer of the News of it and yet now Tyles says to us in eight Months he has been here they have never done any thing and the Port will not have Peace nor were inclin'd to it Signior Heemskirk was much Embroil'd and pressed my Lord Paget much to sollicite the Vizier with Memorials but his Excellency had seen so ill Effects of his Writing that he thought it much better to seem Indifferent than Importune and to attend their Answer to his Proposal Extract of my Lord Paget's Letter to a Friend of the same Date with the preceding NOTWITHSTANDING all their seeming Reluctancies and high Words I am of Opinion the Turks may be perswaded to hearken to Peace especially if the Imperial Army do any thing to purpose this Summer The State here is shortly thus This present 7th of June N. S. the Ianisar-Aga is not yet gone into the Camp nor will he go as I think this 10 Days About a Week after him the Grand Vizier goes and about a Fortnight after that the Army will begin to March. It is not at present strong not of above 5 or 6000 Men but the Asiaticks and Tartars are to joyn them at Sofia How many they may be is very uncertainly reported the first however will not be Numerous they reckon upon 20000 Tartars that will be their greatest Strength and these altogether cannot be at Belgrade till the latter end of July at soonest so that if the Imperial Army be as strong and as ready as when I came from Vienna I thought it would be they will have time enough to attempt any thing before these Forces can appear to hinder them And such was the true State of Affairs at this time in the Ottoman Court in relation to a Peace The Ambassadors Heemskirk and Colyer's Letter to the Emperor touching the Peace Serenissime Potentissime Invictissime Caesar Imperator semper Auguste SACRAE Caesareae Majestatis submississimâ reverentiâ significandum censuimus quod abhinc quindecim diebus inter primum Visirium Caimacanum Janisserorum Agam Romeliae Cadelisquerium Tefterdarium in aedibus dicti Visirii circa Pacis Negotium alterum Consilium fuerit exquisitum ibidem nominatim discussum Quid de Dominis Legatis responsione ad Pacis proposita estlagitatâ promissâ denique statuant singulorum sententias enucleatim enarrare opportunum non arbitramur ne forsan informationis debitae penuriâ in uno altreóve erremus Verum ènimverò Caesareae vestrae Majestati indicandum hanc finalem fuisse conclusionem quippe cum variarum Regionum Ditionum Provinciarum desertione hic sit quaestio Regiminis Imperii participes super hoc deliberando tanquam maximi ponderis Negotio ullatenus negligere ipsis integrum non esse nominatim Tartarorum Hannum dicentes hunc ex Crimeâ quidem discessisse verum probabiliter in finibus Visirii exercitui sese additurum insuper excusantes responsionem Dominis Legatis tradendam eo usque esse protelandum porro existimantes grato animo officia conciliatoria Magnae Britanniae Regis Dominorum Ordinum Foederati Belgii acceptando satis signi datum fuisse dum modo aequis Pax fiat conditionibus sese non renixuros eósque id idcirco à nobis tam ardenter ad dictum responsum pronunciandum non oportere impelli quod parum prolationis aequae Pacificationis promotioni quam dissolutioni forsan conducet Quantum vero ad Dominos Legatos ab iisdem ex aequo efflagitari non posse ut omnes cum Visirio hinc ad limites proficiscantur Domino Paget idcirco Constantino polim esse petendum nec non Domino Colyer nisi hic mallet diutius commorari ast Domino de Heemskirk soli Visirium â—omitaturo dictam responsionem positive in scriptis in castris circa fines vel itinere extradituros His autem totis obsistere viribus nullatenus defuimus obnoxia incommoda planè edocendo verum frustrà illis ubique replicantibus leviora minoris momenti Negotia ubiquè cedere majoribus praedictas quoque locorum cessiones unicè non esse animadvertendas sed applausus approbationes universales ad Majorem Imperii ejusque gubernacula tenentium cautelam non minus reputandas quocirca immutabilem stare sententiam non abs re opinamur credimusque fore quod dudum praesagivimus nimirum inchoantibus bellorum operationibus eos hostium numerum forsan virtutes prius experturos quam quid stabilis fixi de Pace decernant interim tamen quaevis spes serius ocyus felicis exitus nostris non cecidir animâ—s Dominum de Heemskirk ante Vigesimum Mensis futuri iter facturum non suspicamur Vigesimo quinto alter juniorum Principum geminorum naturae vitam reddidit Caput Aly Pachiae abhinc parum plus anno Visirato privati in Rhodum proscripti nuper huc apportarunt Principi Moldaviae initio Hebdomadis futurae Jassum petenti Principatum occupandi animo mandatum est ut Tartarorum Hanni sub auspicio ardentissimè in id incumbat ut Polonorum Regem ad Pacem peculiarem statuminandam persuadeat Gallorum Legatus deseruit partem oppositam quà m non ita pridem fovebar novumque
from Sultan Mahomet IV who after a Reign of 48 Years was Deposed by reason of the Ill Fortune and Avaritious Temper of some of his Ministers or to please the Soldiers who said That he had Lived and Reigned long enough Moreover the People had a great Esteem for this his Son being Young and Handsome and in his Robust and Mature Age nor was there any Person able to stand against him nor capable of being offered to the Soldiery for their Emperor There was none of the Ottoman Family known unto the World but a Child of two Years old the Son of the late Sultan Achmet and of such an one in such a Conjuncture of time it was not so much as to be thought of tho' most of the Ministers in Power did all they could to keep Sultan Mustapha from the Throne Sultan Mustapha the Second the Present Emperour Eldest Son to Sultan Mahomet the 4 th When the Grand Seignior Vested him as is commonly done by every Sultan at his Inauguration he told him That he should be careful what he did that he should treat his Soldiers well and above all that he be sure to tell him the truth and if not he should soon know and be sensible of what would follow But since this Severity and sharp Saying he remitted something of his Angry Temper and became more mild and easie so that to encourage and raise his Spirit a little he sent his Kuzlir-Aga in Ceremony with a great Attendance to carry to the Grand Vizier a Prayer which he himself had composed in the time of his Solitude and Seclusion from the World which were received with profound Respect the Bearer himself had five Purses presented to him and the Chief of his Attendants was treated with several Rich Vests and the others of meaner Degree had a good number of Zaichins distributed amongst them The Grand Seignior also would not want his own Present which was in Horses and Jewels several Young Damsels richly adorned with above 100 Purses of Money and yet for all this the Vizier thought not himself safe nor did the bitter Thoughts of Death pass from him for whilst he was trembling for himself he received a Hattesheriff or a Royal Command from the Hand of the Grand Seignior requiring him to command the Chiaus Pasha to Arrest the Chimacam of Adrianople the Vizier's own chief Creature and Confident and to put him between the Gates a Prison for great Personages The Fault objected to his Charge was That in the time of the late Sultan Achmet he had put to Death two of this present Sultan's Favourites for endeavouring to promote the Interest of their Master to the Prejudice of the Ruling Prince Notwithstanding all which Mortifying Commands and Accidents the Grand Vizier appeared outwardly with a chearful Countenance for the least Sadness would have been interpreted for Contumacy and a Discontented Spirit against the Commands and Pleasure of his Master for which reason he bore up bravely against all Misfortunes concealing the Agitations of his Mind from all those who had Business with him and even from his own Domesticks At this time my Lord Paget Ambassador from His Majesty King William was then at Adrianople watching an Opportunity to make Proposals for a Peace with the Emperor of which tho' about the latter time of Sultan Achmet there was a great and a fair appearance yet after his Decease this young Sultan mounting the Throne all the hopes vanished he himself being of a hot and fiery Spirit was fully resolved to try his Fortune in the War from which Design neither his Mother nor his Women nor his greatest Favourites could divert them And the Kiah-Bey himself who was Lieutenant-General of the Janisaries a Person of great Esteem and Power in the Army was disgraced and put out of Office for arguing in the Divan against the Grand Seignior's taâ—ing ths Field this Year in Person These Changes had disconcerted all the Measures which my Lord Paget had taken towards a Peace of which there now remained no hopes for this Year for the Sultan was not to be removed from his Resolution nor the Soldiery averse to it having fixed it in their Minds that this Sultan was Lucky and Fortunate and was to restore all that had been lost since the Siege of Vienna and the fatal Managements of the Grand Vizier Kara Mustapha And to this purpose the Grand Seignior discoursing with the Vizier he told him how sensible he was of the evil management of Affairs in the Empire and that they were much worse than they had been in the time of his Father to restore which to a better Condition he again declared his Resolution to try his Fortune for another Year the which not succeeding well he was of an Opinion That he could at any time make a Truce with the Christians which perhaps he might be inclined to accept next Year not out of a Necessity thereof but in consideration to his People to whom after a long War of 17 or 18 Years he was glad to give Ease and Quiet for he was sensible that the Ottoman Empire was in great Disorder by reason of the Ignorance Negligence and ill Administration of some of the principal Ministers of State which he would make it his Care to remedy With these Resolutions of the Sultan all things were preparing to take the Field early with a strong Army it being divulged and published amongst the Soldiery that their first March should be towards Belgrade from whence if they could have made any Conquest on the other side of the Save the Turks might yet as low as they were have proved a troublesome and a dreadful Enemy to all Germany And indeed the Christians were more sensible hereof than formerly for the Turks had lately had many lucky Hits to encourage them and which did indeed animate the People very much seeming to them like good Omens of Change of Fortune in their favour For the Venetians had in two several Engagements at Sea been worsted by the Turks which was the cause of the Surrender of Scio to the Turks of which they possessed themselves without any great Difficulty where tho' the loss the Venetians had sustained both in Ships and Men was very considerable yet the loss of their Reputation at Sea was much more and of a more evil Consequence for the Turks animated hereby fell boldly upon the Venetians in the Morea and put them to the Rout fansying the Summer following to regain all again despising now the Enemy which lately they durst not see and were afâ—raid to approach To these good Fortunes of the Sultan the News was added by way of Moldavia of a great Victory that the Tartars had obtained against the Poles which with the Successes the Ottoman Pasha's had obtained against the Rebels in Asia put all things at the Port into a smiling Condition no Man doubting but that the influence of these prosperous Beginnings would crown all the Actions
known to the Turks and other Nations of the World. It being now resolved on all sides to make the Peace the Mediators who were to manage the Treaty were nominated and appointed and the most proper Persons esteemed to be the Ambassadors from England and Holland both of which having never been Engaged in the War on any of the sides but had always been true and ancient Friends to the Port the Turks could have no Objections to alledge against either nor had the Christian Princes any cause to suspect the Faith and Friendship of two such Ambassadors whose Offices and Persons were acceptable to the Turks and not displeasing to the Christians The Names of these Ambassadors designed to this so Necessary and Most Honourable Employment were the Lord Paget Ambassador for William King of Great-Britain and the Heer Colyer Ambassador for the Lords the States of the United Provinces All Matters being now ripe for Action and a willing mind for Execution the Turks moved with their Camp on the 11th of Iune 1698. commanded by the Grand Vizier the Grand Seignior still remaining behind in his Tent and with them also moved the two Ambassadors with their Equipages And to put every thing into a good posture and a way of Dispatch the Lord Ambassador's Secretary was dispatched away a second time as he had been the first on the 10th of May for Vienna from whence he returned on the 5th of Iuly to Sophia where on the same Day he there met with the Lord Ambassador Paget to whom he Communicated the good News of the Happy Inclinations of the Emperor and that Court towards the Peace But that no delay should be made therein the same Secretary was again dispatched away to hasten the Emperor's Ambassadors to the Place appointed and agreed upon for the Treaty and to procure and bring with him Passes and safe Conducts for the Turkish Plenipotentiaries who were the Reis Effendi Chief Chancellor or Secretary and Maurocordato who was the principal and first Interpreter to the Grand Seignior These two Persons together with the Lord Paget and the Dutch Ambassador set out from Sophia before the Camp on the 15th of Iuly and on the 24th they had passed 10 Hours beyond Nissa and on the 31st they arrived happily at Belgrade The Ambassadors remained at this place for the space of two Months that is of August and September the which passed soon away in regard that the Expectations of Peace had so filled Mens Hearts that nothing was heard in all Places but the Voices of Peace and Joy in all their Quarters At length the Month of October being entered the Proclamation of Neutrality was first published at Peter Waradin to the great Pleasure and Satisfaction of all People both Christians and Turks and afterwards at Belgrade On the 9 19th of October the Lord Paget and the Dutch Ambassador left their Camp near the City raised on an Eminence where was a good Air and a good Prospect over the Countries round about and upon the same Day early in the Morning they passed the Save a River which runs from Bosnia and falls into the Danube at Belgrade where it loses its Name In passing this River this Order was observed First went an Allai-Bey or the Marshal of the Show with about 50 Horse Then 60 Chiauses on Horseback A Guard of Janisaries being about 330 Men all on Foot. An Aga belonging to the Ambassadors with his own Servants and six Domestick Janisaries After which followed two Flags one with the English Coat of Arms and the other was a large Red Cross in a White Field Thenfollowed the English Ambassador's 6 led Horses covered with very richFurniture followed by the Gentleman of the Horse to my Lord Ambassador attended by a Giovane di Lingua or a young Druggerman or Interpreter Then came up the two Interpreters attending His Excellency the Lord Ambassador on each side of his Horse and they attended with two Heydukes in their own Country Habit and on both sides 10 Chiohadars or Servants who carry the Cloaks or Vests of the Great Men in White Vests with their Carbines on their Shoulders The Brother to the Lord Ambassador road afterwards with six Chiohadars Then followed the Secretary and Doctor with two English Gentlemen one from Aleppo and the other from Tripoli Also six Pages with the Lord Ambassador's Coach with a Turkish one which went before the Common Servants who marched all on Horseback two and two At their Passage over the Bridge of the Save which was lined with Janisaries three Guns were fired from the Castle and the Gallies Saicks and the Frigats as they passed fired each a Gun. About half the way to Semblin the Chiaus and others whom the Vizier had sent along with them made a Halt and having wished a good Journey to those whom they conducted returned back About an Hour after these Matters had passed the Dutch Ambassador followed and was used with the same Civility as those preceding The Emperor's Ambassadors because they sent Passports to the Turkish Ambassadors Signed by the Emperor's Hand desired to have others Signed by the Sultan But because it was considered that this exchange of Passports would take up a great deal of time the Mediators found out and agreed upon this Expedient That the Proclamation being made in both the Emperors Names no Passports should be delivered either from the Germans to the Turks or from the Turks to the Germans but that a Pleni-power should be given to the Midiators to grant Passports to People who were going up and down within the Limits of Neutrality agreed on both sides So the German Ambassadors resolved to go to Carlowitz within three Days time tho' their Wooden Houses were not arrived as yet The Mediators also agreed upon the same and to place themselves so that their Doors might be over against each other at a good distance whereby the Turks remained wholly on the Belgrade side and the Germans towards Peter Waradin The 11 21st the Venetian Ambassador arrived at Futack but the Muscovite Ambassador after their unthinking manner came directly the same Day to Peter Waradin without giving the Governour Notice of his coming by which Neglect of the Moscovite no Salutes were passed on him of which he complained to the Governour but that was easily answered by saying That he knew nothing of his coming down the River and therefore hoped to be excused In fine To Accommodate this Matter it was agreed That the Boats of the Moscovites should remove from the place where they first Landed and by a Signal given by the Ambassador's Trumpets the Guns should be fired which was done both from the Castle the Town and the Fleet. On the 15 25th of this Month of October the Turkish Ambassadors arrived at two Hours distance from the Tents of the Mediators but both sides having considered that the Days being short and that at such a distance from the Quarters of the Plenipotentiaries much time would be spent and lost in
the Caesarean Dignity with the usual Marks of Preference They shall have liberty of Hiring their own Interpreters and their Messengers that come to the Fulgid Port or return from it to Vienna shall have free Passage going and coming with all convenient Favour and Assistance in their Iourney XVIII This Peace tho' it now stands concluded upon the present Conditions yet it shall then only be esteem'd to have and to receive its full force of Obligation and Effect when all and singular Conditions stipulated and accepted on both sides as well concerning the Distinctions of the Borders as the Evacuations and Demolishments shall be fully executed in this manner after the Limits are settled then shall the Evacuations and Demolishments of Places follow and that all this may as soon as possible be put in practice Commissaries to settle these Distinctions shall on both sides be appointed who at the Equinoctial S. N. 22. S. V. 12 of March A. D. 1699. shall with a moderate and peaceable Attendance meet at Places to be determin'd by the Governors of the Confines and these Commissaries shall within two months or less if possible by manifest marks describ'd in the former Articles separate and set apart these Confines and shall with all exactness and expedition execute all other things that shall be Agreed by the Plenipotentiaries of both Empires XIX The Plenipotentiaries of both Empires do mutually Oblige themselves and Promise that these Conditions and Articles thus reduc'd into Form shall be mutually Ratify'd by the Majesty of each of the Emperors and that within 30 days or sooner from the time of Subscription the Ratifications shall in Solemn manner be mutually Exchang'd in the Confines by the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Plenipotentiary Mediaâ—ors XX. This Truce shall continue and God willing extend to full 25 years to be reckon'd from the day of the Subscription after the Expiration of which Term or in the middle of it it shall be in the Power of either of the Parties tâ—at so shall think fit to prolong it to a greater number of Years Therefore what things soever are here establish'd by the mutual and free Consent of the Majesty of the most Serene and most Potent Emperor of the Romans on the one part and the Majesty of the most Serene and most Potent Ottoman Emperor on the other and their Heirs shall be Religiously and Inviolably observ'd thro' all their Empires and Kingdoms by Land and Sea through all their Cities and Towns and by all their Subjects and Dependants and it is likewise Agreed that it shall on both sides be strictly enjoyn'd to all Governours Commanders Captains Generals to all the Soldiery to all under their Protection to all in Subjection and Obedience under them thaâ— they take diligent Care to Conform themselves to all the above-mention'd Conditions â—lauses Compacts and Articles that under what pretence or colour soever contrary to the Peace and Friendship thus establish'd the Subjects on either side do not offend or injure one another but abstaining from all sort of Enmity they are commanded to become good Neighbours to each other under the severest Penalties if after they are thus admonish'd they do not yield a ready Obedience The Tartar C ham likewise and all the Nations of the Tartars by whatsoever Names they are call'd stand engag'd to the Observance of this Peace Good Neighbourhood and Reconciliation nor shall it be permitted 'em in prejudice of these Agreements to commit any Hostilities in the Provinces or upon any of the Subjects or upon any under the Protection of his Caesarean Majesty Moreover if any one shall presume to Act contrary to these Sacred Imperial Capitulations Agreements or Articles whether he belongs to the Tartar Nations or to any other Forces by whatsoever Name call'd he shall be most rigorously punish'd This Peace Cessatiâ—n and Security of the Subjects on both sides shall commence from the Date of this Subscription and thence all Enmities on both sides shall cease and be extinguish'd and the Subjects on both sides shall enjoy full Security and Tranquillity and for that end and in order all Hostilities may be carefully prevented Mandates and Edicts for publishing the Peace shall as soon as possible be sent to all Governours of the Confines but considering some time will be requisite that the Officers in the remoter Confines may have notice of this Peace 20 days are for this purpose appointed after which if any one on either side presume to commit any sort of Hostility he shall without Mercy suffer the Punishments before declar'd In the last place that these Conditions of Peace contain'd in 20 Articles and accepted of on both sides may with great and due respect be inviolably observ'd The Lords the Ottoman Plenipotentiaries by Virtue of an Imperial Faculty granted to 'em for that purpose have deliver'd to us an Authentick and Instrument writ and subscrib'd in the Turkish Language are likewise by Virtue of a Special Order and by our Plenipotentiary Power have on our part deliver'd these Writings of the Articles Sign'd and Subscrib'd by our proper Hands and Seals in the Latin Tongue as a True and Authentick Instrument This Treaty between the Emperor being thus finished and agreed the next thing was to appoint Commissaries to regulate the Limits between Croatia and Bosnia as was concluded by the Treaty of Peace at Carlovitz to appear upon the said Limits on the 14 24th of March following in order to which Affair his Imperial Majesty appointed Count Marsilii for his Commissary giving him Orders to depart from Vienna in a Weeks time But the Ratifications relating to the Articles of Peace concluded on both sides were sooner dispatched for the Grand Seignior's Ratification of the Treaty arrived at Belgrade the 9th of March N. S. 1699. of which Advice was given the same day to the Secretary of the Imperial Embassy who waited at Peter-Waradin with that of the Emperors that the Exchange might be made on the same Day the which was accordingly done COPIA INSTRUMENTI TURCICI CUM MOSCOVITA Hic est Deus maxime aperiens omnia Potentissimus Firmissimus In Nomine Dei misericordis semper miserentis CAusa exarationis hujus veritate praecellentis Scripti necessitas descriptionis hujus realitate insigniti Instrumenti haec est Incorruptibilis Domini Creatoris immortalis Opificiâ— liberrimi arbitrii Domini Dei cujus Gloria extollatur extra omnem similitudinem paritatem aeternarum confirmationum ubertatis concessione gratiâ honoratissimae Meccae lucidissimae Medinae Servi Sanctae Hierusalem aliorum Locorum benedictorum Defensoris Rectoris binarum Terrarum Sultani Regis binorum Marium Dominatoris potentis Aegypti Abyssinarum Provinciarum ac Felicis Arabiae Adenensis Terrae Caesareae Africanae Tripolis Tuneti Insulae Cypri Rhodi Cretae aliarum Albi Maris Insularum atque Imperatoris Babylonis Bositrae Laxae Revani Carsiae Erzirum
Clementia Dei perpetua stabilis firma inconcussa permaneat conservata atque custodita sit ab omni turbatione mutatione confusione violatione uno eodemque tenore firmissimè perseveret constantissimè continuet ut omnes omnino hostilitates amoveantur atque sustollantur quà m citissimè notitia praebeatur in Confiniis Praefectis Gubernatoribus ut sibi caveant ne imposterum transgressiones fiant nevè altera pars alteri damna inferat Verùm enimverò omnes utrinque sincerè amicè sese praestent juxta istam almam Pacem Ut autem omnibus cognita comperta sit istius almae Pacis Conclusio triginta dies pro termino ponantur post quem nullus praetextus nullaque excusatio acceptabitur sed in eos qui adversabuntur editis Edictis exactam obedientiam merentibus severissimè animadvertatur Post Subscriptionem autem Instrumentorum utriusque Partis Ablegatus priùs à Polonia missus ad Fulgidam Portam veniens juxta antiquam consuetudinem afferat Regias publicas Literas Ratificationem Pactorum Instrumentis declaratorum continentes atque Literas Imperatorias ratificatorias item accipiat deducat Postea verò ad solennem confirmationem Pactorum Pacis perfectionem reciprocae sinceritatis absolutam terminationem mutuae Amicitiae dispositionem ac digestionem reliquarum rerum juxta laudatum veterem morem adventurus Magnus Legatus quamprimùm commodè fieri poterit moveat ac proinde undecim numaero Pactis conclusa juxta istas conclusiones alma Pax ab utraque Parte acceptetur atque colatur Cùm verò altè memorati Illustrissimi Excellentissimi Domini Excelsi Imperii Plenipotentiarii Commissarii existentes Legati vi suae Facultatis auctoritatis Tuâ—cico Sermone exaratum legitimum validum instrumentum tradiderint ego quoque vi Facultatis Deputationis meae propriâ manu subscriptas Sigillo sigillatas à me praesentes Pactorum Literas tanquam legitimum validum Instrumentum tradidi THE TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN The Most Serene and Most Potent King AND Republick of POLAND AND The Sublime OTTOMAN Empire Made at Carlovitz in Sirmium in a General Congress of the Confederate Plenipotentiaries In the Name of the most Holy and Individual Trinity TO the perpetual Memory of the Thing Be it known to all and every one whom it may Concern Whereas there has been a long War between the Kingdom of Poland and the Sublime Empire to stop the Effusion of humane Blood and with Desires of Restoring a mutual Quiet the most Serene and most Potent William III. King of Great Britain France and Ireland and the States General of the United Provinces in order to set on foot this Treaty of a happy Peace have interpos'd their Mediation all the Duties and Conditions of which Mediation have with great Study and Industry been perform'd by their Excellencies the Plenipotentiary Ambassadors to the Fulgid Port on the behalf of his Britannick Majesty by William Lord Pagett Baron de Beaudesert in the County of Stafford Lord Lieutenant of the said County and on the part of the States General by Lord Iacob Colyer which War through GOD's Blessing by Reciprocal Inclinations on both sides has been Compos'd and wholly Extinguish'd at Carlovitz on the Confines of Sirmium where according to the Designment of the Illustrious Mediation a Congress of the Plenipotentiary Ambassadors was appointed and Treaties of Articles of Peace begun with the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lord Mehmet Effendi Creat Chancellor of the Sublime Empire and the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lord Alexander Mauro Cordato of the Noble Family of Scarlati and Privy-Counsellor of the Sublime Empire Ambassadors Extraordinary for the Treaty of Peace and after some Sessions at length by the Divine Goodness this Business of a happy and desir'd Peace was Digested into Terms agreed on both sides and a most entire Friendship and Peace was Perfected and Concluded Restor'd and Renew'd between the most Serene and most Potent Emperor Sultan of the Musulmen Sultan Mustapha Son of Sultan Mehmet and the most Serene and most Potent King Augustus II. my most Noble Lord and the Republick of Poland which Peace is to be Religiously observ'd betwixt both Dominions and is Digested into Eleven Articles which follow one by one I. BY the Help and Blessing of God Hostility with the High Empire founded on Eternity having for some time ceas'd and now the Ancient Friendship Agreeable to the Nature of Reconciliation and good Neighbourhood reviving that all Acts of Hostility may be prevented and the Subjects enjoy their Ancient Security Quiet and Tranquillity the Ancient Limits shall be establish'd and restor'd to what they were before the two last Wars and the Confines of the Provinces subject to Poland shall by these Ancient Boundaries be separated and distinguish'd as well from the Imperial Confines of Moldavia as of those of all other Countries subject to the Sublime Empire nor shall there on either side be any Pretension or Extension made but the Ancient Limits without Change or Disturbance shall as Things Sacred be Religiously observ'd and maintain'd II. Whatsoever Fortifications or Places great or less which before the War before this lay within the Limits of Moldavia and have hitherto been in the Possession of Polish Masters the Polish Garrisons shall be withdrawn and they shall be Evacuated and the Province of Moldavia shall remain as free as ever and in the same peaceable State it was before the last War. III. The Fortress likewise of Caminiec being before the two last Wars situated within the Ancient Limits towards Poland shall be Evacuated and the Musulman Garrison withdrawn and shall be entirely left Nor shall the Sublime Empire hereafter make any Pretensions upon the Provinces of Podolia and the Ukrain and the Deputy of the Ukrain Cossacks who goes by the Title of Hatmannus now residing in Moldavia shall be remov'd And considering the Ancient Limits of Poland and Moldavia are very plain if the Season permits the Evacuations on this side shall be begun by the beginning of the ensuing March and the Polish Troops shall be withdrawn out of Moldavia as soon as possible and tâ—e Fortifications and Places shall be Evacuated and Moldavia left free And at the same time from the beginning of Maâ—ch the Evacuation of Caminiec shall Commence and the Business of the Evacution shall without Hesitation Neglect or Delay be put in Execution as soon as it can be perform'd and the said Evacuation of this Fortress of Caminiec shall at farthest be compleâ—â—ed by the 25th of May and that the Evacuation of the said Fortress may be perform'd with Speed and Ease The Poles shall as much as possible in order to the Lading and Carrying away of Goods assist the Transportation with Carriages and Cattle and on all hands the Evacuation shall be carry'd on with Security and Safety In all which Evacuations of Fortresses and other Places in
Captives or upon any other Account whatsoever nay those that do Disturb 'em or do 'em any Injury shall be punish'd Captives detain'd in publick Prisons shall on both sides be Releas'd by Exchange Farther the Great Embassy of Poland may present his Demands concerning Captives to the Imperial Throne X. As long as the most Serene King of Poland shall continue in this establish'd Peace with the Sublime Empire as is express'd in former Capitulations the Waywode of Moldavia shall continue to behave himself towards the Kings of Poland in the manner as was anciently us'd Let the Moldavians remain in Peace like the rest of the Subjects of the Sublime Empire and if any fly out of the Provinces of Moldavia or Walachia and take Refuge in Poland they shan't be receiv'd If any by more Subtle means slide themselves into the Polish Dominions and shall be afterwards found out to Disturb or Corrupt their own Country such sort of Men when demanded shall be surrendred up and this Agreement as it remains clearly and manifestly express'd in former Capitulations shall be observ'd The like Measures shall be us'd towards Polish Subjects whether they be Poles or Cossacks or of whatsoever Nation when they shall create any Disturbance they shall not be receiv'd nor protected on this part but shall be surrendred up And in general whosoever go about to Disturb this Peace and Friendship thus concluded shall be punish'd according to their Demerits XI All Conditions and Clauses describ'd and contain'd in former Capitulations so far as they are not opposite to the present Compacts nor contrary to the Independent and perpetual Rights of either Soveraignty shall hereafter be observ'd and maintain'd but those that are contrary shall by the Blessing of the most â—igh God be utterly Abolish'd and Annihilated Which Peace and Agreement betwixt the Majesties of the most Serene and most Potent highly above-mention'd King of Poland my most Gracious Lord and his Successors and the Republick of Poland and on the other part of the most Serene and most Potent Emperor of the Mussulmen and of his Heirs as it stands concluded in these describ'd Articles in a more perfect and exact manner so by the Will and Goodness of God let it remain perpetual stable firm and unshaken and may it be preserv'd and kept from all Disturbance Change Confusion and Violation and so without any Interruption may it most firmly Persevere and most constantly Continue and that all Hostilities may be remov'd and taken away notice shall as soon as possible be given in the Confines to all Commanders and Governours that they take care to themselves that no Transgressions be committed and that neither side does Injury to the other but that in great Sincerity and Friendship all on each â—ide Comport themselves as this happy Peace directs That the Conclusion of this happy Peace may become known and certain to all a term of Thirty days are appointed after which no Pretence nor Excuse shall be receiv'd but Edicts being issued requiring an exact Obedience whosoever shall do any thing contrary shall be most severely punish'd After the Subscription of the Instruments of Peace on both sides an Envoy sent from Poland and coming to the Fulgid Port according to Ancient Custom shall bring the Royal Publick Letters containing a Ratification of the Pacts declar'd in these Instrâ—ments and likewise shall receive and carry back with him the Imperial Letters of Ratification But after this in Order to a more solemn Confirmation of these Agreements and an absolute Completion of a mutual Friendship and for a more perfect Disposition and Digestion of all other Matters the great Embassy that according to Ancient Custom is to be sent shall as soon as possible set forward and therefore this happy Peace compris'd in Eleven Articles shall on each side be receiv'd and maintain'd Now in Consideration that the highly mention'd most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords Plenipotentiaries and Ambassadors Commissionated of the Sublime Empire have by Virtue of their full Powers and Authority deliver'd in due Form an Authentick Instrument of this Peace written in the Turkish Language I likewise by Virtue of full Powers and my Deputation have deliver'd the present Writing of the said Peace Subscrib'd with my proper Hand and Seal'd with my Seal as a Valid and Authentick Instrument TRATTATO DI PACE TRA L'Eccelso Imperio Ottomanno ELA Serenissima Republica di Venezia TRattato di Pace tra' l'Eccelso Imperio Ottomanno e la Serenissima Republica di Venezia conchiuso nel Congresso di Carlouiz nel Sirmio sotto le Tende alli 26 di Genaro 1699 essendovi Ambasciatori Plenipotenziarii del l'Eccelso Imperio gl'Illustrissimi Eccellentissimi Signori Mehemet Effendi Gran Cancelliere Alessandro Mauro Cordato è per la Serenissima Republica l'Illustrissimo Eccellentissimo Sig. Carlo Ruzini Cavalliere Mediatori gl'Illustrissimi Eccellentissimi Signori Gulielmo Paghet Ambasciatore di Sua Maestà Brittannica e Giacomo Colyer Ambasciatore degli Alti e Potenti Stati Generali delle Provincie Unite oltre gl'Illustrissimi Eccellentissimi Signori Ambasciatori Plenipotenziarii di Sua Maestà Cesarea e di Polonia c. I. LA Morea colle sue Citta Fortezze Castelli Terre Ville Monti Fiumi Laghi Boschi Porti ogni altra cosa che si ritrova dentro la Circonferenza della medesima ora possessa dalla Republica di Venezia resti pacificamente nel possesso e Dominio dell ' istessa Republica tra'i suoi limiti del Mare e dell ' Essamiglio ove sono li Vestiggi dell ' antica muraglia così che nè dal canto di Morea si faccia veruna estensione nella Terra Ferma nè dal canto della Terra Ferma si faccia alcuna estensiòne oltre i Limiti della Morea II. La Terra ferma essendro nel possesso dell ' Eccelso Imperio resta totalmente nel possesso e Dominio dell ' istesso Imperio per appunto nello Stato che si trovava nel principio di questa ultima Guerra La Fortezza di Lepanto restarà evacuata dalla Republica di Venezia Il Castello detro di Rumelia nella parte di Lepanto si demolirà e si demolirà parimente la Fortezza di Preveâ—â— e si lasciarà in quella parte la Terra ferma nel suo primiero intiero Stato III. L'Isola di Santa Maura colla sua Fortezza e Capo di Ponte detto Peracia senza veruna estensione maggiore in Terra ferma e l'Isola di Leucade attaccata à Santa Maura restaranno nel possesso e Dominio della Republica di Venezia IV. LEvacuazione di Lepanto e la Demolizione del Castello di Rumelia e di Prevesa si esseguiranno subito doppo la distinzione de'i Limiti in Dalmazia in questo mentre per levare tutte le ostilità anco le occasioni di queste li Presidii de'i detti trè Luoghi si conteneranno dentro
and Territories now in this Treaty for Peace the Turks amongst other their unreasonable Requests demanded to have their Subjects freed and yet the Subjects of the Emperor to pay as they were before accustomed Which as it was a request nothing indifferent so was it no less prejudicial and hurtful unto the Emperor his Subjects in Hungary for which cause the Embassadors would not by any means consent thereunto before they knew the Emperors farther Pleasure concerning the same Whereupon they dispatched one Sig. Odâ—â—rdo a Gentleman of Mantua very skilful in the Turkish-Language and in such like affairs by reason that as well about this business as at divers times before about other the like he had been employed from Vienna to Constantinople in the Emperors Service So Selymus shortly after viz. the twentieth of October departing from Constantinople in great Magnificence passed by the Gate where the Embassadors lay with his whole Court in Arms and in the same order that is usually kept when he goeth to War or taketh any great Journey After whose departure the Embassadors having sufficiently viewed the City of Constantinople and then at good leisure to pass the time and to see the Countries they had so often both heard and read of together with the Ports and Havens on both sides that narrow Sea which divideth Europe from Asia embarking themselves and crossing the mouth of the Haven betwixt Constantinople and Perâ— passed all alongst the Coast on Europe side unto the Euxin or Black-Sea and so back again by the other side of that Straight Sea curiously noting the great ruines of the ancient Cities of Bithynia with some others alongst the Asian shore together with the pleasant situation they in former times had whilst they yet flourished in their glory but now for most part or rather for altogether laid in the Dust and brought to nought and so returned again to Constantinople But whilst they thus deceived the time and lay long expecting the return as well of their own Messenger unto the Emperor as of Selymus himself they were advertised in all hast to repair unto him to Hadrianople whether the aforesaid Messenger was now come with full Instructions of all things concerning the Treaty for Peace For which cause they with great speed making themselves ready and taking their leave of Pial Bassa who for that he was Selymus his great Admiral then lay at Constantinople â—et forward the first of Ianuary in the year 1568. and so after nine days travel year 1568. at length arrived at Hadrianople about an hundred fifty three Italian miles distant from Constantinople Here they stayed until the Peace was concluded which was the seventeenth of February the chief Capitulations whereof were That either of those great Princes should still hold what they had got each from the other in the late Wars That the Emperor should yearly pay thirty thousand Ducats to the Turkish Sultan as a Tribute for Hungary the Tribute to begin in the beginning of Ianuary last past this year 1568. That the Subjects of the Turk should pay nothing to the Subjects of the Emperor neither the Emperors any thing to the Turks but to be both of those Payments free And that upon these Conditions there should be a firm and sure Peace betwixt these two great Monarchs for eight years next following wherein the Vayvod of Transylvania was as the Turks Tributary to be also comprehended Nevertheless all things at this time thus agreed upon the Turks after their subtil manner finding sundry Cavillations and raising many doubts about the aforesaid Capitulations did what they might to have in some sort altered what they had before agreed upon to the bettering of themselves and the hurt of the Christians and so with many their unreasonable Demands stayed the departure of the Embassadors until the twentieth of March following At which time having their Dispatch and taking their leave of the Great Turk and the Bassaes accompanied with Hebraim-Beg Selymus his Embassador unto the Emperor they by Land returned towards Vienna where they with the joyful News of Peace the tenth of May arrived being there two days after at the Court most honourably received And five days after Audience was given unto the Turks Embassador who well heard and better rewarded shortly after returned with a full conclusion of Peace from the Emperor to Constantinople But whilst this Peace was thus in concluding and the Embassadors yet resident at Hadrianople the sixteenth of February came an honourable Embassage from Shach Tamas the Persian King unto the Great Sultan Selymus to intreat a Peace betwixt them or rather to conclude the same being before agreed upon the Controversies for which they afterwards fell to open War. Which Embassage for that it is no less truly than plainly set down in a Letter sent from Erzirum a City then in the Confines of the Turks Dominions towards the Persians written by a Chiaus to Mâ—hamet Chief of the Visier Bassaes which Chiaus was of purpose sent from Constantinople to meet the said Persian Embassador I thought it not amiss for the better understanding thereof to set down the effect of the same Letter as it was translated out of the Turkish into the Italian by the Emperors Embassadors Interpreter The effect of the Letter written to Muhamet Bassa the Chief Visier by a Chiaus sent of purpose to meet the Persian Embassador AFter due Salutations this is the effect of that which we thought good to make known unto your Lordship Now at this present to wit in the beginning of the month Giuma Sulacchir is in good health arrived the Embassador of Persia the Kings Chief Counsellor called Schach Culi Soltan attended upon with a hundred and twenty Gentlemen with gilt Turbants on their Heads and well furnished with spare Horses led in Mens hands Besides whom he was accompanied also with two hundred Knights all apparelled in Cloth of Gold with four hundred Persian Merchants in all above seven hundred Persons with a thousand nine hundred Beasts Camels Mules and Horses five couple of Drums every couple being placed upon a several Camel five Nacars three Trumpets five Flutes and other Instruments in all about thirty Musicians playing upon these Instruments There were also two Queristers or Chaunters of the Alcoran one Organist one playing upon a Turkish Instrument like a Lute two Players upon Sagbuts with two other Musicians eight in all There were also four Bondwomen serving in the Embassadors own Chamber Who when he was with all this Magnificent Pomp come within one days journey of Erzirum the Sayms and Spahies assembling themselves together to the number of eight thoâ—sand Men went to meet him amongst whom were an hundred and more all apparelled in Cloth of Gold and Saltin two thousand Men with gilt Morrions on their Heads in which bravery we marching forward the Persian Embassador amazed to see so great Majesty and Pomp said that all the Army of Constantinople was come to meet him
and so being come unto the City caused all the Instruments to be played upon even from morning until night The next morning the Embassador invited the Bassa with all the Lords and Officers who being come he entreated them to hear his Musick and in like manner the Lord Bassa invited the Persians But as the Embassador was going to the Banquet came another Sultan of the Kings who brought unto the same Embassador a gilâ— Turbant and a rich Gown wrought with Gold which he caused him to put on by the way By this Embassador the Persian King hath sent all the Armor of Sultan Bajazet with all his Camels and other Wealth The causes of the long stay of this Embassador were especially two the one for that the Persian King had caused to be made two Pavilions of one Piece the Curtains being interlaced with Gold and the Supporters imbroidred with the same Besides this he sent two Books of Histories and two Pearls which in weight weighed ten Mescali one Balasso as big as a little Pearl fourscore and two times an hundred Tumenlich of Stuff amounting to fourscore and two sums of Aspers and forty Falcons all which the Persian King hath sent unto the Great Sultan as to the only Monarch and Patron of the World. This Schach Culi is the next in Authority to the King and so was in the time of great King Hysmael These two Persian Sultans are the Kings chief Sultans and Courtiers and therefore set themselves forth with all the Pomp they can Yet notwithstanding all their Bravery being come to Erzirum within the view of our Army the Persians were amazed to behold the goodly order of the Othomans One part of these Persians are returned again into Persia. And if it please God at the coming of my Messenger unto you your Lordship shall understand of what Condition and State these two Princes and Sultans are They have each of them yearly six Tumoni which maketh after the computation of the Othomans six thousand Aspers Your Lordship after this account may judge of the rest The other cause of the long stay of this Embassador was for that in Syruan the people were up in Rebellion wherein many of them were slain to the appeasing of which Sedition this Schach Culi was sâ—nt and now at last is come From Erzirum in the beginning of the month of Giuma Sulacchir in the year of the Prophet Mahomet 975. This Persian Embassador was with the greatest Pomp that might be entertained by the Turks at his first coming to Hadrianople all the brave Courtiers with the Janizaries and other Souldiers of the Court going forth in most seemly order to meet him Who now entred the City and come before the house where the Emperors Embassadors then lay and seeing certain of their Retinue before the door asked of Isnam the Capitzi Bassa what people they were who told them that they were the Followers of an Embassador that there lay sent from one of the greatest Princes of the Christians namely the Emperor who was desirous to make Peace with the Great Sultan his Master Whereunto the Embassador replied That he would willingly salute them which Isnam hearing straight way turned his Horse towards the place where they stood Now the Emperors Embassador being secret within a Lattice and seeing him come towards them went forth and stood upon the Door-threshold and so with signs and words saluted one another Among the others the Persian Embassador said unto the Emperors That he would gladly talk with him if it might so please the Grand Seignior Hebrahim the Dragoman who then was with the Emperors Embassadors being Interpreter So having courteously saluted one the other they departed but never after came together Two days after the Persian Embassadors according to the manner of those barbarous Nations who with empty hands salute not one another by his Checaia or Steward of his Houshold presented all the Visier Bassaes with divers rich Gifts and Presents every one of them according to their degrees and places and the day after went himself to visit them where by the way fell out a strange matter like enough to have cost him his life For a Giamoglan as the Embassador was going to visit Muhamet the chief of the Visier Bassaes for the first meeting him shot at him with an Harquebush with purpose to have slain him but as God would missed him and hurt but one of his chief Followers in the Arm. Wherewith the Embassador not a little dismaid as supposing himself to have been betrayed turning his Horse was about to have gone to his Lodging but the great Bassa in the mean time having knowledge thereof presently sent out men to Guard him and to excuse himself of the Fact. Whereof the Embassador being assured held on his way In the mean space the Fellow who shot the Harquebush being apprehended was brought before the Embassador and the Bassa who asking him for what cause he discharged the shot against the Embassador he without change of countenance boldly answered That he did it for no other cause but for that the Embassador was an Heretick and sent from an Heretical King and an Enemy to their Religion and therefore that it was not convenient he should come to intreat of Peace with his Lord adding further that he was not worthy of any Peace Which the Bassa hearing adjudged the desperate Villain the next day to be drawn at an Horse-tail through the City and then to have his right Hand cut off and afterward his Head which was accordingly put in execution After this the Persian Embassador the 22 th of the same month went to deliver the Presents sent from his Master unto the Grand Seignior and to kiss his Hand sending first before him the Presents upon 44 Camels whereof 34 were the Kings of Persia and the other ten his own The Kings Present was an Alcoran with the Authority of Ali as they hold For this is their Custom always to present one such Alcoran unto the Princes to whom they send their Embassadors It was covered with Gold and garnished with most precious Stones He presented also a Book or Histories covered as the other he gave also a Box wherein was a very fair precious Stone called Balasso and two Pearls of a wonderful greatness with two Purses of an handful long full of Jewels Besides these he presented also eight Firuari or Porcellane Dishes which we call China-Dishes made of most pure Earth kept above fifty years buried under the ground to the end so to be fined and purified which as some say will melt and dissolve if any Poison be put into them He gave also two most stately Pavilions twenty great Carpets of Silk and many other lesser of Silk and Gold also nine fair Canopies to hang over the Ports of their Pavilions things not used among the Christians He gave also â—ine very fair Carpets of Camels hair nine Saddles set with Stones after