having like David numbred the People which dwell in the Countries subject to him to make known to all Nations the Greatness of his Power 'T is certain this Monarch reckoned as far as 750 Cities erected into Bishopricks therein comprehending 60 Arch-bishopricks that he had Abbies 11400 Chapters 9230 as many Collegiate Cathedrals Parish-Churches 127000 Hospitals 4000 Confraternities 23000 Congregations of Seculars 2300 Houses of Entertainment for Pilgrims 3000 46000 Convents of Religious People and of Virgins 13500 with 15200 Chapels wherein Mass is said as well as in publick Churches as particular Houses and Prisons And after an exact search this King found that to serve so great a number of Churches Monasteries Convents Hospitals and Chapels there were 12900 Religious Monks Priests or Clerks amongst whom there might be found 12400 Priests which celebrate what the Christians call the Mass And to maintain so many People 't was computed that the Revenue for this amounted to 3000000 of Roman Crowns without reckoning the Alms which were distributed every day which amount to the Summ of 4000000 of Gold The curiosity of this Prince went farther he would know the Number of all his Royal Officers Governours of Provinces Towns Castles and Cittadels and in fine of all Officers as well of Sea as Land Judges Justiciaries of all kinds and of all those who had Patents from him or his Viceroys And he found they were 83000 who were employed under Letters sealed with his Hand and 360000 who had them signed under his principal Ministers He would not know the Number of Persons that lived in his States lest he should become too proud and to prevent his fall said he into the Sin of David Which he yet could not avoid in his own Person as I have already said God having spared his Subjects who had otherwise sufficiently suffered One may now say that this puissant Monarchy begins to be dismembred by the loss of so many Provinces Kingdoms and Places and that Philip II. knew not the full Extent of his Power Philip III. knew not the Greatness of his Forces nor the Riches which he possesses because his Ministers governed him and Philip IV. not seeing when he might see could not see at last when he would I think I have said enough to thee to be understood Do now what thou can'st to make thy self understood by Persons to whom these Advices may be agreeable or profitable And if thou believest the Knowledge of these things may be acceptable to the Invincible Vizir who is one of the Lights of the World Endeavour to procure the Favour of this great Man who governs all the Faithful and to whom the Divine Alcoran serves for a Law I embrace thee and cordially kiss thee with the Lips of my Soul if a man may so express himself Adieu Paris 4th of 7th Moon of the Year 1641. LETTER V. To the Invincible Vizir Azem THe Posts which came some few days past here have brought ill News One of the King's Armies has been defeated by an Army composed of Forreigners at the Head of whom was a Prince of France and several Malecontent Lords who followed him This Loss has much afflicted the Court and Paris â—â—â—ms to be Thunder-struck The People discourse and argue hereupon according to their different Humours most making the Loss greater than ' t was But those who have lost their Kinsfolks threaten Revenge and only those that have heard of the Death of their Friends are silent because their Grief is above Expression But all in general appear in such Consternation as would make a man imagine this Stroak is irreparable so true is it that Losses are insufferable to those that are not accustomed to lose One would think to hear the French talk that the Spaniards are already at the Walls of Paris and that these rebellious Princes are ready to give an Assault to this great Town They have retired into a place which they say is impregnable and which belongs to a French Lord which Place is called Sedan and 't is not far hence where this Bloody Battle was fought wherein the King's Party were worsted but the Malecontents are much afflicted at the loss of their General who was kill'd in the heat of the Fight Some say he dyed by Treachery others by the Enemy and there are who affirm That Cardinal Richlieu got rid of him by means of an Assassin whom he entertained in his Troops others also say he killed himself by lifting up the Visir of his Helmet with his Pistol which discharged it self however there is dead in the Person of this Prince a Prince of great Valour I shall make thee a Recital of this Adventure I shall learn thee Motives of this War inform thee who were the Malecontents and their Qualities and in fine by what Cabals this Tempest is raised that thou mayest know great and principal Prop of the Ottaman Empire that Ambition and Jealousie cause Disorders in France as well as in other Countries Lewis de Bourbon Count de Soissons was a Prince of the Bloud he had such a fierceness in his Youth as drove away all from him who once came near him but having got over this Humour which disobliged every body he became popular and so courteous that he was now followed as much as he was shun'd before He used the Nobility as became their Quality had acquired the Friendship of other Princes and those of inferiour Rank could not enough admire him He was adored by the Soldiery beloved and esteemed by the People and he had in a word so behaved himself that he had gotten the general Applause Cardinal Richlieu has a Niece named Madam de Combalet who having been married to a Gentleman aspired to an higher Match seeing all things to give place and humble themselves before her Uncle The Cardinal designed by the Marriage of this Neece to procure himself such a puissant Prop that nothing should be able to overthrow his Fortune or oppose his Authority He pretended also his Life would be more in safety and that such an Alliance with those he already had would put him out of a Capacity of being ever attackt by any Enemies secret or declared whose Number encreased as fast as his Authority Several Affirm this Priest had Ambition enough to give an Heir who might one day ascend the Throne when it appeared by the Queen's Barrenness the King could have no Child to succeed him But the State of Affairs being changed he took other measures and thinking of having the Count in his Alliance he caused the Proposals of this Marriage of his Neece to be offered the Prince by one of his most intimate Confidents who offered him at the same time considerable Summs of Money and Dignities to make him Heir of all his vast Estates and to procure him the greatest Office in the Kingdom which is that of Constable The Count of Soisson's Answer to him that made the Proposal was a Box on the Ear being in an
THE First Volume OF LETTERS Writ by a Turkish Spy Who lived Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at PARIS Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan at Constantinople of the most Remarkable Transactions of Europe And discovering several Intrigues and Secrets of the Christian Courts especially of that of France from the Year 1637 to the Year 1682. Written Originally in Arabick first Translated into Italian afterwards into French and now into English The Second Edition LONDON Printed for Henry Rhodes near Bride-Lane in Fleet-street 1691. Mahmut The. Turkish spy Aetatis suae 72. F. H. Van. Hove sculp TO THE READER I Here offer you a Book written by a Turk whose Matter is as instructive and delightful as the Manner of finding it was strange and surprizing I do not doubt but you would know where 't was written and perhaps whether the Author be living and whether you must expect a Romance or a real History Hear then in short what will fully satisfie you The Curiosity of seeing Paris made a Man of Letters leave Italy in the Year 1682 where being arrived he found such Diversions as caused his stay longer than he intended Scarce had he been Two Months in Paris when by changing his Lodging he discovered by meer Chance in a Corner of his Chamber a great heap of Papers which seem'd more spoil'd by Dust than Time He was at first surprized to see nothing but barbarous Characters and was upon the Point of leaving them without any further search if a Latin Sentence which he perceived on the top of a Leaf had not retained him Vbi amatur non laboratur si Laboratur labor amatur The Surprize of the Italian was yet greater when after having considered these Characters with more Attention he found them to be Arabick which Language was not altogether unknown to him which made him look narrowlier into them where he found That they treated of Affairs of State that they contained Relations of War and Peace and discoursed not only of the Affairs of France but of those of all Christendom till the Year 1682. The curious Italian was in no small Impatience to know how and where these Memorials had been writ and by what Adventure they came to lie so neglected in a Corner of his Chamber But before he further informed himself he thought it expedient to transport these Manuscripts into another House as a Place of greater Security He afterwards questioned his Landlord with great Precaution concerning the Papers and he inform'd him even to the least Circumstances He told him That a Stranger who said he was a Native of Moldavia Habited like an Ecclesiastick greatly Studious of small Stature of a very course Countenance but of surprizing Goodness of Life had lived long at his House That he came to lodge there in the Year 1664 and had staid Eighteen Years with him that being gone abroad one day he returned no more and they had had no certain News of him since He was about Seventy Years old had left Manuscripts that no Body understood and some Moneys which was an Argument that his Departure was not premeditated He added That he had always a Lamp Day and Night burning in his Chamber had but few Moveables only some Books a small Tome of St. Austin Tacitus and the Alcoran with the Picture of Massaniello whom he praised very much calling him the Moses of Naples He said further That this Strangers greatest Friend and whom he saw often was a Man which most People took for a Saint some for a Jew and others suspected to be a Turk According to the Landlord's Report he came to Paris in the Year 1637 being then but Twenty Eight Years of Age. At first he had lodged with a Flemming he went oft to Court Moneys never failed him he had Friends and passed for very Learned As for his End this Man thinks he died miserably it being suspected that he had been thrown into the River The Italian being sufficiently instructed by what he had heard applyed himself to the Study of the Arabian Language and as he had already some Knowledge in it he quickly learnt enough to Translate these Manuscripts which he undertook a while after and he examined with care the Truth of what the Moldavian had writ confronting the Events he met with the Histories of those Times and to succeed the better searched the most approved Memorials having had Access into the Cabinets of Princes and their Ministers These Letters contain the most considerable Intrigues of the Court of France and the most remarkable Transactions of Christendom which have been sent to several Officers of the Ottoman Court. By these may be known the Perspicacity of this Agent of the Turks and by him the Prudence of those that command in that Nation who chose the better to penetrate into the Affairs of Christians a Man who could not be suspected by his Exterior who was deform'd but prudent and advised and for the better concealing him destined his ordinary Abode in one of the greatest and most peopled Cities of Europe During his being at Paris which was Forty Five Years he has been Eye-witness of many great Changes has seen the Death of two great Ministers of State has seen that Kingdom involved in War without and within He was scarce setled in Paris but he was witness to the Birth of a King who surpasses those that preceded him in a time when the Queen's Barrenness caused the King her Husband to despair of ever having a Son that should succeed him During the Course of so many Years he hath seen Cities revolt and return again to the Obedience of their Sovereign Princes of the Blood make War against their King and Queen Mary de Medicis Wife Mother and Mother-in-Law to some of the greatest Kings in Europe die in Exile in Cologne He speaks frankly of the Princes of Christendom and explains his Sentiments with Liberty He saith The Emperor commands Princes the King of Spain Men and the King of France sees Men and even Kings obey his Orders He adds That the First commands and prays the Second sees oft times more effected than he commanded and that the Third commands many brave Souldiers and is well nigh obeyed by Crowned Heads There appears no Hate or Animosity in him in what he writes against the Pope In Discoursing of the Emperor and King of Spain he says That both of them having Provinces of such vast Extent they are not much concerned at the Losses they sustain He believed that England was more powerful than the Empire and Spain he might have added France at Sea He apprehended more the Counsels of the Republick of Venice than their Arms. He magnifies what passed in the Wars of Candy which the Venetians supported with so much Bravery against the Forces of the Ottoman Empire The Genoeses with him are perfect Chymists He speaks of the last Plague and last War that this Commonwealth hath been afflicted with he touches something of
from a Mahometan These Barbarians are sufficiently Instructed in Morality to Teach others that which they do not always Practise themselves Vertue and Truth are respected every where Turn thee from East to West from the South to the North thou wilt find on all Sides impious Men who Blaspheme against the Deity but true Vertue has that of singular That she is always Respected and even by the most Profligate Consult once again thy Forces and thy Courage and take a better Resolution if thou art not yet well fixed in thy first Titus salutes thee out of this World and prays Heaven to give thee the Pleasures of the Happy in thy Solitude if thou beest no Hypocrite and if thou hast not yet Repented of the Resolution thou hast taken Paris 28th of the 3d. Moon of the Year 1638. LETTER XV. To Ibrahim who Renounced the Christian Religion THou hast Renounced thy Religion either to save thy Life or for some other Consideration I do not say this to make thee Scrupulous but in Quality of Resident in this Kingdom to serve here the Sultan Emperor of both Seas and of the Two Parts of the Earth Distributer of all Crowns the Grandeur of whose Majesty I beg of God may last till the last Day of Universal Judgment I advise thee to take heed not to sollicite those Infidels whose Religion thou hast abandon'd to run the same Course that thou hast done Thou hast written to thy Brother that he is become a Beggar because he Renounces his God a Thousand Times at Play and that thou art at present very Rich for having Renounced him but Once and by that thou exhortest him to turn Mussulman I thought good to write to thee That Souls are not to be gained with a Letter and a scurvy Jest Think of becoming a Good Man after thy Change of Religion and give no Occasion to the Marsilians to say That thou art Infamous because thou hast Renounced thy Faith and that we are all damned because we are Mahometans If thou dost not approve the Advice I give I shall he obliged to acquaint the Port with what shall come to my Knowledge which I shall do with Regret because thou may'st suffer by it The Great God make thee rather Wise than Fortunate Paris 28th of the 3d. Moon of the Year 1638. LETTER XVI To Dicheu Hussein Bassa AS the Knowledge which I shall have of Affairs will augment daily so I shall have the more Matter to write and will omit no Occasion to remark what occurs which I will not fail immediately to communicate Thou who with great Application observest what passest amongst Men and art desirous of knowing the most secret Transactions of Potentates thou may'st observe That there are more violent Enmities betwixt the Christian Princes of Europe than all the other Princes of the World I cannot comprehend whence it is that these Infidels cannot live in Peace and perhaps they do not comprehend it themselves It seems a Decree of Heaven That Man ought to be contrary to Man and that whilst there are Kingdoms there will be Wars and Enmities The Wars which are carried on at present in Alsace look as if they would last long The Death of Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden the second Scourge of the Imperialists who was slain Six Years since did not terminate the Differences of Germany they are greater than ever and there appears in the New Generals of the Armies vaster Designs than those in their Predecessors Perhaps they will revenge the Death of Gustave who was kill'd not as the Christians affirm but by one of the Forty Germans who had bound themselves by Oath never to quit their Swords before they had slain him as the Turkish Historians do write Duke Bernard Weymar of no less Valour than Gustave commands the rest of the Swedish Army with a good Number of French Troops and many Christian Hereticks of Germany Victory attends the Arms of this General and the Princes which are united for Defence of the Empire begin to apprehend a Captain who observes less the Rules of War than the Emotions of his Valour and whom they perceive seconded by Fortune But he doth not consider That in weakening an Emperor he doth augment the Forces of a King who will enjoy the Fruits of his Labours and suppress him in Spite of his Bravery when he pleases In the mean time I am of Opinion That it is our Interest that Weymar be always Victorious It may be said of him That he hath sold to France all but his Glory having reserved nothing for himself but Hope All that this Duke can Conquer from the Germans is for the French King who furnishes him with Troops with Arms and with Moneys besides wise Advice Cardinal Richlieu who is an able States man fails not to perswade his Master That the Places which Weymar shall take in the Empire with the Army which he Commands are the Effects of his Councils and his Majesty's Moneys The French begin to preserve their Conquests and know how to defend the place which are subject to their Power This Prince makes Acquisitions which are in truth of more Importance than they seem considerable for their Greatness He took Rhinfeld almost as soon as he had Besieged it The Place was strong seated near the Black Forest where the Garrison was furnished with Abundance of all Sorts of Ammunitions John de Wert General of the Imperial Army had reliev'd it with Nine Regiments of Horse and Five Thousand Foot He defeated Weymar's Horse took part of his Baggage and Artillery The Duke of Rohan a great Captain and great States-man was hurt and taken Fighting and the City relieved with Men Ammunition and Victuals which rendered the taking of it more Glorious They write that Two Imperial Generals the said John de Wert which had succoured Rhinfeld Enhenfort as also Duke Savelli had been taken in a Combat which preceded the Rendition of the Place besides Thirty Eight Cornets and Nineteen Foot Captains These Spoils were gained by the Blood of the Swedes and sent to the French King who after he had caused them to march through all the Streets of this Great City commanded them to be hung up in the Principal Church where I saw and considered them as Marks of the Triumphs of Policy The Siege of this Place lasted but Eightteen Days The Duke of Weymar after this Victory marched into the Marquisate of Durlach where he took the Castle of Rotelen Defended by the King of Hungary in which he found great store of Provisions and all sorts of Ammunitions which served greatly for the refreshing of his then needy Army In the mean time Duke Savelli escaped out of Prison and retired to Luzerne in Switzerland The Officers that guarded him were accused of Favouring his Escape which cost them their Heads All I write to thee is most true and thou may'st cause my Letters to be inregister'd God grant that Brisac together with all Alsatia may fall into the
Kaimakam HAving given thee an Accompt of the Imprisonment of Casimir I will relate to thee the Voyage of King Ulidislaus his Brother who is gone a Progress into Hungary and Germany The News here is That the King of Poland was gone to make a Visit to the King of Hungary who to do him Honour sent the chief of his Nobles to receive him upon the Confines of Moravia They write also That Arch-duke Leopold went from Vienna to meet him They embraced like Brethren and returned together with the Queen of Poland and her Sister back to Court 'T is added that the People received this Company with great Acclamations with the Noise of the Cannon and all the small Shot of the City The Day following having dined in the Imperial Palace they went together to Luxemburg to visit the Empress Eleanor Widow to the late Emperor of Germany If Carcoa hath not informed thee of these Particulars thou wilt receive them from Mahmut who watches incessantly to give true Intelligence and penetrate as much as may be into all that occurs and is done in this great Court which gives motion to all the Courts of Europe Reprove me if I do not well and punish me ' if the Emperor be not well served and thou satisfied Paris 15th of the Eighth Moon of the Year 1638. LETTER XXVII To Kerker Hassan Bassa DO not accuse me of being ill advised or negligent if I write to thee things that thou knowest already I am only careful in telling thee what happens here and my Business is not to enquire whether thou art better informed another way When I am ordered to write all that comes to my Knowledge I do my Duty in doing it and I ought not to be reprehended for it I am told that the Sultan is gone with an Army more numerous than all the Leaves on the Trees to destroy the * Persians Red-Heads and conquer Babylon I know that the Mufti the Grand Vizir and all the Grandees of the Divan followed him but am ignorant of what he did in his first Expedition when he took Revan An old English Merchant who comes from Ispahan and has served in the Army of the faithful Mussulmans passed this Way in his Return to England He hath been an Eye-witness of the great Actions of Amurath He says that this mighty Emperor after his taking of Revan left Twelve thousand Souldiers in Garrison there with Two hundred thousand Crowns in Silver besides Copper Moneys to pay them He saith also that our mighty Monarch being wearied to see so much Blood of the faithful yea of the Heretick Mussulmans spilt he had sent the King of Persia a Challenge offering to fight singly in Duel with him but he would not accept of his Defie He tells how Amurath being fallen in the Water in passing the River Haret was in great hazzard of being laid up in Expectation of the last Judgment Day in the other World had it not been for a Young lusty Solack who took him by the Arm and dragged him out of the River This Accident was the Prelude of a great good Fortune which happened to this mighty Prince upon the Bank of another River called Mako where he had the News of the Birth of a Son born to him in the Seraglio at Constantinople whom they call Alaaddin whose Nativity hath been celebrated with infinite Demonstrations of Joy This English-man tells us further that Amurath has taken Tauris and appeared publickly there with all the Marks of a formidable Power that he had destroyed the King of Persia's Seraglio burnt the publick Markets and caused a Million of fine Trees which renders the Loss irreparable to be cut down Let me know when thou art at leisure whether this News be true and do me the Favour to tell me our great Emperors Success in the Expedition of Babylon The Politicians here attend the News of it with much Impatience 'T is allow'd that Amurath is the most Potent of all Princes the strongest Man alive and that only he can vanquish and ruine the Kings of the Earth Two Strangers of differing Nations and both of Royal Blood are dead in this City The one is Don Christopher Son of Don Antonio King of Portugal who after he had lived Sixty six Years without ever attaining the Crown of his Father died in a Convent of Dervises called Cordeliers where he was buried in the same Place where his Father's Brother had been formerly The other Stranger was called Zaga Christos who was the legitimate Successor of the Kingdom of Aethiopia a Young Man of Twenty five Years Son to the Empress Nazarenne Widow of Jacob Emperor of the Abyssins who died in a Village near Paris He quitted his Kingdom as thou knowest forced by Civil Wars he arrived in France in the Year 1635. of the Aegyra of the Christians After many Adventures he composed the History of his Travels which he performed with Troubles and Incommodities which seemed insupportable What has he not suffered in traversing many Kingdoms Arabia the Desart Egypt Asia Minor and Jerusalem where he ran the Hazard of being arrested by the Bassa that resides there whom he escaped by retiring by Night to Nazareth amongst the Christian Dervises where he concealed himself five Months He said here that an Eunuch of the Bassa of Cairo had much sollicited him to forsake the Christian Religion to which he would never consent and refused to go to Constantinople to humble himself by prostrating his Face in the Dust of the Grand Signior's Feet although the Bassa extreamly pressed him to it with very advantageous Offers This King has done much Honor to the Manes of the dead Prince whilst perhaps he suffers everlasting Torments which neither thou nor I shall suffer if we always live like faithful Mussulmans according to the Precepts of the Law ordained by Mahomet and written in the Alcoran I shall gladly hear that thy Life is safe and my Friendship agreeable to thee Paris 20th of the Eighth Moon of the Year 1638. LETTER XXVIII To the Kaimakam THat which hath been so long expected is at length happened The Queen is brought to Bed of a Dauphin the King is a Father the Kingdom seems to desire nothing more and the People witness their Joy by a Thousand differing Festivities The Men the Women the Children and the Aged run through the Streets as at Bacchanals They rejoyce with their Friends they go to Church and thank God as if a Messiah had been born to them All the Priests praise God in their Temples for such a Present and the Monks not so content deafen the People with the Noise of their Bells and do more than the Drums and Trumpets of the Souldiers and all the Cannon of the Cittadel and Arsenal I did in Company of others what I should not have dared to perform if I had been alone or had not been observed Those who affirmed the Queen would be brought to Bed of a Son pretend now they had
been advertised by some Divine Revelation and will pass for Prophets and amongst these there are many Religious Observe how far theâ—â— Superstition extends The Court has dispatched many Expresses into all the Provinces of France and others have been sent to all the Embassadors to give Notice of this Birth to their respective Princes A Priest who is a Bishop hath baptized this Child without any Ceremony in Presence of the Chancellor of France the Princes Princesses and Grandees of the Kingdom the further Solemnity being reserved for another time The King commanded Te Deum to be publickly sung being the Hymn which is usual to all Christians to thank God for extraordinary Successes Nothing is seen in the Streets of Paris but Bonfires and Fountains of Wine which run Day and Night The People testifie their Joy and the Fires are so great on all Sides that it looks as if the City were to be reduced to Ashes Amongst so many Subjects of Joy the King has wherewith to afflict him having been for some Days tormented with a violent Tertian Ague and it cannot be but he must have his Spirits agitated with so many Wars at once He has Armies against Spain in Flanders Italy Burgundy and the Empire in Germany without mentioning his Naval Forces and the Designs and Pretentions which he doth not yet declare Thou maist be confident that Leagues will be formed against him and Conspiracies against his State The Great Ones of the Kingdom are not asleep having long since had Designs to humble the Favourites and Ministers whose Deportments displeased them and to make themselves Masters of Affairs and the Government I have a Plece of News to tell thee but receive it as coming from a Woman not Mahmut I seldom send that for assured which in Appearance is not Truth What I am gâ—ing to say will undoubtedly seem ridiculous The Women give out that the Dauphin has Teeth and the Nurses will witness it Those who easily believe Wonders publish this as a most certain Truth The People who add Faith to the most Incredible things raise Stories upon this and are full of pretended Auguâ—ies But there being no Law that obliges us to believe that which we find Incredible thou maist therefore receive this News as thou pleasest and look upon it as useless and excuse me They give the King the Title of Saint which they add to that of Just because of his great Piety in devoting his Son before he was born to the Virgin which the Christians say is the Mother of their Messiah with his Kingdom People and Person which he hath put under the Protection of the Mother of his God which he has made appear by Prayers Processions and extraordinary Alms. This Ceremony is ordinary enough with these Infidels who by an inexcusable Idolatry devote their Towns and dedicate their Temples to Men that are dead whom they call Saints worshipping them afterwards upon their Altars and invoking them in their Distress I have nothing more at present to write to thee God give thee always the Grace to be just to thy self and others Paris 16th of the Ninth Moon of the Year 1638. LETTER XXIX To the Captain Bassa THE Birth of the Dauphin of France happened this Month whereof I forthwith advertised the Kaimakam I find my self in a great City where they feast continually to testifie the Love they have for the King the Queen the Young Prince and the State Joy spreads equally the most miserable to whom Fortune has given nothing but Tears do now divert themselves The Women rejoyce yet most and it seems this Adventure regards them principally There is not one of 'em that would not lie in all the Maids would be Mothers and the most advanced in Years do not now despair It seems here that God only hears the Prayers of the French for they believe the Queen had never been with Child if the People were not holy Thus all believe that they owe it to a Miracle of Heaven not of Nature that the Child is born and for that reason he is called Given of God If this be so thou must conclude this Prince will be very Great and much to be redoubted who hath God for his Father and is Heir of a great Kingdom To say the truth France was never so flourishing besides the great Armies they entertain by Sea and Land But that which appears most important to me is their vanquishing the Hugonots and defeating the Rebels The Birth of a Successor does much heighten these Advantages and causes a great Happiness to this Kingdom I have my Share in the Feasting being obliged to do as others for to what purpose should I appear afflicted Before I relate to thee a bloody Combat of Galleys which was fought in the Sea of Genoa I will inform thee of a ludicrous one in that of Marseilles which resembled those Spectacles the Ancient Romans exhibited with so much Pomp and Magnificence called Naumachies The Count of Alais Governor of Provence caused four Galleys two against two to combat first with Cannon and afterwards with Small Shot and lastly to board with Swords and Pikes which was a fatal Presage for two Nations who ran in search of each other through all the Ocean and exhibited a sad Spectacle by Battles where a Number of valiant Men were seen to perish Five and twenty Spanish Galleys appeared on the Coasts of Provence where it was said they were come to surprize some Maritime Place But the Count of Harcour General of the Armies of the Levant for the King having given them Chace some of them retired to the Coasts of Genoa where they were attacked by a like Number of those of France which had still followed them since they were seen before Marseilles It was the First of this Month that they fought Never appeared more Valour never was Combat more terrible and 't is scarce conceivable what Blood was shed Thou who art a great Captain and an excellent Sea-man mayst guess These thirty Galleys having began their Combat with their Cannon and Muskers the Sea was in a little time coloúr'd with Blood and covered with dead Bodies Each Galley having singled out his Enemy the Fight was the more bloody and obstinate 'T is said this Battel was seen from the Walls and Tops of Houses in Genoa which were crowded with Spectators and looked on with the same Concern as if they had fought for the Empire of Italy The Victory cost much Blood which the French pretended to seeing they took six Galleys from their Enemies amongst which was The Royal Patron of Spain the Captain and the Patron of Sicily with Eight hundred Prisoners having themselves lost but three Galleys which were taken by the Spaniards The following Night there arose so violent a Tempest that the Sea had well-nigh swallowed the Victorious and the Vanquished The French lost the Royal Patron of Spain which breaking loose retired into a little Port of the River of Genoa where the
so terrible and so greatly damnify one of the finest Countries in the World as Greece is and this Island which is the Delight and Nurse of almost all the Provinces situated on the Banks of the Mediterranean-Sea We find also in Ireland these Mountains of Fire yet with this Difference that their Flames do no Hurt which make 'em no ways dreadful to the Inhabitants I think too I have heard my Father say That being in Company with certain Arabians in our Lycia he saw these kind of Fires come out of the Earth but they broke out gently and caused no Damage I am now perswaded of one Thing which I would never believe before which is That Old Pliny intending to relate to the Emperor Titus and leave to Posterity a Relation of the Effects of Vesuvius and a perfect Discovery of the Causes of so many prodigious Effects he therefore went himself on the Place because that in his Time this famous Mountain had cast out an horrible Quantity of Fire Stones and Ashes with so great Violence and such terrible Noise that the Effects of it were selt in Syria Africk and especially in Egypt But the Curiosity of this wretched Philosopher having cost him his Life the Romans expect still with his Return the Discovery of the secret Causes of so many prodigious Effects Take care of thine own Health and let not any of thy Patients miscarry through thy Neglect or Rashness Continue to love me though I am at a great Distance from thee Write to me sometimes and believe that I am not able to conform my self to the way of Living of Strangers amongst whom I reside I shall be always a good Mussul man and a Faithful Friend Paris 10th of the First Moon of the Year 1639. LETTER XII To the Venerable Mufti Prince of the Religion of the Turks THY Decree is very cruel to separate me without having committed any Crime from the Communion of the Faithful I have read the Holy Answer thou hast made me with great Veneration but this has not been without many Tears Thou hast not untyed the Knot of the Difficulties which perplex me but made it indissoluble So that I only live in the Certainty of having no Certitude and my Soul which is encompassed with Fear will be in Dread till Death If I do what thou proposest how shall I be sure of not failing seeing I do not understand what I ought to do I am so dull that I cannot distinguish Whether thou exhortest me to do what I have ever done or whether thou forbiddest me what I asked of thee I intreated thee to let me know Whether I might live amongst the Christians and do in Appearance what they do effectually in the Observance of the Ceremonies of their Religion And thou answerest me That the Circumcised or Faithful should have no Doubt in his Law and needs no other Precepts to observe it than the Law it self Moreover That the true Mussulman must be willing to lose his Estate his Life and Honour in the Sultan's Service That the Christians are Enemies to the True God the Emperor and Religion and that in fine one ought to sacrifice all Things not to betray this God who is our chief Master Tell me I intreat thee on my bended Knees Cannot a Man be a True Mahometan without hating eternally the Followers of Jesus And in living amongst them secretly a true Mussulman must one shew ones self to be of another Religion or pretend to be of theirs Thou wilt tell me the Alcoran speaks with great Clearness yet how many obscure Passages do we find in the Words of our holy Prophet wherein we need thy Expositions I have no Belief for Tagot neither will I give Credit to the Devil my Law expresly forbids it for I believe in one only True God who knew the Intention of our holy Lawgiver and sees what we cannot discover And the Prophet cries out That he that has such Principles leans on the strongest Prop he can ever meet with there being nothing which is able to overthrow it Disperse Reverend Sir as much as thou canst the Darkness of my Spirit I conjure thee by the Almighty Father who can make live Flesh come on the dry Bones of the Ass which dyed an hundred Years past I do not discontinue here my usual Prayers which I make in the Manner they are prescribed me by the Law with my Face always turn'd to the Side of Mecha When I fast I eat only at Night and I continue my Repast till Aurora advancing the Day gives me Light enough to distinguish black Thread from white And I pass over the Day without taking any Nourishment till the Darkness be so great that I cannot see the Eye of a Needle 'T is true I give no Alms to the Poor because I doubt Whether it be lawful to do good to those who continually move Heaven against us The Bishops here are in great Veneration they have not an absolute Authority because they depend on the Roman Prelate and the King Yet their Jurisdiction is very large the Kingdom being full of Churches and these Churches frequented by Millions of People They wear about their Necks a Golden Cross They live in publick good Lives are obliged to know all the Points of their Law they must be Doctors are obliged to Gelibacy to be Sober Hospitable Prudent Irreprehensible without coveting others Goods they must never be drunk or shed Human Blood Their Habit is a long Vest reaching to the Ground of black Silk or Violet They go little on Foot but are carried in Coaches to avoid the Wearisomness which would oppress them in a Town which seems the greatest in the World which thou wouldest do too perhaps wert thou designed to be their Sovereign Prelate The great Arbiter of the World favour by his Mercy or by an Effect of his Justice the inconceivable Honour of suffering thee to sweep during thy Life his most Holy and only Temple of Mecha in the Company of Ismael and Abraham that thou maist keep it clean without any Filth of what Kind soever Paris 10th of the first Moon of the Year 1639. LETTER XIII To the Kaimakam THE French Armies are at present in Winter-Quarters and the Court is busied in contriving what they shall do in the Spring I do not believe I writ thee any false News for it is to be believed that the Sharpness of the Winter will hinder any Thing from being undertaken before that time The Eyes of all the Court are fixed on Three Objects the King the Dauphin his Son and Cardinal Richlieu but they more carefully observe the latter than the former This Man has made himself Creatures by his Benefits the Thankfulness for which and the Hopes of new ones has bound them to his Interests Yet 't is to be believed he has more Enemies by means of the great Credit he is in with his Prince and the Occasions he finds to increase it His Anti-chamber is always full
in the Beginning that having lost a Battle he was obliged to fly for Six Months together with the rest of his Army and to traverse almost throughout all the Provinces of the Kingdom without taking any Rest for Fear of being surprized Thou hast never read I believe of any Captain that made a Flight of that durance before him The Queen his Mother being a Woman of a masculine Courage and Firmness of Mind dyed poysoned by a pair of Gloves At Nineteen Years of Age he married the King's Sister who then Reigned named Charles IX and never any Wedding was solemnized with such bloody Tragedies 'T is hard to believe what an infinite Number of Hugonots was then massacred the Design was secretly laid during the Celebration of the Wedding and executed Six Days after at full Noon 'T is said that in one Day all France was died with the Blood of these poor People there being at least an Hundred thousand of them slain amongst which were Twenty Lords of great Consideration with the Great Admiral of the Kingdom and at the fewest Four thousand Soldiers massacred in Paris Henry did not perish on that unhappy Day but he was very near Death and the King having called him thus spake to him with an angry Tone and fierce Countenance Henry thou art alive because I would spare thee but I will not spare thee if thou persistest in thy Heresy Choose one of these two things either the Mass or Death If thou knowest not what the Mass is I will shew thee in another Letter This Prince chose to go to Mass rather than to lose his Life and therefore publickly abjured the Religion he professed These two old Men affirm That Nero or Caligula's Court were never corrupted as that of France was then No People were more in Fashion than Buffoons and never did the worst sort of Debaucheries so abound Sorceries Empoysonings Assassinations and all other Sorts of Crimes were permitted in such a Manner that all the Laws and good Order seem'd to be overthrown 'T is not known whether the King of Navarr took up his former Religion through Policy or some Corruption he saw amongst the Catholicks however he return'd some Time after to Calvinism whereunto he was so obstinately addicted that having lived several Years in this Sect he was forced to offer great Violence to himself to enjoy peaceably the Kingdom of France and accommodate himself with the Pope of Rome and to make again publick Profession of the Roman Religion Never any Prince more loved Women than he did This Passion prevailed over him all the Days of his Life and there were Two different Natures observable in his Person An Invincible Courage in the Field and such a Passion for Women as made him be often seen to Weep amongst them He has had greater Weaknesses than Hercules and he gloried in them He challenged the bravest Man in all France the Duke of Guise to a single Fight but the King interposed his Authority to hinder the Combat This King performed an Action during his Youth which our Dervises would have certainly set down in their Registers as greatly remarkable On a certain Day wherein he was to fight a pitched Battle being on Horseback in the midst of his Army he made publick Reparation to a young Woman whom he had deflowred and spake in these Terms I have forced this Woman you see here and used Threats when Entreaties would not bring her to my Lust Let all that hear me detest the bad Example I have given And as for your part whom I have thus wronged choose an Husband and receive from me such a Portion as may seem in some sort an Amends for the Injury I have done you It seems as if this so laudable an Action was approved of by Heaven for having immediately hereupon given Battle he overthrew a mighty Army with a few Troops The Ladies who bore Henry no Ill-will for his Tenderness to their Sex greatly interessed themselves in the Affairs of War wherein this Prince was always Head of the Hugonot Party and they gave Occasion to a Proverb which lasted a great while There being some who were for making a Peace and others for War This War was called The Ladies War This Prince had been in so many Fights that I believe one may truly say in this particular never any Prince came near him For who ever in one Day was in two Battles and came off victorious King Charles IX dying during this Time the Queen-Mother sent for her other Son in great Diligence who had been elected some Months before King of Poland by the Death of Sigismond Augustus 'T is said that Charles's Successor having been advertised of the Death of the King his Brother fled in the Night from Cracovia only with Two Persons who were his Confidents and retired to Venice and 't is said That the Courtisans of this famous City having assured the Crown to our Henry for having been infected with this Distemper which the French call the Neapolitan Disease and other Nations the French-Pox he became incapable of having Children to perpetuate the Crown in the Branch of Valois After his Death which was violent and perpetrated by a Christian Dervise Henry III. dying without an Heir and his Throne being sought by different Pretenders Henry to whom alone his Birth had given Right became Master of it by his Patience his Fatigues in War and his Courage made him vanquish all Obstacles He maintained his Right with an unparallel'd Valour and carried himself with the greatest Prudence yet his greatest Successes are owing to the Greatness of his Heart He met sometimes with Disadvantage but oftner came out Conqueror from all Engagements and 't is observable he was the prouder after the Battles won because he had before appeared extraordinary familiar with the Souldiers who had helped him to win them He was wont to be often in his Stables to see his Horses and often slept amongst these Creatures whom he termed his most faithful Courtiers How difficult soever the way was which was to lead him to the Throne he would not be disheartned these Difficulties serving only to increase his Courage He saw the Spaniards confederated with his Enemies yet he alone without any other Assistance but of some few faithful Troops sate down before Paris which was the most famous Siege since that of Jerusalem by Titus He reduced the Inhabitants of this Capital of the Kingdom to live on the most abject Meats one can imagin after they had consumed the Rats Mice Dogs and Cats which were for some time the richest Delicacies the best People of the Town could meet with But he was for all this after he had given several Assaults forced to raise the Siege and accommodate himself with the Prince who commands all the Priests amongst the Catholicks and he again renounced Calvinism wherewith he was infected and which served as a Pretence to his Enemies He was crown'd in the same manner his
Children and hinder them from devouring one another That he would cause sharp Nails and Rasors to be fastened to the Seats where the Judges sate that those who suffered themselves to be corrupted might sit thereon and indeed in this particular I cannot but wonder at the Christians Blindness We see oftentimes decided in one only Campaign the Differences of Two great States but a Suit in Law for Twenty Sequins shall often last a Mans whole Life and perhaps be entailed on his Heirs But hear a remarkable Example of the Sincerity of this Sovereign There were who would have perswaded him to have apprehended the Duke of Savoy who came to Paris to terminate some Differences he had with him He answered those that advised him with this That Francis I. one of his Predecessors had learnt him A Prince was more obliged to do what he had promised than to obtain what he desired that 't was in his Power to have apprehended a Prince far more considerable but would not do it suffering the Emperor Charles V. to pass out of his Kingdom who had come therein on his Word after this added he shall Henry give such an Example to Princes If the Duke of Savoy has often broke his Word with me it does not therefore follow I must imitate him Crimes can never be authorised by Examples The same Duke of Savoy having asked him What Revenue he drew from his Kingdom He answered him in these Terms I draw as much as I will because I make my self beloved whence it is that my Subjects count all our Estates are common He answered very pleasantly to a Prince's Envoy who came with a Complement of Condoleance for the Death of his Son who had been dead near a Year That he was no longer grieved at that Loss seeing God had given him Two more since A Captain of great Reputation having said That the Kings Liberalities tho several Times reiterated could not oblige him to love him Henry sent him Word He would heap so many Favours on him that he would force him at last He oft used this Proverb That more Flyes are taken with a Drop of Hony than a Tun of Vinegar A Monk entertaining him one Day about Military Affairs Open your Breviary Father said he and shew me where you learnt these fine Lessons One Day a Taylor presenting him with a Book of Politicks he said to the Chancellor who was there present Monsieur Chancellor cut me out a Suit of Cloths here 's a Taylor who understands your Trade and tells me how I shall govern my Kingdom One Day when the Pope's Nuncio was at a great Feast where there were between Twenty and Thirty Ladies of great Beauty he told this Prelate He had been in several Battels but never found himself in so great Danger before Nothing seems more agreeable than the Answer he made to the Provost of the Merchants of Paris who was urgent with him to consent to an Impost which was to be laid on the Fountains of the Town to furnish the Expence of Forty Deputies of the Switzers who came into France to renew their ancient Alliance with this Kingdom and his Answer was That this Magistrate should find some other Expedient than to change Water into Wine which was a Miracle that never any Body wrought but Jesus Christ who is as thou knowest the Christian's Saviour and for thy further Instruction 't is necessary for thee to know The Switzers love Wine above all Things in the World and that not without Reason This Prince went to the Wars at the Age of Fifteen and at Seventeen killed an Enemy and in the Year following he saved the Life of one of his Captains and had his Horse killed under him He was in Five Battles and in more than an hundred Combats and at the Siege of above Two hundred Places He sustained Seven different Wars in which his Enemies aknowledged that he had Fifty five Armies upon him at several Times and in different Places and always obtained some considerable Advantage Those that have given him the Term of Great have given him his true Name He was highly esteemed by all Nations and thou knowest very well that our Sultans tho the mightiest Monarchs in the Universe have admired this great Prince's Fortune and Valour Above Fifty Historians have written his Life above Five hundred Poets have published his Praises I will leave thee at present the Liberty of comparing this King with those whom thou wilt choose from amongst the Hero's If Mahomet XI has not done more than him he may be compared to him in Warlike Actions with this Difference That King Henry conquered the Gauls who were of his Patrimony and Mahomet conquered Twelve Kingdoms and an Empire because he was perswaded that all the Earth belonged to him Henry subdued the City of Paris and Mahomet made himself Master of Constantinople The King of France left an infinite Number of Marks behind him of his Grandure on Marble and in the Writings of famous Authors and Mahomet left only on his Tomb those which shewed what he had designed to execute but never could do it which was to take Rhodes and subdue proud Italy We must also acknowledg there was never found in any Mahometan Prince the admirable Clemency of Henry shewing himself herein greater than in vanquishing his Enemies Contrary to Mahomet who shewed only great Kindness to an Ox whom he caused to be carefully fed because he would never forsake the Tomb of his Master whom this Prince had killed abiding always by it and expressing his Sorrow by horrible Bellowings In all other Occasions he was very cruel far from the Humor of this French King who heapt Benefits on those who drew Blood of him Mahomet by a barbarous Cruelty caused the Bellies of Twenty of his innocent Pages to be ript open to discover him that had eaten a Melon in his Garden Henry was a great Lover of Ladies and an extream Admirer of that Sex and Mahomet jealous of the too great Beauty of his Mistriss cut off her Head himself in a full Divan And farther if Mahomet gave in the East a great Example of Justice in putting his own Son to Death for deflowring the Daughter of the Bassa Achmet in a Bath Henry gave a greater in his own Person in repairing at the Head of his Army the Outrage offered to a young Girl from whom he could not fear any vexatious Consequences Be sure however be silent in these Judgments I make and shew thy self discreet if thou intendest to hold any Correspondence with me Imitate the Bees gather from so many Flowers presented thee what appears to thee sweetest and most proper to form Mustapha's Mind and supple his Spirit like Wax I could relate to thee more Things touching this Henry but there 's no Necessity of writing all that thou maist have space to imagine what such a Prince might have done who had re-established his Fortune by his Valour alone Let me know of
Thousand Cossacks and others shall cruise about the Levantine â—eas with their Brigantins and especially the Archiâ—elago As to what respects the Republick the chief â—amilies in Venice have already proffered to set out â—nd entertain at their own Charge a Vessel till the War be ended and all the great Castles and Towns on â—he firm Land freely offer to furnish the Republick â—ith Fifty Thousand Ducats a Month. This Kingdom which is so full of Men amongst which there are so many good Officers which are rich in Mony and at â—resent so considerable at Sea must not only not trouâ—le so noble and necessary a Project in continuing a War with Spain but also gives its assistance by Supâ—lies of Men Mony and Vessels If you can Madam â—blige the King to enter into this League you will meâ—it an Everlasting Remembrance and have an hundred thousand Crown which lye ready for you at Venice to be paid when and where you please This is God's Cause the Occasion is favourable anâ— all things seem in a readiness You may immortalizâ— your Name and with your Beauty your Credit anâ— Eloquence give good grounds of Hope to Christendom of Success by obtaining the Assistance of the most puissant of the Christian Monarchs This is what the Dwarf heard and what he entrusted me with since were I in a condition Illustrious Kaimakan to relate particularly the Liâ—â— of Osmin I am perswaded thou wouldst give entirâ— Credit to the Discourse he made me Osmin is born a Turk he loves me dearly anâ— has a certain Sympathy with me which obliges hiâ— to seek me often and entrust me with all the Adventures of his Life treating me not only as 〈◊〉 Friend but living with me as if I were his Brother There being some days since I languished in Bed tormented with a Distemper which at its Beginning threatned me with vexatious Consequenceâ— and which causes me to droop and languish thoâ— wilt pardon me if I reason not much on an Adventure so extraordinary Should God restore mâ— to my Health I shall double my Care and Diligence in observing the Measures of this Courâ— Order by thy Prudence and Valour that the Preparations of these Infidels against the formidable Monarchy of the true Believers may vanish intâ— Smoak And the great Soveraign of the Lower anâ— Upper World grant thee perfect Health which 〈◊〉 sought in vain by his Highnesses Slave and thâ— Servant Mahmut Paris 12th of the Fourth Moon of the Year 1639. LETTER XIII To Isouf his Kinsman Notwithstanding my Weakness I force my self to write thee this Letter to thee with whom 〈◊〉 am engaged by Interest as well as by Blood My Distemper lies so heavy upon me that there remains only the time to speak two Words of Devoâ—ion to thee Isouf thou oughtst towards the End of â—he Moon in May to go to Mecha carry me along with thee though I am at this distance I entreat â—hee when thou shalt arrive with the Caravan of Pilgrims at the Mountain of Arafat to offer there 〈◊〉 Sacrifice in my Name immolate a Sheep in commemoration of Abraham And if thou arâ—ivest in Health at the Holy Mosque and in full â—trength offer devoutly my Prayers to our Great Prophet I ask not Honours of Mahomet no more â—han Riches I only beg that Heaven would reâ—tore me what I have lost 't is Health I desire whereby I may serve our great Emperor and live more Holy than I have done But before thy Departure distribute a good Dole to the Poor and if â—hou wantest Mony go and find Dgnet Oglou borrow of him in my Name seven hundred and fifty Aspers which thou shalt immediately deal out to those that have most need Thou knowest how greatly the Works of Charity are recommended to us they multiply the Bedictions of Heaven and encrease our Wealth I neither do nor can do this in the infidels Country thou knowest my Inability speedily succor me in the Necessity I am of doing Good and let nothing hinder thee no Argument of good Husbandry nor Superstition If thou neglect my Prayer the Shame of the Fault will lye at thy Door and thou alone shalt bear the Iniquity if thou executest not the Will of a dying Man especially having the Power I forgot what I had of greatest Importance to tell thee and which is the most Holy and aimed at to obtain with the greatest Earnestness Endeavour to get for me a little Piece of the Cloth wherewith the Temple of Mecha is every year hung and which the Pilgrims tear in pieces to have each of them a part and send as soon as thou canst this Holy Relick in a little Silver Box to Carcoa at Vienna who will take care I receive it If thou beest a good Mussulman give speedy Help to a Disciple of the same Law and if thou beest a real Kinsman assist me love me and take on thee my Defence when necessary I embrace thee with all my Heart and Strength and though I believe my self very near Death yet I wish thee a long and happy Life Paris 12th of the 4th Moon of the Year 1639. LETTER XIV To the Invincible Vizir Azem at Constantinople IF thou beest the same that commanded the Army of the true Believers before Babylon I write to thee without congratulating thy Resurrection Thâ— People at Paris have kill'd thee by their Discourses because they wisht thy Death and 't is generally said thou wast strangled by four Mutes But if 〈◊〉 write to another raised to the chief Dignity of thâ— Empire I pray the Great God who will one daâ— judge all Men that he will long continue thee in Amurath's Service ever happy and always attended with Victory and give thee better Fortune than all the other Vizirs who have governed in the vast Empire of the Mussulmen I have been sick during the space of Eighteen Moons and my Health is not yet fully restored I have lived all that time in continual expectation of Death and so many odd things have hapned in my Sickness that I should fall into it again shouldst thou oblige me to make the Recital of them The Charity of the Christian Dervices has been very great towards me having neglected nothing which might be any ways serviceable to my happy Departure The gravest of them have often attended me with Discourses of the Immortality of the Soul of Hell their Purgatory Paradice and the Merits and Indulgences of the Church Several Physicians have come to see me and used their utmost Skill to keep me alive and imagin I owe my Life to them but if it be so they have paid themselves for their Care by drawing so much Blood out of me having I think quite emptyed my Veins to resist said they the several Distempers which assaulted me and to take from me the Turkish Fever which I nourished for I assuredly brought it from Constantinople The greatest Sin I committed during the Course of so long a Sickness was the pretending to
with this are so exactly obedient to their Head that they have no Will left They have very obscure Prisons under Ground wherein they thrust those who scandalize their Order by their Crimes For notwithstanding the Holiness of their Rule and the Vigilancy of their Superiours to make it observed there 's never wanting some who wander from the right way and often make use of the Esteem which Men have of their Piety to commit such Enormities as would be soundly punished by the Men of the World These kind of Dervises cannot handle Money without being guilty of a mortal Sin Notwithstanding this Profession of Poverty I have seen these Dervises drest up with greater magnificence than our Mâ—fti in the time when they celebrate their Mâ—sses ascending up to the Great Altar covered with the finest Linnen and thereon Vests embroidered with Gold the most delicately wrought as can be imagined and oft enriched with Pearls and precious Stones In their Sacrifice they eat the consecrated Bread which they call the Messias his Body which they are wont to place on a Plate of fine Gold and they also put into Cups of the same Metal a Liquor which they say is changed into the Blood of their God as the Bread into the Body assoon as they have pronounced certain Words which they secretly mutter The Sacrifice is offered every day and not only the People are present at it but the greatest of the Kingdom with their Monarch on his Knees and in a supplicating posture There stand about the Altar several stately Candlesticks wherein burn white Wax Candles which renders the Sacrifice still more solemn I relate to thee what I have often seen for I choose to be frequently in these Infidels Churches and at their solemn Festivals the better to conceal who I am Yet happy is he that lives satisfied with himself assured he serves God in the manner he will be served Thou hast this good Fortune and that of being in thy House at thine Ease when thou goest out thou wearest a long Vest down to thy Heels lined with soft and warm Furrs whilst I am obliged to cover my self barely with a blackshort Cloak which scarcely reaches below my Knees and is too thin to resist the piercing Northern Blasts and is in truth a very ridiculous Habit yet which I am obliged to wear for the service of him whose Slave I am which cannot cover my Bandy-Legs and ill-shap'd Body I expect with great impatience the Season which o'respreads the Gardens with Flowers the Fields with Grass and crowns the Trees with Blossoms and brings back the pretty Birds who publish the joyful News of the Spring 's approach that being the Time wherein I may expect my Health As to what remains thou wilt oblige me in making Trial of my Friendship that thou maist know there 's not in all the Empire of the true Believers a more faithful Friend and one that loves thee more cordially Adieu Paris 10th of the 2d Moon of the Year 1641. LETTER XXII To the Kaimakan THE Court of France is an Assembly of Politicians who discover or hide themselves according to their Interests and are more wont to hold their peace than to talk They explain themselves in more than one manner on the things which they cannot conceal and I draw from them what is necessary for my Instruction and thy Information There have happened such sudden and surprizing Motions in Spain as cause considerable Advantages to be hoped for by France which seems to have had a great hand in them on which thou maist make what Reflexions thou thinkest convenient The Mountains which divide France from Spain are called the Pirenees Catalonia is a Province watered on one hand by the Mediterranean Sea and bounded by Navarr it lies situated at the Foot of these Mountains The People have taken up Arms and vigorously opposed the Catholick King 's Ministers and the Portugueses have done the same thing but with different Success This Kingdom is comprised within the States of Spain and the richest under her Dominion Her Situation is advantageous lying between Galicia and Castile and watered with the Ocean which brings her immense Riches The principal Town of Catalonia is Barcellona and Lisbon is the chief Town of Portugal The first has taken for the pretence of its Insurrection the Insolencies committed by the Protestant Troops which served the Catholick King and were quartered in this Province And the other having long concealed its Design has at length shaked off the Spanish Yoak and set up a King of their own Royal Race 'T is said that Count Olivarez the King of Spain's Chief Minister and Favourite designing to mortifie the Catalonians horribly charged that Country with Soldiers and sent thither the most licentious Troops to Quarter imagining to chastise the Pride of this People in this manner without any Form of Process This Minister's Design has had so far its End the Province being full of Divisions and Slaughters there wanting nothing to compleat their Miseries The Soldiers exercise unheard of Cruelties they shed indifferently the Blood of Infants Old Men and Women overthrowing Altars and ruining Temples The most couragious Peasants gather together to repel Force with Force and revenge themselves most cruelly on as many of the Castilians as they can light of without sparing the King's Ministers killing all they meet seeking those who are hid to punish them with the greatest rigour running after those who seek their Safety by flight not pardoning the very Priests if never so little suspected The Count of St. Colomme commanded not long since in Catalonia with the Title of Vice-Roy which poor Man is now before God where he receives the Recompences or Chastisements he has deserved being the first Victim sacrificed to the Peasants Fury His Bloud was the Prologue of a dismal Tragedy which will not end without more dismal Events to the Spanish Monarchy and the Catalonians themselves The Vice-Roy withdrew himself into the Arsenal of Barcellona at the first Insurrection of the Peasants where he was besieged by a great Multitude of these Seditious People and seeing he could not remain there in Safety he went out to go on board the Gallies but the Grossness of his Body hindring him from hastning as fast as those who accompanied him in his Flight he remained alone and being tired fell into a Swoon and lay dead for some time on the Sand between the Rocks which lie upon the Sea His Servant the only one that remained with him brought him again to himself by casting the Sea-Water on his Face but he opened his eyes only to see his own Departure more nearly He was set upon in this Condition wherein he could not stir himself by a crew of Blood-hounds who first shot at him and then hack'd him in pieces having first stabb'd him in a thousand places His Servant defended him as well as he could in covering him with his Body but his Zeal was fruitless and all
without its being known whether 't was by his Fall or the Musket-shot which he received The Confederates with as little trouble seized on the Gallies and other Vessels in the Ports whence they drove the Spaniards they afterwards commanded the Vice-Queen to retire This Princess thought she ought in this occasion to insist on the Greatness of her Birth she threatned the Conspirators and afterwards flattered them assuring them of the Clemency of King Philip. She set before them the Greatness of his Power and forgat not to speak of the Authority of his Favourite who must needs be much offended in this Occasion exaggerating the Offence commitred against her both as a Princess and Depository of the Catholick King 's Power But as well her Promises as her Threats were in vain and she her self was at length glad to accept Conditions from them who a while before by Connivance from the Prince might have executed an absolute Power In Eight days time all the Castilians were subdued or driven out of the Kingdom All the Forts were rendered without any trouble to the new King except the Castle of St. John which having made some slight Resistance was sold for Forty Thousand Crowns by the Governour The Duke of Braganza appeared immediately afterwards in the City of Lisbon where the People soon shewed the Affection they had for him the Prison-Doors were set open and all poor Debtors freed and a great part of the Taxes taken off Such an astonishing Success was attended with what ever might set forth the Joy of the People who solemnized the Festival with the Sound of Trumpets and the Noise of the Cannon and by Shouts and Acclamations which reached up to Heaven whom the Portugueses thanked for the Liberty which they believed they had recovered This Event was accompanied with so many miraculous things that the Wisest as well as the Vulgar were persuaded 't was markt in Heaven from all Eternity by the Finger of God The Clergy the Nobility the Citizens and Peasants were profuse in their Liberalities on this Occasion to give their new Soveraign ample Marks of their Affection and even the Poor hid their Misery that they might not lessen the Publick Joy The Spanish Vessels which returned from the New World which then entered into the Ports of Portugal remained at the Disposal of the new King the Pilots not knowing what had hapned so that the Coffers of the Prince were filled thereby as 't is said with some Millions This King was exalted to the Throne in the last Moon of the last Year and wise People do hope he will reign very happily all the Planets being too well disposed not to make him finish his Reign with the same Fortune as he began it The vigilant Portugueses have ordered out several Vessels fill'd with good Soldiers and necessary Provisions to sieze of Places and Ports which this Nation possesses in the New World and in the East Indies and 't is to be supposed they will meet with good Success if Fortune prove as favourable to them in America and the Indies as she was to them in Europe As soon as the Duke of Braganza was proclaim'd King he sent Manifesto's into all Parts and dispatched Couriers and Ambassadors to give Advice of his Promotion in the Courts of France England Holland Swedeland and Denmark 'T is not to be imagined the Joy which this Adventure gave to the Catalonians The King imparting to them what had happened offered them also his Assistance and these People answered him with the same Offers And this is the end of Sixty Three Years of the Despotick Authority which the Spaniards have exercised on the Portugueses The News of so strange a Revolution having been carried unto Madrid hear and consider well the unhappy Condition of the Catholick King to whom his Favourite declared this News Sir said he I come to rejoyce with your Majesty at the good News I bring Your Majesty is now become Master of a considerable Dutchy Dom Juan de Braganza has had the boldness to make himself be proclaimed King of Portugal has thereby faln into the Crime of Laesae Majestatis All his Estate belongs to you and is devolv'd to the Crown and his Person will soon be in your Power Dom Juan was Son to Theodosius Duke of Braganza Grandchild to Donna Katharina who was the Daughter of Dom Duarte Brother to Henry King of Portugal and Philip II. King of Spain took away the Crown from this Katharine to whom it is said it did rightly belong The Titles he assumes are King of Portugal of Algraves Africk on both sides of the Sea Lord of Guinea of the Navigation and Commerce of Aethiopia Arabia Persia and the Indies This new King is not above 37 Years Old of a middle Stature but well proportioned his Face marked with the Small Pox his Hair enclining to Yellow an Aquiline Nose high Forehead lively Eyes his Mouth indifferent great and a Masculine Voice His Carriage is grave affects great Modesty in his Cloaths is temperate in his Dyet affable to all sorts of People unless Slaves and such as he believes are Hypocrites and his common Word is That mean Cloaths will keep out the Cold and ordinary Meats satisfie Hunger This Prince is not much versed in Books is of an healthfull Constitution loves laborious Exercises especially Hunting wherein he 's never tired He 's also Musically given and so light of Heel that there are few People can out-walk him He is wont to go to Bed late and rise early as knowing that Sleep does take off much from Man's Life and to compleat his Happiness he has Children of both Sexes His Wife is a Spanish Lady of extraordinary Merit to whose marvellous Courage and good Qualities he owes his Crown The Kingdom of Portugal contains 120 Leagues in Length 40 in Breadth and has several Millions of Subjects comprehending those in the Two Indies It has Three Archbishopricks and Eight Bishopricks keeping ordinarily Forty Vessels which find Ports in Eight places of the Country They can maintain Thirty Thousand Foot and several Regiments of Horse The Revenue of this Kingdom may amount to Twenty Millions of Gold reckoning in the Riches which come from the Indies Brasil Angola and several other Islands The French Monarch will hold a good Intelligence with the House of Braganza England will enter into an Alliance with her the Pope will concern himself on neither side the Emperour united by Bloud and Interest to the Spaniards will be an irreconcilable Enemy but unable to doe them any Hurt and the States of Holland will find greater Advantage than all others in this strange Revolution These are the Sentiments of those that pretend to penetrate into the Future and to know more than others And if it be true that this new Soveraign has had as all men in his place would have had a secret desire of being King he has so well concealed his Ambition that 't is to be supposed he
extream Passion at any one's daring to offer him a Match so greatly beneath him when Madam de Combalet was the Widow of a Gentleman of a mean condition and Neece to a Cardinal whom he hated and himself a Prince of the Bloud The Cardinal's Messenger desirous his Negotiation should succeed was not repelled by this Affront He insisted on the Vertue of the Cardinal's Neece saying she would be courted by the greatest of France and added farther in Commendation of this Lady That she was a Virgin altho' married because her Husband out of respect dared not approach her and that Heaven had so ordered it that this Adventure should be found written in the Anagram of her Name This Minister could not dissemble his Vexation at the Refusal his Choler became excessive and he resolved to practise his usual Maxim of violently persecuting those whose Friendship he had sought with most Eagerness He therefore wholly set himself against this Prince spake all the Ill he could of him publickly threatned his Enemy but he valued him not looking on the Cardinal as beneath his Notice In the mean time the Cardinal plotted to put his Threats into Execution and brought the King in to countenance him by his Authority which obliged the Count to absent himself and make a Voyage into Italy to avoid the Storm he was threatned with Yet his Voyage lasted not long and at his Return the Cardinal did all he could noâ— to win him he procured him suitable Employs in the Armies and made him at length be declared General of that which the King sent on the Frontiers of Picardy Yet this haughty Prince received all with Indifferency saying openly That a Captain was given to the Army and not an Army to a Captain The Grandees of the Court who observed afar off what past in this Intrigue instead of mollifying the Count's Humour did all they could to sharpeâ— it The Duke of Orleans the King's Brother whâ— was always this Minister's Enemy linkt himself with Soissans exhorting him not to yield to the Cardinal's Pursuits and it is said he drew a Promise from him under his Hand that he would never accept of the Marriage proposed and they afterwards swore Fidelity to one another and thaâ— they would joyn together for the Destruction of the common Enemy and for this effect they took measures with Prince Thomas of the House of Savoy who is at present General of the Spanish Army in Flanders They also brought the Duke de Valette and several Lords of the Kingdom into their Party Almost all the Conspirators were for killing the Cardinal and the time of the Stroak should be when he visited the Quarters of the Army which besieged Corbie but the Count alone would not consent to dip his Hands in the Bloud of a Priest But the Duke de Vallette who saw the Danger wherein he was when the Conspiracy came to be discovered resolved to shelter himself by the blackest Treachery that could be imagined he discovered to the Cardinal all the Accomplices of which the Count de Soissans having Notice he speedily withdrew to Sedan I shall not make thee Inincible Leader a Description of this Place which regards on one side Luxemburg and on the other France it not lying in my way to make Draughts of Fortifications like an Engineer but to give thee a full Account of what the Infidels do and discover their Designs whereby thou mayst gather what may make for the Advantage of our great Monarch whose Power cannot be shaken but by the entire overthrow of the Universe Sedan is a Dominion which formerly belonged to the Dukes of Cleves who were Sovereigns of it and at the same time Dukes de Bouillon When the Count was in this place he thought himself safe the Mareschal de Bouillon who was the Master of it by the Testament of the last of this Family declared himself of his Party either to make War together against the Cardinal by open Force or drive him out of this Kingdom or to get rid of him by Death Here it was they made their secret Treaties with those who commanded for the Spaniards in the Low Countries and a Prince of the House of Lorrain entered into their Cabal He bearâ— the Cardinal as much as ill will and appears as resolute as the rest for his Destruction he is called the Duke of Guise There wanted only to this Party the Duke of Orleans the King 's only Brother and therefore the Duke of Guise dispatched a Messenger to him who sold in one day both his Master and all the reâ—â— that were of the Conspiracy He discovered aâ— the Secrets of the Cabal and the better to carry on his Deceit he caused himself to be apprehended and thrown into Prison having given his Dispatches to the King's Brother which he had before shewed the Cardinal This Traytor was noâ— contented with revealing these Gentlemens Secrets who had sent him but also made it appear That the Prince the King's Brother was guilty as an Accomplice of the others Rebellion Thuâ— these great men grown desperate at the Discovery of their Projects which were indeed contrary to their Sovereign's Interests and the Kingdoms were forced to throw themselves into the Arms of the Spaniards and to joyn with them They have raised Troops amongst their Vassals and Friends and openly declared themselves and fought with great Valour as I have already mentioned in the beginning or my Letter The King's Army has been very ill handled and it appearâ— that the Advantage was wholly on the Confederateâ— side but it has cost the Count of Soissons his Life who was General and Chief of the Party and it is at present disputed to whom is due the Honour of the Victory I prostrate my self continually at thy Feet to kiss with all Humility the Dust of them assuring thee thou hast in me a most faithful Slave that will never change Paris 15th of the 8th Moon of the Year 1641. LETTER VI. To Solyman his Cousin at Constantinople POntius Pilate was an honester man than thou He although a Pagan excused himself of the false Sentences he should pronounce on the Christion's Messias by washing his Hands before the Jews who sought his Death And thou that art a Mahoâ—etan as I am and washest thy whole Body in the Baths at Constantinople in the Presence of our Friends accusest and condemnest me rashly without any scruple Thou usest me like a Rogue so maliciously art thou set against me who am of the same Religion which thou professest How canst thou justifie the Hatred thou bearest me in endeavouring to make the Kaimacam believe I have been corrupted by the Cardinal who is the King of France's Chief Minister Adding that he ought no more to heed my Letters and Relations sent to the sublime Port where lie prostrate all the Powers of the World as not written by an Arabian but by a Sacrilegious Heretick That I deceive the Mufti so venerable for the Authority which
served thee to acquire the Affection of these Two Husbands which thou knewest how to keep by thy Complacencies and blind Obedience to their Wills and by such a prudent Carriage as one may say thou wouldst force them to love thee hadst thou not done it by the Charms of thy Beauty But what shall we do in this thy Extream Affliction and in the troublesome Condition I am for the Grief thou endurest which mingles my Ink with my Tears Yet we must endeavour to be comforted with a firm Resolution not to afflict our selves but at the Loss of such things which will never be in our power to recover Thou at the loss of the Reputation which thou hast acquired of a Vertuous Woman and I at that of an Honest Man When my Father dyed 't was not all the Philosophy nor Eloquence of the Greeks which could comfort thee thy Affliction was stronger than all their Reasons and when those officious Comforters had forsaken thee thou soughtest Ease to thy Trouble in a new Spouse Him now thou hast lost but now thou art still in a Condition of hindring this Loss from being irreparable Thy Vertue has never been questioned and thou art not as yet so old but thou mayst think of another Husband Seek a Third which may make thee forget thy Sorrow for the second And if thou findest him not immediately or if thou hadst some trouble in seeking a like Comfort to thy Affliction receive in this Letter the Tears of another Mother which will shew thee there is a Woman of a far higher Condition that is more afflicted than thou art Paris is still full of the Cries and Sighs which come from a Princess of the First Rank She has now lost a great Prince her Son who is slain in a Battel which he had won by a strong Army of which he was General Read in my Letter the lively and tender Expressions of the Grief of this illustrious Mother which draw Compassion from his Enemies who are forced by the Rules of Civility to make her Visits Thus does she speak every day and hour to Persons who come to visit her and when there 's no body she thus speaks to her self This unfortunate Woman is not a Moment without sighing and one would think by her Language she intended to recall the Soul which has quitted the Body of her Son the unhappy Count of Soissons Poor Count a Son so tenderly loved and so greatly deserved it where is thy Body now to be found dyed in bloud and in that of the Enemies What Victory Where are those Glorious Marks that should give me so great Joy and which give me such Cause of Despair Why did I bring thee forth into the World unfortunate Son if I must so soon lose thee Miserable Mother Vnhappy Son How art thou a Conqueror when I see no other Trophy of thy Victory than thy Death I hear from all Parts that the Count is Victorious and yet I hear every where that his Enemies rejoyce I see dear Son all thy Domesticks that followed thee return without Wounds and yet I do not see their Master None of them can tell me where he is and in what place their General lies who fought with so great Valour and Success to his Party But they are all agreed the Battel was won that my Son is a Conqueror and that he has lost his Life Vnfortunate Fight which has made equally bewayled the Death of the Victorious General by his Mother and the Defeat by the vanquished Would to God thou hadst been vanquished thou mightest have lived I should not have bin in this condition of following thee 'T would have been no Shame to have been defeated it would have been only a Misfortune which would have been common to thee with Pompey and Hannibal to whom Antiquity had nothing to impute but their ill Fortune A sincere Reconciliation a Pardon or a Peace might make all that is past forgotten A voluntary Exile might have appeased the King's Anger and perhaps disarm'd the Cardinal my Son might have liv'd France would not have been troubled a Mother would not have been at this day comfortless and the Count 's Enemies would not have rejoyced at his Loss But to my Grief nothing of this has hapned Alas the Stay of aâ— Illustrious Family is dead unhappy Mother how are all thy Hopes vanished but good God how was this my dear Son taken out of the World I know but too well that his Enemies laid continually Snares for him Methinks I see my Son's Murtherers give him the deadly stroak in the Heat of the Fight and in the instant he was going to enjoy his Victory Ah! my dear Son Ah! unfortunate Mother why did not I breath out my last on the dead body of this Son so worthy the Esteem of all the World and whom I so dearly loved Why didst not thou too powerful Minister give me the Mortal Blow rather than let me see so sad a Tragedy Do you kill me that hear me or thou my Son give me thy Hand to descend into the Grave where thou art to be buried But my Reason fails me I must for my Son's Honour stifle these Motions of Weakness 't is true he lives no longer but he dyed in the Bed of Honour with his Sword in his Hand he dyed full of Glory he dyed Victorious and even in dying vanquished his Enemies Let us cease from shedding Tears but what do I say he dyed assassinated a Victim sacrificed to the Vengeance of his Enemies by the blackest Treason 't is clear and yet I would live No I must dye let us imitate the Greatness and Courage of those illustrious Women who threw themselves on the Pile whereon their Husâ—ands were burnt My Son is more dear to me let â—s then dye and weep no more These Tears are fruitâ—ess but let us live seeing Heaven ordains it and â—et us live to dye every day I shall have ever present â—efore mine Eyes the Death of my Son I shall see every day his bloudy Body I shall continually remember his â—espects his Tenderness for me and I shall never forget â—he tender and violate Passion which I had for this Son for whom alone I lived but at least cruel Cardinal restore me his dead Body thou hast thy Revenge he is no longer alive give this sad Consolation to a desolate Mother perhaps this Sight will work the Effect thou desirest cruel Wretch as thou â—rt it will unite my Soul to that of my Son Dear Mother if thou canst not comfort thy self by so great an Example of Misfortune to this Princess it will be hard for thy Son to say any thing which can diminish thy Grief Imitate this illustrious Woman who having suffered whatever Sorrow and Despair can do to a Mother who loves vehemently and with Reason suffers her self to be perswaded not to give en entire Victory to her Enemies who triumph still over her Son by the Grief which they see his
is unhappy when they are handsome but more when they are homely and deformed The Fathers Brethren and Husbands guard the former as Cerberus guarded the Gates of Hell and the others guard themselves and look on all things with Eyes of Envy and Discontent which makes them empoyson every thing But that which happens amongst us is very different from what 's in France where Women enjoy almost a Liberty equal to that of Men. Not but that we see notable Adventures happen there witness the Queen who is Mother to a great King now reigning and yet lives in Exile and as a Fugitive amongst Strangers through the Credit of Cardinal Richlieu for whom she has not all the Deference he expected And an ancient Lady I may call her so now she does not hear me told me such things some days past on this occasion which I can scarce believe my self did I not know them to be true from elsewhere I am farther told that this Cardinal not having succeeded in the design he had of marrying his Niece with a Prince of the Bloud intended if he could to marry her to the King's Brother But there 's no great likelihood but so able a Minister must see into the mischievous Consequences into which this Promotion would bring him for it would undoubtedly draw on him the Hatred of all the great People in the Kingdom And I would not be mentioned at Constantinople for the Author of all the News talk'd of at Paris But 't is certain this Priest sent the Chancelor a venerable Person and by his Office a man of great Authority to seize on this Princess's Papers in hopes he might meet with some Letter which might favour that Design The Chancellor executed the Order he had received but found nothing of what the Cardinal pretended so that this Persecution served only to manifest this Princess's Vertue who lives in such a manner as may not only serve as an Example to all Queens but all the Women in the World Some time after this same Chancellor being come to compliment the Queen on the Birth of the Dauphin she told him in a composed manner but very pleasantly That this Visit was very different from that she had received from him about a Year past If Persons that are seated in the highest degrees be not secure from the bold Attempts of those who are infinitely below them and who are born to serve them the beautiful Ciâ—câ—ssian should comfort her self in the Misfortune she had of being accused If her Innocency be well proved she will be the more pleasing to Ibrahim and the false Accusation laid against her will be a new Charm to him whereas should she be found guilty we must grant she deserves the most dreadful Punishments for having violated if I may so express my self the Sacred Nights of the Seraglio However the young Persian was found disguised in Woman's Apparel in some of the neighbouring Stables And though he in the midst of the Torments he suffered died without confessing any thing yet it cannot be said he died innocent after such an Attempt I hope thou wilt inform me what has happened since thy last Letter and in what manner the Adventure of this beautiful Slave shall be ended I shall be much troubled for her if she be innocent and cannot be wholly free from Compassion for her if she prove guilty Leave not off writing to me and if it be possible be not weary of loving me I speak in the Presence of our holy Prophet I love thee with the same Affection as ever and I dare not utter an Untruth before him Paris 20th of the 5 th Moon of the Year 1642. LETTER XXII To the Kaimakam T IS about 60 years since D. Sebastian King of Portugal died in Africk by the Hands of the Moors and yet his Subjects will believe him still living He parted from Lisbon in the Year 1578. in the Design of re-establishing on his Throne Muley Mehemet Cheriff of Africk whom his Uncle Muley Abdelemelech would bereave of his Kingdom but in effect to endeavour at the making himself Master of Barbary His Army consisted of a Thousand Sail well furnish'd with Provisions few Soldiers but a great many Nobility This Prince was not above 25 years of Age when he formed this Enterprize he was a strong bodied Man of a moderate Stature but well set his Hair was yellow his Eyes great and full of Fire his Courage was not inferiour to his Strength and he had no violent Inclination to Pleasures which generally take Men's Minds off from gallant Actions he was temperate in all things yet very forward in Undertakings and always firm and unmovable in greatest Dangers He was a great Husband of his Revenues employing them in his Subjects Defence or to the Increase of his own Power He was agreeable to all those that waited on him and in the freest Conversations he took care not to disoblige any one by sharp Raillery or distastful Sayings and so merciful was he that he avoided all Occasions of condemning his Subjects to Death He passionately loved War but 't is thought the Expedition into Africk wherein he perished came from Spanish Counsels D. Sebastian was kill'd in fighting with an Invincible Courage The Moors say That his Enemies were so charmed with his Courage that his Death drew Tears from their Eyes He was forsaken by his own mortally wounded near the right Eye-brow and pierced with Darts in several Parts of his Body He had no Wound in his Head because he was armed but he had a great one in his Arm which seemed to come from a Musket-Bullet 'T is said he was buried in the Field near a Moor without any Ceremony Prayers or Company of his Relations or Subjects And this was the End of this Great King who made all Africk at first to tremble Although the Moors rejoyced at the Death of so puissant an Enemy that his Friends bewailed his Misfortune The Kingdom of Portugal celebrated his Funeral in a magnificent manner and the King of Spain proffered several thousand Crowns for his Body to bury him in a manner answerable to the Dignity of his Birth and Merit and that Four Kings have since supplied his Throne yet was there found a Man bold enough to maintain in the Face of all Italy that he was really D. Sebastian King of Portugal He presented himself at Venice in an Assembly of the wisest Magistrates in Europe he recited to them the Accidents of his Life the History of his Predecessors the Misfortunes he met with in Africk whence he retired into Calabria He did more for he stripp'd himself before this Illustrious Assembly he shewed them Seventeen Marks on his Body which were acknowledged with Astonishment by the Portugueses themselves to be at least very like those which they knew their Sovereign had on his Body and he also shewed that he had one Hand greater than the other and a Lip disproportionable in the same manner which were the