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book_n	work_v	world_n	worthy_a	23	3	6.1480	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51897	The fifth volume of letters writ by a Turkish spy who lived five and forty years undiscover'd 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) continued from the year 1642 to the year 1682 / written originally in Arabick, translated into Italian, and from thence into English, by the translator of the first volume.	Marana, Giovanni Paolo, 1642-1693.; Bradshaw, William, fl. 1700.; Midgley, Robert, 1655?-1723.	1692 (1692)	Wing M565CL; ESTC R35022	171,587	384

to be reveng'd by employing me in an Affair which must needs be my Ruine However I think I had Reason to be Cautious and Apprehensive of the Worst This made me dispatch to him a Letter full of specious Umbrages seeming to approve his Design but entangling it with such Difficulties as wou'd divert him from farther Thoughts of it Yet after all I have been really brought into Danger on the bare Suspicion of being concern'd on the Prince of Conde's Side By which thou may'st guess at the Consequence had I hearken'd to the Vizir's Advice One Morning early the Officers appointed for this Purpose enter'd my Chamber And having demanded my Name Business and Quality I answer'd My Name was Titus Durlach Nieski but that for Shortness and to denote my Country I was commonly call'd Titus the Moldavian and that by this Name I was well known to Cardinal Mazarini as I had been to his Predecessor Richlieu and other Courtiers of great Quality I told 'em likewise That I was a Clerk who understood some Foreign Languages and therefore had been often employ'd by those Cardinals in translating Books out of Greek and Arabick into Latin and French For which Reason being recommended by Cardinal Richlieu I had been introduc'd into the Acquaintance of several Nobles whose Children I taught those Languages And that some of them had promis'd to make me Curate of St. Stephen 's Church as soon as it was Vacant They seem'd to be very well satisfy'd with what I said but told me moreover They had a Commission to search my Lodgings for Arms and Treasonable Papers It is impossible to express the Horror I was in when I saw them go roundly to work prying into every Corner and searching my Trunks Coffers and even my Bed it self Not that I had any Guilt upon me of concealing either Arms or Papers relating to this Conspiracy but my Concern was for my Box of Letters to the Ministers of the Port. As for Arms they found no other but an old Sword which I told them I travell'd with out of my own Country and a Brace of Pistols for the same Use to defend me from Robbers Assassins and other Injuries These Fellows seem'd mightily pleas'd with the Curious Workmanship of my Weapons survey'd them all over and having drawn my Sword out of the Scabbard and made a Pass or two with it against the Wall after the French Mode of Fencing they put it up again telling me They had no Authority to take these Arms from me since they were necessary for my Defence But when they came to my Box of Letters and saw them written in strange Characters which none of them could read they began to look on one another and change their Countenances as if there were some dangerous Matter contain'd in these Papers and therefore writ in Cyphers They went aside to one End of the Chamber whispering together and nodding their Heads with all the Symptoms of Jealousie At length I Interrupting them said You need not Gentlemen be concern'd about those Papers They were left with me by a Merchant Jew of my Acquaintance and they are Letters of Correspondence between him and some of his Brethren at Rome Venice Amsterdam and other Places in Europe 'T is therefore they are written in a Character which to you appears strange it being Hebrew the National Language of the Jews They contain onely Matters of Traffick being Letters of Mart and Exchange For you know the Jews are the greatest Merchants Brokers and Banquiers in the World These Words with some Gold which I gave them dispers'd all their Suspicions clear'd up their cloudy Brows and turn'd their Frowns into Smiles and Complimental Addresses They told me I was a very honest Man and they wou'd do me what Service they cou'd So bid me adieu By this thou may'st see the mighty Power of that Charming Metal which commands all Things For whatever I cou'd have said without that had been Insignificant But these Idolaters melted into an Indifference at the First Sight of the glittering Pistoles and when I had once render'd them thus ductile 't was easie to frame 'em to the most devout Appearance of Respect and Friendship They promis'd and swore no Hurt shou'd be done me But I knew the Fickleness of human Fidelity better than to repose any great Confidence in these Men's Words As soon as they were gone I convey'd my Letters to Eliachim who cou'd easily conceal 'em in any private Corner of his House desiring him to furnish me with some Letters of Indifferent Concerns written in Hebrew that if these Searchers shou'd come again and demand a second View of my Box perhaps with Design to carry it to some Minister of State I might have those Hebrew Dispatches ready to shew which being put in the same Box wou'd not be known from the other by such Ignorant Fellows to whom Hebrew Arabick and Chinese were all alike and so I shou'd be acquitted from all future Trouble of this Nature And the Event answer'd my Expectation For within Three Days the same Men came again with others in their Company pretending they had fresh Warrants and were sworn to be Impartial Wherefore I was forc'd to attend 'em whilst they carry'd both me and my Box before a Cadi or Judge who having examin'd me very strictly concerning my Name Country Religion and other Matters and seeming well satisfied with all my Answers at last sent for a Priest well vers'd in the Hebrew Tongue ordering him to peruse the Letters Which when he had done he assur'd the Cadi that there was not a Word in any of them relating to the State being purely Matters of Private Contracts and Bargains between Merchant-Correspondents with Bills of Lading c. So I had my Box of Sham Letters restor'd to me again and was honourably dismiss'd Yet tho' this Storm was soon blown over I was very near running on Rocks and Sands through the Persecution of thy Predecessor Kienan Bassa and Kisur Dramelec with many others in the Seraglio The First keeping from me the Pension allow'd by the Grand Signior the Second either sending me no Intelligence or else baffling me with trifling News nothing to the Purpose the Rest aspersing me to the Ministers of the Divan I desire thee to send me the Arrears that are behind for the Space of Nineteen Moons as thou wilt find in the Register of the Hasna Had it not been for Eliachim that honest Jew I shou'd have been ruin'd in this Place for Want of Money I need not say more to thee who know'st that Gold is the Grand Talisman which works all the Miracles in the World Paris 22th of the 7th Moon of the Year 1656. The End of the Second Book LETTERS Writ by A Spy at PARIS VOL. V. BOOK III. LETTER I. To Dgnet Oglou WHO can penetrate into the Mysterious Conduct of Destiny Whether God governs this World by the Influence of the Stars or by the Ministry of Spirits or by his own

I have enclos'd in a Box the true Effigies of the Present King of France with that of his Uncle the Duke of Orleans his Brother the Duke of Anjou and his Cousin the Prince of Conde as also that of Cardinal Mazarini and Queen Christina of Sueden who is now at the French Court Accept also from an Exile a little Cabinet containing Twelve Watches of so many different Contrivances according to the Circular Variation of the Moons in the Space of Thirty Four Years They are the Work of my own Hands therefore I shall not commend ' em Each is wrapt up in a Piece of Silk wherein is wrought in Arabick Letters the Method of using it Perhaps thou wilt find some Diversion in trying the Experiments mention'd in those Tables However despise not this mean Testimony of Mahmut's Respect but consider that if I come short of the Curious Artists in Europe yet my Labour is passable enough for a Moselman among whom there is scarce another Watch-maker to be found in the World If thou woud'st know the Occasion of Queen Christina's being at the French Court She came thither from Rome when the last Moon was in its Wane Her Passage was by Sea to Marseilles having touch'd at Genoua and receiv'd magnificent Gifts from the Republick but they would not permit her to land for Fear of the Plague which then rag'd in Rome and was the Cause of her leaving that City However the French shew'd no such timorous Squeamishness but receiv'd Her and her Train with open Arms. She landed at Marseilles on the 29th of the 7th Moon and when she made her Publick Entry the Consuls of that City with all the Nobles met her in Coaches the Great Guns were discharg'd to welcome her and she was caress'd with all the Demonstrations of Honor that are shew'd to the Queen of France her self in her Progresses The same Entertainment she receiv'd at Aix Avignon Lyons and in Fine all along the Road to Paris the Keys of Towns being surrendred to her for such was the King's Pleasure and a Canopy of State born over her Head when she enter'd any Town and receiv'd the Addresses and Compliments of Governours Prelates and other Great Men in Authority She was likewise Magnificently treated by Princes and the Chief Dukes of the Realm And on the 8th of the last Moon made her Entry into this City on Horse-back apparell'd like a Man Where having staid some Time she departed for Compiegne to visit the Court which resides there now It is not Suppos'd she will tarry long in France but as soon as she hears the Plague is abated in Rome and the Adjacent Parts she will return thither to pass away the Residue of her Life in that Nest of Princes and Prelates of the Nazarene Belief A little before she left Rome the Spaniards there had Conspir'd to seize on her Person as also on the Pope to have Murder'd the Portugal Embassador and set the City on Fire But the Plot was discover'd and the Conspirators put in Prison For the Sentence of Death is never pass'd in Criminal Cases among the Nazarenes without a Formal Tryal Here is a Rumour as if a Great Fire had some Moons ago broke out in Constantinople and consum'd much of that City I wonder none of my Friends nor any other residing there have sent me an Account of any such Thing Which fills me with Hopes that this Report is false From all Hands we are assur'd that the Suedes and Brandenburghers have obtain'd a great Victory over the Poles and Tartars at Warsaw the Vanquish'd having lost above Six Thousand Men on the Spot with all their Ammunition and Baggage And unfortunate King Casimir was forc'd to fly with a small Retinue towards Hungary 'T was the General Expectation of Europe that the Moscovites and Germans wou'd have done something extraordinary for the Poles and by some surprizing Action put a check to the Suedish Successes and Triumphs For when the Moscovite Embassador was at Koningsberg endeavouring to withdraw the Duke of Brandenburgh from the Suedish Interest he vomited forth terrible Menaces in Case they comply'd not with His Master's Proposals And one Day in a furious Zeal he took a large Goblet of Wine in the Elector's Presence and having drank it off to the Czars Health the Barbarian said aloud Thus shall the great Emperour of the Moscovites devour all that oppose him But now it seems these were only Empty Bravadoes and the Moscovites were resolv'd to stand by and see who got the better on 't The same may be said of the Emperour and Prince of Transylvania so of the Danes and Hollanders who now all declare for the Srrongest Party Magnanimous Vizir if the present Engagements and Wars in Dalmatia and Candy besides the Domestick Troubles of the Ottoman Empire did not wholly employ the Arms of the Moselmans doubtless 't would be an Undertaking no less Profitable than Glorious to succour the distress'd Casimir turn the Tide of the Gothish Conquests and oblige the Poles to an Eternal Fidelity and Gratitude to the Grand Signior Paris 14th of the 10th Moon of the Year 1656. LETTER VI. To Abrahim Eli Zeid Hogia Preacher to the Seraglio I Have frequent Access to the King's Library Which Favour was first granted me by Cardinal Richlieu who often employ'd me in Translating some Curious Treatises out of Arabick into French or Latin The French seem very fond of Eastern Manuscripts where ever they can meet with 'em And they have no less Regard for Men who are skill'd in those Languages That Minister especially was very Inquisitive into the Wisdom and Learning of Asia He Monopoliz'd Persian Syrian and Arabick Books and was a profess'd Patron of Linguists He coveted the Acquaintance of Strangers and Travellers that he might by their means Inform himself of the different Laws Customs and Religions of Foreign Countreys and of whatsoever was Rare and worthy of Observation in any Part of the World Hence it was that I receiv'd Evident Marks of his Esteem as soon as he knew that I understood the Greek Arabick Hebrew Turkish and Sclavonian Languages He often made use of me as I have said and gave me free Access to his own and the King's Library And tho' his Successor Cardinal Mazarini is not so much addicted to Studies of this Nature as to the Affairs of State yet he has continued to me the Priviledge of visiting this Treasury of Learned Books where I pass many Hours One Day I cast my Eyes on a Manuscript Written in Arabick and endors'd with this Title The Original Covenant of Mahomet the Prophet of the Arabians with the Professors of the Faith of Jesus and Underneath was a Latin Inscription signifying That this Manuscript was found in the Convent of Christian Friars on Mount Carmel I have Transcrib'd the Contents of this Parchment and sent it Enclos'd to thee that thou may'st judge whether it be Real or onely Counterfeit For the Nazarenes assert it to