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A27371
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The court secret a novel / written by P.B., Gent.
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Belon, P. (Peter)
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1689
(1689)
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Wing B1850; ESTC R170503
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160,939
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538
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much as making any severe Reflexions or bearing malice against any Person even my profest Enemies much less against such as are absolute Strangers to me A Key to both Parts of the Court Secret. Selim the First King Charles I. Selim the Second King Charles II. Amurat The Duke of York Osmond The Duke of Glocester Soliman The Prince of Orange The Sultana Queen Mary Zelinda The Princess of Orange Cha-abas The French King. Clorinet Tyrconnel Chilase The French King's Confessor Repset Peters the Jesuit Zora His Sister Clorineta The Lady Tyrconnel Monitenna Madam of Maintenon Emperor of Migrena Emp. of Germany Grand Visir Rinola D. of Loraine The Bassas of Swibrunckia D. of Brunswick Abrania Bavaria Brugulnea Lunenburg Xonisea Saxony Grubdenbran Brandenburg Sehes Hesse Stenrum Munster The Saraguere Kelwad Waldeck The Ottoman Empire Great Britain The Persian Empire France Albiona England Myrgena Germany Pesina Spain Haldon Holland Clonstad Scotland Leridan Ireland Constantinople London Ispahan Paris Risauta Austria Blunid Dublin Lynderodon Londonderry Mahometans Protestants Mahometists Jesuits Halists Papists Grand Mufti The Pope Mufti Bishops or Priests Heathens Turks The Grand Council of the Divan or of the Empire The Parliament As for Aladin Roxana Cara and Moretto the Reader may apply them as he thinks fit The Court Secret A NOVEL PART II. AMbition is a Passion so absolute and imperious that when a Mind is once possess'd with it there is rarely any admittance for any other at the same time It seizes the whole Man and Love it self that masters the Masters of the World can scarce get entrance in an heart prepossess'd with that Tyrant that is continually fed with those Court-Flatteries wherewith Princes are usually entertain'd Yet there is no Rule so general that will not admit of some Exception and in the Person of Cha-abas the now Emperor of Persia may be seen that that unsufferable Ambition which caus'd him to aim at an Universal Monarchy and that has arm'd all the World against him threatning no less than the utter Subversion of his Empire has at the same time receiv'd also into his Bosom that little Deity who blinds all those Victims which he designs for Sacrifices insomuch that the Vulgar who seldom dive into the Secrets of Princes have attributed wholly to his boundless Ambition that in which Love had as great a share if not the advantage I shall leave it to the Reader 's Judgment in the reading of this Second Part of the Court Secret in which that Emperour 's Private Amours are set forth according to the Memories fallen into my hands When the Persian Emperour had been advis'd by his Politick Council to make choice of a Wife for Amurat that might espouse the Persian Interest be capable of governing him when he should come to the Government which right or wrong was to happen according to the measures which they had taken in the prospect they had that Amurat was a great Proselyte to that Sect. This present Sultana was pitch'd upon as the most proper and fit person that could be had for that purpose She was therefore chosen from a great number that aspired at that honour to become in success of time the chiefest Instrument by which all the Halists should work their Designs in that Empire Of truth her Wit Address Presence of Mind Courage Boldness and exquisite Beauty which gave lustre to all her other excellencies did highly contribute in rendring her Mistress of Amurat's Affections and fitted her above all other persons in the World to carry on so great a Design The Sultana had formerly liv'd in the Persian Court where Cha-abas had had the opportunity of admiring her Charms and doubtless he had been so absolutely master'd by them as never to have been brought to resign such a Treasure of Beauties to another when he had it at his disposal had he not been diverted from it by the choicest Beauties of his Empire which were daily offer'd to him and the Shame which was continually set before his eyes of losing so fair an opportunity of rendring himself Master of the Ottoman Empire so much coveted and aimed at by his Predecessors the Glory of the Performance being by his Fortunate Stars reserv'd for his invincible Arms which would illustrate all his Conquests establish for ever the Religion of Haly throughout the Ottoman Empire and Crown him with eternal Glory and Renown Those and such like Arguments for that time caus'd his Ambition to triumph over his Love he yielded to their Advices and permitted himself to be led by Interest to the prejudice of Love who enraged at the Assront devested Cha-abas Heart from its Natural Severity and infus'd it into the Sultana's Bosome rendring it thereby so obdurate to all his Intercessions that all his Repentance and Submission should not be of force to make in it the least impression The violent Counsels of the Mufty Repset and other Halists having been the occasion of that prodigious and wonderful change in the Ottoman Empire which had caus'd Amurat and the Sultana to retire into Persia from the Fury of an enraged Multitude against whose Torrent no Bank of Religion Allegiance or Loyalty can hold and that nothing but its own impetuousness can allay They were oblig'd to run the same Fortune also the Mufti like the rest of his Order not much troubling his Head at the wonderful Alterations which he with the assistance of others of his Fraternity had wrought in Turky Of truth it may be said of that Society that they were ever true to that design they first took in hand to stick to the Interest of the House of Risauta That made them when they found notwithstanding all their efforts that the Persian Emperour still grew more and more formidable to the great prejudice of the Pesinians they on the sudden feign'd themselves weary of protecting the Pesinians made Overtures to wholly relinquish their Interest and to come over to that of Persia which was greedily embrac'd by its Emperour who not distrusting them did wholly relie on their Counsels they in the mean time by that means and Stratagem designing the total Ruine of the Persian Empire and the raising of the House of Risauta above whatever it had yet been This made them to put Cha-abas upon glutting his Ambition by all base and violent Usurpations Breaches of Treaties Treacheries upon the Territories of those Neighbouring Princes that were at Peace with him which made the Grand Mufti himself to be affronted by him by which doings he has now drawn upon him the hatred of all Princes who have all joyn'd against him that will not hear of any Terms of Accommodation who have oblig'd the Grand Mufti not to protect him but to abandon him to the just Revenge of all those Princes whom he has so highly offended and that even will not assist Amurat in the least in the recovery of his lost Empire because it has happen'd through his following the evil Counsels of the Persian Emperour
takes care of your Soul also in inspiring you with so good thoughts oppose them not but yield immediately to this Call from Heaven retire from amongst a People that are pleas'd but with Deceits and Cruelties and come amongst such as delight to serve their God in Spirit and Truth I will immediately give order to steer back again to Turky where you shall be instructed in the true Worship of our great Ala. Dispose of me as you please reply'd Roxana I am now yours by Gift and so soon as I can get my Portion out of my Father's hands I shall be yours also by Marriage Cara having kiss'd Roxana's hand they consulted together of the ways they should take to discover to Prince Soliman the grand Cheat which the Clergy of Haly's Sect had put upon him and the whole Ottoman Empire In short they had a better Wind in returning than they had going which quickly brought them back to the Shore from whence they came to Constantinople where the Prince was made sensible of the wrong which was intended to him by the Halists The whole Empire thought themselves oblig'd to Soliman in so high a measure that in the great Assembly of the Divan he was proclaim'd Emperour and Zelinda Empress that very day after she came to Constantinople Roxana had her Portion allotted to her which was sufficient to make Cara and her live happily together She presently made open Profession of the True Ancient Mahometan Religion and was married to Cara after that manner and now live comfortably together with all the Content and Satisfaction imaginable FINIS THE Court Secret A NOVEL PART II. LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and S. Magnes in Russel street in Covent-Garden 1689. TO THE READER NO sooner had that Piece call'd The Amours of Messalina appear'd in Publick but some malicious Persons gave out that I was the Author of it they having heard under-hand that I was about some such thing and though presently after there came forth another Piece on the same Subject in my Name Entitled The Court Secret in which Crown'd Heads are treated with that Reverence and Respect which is due to them They have still continu'd to misrepresent me to the World adding That the severe Rebukes which I had received for my rude Behaviour towards Sovereigns in the first had made me to compose the last in another strain by way of Submission Did those Persons that thus asperse me but consider with what Respect I speak of Persons that once have had Dominion over me they would not find one grain of that ill Nature in all my Writings with which the Amours of Messalina have been season'd by its Author as if designedly writ as a Satyr against the late King and Queen which has prov'd a Scandal to all moderate and modest Persons There are Men in the World that resemble some Creatures which the Naturalists report to be of so venomous Natures that suck Poison from those very Plants that other Animals gather Odoriferous Balsams and Honey and that corrupt the very Air they take in so that at the breathing of it forth again it destroys all that approaches near them Their natural ill Dispositions and Inclinations have such strong Tendences to Evil that they convert all the Advantages which they might have receiv'd from Education Learning and good Examples into scandalous Conceptions and Expressions without respect to Dignities or Persons Certainly those Persons must needs be void of that Charity which covers a multitude of Defects that thus delight to impose the worst of Crimes on those that have been their Lords and Sovereigns unto whom all Honour and Respect is due from those who once were their Subjects if it were but for the bare Relation they have to our present King and Queen whom God long preserve It may be alledged though disingeniously That I my self am guilty of that which is blamed in others by speaking too largely of another King under the Name of Cha-abas the Emperor of Persia But when all is done that very Person intended was never my King and God forbid he ever should be so and what do I say of him nay what can I say more of him than what has already been declar'd and proclaim'd not by a few of his own inconsiderable Heretick Subjects as he is pleased to call those that are Protestants but also by the Emperour of Germany the Kings of England Denmark Sweden the States of Holland and all the Confederate Princes all which has been confirm'd by his most Holy Father the Pope Is he not publickly declar'd the common Enemy of Christendom Has he not with Justice acquired the Mock-title of most Christian Turk in lieu of that of most Christian King Has he not fomented the Disorders in Hungary and invited the Turks to invade the Empire promising them to give such a diversion to the Emperour's Arms another way that they should find a very easie Conquest of it And has he not shew'd us greater Examples of Cruelties than the very Infidels have done against poor Christians on the bare account of their Religion in the barbarous Murthers of his own Subjects Pillaging burning and destroying all places that the Justice of his Enemies Arms force him to abandon not so much as sparing those which are consecrated to that God which he adores if he owns any at all and all this after the Murther of Men and Children and the Ravishing and Deflowering of the grave Matrons and Virgins Nay it rather may be ask'd What has he not done of most cruel barbarous and inhumane And when he was rather tired than satiated not contented with all those Acts of Cruelty which he had committed both at home and abroad in the profoundest Security that a Peace could procure while he himself took breath Has he not us'd his utmost Endeavours to delude a too easie Prince who he had charm'd with his Flatteries and deceitful Promises and by the influence of his all-doing dazling Gold to follow his sleps till trusting too much on his plausible Assurances he has been depriv'd of the Love of his own People of the Friendship of his Allies and at last of his three Kingdoms also And had we not by this time all of us been convinc'd of the sad Effects of the French King's Advices and Counsels by a most woful and lamentable Experience had not the immediate Hand of God interpos'd If then that King has rendred himself so odious to all Christians in becoming their profess'd and declar'd Enemy through the Tyrannical Government of his own People and his perfidious Vsurpations on his Neighbours as to draw upon himself such harsh though rightly deserved Characters I may very well be excus'd for what I have said of the same Person in a Novel where Hyperbolies are allowed in their largest extent I having had no other design in the whole Business than to gratifie the Reader with joyning the Pleasant to the Vseful without the least intention of railing or so