BOOK II. LETTER I. TO the Venerable Mufti 71 Of Cardinal Mazarini's Death Some Remarks on his Life II. To the Vizir Azem at the Port 75 Farther Remarks on Cardinal Mazarini III. To Pesteli Hali his Brother Master of the Customs at Constantinople 77 Of his Cousin Isouf's Residence at Astracan A Character of the Moscovites IV. To Orchan Cabet Student in the Sciences and Pensioner to the Sultan 80 He congratulates his Conversion to the Mahometan Faith V. To the Mufti 83 Of the King of France's Power to cure the King's-Evil VI. To Mirmadolin Santone of the Vale of Sidon 86 He applauds the happy Life of a Santone VII To Dgnet Oglou 90 Of Painters A Story of Martin Heemskirk Another of Giotto VIII To Lubano Abufai Saad an Egyptian Knight 97 Of the Dauphin's Birth IX To Cara Hali Physician to the Grand Signior 101 Of Hardiness Indifference and Resignation X. To the Same 106 Of Plays and an odd Accident that happen'd at one in the Presence of the King and the whole Court XI To Dgnet Oglou 113 He compains of the Slanders cast on him by some at the Seraglio XII To Abrahim Eli Zeid Hadgi Preacher to the Seraglio 116 Of the Wicked Lives of Priests and Monks XIII To the Chiaus Bassa 152 Of the French Kings Conduct and Government XIV To the Same 130 More on the same Subject Of an extraordinary Tournament or Carousal at the French Court. XV. To Zeidi Alamanzi a Merchant at Venice 135 He applauds his Sincerity in embracing the Mussulman Faith XVI To the Kaimacham 141 Of the Attempts made on the Lives of the Duke and Dutchess of Crequi XVII To Mohammed the Illustrious Eremit of Mount Vriel in Arabia 144 Of the Contradictions and Vncertainty of Antient Records c. XVIII To Hasnadar-Bassi Chief Treasurer to his Highness 148 Of the Birth and Death of Madam of France Of the Peace concluded betneen France and Spain He reflects on the English for delivering up Dunkirk to the French Of the Marriage between the King of England and the Infanta of Portugal XIX To the Kaimacham 152 He relates a strange Passage that happen'd to him in Visiting a Calabrian Traveller professing Astrology and Physick XX. To the Captain Bassa 157 Of a Wonderful Man taken up on the Coasts of North-Holland XXI To Nathan Ben Saddi a Jew at Vienna 161 He endeavours to convince him that Ismael was Heir of the Promises made to Abraham as being the First-born Son With some Recriminations on the Race of Isaac XXII To the Same 166 He discourses concerning the Origin of Nobility and Grandeur among Men. XXIII To Codarafrad Cheik a Man of the Law 173 Of a Man that was executed at Paris for asserting That he was the Son of God BOOK III. LETTER I. TO Solyman his Cousin at Chalcedon 177 He applauds his Removing from Place to Place and advises him to travel farther in the World or at least to visit his Cousin Isouf at Astracan II. To Pesteli Hali his Brother Master of the Customs at Constantinople 181 Of the Wars and Revolution in Indostan with some Remarks on the different Policy of Eastern Nations III. To Vseph Bassa 186 Of the Conversion of the Duke of Meckleburg to the Roman Faith Of the Magnificent Entry the Suis-Embassadors made into Paris IV. To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottomâ—n Empire 188 Of the King of France's Amours A pleasant Story of his Confessor V. To Pesteli Hali his Brother Master of the Grand Signior's Customs at Constantinople 191 Of Mahmut's Inclinations to travel his particular Phancy for Indostan With a Description of the Pleasures he should take in passing thither VI. To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 200 Of the Death of the Dutchess of Savoy and Carolus Josephus Brother to the German Emperor A General Character of Germany France Spain England Holland and other Parts of Europe VII To Kerker Hassan Bassa 206 He acquaints him how he had been Assassinated one Night in the Streets as he was returning to his Lodgings Of his Removal thereupon to another Part of the City VIII To Nathan Ben Saddi a Jew at Vienna 213 He informs him of the same Accident referring him for farther Instructions to Eliachim who would be shortly at Vienna IX To Zeidi Alamanzi a Merchant at Venice 216 He forbids him to send any Letters to Paris till he has receiv'd Fresh Orders from the Port. X. To Murat Bassa He complains for want of timely Intelligence from the Ministers of the Port. Of the Victories and Successes of the Ottomans in Hungary Of Count Strozzi's Arrival at Paris in Quality of Embassador from the Emperour XI To Isouf his Kinsman a Merchant at Astracan 223 A Character of Spain XII To Afis Bassa 225 Of the General Consternation in Europe upon the News of the Grand Signior's Advances into Hungary Of Cardinal Chisi's Arrival at Paris in Quality of Legate de Latere from the Pope XIII To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 228 He gives him a Character of Spain different from that he sent his Cousin Isouf XIV To Musu Ab'l Yahyan Professor of Philosophy at Fez. 233 He discourses of the various Languages of Europe A Story of a German Embassador at the French Court. XV. To Osman Adrooneth Astrologer to the Sultan at Adrianople 238 Of a Comet appearing in the Firmament From whence he takes Occasion to discourse about the Nature of Comets XVI To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 241 He informs him of the Peace made between the Pope and the King of France after the Affronts put upon the French Embassador at Rome Of the French King's Design on Africk XVII To Abdel Melec Muli Omar President of the College of Sciences at Fez. He complains that True Science is not to be found unless among the Bramins of India XVIII To Mirmadolin Santone of the Vale of Sidon 250 He asserts That Men are Partakers of the Divine Nature A Digression concerning the Ancient Religion of the Gentiles XIX To the Same 253 A Sceptical Discourse after the manner of an Epicurean Philosopher XX. To Isouf his Cousin a Merchant at Astracan 256 Mahmut complains of his Vneasiness in Paris and expresses his Emulation of the Arabs and Tartars XXI To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 260 Remarks on the Mareschal de Turenne with a Character of that Prince XXII To Orchan Cabet Student of the Sciences and Pensioner to the Grand Signior 265. Of a Paper of Verses which the King of France found one morning on his Table Of Anne Marie de Skurman the learned Maid of Saxony XXIII To the Captain Bassa 268. Of a Notable Victory obtain'd by the English under the Command of the Duke of York in a Sea Fight with the Dutch Of the King of France's Design to Vnite both Seas by Cutting a Canal through Part of his Kingdom BOOK IV. LETTER I. TO Achmet
THE Sixth 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 1659 to the Year 1682. Written Originally in Arabick Translated into Italian and from thence into English by the Translator of the First Volume LONDON Printed by J. R. for I. Hindmarsh and R. Sare at the Golden Ball in Cornhil and at Grays-Inn Gate in Holborn 1694. Mahmut the Turkish Spy Aetatis suoe 72. TO THE READER AS superfluous as Prefaces seem yet there is one thing which makes it in a manner necessary to prefix a few Lines to this Volume in regard there is an Occasion given by the Objections some Gentlemen have been lately pleased to make against the Style of the English Translation These Persons having by a very costly Inquisitiveness found and procur'd the Italian Copy of these Letters and compar'd them with the English pick many Faults in the latter which they would fain improve to the lessening the Reputation of the Turkish Spy or at least to the heightening their own Characters as Wits and Criticks Masters of Languages and the Grand Patentees of Humane Sense In the First Place they say the Italian Translation keeps close to the Original Arabick whereas the English abounds too much with Anglicisms which are not sufficient to express the Author 's Primitive Sense How Impossible a Thing it is to please all People in Undertakings of this Nature Formerly they were offended that so many Turkish and Arabick Words were left untranslated And that being answered in the Preface to the Fourth Volume they have now form'd New Arguments out of that very Answer to assault us on the contrary Side and tax us with being too Vernacular 'T is true the Letters they have sent to the Bookseller on this Account are not subscrib'd at Length Yet by Accident one of the Gentlemen's Hand-Writing is known And tho' we acknowledge him to be an Ingenious Person and a Man of Learning yet I believe he would be unwilling his Letter should here be expos'd in Print or the Original shew'd to some that know him and perhaps may claim an Equal Rank among the Criticks But to come to the purpose I have often heard Translations blamed for keeping too close to the Original Phrase but never any before this for a Negligence that is absolutely necessary to retain the Sense of a Foreign Author All the World knows there is a vast Distance between Arabick and the Languages of Europe and if the Italian Translator was more exact in forming his Words up to a near Imitation of the Eastern Proprieties of Speech no doubt but Impartial Men will rather Censure it as a Fault than cry it up for an Excellency since nothing sounds well in any Language which is not deliver'd in the Natural Idiom Every thing ought to be writ in as Familiar a Style as we Discourse especially Letters which are but a Proxy-Method of Conversing at a Distance And he that Translates out of one Language into another ought to aim Chiefly at this That he be sure to retain the Original Sense and render it smooth and easy to the Reader The Flowers of Arabia and Italy when once Transplanted to our barren English Soil lose their Vertue and Beauty till they are Naturaliz'd What then must we expect from their Weeds Doubtless there are some Peculiarities in all Languages and to Translate Verbatim from so Remote a Tongue would sound as harsh as French does in an Englishman's Mouth when he pronounces it as 't is writ What I have more to say is that as this Volume contains a History of things transacted within the Memory of most Men now living so the Two succeeding Tomes fall down lower and nearer to the present Times Giving an Account of Events whereof many have been Eye-Witnesses and wherein not a few have had a Personal Share either by Way of Action or Suffering Profit or Damage which must needs afford Delight to thinking Men since there is nothing more Agreeable to Mortals than to reflect on the former Passages of their Lives according to that of the Poet Haec olim meminisse juvabit Besides for the farther Encouragement of the Candid Reader he may assure himself that toward the Conclusion of the Last Volume he will meet with several Secrets between the French and Turkish Courts which will discover the true Source of the Present War between the Emperor of Germany and the Grand Signior and give a Glimps of the Private Machinations and Springs which have put all Europe into the Hurly burly 't is now in I have but this more to say That we hope to be more Speedy in publishing the Remainder of these Letters than we have hitherto been in the Former Volumes Reader Adieu A TABLE OF THE LETTERS and Matters contained in this Volume VOL. I. BOOK I. LETTER I. MAhmut the Arabian at Paris to Dgnet Oglou his Friend at Constantinople pag. 1 He relates the Errours he committed in Point of Address and Carriage when he first came to Paris II. To the Reis Effendi or Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 9 Of a Fellow that dogg'd him up and down the Streets of Paris and his Apprehensions thereupon III. To Abdel Melec Muli Omar President of the College of Sciences at Fez. 14 He complains of his frequent Sadness on the Account of his Employment IV. To the Kaimacham 18 Of the Quakers in Holland England Germany and other Parts of Europe V. To the Same 23 Of the Peace concluded between France and Spain Of the Match between the King of France and the Spanish Infanta Of the Duke of Lorrain's Release and the Prince of Conde's Restauration VI. To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottomam Empire 26 He congratulates his Accession to that Dignity Of the Death of the King of Sweden and the Duke of Orleans VII To Dgnet Oglou 32 He discourses against the little Superstitions of the Mahometans Of Moses and the Jews in Egypt VIII To the Kaimacham 40 Of the Prince of Conde's Reception and Entertainment at the French Court Some Passages of his Life X. To the Same 43 Of King Charles II. his Restauration to the Crown X. To Mehemet an Exil'd Eunuch at Caire in Egypt 47 He breaks forth into melancholy Excursions XI To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 51 He relates some Passages of Henry IV's Life XII To Mustapha Berber Aga. 55 Of the Extraordinary Magnificence at the New married King and Queen's Entry into Paris XIII To Dgnet Oglou 58 Of an Earthquake at Paris XIV To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire 61 Observations on the Reign of Lewis XIII XV. To Mahummed in the Desart 67 Of the Earthquake at Paris and other Parts of France
Purse up-side down with t'other Hand and scattering the Gold among his Favourites would add This is my Humour Once as he was passing on Foot through a Town in France under his Father's Government the Chief Magistrate of the Place who was an Old Man met him and begun to make an Oration with the best Rhetorick he could But the Prince being in a Frolicksom Humour took Advantage of a very low Conge the Old Gentleman made him and leap'd over his Head and stood still behind him The Magistrate not taking any Notice of this wild Prank turned very gravely about and address'd himself with a new Obeisance but not so low as the Former However the Nimble Prince catch'd him upon the Half-Bent and setting his Hands on the Old Monsieur's Shoulders whipt over again the second Time Which quite spoil'd his intended Speech to the great Diversion of all the Spectators In his Youth he was much addicted to Women and took a peculiar Delight in debauching Nuns Which occasion'd the Queen-Mother to reflect on him something Satyrically once when he inform'd her that the Suisse Souldiers were guilty of great Disorders some of them getting into the Nunneries and violating the Chastity of those Consecrated Females For the Queen replied If you had told me they broke into the Wine-Cellars I would believe you for the Suisses are all known Drunkards But as for Amours with Nuns none is so likely to make 'em as the Duke of Enguien However all that I have said hinders not but that he is now a Prudent Man a good General and Fortunate in recovering his Sovereign's Favour In a Word this Court is so overjoyed at the Marriage of their King with the Infanta of Spain that they have no Room left for peevish Resentments All Crimes are forgiven And the Devil himself would be welcome at the Wedding provided he would be debonair and good Company The Nuptials are only Celebrated by Proxy as yet But here are vast Preparations making for the compleating the Ceremony What the Issue of this Marriage and Peace will be 't is not easy to divine But I doubt the Christians are hatching Evil against the Ottoman Port in Regard all the Princes in Europe are coming to an Agreement Illustrious Kaimacham Let not this Intimation pass away as a Dream For I tell thee again these Infidels are plotting of Mischief Paris 1st of the 7th Moon of the Year 1660. LETTER IX To the same I Believe thou wilt now receive from me the earliest News of a Mighty Change a Surprizing Revolution in the English Government Know then that he whom I have so often mention'd under the Title of King of the Scots in my Former Letters the Eldest Son and Rightful Heir of the British Kingdoms ' Charles II. is restor'd to the Throne of his Father's without Violence or Blood-shed by the Unanimous Consent and Earnest Desire of his Subjects This Young Prince has been an Exile for Twelve Years in Foreign Courts and has heard of as many several Alterations in the State of his Dominions during his Absence every Change producing a New Form of Government The Rebels had run over all Aristotle's Politicks and the Various Models of Plato and other Philosophers who treated of Common-Wealths to find out such Patterns as best suited with the Necessities and Genius of that Nation There is not a Species of Aristocracy Democracy and Oligarchy which they did not put in Practice to support the Frame of that Government whose Basis they had remov'd for it was founded on a Monarchy of a long and Hereditary Descent And therefore all their most Artificial Contrivances were Ineffectual and they might as well have endeavoured to make Buttresses for a Castle in the Air. In a Word the English found themselves so disjointed and weaken'd by Civil Wars Taxes and the other Usual Effects of Usurpation and Tyranny that they had no other Way left to save their Nation from utter Ruine but by bringing their Lawful King back again who is the Angular Stone whereon all their Welfare and Interest is built There is one Thing Remarkable in this Turn of English Affairs That their Sovereign landed and made his Triumphant Entry into that Island on the Anniversary Day of his Birth Which puts me in Mind of what is Generally discoursed here at Paris That on the Day of his Nativity there was seen a Bright Star in the Heavens when the Sun was just above the Meridian From hence the Astrologers of those Times predicted great Things concerning him And those of the Present Age who have seen his Fortunate Return to his Kingdoms presage yet greater Events to come God only knows what Embryo's are in the Womb of Futurity and we Mussulmans have no Reason to rejoyce at the Grandeur of any of these Infidel Princes Yet such a Sign as that of a Star appearing at Noon-Day just over the Place where a Mighty Queen was in Labour with a Prince has Something in it Extraordinary and full of Promising Circumstances It was an Appearance of this Nature which render'd the Birth of the Messias so Illustrious tho' otherwise obscure enough when the Eastern Magi directed by such a Star came and found Mary the Mother of Jesus in a Stable and the Infant-Prophet lying in a Manger instead of a Cradle So we are told That Eclipses of the Sun portend the Misfortune or Death of Great Personages and that all other Prodigies whether in Heaven or Earth have their proper Signification But whether these Observations be true or no 't is certain this late banished Prince is return'd with Abundance of Splendor and Advantage to his Native Royal Possessions And I thought it would be a Grand Neglect in me to let one Post-Day pass before I gave thee an Account of a Revolution so astonishing to all Europe and which is like to give a New Turn to the Affairs of most Christian Princes and States Besides I know there is an Ambassador from England residing at the August Port which determines the Quarrels of all the Nations on Earth There are also Abundance of English Merchants in the Imperial City They may have Feuds among one another The Interest of some of them is joyn'd with that of the English Rebels others are for their King Therefore knowing of his Restauration thou wilt be better able to adjust all Matters of this Nature according to Reason Equity and the Honour of the Majestick Port. For this King makes already a greater Figure than any of his Progenitors and therefore his Friendship is not to be contemn'd The Care of these Things rests on thee who art the Vicars Vicar of the Vicegerent of God Paris 3d. of the 7th Moon of the Year 1660. LETTER X. To Mehemet an Exil'd Eunuch at Caire in Egypt OH that I were in one of the Pyramids near the City where thou residest shut up in Tremendous Darkness in the most Obscure and Horrible Vault of the Royal Pile That I might converse with the Ghosts
the Affection of a Brother shall suggest as most conducing to the Interest of our Sovereign and our own Honour which we ought to prefer to our Lives Our Mother is in Health and Salutes thee with a tender Embrace Paris 9th of the 3d. Moon of the Year 1664. LETTER VI. To Hamet Reis Effendi Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire THis Court of late makes a double Figure the one of Real Sorrow for the Dutchess of Savoy's Death who was of the Blood Royal of France the other of Counterfeit Mourning for the Death of Carolus Josephus Brother to the German Emperour For they inwardly rejoyce at this Latter and wish the whole House of Austria were laid in their Graves That Family being the only Obstacle to the Grandeur at which the French Monarchy aspires The only Rub which Cardinal Richlieu and his Successor Mazarini found in their Way when they sought to exalt the Bourbons to the Empire of the West The Rise and Fall of Kingdoms the various Changes of Government the Alternate Fate of Nations are Themes worthy of a Mussulman's Thoughts considering that the Victorious and Happy Osmans at this Day possess the Territories of ancient Renown the Provinces and Dominions which formerly made the greatest Figures and Noise in the World What is now become of the most Famous Monarchies of Babilon Persia Assyria Macedon Greece and Rome Look for the Mysterious and Learned Kingdom of Egypt the Religious State of the Jews The most Ancient Kingdoms of the Sicyonians and Argives The Commonwealths of Lacedaemon and Athens with many other Countries mention'd in the Records of Time and we shall find them all Swallow'd up in the Universal Empire of the Ottomans The Histories of Belus and how he got the Sovereignty by Hunting of Ninus his Son who first taught the World the Methods of Idolatry of Serimamis Ninyas Sardinapalus Arbaces Belochus and the rest of those Assyrian Monarchs sound now like an antiquated Tale or Dteam Neither is there any more Life at this time in the Babylonian and Persian Registers The mighty Acts of the Nebuchadnezzar's Cyrus's and the rest of those renown'd Conquerours now serve but as Foils to set off the more Glorious Enterprizes and Successes of our Immortal Sultans 'T is true the Persians at this Day retain some Fragments of that once Vast and Formidable Eastern Empire And the Germans have a Shadow of the Ancient Imperial Majesty of the Romans But both the one and the other are grown Effeminate and Weak they have lost the Vertue the Power and Fortune of their Predecessors Thou hast travell'd over all the Dominions of the Sophi and been an Eye-Witness of the Persian Luxury Libertinism and Nakedness Thou hast seen the Off-spring of Heroick Sages transform'd to Swine Dogs Asses and other contemptible Brutes as if they 'd drank of Circe's Cup. So fatal is it to decline from the Way of Vertue nay so impossible even to stand still in that sacred Path without being violently pull'd backward In a Word thou art so thorowly acquainted with the Present State of Persia and all its Circumstances that I shou'd appear too officious in pretending to describe either the Country or the People that inhabit there But as to Europe thou professest thy self a Stranger and hast commanded me to characterise this Quarter of the World Wherein Germany makes the most Majestick Figure by Land England and Holland by Sea Spain boasts of her Gold whilst France treasures it up to pay her Armies to keep foreign Kings in Pension to Build mighty Fleets and Magnificent Palaces to corrupt the German Princes and make 'em Pimps to her Ambition Instruments of her design'd Grandeur which is no less than the Western Empire As for the Duke of Savoy he is a mere Tennis-Ball or a Shuttle-Cock bandied to and fro between the Kings of France and Spain The Swisses are Poor and Mercenary They cannot stay at Home unless they cou'd banquet on the Turfs and Stones For all the Flesh Fruit and Corn in the Land is not half enough to keep 'em alive and they have little or no Money but what they get abroad This makes 'em all Travellers and most of them take up the Trade of War They serve the Pope the French King and many other Princes for Pay And where they once engage they are very true to their Trust But I can tell thee they wou'd be unwilling to fight for the Grand Signior unless he wou'd allow 'em plenty of Wine which thou know'st is contrary to the Discipline of the Mussulman Armies And these Suisses are the profess'd Adorers of Bacchus The Hollanders are Industrious and Rich They mind nothing but Merchandizing and Mechanicks They wou'd fain engross the Trade of the Indies and the Levant to themselves They traffick that they may be in a Condition to fight and they fight to establish their Commerce having no sense of Honour but only of Profit If they attempt any Conquest or make an Invasion it must be in America or some other remote Country For they 're only upon the Defensive among their Neighbours not daring to be the First Aggressors in a War in a Word they 're like a Nest of Pismires that trudge up and down continually to get Provision but sting and bite those under whose Protection they live if they have an Opportunity 'T is thought the Prince of Orange who descends from an Illustrious Stock wil e'er long reduce those Republicans to another Form of Government The French Style him the Head and Heart of the Vnited States and these thou know'st command the Hands and the Feet Germany is counted the Bulwark of Christendom against the mighty Power of the Ottomans and Tartars But in my Opinion one of our Embassadors at the Emperor's Court gave a truer Description of it when he compar'd Germany to a Great Monster with many Heads and Tails which having a desire to break through a certain quick-set Fence or Hedge and each particular Head making Way where it cou'd best among the less entangl'd Branches were all caught in so many different Noozes by the Interposition of strong Trees and so the Monster was forc'd to retire with Shame and Loss Whereas he said the Osman Empire was like an Animal with One Head and many Tails and that One Head not encountring the like Difficulties easily pass'd through being follow'd by the Tails with one Consent as the untwisted Ends of a Ten-string'd Cord pass through a Ring or Hole when the united Part has lead them the Way I shou'd have mention'd Italy Poland Denmark Moscovy and other Regions of Europe but it wou'd be too tedious for one Letter which I shou'd neither have Time to write nor thou Patience to read at once Therefore I desire thee to accept of this only as a rough Draught an Imperfect Sketch of some Parts of the West But in my future Dispatches I will imitate the Painters and endeavour to draw each Member and Lineament of this great Body
of a Lyon with this Inscription The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Christians seem astonish'd at these things yet some look on 'em only as Dreams As for honest Eliachim here he is no more mov'd at these things than I only he laughs at the Folly of the Credulous World and curses the Jews for bringing such Contempt on themselves and their Posterity But Nathan is like one Hag-ridden or defil'd by the Lamiae of the Night He has lost all Reason and 't will be no less than a Miracle that must restore it again Sage Minister whilst these Execrable People thus lose themselves for the Sake of their Counterfeit Messias let us continue to honour the True One even Jesus the Son of Mary who is now in Paradise and our Holy Prophet with him Paris the 21st of the 9th Moon of the Year 1666. LETTER XIII To Murat Bassa THis has been a Considerable Year of Actions and Events At the Beginning of it I sent to the Port an Account of the Death of the Queen-Mother of France and of the Prince of Conti now I will farther inform thee of a War that is broke out between this Crown and that of England The Occasion of it was this The English and the Hollanders trafficking in America had some Misunderstandings and Feuds about the Limits of their several Conquests in those Remote Parts of the World The Hollanders being the strongest did many Injuries to their Neighbours the English and domineer'd over them as their Lords The English resenting this very heinously and grown weary of their Oppressions sent Complaints to their King He to redress his Subjects order'd his Resident at the Hague to demand Satisfaction of the States They refus'd to do him that Justice upon which he was resolv'd to have Recourse to his Arms and accordingly proclaim'd War against Holland making all necessary Preparations to carry it on The same did his Adversaries The French King in the mean time was oblig'd by a Treaty with the Hollanders concluded in the Year 1662. to espouse their Quarrels yet that he might not break with England rashly he first sent an Embassador to that Court to mediate a Peace But that proving Ineffectual he proclaim'd a War against that Nation and commanded the English Embassador to depart his Kingdom The Duke of Beaufort who is Admiral at Sea was order'd to Equip a Gallant Fleet and joyn the Dutch-Navy Which he perform'd with all Imaginable Diligence and Expedition There has been Two Combats between these Enemies at Sea and in both the Dutch had the worst of it Neither did the French escape without some Loss having Two of their Greatest Ships severely shatter'd and a Third taken by the English The Plague still rages in England and has almost depopulated whole Provinces Whilst a milder Death has robb'd France of one of her Greatest Heroes The Count d' Harcourt of whom I have often made mention is gone to celebrate the Triumphs due to his Valour and Fortune in another World The Emperour of Germany has at last married the Infanta of Spain after abundance of Demurrs and Hesitations about that Business These Nazarenes can do nothing with Expedition The Spiritual Courts as they call them have more Tricks and Cramp Words to amuze People with than an Indian Mountebank or Juggler Neither are Sovereign Princes more exempt from their Jurisdiction than the meanest of their Subjects Especially the Court of Rome can make or annul Marriages at Pleasure And they are sure to be Excommunicated who refuse to submit to their Orders This Holy Court can also bind or release Sins open or shut the Gates of Paradise make a Devil a Saint or a Saint a Devil In a word they can do every thing if there be Gold in the Case But if that be wanting they can do nothing but shrug their Shoulders Thou mayst also inform the Divan that the French King has given Permission to some of his Subjects to undertake a Conquest in America and establish a Commerce in that Part of the World Many Vessels are equipped in Order to this Expedition and they that are concern'd in the Voyage are as merry as Jason and his Argonauts when they were preparing to fetch the Golden Fleece from Colchos That Western Continent affords immense Riches and tempts all the Nations in Europe to make an Experiment of their Fortune in gaining one Part of it or other 'T were to be wish'd it lay nearer to the Ottoman Empire No Record can discover the Origin of the Inhabitants Yet most Authors conjecture that they pass'd over from the North-East Parts of Asia where the Streights of Anian are very Narrow and would invite Sea-faring Men to seek New Adventures Besides by their being Canibals it appears very probable That either they descended from the Tartars or the Tartars from them God alone knows how to adjust the Differences and reveal the Secrets of History Brave Bassa 'T is no matter from what Stock we are descended so long as we have Vertue For that alone is the only True Nobility God regale thee with his Favours Paris 30th of the 9th Moon of the Year 1666. LETTER XIV To Pesteli Hali his Brother Master of the Customs and Superintendent of the Arsenal at Constantinople WHen I hear of thy Prosperity my Heart is dilated like his who has found hidden Wealth Yet I am sorry for the Disgrace of the good Old Man thy Predecessor But we must not censure the Conduct of our Superiours The Justice of their Actions is not to be call'd in Question The Sultan cannot err This is an Establish'd Maxim in all Monarchies especially in that of the Renowned Osmans As for what relates to thee in this New Advance thou hast made thy own Experience acquir'd by many Years Travel and Observation in Foreign Countries added to the Knowledge thou hast in the Laws Discipline and Customs of thy own will be a sufficient Guide to conduct thee in the Management of thy Business Yet despise not the Counsel of others A Man is never nearer to Ruin than when he trusts too much to his own Wisdom Therefore the greatest Emperours undertake nothing of Moment rashly or without Advice Temerity often blasts the fairest Designs It will be of particular Import to thee to hear of a Tragical Event that has lately happen'd to Rezan a Great City in Russia by the blowing up of the Magazine This Gunpowder does more Mischief than Good in the World The Ancients fought as successfully with Bows and Arrows Swords Spears and other Instruments of War without running the Hazard of blowing up whole Cities into the Air in time of Peace And they could undermine the strongest Castles even those situated on Rocks without the help of this Infernal Dust Nature taught 'em to be Industrious in defeating their Enemies and they spared no Labour to gain the Victory Our Fore-Fathers were hardy and strong patient of Toils and Fatigues They cut their Way into Mountains of Stone if