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Heg.1103,

& 1104

J.C. 1692. teauneuf opposed thefe dangerous antagonists with the gold of Lewis XIV. Luckily for his defigns, the Turkish ambaffadors who had been retained four years at the court of Vienna, were returned from thence, on account of the hope which they had given Leopold of ferving him at Adrianople, where the court still refided. Mauro Cordato, either through zeal for the nation which, by making him ambassador, had honored him more than any Greek had ever yet been fince the foundation of the empire, or gratitude to the king of France, confirmed what he had written from Vienna, Turpofchi bashaw, perfuaded that the Germans would at last be conftrained to folicit a difadvantageous peace, made preparations for the following campaign. As he was fenfible of his want of talents to command an army, he intrusted the fortune of the empire to the feraskier Bujulki, recommending him to keep on the defensive, to avoid coming to action, and to fuccour the places which the Germans fhould be defirous of attacking. And indeed this general prevented the enemy from paffing the Save. Perhaps he had but little merit in this defence, which was no way bloody, Leopold's troops not being at all defirous of coming to action. General Heufler took Waradin, which he had blocked up fourteen months. Nothing confiderable was done any where this year; the whole feason was paffed in obfervations between the Poles and the Turks. The Venetians being masters of the

Morea,

Morea, made vain efforts to recover the ifle of J.C. 1692. Heg.1103, Candia; after having the trenches open fifty days & 1104. before Canea, they were obliged to re-embark.

The grand vizier, who only wished to gain time, was always inclined to peace; fo much fo, that he confulted the mufti to know if it would be contrary to justice to deliver Tekli to the emperor Leopold, who feemed to demand this facrifice as a preliminary of the treaty. The chief of the law, who was very ambitious and jealous of the autho rity of the grand vizier, seized this occafion to ruin him. He vehemently oppofed this treachery; painting it to the grand feignior in its true colours; and as in a fhort time he had affumed more power over the mind of his mafter than all the reft who approached him, he eafily prevailed on Achmet to change his minifter. The grand vizier Turpofchi was depofed. It is but justice to The grand fay in his praise, that on leaving his place without wishes to any property, he asked for his fubfiftence a timar which was worth about ten purfes. The fultan He refuses was willing to give him three, which would make all together forty purfes. Turposchi conftantly refused them, intreating his mafter not to lavish the fubftance of the ftate on thofe who no longer ferved it, when there was not fufficient for all those who were really useful.

vizier, who

make a

peace, is

depofed.

a confider

able timar.

J.C. 1693.
Heg.1104,

&

Bujulki Muftapha, who had commanded the troops in Hungary the preceding campaign, re- 1105. ceived the feals of the empire. The grand feignior and all the Muffulmen conceived the greatest

hopes

1.C. 1693. hopes for the profperity of their arms, because a

Heg.1104,

&1105. fultanefs was juft brought to bed of two twin

Bujulki princes. This event, very common in nature, happened for the first time in the Ottoman fa

Mustapha

is made grand vi zier.

two twins.

Mahomet

IV.

mily. All the ulema were inclined to confider it Birth of as a certain prefage of fome great victory. The rejoicings lafted feveral days with a pomp and vivacity that had been seldom feen. As the rejoicings of the Turks are generally carried to excefs, they infulted the English and Dutch ambaffadors in the streets of Adrianople, who, they knew, had been endeavouring to make up a Death of peace. The death of Mahomet IV. which happened in the mean time, no way interrupted their courfe. This prince had justly merited, during a long reign, the oblivion in which he was buried, even before his death. But it is likewife remarked, that the veneration of the Muffulmen for the race of their fovereigns is always directed wholly to the reigning prince, and that the extreme folitude to which the reft are condemned quite eradicates them from the remembrance of the people.

Hiftory of
the falte
Prophet
Mifri.

Whilst the new grand vizier was assembling his troops in the plains of Adrianople, and reviewing them, there arrived fuccours which he had not expected, but which offered themselves to him at too dear a rate. An emir effendi, called Mifri, who was mollac of the town of Burfa, a poet, enthusiast, and cheat, all at the fame time, having affembled, by means of his fanatical preaching, four thou

fand

1

Heg.1104,

fand profelytes, to whom he promised the glory J.C.1693. of this world, the infallible prefage of that of 1105. Paradise, resolved to conduct them to Adrianople, to offer them to the grand feignior as the only foldiers worthy, by the purity of their manners and the warmth of their zeal, to fight the Giaurs, the enemies of the Ottoman empire. The march of these fanatics was as prejudicial to the places through which they paffed, as diftreffing for themfelves; for their prophet not having prepared provifions for them, and being unable to furnish them with any pay, they were obliged to steal food in the name of the Lord of Hofts, who had "put only sticks into their hands, with which they knocked thofe on the head who durft resist them. Sometimes they were not the ftrongeft; and as they were forbidden to take any thing but meat, and even no more of that than they wanted for the moment, they were often reduced to the greatest misery; fo much fo, that, of more than four thousand men who left Burfa, only three thousand arrived at Adrianople, God having rejected the reft, as Mifri faid, and caused them to fall by the fword, or through hunger, which had destroyed them by the way. The prophet and his followers were received at Adrianople with an eager curiofity; and he and his principal difciples foon filled the pulpits of the different mofques. The people flocked to hear the government railed at, as likewife the morals and doctrine of the ulema. According to thefe mar

tial

& 1105

How repreffed.

J.C. 1693. tial miffionaries, the fins of the great men were Heg.1104, the caufe of the calamities of the empire. Inftead of treacherous viziers and bafhaws, and these janiffaries blackened with crimes, it was neceffary to have commanders and foldiers both righteous and brave,: then the Giaurs would fall by thousands before the fervants of God. The three thousand profelytes, who had already suffered fo much, joined to the fmall number that should be found worthy of feconding them, were to avenge the Ottoman empire, and restore it its ancient fplendor, provided those were punished who had drawn on it the wrath of Heaven. At length thefe fanatics excited the people to open rebellion. They wanted to put their prophet in the place both of the vizier and mufti. The chief of the religion and the prime minifter perceived the danger of attempting to punish these enthusiasts. publicly, whom the people heard with so much attention. They feared the effects of perfecution, which, in general, ftirs up the fire that it would extinguifh. As they had emiffaries who gave them an exact account of every thing that Mifri advanced in his difcourfes, they artfully took advantage of what he faid one day, that all the Muffulmen were obliged to obey their emperor, fince the Ottoman blood was on the throne by divine right. A few minutes after this declaration, the boftangi pachi, with fome of his men, entered the mofque where Mifri was preaching, and commanded him, in the name of the empe

ror

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