Heg.1124. "the whole journey, prevent the troops under J.C. 1712. your command, as well as thofe of the king of Sweden, from committing any outrage, or be"ing guilty of any action that may be deemed a "violation of the peace which ftill fubfifts between our fublime Porte and the kingdom r " and republic of Poland; fo that the king may " pass in a friendly manner under our protection. "By doing this, (which you must expressly "require him to do,) he will receive from the "Poles all the honor and respect that is due to "his majesty; as we have been affured by the "ambaffadors of Auguftus and the republic, "who, on this condition, have even offered "themselves, together with feveral others of the "Polish nobility and gentry, if required, as hoftages for the security of his passage. ઃઃ tr "When the time which you and the most. "noble Delvet Gerai fhall fix for the march is come, you fhall put yourself at the head of << your brave foldiers, among whom shall be the "Tartars, headed by the khan, and you shall " conduct the king of Sweden and his men. "And may it please the only God, the Al"mighty, to direct your steps and theirs. The "bafhaw of Aulos fhall continue at Bender with ર a regiment of spahis and another of janiffaries, "to defend it in your abfence. And in follow"ing our imperial orders and intentions, in all "these points and articles, you will deferve the "continuance of our imperial favor, as well as "the J.C.1712. "the praise and recompenfe due to all those who "obferve them. Heg.1124. He braves "Done at our imperial refidence of Conftan"tinople the fecond of the moon Cheval, 1124 of "the hegira." Whilst they were waiting for this answer from the grand feignior, Charles wrote to the Porte, complaining of the treachery of which he fufpected the khan of the Tartars to be guilty; but all the paffages were well guarded, and, befides, the minister was against him, so that his letters never reached the fultan. Nay, the vizier would not allow count Defalleurs to come to Adrianople, where the court then was, left that minister, who was an agent of the king of Sweden, should endeavour to difconcert the plan he had formed for obliging him to depart. • Charles, enraged to fee himself thus hunted, the Turk- as it were, from the grand feignior's dominions, ror though refolved not to quit them at all. He might have prifoner. defired to return through Germany, or take fhip ith empe almost a J.C. 1713. Heg.1125. ping on the Black sea, in order to fail to Marfeilles by the Mediterranean; but he rather chose to ask nothing, and to wait the event. When the twelve hundred purfes were arrived, his treasurer Grothufen, who, during his long abode in Turkey, had learned the language of the country, went to wait upon the bashaw without an interpreter, hoping to draw the money from him, and afterward to form fome new intrigue at the Porte; foolishly fuppofing, as he always Heg.1125. always did, that the Swedish party would at laft J.C. 1713. be able to arm the Ottoman empire against the czar. • Grothufen told the bafhaw, that the king could not get ready his equipages without money: But (faid the bashaw) we shall defray all the expences of your departure; your mafter fhall be at no charge whilft he continues under the protection of mine. Grothufen replied, that the difference between the equipages of the Turks and thofe of the Franks was fo great, that it would be neceffary to apply to the Swedish and Polish artificers at Varnitza. He affured him that his master was willing to depart, and that this money would facilitate and haften his departure. The too credulous bashaw gave him the twelve hundred purses; and, a few days after, came to the king, and, in a most respectful manner, begged to receive his orders for his departure. He was extremely furprised when the king told him he was not yet ready to go, and that he wanted a thousand purfes more. The bashaw, confounded at his answer, ftood fpeechlefs for a moment; then retiring to a window, he was obferved to fhed tears. At laft, addreffing himself to the king: "I fhall lofe my head," fays he, "for "having obliged thy majefty: I have given thee "twelve hundred purfes against the exprefs or"ders of my fovereign." So faying, he took his leave with a dejected countenance; but the VOL. IV. Ꮓ king J.C. 1713. king ftopped him, and said, that he would make Heg.1125. He ftill demands money. an excufe for him to the fultan. the Turk as he was going away, "Ah!” replied "( my master has no idea of excufing faults, he knows only how to punish them.” • Ishmael bashaw carried this piece of news to the khan of the Tartars, who having received the fame orders as the bashaw, not to fuffer the twelve hundred purfes to be given to the king before his departure, and having confented to the delivery of the money, was as apprehenfive as the bashaw of the grand feignior's indignation. They both wrote to the Porte in their own vindication, protesting they did not give the twelve hundred purses, but upon a folemn promise from the king's minifter that he would depart without delay, and befeeching his highness not to impute the king's refusal to their difobedience. Charles, ftill perfifting in the belief that the khan and the bashaw meaned to deliver him up to his enemies, ordered Mr. Funk, who was then his envoy at the Ottoman court, to lay his complaints against them before the fultan, and to ask a thousand purses more. His great generosity, and the little value he fet on money, hindered him from perceiving the meanness of this propofal. He did it with a view to be refused, and in order to find a fresh pretext for delaying his departure. But a man must be reduced to strange extremities, to stand in need of fuch artifices. avari, his interpreter, an artful, enterprifing man, Beg.1125. man, carried the letter to Adrianople, in spite of J.C. 1713. all the care which the grand vizier had taken to guard the paffes. Funk was obliged to prefent this dangerous. request. All the answer he received was, to be thrown into prifon. The fultan, in a paffion, convoked an extraordinary divan, and, what very feldom happens, spoke himself on the occafion. His fpeech, according to the tranflation that was then made of it, was conceived in the following terms: "I hardly ever knew the king of Sweden but "by his defeat at Pultoway, and by the applica"tion he made to me to grant him an asylum " in my dominions. I have not, I believe, any "need of him, nor any reason either to love or "fear him. Nevertheless, without confulting any other motive than the hofpitality of a "Muffulman, and my own generofity, which "fheds the dew of its favors upon the great as "well as the fmall, upon strangers as well as my "own fubjects, I have received and affifted him, "his minifters, officers, and foldiers, and, for the space of three years and a half, have continued "to load him with prefents. "I have granted him a confiderable guard to "conduct him back to his own kingdom. He "asked a thousand purfes to defray fome ex pences, though I pay them all. Inftead of a "thoufand, I granted him twelve hundred. "After having gotten thefe out of the hands of VOL. IV. Z 2 "the |