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to be fhot upon the roof, and against the doors J.C. 1713. and windows. In a moment the house was in flames. The roof all on fire was ready to tumble upon the Swedes. The king, with great calmness, gave orders to extinguish the fire. Finding a small barrel full of liquor, he took it up, and, with the affiftance of two Swedes, threw it upon the place where the fire was moft violent. At laft he recollected that the barrel was full of brandy; but the hurry, infeparable from such a scene of confufion, hindered him from thinking of it in time. The fire now raged with double fury. The king's apartment was reduced to afhes. The great hall where the Swedes were was filled with a terrible smoke, mixed with vortices of flame, that darted in at the doors of the neighbouring apartments. One half of the roof funk within the house, the other fell on the outfide, cracking amidst the flames.

In this extremity, a fentinel called Walberg ventured to cry, that they must surrender. "What a strange fellow is this," fays the king, "to imagine that it is not more glorious to be "burnt than taken prifoner!" Another fentinel named Roffen, had the prefence of mind to observe, that the chancery house, which was not above fifty paces diftant, had a stone roof, and was proof against fire; that they ought to fally forth, take poffeffion of that houfe, and then defend themfelves to the laft extremity. "There is a "true Swede for you!" cries the king, and embracing

VOL. IV.

Bb 2

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J.C. 1713. bracing the fentinel, he made him a colonel on the fpot. "Come on, my friends," fays he, "take as much powder and ball with you as you can, and let us take poffeffion of the chancery, "fword in hand."

The Turks

him, and

prifoner.

<

The Turks, who all the while furrounded the won't kill house, were ftruck with fear and admiration, to take him fee the Swedes continue in it, notwithftanding it was all in flames; but their aftonifhment was greatly increased when they saw the doors opened, and the king and his followers rushing out upon them like fo many madmen. Charles and his principal officers were armed with fword and piftol. Every man fired two pistols at once the moment the doors were opened; and in the twinkling of an eye, throwing away their pistols, and drawing their fwords, they made the Turks recoil above fifty paces. But in a moment after, this little troop was furrounded. The king, who was booted, as ufual, entangled himself with his fpurs, and fell. Twenty-one janiffaries at once fprang upon him. He threw up his fword into the air, to fave himself the mortification of furrendering it. The Turks carried him to the bafhaw's quarters, fome taking hold of his arms, and others of his legs.

'No fooner did the king fee himself in their hands, than the violence of his temper, and the fury which such a long and defperate fight must have naturally infpired, gave place at once to a mild and gentle behaviour: not one word of im

patience

patience dropped from his lips: not one angry look was to be feen in his face. He eyed the janiffaries with a fmiling countenance, and they carried him off, crying Alla, with a mixture of respect and indignation. His officers were taken at the fame time and ftripped by the Turks and Tartars. It was on the 12th of February, 1713, that this strange event happened; an event that produced very remarkable confequences.*

The bafhaw of Bender, with great gravity, waited for Charles in his tent, attended by one Marco, an interpreter. He received his majesty in a most respectful manner, and entreated him to repose himself on a fofa; but the king, who did not fo much as take notice of the Turk's civilities, continued standing.

"Bleffed be the Almighty," fays the bashaw, "that thy majefty is alive: I am extremely forry

that thy majefty obliged me to execute the "orders of his highness." The king, who was only vexed that his three hundred foldiers fhould

have

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* Mr. Norberg, who was not prefent at this action, has, in this particu lar part of his hiftory, only copied the account of Mr. Voltaire; but he has mangled it he has fuppreffed fome interefting circumstances, and has not been able to justify the temerity of Charles XII. All that he has been able to advance against Mr. Voltaire, with regard to the affair of Bender, is reduceable to the adventure of Frederick, valet de chambre to the king of Sweden, who, according to fome, was burnt in the king's house, and, according to others, was cut in two by the Tartars. La Mottraye alleges likewise, that the king of Sweden did not use these words: "We will fight pro aris et focis." But Mr. Fabricius, who was prefent, affirms, that the king did pronounce these words; that La Mottraye was not near enough to hear them; and that if he had, he was not capable of comprehending their meaning, as he did not understand a word of Latin. VOLTAIRE.

1

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J.C.1713 have fuffered themselves to be taken in their inHeg.1125. trenchments, faid to the bafhaw: "Ah! had "they defended themselves as they ought, our

camp would not have been forced in ten days." "Alas!" fays the Turk, "that fo much coucc rage should be so ill employed!" He ordered the king to be conducted back to Bender on a horfe richly caparifoned. All the Swedes were either killed or taken prifoners. All his equipage, his goods, his papers, and moft neceffary utenfils, were either plundered or burnt. One might have seen in the public roads the Swedish officers, almoft naked, and chained together in pairs, following the Tartars or janiffaries on foot. The chancellor and the general officers did not meet with a milder fate: they were the flaves of the foldiers to whose share they had fallen.

Ishmael bashaw, having conducted Charles XII. to his feraglio at Bender, gave him his own apartment, and ordered him to be ferved like a king; but not without taking the precaution to plant a guard of janiffaries at the chamber door. A bed was prepared for him; but he threw himfelf down upon a fofa, booted as he was, and fell fast asleep. An officer, that ftood near him in. waiting, covered his head with a cap; but the king, upon awaking from his first fleep, threw it off; and the Turk was furprised to see a fovereign prince fleeping in his boots, and bareheaded. Next morning, Ifhmael introduced Fabricius into the king's chamber. Fabricius

found

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found his majesty with his clothes torn; his C. 1713. boots, his hands, and his whole body, covered with duft and blood, and his eye-brows burnt; but still maintaining, in this terrible condition, a placid, chearful look. He fell upon his knees before him, without being able to utter a word; but foon recovering from his furprise, by the free and easy manner in which the king addressed him, he refumed his wonted familiarity with him, and they began to talk of the battle of Bender with great humour and pleasantry. "It is reported," fays Fabricius, "that your majesty "killed twenty janiffaries with your own hand." Well, well," replies the king, "a ftory, you "know, never lofes in the telling." During this converfation, the bafhaw presented to the king his favorite Grothufen and colonel Ribbins, whom he had had the generofity to redeem at his own expence. Fabricius undertook to ranfom the other prifoners. Jeffreys, the English envoy, joined his endeavours with those of Fabricius, in order to procure the money neceffary for this purpose. A Frenchman, who had come to Bender out of mere curiofity, and who has written a fhort account of these transactions, gave all that he had; and thefe ftrangers, affifted by the intereft, and even by the money of the bafhaw, redeemed, not only the officers, but likewife their clothes, from the hands of the Turks and Tartars. Next day the king was conducted as a prifoner, in a chariot covered with fcarlet, towards Adrianople.