Heg.1125.

of the

Walachia.

J.C. 1713 which we are going to speak of, there is nothing important to be seen in the hiftory of the Turks, Execution but the execution of Brancovan, the depofed princes of prince of Walachia, his wife, and four fons. This unfortunate family had reigned in Walachia for feveral generations, if it may be called reigning, to govern precariously an enslaved people, under the defpotic authority of a monarch, whose ministers affume a fuperiority too real over princes whom the least diffatisfaction exposes to depofition, to captivity, and often to death itself. Brancovan had commanded the Walachians, whilst the grand vizier Baltagi made war against the Ruffians. The Turks fufpected that this prince, who was a Greek Chriftian, fecretly favored the czar, who was of the fame religion, against a mafter that he hated. They faid he had furnished the Ruffians with provifions, and refused to attack them. He had likewise fent money to the republic of Venice in the laft war. Demetrius Cantimir, the new prince of Moldavia, was ordered to arreft this fuppofed culprit. Cantimir, after having fent the Walachian prince bound hand and foot to Conftantinople, became foon more culpable than he; for he openly declared himself, as we have feen, for the czar against the Turks, who had just put him on the throne. Brancovan had two fons, hostages at the Porte; two others, who were ferving in the army, repaired to Conftantinople to affert the innocence of their father. The prifoner's

wife, who was not the mother of thefe

young

They

J.C. 1714.
Heg. 1126.

princes, came there likewise foon after.
were all arrested and conducted to the castle of the
Seven Towers. Brancovan was reputed to poffefs
great treasures. The accufations were multiplied
against him several Walachians came to Con-
ftantinople to accuse the father and children of
extortions and cruelties. The immenfe profits
that were hoped to be made by the confiscation,
rendered these accufations probable. All these
princes were put to cruel tortures, lefs to wrest
from them the confeffion of their crime, than to
know in what place they had hidden the gold
which they were accused of having plundered
from their fubjects. The executioners could get
very little information from them as to that. All
fix were condemned to be beheaded. The mufti
had obtained that they fhould be granted their
lives, if they would confent to turn Muffulmen.
At first they all remained fted faft in their belief,
and appeared at the place of execution with the
most noble firmnefs. The children were executed
in prefence of their father; three were beheaded
without having fhewn the fmalleft mark of weak-
nefs. The laft, all covered with the blood of
his brothers, promised to embrace Mahometanism,
if they would spare his life. This forced abju-
ration retarded the execution, but it was of no
fervice. On an account being given of it
to the fultan, that prince faid, he contemned a
converfion which had no other motive than the

terror

J.C. 1714 terror of death. He ordered that the new MufHeg.1126. fulman fhould be executed like his brothers. The prince their father perished after them, expreffing the greatest grief at the weakness of his youngest fon. His wife was ftrangled the last. This hideous spectacle filled with admiration, horror, and pity, all the Chriftians both Greek and Latin, even the Jews and Muffulmen, who were witneffes of it in great number. The fate of these unfortunate princes was compared with indignation with that of Demetrius Cantimir, who had delivered them to the Turks, and who, notwithstanding his being fo recently loaded with favors by Achmet, had betrayed his benefactor, and was peaceably enjoying at the court of the czar the fruits of his perfidy.

A war against the

Venetians

is refolved

on, in or

cover the Morea.

After the departure of the king of Sweden, Turkey enjoyed a profound peace; and the Ottoman court, which for fome years paft was beder to re- come the fcene of intrigue, began to languish in repose. The young grand vizier grew tired of this inaction, which he thought dangerous for his mafter; for Achmet was not beloved, and the reflections of an idle foldiery on the depredations of the minifters, and on the fanguinary disposition of the fultan, might well produce great troubles. Measures were even taken to prevent fome of these combustions, by ftifling in time the fparks that might occafion them; for a bashaw of Damafcus, being displeased with the feraskier of Natolia, whofe command extended over his go

vernment,

Heg.1126.

vernment, had refused to fend him the impofts J.C. 1714 that he collected in his province, and had oppofed with arms the repeated orders of his fuperior. The grand vizier, who repreffed this fedition in the commencement by the execution of the bafhaw of Damafcus and fome of his accomplices, faw or pretended to fee that the Venetians were the authors of it, that they had fent arms to the bashaw of Damafcus, and encouraged his revolt. The real crime of the Venetians was the poffeffing of the Morea. Coumourgi hoped to recover it, as the allied powers of that republic were all fatigued with war. The emperor Charles VI. had just concluded the treaty of Raftat with France, and his dominions wanted repofe. Neither king Auguftus of Poland nor the czar of Mofcovy was tempted to take the field. The republic of Venice alone was not a formidable enemy for the Ottoman empire. Coumourgi perfwaded his master to endeavour to recover this fine province, the lofs of which had been fo mortifying to all the true Muffulmen. Rafchid effendi, the annalift of the reign of Achmet, reports, that, as the fultan fhewed a repugnancy to break a fworn peace, on fuch a frivolous pretence, his grand vizier preffed him to confult the mufti, as all good Muffulmen ought to do before they begin any important enterprise. The chief of the law being called, told the prince, that he fhould addrefs a fervent prayer to Heaven, then open the Alcoran, and feek the will of the Al- · mighty

J.C. 1714 mighty in the firft paffage of the facred book Heg.1126. that should prefent itself to him. Whether all was concerted between the grand vizier and the mufti, or that Providence had refolved in his decrees that the Morea should return to the empire of the Muffulmen, the grand feignior fell on this paffage: You will take a country that produces delicious fruits; remember to treat its inhabitants kindly, making them pay the tribute, as it is just.

J.C. 1715.
Heg.1127.

Nothing more was neceffary to have the preparations of this great expedition haftened. The fultan went every day himself to the port and into the arsenals, encouraging the workmen and haftening the operations. The timarians of all the provinces were fent for, as likewife the odas of janiffaries and fpahis scattered about in feveral fortified places. It was evident that the Turks menaced fome Chriftian power; but no one knew which. The number of veffels that were fitting out in the port gave reason to think that a maritime expedition was intended. It was rumoured that the rock of Malta was the object of it. Coumourgi was not forry that this opinion gained ground: he pleafed himself at the fecurity of his enemy, who did not appear to suspect even that they would break a treaty which neceffity alone had made. The grand mafter of the Order of St. John of Jerufalem iffued on this occafion a citation to all the knights, and took the greatest precautions to fortify his ifland. A little time after, a report having fpread that the Porte was