Heg.1142, 1143 he would avoid a civil war, he must resolve to re- J.C. 1730. commence a foreign one. Achmet, ftubborn in his weakness, declared, that he would not permit any money to be taken from his treasures, adding, that it was neceffary to attend the success of a demand lately made in Sweden of the fums lent to Charles XII. during his refidence at Bender.. Meanwhile the Perfian ambaffador folicited an answer with the more haughtiness, as the reis effendi had entered on a negotiation with him, by order of the grand vizier, and fecretly offered him the restoration of Tauris and its territory. The Swedish money was not ready; and Thamas Kouli-khan, already terrible in Afia, threatened to recover, to the great detriment of the ufurper, what had been taken from his master with fo much injuftice. In this extremity Ibrahim found himself forced to have recourse to an expedient very dangerous among the Turks, A new im that of a new impoft. On all merchandise fold on to raise by retail he laid a duty called bedead, to which with recourfe had been fometimes had on preffing occafions. This impoft was almost arbitrary in its collection, for, being paid in money proportionably to the quality of the merchandise, the collector was the chief judge of this quality, and the merchant, who thought himself aggrieved, had difficulty to obtain juftice from the cadi, who did not know the value of the merchandise, and who was alfo afraid of the credit of the collector. Ibrahim VOL. IV. Rra poft is laid troops Heg.1142, J.C.1730. Ibrahim thought to ftifle the difcontent of the &43 people, by publishing, that the grand feignior would march himself into Armenia at the head of a confiderable army. In effect, he began to levy troops, and the Perfian ambaffador was anfwered, that, with the affiftance of God, and according to the principles of the Alcoran, the fword of the Sunnites would defend their conquests against the detractors of the faith. Before the army was quite affembled, the grand feignior thought it right to let the people fee him repair in martial array to Scutari camp, the He mounted on horfe- " The em- place of rendezvous. peror back with all the Ottoman pomp, and having marches to Scutari; a rather fhort refi and, after difplayed to the eyes of the people a pageantry more dazzling than formidable, he embarked with dence, re- a numerous retinue in feveral brigantines' which feraglio of conducted him to Scutari, where he remained -rors. A feveral days under tents. He had honored the tires to his the Mir captain bafhaw Muftapha, fon-in-law to the grand vizier Ibrahim, with the charge of cai- · macan. This young man was to govern Conftantinople and the empire in the absence of the grand vizier, who followed his mafter to the army. Though the refidence of the camp looked nearly as fplendid and was almoft as commodious as that of the feraglio, Achmet could not flick long to the change of his way of life. Under pretence that his prefence would be ufelefs to the army whilft it was not quite affembled, he left this fcene of war to go into his feraglio of the Heg.1142, the Mirrors and feek again his women, his heaps J.C.1730. of gold, his nightingales, and his tulips; and all & 1143the officers of the divan withdrew, at his example, into the pleasure houses which they had on the borders of the Bofphorus. mence Meanwhile the bedead was collected at Con-Comftantinople with great feverity. The janif- ment of faries were left in this capital; it was faid that the revothey were not to go to Scutari 'till the European troops fhould be affembled there. As a great lution. Three ja affemble the popu many janiffaries carry on a petty commerce in the lace. The lofs of there was no tating Heg.1142, J.C. 1730. tating the grand feignior and his vizier. In the &1143 midft of this desertion, one of the most important revolutions that has ever happened in the Ottoman empire was produced by the clamours of the vileft populace. The fultan and his minifters learned too late that a popular infurrection should never be contemned. Patrona Calil, an Albanian, heretofore a levanti, and who, as will be seen, had escaped the hands of the executioner, was become a janiffary, and fold old clothes in the ftreets of Conftantinople. Muflu, alfo a janiffary, fold fruit; and Ali, their comrade, fold coffee to the populace, who make great ufe of it, as well as the Turks in eafy circumstances. Such were the inftruments which God made ufe of to pull down the Ottoman emperor from his throne. These three men, who fancied themselves aggrieved by the overfeers in the collection of the bedead, took advantage of the general discontent caufed by the lofs of Tauris, and the impunity which the abfence of the chiefs gave them reason to hope for, to inveigh loudly against the grand vizier and the reft of the miniftry. They imparted their fentiments to thofe who affembled around them under pretence of buying; and as their stalls were near each other, they concerted together and agreed to take advantage of the animofity which they communicated to the people. Muflu and Ali began by diftributing their fruit and coffee gratis to thofe of their comrades who liftened to their discourses; and when they had fufficiently excited excited them, they fought among Patrona Ca- J.C.1730. Heg.1142, lil's rags for fomething to make colours of, & 1143. These new confpirators being leagued together by a folemn oath, feparated into three bands, marching at the fame time by three different routs, under the conduct of the three chiefs, to repair to the Atmeidan, where they expected to find their troops increafed by the recruits that they should get by the way. They were provided with their fwords, which they made glitter to view, ordering the shops on their way to be shut, calling aloud to their comrades, and every one they faw, whether levantis, topggis, jebeggis, or citizens, punishing those with immediate death who prefumed to blame their conduct. On the arrival of the troops in the Atmeidan, they were confiderably encreased. The drums which had joined the rebels foon alarmed the whole city. Thofe, who would not take part in the rebellion, hid themselves in their houses. The major part, drawn by their hatred of the minifter, or the love of change, or curiofity, ran to the Atmeidan, where they were received with joy, as foon as they had fworn on a fword, the edge of which was presented to them, the death of the grand vizier Ibrahim, of the caimacan, and of the reis effendi. We have already faid, that there was not an officer of confideration in Conftantinople, except the aga of the janissaries and the |