J.C.1730. The three chiefs are Patrona having fpoken one day in the divan with a tone that till then had petrified, but which lately had raised indignation, it was agreed to death, and get rid of these three tyrants and their accomplices. (It was thus the rebels were termed.) punished In order to execute with fafety this fort of con put to their accomplices with them. fpiracy of a fovereign against his subjects, it was resolved, to seem to confent to an order that Patrona had presumed to give, not to admit but a few people to a divan appointed by himself. Thirty followers, whom the three tyrants had brought to the feraglio, of the most determined among those called the forlorn hope, were ftopped at the porch of the laft court, because none but the bafhaws of the bench were to be admitted to this affembly, with fome effendis whofe duty called them there. Patrona, Muflu, and Ali, being received in the divan chamber with all the honors which they were accustomed to, had no fufpicion of the fate which attended them. They were no way astonished at their having been feparated from their followers, ftill lefs to fee fome officers of the grand feignior in the room, who had no right to fit among the minifters, but who were supposed to be in readiness to carry any orders that it might be requifite to give. As foon as each was feated, the grand vizier opened the meeting with diftributing places in the name of the emperor to the rebels and their creatures. It was agreed, that at a certain word which he was to pronounce, the chiaus who were ftanding before before the fofas fhould fall on the three rebels, J.C. 1730. Heg.1143. and on two effendis, to whom fangiacates had just been given, in order to deprive them of the exemption from punishment enjoyed by the members of the ulema. The chiaus plunged, feveral times, into the bofoms of these five wretches, poniards which they had kept concealed under their vefts; not one of them had time to put himself in a fituation to make refiftance. When the five profcribed persons were dead, it was refolved to put those to death that they had brought to the feraglio. The boftangi pachi was fent to tell them, that their chiefs had just been clothed with cloaks of fable on the occafion of their being honored with bashawcies by the grand feignior; that his highness was defirous likewife of gratifying them each with a caftan; that, in order that the ceremony might be performed with fome decency, they must enter five at a time into the feraglio. These wretches were difarmed and strangled as they feparated from their comrades. The laft, not seeing any of those who had preceded them return, suspected the truth and refolved to make their escape; but all the doors of the feraglio were well fhut, and they were strangled as the reft. The aga of the janiffaries, though a creature of Patrona's, had been one of the first to advise the murder. He went out alone from the feraglio, to affemble his odas together and prepare them for the fpectacle intended for them. As the janiffaries advanced in order J.C.1730. order and without arms towards the gates of the Heg.1143. feraglio, feveral carts came out loaded with the dead bodies of these rebels, fome chiaus crying before them: "Thus fhall all those be treated "who shall stand up against our powerful mo"narch." This fight, far from exciting the Rejoicings at the death of leaft fedition, filled all the janiffaries and boftanthe rebels. gis with joy, who fuffered with great impatience the disorders which the liberties that the rebels took occafioned every day. The major part of the rich citizens voluntarily facrificed sheep on the occafion, anticipating thereby the orders of the emperor, who caufed to be published that every body should return thanks to God for having in his great bounty delivered the state from the perfidious chiefs of the rebellion. Mahmout did not confine his vengeance to this: he had more than five hundred of their accomplices ftrangled, accused of violences and rapines, among others Ianaki, the butcher who had been made prince of Moldavia, who, through gratitude, had endeavoured to affemble fome men, to revenge the death of Patrona. The fort of prediction of this rebel was accomplished, for Ianaki lived but two days after him. All the accomplices that fought to hide themfelves had as many informers as they met men; for every one was become their enemy. The grand feignior pardoned thofe of the rebels who, though they had followed Patrona, Ali, or Muflu, had not fince they were ordered to lay down their arms emperor Heg.1143. Heg.1143, & 1144. of the zier Mehemet. Cabaculak him. arms been perfonally guilty of any glaring crime. C. 1730. He fent a catcherif to all the bafhaws of his empire to announce to them this general amnefty. Mahmout, displeased with the old vizier Me- J.c.1731. hemet, who was accufed of having caused these diforders by his extreme weakness, thought fit to Depofition take the feals from him; but as he had always grand viappeared to have a good intention, the left him the dignity of bafhaw of three-tails, and made him governor of Aleppo. The bashaw of that province, Ibrahim Cabaculak, who had been fucceeds the warmest for having the rebels punished, was put at the head of the empire in the room of the old Mehemet. The new minifter was defirous of re-establishing order and economy. He began by declaring, that all thofe, who had enrolled themselves in order to fhare the prefent which Mahmout had made at his acceffion to the throne, fhould receive no pay for a year. This ordinance restored the ancient ufage infringed by Patrona Calil, which prefcribed that none but the janiffaries ferving at the acceffion of the new emperor fhould have any fhare in the gratification granted. furrection of the or. the new Whatever this law might be, the enforcing of Fresh init discontented a great many, and fowed the feeds on account of new troubles. Two princeffes, daughters of dinance of the last emperor, Achmet, fomented by their in- grand vitrigues and money the difcontents of the people. One of them, being the widow of the grand vizier Ibrahim, had both a father and husband to avenge. zier. J.C. 1731 avenge. The example of Patrona Calil, Muflu, Heg.1143, &1144 and Ali, whofe fall was wholly attributed to the exceffive abuse which they had made of their fuccefs, induced three janiffaries to try if they could not do better. They disposed at their pleasure of very confiderable fums, with which they were furnished by the princeffes Fatima and Zelida, and they relied likewife on the affistance of the people, who lamented the dearnefs of bread and other neceffaries of life. Patrona Calil, Muslu, and Ali, had not had these advantages, and they had fucceeded to make an emperor; but then the new rebels had not to oppose, like them, a fet of negligent, timid minifters, whose bad administration, already of a confiderable duration, had for a long time been incenfing the people against them. The night between the 24th and 25th of March 1731, three janiffaries, whom our accounts don't name, after having diftributed a great deal of money to four hundred foldiers of the different corps at Constantinople, led this troop to the janiffary aga's, to demand of him his affiftance against the unjust minifters, and the stands of colours which he had the charge of. This officer received the new rebels as he ought, ordering them to return to their odas and lay down their arms; but his behaviour increafing the tumult instead of appeafing it, he left the room where the chiefs of the rebels talked to him. He went and armed himself, and returning with fome of his men, cut his way through |