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J.C. 1691. for him and his children. Achmet, as incapable Heg.1102, &1103. of governing as his two predeceffors, was more

The court removes to Adriano

ple.

Raifing of

troops.

humane. His vifit had no other object than to remove the fears of his brother. He addressed him with an air of chearfulness, faying: "I have "been forty years dependant on you, brother, it " is my turn now; but yours will return again

one day perhaps : fo I would with to be on "good terms with you." After an hour's familiar conversation, "Cheer up, brother," said the emperor to Mahomet as he left him; «< you "let me live when you were my master, and I "will do the fame by you;" and he fent him, to alleviate his folitude, feveral women who were past child-bearing, which arrives much fooner in Turkey than in other climates.

Whether the grand vizier was afraid to expose the new emperor too much to the view of his fubjects, or that he thought it neceffary to have the court nearer the theatre of war, he perfuaded the grand feignior to remove to Adrianople, where recruits flocked in great numbers from all the provinces of the Ottoman empire to enlist under the colours of this vizier, whom the con queft of Belgrade caufed to be looked on as the defender of his country. Kiuperli, whom this eagerness could not but flatter, would not however have more troops raised than he had intended for the following campaign. The order lately established in the finances would not admit of greater expences. He forbade the bafhaws and commanders

:

Confpira.

Kiuperli :

vented.

commanders of different corps to increase the JC. 1691. Heg.1102, number of their foldiers. "So many true Be- & 1103. "lievers, faid he, "are unneceffary to beat "Giaurs already frighted." Whilft Kiuperli, was employed for the public welfare, envy was endeavouring to ruin him. The economy which was extended to every part of the adminiftration hurt the officers of the feraglio greatly, especially Omar, the killar agafi or chief of the black eunuchs. We have seen in the courfe of this. history that the kiflar agafi, who has the command of the haram after the emperor, always finds opportunities to enrich himself, both by the cy against intereft which all the women, even the fultaneffes, how prehave to keep in with him, and the adminiftration of the royal mofques, the immenfe revenues of which are all in his hands. The grand vizier had had the boldness to demand of him an account of these sums, conformably to the law of Mahomet, which orders, that the incomes of the mosques shall be referved to carry on wars against the Infidels, after however the maintenance of the imans fhall have been first subtracted. Kiuperli having maintained this precept with more rigour than the kiflar agafi and his kiaia, who have the care of these treasures, could have wifhed, it was no way difficult to ftir up the eunuchs and women against the grand vizier; and with these the emperor lived in greater familiarity. than with his generals or his minifters. Kiuperli was painted to this feeble prince as a rebel and B2

VOL. IV.

an

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J.C. 1691 an ufurper, who, not fatisfied with governing the

Heg.1102,

&1103 empire, had the prefumption to give law to his

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fovereign in his feraglio and even in his haram,
as he difpofed at his pleafure of treasures which
were faid to be referved for his highness's ex-
pences only. They added, that it was the inten-
tion of the grand vizier to depofe Achmet in
order to put one of his nephews on the throne,
The fultan, perfuaded that his grand vizier was
culpable, was afraid notwithstanding to demand
of him an account of his adminiftration. The
minifter's enemies were as much against this way
of proceeding as Achmet, left Kiuperli, fuf
ftained by the foldiers, the people, and even
the divan, should justify himself and discon÷
cert their scheme. The women, who acted
by the instigation of the kiflar agafi, got the
fimple Achmet to confent that the grand vizier,
drawn to the door of the haram, under pretence
of speaking with the fultaness, should be ftrangled
by the black eunuchs charged with accompanying
him. This minifter, whom all the good Muf-
fulmen looked on as their firmest hope, and whom
the emperor's enemies feared with so much rea-
fon, was about to perifh by the plots and hands
of the most contemptible wretches in the universe,
if one of thofe mutes, who are kept in the feraglio
to ferve as buffoons, as if human nature were not
already fufficiently abafed in them, having dif-
covered this confpiracy, had not run to warn
Kiuperli of it.
Thefe unfortunate beings, to
whom

whom nature has refused at the fame time J.C. 1691. Heg.1102, both the organs of fpeech and of hearing, and & 1103. whom people take pleasure in rendering deformed by an extravagance worthy of those who can amufe themselves fo, are generally endowed with an understanding and addrefs that fupply the place of their defects, either for hearing or making themselves understood. They comprehend what is faid, fometimes by the fole motion of the lips; a gefture, a glance of the eye is fufficient to instruct them. They have among them a particular language, performed by the moving of the fingers, which almost every body understands and speaks like them both in the feraglio and in the haram, on account of the abfolute filence people are made obferve there under fevere punifhments. A mute then having learned the fecret from the kiflar agafi, when he was conferring with his kiaia in the emperor's chamber, knowing too that the prince had given his confent to this fatal plot, ran to inform the grand vizier of it, less with intention to fave the minister's life, than to be revenged of the kiflar, who had had him cruelly chaftifed a few days before for a trifling fault. The mute had but juft made Kiuperli fenfible of the danger to which he was expofed, when the chief of the baltagis came to command him in the name of the emperor to repair to the feraglio. The grand vizier, who did not pride himself on an implicit obedience, ordered the baltagi pachi to return to the palace,

affuring

Heg.1102,

& 1103.

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J.C. 1691 affuring him that he was coming immediately; but, instead of executing his promife, he fent for all the principal officers of the different corps, and communicated, to them what the mute had just told him. As he entered into an apology for his conduct, a general clamour was raifed: "Perish all feeble and unjuft emperors," faid the officers," and preferve at our head the fage, "the valiant Kiuperli, who alone has faved the "empire." They refolved to arm themselves immediately and affemble the troops: if Kiuperli had faid a word, the fuppofed confpiracy would have really come to pafs, and would have had full fuccefs; but the fage minister would not bring about an useless revolution; he only wished to remove and punish the evil counsellors of a prince, in whose name he had always expected to reign. Meanwhile the troops, who had taken up arms, furrounded the feraglio, and the grand vizier repaired thither attended by feveral bashaws and agas of the army. He fent to the grand feignior, who was fhut up in his haram, that there would be no fafety for him 'till he fhould have delivered up the kiflar agafi and his kiaia. The demi-man, who had learned betimes that his plot was discovered, had wifely taken to flight, provided with fome valuable effects, and was feen no more. The terror of all the grand vizier's - enemies could not be compared to that of the grand feignior, who thought himself happy that his prime minifter would forgive him.

The

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