J.C. 1702. Mustapha fo call up all his remaining refolution Heg. 1114. to endeavour to make himself obeyed; it was in yain for him to think of avoiding this vifit; the two deputies who had spread terror over the seraglio reached the room where his highnefs was. They ordered, rather than asked him, in the name of the army, to deliver that inftant into their hands the grand vizier Rami bashaw, the mufti Fezula, and Mauro Cordato. The first and last had taken to flight; but the old mufti, full of confidence in the veneration which he fancied all the Muffulmen had for his dignity, always expected that they would obey the fovereign interpreter of the law. Without doubt he would have been right, if the rebels had not had the addrefs to oppofe law to law, and had not chofen from among them a mufti more eloquent and fenfible than the emperor's, and who knew how to manage the people. The rebels, without reflecting on the legality of the appointment, confidered Fezula as degraded by his prevarications and by the declaration which the mufti Kiafibi had made with pomp in the name of all the ulema. The unfortunate old man, The grand abandoned by his pupil, was dragged to the camp, where he was put to the most cruel tormufti, who tures to make him difcover his riches and in what is put to feignior gives up the old death. place he had hidden them. He replied to their interrogations, only by imprecations against those who durft lay violent hands on the vicar of Mahomet. The rebels, after having exhausted their rage Heg.1114. rage against Fezula, gave him the death ftroke J.C. 1702. and threw his body into the river, denying him even the honors of interment. This barbarous execution increased the terror of Mustapha; thinking that he should appease the people by feignior fhewing them all his weakness, he fent to the acknowvizier Dorojan to confirm him in that dignity, officers of and to carry him the feals of the empire. The fame deputies were charged with a catcherif which confirmed likewife the mufti of the rebels, and they were ordered to fay to those who bore offices among them, that the moft magnicent and invincible emperor acknowledged them for officers of the Porte and took them under his powerful protection. The terror was so great in the court of Muftapha, that thofe whom he ordered to carry these promises of peace, remembering the reception of their master's first envoy, had much difficulty to prevail with themselves to discharge their miffion. The more the rebels. faw the fultan give way, the more they became untractable. The meanneffes to which this prince defcended to fave his fceptre were precisely what caused it to fall from his hands. The emperor had only children very young. His brother Achmet, the lawful heir to the throne, was guarded in the feraglio of Adrianople'; for the heirs to the empire had for a long time past been carried about with the emperor. The mufti, the grand vizier, and Caracach Mehemet, wrote to prince Achmet, that Mustapha having The grand ledges the the rebels. J.C. 1702. having rendered himself unworthy to reign, all write to prince Achmet to a fituation to govern and avenge the Turks; that invite him it was the general wish that he should be placed to afcend The letter is intercepted and Muftapha. 1 the throne. on the throne; and that he must yield to circumstances and the cry of the nation. As this letter carried to was fent openly, it could not fail of being intercepted. It is fuppofed that the rebels had expected it; that an ancient respect for the feraglio and the blood of their mafter having prevented them from forcing this venerated place to fignify to Muftapha his depofition, they thought that the feeble emperor, being deftitute of the means to maintain himself on the throne, would defcend from it himself, and fpare them the crime of attempting his life or liberty. If this were their expectation, they were not deceived. Mustapha had no fooner He goes to read the letter addreffed to his brother, than he and refigns ran to his apartment to carry it him, and, after an affectionate embrace, he said to him: "Since "Heaven will have it fo, mount in my place Achmet the fceptre to him. on the throne of our ancestors; remember, "that, whilft I was your master, I treated you kindly; you are going to be the lawful fovereign, fince I refign all my right to you. "But don't forget that your elevation is the "work of some rebels, who will foon treat you in the fame manner, if you leave their "crime unpunished." After these words, he begged leg.1114. begged his brother to repair to the divan cham- J.C. 1702 ber, and remained himself in the apartment which that prince quitted. Thus was terminated, the 24th of Auguft, this revolution, which had lafted fince the month of May. Muftapha defcended from the throne, aged forty years, after having reigned feven. The beginning of his reign had given great hopes; but in a little time he ap peared very different from himself. The blind confidence which he devoted to the mufti Fezula enervated his faculties, deftroyed his underftanding, and made a feeble, timid monarch of a prince who had at firft appeared fage and magnanimous. Muftapha died of a dropfy the year after his depofition. ACH MET TWENTY-THIRD REIGN. III. ACHMET found, as he came out of his Athe III. af apartment, or rather prifon, all the officers cends the of the feraglio who had conducted his brother thither. He repaired to the throne chamber with his retinue, and dictated a catcherif which ordered the grand vizier, the mufti, and all the officers of the ulema, the divan, and the army, to come and pay their compliments to him. Achmet had preserved in his heart the last words of throne. Heg.1114. feigns af the com mencement of his reign. J.C. 1702. of Muftapha. However, he received with affability, even with marks of favor, those to whom Achmet he owed his elevation. He carried his confability at defcendency fo far as to banish at their request the valid fultanefs, who was his mother as well as Mustapha's, because that fultanefs had favored the last mufti Fezula. Achmet made confiderable presents to the army; and as he knew that the foldiery and the people of Conftantinople had reproached Muftapha with his refidence at Adrianople, he refolved to return to the capital the fecond week of his reign. He girded on the fword of Othman in Jub mofque with all the customary ceremonies and pomp. Achmet was thirty-fix years old when he came to the throne. Owing to the attention of the valid fultanefs, whom he had juft banished, and the humanity of his predeceffor, his prifon had not been fo ftrait but that he had found means to acquire a good deal of knowledge. He had read every thing that could be read in the Turkish language, and had had the fociety of fome white eunuchs, and even of some effendis, who had entertained him often with an account of the last troubles and the facts most known of the Ottoman hiftory. It was without doubt in thefe converfations that he acquired the firft notions of policy, and learned to diffemble with thofe whom he meant to punish. Achmet had formed a close intimacy with the felictar aga, called Affan. As foon as he found himself on the throne, he made this favorite bashaw |