J.C. 1510. during the night, or the two books, fhut the trunk forty days before, were not ftill there, cried a miracle. They all proftrated themselves before the pretended prophet. Every one named him the fecond Mahomet, and, according to the principles of the Mahometan law, vowed eternal war and hatred against all those who should not think as they did. The prophet ordered, that the tree, which had ferved to manifeft his miffion, fhould be burnt, which was executed immediately. It was effential to convey from eyes which might be lefs credulous, the examination of a matter so easy to unfold. From this day the Perfians gave Scheitankuli the name of fophi, which fignifies, in Perfian, a man clothed in woollen, or a friar. Though this impoftor was not king, he reigned under the name of king Ishmael. This prince was only the inftrument of the will of his prophet, and the name of fophi was fo refpected in Perfia, that Ifhmael's fuccef fors have always borne it fince the death of Schei tankuli. This fortunate impoftor infpired the Perfians with the hatred that he had for the Turks. We know how much the Mahometan religion alienates its difciples from all those who profefs another belief: it arms them still infinitely more against those who have raised up fects in its bofom. Scheitankuli fo profited by this want of toleration to incenfe the two nations against one another, that, in war, a Muffulman, who thinks of of offering a facrifice to God by killing a Chrif- 1.C. 1510. Heg. 916. tian enemy, believes firmly, if he be a Turk, that the head of a Perfian, or if he be a Perfian, that the head of a Turk, is as agreeable to God, as that of feventy Chriftians. The two nations equally anathematise the Alcoran which the other nation adopts. When one of the monarchs fends ambaffadors to the other, he does not fail of placing among the number of presents a copy, magnificently bound, of the Alcoran, agreeable to the leffon which he believes orthodox. And when the ambaffador offers the prince this book with all the other prefents, the monarch kiffes respectfully another copy of his law, which care has been taken to put under his eyes, and leaves the book offered, on the fteps of his throne. Whilft thefe violent fits of fanaticifm were giving Perfia a new face, Bajazet lived at Conftantinople in full repofe, if a life of effeminacy and voluptuoufnefs may be fo called, the excefs of which had brought a number of diforders on him. He was afflicted with the gout; his torments fuggefted to him the defire of intrusting one of his fons with the cares of government, which were too much for his imbecility. This monarch had had eight fons, three of which died in child- caufes twe hood. He had diftributed fangiacates or governments to the five others. Thefe princes lived at a distance from their fovereign, but in a much greater dependance than the other bafhaws, Hh Bajazet of his fons to be put to death. J.C. 1510. fhaws. It coft two of them their lives, Atfian Heg. 916. and Mahomet, for having confidered themselves masters of the countries intrufted to them by their father. Atfian was ftrangled by order of the emperor, for a disobedience, of which hiftory does not give the circumstances. As to Mahomet, his crime was not fo evident as that of his brother, but his character caused him to be looked upon as more dangerous, for Bajazet did not dare put him to death but in fecret. This prince had travelled in disguise and vifited all his brothers, even the court of his father, where he had fucceeded to speak to the fultan without the latter's discovering him to be his fon. He had introduced himself into all the odas of the janiffaries, and had had fecret conferences with their chiefs; he had vifited all the principal towns of the empire, always under a difguife which rendered it eafy for him to make what observations he pleased. At length, his conduct announcing ambitious views, and a defire of inftructing himself, always suspected at the court of defpotic princes, Bajazet ordered a secretary to poifon him; and, as if he would remove from himself the fufpicion of the crime, he destroyed the inftrument which he had made use of Mahomet was interred, by order of the fultan, in the tomb of the emperors, and his affaffin was thrown into the fea in a leather fack. Achmet, his eldest fon, was that which he loved the best of the three that remained, because he Heg. 916, proposes to favor of fon. he was not formed for war, but led a retired life, J.C. 1510. and though, according to law, the fceptre belonged to him after Bajazet, he had never shewn any impatience to reign. The emperor thought Thisprince to free himself from the cares of the throne, by abdicate in placing his fon on it, and preferving the fame Achmet power with the conveniency of refigning himself to his pleasures, particularly to his paffion for wine, which caufed much fcandal among the true Muffülmen, and which he should be better able to conceal. The bafhaws and janiffaries, who were impatient at the repofe in which Bajazet had left them for ten years, would with pleasuré have seen him ceafe to be their master, if he had not chofen Achmet for his fucceffor. They faid there would be ftill lefs fpoils and lefs timars to hope for under this prince, than Bajazet; that the glory of the Ottoman arms would be foon tarnished, and that they fhould forget how to fight under a prince, who loved repofe, more than his ancestors had loved conquefts. As foon as the approaching abdication of the fultan was rumoured abroad, the chiefs of the janiffaries went to the future emperor, to requeft of him an augmentation of pay. The prince anfwered, that thofe, who The fol worked less than ever, ought not to expect to have Selim have their falary augmented; that, as he was not ror preparing for very bloody wars, he had no in- army, tention of paying them dearer than his ancestors gainst his had. This imprudent answer offended men who is beaten. Hh 2 knew diers will for empe raises an marches a father, and Heg. 917. J.C.1510. knew no other glory than that of fhedding blood. Heg. 996. They were near infulting Achmet, and from that inftant they decided between themselves, J.C. 1511 that he fhould never be It remained emperor. for them to choose between the two other fons of Bajazet; for the refpect of the Ottomans for the blood of their mafters, is, as we have faid, a point of religion; but they have often taken upon them to place on the throne, him of the Ottoman race whom they thought most worthy of reigning. The janiffaries fent to Trebizond the fenberekchi bakchi, or fuperintendent of the engines, to found Selim, the youngest of Bajazet's fons, The delegate of the malecontents found in this prince all the ambition and complaifance that the janiffaries could with. The example of his brothers had prevented him 'till then from undertaking any thing by himself, but he only wanted an occafion, and did not fail of feizing it. Selim paffed the Bofphorus, and advanced, at the head of twenty, thousand men whom he had gathered, together, as far as Adrianople, in hopes that thofe, who caufed him to act, would join him. He cloaked this march under the pretext of going to fee his father; which, among the Muffulmen, is a facred duty, and the most meritorious, after the pilgrimage of Mecca. The fultan, fufpecting the truth, fent word to his fon, that he would excufe his rendering him this religious devoir at the head of an army; but seeing |