Heg, 917

feeing that the prince marched towards Con- JC. 1515 ftantinople, though the janiffaries did not feem to think of joining him, he thought it high time to stop his fon. We know not how it was, that the revolt did not then break out; it is certain that Bajazet opposed the enterprifes of Selim with these fame janiffaries who would not have Achmet for their emperor. Perhaps those, who entered into this confpiracy, were not yet fuf ficiently fure of the foldiers. Be that as it may, The fultan met his fon at a village called Ogris near Tchorlo he commanded an army fuperior in number and courage, Selim was foon defeated; his father did not purfue him, and the prince retired to Varna with the broken remains of his army. We don't well know if this facility of faving his head from the chaftifement that he merited, was owing to the clemency of Bajazet, or the love of the troops who refused to pursue him. It is certain, that, the emperor had pus nifhed two other fons with more severity for lefs crimes,

The revolt of Selim, and the trouble that the fultan had been obliged to take to reprefs him, confirmed Bajazet in his refolution of abdicating the throne in favor of Achmet. But that timid prince preferred the repose of his feraglio, to the dangerous honor of governing a ferocious people, who made themselves formi

dable

J.C.151.dable to their mafters whenever they were at a Heg. 917. lofs to employ them against their enemies. Achmet, on his return to his fangiacate, wrote to The fultan, who preffed him to return to Conftantinople, that, fince the janiffaries would not have him, he, in his turn, would not be their mafter against their confent. Korcut, Bajazet's fecond fon, apparently ought to inherit the rights refigned by his brother; he had formerly governed the empire in the name of his father, and the Ottomans feemingly fhould have adopted him, rather than his brothers whom they did not know. He left Magnefia to come to Conftantinople and claim this magnificent heritage; but fince Achmet had refufed the fceptre, the grand vizier, Mustapha, perfuaded Bajazet, that he alone could fupport it in his hands. The em peror therefore no longer thought of abdicating. But the people and the janiffaries, who always look upon the words of the fovereign as facred, and who moreover did not love Bajazet, remembered that he had announced his refignation, and were fo daring as to demand it aloud around the feraglio, and in all the streets of Conftantinople. The vizier could think of no other way to revoke what appeared to be irrevocable, than having the emperor folicited by all the bafhaws who compofed the divan, to remain on his throne. The viziers, ferafkiers, and bafhaws of the ban

or

Heg. 917.

faries prefs

make new

or three tails, confented to what the grand J.C. 1511. vizier required of them; but the cries of the janiffaries, and even of the people, cooled the zeal of these courtiers, who never durft publish their proceeding, and who even denied it when they were reproached with it. Korcut did not please the troops better than his brother Achmet; they would have Selim, who, all vanquished as he had been, appeared to them brave, enterprifing, and made for conquefts. The fenberekchi The janif bakchi fet out for Caffa in Crimea, where Selim Selim to had retired on leaving Varna; he again preffed efforts. the prince to come and put himself at the of the troops, all ready to place him on throne and to maintain him thereon. Selim, taught by misfortuune, would not truft to this first solicitation; he declared he would not again expose his enterprife and head to the hazard of a battle, and be combated by those who had promised him their affiftance; that, in confequence, he should not appear in the environs of Conftantinople, 'till he were fure, not only of all the janiffaries quartered in the city, but even of all

Proceed

head ings of the the fame

the

Korcut for

purpose.

* All these titles are nearly the fame. The rank of bashaw of three tails gives entrance to the divan. The ferafkiers are bashaws of three tails. The beglerbeg is a bafhaw of two tails, and he commands, not only the army where he is, but the troops that may be in the fame province, commanded by other bafhaws fubordinate to him. There are but two ferafkiers, the one of Afia, the other of Europe. This title, which gives likewife fuperiority ver all the troops, has no function but when the emperor pleafes. The bashaws of two and one tail are not admitted into the diran.

2

Heg. 917,

J.C.1511 the garrifons in the European dominions. This negociation took up much time, which Bajazet and his vizier might have turned to advantage; but they thought themselves fo fure that Selim, weakened, would never think of repairing his loffes, that they feemed only occupied about Korcut, whofe underhand proceedings fatigued the minister, though the janiffaries did not appear to relish him. At length Mustapha found means to fend this ambitious, timid being to his fangiacate, either by demonftrating to him the fatal confequences of a too great earnestness to reign, or promising that he should one day be preferred to his brothers.

J.C. 1512.

Korcut was hardly gone, when they learned Heg. 918. that Selim was arrived, ftill under the pious pre

Selim ar

rives before text of paying his refpects to his father. He had

Conftan

tinople, at brought no troops from Tartary; but all thofe

the head of

pean

the Euro- of the European governments joined his ftandard. troops. These news caufed the greatest joy in the city, faries join and the greateft confternation in the feraglio.

The janif

kim.

The janiffaries of Conftantinople marched in arms to the camp of Selim, leaving Bajazet under the guard of the boftangis. The people exclaimed in the streets, that the glory of the empire was going to revive, whilst Bajazet and his divan were chilling with terror. This prince faw, that all refiftance was ufelefs; he fent his vizier to confer with his rebellious fon. The minifter tried to move the heart of Selim, by asking

dicates the

fets out for

at Didimo

him, if he would have the fceptre or the life of J.C.1512. Heg. 918. his father. The prince answered respectfully in appearance; he affured him, that he did not Bajazetab. want to reign; that he was come, come, only to throne, and talk with the emperor on the prefent go- his retreat vernment, the luxury and indolence of which tica. appeared to him condemnable; and to hear the complaints of these brave janiffaries who pined with impatience and grief to fee the neighbours of the Ottoman empire become powerful by its weakness; that the fophi of Perfia and the foudan of Egypt seized at their pleasure the places bordering on their dominions, whilft the valour of the Ottoman troops, and the conquefts of Mahomet II. feemed to order his fucceffor to conquer, in his turn, both Egypt and Perfia; that the military spirit of the nation was on the decline; that it would even affect good order, and that Bajazet was not in fafety on his throne. Selim refused to give the vizier any other explanation; he fent him back to Bajazet, more alarmed than ever..

The fultan, feeing his fon, the people, and the army, all against him at the same time, thought only of refigning the fceptre, which fo long had fatigued his hands. A dream, which he had in the midst of these contests, in which he fancied he faw the officers of the feraglio ftrip him of the royal ornaments to inveft his fon with them, appeared to this weak prince an order from