J.C. 1482. member this event, which coft Bajazet's eldest Heg. 887. brother his life. The vizier, in the firft moments of his grief, had fent back his wife to her father. Since that time, Ifaac and he were become irreconcilable enemies: Ifaac painted the vizier to the emperor, as a dangerous cenfor: weak fouls foon hate those whom they are led to fear. All Acomat's fervices were forgotten in a moment; the emperor remembered his fuperiority over all the other warriors or minifters, only to J.C.1483. punish him for it. Being refolved to get rid of Heg. 888. him, he invited all the grandees of his court to a fumptuous entertainment, where the vizier apmidst of an peared with the reft. Bajazet, contrary to the ment, and Turkish law, but agreeably to their customs, orhave him dered a quantity of different forts of wine to be The emperor abufes him in the entertain Is about to put to death. served up; they foon grew elevated; the emperor faid aloud, that, as he meant to establish peace folidly in his empire, he had no occafion for fo many troops dearly paid, that he was going to diminish particularly the number of janiffaries and fpahis. Acomat opposed the defign of his master, with that liberty which wine infpires, and the fuperiority which his knowledge and experience gave him. He told the prince, that he could not hope for a lasting peace with so many neighbours and tributaries not well brought under fubjection, but whilft numerous and difciplined armies kept them in awe; that, befides, it was ill repaying the fervices which thefe brave janiffaries Heg. 888. janiffaries had rendered both his father and him, J.C. 1483. to difmifs them without a fubfiftence; and that it was dangerous to irritate, by injustice, such a powerful body. " Bajazet, il difpofed, impatiently heard this falutary advice. At the end of the repaft, vefts of precious Stuffs were brought to all the guests. That placed before Acomat was of black filk; he eafily comprehended the fatality announced by this prefent, particularly when, on the company's leaving the room of entertainment, Bajazet ordered him to remain. Ungrateful tyrant,' cried the vizier, "fince thou haft determined "to take my life, why haft thou made me "tranfgrefs the law in my last moments?" Acomat meant to fpeak of the wine that he had drunk. The emperor, irritated, caused him, who had placed him on the throne, to be foundly beaten; they ftripped him with violence, and the order for ftrangling him was given; but the kiflar aga, or grand eunuch, a particular friend of the unfortunate Acomat, threw himself at the prince's feet, telling him, that, for the fafety of his highness, it was neceffary to defer the execution of the vizier 'til it should be known to what degree the janiffaries were attached to that minister. All unjust and cruel as Bajazet was, he yielded to this timid counsel; and Acomat was imprisoned in a tower of the feraglio. J.C. 1483. Sedition of favor appeafes The unfortunate vizier had a fon, a young man full of courage, who had already ferved under his father, and who loved him tenderly. This fon, whofe name has not been preferved by history, furprised at his father's not returning from the feraglio, though the night was already far advanced, ran to one of the guest's, who told him what he had feen, and which made him fear ftill more for it was not doubted but the emperor had retained his father to have him ftranthe jani gled. The vizier's fon, in a distracted state, ran faries in to several odas of janiffaries, crying that their comat. He general had perished, a victim to ingratitude and the tumult injuftice. He had no difficulty to ftir up these brave foldiers, who adored Acomat. In lefs than an hour, more than ten thousand janiffaries were affembled in the ftreets, all declaring that they would go and burn the feraglio, free their general from thence, if he were alive, or maffacre the tyrant on his dead body, if he had had the barbarity to put him to death. They all repaired to the feraglio with tapers and arms, and prepared to break open or burn the outer door, which was fhut. The fultan appeared at a grated window above, and demanded of them with a trembling voice, what they would have, "Infa"mous drunkard," cried they, "render us our himfelf. c r general, or we will inftantly burn thy feraglio, "and tear thee in pieces." The fight and cries of this mutinous foldiery, fo terrified the empe ror ror and his attendants, that they haftened to pro- J.C. 1483. Heg. 888. duce Acomat in the fituation he was. Terror hindered them from thinking' of giving him his clothes. As foon as the janiffaries perceived this great man, his head, legs, and arms naked, covered with bruises, and nothing but a kind of waistcoat on, like a man escaped from, execution, their indignation and cries redoubled; they rudely stripped one of the officers of the feraglio, to clothe the vizier. If he had given them the leaft encouragement, this would have been the fate of the emperor and all thofe belonging to him. But this virtuous minifter, forgetting his refentment and even his fafety, thought only of appeafing the fedition. After having thanked the janiffaries for their affection, he forbade them all violent means, affuring them, though falfe, that Bajazet had never intended to take his life. He repeated to them, that this prince was their mafter, and that he would learn for the future to make a better ufe of his power. He promised, from the emperor, pardon to all the authors of the fedition. In fine, he moft powerfully protected this prince, who, two hours before, had attempted to have him put to an ignominious death, and he fucceeded in dispersing these troops, all telling him, that he would perhaps repent of having a fecond time made Bajazet emperor.. The J.C. 1483. ror goes to ple, where is ftrangled The next day, Acomat went to the divan; he refumed all his functions, preferving his autho rity and credit with the people; but the two bashaws, Ifaac and Paleologus, retained their influence over the fultan, who was more enraged in his heart than ever. Acomat made the whole court tremble: the timid and cruel Bajazet resolved to separate his minister from the foldiery; he took The empe- a journey to Adrianople, where the unfortunate Adriano- vizier was ftrangled in fecret, in the moment the vizier when he relied with greatest certainty on the in fecret, gratitude of his mafter. Some janiffaries, who feveral of had followed the emperor, were deceived with refpect to the manner of Acomat's death, who, it was given out, died of an apoplexy. They were at that time very uneafy for themfelves. Bajazet had removed feveral of their chiefs, under pretence of giving them timars or fangiacates, and it was known that thefe officers, apparently loaded with court favors, had been ftrangled by order of the bafhaws, as foon as they had arrived at the place of their destination. as likewise ficers of the janif faries. J.C. 1484, to 1489. The janif to arms: The defigns which Bajazet had conceived to 894 against his janiffaries foon became public. On the emperor's return to Conftantinople, all the faries take odas left their quarters; they marched out in order, and encamped in the plain, intrenched themselves, and placed a guard in their front, as if they had been oppofite an enemy. The fultan, terrified, no longer thought but how to bring Bajazet pacifies them. back |
