The Sanziacks, as soon as ever they received Solyman’s threatning Dispatches, began to bestir themselves, and to rouze up one another so that happy was he, that could do most Damage to the growing Party of the Impostor. Some of those that were going in to him, they intercepted; those that had already join’d him, they laboured to discourage by terrible Menaces and Denunciations of the Danger they were in. In the mean time, the Forces of Partan Bassa were marching on, and being almost come up to the Place, the Party of the Tumultuous, which were not yet fully settled, seeing so great Preparations, made against them, began to be discouraged, (as is usual with Men in such Circumstances) and to drop off one by one; and at last the whole Body of them most shamefully left their Leader, and shifted for themselves, the belt they could. Their feigned Mustapha, with his chief Partisans and Setters on, would willingly have done so too; but he was so watch’d by the Janizaries, that he was taken alive, and sent Prisoner to Partan, who, with a strong Guard, sent him to Constantinople. When he came thither, Solyman put him on the Rack, and by that means found out the whole Plot; how his Son Bajazet was at the bottom of it, and had resolved, if they had not been so soon dissipated, to have join’d them with a considerable Force, and so either to have marched directly to Constantinople, or else (if Opportunity had served him) to have fought out his Brother; but being slow in his Actings, his Design was nipp’d in the very Bud. When Solyman had thus ferreted out the Design to the bottom, he caused him and his Abettors to be thrown into the Sea at Midnight, not thinking it convenient to have the Matter divulg’d among his own People, or that foreign Princes should be acquainted with the domestic Differences of his own Family.
As for his Son Bajazet, he was mightily exasperated against him for his foul Offence, and was meditating in his Mind what grievous Punishment he should inflict upon him. In the mean time, his Wife being a prying Woman, and therefore allowing him but little space for his Anger to vent and cool itself, at last falling into Discourse with him of the Affair, she began to excuse her Son, laying all the Fault on his youthful Imprudence; and that some of his Ancestors also had been necessitated to undertake the like Attempts. For (says she) ’tis a natural Instinct in all Men to do what they can for themselves and their Friends, and to save their Lives, if they can; especially, young Men, in the fervour of Youth, are apt to be drawn aside by ill Counsellors to pernicious Attempts; and, therefore, it was but reasonable that his first Fault should be pardoned, because, if he repented, his Father had gained a great Point in preserving his Son; but if he relapsed again into the same Crime, then the Father was at liberty to inflict deserved Punishment on him, for both Offences, at one and the same time. But, proceeded she, if you will not pardon him for his own sake, yet be pleased to do it for mine; and spare our own common Flesh and Blood: For how, think you, can I bear it, that, of two Sons which God hath yet left me, your Severity should rend one of them from me? And, therefore, she intreated him to moderate his Anger, and not to let loose the Reins to Cruelty, though he had never so just an Occasion. Almighty God (said she) though most Powerful and Just, yet doth not always exert his highest Severities, but tempers them with Indulgence, else Mankind would be quickly destroyed. And, if Clemency may be shew’d to any, to whom, pray, more properly than to a Man’s own Children? Bajazet, for the future, will certainly keep within the bounds of his Duty, and the Fear, wherein he now is, will certainly be turned into the highest Degree of filial Obedience for the future. If you please to spare his Life, the Sense of your Indulgence will work this; for nothing is so obliging to generous Minds as Courtesies received. The Memory of his Pardon will restrain him from running a second time into the like Offence; and I my self will undertake for him, that for the future he will carry it towards you, as a most dutiful and obedient Son.
To these Intreaties she added Tears and Caresses, so that the old Man, who was Uxorious enough before, could no longer withstand her Importunities, but changed his Mind; and, instead of punishing, resolved to pardon his Son; but on this Condition, that he was to come into his Presence, and receive his Commands. His Mother, being exceeding glad at the good Success of her Interposal, was not wanting to the Occasion; but presently acquainted Bajazet by Letters that, whenever he was sent for, he should not scruple in the least to come to his Father, for she had wrought a Reconciliation betwixt them, so that not the least spark of Discontent lay now covered in his Mind against him. Upon the Receipt of this good News, Bajazet resolves to trust his Father, yet not without some Relicks of Fear; he reflected ever and anon on his Brother Mustapha, whose Example warned him of the Danger he underwent. However, conquering his Fear, come he did to the place of Conference appointed by his Father; it was called Carestrane, some few Miles distant from Constantinople.
You must know; that, now-a-days, ’tis the custom of the Turkish Emperors, never to permit any one of their Sons, when once they are grown up, to set their Foot within the Gates of Constantinople, (whilst they are alive) for fear they should ingratiate themselves with the Soldiery, and so set up for themselves. As he was alighting from his Horse, some of his Father’s Servants were at hand to take away his Sword and Dagger. This struck his guilty Conscience into a little Fear, though it were accustomed to be done to others, that they might come unarmed into their Emperor’s Presence: But his Mother, who had placed her self on purpose near his Passage, looked out at a Window, using these Expressions, Chear up, chear up, my Son! By which Antidote he was very much heartened and relieved.
As soon as ever he came into his Father’s Presence, the old Man bid him sit down, and then began to blame him very severely for his Rashness, in taking up Arms so causelesly. They may be looked upon, said he, as taken up against my self: But, grant you took them up only against your Brother, yet it takes off little from your Offence; for, if you had had your Wish, the Ottoman Religion would have been quite shaken, if not overthrown, by the domestic Discords among our Family, (on the Heirs whereof it doth depend); so that, if you be a true Mussulman, such a Crime ought to have been far from your Thoughts. I might aggravate your Crime (said he) by telling you, that you aspired to the Government in my Life-time, which is so contemptuous a Thing, that your Offence is almost inexpiable: Nevertheless, I am resolved to pardon you, and to shew my self a loving Father, rather than a just Judge, that so for the future you may leave all to God; for Kingdoms, and the Governments of them are not disposed of by Man’s Pleasure, but by the Will of God. If he hath decreed that you shall have the Kingdom after me, no Man living will be able to hinder it: But, if God had otherwise determined, ’twas a mad Thing in you to go about to resist his Will; for that were to fight against God. And, therefore, let me advise you to be quiet; and not disturb your peaceable Brother, nor interrupt the Quiet of my old Age; for, I will assure you, if you commit a second Offence of this Nature, I will be so far from Pardoning you, that you shall have the Severity of Justice.
Bajazet’s Answer was very submissive, acknowledging his Fault, and promising Subjection for the future. Whereupon Solyman called for Drink, and caused it to be given to his Son, (as the Custom is) which was a Sherbet, made of Sugar, and the Juice of certain Fruit. Bajazet had rather have let it alone, as fearing it might have been his last Draught, but he could not handsomely refuse it: So he drank a little, and his Father drank a little after him; which freed him of his Fear. Thus Bajazet was dismissed, and sent away to his Government, his Congress with his Father having been far more auspicious, than his Brother Mustapha’s was.
As for the Death of Achmet Bassa, another of your Enquiries, I shall give this short Relation. Some say, he was put to Death for being too much affected to Mustapha, and for favouring underhand the counterfeit Mustapha, and encouraging Bajazet in his Designs. Others say, that being a mere Robber or Swash-Buckler at first, but advanced for his Audacity, Valour and Skill in military Affairs, to that high Dignity, the Punishment of his former flagitious Life, was only deferred to the last Period of it. And some were of Opinion, he was executed only to make Way for Rustan; for Solyman, having promised Achmet never to take away the Seal from him, so long as he lived, to make a collusive Performance of his Word, he caused him to be put to Death, before he did it. Some said, that Solyman gave it out, ’Twas better to die once, than a thousand Times over; for the Fear of the Loss of his Grand Viziership, and much more his Survival thereupon, would have been as a thousand Deaths to him. Whatever was the Cause, the Manner of it was this: He came early in the Morning into the Divan, (or Council-Chamber) being ignorant of what was designed against him: By and by comes the Messenger to him from the Sultan, telling him, that he must die. He was a Man of a great Spirit, and received the Message as undauntedly, as if it had nothing concerned him; only, when the Executioner drew near, to do his Office, he pushed him away, as thinking it dishonourable for a Man of his Dignity to die by the Hands of an ordinary Executioner: But, casting his Eyes round about the Company, he espied a creditable Person, that was his Friend; him he desired to do that last Office for him, and he should take it as a great Kindness at his Hands. His Friend, upon his iterated Request, undertook it: Only Achmet advised, not to draw the Cord, or Bow-string, so as to dispatch him at once, but when he had strained it a little, then to remit it, that he might breath a while, and afterwards to pull it as hard as he could, until he were dead; wherein his Desire was answered. Thus Achmet was willing to taste (as it were) of Death, before he drank his full Draught of it. Upon his Decease Rustan had the Grand-Viziership bestowed upon him.
As for my Return out of this Country, which you desire to hear of, all I can say is, Facilis descensus Averni. He that brought me hither, will, when he sees good, bring me back: In the Interim, I solace my self in the Company of my old Friends, my Books, which never fail to afford me Relief both Day and Night.
Constantinople, June 12.
