After his Death, my Cares seemed to be doubled; nay, if I should have left him behind, I had returned but half myself, as it were. Well! his Soul is at Rest, and I erected a Monument, as a due testimony to his Vertue. But to return to our Island.
I lived there very pleasantly for three Months. It was a private Place, without any Crowd or Noise. There were only a few Greeks, with whom I diverted myself; but never a Turk to interrupt my Mirth. As for the Turks of my Houshold, they created no trouble to me; I might go whither I would, and pass from one of these Islands to another at my pleasure, without any molestation from them. There grew several sorts of Plants, as French Lavender, sharp-pointed Myrtle, Cotton-weed, and abundance more. The Sea is full of divers sorts of Fishes, which I took sometimes with Net, sometimes with Hook and Line. Several Grecian Fishers with their Boats attended me, and where we had hopes of the greatest sport, thither we sailed and cast our Nets. Sometimes we played above board, and when we saw a Crab or a Lobster at the bottom, where the Sea was very clear, we ran him through with a Fish-spear, and so halled him up into a Vessel. But our best and most profitable sport, was with a drag-Net; where we thought most Fish were, there we cast it in a round; it took up a great compass, with the long Ropes tied to the ends of it, which were to draw it to Land. To those Ropes the Seamen tied green Boughs very thick, so that the Fish might be frightned, and not seek to escape. Thus we brought great Sholes of trembling Fishes near the Shore. And yet in this danger they were naturally instigated how to save themselves; some would leap over the Net, others would cover themselves in the Sand, that they might not be taken; others strove to bite the Meashes of the Net, though made of coarse Flax or Hemp, of which kind were the Synodontes, Fish armed with strong Teeth; and if one made way for himself, all would follow him, and so the whole Draught would escape, and not a Fish left for the Fisher. To remedy this Inconvenience, (for I was aware of it) I stood with a Pole in my Hand, beating the Water, that I might keep the Fish from biting the Net. At which my Attendants could not choose but laugh; yet, for all this, many of them escaped: So sagacious are Fishes where they are in extream danger! But notwithstanding the Fugitives, we brought a great many Fishes ashore, a Sea-Bream, Scorpion-Fishes, Dragon-Fishes, Scare-Fish, Jule-Fish, Chane or Ruff-Fish, whose Variety did delight my Eye, and the enquiry into their Nature, did hugely please my Fancy: So that at Night I return’d home with my trimphant Vessel laden with Prey. The next Day I presented Hali Bassa, and his Chief Steward, with Part of what I had taken, who thought it a very acceptable Present.
Sometimes I took delight, with an Iron Spear made on purpose, to bring up Shrimps or Cramps, which are there so thick, as if that Sea were stock’d with them. Where I observed the Master-Shrimps lying two by two, the Male and the Female, and sometimes more of them, of which Cicero, Pliny, and Athenæus speak so much. I confess, I think some of these Relations concerning them are rather fabulous than true: For they say, that this Shell-Fish doth gape in order to catch other small Fishes; and when she hath got them, yet she shuts not her Shell till the Pinncphylax bite it, and by this warning she closes her Shell, and divides the Prey with the Pinncphylax. The Figure of these Pinnæ you have in Bellonious. The sharp part of it sticks in the bottom of the Sea, as if it grew there; and by these sticking Fibres, she draws in her Nourishment; as appears by this, that when she is loosed from her hold, she dies for want of Sustenance, as Herbs and Plants do. And it is probable, that the Pinnophylax chose this sort, as a Defence against other ravenous Fishes, where it may lye quiet even in stormy Weather, and go in and out at her pleasure. Yet I speak not this, to detract from the Credit of those worthy Authors I mentioned before; but only to leave the matter to more curious Enquirers. We quickly laded our Boat with these Pinnæ; they are but coarse Fare, like Muscles, of which you would be soon weary; but the Fishermen advised me to keep the Pinnophylaxes apart, for they are a grateful and nourishing Food.
Amongst the rest of the Islands, there is one untilled and uninhabited, whither all sorts of Monsters do resort, Star-Fish, Saw-Fish, Grape-Fish, Sea-Horses, prodigious Cockles, a round yellow Fish like an Orange; no ordinary Fish there, but Thornback, and a certain Fork-Fish, with a terrible Prickle. I remember, we took one of them, who, making at us, ran herself through.
When tempestuous Weather kept me from Sea, I delighted myself in finding out strange and unusual Plants at Land. I would sometimes go a-foot all ever the Island, having a young Franciscan Monk in my Company, a jolly Fellow, but very Fat, and not used to travel on Foot. I took him out of a Monastry at Pera, to be my Partner in my Walks; he was so corpulent and pursy, that when I went on a-pace to catch myself a Heat, he would follow me at a Distance panting and blowing, with these Words in his Mouth, What need all this haste? Whom do we run from, or whom do we pursue? What are we Carriers or Posts that must make speed to deliver some important Letters? Thus he mutter’d, till the very Sweat pierced through all his Cloaths. In fine, when we came back to our Lodgings, he threw himself upon his Bed, wofully complaining, and crying out, he was undone: What Injury have I done, said he, that you thus hurry on to destroy me? And, in this fretting Posture, we had much ado to persuade him to eat a bit of Dinner.
Now and then, some Friends visited from Constantinople, and from Pera; yea, and some Germans also of Holy’s own Family; of whom when I asked whether the Plague was abated? Mightily, said they. How many then die in a Day? Scarce Five Hundred, said they. Good God! quoth I, call you that to abate? when then doth it rage? They replied, when about a Thousand or Twelve Hundred die in a Day. The Turks entertain this Opinion concerning the Pestilence, that every Man’s Destiny is written by God in his Forehead; so that ’tis a foolish thing in them, to think to decline or avoid it. This Opinion makes them fearless of the Plague, but not secure from it: So that, as soon as any Man dies of the Pestilence, they will take off their Cloaths, yet sweaty, and Linnen, and rub their Faces with them. If it be the Will of God, say they, that I shall die this way, it will most certainly come to pass; if not, it will not hurt me. Thus a large Field is open for Infection; so that whole Families are sometimes swept away by that Disease. Whilst I abode in these Islands, I got acquaintance with one Metrophanes, a Metropolitan who presided over a Monastry in Chalcis, one of those Islands. He was a Learned and a Vertuous Man, very desirous of an Agreement between the Latin and the Greek Churches; so that he differed from the Humour of the rest of the Grecians, who esteem the Latins as Men of an impure and profane Sect. So much doth every Man abound in his own Sense!
When I had lived about two Months in those Islands, some of the Bashaws began to suspect my long Absence, and told Haly, that perhaps I might make my escape, for I had Ships ready at my command, and other Conveniences might easily be procured; and therefore it was more advisable I should return into the City. He answered them, he had that Confidence in my Word, that he believed I designed no such thing: Nevertheless he sent a Chiaux to advertise me thereof. The Chiaux very cunningly pried about, to see if he could discover the least Preparation for an Escape but finding none, after I had made him a Present, he returned to his Master with his Message from me, that he might rest secure, for I never intended to break my Word. Thus I continued three Months in my Retirement, and returned of my own accord into the City without any Compulsion.
From that time forward l had a Familiarity with Haly, and our Discourse was still of Peace. He is a Dalmatian by Birth, and only Courteous Man I found in that barbarous Country: His Nature, mild and gentle; his Person of easy Access; he is of a deep Understanding, capable of managing the greatest Affairs, having much skill in Military as well as Political Matters, for he is an old Man, and hath passed through the greatest Offices of that Common-wealth. His Stature is tall, and his Countenance filled with a lovely Gravity. He hath a mighty Love for his Master, and consults by all means imaginable his Repose in his Old and Sickly Age. What Rustan thought to do by Austerity, Severeness and menacing Expressions, Haly endeavours to compass by Mildness, Moderation and Friendship. Rustan was always severe, fierce, self-will’d; his Word must pass for a Law. ’Tis true, he knew well enough his own Circumstances, and what the Times did exact of him, and what the Old Age of his Prince required; but he was afraid, that, if he shew’d any Indulgence, either by Word or Deed, it would be said he did it out of Covetousness, of which his Prince did much suspect him: And therefore, though he was desirous of a Peace, he would abate nothing of his usual Stiffness; but if Propositions were offered to him, not pleasing to his Fancy, he was ready to thrust a Man out of Doors; so that I scarce ever parted from him but in an angry Mood. One time, when I was treating with him of Peace, if I had nothing else to say, he bid me be gone: I presently rose up and went my way, only telling him, That I could propose no other Conditions than what my Master commanded me to do. Which Words I pronouncing with more Fervour and Passion than I was wont to do, he called back my Interpreter and asked him, whether I were angry? He answered, No: What, said he, if I should obtain what he desires of the Sultan, dost thou think he will perform his Word to me, in presenting me with the Sum he promised me? No question, said the Drugger-man, but he will be as good as his Word to a Tittle. Then, says Rustan, go home and ask him. I had then 5000 Ducats, which make 6000 Crowns, lying by me for any sudden Emergency; I loaded my Interpreter with them, and bid him carry that to Rustan and tell him, that this Sum was only an Earnest of what I had promised him; but the rest would follow, if my Negotiation were brought to an happy Issue, for by no means would I be worse than my Word. He seem’d to be pleased with the sight of the Money, but returned it again to me, bidding my Drugger-man tell me, that he no ways doubted of my Faithfulness, but the matter of the Peace stood yet on ambiguous Terms; neither could he certainly promise a good Issue, for he did not fully know his Master’s Mind. But let the Ambassador, said he, keep it for me, as my Treasurer, till he sees the Event. Thus was the Money brought me back again, and Rustan died soon after.
Here give me leave to acquaint you with the Bounty of my Master, the best of Emperors; for that Money lying dead by me, I acquainted his Imperial Majesty, that I would lay it out for one Year’s Expence (which amounted to just so much) in my Embassy. But I repented afterwards of this my Frankness; especially considering what Pains I had taken in my Employment for so many Years together. My Mind gave me I was deficient to my self, in not desiring that Sum for my self, since I knew I serv’d a liberal Master, who put a just Value upon every Man’s Service, and rewarded him accordingly; and therefore I might have desired that Money (which was snatch’d, as it were, out of the Fire) for my own use; for I knew some Courtiers would have asked greater Sums for less Merit and Service. Upon second Thoughts, I put my Master in mind of my over-sight, and desired his Favour, that the said Sum might be returned entire to me. He was graciously pleased to grant my Request, and commanded so many Ducats to be told out for me from his own Exchequer: Which Bounty of his, so freely bestowed, if I should be unmindful of, I were not worthy to live a Day longer: But to return from whence I digressed.
Haly and Rustan were of quite different Humours and Dispositions: Haly lived a blameless Life, free from Sordidness, and never feared that his courteous Deportment would procure him the Sultan’s Ill-will; but Rustan, on the contrary, was a Money-monger, Avaritious, and his Conscience hing’d at his Purse-strings. Rustan’s Conferences with me were very short and concise; but Haly would spin out Time on purpose; and, that he might entertain me the longer, he would season his Discourse with a great deal of Facetiousness; insomuch that the Turks, who attended on the account of Business or otherwise, would murmur and grumble that he spent so much Time with me, thereby they had not convenient Opportunity to transact their own Concerns with him. And the Truth is, there was somewhat of Mortification to my self in it too; for I usually was sent for to him in the Afternoon, and I went Fasting, that I might be readier to deal with so acute a Man. In our Conferences he pressed this as a principal Point, that each of us would propose that which we thought most conducive to the service of our respective Masters. He knew his Master desired Repose in his old Age, which was sated with Success and Victory; and he thought my Master also desired Peace and Quietness; and therefore, if he studied the Tranquillity of his Realm, he should by no means rouse a sleeping Lion. The minds of Princes, says he, are like Looking-glasses having no innate Shape, yet the Shapes of all Objects pass through them; so Princes Souls, free of themselves, are impress’d by the Images of all Things, as they are represented; and therefore we must lay nothing before them, but what stands to their Reason: For as good Cooks temper their Sauces, not to this or that Man’s Palate, But for the Relish of all the Guests; so we, in Propositions of Peace, must weigh Circumstances on either side. This, and much more, did he frankly communicate to me; yea, at all times he shewed himself courteous, and when I required his Courtesy with any extraordinary piece of Respect, he thought himself doubly oblig’d. Once, as he was returning from the Divan, and came to a cross way where he was wont to salute his Fellow Bashaws at parting, turning his Horse too nimbly, and leaning on his Neck, both Horse and Man fell to the Ground: When I heard of his Mischance, I sent to know whether he had got any hurt by his Fall? He returned me Thanks, and told me, he got no hurt, but ’twas usual for an old Soldier to be apt to stumble and fall. Then, turning to the By-standers, This Christian Agent, says he, has, I thank him, a mighty Love for me. Sometimes in Discourse he would tell me, that he had got Wealth and Honour enough; so that now he studied only to leave a savoury Memory behind him, by doing good to Posterity.