And yet I must tell you, the Matter is not so much to be admired; for, without doubt, the Fellow, when he went down into the Yard to fetch a Stone, had fortified his Mouth, against the Violence of the Fire, with some such Medicines as you know are to be met with; for I remember once in the Market-place at Venice, I saw a Juggler take melted Lead, and wash his Hands with it, as if it had been common Water: But enough of this.
I told you before, that I had a little more Freedom some time before Rustan’s Death, which was very grateful to me on one Account, because it gave me an Opportunity to converse with Strangers and others which frequented my House, whole Acquaintance might be instructive to me; and yet this Liberty was not without its Inconvenience; it gave my Servants opportunity to straggle abroad, and sometimes without the Janizaries, and so they met with many Affronts, which cost me some trouble: I’ll tell you of one, by which you may judge of the rest.
Two of my Servants passed over in a Boat to Pera; they went alone, either because the Janizaries were not at home, or else they thought it needless to take them; one was my Apothecary, the other Master of my Wine-Cellar. When they had done what they went for, they hired a Boat to carry them back to Constantinople; they were scarce sat down in the Boat, but there came a Youth from the Caddy, or Judge of that Place, commanding them to come forth, for the Caddy must be wafted over in that Boat: My Servants told him, there were Boats enough to carry over the Caddy, besides that which they had hired, and therefore they would not stir: Hereupon he endeavoured to force them; so that from Words they came to Blows. This being done in sight of the Caddy, who was coming down to the Boat, it made him run to help the Boy, (who was thought to be his Ganymede) but the Steps towards the Sea being slippery, by reason of Ice, (for it was Winter) he fell head-long into the Sea, and had been drown’d if his Companions had not relieved him: Hereupon a Clamour was raised all over Pera, and the Turks would have it that my Servants had laid Violent Hands on the Judge, and had almost drown’d him. My Servants were seized and carried before the Judge in Capital Cases: They fetch out Clubs, and Stocks to put their Feet in, that they might beat them, as their manner is, on the Soles of them. In the interim one of my Servants, an Italian, cried out in a Rage, Beat, strike, Dogs, strike! we are wronged, we are innocent! we are Servants to Cæsar’s Ambassador, and doubtless when your own Emperor shall know how we are abused, he will make you smart for it. One of the Turks, hearing him cry out so boldly: D’ye think, said he, that One-ey’d thing is a Man? No; for certain, he is an One-ey’d Cacodæmon, (for he had a Blemish in one of his Eyes.) The Waywode also, that is, in their Language, the Judge, perceiving the Boldness of the Man, was at a stand what to do; but thought it best to send them to Rustan: Thither went the whole Rout, with a pack of false Witnesses, ready to give their Testimonies against the Innocent; for the Turks count it meritorious to give in false Evidence against a Christian; you need not summon them to appear, they came of their own accords, as it happened in this Case: They all cried out before the Grand Vizier, that those Rogues had beaten their Judge, and, if they had not been seiz’d, would have drowned him: My Servants denied the Crime they were charged with, alledging that they were falsly accused, and that they were my menial Servants. By this Time Rustan perceived that there was more Noise than Truth on his Countrymens side; yet, to still the Fury of the inraged Multitude, he told them he would punish them severely; and he sent them to Prison. The Prison was a Safeguard to them against the Fury of the Multitude; he then examined Witnesses, the most credible among them, and found my Servants were Guiltless, and that all the Fault lay at the Caddy’s Door. In the mean time I sent my Interpreters to demand my Servants; but Rustan thought fit to refer the Matter to the Divan, lest, if the Sultan should hear of it, he might suspect, that a Bribe had made him partial and negligent in the Caddy’s Case. I had at this time some intimate acquaintance with Haly, to whom I sent my Druggerman with a grievous Complaint, that I might not suffer Wrong to the end of the Chapter; Haly undertook my Cause, and bid me rest confident that the Business would soon end to my Satisfaction. But Rustan came not off so handsomely; he feared it might be thought that Money had inclined him more to favour me, and therefore had rather the Business were made up with the Caddy; he wished, therefore, I would offer him a few Ducats to appease him, 25 were enough. I gave him Thanks for his Advice, and told him, that if he desired me to throw so many Ducats into the Sea, I would willingly do it for his sake; but that Money was not so much to be considered in this case, as Example: For, said I, if he that did my Servants an Injury, must be paid for his Labour, a larger Fund than mine would not suffice; for if a Man tear his Clothes, while he is intending to do my People an Injury, he knew where to have Money to buy new ones, which was an unworthy thing, and by no means to be indured by me. Thus were my Servants, by the Mediations of Haly sent home to me. When the Bailo of Venice heard of their Release, he sent for one of my Servants present, and desired to know of him, what that Business had cost me? Not a Doit, said he. Then said the Bailo, It would have cost me 200 Ducats before I could have come off. But the poor Judge suffered most of all; for he was put out of his Office, the Turks accounting it an absurd and hainous thing to be beaten by a Christian, as he confessed he had been.
As for the Release of the Spanish Commanders, it was obtained by my Mediation; they were these, De Sande Commander of the Land Forces, and Leyva, and Requesne, the one Admiral of the Neapolitan, the other of the Sicilian Gallies. In short, I’ll tell you how I compassed their Release: The Peace made between the Kings of Spain and France, did much trouble the Turks, as being inconvenient to their Affairs, especially considering that they were not comprehended in it, as at first they thought they should be; yet they dissembled the matter at present, but sought for an Opportunity to shew their dislike of it. Solyman had writ to the King of France, that he agreed to the Peace, yet would have him remember, That Old Friends are not easily made Enemies, nor Old Enemies, Friends.
This Disgust of the Turks was of no small Advantage to my Affairs: To which Haly Bassa’s Affection, and Ebrahim’s great desire to shew his Gratitude to me, did very much contribute.
You may remember, I told you before, that, when La Vigne did accuse me to the Bashaw, at the same time he forgot not Ebrahim, but told them, that he discovered all the secret Counsels of the Turks to me. This Ebrahim was the chief Druggerman, (i. e. Interpreter of Solyman) a Polander, and therefore more hated by La Vigne, because, in a deadly Feud with Codognatus, a former Ambassador of the same King, he seem’d to take Codognatus his part. I shall not trouble you with the Contest betwixt them, it being little to my purpose: This is certain, that La Vigne was mindful of the Affront, and could never endure Ebrahim; but when he had Access to the Bashaw, every third Word was against him; neither did he desist from complaining, till Ebrahim was remov’d out of his Place. For my part, I was not much concern’d at Ebrahim’s Disgrace; I had never such an extraordinary kindness for him, as to lament his Loss, for I found him many times thwarting my Affairs; only it troubled me, that ’twas noised abroad, he lost his Place for my sake. Hereupon, I assisted him in his Privacy what I could; for I knew it troubled him, to be turned out of his Office, and therefore I us’d him as an Interpreter or Messenger, betwixt me and the Bashaws in my Transactions about the Peace. And Haly admitted him, out of Respect to me, and because he was degraded without any just Cause. In short, I never rested till I got him restored to his Place; and that piece of Service did so oblige him, that in Gratitude he returned me all the good Offices he could, in all Company, and upon all Occasions: And he had the greater Opportunity so to do, because of the Offence the Turks had taken at the French, for making Peace with the Spaniard. On this Account, when the Noble Salviatus was sent by the Most Christian King, to procure de Sande’s Liberty, he was wholly and absolutely refused. De Sande was in great Expectation of that Embassy, believing he should never be released, if that Negotiation did not effect it; and, therefore, he was at a great Expence in Presents for the Grand Seignior, and other great Men upon his Release. All which signified nothing, for Salviatus went away without doing any thing. When he was gone, the Servants and Solicitors of de Sande came to me in a great Fright; and told me, they durst not acquaint their Master with the unsuccessful News of Salviatus’s Intercession for his Liberty; for all his Hopes depending thereon, they were afraid the Transaction would either make him desperate, or bring some fatal Disease upon him; and, therefore, they desired me to acquaint him first by Writing. I refused, alledging, That I had not Common Places enough to draw Comfort from, for a Man in so deep Distress. For de Sande was a Man of a great Spirit, full of Hope, and without any Fear; and Men of such Dispositions, hope for every Thing they desire; and if they meet with any Disappointment of their Hopes, they are so cast down, that ’tis hard to raise them to any tolerable frame of Spirit.
Whilst Matters stood thus at a Hand, in comes Ebrahim, my Interpreter, very opportunely; and falling into Discourse about these Spanish Prisoners, he told me plainly, that if I did but demand their Liberty, I should certainly obtain it; and what he spake was upon good Grounds. He had formerly given me some blind Hopes, that I might procure their Release if I set my self about it: But, I gave little heed to this Suggestion; for not being certain of a Peace, how could I attempt such a Thing? Besides, I was afraid, lest my Interposition might hinder the Success of Salviatus’s Negotiation: But he was gone, and Ebrahim, whom I had so much obliged, persisted in the same Opinion. I began to hearken to him; but told him, he should have a Care he did not engage me, who was his Friend, in a ridiculous Business; for, without doubt, I should be laugh’d at, if I did not succeed in it, the Matter being thought difficult to be compared in common Opinion, and Salviatus having attempted it in vain; yet he advised me to proceed therein, and amused me with the Assurance of good Success.
Upon this Encouragement, I wrote to de Sande, how fruitless Salviatus’s Embassy had been, yet I advised him not to despair; for, if any Credit were at all to be given to a Turk, there was good hope of his Affairs; and then I related what Ebrahim had told me.
Having laid this Foundation, I advised with some Friends who were well skill’d in Turkish Affairs. They wish’d me all good Success, but were very doubtful of it; especially since the King of France’s Ambassador had been denied, and the Issue of a Peace was yet undetermined; and moreover, as the Turks are hardly ever induced to release great Men; yet I wrote to my Master the Emperor, to let him know what Hopes I had, and desired that I might, in his Name, beg the Release of those Prisoners. In short, upon great Gifts, and fair Promises made to the Bashaws, for their Favour in this Case; the Day before St. Laurence’s Day, all the Prisoners were released and sent to my Lodgings. De Sande and Leyva were so odious to each other, that they would not eat together, but I was forced to spread their Tables a-part; Requesne eat with Leyva, and de Sande with me. While we were at Supper, the French Ambassador’s Steward came to me, with a small Pacquet of Letters. De Sande ask’d, if he knew him? Yes Sir, said he, I think you are Don Alvarez. I am so, said he, pray remember me to your Master, and tell him, that I have obtained my Liberty by means of the Emperor’s Ambassador, and that you have seen me Abroad with your own Eyes. I see you, indeed, Sir, said he; but so, that I can scarce believe my own Eyes. De Sande did thus accost him, because his Master, the French Agent, would never believe that Solyman would release those great Men at the Emperor’s Instance: And the Truth is, before they could obtain their Liberty, their Mufti, who is an Archbishop amongst the Turks, was consulted, Whether a great many Turks might not be released for a few Christians; for I had promised, that about forty Turks, of an ordinary Rank, who were Prisoners with us, should be released for them. The Mufti answered, That there were two Opinions on the Case; one Pro, the other Con; but he was for the Affirmative.
It now remains that I acquaint you with the last End of Bajazet, who, I told you before, was put in Prison by the Persians. Many Messages had passed between those two Princes on that Occasion; and an Ambassador came once from Persia with Presents, a Tent curiously wrought, Assyrian and Persian Tapestry, with the Alcoran, and some Beasts of an unusual Sort; as, an Indian Ant, as big as an ordinary Dog; a fierce and biting Present. The Cause of the Embassy was pretended to be, the Reconciliation of Bajazet with his Father; and they were received very honourably, entertained with rich Banquets, of which Haly sent me a part; eight huge Dishes full of Sweetmeats, and plenty of the richest Wines. ’Twas the Custom of the Romans to send Dishes from their Feasts to their Friends; the Spaniards do it to this Day; and the Turks from their great Feasts carry home something, especially if they have Wives and Children. They many times carried home whole Napkins full of good Bits from my Table; and tho’ they pretend to Cleanliness, yet they would sometimes daub their Silk-cloaths with some Collation-drops.