It may, perhaps, divert you, and besides it is not wholly foreign to my Design, to acquaint you how this Rustan came to be strip’d of all his former Honours. Know then, That Solyman had a Son, called Mustapha, on a Concubine of his, born by the Bosphorus, (if I mistake not.) This Youth was in the prime of his Age, and in great Favour among the Soldiers. But the same Solyman had several other Children by Roxolana, whom he doated on so much, that he made her his Wife, by appointing her a Dowry; for that’s the Way of making and confirming a Marriage among the Turks. This Solyman did, contrary to the Custom of former Emperors, none of which had ever married a Wife, since the Days of Bajazet the Elder; the Reason was, because the said Bajazet, being overthrown by Tamerlane, was, with his Wife, taken Prisoner by him, where he suffered many Indignities, but none affected him more, than the Uncivilities and Reproaches which he saw offered to his Sultaness, before his Face. The Memory of which Affronts made such a deep Impression on all those that succeeded Bajazet in the Empire, that, to this very Day, none of them will marry a Wife, that so, whatever Chance should happen, they might never fall into the like Indignity; so that, ever since, they beget Children on Women of a servile Condition, in whose Misfortunes they may be less concerned, than if they were their lawful Wives. And yet the Children begot on such Concubines, are as much esteemed by the Turks, as if they were born in lawful Wedlock, and they have as much right to their Fathers Estates.
So then, Mustapha, being of a promising Ingenuity, and in the Flower of his Age; and besides, being the Darling of the Soldiers, and the common People too, having so many favourable Circumstances attending him, he, after his Father’s Death, was by the Votes of all designed for his Successor in the Empire.
On the other Side, his Stepmother, Roxalana, with Might and Main, laboured to prevent it, and to secure the Empire for the Children begotten on her own Body, and thereupon presuming on her Marriage-Relation, she ceased not to disparage Mustapha, and to prefer a younger Son of her own before him. In this Design Rustan was both her Counsellor, and Assistant; they drew both in one Yoke, for Rustan having married a Daughter of Solyman’s, by Roxalana, their Interests thereupon were reciprocal.
This Rustan was the Chief of the Bashaw’s, and Solyman’s Prime Vizier, having the chief Power and Authority with him: He was a Man of a sharp and very capacious Wit, and a great Grace to Solyman’s Government. As for his Original, he was the Son but of a Shepherd, and yet he seemed worthy of that Dignity to which he was advanced, if his sordid Avarice had not been a Blot in his Escutcheon. And to speak truly, Solyman himself observed this Vice in him, though upon all other Accounts, he was his choice and only Favourite: And yet this Crime of his turned to his Master’s Advantage; for being appointed by Solyman to preside over his Treasury, or Exchequer, which sometimes was very low, he was so thrifty in the Management of that Office, that he did not spare to raise Money, even by the meanest and most contemptible Ways. For he laid a Tax on Herbs, Roses, and Violets, which grew in great Men’s Gardens; he caused the Armour, Coats of Mail, Warrior’s Horses, of such as were taken Prisoners in War, to be sold, and by such Ways as those he got together such a Mass of Money, that Solyman was very secure on that Part; upon this Occasion, I remember, that a great Man among the Turks, who are usually vindictive enough, that was a great Enemy to Rustan, yet (to my Surprize) told me, That he would do Rustan no hurt, tho’ it were never so much in his Power, because his Care and Industry had advanced his Master’s Treasury to so prodigious a Sum. There is a Chamber in the Seraglio, at Constantinople, over which there is this Inscription, Here is the Cash obtained by the Diligence of Rustan.
When Rustan was Grand Vizier, and had the intire Administration of all Things in his Hands, he was able to turn his Master’s Mind, as he pleased, so that ’twas commonly reported among the Turks, That partly by the Accusation of Rustan, and partly by the Witchcraft of his Wife Roxolana, (for she was accounted little better than a Sorceress) Solyman was so alienated from his Son Mustapha, that he took Counsel to put him to Death. As to what some alledge, that Mustapha being sensible of the Designs of Rustan and his Step-Mother Roxolana, against his Life, did labour to preserve them, by taking off his Father, and so seizing the Empire by force; very few do believe that Story, but look upon it as a Fiction.
On this Occasion, let me tell you, that the Sons of the Turkish Emperors are the miserablest Creatures in the World; for if any one of them succeed his father in the Empire, the rest are inevitably put to Death by him. For the Turks cannot endure any Corrival in Government; and besides they are egged on to this severity by their Prætorian Bands, (Janizaries and Spahies) who, as long as there is any one of the Grand Seigniors Brothers alive, never cease craving of Largesses and Boons, and if the present Emperor refuses to grant them, they presently cry out, God save your Brother, God send your Brother a long Life; by which Words, they more than intimate their Wishes, that he were on the Throne. So that the Turkish Emperors are in a manner compelled to put their Brethren to Death, and so begin their Reign with Blood. But Mustapha was afraid of such a fatal end; or else Roxolana was willing to translate the said Destiny from her own Children upon Mustapha: Upon one or other of these Grounds, it was, that Solymon entertain’d the thought of putting his Son Mustapha to Death. And the occasion fell out opportunely, for he had War at that Time, with Sagthama King of the Persians, thither Rustan was sent with a vast Army. When he drew near to the Borders of Persia, upon a sudden he made a stop, and wrote back fearful Missives to Solyman, telling him, That the whole Empire was in great hazard, there was nothing but Treason studied in the Army, they all cry’d out A Mustapha! A Mustapha! yea, the Disease was grown to such a height, that ’twas past his skill to cure it; and therefore the Emperor himself must come immediately, if he would have the Crown sit safe on his Head.
Solyman was mightily disturb’d at the News, and therefore posted away for the Army, and sends Letters to Mustapha to come to him, to purge himself from those Crimes, whereof he was formerly suspected, but now openly accused; if he could do it, he told him, he need not fear to approach his Presence. Upon the Receipt of this Letter, Mustapha was in a great Streight, if he should go to his Father, in such an angry Mood, he ran upon his Death; if he refused, that would be interpreted, as a plain Confession of the objected Crimes. Under this Dilemma, he resolved upon that course, which as it had more of Resolution in it, so it was fullest of Danger. Away goes he from Amasia, of which he was Governor, to his Father’s Camp, which was pitch’d not far from the place. This he did either out of confidence of his own Innocency, or else presuming on the Assistance of the Army, if any Severity were meditated against him; whatever was the Motive of his Journey, this is certain, that he run unavoidably upon his own Destruction; For Solyman ever since he was at Constantinople, had resolved to put his Son to Death; and to make the Matter more plausable, he consulted the Mufty, (so the Turks call the chief of their Priests, as Romanists call theirs the Pope,) and that he might not speak to him in favour of Mustapha, he propounded to him a feign’d Case, thus, ‘There was a Wealthy Merchant at Constantinople, who having occasion to Travel a long Journey from Home, left the care of his Family, his Wife and Children, and all his Affairs to a Slave of his, in whose Fidelity he put a great deal of Confidence; now this Slave, immediately after his departure, designed to destroy his Masters Wife and Children, committed to his Care, and Embezil his Estate, and to work against his Masters own Life, in case he should ever get him into his Power; What may be Lawfully done, said he, to the Mufty, with such a Slave.’ He deserves says the Mufty to be Rack’d to Death. Whether he spoke really as he thought, or whither he did not do it to curry favour with Rustan and Roxolana; This is certain, that the Resolution of the Grand Seignior was greatly confirmed thereby to put his Son to Death, for he was of Opinion, Mustapha’s Offence against him, was as great, as that supposed Slaves against his Master. However it were, Mustapha came into his Fathers Camp, the whole Army being very sollicitous about the event of their Congress.
Soon after he was brought into his Fathers Tent, where all things were hush; not a Soldier of the Guards to be seen, no Serjeant, no Executioner in view, nor nothing of Treachery that was visible; but when he was come into an inner Tent, Lo! upon a sudden, there started up four Mutes, strong and lusty Fellows to be his Executioners; they set upon him with all their strength and might, and endeavoured to cast a Cord about his Neck; he defended himself stoutly for a while, (for he was a Robust young Man,) as if he had contended not only for Life, but for the Empire. For without Question, if he had escaped that danger, and had come in among the Janizaries, they either out of Affection to him, whom they dearly Loved; or else moved with the Indignity of the Thing, would not only have saved his Life, but have gone near to have Proclaimed him Emperor: And that was the very thing, which Solyman fear’d of all things in the World; and therefore perceiving, as he stood behind a Linnen Vail in the Tent to behold the Tragedy, that unexpected stop was put to his Bloody Design; he peep’d out his Head, and gave the Mutes such a sour and minacious Look, in reproach of their remisness; thereupon they assaulted him with renew’d Force, and then threw poor Mustapha down on the Ground, and Strangled him; and after they had done, they carried his Corps out of the Tent, and laid it on a piece of Tapestry, that so the Janizaries might behold their design’d Emperor.
As soon as the Matter was divulged, Commiseration and Grief seized on the whole Camp, and there was scarce a Man of any Consideration in the whole Army, that did not approach to behold so sad a Spectacle, especially the Janizaries, whose Confirmation and Rage was such, that they would have ventured to attempt any Manner of Mischief whatsoever, if they had had a Leader. As for him whom they hoped to be their Conductor, he lay dead on the Ground, and therefore now there was no Way but one, to take that patiently which was past all Remedy.