G. M.
Guernsey.
The Baptized Turk.—Your correspondent CH. (Vol. ii., p. 120.), who inquired about Lord Richard Christophilus (al. Isuf Bassa), a converted Turk, may be interested in a curious account of another convert to Christianity, which has lately fallen in my way, if he be not already in possession of the (almost legendary) narrative. I allude to a small 8vo. volume, entitled:
"The Baptized Turk; or, A Narrative of the happy conversion of Signior Rigep Dandulo, the onely son of a silk merchant in the isle of Tsio, from the delusions of that great Impostor Mahomet, unto the Christian Religion; and of his admission unto Baptism, by Mr. Gunning at Excester-house Chappel, the 8th of November, 1657. Drawn up by Tho. Warmstry, D.D., Lond. 1658."
Dr. Warmstry was Dean of Worcester. His conversion of the Turk Dandulo is mentioned in the Lansdowne MSS. (986., p. 67.), and also in the Athenæ Oxonienses. The narrative is dedicated to
"The Right Honourable the Countess of Dorset, the Honourable the Lord George, and the Worshipful Philip Warwick, Esq., witnesses at the baptism of Signior Dandulo the convert."
There appears to have been "a picture of the said Dandulo in a Turkish habit put before it;"
but this has been abstracted from the only copy I have seen.
This conversion appears to have been effected by the instrumentality of a dream; and the Narrative contains an interesting essay of some length on the subject of visions, and gives an interpretation of the dream in question.
J. Sansom.