M
hamet the Turkish Spy
A CONTINƲ ATION OF LETTERS Written by a
Turkish Spy
AT PARIS. Giving an impartial Account to the Divan at
Constantinople
of the most Remarkable Transactions of
Europe,
and discovering several Intrigues and Secrets of the Christian Courts, especially of that of
France
; continued from the Year 1687, to the Year 1693.
Written originally in
Arabick,
Translated into
Italian,
and from thence into
English.
LONDON, Printed for
W. Taylor,
at the Sign of the
Ship
in
Pater-Noster-Row,
1718.
THE PREFACE.
I T was not so much the Success of the former Volumes of these Letters, that has promoted their Continuance; but the Excellence of the Subject, the Beauty of the Manner, and the delightful Variety they present us with, convinc'd me that it was impossible but they should please.
If it were possible to give the Reader (in the Translation) the same Ideas he would conceive, were he to read the Original; could I translate, or indeed could our Language express the Story with the same Vivacity, the fame Spirit, and the same Energy of Words as the old exquisitely qualified
Arabian
delivered it, how much superior would it be to what it now appears; with what Pleasure, with what Raptures and Extafies must it be received?
But 'tis not to be done: I may translate the Words, and I have some Hopes the Reader will suggest that I have done my Duty; but to render the sublime Flights of the incomparable
Mohmut,
his bright Ideas, his surprizing Turns of Wit, and Flights of Fancy; I say, to render these exactly in our Language, is as difficult as 'tis for a Painter to represent the Passions, or a Carver to make his Figures speak.
It is observ'd by the Curious, that the most difficult thing in the Limners Art is, to represent a Person singing; suppose it be the Picture of a young Lady, the utmost he can do is, to shew her Countenance bright, the Company listening, and appearing pleased; but alas towards the Sound, towards the Charm of her Voice, and the Beauty of her Judgment, he can do no more than paint her with her Mouth open, which is the meanest Posture she can, with Decency, be shewn in; and unless the other Passions discover it, she may as well be supposed to be swearing, scolding, sick, or any thing else, as well at singing.
We can no more represent the Eloquence, the Spirit, the sprightly Turns, and the happy Genius of our accomplish'd, inimitable
Arabian,
by the most laboured and studied Translation into
English,
than a Limner can paint the Voice, and give the Musick of the Song in the Gestures of the Lady.
But when I have acknowledg'd this, the Reader, I hope, will not find that all the Care has been taken to make old
Mahmut
speak
English,
I say, all the Care that consists with one very sollicitous to please and oblige, as well as to divert and instruct.
Above all, I have followed that sure Rule in our Tongue, and which, were it observed, would, I believe, be acknowledged to be the best Rule in all Tongues,
(viz)
to make the Language plain, artless, and honest, suitable to the Story, and in a Stile easie and free, with as few exotick Phrases and obsolete Words as possible, that the meanest Reader may meet with no Difficulty in the Reading, and may have no Obstruction to his searching the History of things by their being obscurely represented.
It was objected, I know, to the former Volumes of this Work, that the
Turk
was brought in too much debasing the Christian Religion, extolling
Mahomet,
and speaking disrespectfully of Jesus Christ, calling him the
Nazaren,
and the Son of
Mary,
and it is certain the Continuation must fall into the same Method; but either
Mahmut
must be a
Turk
or no
Turk,
either he must speak his own Language or other Peoples Language, and how must we represent Words spoken by him in the first Person of invincible
Mahmut
the
Arabian,
if we must not give his own Language; and how can this Work be a Translation, if we must not translate the very Stile of the Original?
Let those who think they have Cause for any Observations of this Nature observe, that all Care possible is taken to represent such Passages in Terms that may give no Offence, and with this Caution to the Reader, that when he reads those Parts, he is desired to take them as the Words of the
Arabian,
not the Words of the Translator; and if any thing may be said to be left out of the Original, it can only be such Places where
Mahmut
may have taken more Liberties than might be proper for the Repetition of Christian Readers.
On the other Hand, it will be observed, in Defence of the Translation, and of the good Intention of the Translator, that as honest
Mahmut,
upon many Occasions, speaks very honourably, and even reverently of our Saviour, and particularly of the perfect Laws and Rules of Faith and Doctrine, and speaks with Detestation of the Apostacy of his Followers, and of the unworthy Behaviour of those who profess to be his Disciples and Worshippers; so the Translator has not fail'd to take all Occasions to do Justice to the Original in all those Cases in particular.
It is true, the Translator has some Letters on these Subjects which he has not thought fit to make publick, because of the nice Palates of a censorious Age, who will take all Advantages to insult the Publication of such a Stile, while yet they concern not themselves to hear the Deity of our blessed Lord insulted every Day in publick, by those who call themselves Believers, and even the Being of a God denied by a much worse Infidelity than that of a
Mahometan.
It is an Observation not unworthy the Remark of our
Arabian,
and may be very useful to those that read him,
(viz.)
that the practical Atheism, so rife in the World in this Age, is a Sin engrossed among Christians; that the
Mahometans
know nothing of it; and that it is not heard of among the Mussulmans, that any Man should arrive to that Degree of Hardness in Crime, as to deny the Being of a God, whose Glory the Light of Nature so evidently reveals.
These Letters are not only a Record of History through the Years they refer to, and that not only respecting
France,
but all the Parts of the Christian World; but they are fruitful of improving Observations on many Subjects, as well Religious as Moral.
It is true, our
Arabian
grows ancient, and we find him casting his Thoughts upon the Pleasures of their
Mahometan
Futurity; but as Christians should, when they grow nearer a future State, have their Minds ting'd with the Glories they expect; so we find his Understanding so far from a Decay by his Years, that he speaks of religious things with so much the more Relish and Taste, as if he realliz'd on Earth the Heaven he expected.
He must have very few Thoughts about him who cannot see that the older our Author grows, the more profitable and instructing his Writings will be, and yet we do not find his Fancy so confin'd, but that he ranges through all the Regions of Science, speaks of the Politicks of State, and Progress of Armies, with as true Deductions and as clear a Judgment as ever.
If our Correspondent at
Vienna,
to whom
Mahmut
committed his Papers, and to whom they were faithfully delivered by his Successor, does not deceive us, we may expect a yet greater Variety, towards the Conclusion of his Residence, than has yet seen the Light, and perhaps some Remains of things omitted in the Time of former Publication, which, as they come to Hand, shall be communicated with the greatest Exactness, whether they may exactly correspond with the Chronology of former Publications or no; and tho' there may seem a little Confusion in such a Retrospect, yet I doubt not the Beauty of the Subject shall make full Amends for any Disorder in the Dates.
This has been the Reason why, even in this Volume, some Letters, especially of speculative Subjects, may come a little out of the Order of Time, which, I think, is a thing of so trifling a Nature, compar'd to the Advantage of their Publication, that it needs not the least Apology for it.
A TABLE OF THE LETTERS and
Matters
contain'd in this Volume.
VOL. I.
BOOK I.
LETTER I.
M AHMUT,
an
Arabian
at
Paris,
to
Musa Emo Saban Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State to the Grand Seignior. page 1
He complains of his having been so long exiled from his native Country, and conjures him to procure his Return, and invites him to a Meeting in Paradise.
II. To
Hassan Ebio Mirza Zebir,
great Mufti, or High-Priest of
Mahomet.
5
He writes a sharp Satyr upon the Practice of the
Nazarens,
in joining Mirth and warlike Musick to their Worship, and tells a Story how the
French
manag'd their
Te Deum,
joining the Noise of Cannon, Drums, and Trumpets, with their Praises.
III. To
Cicala Bassa Beglerbeg
of
Romania.
12
He gives him an Account of the Revolution in
England,
and particularly how the Oversight of the
French
King was the only Occasion of the Enterprize of the Prince of
Orange
taking Effect.
IV. To the most heavenly Pattern of Wisdom and Purity
Hassan Mirza Zebir,
Prince of the Mufties. 17
He gives him an Account of the scandalous Conduct of some Popes, and tells him the Story of the Pope who declar'd the Story of Christ to be a Fable and a Cheat.
V. To
Hassan Amiel Zucharava,
Aga of the Janizaries. 22
He gives him a State of the approaching Confederacy, and a Character of the King of
France,
of his formidable Power, and of his Generals and Officers.
VI. To
Morat Abdimelcher,
Kadeleskar of
Natolia.
27
He relates the Cruelty of the
French
in the Desolations of the
Palatinate,
and the Absurdity of destroying Mankind, and then giving God Thanks for it.
VII. To the Kaimacham. 31
He relates the Beginning of the War between the King of
France
and the Confederates, and gives a farther Account of the Ravages of the
French
in the
Palatinate.
VIII. To
Morat Abdiel Elzagrad,
Keeper of the Tomb of
Mahomet.
33
He gives an Account of the Imposture or Absurdity of the Papists in preserving Reliques; how they are imposed upon by it; and tells a Story of the Merchant of
Rochel,
who sold a Piece of an old Skull, taken up in a Church-Yard, as a Relick of St.
Thomas,
for 20000 Crowns, to the Bishop of
Marseilles.
IX. To
Imanzani Mehemet,
Kadilesker of
Romelia.
37
He treats of the Abuses of the Papal Chair; of the Opposition made to Popery by the Hugonots; of the Pope being Antichrist, and tells him the Story of the Impostor Pope
Joan.
X. To the venerable, sage Guide of Wisdom, Prince of the Law of
Mahomet,
and High-Priest of the
Mussulmans.
42
He sends him an Account of the Death of Pope
Innocent XI.
who the Hugonots call the Protestant Pope.
XI. To the illustrious Leader of the Armies of the invincible Emperor of the Faithful,
Mehemet Orchanes Ogli,
Vizier
Azem.
45
He congratulates the Mussulmans Empire, upon the exalting a Man of such Merit and Experience to the high Office of Grand Vizier. He gives him also an Account of the mighty Preparations for War in
France,
both by Sea and Land.
XII. To the Aga of the Janizaries. 48
He compliments him upon the Victory obtained by him over the Christians at the Battle of
Nissa,
and sends him one of the Accounts of that Action, as it was published in
France.
XIII. To the most perfect in Wisdom and Virtue, the upright Instructor among the Faithful,
Vahimi Effendi,
Publisher of Truth, and Teacher of wise Sayings in the Presence of the Grand Seignier. 52
He jests with the popish Celebration of Days, particularly that of the Nativity of Christ, while they cannot agree upon the Time; and that of
Good Friday,
while they know not whether it be a Feast or a Fast.
XIV. To
Simeon Ben. Habbakkuk,
a
Jew
at
Salonicka.
57
He tells him a Story of an Abbot in
France,
who wrote 17 Volumes in
Folio,
being a Collection of sacred Relicks, and how Cardinal
Mazarine,
knowing the Cheat of those things, suppress'd the Books: He makes a Parable from the ridiculous Labours of the said Abbot to the thirty Years fruitless Labour
Simeon
had spent to restore the Authority of the Oral Law, and of the
Jewish
Misna, Talmud,
&c.
and exhorts him to give it over.
XV. To the Kaimacham. 63
He gives him an Account of the abdicated King of
England
taking Sanctuary in
France,
and how the King of
France
espouses his Quarrel against all
Europe.
XVI. To
Mahumed Nassuff,
formerly Bassa of
Caramania, Reis Effendi,
or chief Secretary of State. 67
He gives him an Account of the mighty Efforts of the King of
France,
both by Sea and Land; how he bears up against the whole
Nazaren
World; of the Defeat of the Confederate Fleet, in the Sea-Fight at
Beachy-Head;
also an Account of the Battle of the
Boyn
in
Ireland.
XVII. To
Amurath Puelogli, Chaious Bassa
his Brothers Son, newly advanced to that Office. 71
He blames him for forsaking his Studies for a Servile-Place at Court.
XVIII. To the perfect Judge, Mirror of Uprightness, and Distributer of Justice to the Faithful,
Morat Ebbuchebb,
Kadelesker of
Salonicha
and the Isles. 74
He complains of the Mussulmans being secretly addicted to Wine, and adjures him to put the Laws in Execution strictly against it.
XIX. To the Kaimacham. 77
He gives him an Account how easily the
French Gens d'Arms
defeat the
German
Horse, and wonders they should be so terrible to the Spahis; he tells them the Advantage which the
French
found in mounting their Troops with large heavy Horses, and moves them to have the
Ottoman
Cavalry so mounted.
XX. To
Kara Hamaizath. Ungwair,
a Searcher of ancient Knowledge, a learned aged Emir at
Tacsebbassara
in
Arabia.
81
He discourses of the Learning of the ancient
Arabians,
the Testimony of the
Jews
and of other Nations to it, and proves that
Job
and his three Friends were of
Arabia.
XXI. To
Draout Zemaoglan,
his near Kinsman, under Clerk, or Deputy to the
Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State. 86
He complains, that tho' he is in the very Secretary's Office, he sends him no News; but he is faign to learn the Affairs of the Grand Seignior, and the great Actions in the War, from the
French
and
Dutch Gazettes;
he upbraids him with unnatural forgetting him, who is his nearest Parent, being his Father's Brother, and expatiates on the Principle of Sympathy, and a Converse of Souls.
XXII. To the
Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State. 90
He rejoices to hear of the Victories which the Mussulmans Army obtains over the Christians, particularly he mentions the taking of
Nissa,
the Reduction of
Servia,
and the Defeatof General
Heuster
in
Transylvania,
where he was taken Prisoner,
&c.
XXIII. To
Solyman Hagzani Oglou,
Aga of the Janizaries. 93
He expresses his Joy and Acknowledgment for having received Orders and a Sum of Money from him by the Grand Seignior's Command.
XXIV. To
Morat Abdomazar Ephiesmar Oglou,
a Student in the Law of
Mahomet.
97
He exclaims against the Christians for being profess'd Atheists, and denying openly the very Being of a God, and triumphs that this is a Sin unknown among the Followers of
Mahomet.
XXV. To the Prince of the Servants of God, Guide of the Faithful, Mirror of Wisdom and Council, the venerable
Esad,
high in the Favour of the Grand Seignior, and of our great Prophet
Mahomet.
101
He gives him an Account of the Banishment of the
Vaudois,
Subjects of the Duke of
Savoy.
Of their gallant Attempt to return by Force into their own Country, and the Success of it.
BOOK II.
LETTER I. T O
Mustapha Osman,
a Dervice of
Adrianople,
his Friend. 107
He acknowledges to have received the joyful Tidings that the Grand Seignior has granted him leave to return home; he discourses to him of the Extreams of Joy on such Occasions, which he compares to the subterraneous imprisoned Winds in the Earth, which occasion Earthquakes,
&c.
II. To
Mahomet Tershekkah,
Vizier
Azem.
114
He gives him an Account of the Death of the Duke of
Lorrain.
III. To
Amurath Zahabbezin,
a proselyted
Jew
reconciled to the Doctrine of
Mahomet.
121
He treats of the Degeneracy of the
Jews
from their ancient Law, and proves that Degeneracy gave Rise to the Christian Religion, and also to that of
Mahomet.
IV. To
Mahomed Elmakem,
Student in History at
Trapezond.
126
He gives him an Account of the Antiquity of the
Arabians,
their Knowledge in Science, their Fame in the Wars, and their exquisite Learning.
V. To the Kadilesker of
Natolia.
132
A strange Relation of a Fit of Devotion in the King and whole Court at
Versailles,
and of the true Design of it.
VI. To
Morat Husain Abdeilomar,
Kaimacham of
Constantinople
139
Of the Victories of
France
over the Confederates, particularly at the Battle of
Flerus,
a Fight at Sea with the Confederate Fleet, and the Battle at
Sallufses
in
Piemont;
in all which the
French
are victorious.
VII. To the Kutziler Aga, chief Eunuch, or chief of the Seraglio. 143
How the Victories of the Grand Vizier in
Hungary
saved the King of
France
from utter Ruine; he exhorts the Port to take the Advantage and make Peace with the Emperor, seeing they may now make their own Terms.
VIII. To the Kaimacham. 146
His Opinion of the Prince of
Orange,
as he calls him, meaning King
William III.
and an Account of the great Congress at the
Hague
in Compliment to the Prince, and of the forming the grand Alliance there against
France.
IX. To
Hoganquin Zemel Atran,
a Student of Antiquity at
Zaabbachz
in
Arabia.
152
A Search into Antiquity for the Original of the Heathen Gods.
X. To the Captain Bassa. 157
Of the great Victory of the
English
and
Dutch
over the
French
Fleet, and the Burning their Ships at
La Hogue.
XI. To
Amurath Zahabbezim,
a proselyted
Jew
at
Trapezond.
161
He confutes the Doctrines of the
Talmudists,
and other
Jews,
concerning the Interpretations of the
Jewish
Laws by the Rabbins, and shews him, that to introduce a traditional Explanation of
Mahomet
's Law would be equally ridiculous.
XII. To the
Reis Effendi.
167
Of the Eruption into the Kingdom of
France
by the Duke of
Savoy,
and the Distractions it put the whole Kingdom into.
XIII. To
M. Ebn Allwazhhair,
a learned Man studying Astronomy at
Hadramurt
in
Arabia.
171
He treats of the Improvements made in Science by the Studies of this Age; of the Difference between the ancient and the modern Philosophy.
BOOK III.
LETTER I. T O
Issuff Oglan,
Bassa, Teacher of the Exercises of Arms to the young Janizaries at
Constantinople.
179
He shews him the Necessity of exercising the Janizaries into the Use of the same Discipline, the same way of fighting, and the Use of the same Arms with the
German
Soldiers.
II. To
Mehemet Asdan Cupriogli,
victorious Conqueror of the
Nazarens,
Restorer of Glory to the Faithful, the right Hand of Honour, the Star of Praise, mighty Supporter of the tremendous Throne of the invincible Sultan
Achmet,
on whose Head be eternal Benediction. 184
Of the
French
K. investing
Namure,
when he was surrounded with Enemies; the Consternation it put his Enemies into, and an Account of the Siege.
III. To the Aga of the Janizaries. 189
He treats of the exquisite Management of the King of
France,
in supporting his Power under the Weight of such powerful Enemies, and exhorts him to exercise the common Soldiers of the Mussulmans Empire to Arms, as the Janizaries are.
IV. To the Aga of the Janizaries. 193
Of the King of
France
proclaiming a publick Biram or Fast, and of the prodigious Success of his Arms which followed it.
V. To the venerable Mufti, sage Mirror of celestial Wisdom, the inlightned Prince of the Oracles of Vertue, Guide of the true Believers to the Glories of Paradise, and Keeper of the Garden of Pleasure. 199
He gives him an Account of the miserable Degeneracy of the Christians into Atheism and Deism, and observes that the Mussulmans are not tainted with that Crime.
VI. To
Ali,
Bassa, Chief of the Engineers, and Seraskier of the
Morea.
204
He gives him an Account of the
French
taking the Castle of
Montmelian.
VII. To
Ibrahim Ebn Allhazar Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State. 209
Of the Person appointed to succeed him.
VIII. To the Aga of the Janizaries. 212
Of the Defcat of the
Germans
on the
Rhine
by the Duke
de Lorge,
and the taking the Duke of
Wirtemberg
Prisoner.
IX. To
Zema Ellmahannon,
an old Dervice of
Damascus.
218
He exposes the
Epicurean
Philosophy, and argues strongly the Necessity of a first Cause.
X. To
Ali,
Bassa, Chief of the Engineers, and Seraskier of the
Morea.
222
He gives him an Account of the Fortifications of
Dunkirk.
XI. To the Kadilescher of
Romelia.
226
He relates to him the Conspiracy of Captain
Granval,
to assassinate the King of
England;
and reproaches the Ministry of the King of
France,
for being concern'd in so villainous an Action, which is justly abhorr'd by the Mussulmans, tho' against their worse Enemies.
XII. To
Ali,
Bassa, Chief of the Engineers, and Seraskier of the
Morea.
232
He sends him Plans of the Fortifications of several of the King of
France
his Towns.
XII. To the Kaimacham. 239
An Account of the Siege of
Mons
in
Flanders.
XIII. To
Mahomed Elmaken,
Student in History at
Trapezond.
245
He gives him an Account of the Earthquake at
Jamaica,
and therewith a Summary of the History of Earthquakes in these Parts of the World, and the Fable of the Island
Atlantis,
which, he says, was swallowed up, with 500 Millions of People.
XIV. To
Simeon Ben. Habbakkuk,
a
Jew
at
Salonicha.
252
He tells him a Story which happened in the Earthquake at
Jamaica,
(viz.) how the
Jews
call'd upon Jesus to save them; he thence takes Occasion to speak of the Belief or Opinion which the
Mahometans
have of Jesus Christ.
BOOK IV.
LETTER I. T O the Selictar-Aga, or chief Sword-Bearer. 257
He tells him a Story of the great Lake at
Thoulouse,
into which the
Goths
threw an immense Sum of Money, and wonders the King of
France
does not order it to be emptied.
II. To the grand Mufti. 262
He gives a full, but dreadful Account of an Earthquake in
Sicily,
in which above an Hundred Thousand People perished; and takes Occasion to mention with Detestation the Ingratitude, the Superstition of the
Roman
Clergy at
Messina,
in ascribing their Deliverance not to God, but to an old Woman, meaning the Virgin
Mary,
who calls the Woman
Mary
the Mother of Jesus.
III. To
Hassan El Abmenzai,
Steward to the Sultanness of
Alfaraiza.
266
He gives a philosophical Account of the Necessity there is of having some Body to communicate our Joys and Griefs to; he relates his own Excess of Joy when he had received the News of his being recalled, and of his Successor being named; from which Joy he fell into the contrary Extreme of Grief and Despair, his Successor having died upon the Road at
Chaalons.
IV. To the Mufti. 270
He writes him a Story of
Michael de Molinos,
the famous Quietist, and how he was betray'd to the Inquisition at
Rome
by his Friend the Cardinal
de Estrees,
at the Instigation of the Jesuits.
V. To the Grand Vizier. 275
He tells the Story of the Duke of
Luxemberg
being accused of Sorcery and Witchcraft, and afterwards gives a large Account of the great Battle of
Landen,
and his Victory over the Confederate Army there, led by the King of
England.
VI. To the Selictar Aga, or chief Sword-Bearer to Sultan
Achmet,
Lord of the illustrious among Men, Prince of the Kings of the three Corners of the Earth. 281
He ridicules the Christians Orders of Knighthood, and particularly that of the golden Fleece, which he calls the Order of a dead Sheep.
VII. To
Mustapha Osman,
a Dervice of
Adrianople,
his Friend. 286
He tells him a merry Story of the popish Superstition at
Brussels,
building a Chapple in a House of Office.
VIII. To
Muley Hamet Mahomozzi,
an
Egyptian
at
Medina,
a Master in the Study of Magic, 288
He gives an Account of the famous Clergy-man with the shaking Wand, who discovered Murthers, Thefts, Adulteries,
&c.
IX. To the Kaimacham. 293
An Account of the Burning the fine Palace of the Elector
Palatine
at
Heidelburgh,
and the Disgrace of the Baron
Hiedesdorf,
and Governour of that Castle.
X. To the Captain Bassa. 297
He gives him an Account of the
French
falling upon the
English
and
Dutch Turkey
Fleets.
XI. To the Grand Vizier. 301
A particular Account of the great Victory of the
French
over the Duke of
Savoy
at the great Battle of
Marsiglia.
A Continuation of LETTERS written by a Spye at
Paris.
VOLUME I.
BOOK I.
LETTER I. To
Musa Emo Saban Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State to the Grand Seignior.
T Hou hast formerly seen and approv'd my Letters to
Cicala Bassa, Beglerbeg
of
Romania,
and commandest me to write also to thy self; approving, as thou sayest, my way of Informing my Friends of the State of Things in this Country. It solaces my Soul, in the midst of my languishing Distemper, of which I inform'd the
Chaimacam,
my late Friend, and in which I had felt so much pain; I say, it solaces my Soul to find my performances approved by him, to whom I owe my Commission, and the being remembred, after having been forty and eight Years, as one buried alive, among Infidels, and Strangers.
But in particular it gives Youth to my Spirits, and fires my Soul with an inconceivable Joy, that thou givest me the promise of sending me a Successor in this nice Employment, thereby giving me hopes of being recalled, that I may once more see my native Country, in which lie the Bones of my Father and Brethren, and where I shall be able to die, as my Soul desires, even at the Gates of the thrice happy and blessed
Mecca;
where lie the Remains of our most holy Prophet, ever miraculous, and performing deeds of astonishment to the Eyes of all those who are allow'd to look three foot above the Ground on which they stand.
I conjure thee, happy
Saban,
now thou art Exalted to the High Post of a publick Minister: I say, I conjure thee by the hoary Beard of thy Father and Grandfather; by the Faith of a
Mussulman,
and true Believer; by the Fire that descended and drank up the River
Arath,
that our Prophet might go over; by the Moon and thirteen Stars, which gave him light thro' the Desart of
Lybia;
by the Blood of ten thousand
Jews
and Infidel Christians, Sacrificed at his Interment, and by the Tomb of
Mahomet,
and all the
Emirs
and Pilgrims there attending with incessant Devotion, that thou forget not thy banished
Mahmut,
grown old in the Service of the Illustrious King of Emperors, and Lord of Nations, and wearing past the capacity of performing the Offices requir'd of me; forget me not, I say, righteous
Musa,
but procure my Release, that I may not die among Dogs, and be blended in Earth with Infidels, and Enemies of
Mahomet.
It is time, sage Counsellor of the Wise, it is time, and justice requires that a faithful Servant, continued 48 Years in the Exile of a Secret Employ, and having with the utmost fidelity discharg'd my self, even to the satisfaction or confusion of those who envied me this Trust, should at last have liberty to come home and die in the Arms of my Friends, and be deposited in the Dust with the Faithful.
The Troubles of Life can have no greate Reward, than to end in peace; it is the great Victory over the vicissitudes of this World, the great Triumph that Wise and Good Men hope for, to lie down in the Grave, and be gather'd to the invi sible Mansions, in a State of Tranquillity, and at the Door of the blessed. Wherefore do millions travel in Pilgrimage to
Mecca,
and desire to have the Felicity to die there, but because they believe they shall from thence be immediately transported into Paradise, in the view of our great and sublime
Mahomet?
And what need have I of that difficulty, who am a Native of
Arabia,
justly styl'd the happy; doubly so,
(viz.)
by the Clime, and by the sacred Treasure reposed there: I say, who am a Native of
Arabia,
and who, in returning to my own Country, shall be happily scituated even in sight of the miraculous Monument of our Prophet, where I desire to end my Days in a manner suitable to one, whose Life has been devoted to the Interest and Honour of my Country.
Take it then into thy Power, exalted
Musa,
and think thy self fortunate, that thou art able to make one Happy Man, and to have one ancient Friend always blessing thy Charity, and sending up incessant Prayers for thy Health, and be not doubtful of finding a Successor equally quallified for this Employment, however nice; and if thou wilt have the Goodness to send the Person hither to me, I will continue with him till I have shewn him the way of Conversing with Mankind in this Place; so as to make this Jealous Nation easie in his Society, open to his Enquiries, and not suspicious of his Employment.
Do this, Generous
Saban,
with a Friendship suitable to that thou bearest for me in former Years, when thou and I were Equals and Camrades in the Oda's of the
Tekeh
at
Trapezond;
and let not Fate, which has exalted thee above thy Friend, cause thee to forget, that as thou art already full of Years, as I also am; so it is not many Days but we shall be levell'd in the Dust, and be equal again, till we meet in the Garden, and rejoyce in the Royal Palace of
Eden;
where not the highest in Human Glory, but the most perfect in Vertue, shall be receiv'd with the greatest Splendor into the Regions of Eternal Delight.
Paris,
4th of the 1st Moon, in the Year 1687.
LETTER II. To
Hassan Ebio Mirza Zebir,
Great Muffty, or High-Priest of
Mahomet.
ILLUSTRIOUS, Reverend, Resplendent Image of the blessed Lawgiver; I kiss the dust of thy sacred Feet, in reverence of that pure and unspotted Holiness that shines in thy Person, and which is truly Hereditary to the Chair of thy Office. I cannot sit here surrounded with the Pageantry of Devotion, and see the ridiculous
mimicking
of these Infidels, in what they call Religion, without some Heavenly Meditations, which I offer at thy Feet, in Honour of the more pure Institutions of our Great Prophet.
These Christians here, finding the harsh and uncouth Model of their Religion, consisting much in Celibacies, restraint of Liberty, Monastick Severities,
&c.
which they had drawn their People into the practice of, instead of Religion, would not go down with the People, or relish well with those who they knew, even from the barrenness of the Principle they went upon, could have no true tast of it
as Religious;
I say, these Christians, in order to make amends for their other Fopperies, are fain to bring as much Mirth as they can into their Worship, that the common People may have something in Religion to tickle and please them; that so if they cannot hold them by the sublime, they may by the sensitive part of their Worship, as the Enthusiasms of certain Hereticks which I remember in
Arabia,
which were animated by Fumes, and smoak of Herbs of an intoxicating quality, used on purpose by their Dervices, to keep up the delusions of their Principles.
There is no talking with these Men upon these Points; for should I but ask one of them to be ingenuous, and confess on what occasion they introduced so many antick Gestures, such variety of Pictures, such Adorations, and above all, such variety of Musical Instruments into their Mosques or Churches; and ask, whether it was not by the mechanism of those
addenda,
to possess the Minds, and move the Passions and Affections of their Proselytes; they would presently start at me, and cry our,
I was a Heretick,
and if I liv'd in some other parts of the Country, I should be certainly sent to the Inquisition:
This is a Devilish Ecclesiastick Judicature,
where they pass Sentence upon those who they think are in the least apt to prye too much into the sacred Impostures of their Religion.
Certainly, venerable Patriarch of the pure and faithful
Musselmans,
these
Nazareens
are the most detestable of all pretenders to Religion in the World; for at the same time that they call themselves the Disciples of their Prophet
Jesus,
they have brought into their forms of Worship, so many Innovations, and Traditional Corruptions, which himself never directed, that their Religion has now very little of the first Institution in it.
It is without question true, that this
Jesus,
who they are denominated from, was a very Holy Person, indued with Heavenly Wisdom; that he wrought innumerable Miracles, and left them pure Doctrines in Writings taken from his Mouth, and dictated to his Followers; and tho' we do not allow him to be any ways like to our most divine
Mahomet;
yet the Alchoran of this their Prophet
Jesus,
contains innumerable and excellent Precepts, which his Disciples for some Ages follow'd with great exactness, and suffer'd inexpressible Torments from the
Roman
Emperors and Government, in the defence of. But their Successors degenerating from the purity and the rectitude of Principle, which their said Ancestors retain'd, have corrupted their Religion to that degree, that it is now one of the greatest pieces of confusion and Buffoonry on Earth.
It would have fill'd thee with Indignation, Venerable and Holy
Mirza,
hadst thou been here the other day, when these
Nazareens
were paying their publick Thanks to their Prophet
Jesus,
who thou knowest they pretend to say is even equal with God. I went once into one of their Idolatrous Temples, or Mosques, to see the Pageantry of their Worship; which Curiosity led me to observe very particularly, because it was upon an occasion of Rejoycing, or Thanksgiving, as they call it, for taking of
Philipsburg,
a City of the Emperor on the
Rhine;
when I was not only astonished at the ridiculous folly of such a polite Nation as this is; but even provok'd with a holy rage, and I curs'd them by
Mahomet
three times, reserving serving it farther to thee to confirm the
Anathema
's which they have reason to expect and fall under.
Verily it is scarce to be imagin'd how they can pretend, if they did believe the ineffable Glory of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and that their Sacrifices were offered to him, that he would be Captivated by the noise of Fiddles and Bag-pipes, the shooting of Great Ordnance, the beating of Kettle-Drums, and the Clamour of Trumpets. But thus it was, for their great Rhapsody of Praise, which they call
Te Deum,
is thus managed. Behold just before they began their Song in the Mosque, 50 pieces of Canon were fir'd without, as if they intended to awaken their Prophet with the noise. Immediately after this, and just before the Door of the great Mosque, I was surpriz'd with the confusion of 12 Kettle-Drums, five sets of Trumpets plac'd at proper Distances, and 30 Drummers of the King's Guards of Foot, which for a quarter of an hour complimented their God with Tabor and Pipe.
As soon as this was over, an Anthem, so they call their Idolatrous Song which they Sing on these Occasions, began within the Mosque, sung by the Voices of Eunuchs, Boys, and Women, taught for those wicked Purposes. Their Voices were indeed excellent, and had they been employ'd on Occasions of Mirth and Delight, not for the debauching the Mind with corrupt Ideas in Religion, the Harmony of them was admirably fine▪ These Singers are placed in Stalls for that purpose, in several gradations, as their Voices rise; then followed the
Te Deum,
which was sung with the like Voices, but mixt with innumerable sorts of Instruments of Musick, such as Fiddles, Base-Viols, Hautboys, Fifes, Cymballs, Timbrels, Harps, Organs,
&c.
and continu'd about half an hour, and then went off (as it all begun) with Drums, Trumpets, Kettle-Drums, and 50 pieces of Canon from without.
Tell me, sage Prophet, who guides the Consciences of the faithful in paying their pure and unmix'd Devotions to one undivided Eternal Being, the Great
ALLA,
and directs them with simple and humble Devotion, to send up Prayers five times a Day to his ineffable Throne. Tell me what coherence can this have with the sacred thing called Religion, or with the nature of Adoration, and giving praise? which ought to be perform'd by humble Creatures, to the Creator of Heaven and Earth, to whom they should rather appear as Penitent Offenders, with Mortifications and Sacrifices of sorrowful Hearts, trembling even in their Thanksgiving, than with a noise of Musick, and Voices of Triumph, as if they were Inviting their great Prophet to a Festival, or Masquerade.
I think often, when I reflect on these Infidels, that they must certainly have very gross Conceptions of God, and may well be said to think of him after the manner of Men; that is, that he acts after the manner of Men; it is not possible that they can reverence his Divine Being in that awful and humble manner as the true Believers, who washing their Bodies from outward defilement, conceive of God with perfect Ideas, covering their Eyes, and retreating with Heavenly Solitude into the inmost Soul, to contemplate the Being, who is the Sum and Substance of inconceivable Glory.
The most which I meet with of Defence for the Barbarism of this Custom, is drawn by their cunning Dervices from the practice of the
Jews,
which they say was given them by their ancient Law-giver
Moses.
But this, were it just in it self, is most absurd in these
Nazareens;
because, as they themselves pretend to be Followers of their Prophet
Jesus,
who they say is the Messiah which
Moses
himself foretold them was to come, and to put an end to all his Institutions: also they do declare that this
Jesus
has fulfilled all
Moses
's Law, and abolish'd all those things which belong'd to that Ceremonious Worship, setting up
a more sure word of Prophesie,
or Directions for Worship; and also that in all this their said Prophet's Directions, which he left behind him, there is not the least Precept, Example or Direction for such monstrous things as Drums, Trumpets,
&c.
in Religious Worship. But that, on the contrary, he scourged all Pageantry which they had set up, out of their Great Mosque, or Temple, which was at
Jerusalem,
declaring that from that time, the Mosques where God would be Worshipped, should be Houses of Prayer only.
I say, notwithstanding all this, these designing Dervices, and their Pontifical Muffti at
Rome,
have introduc'd these incoherent Innovations, and set their People on work to mock the Immoral God of Nature in such a manner as I have given thee an account of.
With how much purer Devotion do the faithful Mussulmen prostrate their Souls in the humblest manner, saying Prayers of a sublime nature to that one great
ALLA,
the God of the Gods of all Nations; where the religious Servants of our Holy Prophers perform the Mysteries of Religion, by thy sublime Directions; Inspir'd with these, I am present by the power of Imagination every day, and please my Soul in this my state of absence, with fancying that I see thy venerable Person performing Divine Offices among the Faithful, who, prostrate at thy Feet, reverence with thee God, and his great Prophet
Mahomet.
Wonder not, Heavenly Saint, if I am sometimes transported with these Ideas, to a degree that may seem Enthusiastick: Be assur'd my Dejections bear a proportion, after the fire of my Imagination is abated, and especially when I find my self embarras'd with Infidels, and doom'd here to Business, and Repentance.
I kiss thy Feet with the most profound Veneration of an Humble Slave.
Paris,
the 8th of the 10th Moon, in the Year of the
Nazareens,
1688.
LETTER III. To
Cicala Bassa Beglerbeg
of
Romania.
I Direct these Letters to thee, by the Command of the late
Hali Bassa Chaimacam,
now in Paradise, whose Blessing be upon us:
As thou art by thy Title, Lord of Lords; and by thy Office, the first and greatest
Beglerbeg
of the whole Mussulman Empire, the Right Hand of the Invincible
Achmet,
our mighty Emperor, and art entrusted by his Command, with the most eminent Affairs of his Government, during the absence of the Vizier
Azem,
now on his prosperous Expedition to the East.
I know that thy Martial Genius, as well as thy great Office, presiding over all the
Ottoman
Dominions in
Europe,
enclines thee to receive willingly an Account of the great Transactions in the
Nazareen
World; so I may call this Part wherein I Sojourn, for the good of thy great Master, and the Service of the whole
Ottoman
Power.
Thou art not ignorant, Wise and Valiant
Cicala,
of the great Overthrow of the mighty Emperor of the Islands, call'd here slightly the King of
England;
for know, this haughty Court gives slight and mean Titles to all their Neighbouring Princes; for this King of
England
is indeed a most powerful Prince, and his Empire, tho' not large in extent, yet in Power and Strength is exceeding great; principally founded in the prodigious Wealth, and the immense Riches of his Country, and People. He also possesses besides the great Islands of
Britain
and
Ireland,
I say he possesses infinite Tracts of Land, Islands and Colonies, in the remotest parts of the World.
Hali Bassa,
the late happy
Chaimacam
of
Constantinople,
thy Friend and mine, Commanded me to write to him the History of the Fall of the King of that Country, call'd
England;
which I did at large, with the Character of his Person; for we now see him here taking Sanctuary in the Court of the King of
France,
who is his great Friend and Protector. But in Answer to this, our Friend
Haly
sent me his Commands to inform him how it came to pass that the King of
France,
or of the
Franks,
in whose Country I reside, who thou knowest is taken with us for the greatest King among the Nations of the
Messiah;
should at the same time that he profess'd so sincere Friendship for the
English
King, suffer that so mean and so weak a Person as the Prince of
Orange,
and who had no assistance but that of the
Elutch
to Support him, should Invade and attack his Friend and Allie the King of
England,
when he knew at the same time that the Subjects of the said
English
King were Malecontents, and enclin'd to Revolt; and my Answer to these things, he has wisely commanded me to send to thee; knowing, it seems, or believing by Inspiration, that the predestinated time of his Translation unto Bliss was approaching.
Know then, Illustrious and Valiant Leader of the faithful Host, that true it is that the present King of
France,
is the greatest of all the Kings of the Christian Nations, abounding in Wealth, and immense Treasures, surrounded with Numerous and Victorious Armies; and it is no more to be questioned but that he is, and also then was, a sincere Friend to the
English
King, and would very willingly have prevented the Mischief which has since befallen him; nay, had he not been his Friend, yet Prudence, and Policy of State required that he would by no means have suffer'd the said
English
King to have been so Invaded; seeing he knew perfectly well that the Prince of
Orange
was not only a Warlike Prince in himself, but was also a profess'd Enemy to the Greatness and Ambition of
France.
It is also true, that this King of
France
is now, and was at that time, in the very Meridian of his Glory, cloath'd with innumerable Triumphs and Trophies of Victory, which are the Envy and Grief of all the Nations about him; and that all those Nations would rejoyce to see the said
Prince of Orange
strengthned by the addition of the English Power, that they might joyn in Confederacy with him, to Bridle the the Exorbitance of the
French
Greatness, which begins to be terrible to
Europe.
Yet most true it is, that nothing but the infatuation and unaccountable indolence of this great Monarch has, next to the irresistable Decrees of Heaven, brought this great Affair to pass; and this doubtless was the Reason why the illustrious
Chaimacam
enjoyn'd me with such earnestness to acquaint him with these things; since to him, as I doubt not it will to thee,
who art as he was, well acquainted with the state of things in these parts of the World:
It seem'd very strange, that the King of
France
should stand still and look on, in a matter which so nearly concern'd his Friend and Allie, and in effect himself, and not prevent a mischief big with such dangerous Events.
I must then acquaint thee, that one false step in the King of
France,
has been the Occasion of all this Disaster to his Friend the King of
England,
and without which it had been impossible for the Prince of
Orange
to have brought any of his Designs to pass,
(viz.)
At the very juncture of the Preparations of the
Dutch,
the
French
King, as if he was Confederate with them, resolving to push at the Emperor of
Germany,
sends the Dauphine with a
French
Army of 60000 Men, quite out of the way to the upper
Rhine,
and causes him to sit down before
Phillipsburg;
whereas had he caused 50000 Men to have advanc'd to the
Maes,
and but hover'd over the
Dutch
Frontiers, tho' without any attempt, the
Dutch
could never have parted with their Troops to make the attempt in
England.
These Measures they are now satisfied here were wrong, and the most formidable Enemy they have, is by this very step strengthned with the addition of those Kingdoms, which alone are able to look the
French
Armies in the Face. But the Opinion those People have of the invincible Power of their King is such, that they value not the whole World; which Confidence may however be Fatal to them in the End. Indeed his Armies are compos'd of excellent Troops, but then it is to be consider'd, that they are not all composed of his own Subjects; nay, those which are of his own Subjects are not esteem'd his best Troops; but his Armies are composed of
Germans, Swiss, Irish, Scots,
and some
English;
and whenever a strong Confederacy shall so attack him, as that he shall not be able to make up the Loss of these, with Men of the same Nations, they will find the
French
Infantry inferior to any of the Neighbouring Nations.
But this must be granted, that the Officers of the
French
Troops are good; and it is to their Conduct, that the Glory of their Monarch is owing. There is a Saying which is made use of, when they talk of the
French
and
English
Nations by way of comparison,
(viz.)
that of the
French; If the Soldiers will but follow, the Officers will always lead;
andthat of the
English, If the Officers will but lead, the Soldiers will always follow;
so that by the way, an Army of
English
Soldiers, led by
French
Officers, would be invincible.
How glorious are the Troops of thy Illustrious Emperor, in whose Cause both Soldiers and Officers, equally emulous of Glory, and of serving well the most invincible Monarch of the Universe, are equally ready both to lead, and to follow, and to fix the glorious Crescent, the Ensigns of our Great
Mahomet,
upon the vanquish'd Frontiers of the
Sultan
's Enemies; may thy ways be prosperous, and thy Arms Victorious in the Work of our mighty Master, till the Crescent triumph over the Cross, and the whole World becomes Tributary to thy Lord and Emperor.
Paris
7th of the 1st Moon, 1689.
LETTER IV. To the most Heavenly Pattern of Wisdom and Purity,
Hassan Mirza Zebir,
Prince of the Muftys.
IF I were to salute thee, Venerable Majestick Guide of Truth, and Lover of the Faithful, in the Language of these
Nazareens,
when they address themselves to the great
Mufti
of their Religion; I should give thee, and more justly by far, the Title of
Soveraign Pontiff,
with the Addition of
your Holiness;
and acknowledge an infallibillty in judging and determining all religious Controversies, to be inherent to thy Office.
How effectually do all these Particulars shine in thy Person and Character, who art really holy, and sublimely wise, Titles which they presumptuously ascribe oftentimes to the Wickedest of Men; for thou mayst know, immortal
Zebir,
that these
Soveraign Pontiff
's or
Mufty
's here, who they address by the Stile of
his Holiness,
as above, are sometimes
the vilest Creatures in the Universe;
nay, they often are most wretchedly scandalous, drunken, perjur'd, lewd, and; in a Word, turbulent, bloody, and superlatively wicked: till the People themselves are ashamed of them, and have been oblig'd to depose them, either by the Help of the
German
Emperor, or the
French;
it would be too long to enter into the History of them.
This shall be the Glory of our holy Prophet, and shall eternize his Name,
(viz.)
that the great Prince of the Priests of
Mahomet
is a Pattern of just Men; inimitable for all the Endowments of the Mind; has a Soul equal to the highest Function upon Earth, I mean, the Heavenly Office of expounding infallibly the sublime Truths of our holy Alcoran; and interpreting, without Appeal, all the Doctrines of
Mahomet.
But to give thee a true Idea of the pretended infallible Guide of these deluded
Nazareens,
the Story I am going to tell thee is recorded here even by themselves, of one of their Popes; being the same whose scandalous Conduct, in the Sale of his imaginary forg'd Pardons and Benedictions to the People, was the first Occasion of the Defection which
Luther
made among them; that famous Dervice, who, as I formerly wrote thee, was the Father of the Separation or Faction among the
Nazareens:
This Pope, or great Mufty, gave a living Testimony to what we, the true Believers, hold concerning the whole System of their Religion,
(viz.)
that it is a Fiction of the Dervices, contriv'd to delude the People; and this horrid Creature was, it seems, not able to contain the Truth, tho' it was so needful on his Side to be concealed; the Occasion, it seems, was, that seeing an immense and unexpected Sum of Money returned into his Treasury at
Rome,
from his Missionary Dervices, who he had sent Abroad to make Sale of Indulgences, Relicks, and other Frippery of the
Vatican;
He was so surprized with the unlook'd for Heap of Gold, that he cries out as in a Rapture,
Heu! quantum profuit hac fabula Christi.
What prodigious Gain, says he, do we make of this Fable of Christ.
Immortal
Mirza,
if the Soveraign Pontiff, the supreme Mufty of the
Nazareens,
has declar'd the whole System of the Religion of their great Prophet, to be but a religious Cheat, a holy Fable; what need we any further Testimony? What greater Witness can the true Believers desire, to confirm them in the Heavenly Way, than the open Confession of the great
Papa,
or Father of the Christians, who has acknowledg'd that they are all Deceivers, and that the Story of their great Prophet
Jesus
is but a Fable?
Besides, do they not own that this their great High Priest is infallible in all he says or does? It is not many Moons ago, since at their Annual Tribunal of the holy Inquisition, so they call the most Hellish Constitution on Earth, where they held what they call an
auto de fe,
that is to say, a general
Audit of the Faith,
to give Judgment on those they call Hereticks; they burnt alive without Mercy, two Men, for saying their great Mufty was not infallible.
This we justly take hold of against them, and prove then, from the Mouth of their infallible Oracle, that all the Scheme of their Religion is but a Fable, a Cheat, a Piece of Dervice Craft to get Money; and, in a Word, illustrious
Mirza,
that their supreme Mufty or high Priest, is but a religious
Zavin,
or
Pick-Pocket.
Heaven doubtless has infatuated these Infidels, and given them up to dote on the grossest Absurdities; other wise they could never swallow such open and notorious Impositions: Conversing once with a Sect of the
Nazarenes
here, whom they call
Hugonots,
one of them 'told me, their great Prophet
Jesus
did foretel, that in the last Days of the World his Disciples should do thus,
(viz.) That they should be given up to strong Delusions, and to believe Lies:
That he was a Prophet of God, that thou knowest we do believe, though we believe him to be inferior to our most holy Prophet
Mahomet;
But assuredly, if he prophesied that his Followers should in the latter Days believe Lies, and be given up to strong Delusions, there is no Question, but in that he has been a true Prophet.
These
Hugonots
are by far an honester and wiser Sect of the
Nazareens,
than those who are called
Catholicks,
and therefore have been persecuted, and even extirpated out of the Kingdom of
France;
and they do not fail to expose daily, when they are in Companies and Societies where they can do it freely, the Cheats the Impositions, and the Absurdities of the
Catholicks:
There are divers Sects of these People, who have broken off from the great Mufty, and they are denominated either from the Countries where they live, or the Patrons from whom they derive their Opinions; as
Lutherans
from
Luther, Calvinists
from
Calvin,
and the like; and though I look upon these to be, as above, the better Sort by far, as to their Morality, and as to their Principles; yet they differ again one from another, and separate even in Charity and Affection, as much as the
Ottomans
and
Persians
do, about the Successors to our Great Prophet
Mahomet;
Nay, they have likewise proceeded to Persecution, and even to Blood.
If Love and Unity be the Band of Religion, and the Pledge of a Title to Paradise; questionless the Mussulmen enjoy the best Tokens of the Felicity which we look for in the Garden of God; for no such Divisions are seen among them as reign in these Parts of the World, where every Man sets up a Religion of his own, and walks in the light of his own Vision; thinking it his Duty to damn all the rest of Mankind to the Infernal Pit, who are not of his Opinion; and, if I am not wrong, there is a Man among these Christians, who has given a Scheme or Plan, which he calls
Heresyography,
in which he gives an Account of the Dissentions of the several Sorts of Christians; and, I think, he reckons up about threescore and fourteen Sects, who all call themselves the Followers of their great Prophet. So uncertain is the Light by which these Men are directed, so imperfect the Rules and Doctrines which their great Prophet left them, as the fundamental Law of their Obedience; or rather, so ill do they observe his Rules, and obey his Dictates; for we know that their Messiah left them excellent Rules, as the Principles of Life to guide to the Celestial Paradise; but so degenerated are these his Followers, that albeit they are called by his Name, yet very little of his first Institutes are found in the model of their Religion. Nay, they are daily fighting and shedding Blood about the single Question, of what it was their Prophet did command, and what he did not; and who shall or shall not interpret the Mind and Will of their Prophet.
Blessed be the Dust of thy sacred Feet, thou Lamp of Truth, and Light of Believers, whose Oracle the Faithful believe with Fear. In thy most pure Explanations of our holy Law, are no doubtful Reserves, among thy obedient Hearers, no Schisms or Separations, but all listen with Attention to the Law of thy Lips, speaking Words of Heavenly Solace, and guiding to the Mystical Fields, which surround the Gates of Paradise: Sublime
Mirza!
bless thy obedient faithful, devout
Mahmut,
and let Deceivers perish.
Paris,
5th of the 7th Month, in the year, 1689.
LETTER V. To
Hassan Amiel Zucharava,
the Agae of the
Janisaries.
THOU wouldest be in thy Element, Great Captain of the innumerable Seminary of the Valiant Soldiers of the
East;
thou wouldest, I say, be in thy Element, if thou wert here just now, where nothing is to be heard but the Noise of War, and the daily Return of Couriers from the Armies in the Field, bringing Accounts of Victories, taking strong Cities, and possessing new Conquests one in the Neck of another, in such a Manner, that the King of
France,
who seems to be wondrous devout, and is constant in causing Thanks to be given in the Mosques and Temples of their Prophet
Jesus,
for every Advantage he gains, is obliged now to put three or four Conquests into one Thanksgiving, and discharge his Acknowledgments by wholesale; which makes some People jest with the King, and tell him, that he does by his God as he does by the People, make them take his Coin at what Price he pleases to put upon it.
The Truth is, these
Nazareens
make no Scruple to jest with the most sacred Things in their pretended Worship, and banter one another about it; which is to me a certain Sign, that whatever seeming Formalities they may have in their Religion, they believe little of the Thing themselves; but rather, have the same Opinion of it that we have,
(viz)
that it is all a holy Cheat, contrived to support the Priests who at first invented it, and made Use of only to get Money.
But to return to the Things which, I say, are in thy Element; here thou mightest see one King preparing, as I may very well say, to go to War with all the Kings of the Earth; in a Word, the King of
France
is already engaged in a War with the ancient Enemy of the Mussulmen, the Emperor of
Germany;
and has made divers considerable Conquests on the Frontiers of his Dominions, as I shall tell thee presently; he has, besides this, attacked the Dominions of the King of
Spain,
which lie on this Side, and are called the
Low Countries.
This will unavoidably end in a War with that King, who is Lord indeed of great Dominions, but has but a weak, proud, and pusillanimous People.
Besides all this, it is evident that he will bring a War upon himself from
England
and
Holland
in Conjunction, as he espouses the Interest of the King of
England,
who is fled to him for Assistance against the Invasion of the Prince of
Orange,
of which thou hast heard some Time ago.
This Prince of
Orange
is a Person of such Interest and Alliances among the
Northern
Princes of
Germany,
that, it is very probable, when
France
breaks, and declares War on that Side, there will be engaged against him, and in behalf of the Prince of
Orange,
all the Princes of the House of
Lunenburgh,
of
Saxony,
and of
Brandenburgh;
and perhaps also, the Kings of
Denmark
and
Sweden.
Thou wilt be earnest after this to enquire what this King of
France
is, as well in Person as in Power; know then, that except the all-powerful Port, the Center of Glory, surrounded with innumerable Millions of Valiant Soldiers, Lord of the inexhaustible Nurseries of the
Spahis, Janizaries,
and
Timariots,
throughout
Asia, Egypt,
and
Aethiopia;
I say, except, or next to this, the King of
France
is the most powerful of all Princes. He is in Person a most glorious Prince, wise, politick, enterprising, boundless in Ambition of Glory and Empire, undaunted in his Attempts of the greatest Kind, and never disappointed, or to seek in his Measures.
He is surrounded with three hundred thousand Veteran Soldiers, led by the most experienced Officers in these Parts of the World; he is absolute Master of his Councils, and perfectly well serv'd in all his Commands; to make the least Slip or Mistake in his Service, is to lose the Honour of Serving; I'll tell thee a brief Story to confirm this.
An Officer of Note in his Armies the other Day, being Governour of a Frontier Town that was threatned by the Enemy, sent away his Pack of Hounds, in which it seems he took great Delight; and was heard afterwards two or three Times to curse the War, which was like to deprive him of the Pleasure of the Hunting Season, which was his darling Sport: The King being informed of it, sent for him, and told him, since he lik'd his Sport so much better than his Service, he would oblige him in his own Way; and so sent him into a great Forest, where he made him Game-Keeper, with a very small Salary, in a District of about 12 Miles extent; and ordered his Hounds to be sent down after him, commanding him not to stir out of his Bounds; which this poor Gentleman has been obliged to submit to; nor have all his Friends, or the Intercession of the great Officers of the Army, been able to get him restored, though he has a great Interest too.
The King shews many Times such Testimonies of his Resentment upon his Officers, when they do foolish Things; but as to misbehaving in Action, it is indeed seldom if ever seen here▪ it is impossible to describe to thee what a general Face of Joy there is here in the Count
nances even of the whole Nation at the Prospe
of the War; as if they were sure of Conque
in every Thing they go about, tho' they are,
this Time, going, as it were, to engage with all t
World; and be surrounded on every Side wit
the Points of their Enemies Swords.
It is a strange Thing to see the Accounts which come in every Day from the
Rhine,
the Frontiers of the
German
Empire, where the
French
Armies have ranged unresisted, both before and since the taking of
Phillipsburgh:
They have several Armies on that Side under several Generals, though the Dauphine, who commanded the Siege, gives Orders to them all as Captain General, and Commander in Chief: The Marquis
de Boufflers
commands on one Side, the Count
de Montall,
an old Soldier, on the other, and the Marquis
de Uxelles
on a third; and they extend themselves every Way: The first of these has taken
Mayence, Spire, Worms,
all
Imperial
Cities; they have ravaged the whole
Palatinate
with Fire and Sword, worse than a Hoord of
Tartars
do when they make an Inroad into
Muscovy
or
Poland:
They have put Garrisons into
Creutznach, Bacharach,
and
Heidelburgh;
the Dauphin has invested
Manheim,
and the Marquis
de Boufflers
is gone down the
Rhine
as far as
Coblents:
They have levyed Contribution even to the Frontiers of
Suabia
and
Franconia,
and raised immense Sums of Money from the Princes of
Wirtembergh, Baden, Hesse,
and others; and from the
Imperial
Cities also;
Franckfort
alone has been obliged to pay them an hundred thousand Crowns;
Wirtembergh,
two; and the Circle of
Franconia,
fix: They have burnt six hundred Villages and Towns on both Sides the
Rhine,
and laid entirely wast the most fruitful and pleasant Country of the
Palatinate;
not sparing the fine Palaces of the Prince, particularly that in the Castle of
Heidelburgh,
which was the most beautiful in all
Germany:
Nor do they spare even the Mosques or Temples of their Worship. So that these
Nazareens
are the most barbarous of all Nations in the World; for though they all profess the same Religion, and worship the great crucifyed Messiah; yet they permit their licentious Troops to destroy the Places set apart for his Service.
The People here, I confess, do not seem to approve of this new Way of making War, by burning and destroying of Cities and Towns which make no Resistance; but the Court give this Answer, that it is necessary at this Time, to make the Arms of their King dreadful, and to oblige the neighbouring
German
Princes to come in and pay the Contributions demanded, which indeed they have done, for Fear of the like Devastations; for all this while there has appeared no considerable Body of
Germans
in the Field, able either to attack the
French,
or to protect their own People.
Doubtless, renowned
Hassan,
the Effect of all this will be found to the Advantage of the Mussulmens Arms, and to weaken the Forces of the Infidels of
Germany
in
Hungary,
who dare to oppose thy Troops; for the intestine Broils of these
Nazareen
Nations have always been, and ever will be, the Advancement of the glorious Ensigns of
Mahomet.
May Victory attend those who fight under the Banner of the faithful; whose Souls, if they fall in Battle, go immediately triumphing to Paradise, the Garden of inexpressible Pleasure.
Paris
the 7th Day of the 5th Moon, in the Year, 1689.
LETTER VI. To
Morat Abdimelcher,
the Kadeleskar of
Anatolia.
I Cannot refrain laying at thy sacred Feet, blessed Image of the Soveraign Law-Giver, what I meet with in this Part of the World, suited to thy sublime Station; and in particular to that exalted Temper of thy Soul, by which thou framest Instruction out of the evil Actions of wicked Men, to the Advantage of the Just.
Thou art to know then, that the
French
Nation, where I live, have, under the Conduct of a most furious and victorious Prince, made War for two Years upon the Emperor of the
Nazareens,
and that with great Success: That in the Prosecution of this War, and in Order, as they say here, to intimidate and terrify the
Germans,
he has caused his Troops to make the most dreadful Ravages upon the Frontiers, that can be imagin'd: They set Fire to the Villages in a most fruitful and pleasant Country, call'd the
Palatinate,
in five Places at once,
(viz)
on each Border of that Country, and at one Place in the middle; and suffered them to burn every Way, till they all joined in one Flame: It is not possible to describe to thee the Desolation made, the Ruin of innumerable Families, the Destruction of flourishing Cities, fine Palaces, the Murthers of Men, ravishing of Women, and all Manner of Desolations.
But the Reason for which I give thee an Account of this Affair in particular, is for what follows; that the King of
France,
after all these Cruelties and Inhumanities committed by his Command, or at least by his Allowance, has ordered a Day to be set apart for a
Biram,
or Feast of Thanksgiving, and to give Thanks to God in all the Frontier Towns on that Side of his Conquests, for
compleating so glorious an Expedition;
these are the very Words of his Orders: The true Sense should have been, for compleating the Ruin of the most flourishing Country in that Part of the World, and scattering an hundred thousand Families of miserable Inhabitants to seek their Bread; besides the Murther, Ravishments, and inimitable Cruelties practised by the Soldiers in the Action.
Surely these Infidels ought to be esteemed truly detestable, for their Notions of the great ONE GOD, who has created the World, that they can think it acceptable to his divine Purity, and to the Perfection of his Being, to destroy his Creatures, and depopulate his Creation; or that he can accept Thanks offered up to him for Actions, which, it is most certain, his Nature abhors. I remember to have seen some Lines published in the
English
Tongue, which, it is said, were thrown into a Mosque, in the Capital City of the
English
Nation, when they were giving Thanks to their
Nazareen
Prophet, for the Discovery of a Plot, for which some who had been found guilty of it were executed. The Lines, it was apparent, were made by some who were of the other Side, as follows.
Ye Hypocrites, leave off your Pranks,
To murther Men, and give God Thanks:
Forbear, for Shame, proceed no further;
For God accepts no Thanks for Murther.
They must have very gross Conceptions of God, I say, who can presume to give him Thanks for the Devastation and Ruin of their Fellow Creatures, and for the Rapine and Destruction which Men, given up to the Fury of their Lust and Rage, shall execute in the World; if the righteous Power of Heaven concerns it self with any of the Actions of these Enemies of his Glory, and has not resolv'd to give them entirely up to the Punishments of Hell, he will certainly testify his Resentment, not only for the Crime of Blood and Destruction, in the Fact it self, but for that horrid Mockery of his Justice, in entitling him by their praises to the Rapin which is in their Hands; as if they were doing him an acceptable Service, in sending thousands of Souls into the Regions of Darkness, for the Caprice and Ambition of one Man.
But that which is still more particular in this religious Mockery is, that the
French
have obliged the very People of the Country it self to joyn in this Ceremony; and have even prescrib'd to them a Text to preach upon, being some Verse out of their ancient Writings thus,
Come, let us root them out, that they be no more a Nation.
This is the most horrible Imposition that ever I have met with of its kind; and is indeed acknowledged by many to be very barbarous, seeing these Men are all of one Religion, professing to be all Followers of the Prophet
Jesus
the
Nazareen,
their Messiah, and Teacher.
Sage Oracle of Heavenly Knowledge, thou wilt read this History of
Nazareen
Hypocrisy with a just Detestation of Soul;
Mahomet
has told us, that God, who is but one God, will punish those with Fire who mock his Power, and make a Jest of his righteous Government; teaching Cruelty and Injustice for Truth, and entituling God,
who is gracious and merciful,
to Robbery and Ravishment, Injury and Blood.
Paris,
10th Day of the 5th Moon, in the Year, 1689.
LETTER VII. To the Kaimacham.
FRANCE
has now pass'd the
Rubicon,
she has declared War against
Spain,
attack'd the Empire of
Germany,
and made the most powerful Prince of the
Nazareen
's draw off his Troops from
Hungary,
and bring 127000 Men into the Field against this one Aggressor; and now, to crown all, She has broken with the Prince of
Orange,
who is newly become King of
England,
and with the
Dutch,
who are his Allies, and in short, with all their Dependencies; So that the King of
France
is like to have above 400000 Enemies in Arms against him, by Sea and Land
As for the Affairs of
England,
the King of
France
has furnished the old King with Men and Money, and sent him to
Ireland;
where he has so well ply'd his Time, that he is Master of
Dublin,
the Capital of that Kingdom, and of the whole Island, except one little City in the
North
Part, called
London-Derry;
and that is besieged with 20000 Men, and no Army in the Country to relieve it; hence it must needs fall into his Hands; so that King
William,
so they call the Prince of
Orange,
has his Hands full for some Time on that Side: And we see the King of
France
baffling all the rest in so strange a Manner, that if they do not concert their Measures better, all the mighty Armies they have now ready against
France,
will come to nothing.
For in the very Beginning of this Year, the
French
proceeding in their usual Method of ravaging the Country, have actually burnt the Cities of
Spire, Oppenheim, Worms,
and
Frankendale,
to Ashes, besides other smaller Towns on that Side; they say here, that the
French
have been very merciful in the manner of their burning of these Cities,
(viz.)
in that they gave the People Notice some Days before to remove; and they pretend now it was great Clemency, that seeing the Inhabitants did not flie, as they were ordered to do, they did not turn them alive with their Houses.
To withstand these Furies, the Emperor has been obliged to recal the Duke of
Lorain,
and 30000 of the best Troops they had in
Hungary;
so that, I make no doubt, but the Grand Visier will have leisure this Summer to put the Resolutions of the sublime Council of Wisdom, the
Divan,
in Execution; to extend the glorious Ensigns of the
Grand Seignior,
to the Infamy of the Enemies of righteous
Mahomet,
and to retake the Towns which have been lost the last three Years, when the Success of the War, for our Sins, has seemed to go against us.
These
Nazareens,
Infidels, Enemies to God and
Mahomet,
are at this Time, in a Word, all together by the Ears; and now, invincible Man of Valour, is the Time to gird on thy Sword, and to appear to the Confusion of the Enemies of the Truth: May Victory attend thy already fortunate Troops, for now is the Time to tear up the Infidel Nations and Kingdoms by the Roots.
Yesterday the King of
France
published his Declaration of War against the new-crown'd King of
England,
but in this Declaration he is slyled the Usurper of
England;
this new incident will probably produce great Events, for the Prince of
Orange
is an implacable Enemy of
France,
and a Prince of unwearied Application to the War.
Paris,
the 9th of the 5th Moon, 1689.
LETTER VIII. To
Morat Abdiel Elzagrad,
Keeper of the Tomb of
Mahomet.
ILlustrious Guardian of the invaluable Divine Treasure, far above earthly Riches, the Relicks and Ashes of all that was mortal of the immortal Man: Thou who art entrusted to look upon the Walls of that sacred Repository, to which devout Pilgrims approach, grovelling in the Dust, with their Hands over their Eyes, and creeping on their Elbows and Knees, not daring to behold the Place of Sanctity: How happy art thou above Kings, Emperors, and the most glorious Men on Earth; yet happy only in thy Purity and Humility, which originally advanced thee to the highest Pitch of humane Preferment; for how much more glorious is it to thee to keep the venerable Dust of holy Men, than to be Treasurer over all the Riches of the
Grand Seignior,
or to have an hundred thousand Millions of Purses in thy Keeping.
I think much of thy illustrious Office, when I see here in the Mosques of this seemingly devout Infidel, one, called the Keeper of the Relicks; surely there is not a greater Imposture on the Earth, than this of Relicks is among the superstitious
Nazareens;
in the Repositories of their Churches they have the Bones of any dead Carcase split into thousands of Pieces, and set into Rings enchased with Gold, surrounded with Diamonds; one is called the Piece of the Scull of one Saint, another is called a Splinter taken out of the Finger of another; when perhaps it is in Reality the Bone of a Dog, or if of a Man or Woman, perhaps it is of some infamous Creature broken on the Wheel, or some Prostitute dissected by the Surgeon.
These are worn about the Necks of Kings, Queens, Princes, Ladies with Child, Virgins,
&c.
to preserve them from the Devil, from frightful Dreams, from Treason, to keep the Women with Child from Miscarriage, and the young Women from Fits, Frenzies of the Matrix,
&c.
and (which indeed is the Intent and Meaning of all the holy Fraud;) they are sold for these Purposes by the Priests, at an inestimable Price, and the Juggle sometimes comes to Light.
A Merchant of
Rochel
lately put an excellent Cheat upon the Dervices of a Convent or Cell of Religious, near that City; it seems the Merchant was in bad Circumstances as to his Estate, and upon the Point of turning Bankrupt, when a Ship coming into Port
Louis
from the
East-Indies,
he forms a Letter as written from
Goa
by his Brother; wherein he tells him of a most miraculous Relick of St.
Thomas,
being a Piece of the Scull of that blessed Apostle of their Religion, which had done the most wonderful Cures in the most violent Distempers of the Head and Brain; that it cured all manner of Lunacy and Distraction, adding, that he had Testimonials of the same from the Convent of Fryers, of those they call
Jacobins,
at
Goa,
where his Brother had been, and where all these miraculous Things were wrought; and that in particular it restored the Memory in one who had quite lost all Sense of Things past for some Years, by being put about the Neck (the Jewel hanging behind in the Poll) by the Hands of a Fryer of that Order, and the like: Having gotten this Story put into Form, and finding the Fathers very earnest to obtain this Jewel, and willing to give a very great Price for it, he accordingly obliges himself to write to his Brother, to send it over by the next Ship; taking a Contract from the Fathers for 6000 Crowns to be paid upon Delivery.
Having obtained this Contract he goes to
Marseilles
with it, where telling the Story as in Confidence to a Person there, he acquaints the Bishop of that Place; who being desirous to obtain so rich a Prize, and viewing the authentick Contract of the Fryers of
Rochel,
offers the Merchant 20000 Crowns for the holy Relick, if he will bring it immediately to him: The Merchant accordingly having all his Affairs ready, and having a Piece of an old Scull made up in an Enchasement of Gold, with the Date of the Year back about 230 Years before the Time, and the Names of two religious Men of
Goa
of the first planting that Colony; whose Names he had learnt, and the Work made so artfully, as to appear very ancient: I say, Having all these Things ready, he waits till an
East-India
Ship arriv'd at
Lisbon
from
Goa,
which is a Colony of the
Portuguese;
and then pretending to have received the Jewel, writes to the Bishop, who with great Solemnity received it, and paid him his Money.
This Story I do not avouch to thee of my own Knowledge, the Fact, if it were true, having been done some Years before my Coming hither; but many Cheats like this having been daily discover'd among them, this is worth Credit: Nothing is more strange to me, than that a Nation so intelligent as this is, should not long ago have been surfeited with these miraculous Fripperies; and yet so t is, that they receive the grossest Impositions of this Kind every Day.
I am told, indeed it is by a
Hugonot,
but one who gives such Testimony of it that it is not to be doubted; That there are deposited as Relicks in several Places, more Pieces of the Cross, on which they say,
Jesus
the Son of
Mary
was crucified, than ten Yoke of Oxen could draw; and yet we believe that he was not crucified at all, but was received up into Heaven from the Judgment Hall of the
Roman
Governour; and the
Jews
were obliged, that the People might not enquire what was become of him, to crucifie another Person in his Stead.
Besides all this, we have Reason to know that the whole Cross on which he was said to be crucified, is miraculously preserved in a Vault arched over with Gold, an hundred Eathom within the Earth, under the Foundation of the great Mosque, at the sublime Port, which was formerly a Temple of the
Nazareens,
dedicated, as they call it, to Saint
Sophia;
so that all this Story of Relicks is no more than a Legend of Forgeries and Fables.
And yet the great King of
France,
who, it must be own'd, is a wise, a sagacious, a penetrating Man, as well as a great King, never lies down in his Bed without innumerable Relicks of Saints, as they call them, hanging about his Neck, on the Curtains of his Bed, and on the Locks of his Chamber Doors, as Guardians and Preservatives to keep him from the Power of evil Spirits. Nay, there is no doubt but he has them upon him when he is solacing himself with his Concubines and Harlots, of whom he has very many, always attending his Pleasures.
The Beams of eternal Peace, shining from the Fire that burns over the Gate of Paradise, be thy Protector from Evil; Venerable
Morat!
thou needest no Reliques near thee, who art daily at the Gates of that blessed Repository, to which all the faithful come in Pilgrimage from the Ends of the Earth.
Paris,
the 22d of the 8th Moon, in the Year 1689.
LETTER IX. To
Imanzani Mehemet,
Kadilesker of
Romelia.
IN all the World there is not a greater Impostor than this great Mufty or Soveraign Pontiff of the
Nazareens,
whom they call the Pope; the Chair they sit in, and from whence they derive their pretended Infallibility, has been defiled with more Monsters than the Idol of
Bassamene
in
Arabia,
or the pretended Oracle of
Arsaballa
in the Desert of
Chusargha;
sometimes indeed they obtain a Person of some Morals to fill that mysterious Seat of Wickedness,
such was the late
Innocent XI. This, for ought I know, may be permitted, by the Subtilty of the Devil, to keep up the Delusion, that the People should not be so surfeited with the continual Crimes of the Pontiff, as to abhor the Pontificate it self. But even these Men of Morals have so much canting hypocritical Stuff mingled with their other Conduct; and permit such Frauds, such open Crimes, among their Sub-mufty's, such as their Cardinals, Bishops, Abbots, and the various Orders of their
Dervices
or Clergy, that certain it is, and nothing more visible, than that the whole Constitution is a stated universal Cheat.
I have been curious to search into these Frauds, for the Confirmation of the true Believers; not but that we, the true Mussulmen and Believers of the Verity, know with a Certainty that permits us not to doubt that their whole System of this part of the Doctrine of the
Nazareens,
is a Delusion, and a meer Invention of their Dervices, to establish an Ecclesiastick Tyranny in the World: But it must needs confirm us all the more, and add infinite Satisfaction to us, to have this confessed and testified out of the Mouths of these Infidels themselves.
I lately read some Tracts written by some of the most learned of this Nation of the
Franks,
among whom I dwell, wherein they speak with the utmost Detestation of this great Mufty, called
Pope;
and not so much concerning the Character or Morals of the Person, tho' he who they have now elevated is but a very indifferent Person that Way, but even of the Pontificate it self; I mean, the Authority exercised, and the Principles professed by the See of
Rome
in general; that is, by the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, and all the cloistered Crew, called the
Roman
Clergy.
This Author, whom they call Monsieur
Jeurieu,
is one of those who are here call'd
Hugonots,
of whom I have formerly written thee a large Account; who have long since disown'd these People I speak of. He is one of the most learned of these
Hugonots,
and is now banished this Kingdom for his refusing to acknowledge the Pope; but he is so far from complying, that in his Writings he offers to prove this Soveraign Pontiff, not only not to be the true Follower of
Jesus,
the Son of
Mary,
their crucified Prophet and Messiah, but an Apostate; and that his Chair is the Seat of the Beast; that his Power is not only not Christian, but
Antichristian;
that he is the great
FALSE PROPHET
spoken of in the Writings of the
Jewish Talmud,
and in the Registers of their
Rabbies,
which they call by the Name of Revelation. Nay, in one of his Books, he calls the
Roman
Establishment, which they call the Church, the great
Scarlet Whore;
producing sundry Predictions among the Writings of the Disciples of
Jesus,
which give a very express and particular Character of the
Papal
Tyranny, under such Denominations, prophecying her Downfal at last under the Allusion of the Fall of the City of
Babylon;
and that the Kings of the Earth shall hate her; (the Whore) that is, the
Papal Hierarchy,
and shall burn her Flesh with Fire.
Verily, Great Apostle of the true Believers, it seems to me that these Men, whom they call
Hugonots,
and who are the Followers of one
Calvin,
who succeeded
Luther
in the first great Defection from the
Roman
Doctrines of Religion; I say, these
Hugonots
are a sober, zealous People; much more upright and devout than the Followers of the Pope, and seem to me to have much the better of the Argument against them; for albeit they acknowledge that the Church of
Rome
was originally the Church planted by the Followers of
Jesus
of
Nazareth,
and continued faithful to the Institutions of the said
Jesus,
as dictated to them by his said Followers; yet they suggest, that by the Corruption of many Ages, and the assuming Disposition of the Popes, and their Dervices or Clergy, they have introduced so many Innovations, such Idolatrous Practices, and so many detestable Additions, to the first Doctrines left them by the Messiah, that there remains nothing with them of the first Institution.
It must be confessed,
Jesus
of
Nazareth
laid down to his Followers and Disciples most pure and holy Rules, both of Religion and of moral Vertue: But it is true also that these Pontiffs, and their Followers, have filled them with so many horrible Impositions, that the Originals are not now to be known; especially that of their worshipping a Piece of Bread as a God, suggesting that a few Words of a common Dervice can effectually transmutate the Species of Bread into the Substance of their crucified Messiah; an Idolatry horrible and detestable!
But I return to the Persons of their Popes, to whose Crimes indeed all these Innovations in the Religion of the Messiah are owing; I have formerly mentioned to thee, and to thy happy Predecessor, now rejoycing in the Garden of Pleasure, the Story of a Woman counterfeit, who was made a Pope, but by being gotten with Child by one of her own Servants, and deliver'd in the open Street in
Rome,
exposed that Cheat to the World. The
Nazareens
strive to reject it as a Falshood, and charge it as an Invention of the
Hugonots;
but besides that the Story is recorded long before
Luther,
or any of those they call Reformers, were heard of; and is confessed by so many of their own Writers, there is no Room to doubt of the Truth; particularly one
Baptista Mantuanus,
a famous Poet among them, writing satyrically of Hell, as if he was shewing a Stranger the Place, and telling him where every great Person was to be found, has it thus;
Hic pendebat adhuc sexum mentita virilem,
Foemina cui triplici Phrygiam diademata mitram,
Extollebat Papix, & Pontificalis adulter.
Vid.
Pope Joan,
p.
14.
The Sum of this shameful Story I find thus, in another of their own Authors,
(Viz.)
that of Ravisius Textor in officina, Lib. 11.
Scitum est ex Chronicis, & a majoribus scriptum Johannem Anglicum ab Ephebis sexum virulum simulasse, & tandem fatem nescio quo aut fortuna certè volente, ad Pontificatum pervenisse, in quo annos circiter duos federit post
Leonem IV.
Neque priùs innotuerit facti veritus, quam a quodam ex domesticis impregnata tandem emiserit partum.
This is, in a word, That one
Joan English
having conceal'd her Sex from a Youth, and appear'd as a Man, and pass'd her Studies (as another Author says) as a Man, was, by we know not what destiny, Elected Pope, and sat as Pope two Years, when being discover'd, and gotten with Child by one of her Domesticks, she was publickly deliver'd of it in the Street.
It seems also she died in the Child-birth.
But not to dwell on this Hellish Impostor, the Characters of the whole Successions of those Infidels, who they wickedly call
Holy Fathers,
were it given thee at large from the beginning, would astonish thee with their Abominations and Wickedness.
Bless
Mahomet,
and his true Followers, who have been thy truly Virtuous and Holy Predecessors, that the Chair of Sovereign and Sacred Jurisdiction in Matters Religious, has never been tainted with the impure Lives of the Possessors; but as thou art, so have been those before thee, the bright Images of Virtue, Patterns of Religion, and exemplary Guides of Truth to the faithful.
Paris,
the viiith of the 8th Moon, in the Year, 1689.
LETTER X. To the venerable sage Guide of Wisdom, Prince of the Law of
Mahomet,
Great
Muffti,
and High-Priest of the
Mussulmans.
I SEND thee, bright Oracle of Truth and Virtue, a piece of News confirm'd from all parts of the
Nazareen
Dominion,
(Viz.)
that the Great
Caliph
of the Christians, Prince of the Dervices of the
Nazareen
Faith, is Dead; the Infallible Guide, as they call him here, the Mirror of Holiness, is sunk into Earth as a common Man.
If these Popes were really Persons of so much Perfection, so infallible in their Decrees, so replete with innate Holiness, as Men here pretend; and on the other Hand, the deluded multitude did believe their
Messiah
had but as much interest in the Coelestial Paradise as we Mussulmans believe him to have, he would never suffer any of their Popes to go into the Grave the common way of all Men, but would certainly translate them directly into Paradise, as
Enoch, Elias,
and himself were translated.
But the Truth is, they know all this whole System of the Pontificate, to be a meer Dream of the old deceitful Dervices, who made a Trade of Religion, to dive into the Purses of their Votaries; and it appears, because their most Holy Fathers or Popes are no more Immortal, than they are Infallible; from whence I infer, that they are no more Infallible, than they are Immortal.
This deceased Pope was one of the honestest Men they have had in the Papal Chair this many Ages, if it may be allowed to call a Father of Lyes, an Impostor, and the Head of a Cursed Imposture, an honest Man; But to give him his due, he was honester than any of those whose Character I have heard of; he was a just inoffensive Man in his Morals, which very few of them are; and as to the pious Cheat of his Office, to give him his due, he left it just where he found it. Whether he had any Faith in the System, or no, I will not affirm, but am of Opinion that he had not, because he had too much Penetration to be imposed upon; and yet I think he had too, because he had too much Integrity to impose upon others. But that which reconciles the two Extremes is, that he was bred up in the Delusions, and perhaps receiv'd the first impressions so deep, when young, that his Reason could not prevail over them afterwards. And if it was so, it was no strange thing in a Religion, wherein one of the principal Rules of Faith is, to have it follow those who went before them; and value their Doctrine rather for its Antiquity, than the intrinsick of its Principles.
They called this Pope by the Name of
Innocent
XI. The
Hugonots
and
Protestants
every where cried him up, and he was called in general,
The Protestant Pope;
but this was principally on account of his Politicks, not his Religion; in the first he was a Patron of Liberty, in the last a Tyrant, and Bigot. But with this Explanation in his favour, that in the first, he acted Nature; in the last, he acted his Office.
They tell us a good Story of him here, which is an admirable proof of the generosity of his Nature, and the goodness of his Disposition: The Story says, That an
English
Gentleman coming to
Rome,
and being desirous to satisfie his Curiosity in seeing the Pope, his Holiness, as they call him, having some intimation that he was a Man of Learning, desir'd to talk with him; and using very great freedom in his Discourse; among the rest, says the Pope, if I mistake not, I saw you yesterday at the solemn Mass at St.
Peters,
so they call the great Mosque at
Rome,
where the Pope himself goes. Your Holiness cannot mistake, says the
English
Gentleman, smiling. The Pope understood him, and found he had really committed a Mistake, to say, if I mistake not, when he is called Infallible; and that the Gentleman had touch't the Point in Repartee. However, being a Person full of good Humour, he carried that off; and turning to another Subject; well, says he, you saw me in my Habits of Ceremony, what do you think now of the Pope's being Antichrist? The Gentleman was full of the Answer, but loth to give offence, and ask'd if his Holiness would give him leave to speak freely; with all my Heart, says the Pope, I promise you I will not be offended.
Why truly, says he, I will not affirm that the Pope is Antichrist; but in my Country, if there had been a Hue-and-Cry after Antichrist, and I had met your Holiness in the Dress you were in yesterday, I believe I should have apprehended you upon Suspicion.
The Pope, they say, receiv'd the Jest with much good Temper, but did not talk much with the Person after it; and the
Hugonots
and
Protestants
make themselves very merry with the Story.
They publish a Letter of Politicks in
England,
which they say this Pope wrote to King
James,
when he sought assistance from him against the Prince of
Orange;
in which they say he blam'd him for offering to break thro' the Laws and Liberties of his Country, on pretence of introducing the Romish Religion; but the People here cannot bear to hear of that Doctrine, which they say condemns the King in that very thing for which he ought to be Canoniz'd.
In a word, Pope
Innocent
was for every Nation enjoying their own Constitutions, and carrying Religion on by Religious Methods, not by Force, Armies, and Persecution; but the Religion he call'd himself the Head of, would not long subsist upon that Bottom.
Paris,
16th Day of the 9th Moon in the Year, 1689.
LETTER XI. To the Illustrious Leader of the Armies of the invincible Emperor of the faithful
Mehemet Orchanes Ogli,
Vizier
Azem.
I Congratulate with an excess of Joy, thy advancement to the high Command whereof thou art now possess'd; and as no Man knows better than thy self, how to execute the Office of prime Minister in a State of such boundless Dominion, so no Man knows more of thy Merit and Capacity for the Dignity than I, who have been witness to the Greatness of thy Soul, and thy indefatigable applications to Virtuous and Glorious Actions from thy Childhood. It is now, and at this distance, that I foresee thy Valour and Conduct will curb the Insolencies of the Infidels, and Enemies of
Mahomet,
and restore to the
Ottoman
Empire those Towns, which not the Valour of the
Germans,
but the Negligence and want of Experience in former Officers, have suffer'd to fall into their Hands.
Wherefore is it that the Court of the Grand Seignior has known such Changes, and that no less than seven Grand Viziers have been removed in five Years past. But that Fate, which has reserv'd the retrieving the Glory of the
Ottoman
Empire to a Hand and Head fitted by Nature for that Work, might not only bring thee to this high Station, but prepare for thee the Field of Victory and Peace.
I am not caressing thee for Gain, or swelling thy Vanity with words;
Mahmut
knows not how to be a Hypocrite; Flattery is the Sacrifice of Fools, and a Gift that Wise and Great Souls abhor. But it is reveal'd to me from the sacred Hills of
Besser, Abba,
and the Cave of Wonders:
Mahomet
said
Amen,
the Great Prophet joyn'd his Hands, and shouted: I heard the sound in Vision imperceptible, the Oracle speaks by my Mouth, CUPRIOLI
shall gloriously end this War, the
Infidels
and
Nazareens
shall sue for Peace, and it shall be given them.
I live here in a Country of Enemies of
Mahomet,
yet the King of
France
is both like thee in Glory, and like thee happy in the most sublime Undertakings: he is unshaken in his Misfortunes, and invincible in his Resolutions; he receiv'd the last Year several Foils and Disappointments; his Enemies in strong Confederacy took from him
Maynce,
or
Mentz,
an Imperial City, and an impregnable Fortress;
Keyserlauter
and
Bonn
also, two very strong Towns, and with them large Countries depending on them.
But like
Anteus,
who the Poets feign was the Son of
Terra,
and had this benefit by his Birth, that when he was in wrestling with
Hercules,
thrown to the Earth, he rose up seven times stronger than before; so the King of
France,
made more furious by his Losses, makes such preparations for an offensive War this Year, as the like is no where to be seen, but at the stupendious Port where thou guidest the Helm of Empire, and where all the Princes of the Earth do Homage.
The Preparations here are incredible, and the King resolves to take the Field in Person, the Dauphine is to Command a second and separate Army, and the Duke of
Orleans,
the King's Brother, a third. Besides which, he resolves to have a Fleet of 100 Sultanas of the Line, that is, in the speech of the Sea in this part of the World, of Men of War of 50 Guns and upwards, for no less Ships now fight in the Line of Battle.
The Face of the whole Kingdom is cover'd with Troops, and the Drums beat up in all parts; all the Discourse is of Arms, and Equipages, and you would swear that all the People of
France
were to repair to the Borders, to see the Fate of
Europe
decided. The Great Cities and Towns are Tax'd at every one a Regiment of Soldiers, or less, according to their magnitude, which they report will amount to 120 Regiments, which shall bear their Names, and be Cloathed by the said Towns; and the Expence is to be re-paid in three Years after the Wars shall be over, or perhaps not at all; for this King is not very nice in observing the Promises which he makes, especially those to his own Subjects.
Fear and Courage in War attend bad or good Success, as the Rain and Heat do the thickness or clearness of the Air, and the Hopes of Men rise and fall, just as the Enemy they pursue, rises or falls before them. May early Successes crown thy illustrious Undertakings, that the ancient Courage of the Mussulmans may revive in thy Glory, and Victory may be the Handmaid of thy Wisdom, and Valour.
LETTER XII. To the Aga of the
Janizaries.
I Had no sooner heard of the Advancement of my old Friend, Comerade and Acquaintance
Mehemet Ogli,
to the illustrious Office of Grand Vizier, but it foreboded to me that the Affairs of the Glorious Empire of the World would take a new turn: Virtue and Magnanimity possest him from a Youth, he was the delight of Wise Men, and delighted in Valiant Men, and is now the choice of Wisdom and Valour it self.
As is the Man, so are those under him; his consummate Experience could not but dictate to him, that for the accomplishment of his great Designs, he must single out Instruments qualified by their Virtue and Valiant Performances, to undertake the greatest Actions.
When I heard that thou wert singled out by him from among thy Fellows, to be at the Head of the mighty Legions of the
Green-Vest,
and that the
Janizarics
were put under thy Command, I expected no less than what I have since found to be the Consequence of such Conduct,
(viz)
the Overthrow of the
Nazareens:
I congratulate thy beginning of Success in this, and the defeat of 12000 of their best Troops, which I hear are the first Trophies of thy Conduct, and will let the whole Mussulman Empire know what they are to expect from the New Vizier, and those who fight under the Banners of
Mahomet,
by his Example.
Prostrate on the Earth, I congratulate thy Lord in the success of thy faithful Services. I will tell thee also in what manner the Infidels speak of this Action, even among themselves; for they have publish'd their own Shame from all parts.
First, thou mayst observe, that in all other Battles they give false Accounts, and relate such Actions, not as they really are, but as they would have them to be; that they may buoy up the Hopes and Spirits of their People, and keep up what they call the Reputation of their Arms; but this late Action in
Servia,
under thy Conduct, has been so conspicuous, that they have no false Colours sufficient to hide it, and are bound to relate it in its true Circumstance. Condoling with one another for the great Loss they have receiv'd, I will give it thee in some of their own Words.
'The Effects of the Great Changes at the
Ottoman
Court, says one of those
Nazareen
Writers, begin to shew themselves in a manner which justly alarms the
German
Court; the new Vizier, and the new Aga of the
Janizaries,
both Men of a Martial Disposition, and of great Experience in Military Affairs, apply themselves to the Business of the War, in a manner quite different from those unexperienc'd People who went before them. In a word, we have had a tast of their Conduct, and it appears, that, suitable to the reputation of those two great Commanders, the Courage of their Soldiery is reviv'd, and the Hopes of the
Germans
in proportion declin'd.
'He goes on to give good Advice indeed to the
German
Generals,
(Viz.)
to expect blows; and to quicken their application to the War, having a vigilant and valiant Enemy to deal with, meaning the Vizier, and thy self.
'The Aga of the
Janizaries,
says he, not being able without indignation to see the
German
Troops insult the
Ottoman
Empire, even almost at the Door of the Capital City and Seat of their Emperor, resolv'd to attack the main Body of the Emperor's Forces, consisting of 5 Imperial Regiments of Foot, of 2500 Men each, and about 4000 Horse and Dragoons, who were posted at
Nissa,
and had ravaged the Country as far as
Uscopia
and Mount
Hemus.
To this purpose, ordering a Body of
Tartars
to pass the
Danube
about
Widin,
the Aga advanc'd with a Body of 8000
Janizaries,
and 3000
Sphais;
and coming up within four Miles of
Nissa,
joyn'd there with a Body of
Tartars,
and with some
Hungarians,
under Count
Tekely,
and the next Morning attack'd the Imperial Troops Commanded by the D. of
Holstein.
The fight was very fierce and bloody, the
Germans
defending themselves with great Bravery, 'till after an obstinate Battle of above four hours continuance, in which a great many Men were kill'd on both sides, the
German
Horse were oblig'd to give way, and were put into some confusion, and after some time more, to a plain flight, being pursued by the
Tartars
so closely, that only about 800 with the Duke of
Holstein,
escaped to
Belgrade,
the Duke himself very sorely wounded.
'The Infantry being now forsaken of the Horse, were surrounded and Charged in Front, and Flank, and in short, were entirely cut in pieces by the
Janizaries,
very few escaping; and we hear since, that the Duke of
Holstein
is dead of his Wounds.
I send thee this Testimony to thy Conduct, and to the Valour of thy Troops, being made by the Enemies own acknowledgment, and as an Earnest of what they ate to expect from the returning fortune of the
Ottoman
Troops.
Heaven, that always showers down Rewards upon the Faithful and Valiant, give continued Successes to thy Arms, 'till the Enemy vomit up their unjust Conquests, and thou givest Peace to the Just in the Name of God, and his Prophet.
Paris,
20th of the 3d Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XIII. To the most Perfect in Wisdom and Virtue, the upright Instructor among the Faithful,
Vahimi Effendi,
Publisher of Truth, and Teacher of Wise Sayings, in the presence of the Grand Seignior.
SURELY the Religion of these
Nazareens,
as they manage it here among their Dervices, or Priests, of whom there are innumerable Sects, is the most unaccountable mass of Contradiction that was ever heard of in the World. And to do justice to the Lord of Truth and Righteousness, who dwelleth in Unity, the great One God, who sent his Prophet, the Son of
Mary,
to instruct these Men in the way of right things; I say, to do justice to him, it must be declar'd that they walk not in his Precepts, as the true Mussulmen walk in the right Precepts of
Mahomet.
It would offend thy Ears, ennur'd to hear the Words of Justice and Wisdom, should I give thee the detail of the Folly and Madness of these Hypocrites; were their Prophet Jesus here now on Earth, to see the Hypocritical behaviour of the several Sects of religious Thieves among them, and how they sell Pardon of Sins for Money, and send Souls into Torment, or Bliss, as their Friends are narrow or large in their Bounty to their Church, he would scourge them out of the Mosques consecrated to his Name, as he did the Money-Changers out of the Temple; for never was it so true as now, that his House is made a Den of Thieves.
But not only are the Religious among them a Crew of unsanctified Devotees, but the manner with which they carry on their Fraud, is in it self so ridiculous, that nothing is more astonishing, than that the People can be impos'd upon in such a manner, and can take such Absurdities for Religion. For Example.
They Celebrate Yearly the Day of the Nativity of the Messiah Jesus. But as if they were determined by Fate to be made ridiculous to all the Sons of
Adam,
they cannot resolve among themselves when it was. So tenacious also they are of their several Epocha's of Time, and of the particular Accounts which one or other keep, that each Country keep it according to their own way; some ten Days sooner, some ten Days later than one another; and in the
Muscovire
Country, I am told, they have no less than 5 several Accounts.
In a word, they know not when he was born. And did not we know the certainty of these things, by the unerring Revelation of our just Oracle the Alchoran, which came from Heaven, we might ask them how they knew he was Born at all, or that there was such a Person upon Earth. But we are able to give them a Truer Account of their own Prophet, whose Pattern of Virtue we declare to them, would make them perfect, had they obey'd his Law with Sincerity and Faithfulness.
Neither are they better instructed in the Nature and Reason of keeping
Biram,
or a Feast on the Day of the Nativity of the Son of
Mary;
for if they acknowledge him to be a Preacher of Righteousness, then ought his Followers to practise according to his Example; and when they Celebrate his Birth, in whom they trust and believe, should it not be to recommend his Law to one another, for the just observation of their People.
On the contrary, the Day of
Biram,
or Feast observ'd for the Birth of their Prophet JESUS, is a Day set apart for unbounded Licentious Vice, as Gluttony, Gaming, excess of Wine, and all manner of Liberty, in those Crimes in which these Northern Nations surmount even the wickedness of the Luxurious
Egyptians.
I Swear to thee by the holy Soul of my Father and Grandfather, that there are not living in the Face of the Sun, such a Generation of Belly-Gods as the Dervices of this part of the World, who, under pretence of Sanctity, Abstinence, and prosess'd Poverty, wallow in Sensuality, Gluttony, and Wine; and this is an aggravation of it, that the Day appointed to thank God for the Birth of their Great Prophet, is, as it were, set apart to provoke God to take from them the benefit for which their Prophet Jesus came among them.
Nor is it in vain; righteous Vengeance has filled them with their own ways, and the Laws of Virtue and Truth, which Jesus the Son of
Mary
left them to walk by, when he was taken up into Heaven, are lost to them, being swallowed up in Hypocrisie and Innovation on one hand, Ignorance and Immorality on the other.
An instance of their Ignorance I shall give thee in another Case, in which they are mockt by their own
eople: and this relates to another Day, whic
they keep as a Day of Devotion for the Crucifixion of their Messiah; this they call
Good-Friday;
but why it has that Name, they cannot tell us, neither is it known by one in five hundred amongst them what it is they are to do on that Day, or how to behave;
(viz.)
whether with Joy, or Sorrow.
It was yesterday that they Celebrated this Day in the Great Mosque of this City, as also in all the lesser Mosques; but I name the Great Mosque, because when the People came to go into the Mosque, or Church; they found a Paper fix'd upon the Door, with the following Lines, in several Languages, that all sorts of People might read it.
Ye Hypocrites, pull off the Sacred Masque,
And of your selves this graver Question ask;
Whether you are in Earnest, or in Jest,
Whether
Good-Friday
is a Fast, or Feast?
If as a Feast you keep the joyful Day,
You joy that
Judas
did your Lord betray.
If 'tis a Fast, and all in Sorrow seem,
You mourn that Jesus did the World Redeem;
The People were so astonish'd at the Question, which not any of them could answer, that they read them with great attention, and many took Copies of them; so that it was to no purpose that the Bishop, hearing of it afterwards, sent his Officers to pull the Paper down, for they were immediately made publick over the whole City, and are repeated now in every Mouth with such pleasure, that the Dervices are provok'd to the highest degree, being banter'd and jested with about them in all Conversation. Nay, I am told the King himself could not forbear repeating them by way of Jest to his Confessor.
But that which made the greatest Disturbance was, that at the bottom of the Paper, there were three other Lines; upon the reading of which, it was observ'd, abundance of the more serious People began to consider whether they had best go into the Mosqe that Day or no, and many of them really went back again. The Lines were thus:
Before you go to Church, resolve the Doubt,
That you may know what you go there about,
And not go Wiser in, than you come out.
Had this happen'd in
Spain, Portugal,
or in
Italy,
it is certain whoever had dar'd to take a Copy of them, or to repeat them again, especially by way of Jest upon the Clergy, as they do here, would have been clapt up in the Inquisition, and never have come out, but at an
auto de fe,
with a
San Benitto
upon his Head. But the
French
are a People of so much freedom in their general Conversation, that they could never suffer the Yoke of the Inquisition among them.
LETTER XIV. To
Simeon Ben Habbakkuk,
a Jew, at
Salonicha.
THOU (my old Friend) art in my Opinion, studying and spending thy Years, even to an extream Old Age, upon the weakest Foundation that any Man of so great Learning ever did, except an old Fryar here in
France,
who, they say, has been forty Years writing what he calls the History of Sacred Reliques, they call him Father
le Plesis.
He has made a Collection of the Trumpery they call Reliques, which they tell me are digested into 17 Volumes in Folio; to which he has with much Labour added all that he could reckon up or gather, and perhaps invent, and having Dedicated them to Cardinal
Mazarine,
the Cardinal, who perhaps knew more of the Cheat than Father
le Plesis,
ask'd him to let him see the whole Work, that he might cause them to be laid before the King, and obtain for him some mark of his Majesty's Esteem; the old Father tickled with this Compliment, brought his 17 Volumes in Manuscript curiously written to the Cardinal, who took care of the Fryar indeed, and made him an Abbay, as we style them,
Naki
Esscreff,
or Chief of the
Emirs;
I say, he made him Abbay of a Monastry of Fryars
Benedictines,
but never let him see his Books any more; and I am told, that after the Cardinal's Death, they were found in his Library, with this worthy remark upon them, under the Cardinal's own Hand, that they were a scandalous Medly of Ridiculous Tales, and ought to be suppress'd:
Be not angry, grave
Simeon,
if I think thou art studying and labouring, spinning out thy Bowels, and employing thy fruitless Years in a production, which, when thou hast finished, will be of no profit, either to thy self, or any one else; for as I have it from thy own Pen, thou hast been this 50 Years tracing Antiquity, and the Learned Works of the Hebrew
Rabbins,
to explain and come at the Original of the
Talmud,
or Babylonian
Gemara,
the
Misna,
and the Lectures of the
Gaonim,
and
Amoraim, (viz)
the Expositors and Doctors of the Oral Law of
Moses.
Alas,
Simeon,
I pity thy fruitless Labour, thou hast gotten a Task endless as that of
Syssiphus,
who was condemn'd to roll a great Stone up the Mountain
Aeger,
which came back upon him immediately upon every lift he gave it, and always left him just where he began.
Miserable Man, thou wouldst do well to transpose thy Studies from the subsequent to the antecedent, and resolve first the previous Question, Whether there was any such thing as an
Oral Law
committed to the Children of
Israel
by
Moses,
yea or no? and till thou dost this, 'tis all but begging the Question to talk of the Authority of the
Misna,
which in its pretence is a Body of Traditional Constitutions.
But did ever Man of Learning spend his invaluable time, in such a fruitless Study as this? in which thou art sure to arrive at nothing, but, in a word, to leave every thing more abstruse, dark and difficult than you found it.
I know it is in vain to urge to thee the words of Jesus the Son of
Mary,
because thy thoughts of him are not the same as we Mussulmen entertain; for we believe him to be a Prophet sent from God, but thou believest him to be an Impostor; we believe he was Translated to Heaven, as was
Enoch,
and
Elias,
thou that he was Crucified; and that his Disciples, the better to carry on the Religious Fraud, doz'd the
Roman
Soldiers with an Opiate in some Wine, and having cast them into a deep Sleep, had stollen his Body away, and gave out that he was risen from the Dead.
But I say, not to mention the preaching of this Jesus, who expos'd sufficiently the folly and knavery of your Traditions, and made even the Notion of an Oral Law ridiculous in it self; I shall put thee upon this rational Enquiry,
(viz.)
Whether
Moses
left any such Oral Law or not, and whether it does not appear rather to be the meer subtilty, craft and knavery of the
Rabbins,
pretending by suggesting such antient Institutions, and undertaking to explain and expatiate upon them, to gain reverence and respect among the People, and indeed making themselves Lawgivers; for it is evident that they have in the end given the same, or a superior Sancti
n, to the Tradition of the Elders,
(viz)
the
Misna,
the
Babylonian Gemara,
&c. as was given to the written Law of God handed to them by the Ministry of
Moses,
your great Prophet and Lawgiver.
Now, Sage
Simeon,
what is the Evidence you have that
Moses
gave any Rules other than those which he left in Writing? verily thou canst neither give Evidence of it, or lay down any probable Scheme or Reason of it. To give Evidence, none will pretend, nor do the most ancient Writers among the
Hebrews
go back to any time, when it can be said, by many hundred Years, that any was alive who receiv'd those Oral Laws from the Mouth of
Moses;
the utmost Authority given by the Ancients, and with which your People seem so well satisfied, is this, that they receiv'd it by Tradition.
These Traditions are collected by
Rabbi Juda,
a Learned Sage Man, but he goes no farther back than
Simeon
the Just, who, by his acknowledgement, liv'd not till above a thousand Years after the Death of
Moses,
and knew nothing of what was left by
Moses
himself, but what was upon Record in the Books called the
Pentateuch,
except what was handed down to him by the Traditions, that is, in a word, the Corruptions of the Elders,
These Traditions then having no evidence of their Antiquity, thou wouldest do well, after the most curious search of Books, to resolve them as
Gaffir Evilmouah,
the Learned
Arabian
of
Medina,
did long since, into the corrupt Exposition of Dogmatick
Rabbies,
presuming, in Pride and Ostentation, to impose their sence upon the Divine Institutions of
Moses,
who also, to add an Authority, tho' surreptitious, and assumed, pretend that
Moses
was said to leave such Constitutions as explanations of the Laws of God; as if
Moses,
who was guided by the especial and particular Hand of Heaven, and had the pattern of every thing given him in the Mount, would not have been so just to the Children of
Israel,
and so just to God himself, as to have written, for their farther Instruction, every thing that had been necessary for their perfect understanding the Law of God, if it had not been sufficiently explain'd in it self.
Farther, it seems a reproach to God himself, if thou acknowledgest him to be a perfect Law-giver, that he should leave his Laws in so hidden and dark Expressions, that
Moses
his Servant, hidden and by whom he promulgated the whole Tenour of his Will, should be oblig'd to add to it an Oral Law, as a Directory of its Obedience, whereas in the rest there was not a stitch in the Curtains of the Tabernacle, but what was particularly describ'd and directed from Heaven.
But to carry it yet farther; by the Translation, as also by all the
Hebrew
Editions of the the
Pentateuch,
which I have seen, the last Chapters of the last of those Books, contain a recapitulation by
Moses
to the People, of all that God commanded him to say to them; wherein he tells them the whole substance of the Command, the plainness of it, and particularly, that it needs no Oral Exposition, or Addition. He makes indeed pressing Instances to them for their observance of the Law, but does not say one word of its requiring an Interpreter, or any Explanations, Expositions, or particular Directions. On the other hand, your Prophet
Moses
declared that there needed no such helps,
Deut.
30. 11, 12, 13, 14.
For this Commandment which I command thee this Day, is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in Heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to Heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the Sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go over the Sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the Word is very nigh unto thee, in thy Mouth, and in thy Heart, that thou mayest do it.
The meaning is clear, it is nigh to thee, familiar to thy Understanding, it is in thy Mouth, that is, in thy own Mouth, thou needest no Teacher; and in thy Heart., thou needest no Explanation, no Interpreter. That thou mayest do it; that is, thou knowest it perfectly well, and canst have no Excuse for not doing it.
From hence it is observ'd in the Histories of the
Hebrew
Times, that on all the publick Solemnities among the
Israelites,
the Law was to be read to the People, there was no occasion of Oral Expositions, and Traditional Additions, the Law was compleat, it wanted nothing but to be read to the People, it carried such Energy with it, and was in all things so compleatly full, so plain, so intelligible, and so convincing, that to read it was sufficient.
What then art thou doing, O
Simeon,
thou art but raking in Dunghils, and searching the corrupt attempts of frail and erroneous Men, to explain and expound the Law given in the most perfect form from Heaven, by that God who cannot err, and who exhibited his Commands in so perfect a form as needed no Explanations.
Depend upon it, Sage
Rabbi,
thou art studying upon nothing, but art surrounded with those cursed
Phaenomena
's of Human Inventions, which for many Ages have been Darkning and Eclipsing, not explaining the pure and unspotted Law of
Moses
your Lawgiver; and your
Rabbins
have been now a thousand Years endeavouring to introduce their mean and debauch'd whymsies into the said Law, as Institutions of God, which is the worst sort of Idolatry; just as the
Nazareens
here have done, who, by the pretended Authority of the Popes, or Sovereign Pontiffs, have introduced so many Oral Traditions into the Worship of their Prophet, that they have very few of his first Institutions left among them.
Be Wise in the conclusion of thy Days, and leave off propagating Errors, and imposing Human Inventions in the most pure Laws of the High, One Eternal Being.
Paris,
16th of the 5th Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XV. To the
Kaimacham.
IF I judge rightly from what I have observ'd from the History of the Nations among whom I dwell; I think the mighty Empire of the
Ottomans
is the only Kingdom or Government in the World which God has suffer'd to stand protected by his Great Prophet
Mahomet,
without suffering the Revolutions common to these
European
Kingdoms. This is a Testimony of the Divine Pleasure, and may cause us to conclude the Empire of the Faithful to be the delight of Heaven.
All the Kingdoms of
Europe
have either first or last suffer'd violent Convulsions, Changes and Revolutions of Government, as
Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Muscovy, Spain, Portugal, England,
&c. But the Triumphant Empire of the
Ottomans,
has from its first Founder continued under the same Government, in the same Line, and in a continual encrease, like the growing Crescent, the Ancient and Original Device of our great Prophet, growing towards its full, and has yet never suffer'd any Wain; long may it encrease, 'till it Triumph over all the Nations of the World, and bring the haughty Empires of the
Perfians,
and
Nazareens,
to truckle to the Feet of the Grand Seignior.
England,
which among the Kingdoms of the
Nazareens
I just now named to thee, to have already suffer'd Changes and Revolutions, has suffer'd now about two Years ago, a greater Change than any of those for Ages before; for they have deposed their Rightful Lord and Emperor, and have, by the assistance of a Dutch Prince, called the
Prince of Orange,
driven their King not only from his Throne, but out of his Dominions, and we see him here as a forsaken afflicted Man, taking Sanctuary in the Court of his Neighbouring Monarch, and soliciting him for Help.
The King of
France
has always been vain of having his Court call'd the Asylum, or Refuge of Distressed Princes, and has often espoused the Cause of such, to a degree which has been heavy upon himself; and yet has so happily managed for such Princes, that many of them, first or last, have been effectually restor'd; as was the Case in the House of
Braganza,
now the Royal House of
Portugal;
several
Italian
and
German
Princes, and others; but he has had no luck with entertaining Kings of
England:
For when he entertain'd once the Brother of this Prince, many Years ago, when Exil'd by his rebellious People, he found himself oblig'd by the Usurper, to desire him civilly to withdraw out of his Dominions again.
But he has so effectually espous'd this Prince, as to enter into a very terrible War in his behalf; in which the Interest of the Person I mention'd, who was
Prince of Orange,
but is now solemnly Crown'd King of
England,
has been such, among the other Princes of
Europe,
that the greatest part of Christendom,
as they call it,
is entred into a Confederacy against the
French
King, and last Year, it was thought, would have bidden fair for his ruine.
Not that I believe now they will all be able together to Master him, especially if the Arms of the invincible Port do continue with Success to divert the Power of
Germany
from falling in with the rest; for the Armies of
France
are infinitely numerous, and this Years Campaign has given a new turn to their Affairs, their Cavalry, which indeed must be esteem'd the best in these parts of
Europe,
are exceeding fine, and are led on by the most enterprizing daring Officers in these parts of the World; and they again directed by Generals of the utmost Experience: nor have they ever yet come to any decisive Battle wherein the
French
Troops have not gain'd both the Glory, and the Field, and that chiefly by help of their Horse.
It is true, the now King of
England,
as they call him, is a Prince that will never give it over, and that by his Interest, his Policy, and his Alliances, appears every Year stronger and stronger, even after the most bloody Battles and Engagements.
This will not be the Case in
France;
for tho' the number of his Officers is inexhaustible, and if a thousand Officers were kill'd in a Battle, which has been the Case more than once, yet there are such numbers of Gentlemen in his Army, ready to supply their Places, equal in Bravery and Experience to those that fall in the Battle, that the Loss is not felt.
Nay, some have said that it is a Convenience to him, that there may be room to gratifie the infinite numbers of depending Gentlemen, whose Families expect to rise by the good Fortune of their Relations in the Army.
But it is not the same with respect to the common Soldiers, especially the Infantry; for as most of the Infantry are Foreigners of all Nations, especially
Germans, English, Irish,
and
Scots,
and all those Countries are now Leagued against
France;
if these old Veterane Troops are once broken and destroy'd by long Service, he cannot supply them again but with Native
French;
who, tho' the Cavalry are good beyond compare, yet the common People are small, weak Bodies, and not able to cope with the strong heavy Bodied Troops of the Northern Nations.
Whoever therefore lives to see this War end, if it holds on many Years, as it is like to do, will see the
French
Infantry grow worse and worse by Service; whereas the Troops of other Nations grow better and better: the Reason is, because they cannot be recruited with Men of the same Nations, and of the same Bravery and Ability, as they were made up of before.
But however, as things are now stated, the King of
France
seems to make himself terrible to all the Confederates, grows upon them in every Campaign, and is continually surprizing Towns and Countries from them, by being earlier in the Field than their Armies can be gotten together; so that he often forms a Seige in the beginning of the Year, and takes the Place, and lets his Army go into Quarters again, before the Troops of the Confederates, which are to be fetch'd from the several Countries where they are gone to Quarter, can be in the Field.
Paris,
15th of the 6th Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XVI. To
Mahumend Nassuff,
formerly Bassa of
Caramania, Reis Effendi,
or Chief Secretary of State.
SInce thy advancement to the Honour which thou now worthily art entrusted with, of managing the Affairs of the happy fortunate Emperor of the World, I have not written to thee, but doubtless thou wilt find many of my Letters in the Cabinets of the
Bizraim,
or in the
Oda
's of thy Predecessor, whose Wishes are now consummated in Paradise, the resting Place of the Faithful.
Amurath, Demir Ogli Omas Reis Effendi
to
Mahomet
IV. under whose wise Dispositions I was continued twelve Years in this Post, acted on this Politick Principle,
(viz.)
that it is always proper to a Minister of State to see with as many Eyes as he can; for which reason he expected from me things of mean, as well as of the greatest Consequence.
But I shall furnish thee with Matters of weight only, till I have thy farther Instructions. Know then that this has been a Year of Blood among the Followers of the
Hebrew
Prophet, and innumerable Armies have been mowed down by the Sword of Divine Vengeance, in the Hands of Ambition, and Revenge.
Never did any Age, since the beginning of the
Ottoman
Greatness, offer so fair an Occasion for the glory of the Followers of
Mahomet,
to extend it self over the whole World. The Animosity among these
Nazareens
is so great, and they pursue one another with such implacable Fury, that it looks as if they were firmly resolv'd never to have peace with one another any more; but were to root those they quarrel with from the face of the Earth.
The
French
are now at War with the
Germans,
as the Grand Seignior also is; and this War is carried on with such Cruelty and Rage, that nothing is more grateful to them here, than to hear of the Victories which the Mussulmans Armies get over the
Germans;
and tho' Jesus the Son of
Mary
is their own Prophet too, yet when thousands of his Followers are cut down by the Sword of
Mahomet,
they Boast and rejoyce in the News, albeit at other times they style the faithful Mussulmans their common Enemies.
Last Year the
French
Power seem'd to be over-match'd; the Confederacy which is form'd against them was so formidable, that they said it would be no dishonour to
Lewis
XIV. to yield, since no Man was born to fight all the World. And yet this Year, as if he coveted a War with Mankind, he has engaged a new Enemy against him,
(Viz.)
the Duke of
Savoy,
who calls for at least 50000 Men to be employ'd against him, were it only to act upon the Defensive.
It is however surprizing to see, that with all these Enemies in Confederacy against him, he has
even this Year,
turn'd the Scale of Fortune on his Side in every part of the World: On the
Rhine,
his Generals have kept the Field, and Encamp'd in their Enemies Country, raising Contributions, and causing his Army to subsist at the Expence of the Enemy: In
Flanders,
the
Dutch
Army has been defeated under Count
Waldeck,
by the Duke of
Luxemburg,
at the great Battle of
Fleuri,
or
Flerus.
Likewise at Sea the
French
Fleet has been superior both to the
English
and
Dutch;
two Nations, who, in Distinction, are called,
The Maritime Powers;
the
French
have brought into the Sea a Fleet of 90 Sail of the Line, a Number superiour to what ever yet was seen in the Channel; and with this Fleet, commanded by Monsieur
Tourville,
they fairly fought both the
English
and
Dutch
Fleet united, on the
English
Coast, off of
Beachy,
and got the Advantage; having several Men of War of the
Dutch
burnt, stranded, or sunk, and three taken.
Only in
Ireland,
the Prince of
Orange
has been victorious; King
James
has had the Misfortune to be beaten at the
Boyn,
and is come back into
France
for Shelter; while the next Letters I may write, may send thee an Account that he is so far from being successful, that he has nothing of that personal Bravery which the World knows is necessary to a King; for they all say here, that tho' his Army retired, the Loss was but small, and he was under no Necessity of abandoning them by such a precipitant Flight.
But to return to the
German
Empire.
Doubtless the Advantages gained by the
Germans
over the Children of the Faithful, for the last 10 Years, must be from the Anger of God upon the Mussulmans Empire, for their Sins; or must be the Effect of the ill Conduct of the
Grand Seignior
's Generals: We shall see different Effects will follow different Conduct; the new Grand Vizier is a Man who well knows how to rectifie the Mistakes of his Predecessors, and is far from being afraid to look his Enemies in the Face.
Now is the Time to retrieve the Glory of the
Ottoman
Arms, when a martial General is at the Head of the
Grand Seignior
's Armies, and the
German
Empire is laid hard at on this Side; so that they can neither spare the Troops or the Generals for the Defence of
Hungary,
as they did before.
Paris,
18th of the 8th Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XVII. To
Amurath Puelogli, Chaious Bassa
his Brother's Son; newly advanced to the Office of the Chief of the Messengers of State.
WHEN I thought to have heard of the Proficiency of thy Studies, and that thou wert qualifying thy self in the
Tetrehg,
at the Holy City, in Order to be one Day the Oracle of the Law of
Mahomet,
and a Leader among the pure and unpolluted of thy Brethren, those who open the Mouths of the Faithful in the Service of the ineffable Glory; Behold, how am I surprized to hear that thou art descended to the mean and servile State of a Courtier.
Knowest thou that Heaven it self singles out, in the secret Decrees of inscrutable Providence, the Agents and Instruments of its own Work; qualifying those Instruments for the Business and End in which they were decreed to be employ'd: Knowest thou then, my Kinsman and Son of my Blood, that by thy accepting this secular Employment, thou hast let us know, that
Mahomet
has rejected thee, as one not worthy to repeat the Holy Name of
Alla zeid mechet, alla, alla,
sounded daily in his Ears by the faithful Dervices, or to be the Interpreter of his Law.
Canst thou, who wert designed by thy pious Mother for the most sublime Office of the Great Mosque, at the illustrious Gate of the
Seraglio,
and mightest, by thy promising Merit, have been chosen of God for the High-Priest of
Mahomet:
Canst thou quit the shining Glories of the Temple of the Faithful, where thy daily Post had been to be surrounded with the Servants of God, praying five Times a Day for the Health of thy Soul, and to the Honour of our great Prophet; and think thy self advanced with the gawdy Chain of a Minister of State, and the Turban of a Bassa?
I look upon thee as one fallen from the Pinnacle of Glory, and placed by an evil Spirit upon the Precipice of Fate; where it is a Million to one odds, but thou droppest into the Abyss of Misery, and art dash'd to Pieces upon the Rocks of thy own Ambition.
Weak Man, what art thou doing? Knowest thou that Peace is the Glory of Life, and that a Scene of serene Cogitation, just Action, and the Study of Wisdom, is not only the most suited to the Happiness of an exalted Soul in the Station of Life, but is an Emblem of Paradise; and guides the Soul to the shining Gate of Bliss, where thy Father's Fathers, to a hundred Generations, should have received thee with Musick and Dances; and where all the happy Generations of thy Ancestors, would have rejoyced over thee?
Now I esteem thee as lost, and if thou, by thy Humiliation, and the Prayers of
Mahomet,
shouldest arrive at the Garden of Joy, thou shalt nevertheless be received there as one who hadst cast thy self out by thy own Choice, hadst rejected thy own Felicity, and wast recovered by the compassionate Interposition of those more worthy than thy self, and shalt have the lowest Place among the Blessed.
Did ever wise Man, who was by Nature, and the Care of an indulgent Mother, set apart for the superiour Blessedness of a religious Instructor of others, so degenerate into Stupidity and Darkness of Mind, as to damn himself to the empty Pleasures of a Life of Business and Repentances? What Amends can the sorry, gawdy Trifles of the Court, and of the Homage of Slaves, make thee, for the sublime Contemplations of Paradise, and the Honour of being a menial Servant to the Blessed of all Blessedness, the Mirrour of Glory, the Prophet of God?
Fye,
Morat,
fye; I blush for thee, and for the Reproaches thy own Heart must make thee, for having thus sunk into the lowest Degeneracy of Mankind; if it be not too late, let the just Reflection upon this Madness bring thee to thy self; and, if it be possible, ransome thy self from a Condition which will always give thee Occasion to call thy self not a Fool only, but a Mad-Man, a Lunatick, and one destined to be miserable.
Paris,
the 5th Day of the 2d Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XVIII. To the perfect Judge, Mirrour of Ʋ prightness, and Distributer of Justice to the Faithful:
Morat Ebbuchebb,
Kadilesker of
Salonicha,
and the Isles.
I Have been searching the Books of the ancient Doctors of our Law, from
Omer
and
Osman,
the first Writers of
Mahomet
's Institutes, down to
Esad Mehummed Kalizecker,
the great
Nakib Eschref
of the Emirs in the Hill of Admiration on the
Red Sea:
I have examined the two hundred and seventy Mysteries, and the Rules of Wisdom, left written with a Pen of Emerald in the holy Mountain of
Ghazuan
in
Arabia;
and I have not been without deep Contemplations from the Inspirations which our great Prophet
Mahomet
has afforded to my 25 Prayers a Day, which I used without ceasing for 3 Months, to know the Reason why the Infidels and cursed among the
Nazareens,
are permitted to triumph over the Faithful, and take from us Cities, wherein Mosques have been built for the Prayers of the Mussulmans to God and his Prophet.
I have first found, and am assured, that the Pilgrimages enjoyned by the first Commands of our Religion have not been performed; so that our great Prophet not having been duly honoured by the Guides of the Faithful, and the Servants of the mighty Emperor having been permitted to transgress the Laws of their Fathers, the Indignation of God is justly fallen upon them.
I have likewise found, that throughout the whole Mussulmans Empire, the Commands of the One God have been transgressed in a Manner which has never been, since the Alcoran came down from Heaven, or since
Mahomet
took Possession of the Seat of Beauty in the Garden.
I am inform'd by Inspiration from the three Spirits which sit on the Top of
Jathrib,
on the Banks of the sacred River
Chahiber,
that the Mussulmans are secretly addicted to Wine, which is forbidden them by their Fathers, and by the written Law.
I swear to thee by the heary Scalp of thy Father
Aleb,
and thy Grandfather
Raleb,
belov'd by
Mahomet,
and Favourites of Men; as thou art Kadilesker and Judge of the Country round about thee, if thou punish not severely the guilty Offenders, the Christians, who have already driven thee out of
Pcloponesus,
for the Sins of the Mussulmans, shall drive thee also out of
Macedonia;
and thou shalt no longer preside over the Isles of the Arches.
Put strictly in Execution the Laws of
Mahomet
IV. the just and invincible Lawgiver and Emperor; and cause not only the Cabarets or Taverns of the
Greeks
to be shut up, but even destroy thou their Vineyards, from whence the cursed Evaporation is drawn; that the Laws of Sobriety be not broken under thy Government, and the Offence be laid at thy Door, when thou shalt come to the Gate of Paradise; where thou wilt demand Entrance in vain, if thou do not this Justice to thy great Prophet, and to his chosen People.
Let the
Germans, Venetians,
and others the Enemies of
Mahomet
and of his Law, engross this Crime to their own particular Use; let the Christians only be worthily esteemed the drunken Race; let them drown in the Gusts of their wicked Desires; and let it be said above, that the Christians only are the Lovers of Wine, and drink the Juice of the forbidden Fruit to Excess; but let the Faithful abhor the Crime, and let the guilty be punished with Severity.
Then shall the Mussulmen be victorious over the Ensigns of the
Nazareens,
and the Priests of
Mahomet
shall possess the Temples of Unbelievers.
Paris,
the 12th Day of the 3d Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XIX. To the Kaimacham.
I Wish thou wert to see, as I do in this Place, how the
French
esteem the
German
Troops; which nevertheless, they tell me, are the Terror of the
Ottoman
Cavalry: It grieves me to hear how those Infidels continually boast of defeating the
Spahis
and
Timariots,
the ancient Cavalry of the Mussulman Empire; invincible and terrible from the
East
to the
West;
while the same
German
Regiments, tho' arm'd with Curiasses, fighting against the naked
French
Horse, are cut in Pieces, push'd into Rivers and Morasses; and in a Word, are made the Scorn of the World: Believe me, it cannot be the Vertue or Courage of the Men, it must lie in the Ignorance and Want of Experience of the Officers.
The new Vizier wants not that I should tell him, how weak a Body the best Soliders in the World are in the Field, if led on by unexperienced Officers; if an Army of Hares with a Lion to their General, was esteemed by the Ancients of more Use tham an Army of Lions with a Hare to their General; then the placing unexperienced Officers at the Head of the best and bravest Cavalry of the
East,
is nothing less or more than a sacrificing the bravest Men in the
East
to the Fury of their barbarous Enemies.
The
German
Horse, I assure thee, are far from being terrible on this Side the World; the
Gens-darmefrie
of the
French
King, which are Part of the Houshold Troops here, as the
Spahis
or
Janizaries
are of the
Grand Seignior
's, have frequently charged the Curiassiers of the Emperor Sword in Hand, and not fir'd a Shot at them; driving them out of the Field, not valuing their Iron Caps, Back and Breast.
Indeed it is very seldom that the
Germans
ca
e to stand their Fury; at the late Battle in
Flanders,
fought on the Plains of
Fleuri,
the Light Horse of the
French
Army, called Carabineers, broke 15 Squadrons of
German
Horse, called
Lunenburghers
and
Brandenburghers,
by the meer Shock of their Charge, and the good Management of their Horses; and never fired upon them till they were in plain Rout.
How comes it then that our
Spahis,
who are the most exquisite Managers of their Horses, and have the best Horses in the World; are yet so often driven back by the Infidels? I shall give thee one Piece of Advice in this Case, which, as thou hast a Martial Genius, thou wilt not fail to accept for the
Grand Seignior
's Service: The Horses of
Barbary, Turcomania,
and
Natolia,
are of the finest Make, the most beautiful in Shape, full of Mettle and Courage, of any in the
Otteman
Empire; but they are not equal in Strength to the courser and heavier Horses of
Holstein,
of
Saxony
and
Switzerland,
of
Flanders,
and of
England;
from all which Places the
Germans
draw the heavy Horses they now use: This Weight of Horseflesh is the Advantage in Battle, as the Manner of Fighting is now used in these Parts.
It was about the
second
Moon of the last Year, called
February;
that the King of
France
reviewed the Cavalry of his Houshold at
Compeigne,
a Town on the Frontiers towards
Flanders;
and as the King, with the Duke of
Luxemburgh,
caused the
Gens d' Arms
to march by his Coach, he took Notice, that many of their Officers were mounted upon the finest
Spanish
Jennets and Barbs that could be seen.
It was usual every Year, that the Troops were ordered to march immediately to
Flanders
from the Review in that Place; but after this Review, the King ordered them to Quarters, which greatly surprized them; but they understood it better, when an Order came the next Day from the Mareschal
Boufflers,
that the Officers of the
Gens d' Arms
should all change their Horses, and should be all mounted upon stronger Horses, and 20 Days Time was given them to furnish themselves; which was easily done in that Part of the Country: and it was but two Months after, when a Jest was put upon the Houshold Troops and the Guards,
(viz.)
That all the
Gens d' arms
were mounted upon Coach Horses.
But they soon found the Advantage in Action, for adding the Size of the Horses to the Courage and Bravery of the Men, who are all chosen out of the best Soldiers in the Army, they became a new Sort of People; and it is seen now, for no Troops can stand before them.
Were the Grand Seignior's Cavalry thus mounted, the
Germans
could not cope with them; but as it is now, they tell one another here, that the
Spahis
are mounted to pursue, not to sight; if they had said, to run away, not to fight, I could not contradict them; for my Business is to hear and see, and say nothing: But, I say, would the Grand Vizier mount his Troops with the large, heavy Horses of
Thracia
and
Macedonia,
of
Trapesond,
and the Mountains of
Bosan
and
Mingrelia,
tho' they seem fitter to draw the Cannon, than mount the Troopers, yet the Advantage of it would soon be found in the Field of Battle.
Thou knowest I am no Man of War, but as I see this Practice made use of here so much to Advantage by Men of Experience, thou mayest find Reason to make use of the Advice as a Secret, for the Service of the
Grand Seignior.
Paris,
the 7th Day of the 5th Moon, of the Year, 1690.
LETTER XX. To
Kara Humaizoth Ungwar,
a Searcher of Ancient Knowledge; a learned, aged Emir of
Tacsebbassara
in
Arabia.
IT is with inexpressible Joy I look back upon those few Days of my Youth, which I spent in thy Arms; thou who wert a Fountain of Wisdom and Instruction from thine Infancy, the Knowledge not of the Language of the
Hebrew,
so much as of the Learning of the
Hebrews,
was thy first Study; and I am not ignorant of the Perfection thou art arriv'd to in so many Years Application: I know that no humane Understanding can reach what thou art Master of in the traditional Wisdom of the Prophets and Rabbies of ancient Times.
How ignorant are the
Literati
of these Parts of the World in this particular? that they think none of the Ages or Nations contemporary with
Moses
and the Elders, were Partakers with them of sacred Knowledge, or had communicated to them any Part of the divine Institutions, which the
Jews
call the written Law?
Is it possible that these Men should pass by the many Ages of Wisdom in which the
Arabians,
who were for a thousand Years the wisest People upon Earth, and from whom the
Egyptians
borrowed their Learning and Knowledge, flourished as well in heavenly, as in humane Studies: We are not without Testimonies irrefragable, that God revealed himself in diverse Manners, and thro' the Administration of divers Persons, besides those Vocal Legislations and awful Appearances of Mount
Sinai,
mentioned in the Writings of
Moses,
called the
Pentateuch;
Even the
Jews
themselves confess, that their great Prophet
Moses
wandered forty Years in Foreign Countries, from whence he returned fraught with Wisdom and Knowledge, as well as with a Wife and a Stock of Sons, with which he was blest in that Country; which Country we know was on the Back of the Desert, and inhabited by the Tribes of
Midian;
all at that Time not only under the Subjection of the
Arabian
Power, but Partakers with them in their Knowledge and Wisdom, for which they were at that Time famous through all the Nations of the Earth.
It is observable, that even the
Jews
themselves, when they would set forth the great Judgment and Understanding of their Lawgiver
Moses,
they say he was learned in all the Wisdom of the
Egyptians;
whereas we likewise know that the great Teachers of Science, and Instructers of the Southsayers of
Egypt
were
Arabians;
and that the Source of all their Knowledge came orginally from
Dh
arajara, Gurbelhumar,
and
Jabin Halfarecha,
the most ancient Doctors of
Arabia,
far elder than
Omer
and
Zebdanna;
under the Teachings of whom, the Soothsayers, Magicians, and other wise Men of
Egypt,
had their Studies, and went into the Southermost Parts of
Arabia Foelix,
to hear and learn Instruction from them▪ So that for
Moses
to be learn'd in all the Wisdom of the
Egyptians,
was neither less or more than to be a Pupil of the Pupils of the ancient, most learned
Arabians;
in whom the Perfections of Knowledge, in the first Ages of Time, were treasured up, and from them extended all over the World; particularly from
Arabia
to
Egypt,
by the Doctors and learned or wise Men of those Times; from thence, by the Learning of
Moses,
to the
Jews;
and by other Hands to the Sages of the
East;
from whom the
Grecians,
(viz.) the Philosophers of
Athens,
and of other
Grecian
Countries, handed down and improv'd humane Knowledge to the
Romans,
and to all the other Nations of the World.
I cannot, Sage Register of humane Knowledge, pass over here the Confession of the
Jews,
and the Testimony they give to the Truth I assert,
(viz)
that the Wisdom and Knowledge, as well divine as humane, which was entrusted from Heaven with Mankind in those first
post diluvian
Ages, as they are called, was committed immediately, and in a more than ordinary Portion, to the
Arabians,
above all the Nations of the World.
This, I say, the
Jews
acknowledge, in publishing to the World, among the Books which they call Sacred; The Book or Story of
Job
the patient: This Book is not only graced with being written in the most sublime Stile that the
Hebrew
Language was ever written in, and by which it appears that the ancient
Hebrew
was preserved in its highest Purity and Dignity of Expression; but it gives undoubted Testimony to this great Principle,
(viz.)
that God revealed himself from Heaven to the
Arabians,
for by the Confession of all the Geographers in the World,
Job
and his three Friends were
Arabians:
I say, that God revealed himself from Heaven to the
Arabians,
in the like, and perhaps every Way as glorious a Manner, as he did afterwards to the other Posterity of
Abraham,
the
Israelites.
The whole Tenour of that Book, which they call of
Job,
intimates strongly a Supremacy of divine and natural Knowledge, infinite Transcendencies of Wisdom shine in every Part of it, all rational and supernatural Powers are exerted, in the Significancy of Expression, the Pungency of Replies, the Beauty of Stile, the Vivacity of Expression; in the arguings of his Friends, and the Sufferings of himself, all generous Principles are urged, acted, and improv'd; the most passionate Expostulations that can be conceived, break out from the Mouth of the grave Patriarch, under his strong Pressures, as from a Spirit overwhelmed; yet tyed down to the Principles of Humility, Resignation, Penitence, and all the Graces of a religious Mind; and all these appear in a resplendent Manner, even unutterable in any Language since that time known in the World: Nay, even unutterable in the very same Language, by any other Mouth.
No Example like it can ever be produced, thro' the whole History of Time among the
Jews,
even by their own Confession; Now
Job,
by all the Descriptions that can be given, was an Inhabitant of the Land of
UZ:
This
UZ
is, according to their own Doctors, a Country denominated from
UZ,
the Grandson of
Noah,
by his Eldest Son
SHEM;
whose Posterity multiplying after their coming out of the Ark, extended themselves
Southward
into the most fruitful Countries of
Asia;
such as
India, Persia,
and
Westward
into
Syria, Damascus
and
Arabia,
justly called the happy; and their happy Posterity are seated to this Day, abounding in Wisdom and Knowledge, and consummated in the great Lawgiver, our sublime Prophet, whose Remains rest in the shining Valley of Beatitudes, and the blessed Shades of the Holy City.
O! might I obtain the Blessing of returning from among Infidels, and the impure Nations of
Nazareens;
Impostors, who profane our Law, and give to the Almighty One God a Partnership of Deities; that my Ashes may rest in Peace among Believers, and my Spirit pass from the pure Society of the faithful Mussulmans, to the Regions of sublimated Pleasure, and the inexpressible Joys of the Heavenly Garden, more beautiful than that of
Eden:
This would cause new Spirits to rush into all my Veins, new Vigour into all my Limbs, and, aged as I am, I could travel, nay, flie from this Exile, and make the Holy Pilgrimage on my bare Feet, from
Paris,
to the City of Wonders, the glorious
Medina Acheb.
Whither am I transported? While I speak of these Things I am wrapt up with inconceivable Pleasure, and scarce know whether my Soul is embodyed, or unembodyed; Go on, thou Man of Perfection, continue to be the Oracle of Wisdom, the Stream of Instruction, the Wisdom of the wise, Eyes to the blind, and the Joy of the Faithful: I shall speak more to thee of these Matters, if the languishing Life I groan out here permits me Time.
Paris,
the 7th Day of the 9th Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XXI. To
Draout Zemaoglan,
his near Kinsman; Ʋ nder-Clark, or Deputy to the
Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State.
IS it not strange, that while I am daily writing Letters to thy Master of the greatest Importance, and giving him an Account of the Success of the great Enterprises which are undertaken, and the Victories gained by the
French
over the
German
Emperor and his Allies; I say, is it not strange I should sit still here, perfectly ignorant of either the Fate, or the History of what is doing in my own Country, and among my own Kindred.
How cometh it to pass, that thou, who art the right Hand to him, who is the right Hand of Councils, and keeps the Secrets of the mighty Empire; should not inform me at this Distance, of the great Turns in the Administration since the last Year; how the new Vizier has been exalted, and how to shew himself illustrious, and great in Action as in Council, he has restored Victory to the Arms of the Grand Seignior, by fighting the Battle of
Nissa,
and cutting in Pieces above 12000 of the Infidel Troop
It is true I hear all this, and am able to send thee Particulars which thou knowest not of; but this is owing to the Intelligence I keep in the Courts and Councils of Princes, who are Enemies to the Grand Seignior, and therefore cannot always prevail with themselves to speak the Truth.
Besides, hast thou no sympathetick Sense of the Joys or Griefs of an absent Parent? That would be to suppose, that thou hast none of the Blood of thy Father's Brother in thee; or that He and I having the same Father and Mother, thou hadst still no Part of us communicated by Generation, tho' by the Laws of Nature, which change not, the volatile Particles of thy Blood, maintain an invisible Correspondence with those of thy Father's Father, who was my Father; whereby thou inheritest the same Passions, Temper, Fire, and Phlegm, and shalt act in Consonance to the Humour and Constitution of us that went before thee, even involuntarily, and by a natural Force of sympathetick Powers, which thou mayest not perceive.
By the same Rule thou art of Necessity inspired with the generous Principles of thy Grandfather, and canst not be unmindful of thy Father's Image, who is now, tho' thus distant and remote, the nearest Parent to thee in Blood; and in whose Affection thou hast so great a Share, that by Sympathy it is impossible for us to be unconcern'd in the Griefs or Joys of one another, which Griefs or Joys, tho' unknown to either, are communicated by the invisible Converse of Spirits.
Whence else is it that involuntary Sadness seizes thy Heart, at Times when perhaps thou seest nothing near thee but what is the Subject of Pleasure and Joy? At that Moment, doubt it not, the Soul of thy dearest Parent
Mahmut,
here at this vast Distance, suffers Grief; perhaps from Distempers of the Body, Torture of the Mind, Disappointment, Affliction, or some latent Cause of Sorrow, unknown to thee.
By the same secret Influence I feel secret Impulses of Joy, by a sudden Spring of Spirits thro' my Blood, which lifts up the Soul above Grief, above all the Reach of humane Accidents, and above even my Power of expressing; I conclude then, thou, or some yet nearer Relation, perhaps my Mother, thy Grandmother, receive some Advancement, some Smiles from the sublime Majesty of the Grand Seignior, some uncommon Token of Prosperity, which is thus communicated to me by the inconceivable Power of sympathetick Influence, and the free Intercourse of Spirits: Thou knowest not perhaps how to express this, or at all Times to distinguish it; but assure thy self, if thou lissen vigilantly to the Voice of this silent Instruction, thou shalt always find in thy self secret Intimations of all the good or evil that attends either thee or thy Family.
I return to my first Complaint: The invisible Correspondence of our Souls will communicate Things particular to our selves, but there is not the same Conveyance of Things publick and affecting our Country; for tho' Affection to our Country may carry us high, yet there is no secret Sympathy, nothing mutual between us there; we are not of the same Species, or modell'd in the same Mould of Nature with our Governours; whereas the Channels of Blood in Relatives, come from the same Spring, partake of the same Temperament, and receive Motion from the same Principles.
I conjure thee by the Blood in thy Veins, springing from the great Fountain of
Guebirava
in
Arabia,
the Source of our Generation, by the Graves of our Ancestors, buried under the Hill
Abirjuvan,
by the Head of thy Father and the right Hand of thy Mother, that thou forget me not in this Exile; but communicate to me of thy Welfare, and of all the publick Affairs of the Mussulmans Empire; to which may all Prosperity be given, and may those who envy the Grand Seignior be brought bound to his Saftre, and receive the Judgment of Rebels from his mighty Hand.
Paris,
the 5th Day of the 8th Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER XXII. To the
Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State.
IT is with an inexpressible Satisfaction that I see here the Accounts from the Frontiers of
Hungary,
of the Progress by the victorious Arms of the Grand Vizier, and the Consternation of the Infidels at the Success of the Faithful.
The
French
partake of our Joy, the War against the Emperor being of great Advantage to them; It is by their Means that I have a true Account of the glorious Successes of the
Ottoman
Forces over the
Germans;
they tell me, the Grand Vizier has taken
Nissa,
in Consequence of the Battle near that Place, wherein the
Germans
lost seven Princes, and 8000 Men of their best Troops; that the Serasquier
Ibrahim
has taken the Fort of
Piroth
on the River
Moraw,
and the Town of
Widin
on the
Danube;
so that all the Province of
Servia
is cleared of the
Germans,
who are driven to the Gates of
Belgrade
At the same Time that they were expecting Accounts of the farther Progress of the ever victorious Vizier, they received an Account another Way of a yet more terrible Blow given the
Germans
by Count
Teck
li,
the
Hungarian
Malecontent; who, assisted by a Body of the Grand Seignior's Troops, attacked General
Heister
in his Camp near the Port
du fer,
or the Iron Gate, being a Pass through the Mountains of
Transilvania;
the
German
General had 4000 Foot and 2000 Horse of the
Imperial
Troops, with 4000 Heydukes, and 8000
Transilvanian
Foot: But were attacked with such Fury by Count
Teckeli
's Foot, backed with a Body of
Janizaries,
that they were entirely defeated; and so compleat was the Victory, that not 300 of the
Germans
have escaped, being cut in Pieces; General
Heister
himself is taken, and all the other General Officers kill'd or taken.
These Things I do not write to thee to inform thee, who hast, without Dispute, long ago the truest and first Account from the Grand Vizier himself, and hast communicated the Joy of it with the whole Body of the Faithful: But I write to let thee know also the Influence these Successes of the invincible
Ottomans,
have on these Parts of the World; the
French
rejoyce, the Neutral Princes stand in a Kind of Surprize; but the
Germans
are every where in the greatest Consternation imaginable, not doubting but the victorious Crescents will spread like a Torrent, and in a little Time regain the whole Kingdom of
Hungary,
and unravel all the Conquests of their great Hero, the Duke of
Lorain;
nor would the Consternation be much greater, if the Grand Seignior's Armies were at the Gates of
Vienna,
than it will be if the Grand Vizier should take
Belgrade;
which I will not doubt.
Happy be the Days and prosperous the Hands of the Faithful; may the vigilant and undaunted Leader of the
Imperial
Armies of
Mahomet
go on successfully to the End of his Wishes, and fulfil all the Expectations of the Grand Seignior, and of all that wish the Prosperity of the Mussulmans Empire.
But give
Mahmut
Leave to expostulate with thee in this Part, and to complain that I have here no Information in these Things, however important; but what I receive from the Hands of Strangers, and from the Publick Printed Papers handed about among the Infidels; wherein such is the Spirit of Falshood that reigns among these Pretenders to Uprightness, that they report every Thing their own Way, and just as they would have it be.
If a Victory is obtained by any of their Armies, whether it be one Side or other, they oftentimes on one Hand magnifie the Particulars, and reckon up the Numbers of the kill'd and wounded to be more than the Party defeated really had in their Army; and if you hear the Story again from those who were beaten, you fail not to lessen the Number of the Armies, and to give an Account of the Action as if very few were kill'd, wounded, or taken Prisoners; so that oftentimes we find many more Prisoners to ransome by a great many, than were really taken in the Fight.
I, that fail not always to supply the Office of Secretary of State with needful and full Intelligence of Things done in these remote Parts of the World, ought not to be kept ignorant of our own Affairs, or in what Manner to represent the Figure which our Illustrious Emperor makes in the History of the Times.
It weakens me in the Judgment I am to make of Things, when I know not how they go; and I am not able to make just Representations, or give true Ideas of Things to those I converse secretly with, if I know not how Things go at the illustrious Port; wherefore I intreat you let me be, as at first, fully informed of every Thing, so shall I be enabled to give right Council and right Advices of all Matters.
Paris,
17th of the 2d Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER XXIII. To
Solyman Hagzani Oglou,
Aga of the
Janizaries.
I Have received thy welcome Letter, which is the more so, because it signifies to me in so many Words that this Express is sent me by the particular Order of the Grand Seignior himself. The Words were no sooner sounded by my Voice, but, without being able to read any farther, I turned my Face towards the happy Shades of
Mecca,
and blessed the Memory of our great Prophet
Mahomet,
washing my self with Water, and making my Prayers in Form, as for the greatest Occasion that could befal me, and which commanded Worship and Thanksgiving with the highest Reverence and Joy of a true Believer.
Kings, the mortal Gods on Earth, acting by the same Methods of Justice and Benignity as the mighty Soveraign of the World, tho' in a different Proportion, command the same Reverence and Homage, in a due Proportion likewise from those upon whom they please to shine.
It is not a common Thankfulness which such Beams of Favour command from Subjects; the Benignity is of a sacred Original; the Homage partakes of the sublime; and, next to our Adoration, of the One God, Father of Life, and the Rewarder of the true Believers; our most perfect Submissions and most prostrate Affections are due to the shining Glory of our imperial Benefactor, Image of Glory, and supream Fountain of Splendor upon Earth, the Mirror of illustrious Light, and the true Representative of inconceivable Brightness.
This Duty I perform from my Soul: I am exalted to a sublime Joy, unequall'd by any thing on this Side the
lden Gates of Paradise I am lifted up in
rasies of inward Delights unexpressible; and
m a Fountain, flowing Streams of pure Affection, Obedience, and unbyass'd Duty, to the Interest, Service, and Person of the great Lord of the Kings of the Globe, the Emperor of the Faithful.
'Tis a Heaven on this Side Paradise to serve so glorious a Master; to die in his Service is to inherit the brightest Circle of
Eden,
and to be transported immediately into the Garden of inexpressible Delight.
Our immortal Sultan has not a more faithful Slave in the Extent of his unbounded Empire than
Mahmut,
who has serv'd with an inviolable Fidelity almost fifty Years in a Station equally unhappy as unpleasant; but it is more than a Reward to all those Services, that I am at last favoured with having my Name mention'd by the Mouth of him who is clothed with Glory, and overshadowed with the Light of the eternal Benediction.
The Sum of Money thou hast likewise sent me by Bills upon the Banquier of the
French
Ambassador at the Port, however great my Necessities are, is in no Comparison equal to the Solace of thy Letter, as being sent by Order of the Emperor of the World.
I prostrate my self on the Ground, and kiss the happy Dust, at the Feet of our resplendent Emperor, offering up ten Thousand Prayers for the eternal Felicity of the Beloved of God, and I demand of thee to do Justice to
Mahmut,
in returning the most submissive Acknowledgments of a devoted Slave.
But after all this had lifted up my Soul beyond the Power of its conceiving, and I stood dumb and mute as one in a Trance, dazled with the Glory of the great Sultan's Favour; I was yet farther surpriz'd with the happy News of the Progress of the victorious Arms of our Emperor, under the Leading of the Grand Vizier in
Hungaria,
and the amazing Account of the Recovering the Fortress of
Belgrade
out of the Hands of the Infidel
Germans:
So much good News together was too much for an old Man to bear; and fainting under the Weight of exuberant Joy, I made good that Saying of the Ancients,
(viz)
That sudden Joys, like Griefs, confound at first.
It has been a Pain to me, illustrious and happy
Solyman,
that I have been obliged to keep my Letters thus long, in return to thine, which came to me with such Expedition, that I had, contrary to all the Usage of such things, the News of the taking of
Belgrade
from thy Hand before it arriv'd here by Expresses from
Vienna.
The swift Chaioux, who brought, on the Wings of Joy, the pleasing News to the Emperor, brought a Blessing from
Mahomet
with the Report of a Victory, fair Winds and a quick Passage join'd to disperse the Tidings to all the World, the Vessel which brought the happy Account past with a surprizing Pace, and perform'd, in seven Days, her Voyage from the happy Port, the Centre of circling Commerce, to
Marseilles,
from whence the Post brought me thy Letters in nine Days more by Land. I understand since that the
English
Ship, which carried the same News to
Smyrna
and
Alexandria,
had so happy a Passage, that she perform'd the first in four Days, and the other in Eleven more; scarce would the Air have handed on the Thunder of the Blast from
Belgrade
so far, and so soon, when the Magazines of Powder were blown up, could the incessant Vibrations of Air have been continued to the Distance I speak of.
Happy Blast that has transferred into the Hands of the Grand Seignior a City engrafted into his Empire, in which were Nine and fifty Mosques consecrated to
Mahomet,
and not longer, by the whole Power of Earth, to be detained out of the Possession of the Just.
It is possible for thee to exceed my Joy in this Place, because thou partakest of the Pleasures of the Serail, and seest the Smiles of the illustrious Port upon this Occasion; but it is impossible for thee to see, and indeed to entertain any Idea of the Consternation which the Enemies of
Mahomet,
and of the invincible Sultan, are under upon this Occasion.
They are not only astonish'd at the Loss, but at the Manner of it; how one Bomb, directed by Heaven, should fall so into one Magazine, as not only to blow that particular Place up, but from thence to communicate its Fire to the reserved Coverts of all the Magazines in the Place, and transverse the whole City. This amazes them, and they see clearly that Heaven fightsagainst them, that the faithful Mussulmen are predestinated to be Lords of the Universe, and it is to no Purpose to lift up the Hand against the Beloved of Heaven.
Paris,
15th of the 3d Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER XXIV. To
Morat Abdomozar Ephiesman Oglou,
a Student in the Law of
Mahomet.
THOU that hast spent thy Years in the Study of the mysterious Vision, and art Master of the secret Interpretation; tell me where will the Superstition of the
Nazareens
end? who, while they pretend to be the most devout among the Servants of the Messiah, are the busiest People in the World to perswade themselves out of all Sense of Religion in the World.
Where sleeps eternal Justice? and how far may Nations strive with Heaven, insult the Being of the God of Nature, and call aloud for the just Retribution of their Crimes, and yet slow Vengeance not be prevailed with to exert its Power, and to destroy them? no not at their own Request!
What is the Punishment, righteous
Morat,
if any Mussulman should be so far degenerate as to deny the Being of the great One God! what says our great Prophet, whose Law teaches upright things?
I know thou wilt answer as the Philosopher
Lycurgus,
the Lawgiver of the
Grecians,
did, when it was ask'd him, why he had appointed no Punishment for Parricide,
(viz.)
that it was a Crime not to be named among his Citizens, and therefore needless to be enacted or provided against.
Sure, of all the Religions that were ever erected by the Wit of Men, and of all the Gods that have been adored among the Heathen, never any People deviated into these Disputes about them before, all the idolatrous Nations in the World have retained this as a first Principle,
Nulla Gens tam barbara, quae nescit esse Deum.
But the
Nazareens,
the Worshipers of the Messiah, have run such Divisions among themselves, and rais'd so many Quarrels about Religion, that they are at last willing to think they have been all along in the Dark, and that there is no such thing as Religion in the World, or any such thing as a God to be worshiped. In a Word, they have phylosophiz'd so long about their God, and how to call him, that they have quite lost him, and are daily questioning among one another whether there really is any such thing or no in the World.
Nothing is more certain than the Vanity and Perplexity of School-Disputes, Men may distinguish themselves into, and out of any Opinion or Religion in the World; but among all the sorts of Infidels that ever infested the World, these Christians, as they would be called, are arriv'd to the highest Pitch of Infidelity; for they are now come to resolve all Religion to be a Politick Cheat, Notions of a God to be a Craft of the Schoolmen, and, in a Word, to deny the Beginning and End of all things.
These Men are arrived to a Degree of Crime which Lucifer, the great Angel and Prince of the dark abode, never pretended to; the extensive Knowledge of Devils forbids that they should once suggest to themselves the Non-Existence of that Being, whose Power they feel in pungent Torture, invincible and inconceivable; nor are there any Atheists in the Islands of Perdition: Those who have pass'd the Gulph into the Abyss of Plagues and Darkness, are too well convinc'd by their Miseries of the Reality of that Being which they before denied.
But 'tis in vain to talk to these Men, who, nothing but the Sables of Tophet, can undeceive, they laugh at the local Prisons, despise being subject to Torment, ridicule the Notions of a God, a future State, and all that which wise and good Men believe concerning Rewards and Punishments; 'tis of no Force to tell them they out-sin the Devil, and that the King of the eternal Pit believes, nay, knows, with Horror, the Beatitudes which he is excluded from; for they believe as little of a Hell as they do of a Heaven, and own no Devil any more than they do a God.
Divine
Morat,
this is a Sin not to be nam'd, or to be found among Mussulmen; it is the just Distinction of the Righteous that they are Believers, that they know there is One God, that he is but One, and that
Mahomet
is his Prophet.
All the Celestial Chapters of the
Alcoran,
that divine Oracle which came down from Heaven, are introduced
in the Name of God Gracious and Merciful.
We are therefore called the faithful Mussulmen, because believing in One God; to rase out the Name and Belief of God out of the Mind, is to apostatize from our Faith, and, as it were, to become a Christian; for among them only are Atheists to be found, among them alone are to be found Men vested with reasoning Powers and Faculties, yet denying the Being of him by whose Gift they enjoy those Powers.
By
Mahomet,
by the Graves of
Omar Ekkbutar,
and the Forefathers of the holy
Mirza Muhamed,
the Beginning and first Fruits of the Faithful,
I swear
if these Men had been living in the Days of our great Prophet, the
Alcoran
should have had Five Chapters of Curses and Execrations against the Wickedest of all Wickedness, I mean this of denying the Being of a God; a Crime against Nature, against common Sense, against Demonstration, against invincible Testimony of Ages past; in a Word, against the secret Conviction of the Minds of those who are guilty; scarce a Man of them being without such Testimonies of their own Consciences within, in behalf of the eternal God that made them, that in Spight of the most harden'd Resolution it reproaches them, and when they suggest No God, replies,
THOU FOOL.
Paris,
20th of the 11th Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER XXV. To the Prince of the Servants of God, Guide of the Faithful, Mirror of Wisdom and Council; the venerable
Esad,
high in the Favour of the Grand Seignior and our great Prophet
Mahomet.
THO' it is not the most agreeable Thing in the World to write to thee of War, and of fighting, who art the Lamp of Truth, and the Guide to Peace; yet the Story of daring Vertue, taking Arms in their Hands for Truth and Right, is so much within thy Sphere, that I cannot doubt it will be pleasing to thee.
The Duke of
Savoy,
an enterprizing Prince, and one who has too long fallen into the
French
Methods of Government, (or rather religious Tyranny) over his Subjects, had some Years ago banished an innocent, inoffensive, and gallant People, out of his Dominions, because of their refusing to comply with some of the Ceremonies and Formalities of the Worship of that Part of the
Nazareen
Profession, call'd
Catholick
or
Roman.
These People were Inhabitants of the Vallies, scituate among the most inaccessible Parts of the
Alpine
Mountains; those stupendious Hills do not, like our
Caucasus
or Mount
Hemus,
run on in a continued Ridge and Chain of Rocks, but they often break off abrupt, and standing up in high Pyramidical Precipices, and inaccessible Steeps, leave Intervals of the deepest Valleys; which being thus walled about by unpassable Hills, are indeed natural Fortifications of themselves: The Inlets into these are so difficult, and in some Parts so impracticable, that 100 Men have been known to be able to defend one of them against ten thousand; but when one is entered, tho' the Hills and Mountains with which they are surrounded, seem to touch the Stars, yet the Valleys are the most agreeable, pleasant, fruitful, and habitable Places imaginable.
The People of these Valleys are a painful, honest, industrious People; also daring and brave to the last Degree: Subjects generally to the King of
France
or the Duke of
Savoy,
till one comes further
North,
when the Vales are larger and more populous, being the Remainders of the ancient
Helvetians,
conquer'd by
Julius Caesar,
and now called the
Swiss Cantons.
These
Vaudois,
so they are call'd, from the
Pais de Vaux,
or Valleys, are not only of the Sect of the
Nazareens,
called
Protestants;
but they boast that they embraced the Christian Religion from the pure and primitive Times of it; when it must be confess'd the pure Doctrine of
Jesus,
the Son of
Mary,
was more sincerely adhered to, than it has been since the Papal Hierarchy; for since that, it has been corrupted with Traditions, Innovations, and humane Inventions, till it is quite degenerated into a Mass of Error and Superstition.
The Duke of
Savoy
had, as I said, banished these People out of their Habitations, taken from them their Substance, Estates, Habitations, and even from some, their Children; driving them to seek their Bread in Foreign Countries, where the Charity of other People might support them: In this Condition they fled to
Geneva
and the
Swiss Cantons,
being the neighbouring
Helvetia,
which I just now named, where they were well receiv'd, harbour'd, reliev'd, and permitted as well as assisted to settle; nor had they any View of being restored, especially while the
French
and
Savoyard
acted against the
Protestant
Interest in Concert with one another.
But now, seeing the World embarrassed in War, and not so good an Understanding between the
French
and the Duke of
Savoy
as used to be, but rather a Prospect of worse; they form'd one of the most desperate and difficult Designs among themselves, that for such a Handful of Men to undertake was ever heard of,
(viz.)
to force their Way back to their own Habitations Sword in Hand, and to resolve to dwell there, in Defiance of the Duke their Lord and Persecutor.
The Duke had Notice of it, and took all possible Precaution against it, which added to the Difficulty: for they had therefore in Consequence several Detachments of Forces to encounter in the Way, besides the unsurmountable Difficulty of Want of Provisions, Carriages, Money, or Troops, and the exceeding Length and Roughnessof the Way.
But all this did not discourage them from making the Attempt, which they set on Foot with all the Secresie, and executed with all the Vigour and Success imaginable; so that the World are even surprized at the Relation of it; which take as follows, for it is well worth thy hearing.
They had some Friends, and the
Swiss,
at least those Cantons professing the same Opinions in Religion, wink'd at them, if they did not assist them; but the principal Encouragement they had was from the new King of
England,
from whom it was said they received 100000 Livres, to furnish them with Arms and Provisions; encouraged with which Supplies, and Hopes of greater Assistance, they carryed on the Design with wonderful Secresie.
The particular Number which was to have remov'd, was actually three thousand, as I have seen by their Lists; but he that was to have paid their Money, not having allowed them Time sufficient for such a Number, there was not above half were ready against the Day prefixed for their Departure.
Nevertheless the Design being blown Abroad, about twelve hundred that were in a Posture to march, resolved to stay no longer, for Fear of meeting Obstacles in their Way: To this Purpose they cross'd the Lake of
Geneva
in the Night, unperceived by the
Savoyards;
so that they had Time to get a Shoar, to range themselves in Order of Battle, and send four hundred Men to invest two Neighbouring Villages, before they were discover'd; upon this the
Savoyards
took the Alarm, and were running to ring their Bells backward; but being threatned with Fire and Sword, they let them pass, and furnished them with Necessaries for their Money; they cross'd the River
Arva
without Molestation, in regard they had been so wary as to send away a Detachment to make sure of the Pass; but tho' they met with no Trouble at the Beginning, they found enough afterwards; for the Courts of
Savoy
and
France
being informed of their Motion, did all they could to stop them in several narrow and dangerous Passes, thro' which they were obliged to force their Way; however they surmounted all these Difficulties, still cutting their Passage thro' their Enemies with the Edge of their Swords: They endured the Brunt of four or five Skirmishes, of which the sharpest was their Encounter with the Marquis of
Larre,
who would needs put a Stop to them near a Place called
Salbertran;
having along with him for that Purpose a Regiment of Dragoons, and a good Number of the Militia; nevertheless, after a smart Conflict, wherein they lost some Men, they forc'd the Passage, as they had done the rest; the Marquis was mortally wounded, several other Officers lost their Lives, and above two hundred
French
Soldiers were slain: Afterwards having vanquish'd all Opposition, they arriv'd happily in their own Country; from whence they chaced the old Catholicks, but now Inhabitants, and found great Plenty of all Things necessary for humane Support; those of the Valley of
Pragelas,
tho' Subjects of
France,
and the new Converts, received them with open Arms, and now bring them whatever they stand in need of.
After this, several Bodies of them attempted to follow their Friends, particularly one of 2300 Men; but were so unfortunate as to be repulsed in several Skirmishes, and obliged at last to retire.
Sage Prince of sublime Thoughts, thou wilt see here, how far Zeal carries the Professors of any Religion, whether true or false, to push even to Desperation and Death; according to a famous Expression of an
English
Writer, who was well known to have as much Wit and as little Religion, as any of the modern Profligates of his Time; as follows,
Zeal makes Men fight, like mad or drunk,
For Dame Religion, as for Punk.
With how much purer Flame does the Zeal of the Faithful burn, which carries them on the Wings of sage Councils, to undertake the greatest Actions. Bless by thy Smiles, illustrious Prince of Wisdom, the Steps of all that are guided in the right Way, and ever direct the Zeal of true Believers to act with Vigour, for the Honour of God and his great Prophet.
Paris,
26th of the 12th Moon, of the Year 1690.
The End of the FIRST BOOK.
A Continuation of LETTERS written by a Spye at
Paris.
BOOK II.
LETTER I. To
Mustapha Osman,
a Dervice of
Adrianople,
his Friend.
A T length I have received the joyful Tidings, that the Request I have been twenty Years making to the Divan, and which my Friends have earnestly sollicited for me, through the Ministry of Eleven Grand Viziers, has been granted,
(viz.)
that I shall be recall'd from this State of Exile, and have leave to see once more the shining Valley and the glorious Gates of
Himza
the blessed, the Emblem of the heavenly
Eden,
and the Shadow of Paradise.
Rejoice with me, O ye my Friends, who know net what it is to be excluded near Fifty Years from all the Delights of Earth, and Views of Heaven; what it is to be damn'd on Earth to the Society of Infidels, and Enemies of
Mahomet.
The Blessing of
Aroa mahan,
the Light of Paradise, the shining of the golden Gate on the inaccessible Mountain of
Sephar,
the Wing of the Arch-Angel, and the musical Thunder of the Valley of Beauty, rest on thee, happy
Mustapha,
and on thy Brother
Orchanes Omar,
and on the Graves of thy Kindred for ever; for the indefatigable Pains thou and he also has taken to purchase thy Friend
Mahmut
this Deliverance.
How happy shall we be, when we shall anticipate even Paradise it self, and embrace together in a mutual Band of indissoluble Friendship! O that blessed seraphick Word! which so few understand, and so many make use of here to supplant, undermine, and betray one another!
Thou hast added to my Extasies also, in telling me, that at my Arrival at the happy Port, thou wilt accompany me in the Conclusion of Life, and we shall make the last Tour of the World together in a devout Pilgrimage to the Tomb of our miraculous Prophet, where a Vision of
Eden
shall inspire us with continual Raptures, and we shall insensibly drop away into Paradise, as in a Transport of Joy, the Fire of the Cave shall translate us wrapt in the Fume of inexpressible Odors, till we awake in Paradise, embracing still; and in the Arms of one another, be carried into the brightest Regions of Beauty and Bliss.
I am coming, my Friend, I am coming; nay, I am with you, wrapt up already in the Joy of Hope; every Night my Slumbers are crown'd with Visions of our Joy; I embrace thee in the Dark, and even when asleep. I partake of the Felicity already, by the Anticipation of the pleasant Dream.
If this Joy encreases upon me, I know not how long humane Nature may find it self able to bear the Weight; who knows the Power of insupportable Felicity? It is a certain Testimony that we are to be something else than what we now are, before we can be capable of receiving the full Stream of the Joys of Paradise. Believe me,
Mustapha,
the Soul, as now contracted in an embody'd State, is no more capable of the Joys of Paradise, without a Change of all its Powers, and even of the Extent of its whole Frame, than it is of supporting the Torments of the Gulph which burn but consume not.
If by the meer entertainingthe first Conceptions of the Joy of my approaching Bliss, I am scarce able to know whether I am in a State of Life or a State of eternal Possession; if the Extasie is so penetrating, and so forcible, that I sometimes know not whether I am awake or in Sleep, embody'd or unembodied; to what Height of Rapture may a farther Vision of the shining Vale carry me? and why may not this Ferment of the Soul thrust it forcibly out of the Body? as a Cask of Wine bursts the strongest Bands for want of Vent, and tho' hoop'd with Iron, cannot be kept within its former Limits; or as dilated Air bursts even the fiercest Mountains, on the fortuitous Meeting of the sulphurous and nitrous Particles, in which it was imprisoned.
Believe me,
Mustapha,
the Joy I conceive at my approaching Remove is often too great for me to contain; sometimes it vents it self in Exclamations of Joy, sometimes in the most frantick Gestures of a Lunatick, sometimes it breaks out at the Eyes, and abates its weighty Pressure in a Flood, not Tears of Grief, but of inexpressible Exultation: It is impossible to describe to thee the waking Visions, and the sleeping Discourses I have of these things. I talk all the Night to the Angels of
Eden,
to the Porter at the Gate of the wondrous Grotto, and to the enlighten'd Spirits inhabiting the eternal Mansions of Paradise: I durst not let any Servant of this Country sleep near me, least he should hear me bless the exalted Prophet, and praise the Gates of
Mecca
in my Nocturnal Transports.
When I am awake, I am still in Vision, I dream walking; every distant Prospect, every remote View of the pleasant Hills which this Country abounds with, represent Paradise, the Hill of Joy, the ascending Turrets of
Adonizuna,
the Mountains surrounding the Plains of Blessedness, and the Valley of unutterable Pleasure: In a Word,
Mustapha,
I am all Rapture, all Extasie, and it is impossible for me to hold more Joy, till
Mahomet
inspires me with new Capacities, and forms my Soul into a new and more extended Mould.
In the mean time, I'll tell thee from Experience, that 'tis the most unhappy Part of Life to be without a Friend to unbosome the Secrets of the Soul to. Joy and Grief are in themselves Passions too strong for humane Nature to restrain, the embodied Man is not equal to their Bulk, and can hold but a small part of them; if he is oblig'd to keep them in the narrow Bounds of his own Thoughts, and has no Liberty to give them vent by the Tongue, they will stifle and overwhelm; even Life it self must sink under the Weight, and the Soul would hasten the nearest way thro' that Abyss to pass to the Regions of Light, of which she her self is a Native.
The Philosophers here entertain us with Scruples concerning the Soul's passing the infinite inconceivable Space, which we call Abyss, being the Gulph plac'd between Time and Eternity, and from thence argue themselves into Notions as absurd in Philosophy, as those they have in Religion, and as that of a Plurality or Family of Gods; after they have told us how far the celestial Constellations of Light move from one another, that even the Planets are some of them 300 to 500 Millions of Miles from this lower Planet the Earth, and that yet they are far nearer to us than they are to the lowest of the other fix'd Stars above them; that those other fix'd Stars are still placed in advanced Stations above one another, every Stage infinitely distant from one another in Space; the Vacancies of which Abyss afford Space sufficient for the mighty Commets, which moving in Parabolas, and Excentrick, uncertain, or at least unknown Motions, make Revolutions which 'tis difficult to ascertain, and therefore fill the World with Terror at their Appearances, and perhaps are reserved as the Instruments of the general Conflagration, as some one or more of them certainly was of the general Inundation or Flood; (if such a thing may obtain our Belief,) of which
Moses,
the Lawgiver of the
Jews,
gives the Story. I say, after they have told u these things, they would start a doubt how the Souls of Men, at their being dismiss'd from the Prison of the Body, pass this infinite Abyss of Space; how they are conveyed, and how directed in their Journey, where no Track can guide the way? and in what Space of time they perform the celestial Journey? seeing they tell us that the Distance is so great, that a Velocity of Motion, swift as a Ball from a Cannon, would not perform the Labour in a Million of Ages.
All these Enquiries and suggested measurings of Space, Motion, and Time, have a Tincture of those horrid Crimes of Atheism and Scepticism, for which these
Nazareens
are as eminent as infamous, and in which they encrease every Day.
To a Soul rightly grounded in Truth and unerring Doctrines, it is easie to conceive that the Soul of Man, being a divine Infusion, is capable of inconceivable Transitions; that its Motion, swift as the Light, or as Thought, is no sooner broke loose from the Prison, but it is enthroned in the Paradise of God; and that without any Solicism in Philosophy, or Imposition upon our Understandings.
How this is perform'd, illuminated sage Guide of the Faithful, is as needless as it is impossible to know:
Mahomet
shall at once teach us the full System, and draw the Curtain of Darkness from our Eyes the Moment that we arrive at the Port of Bliss, when we shall look back upon the immense Gulph we shall have pass'd, and wonder no more that some, things were concealed from us before, which were more easie to be done than for us to conceive of.
Partake of my Joy, thou Mirror of Perfection, and expect me at the appointed Time to accompany thee to the Gates of the holy City: If our destinated Hour approaches before, let us meet it with Joy, as being the much shorter Step to the Banks of
Abathrea,
the River of Solace, where we shall commune of supernatural things for ever; till then I embrace thy Shadow with Raptures inconceivable.
Paris,
8th of the 1st Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER II. To
Mahomet Tershekkah,
Vizier
Azem.
INvincible illustrious Prince of the Viziers, Bassa of the Bassaes, Beglerbeg of the Beglerbegs, Head of the Councils in the sublime Divan of the Grand Seignior; Leader of the faithful Armies, and Guide of the Empire of the Mussulmen, I prostrate my self at the Feet of our Prophet
Mahomet,
to obtain his Blessing and Prayers on all thy Undertakings, and I congratulate thy Glory in thy early vigorous Conduct against the Enemies of the
Ottoman Sultan,
whose Days be ever prosperous, and his End happy.
I send thee herewith an Account of the Fate of the Duke of
Lorrain,
one of the greatest Enemies of the
Ottomans,
and one to whom Heaven, for our Sins, gave leave to triumph over the Troops of thy great Predecessors
Hassan, Kara,
and
Ibrahim,
on several Occasions, which be for ever forgotten; and the Memory of them blotted out of the Book of
Jatub,
where are register'd the Wars of the Empire, (ever happy) and in whose Place be recorded the Victories obtained by thy Sword fortunate and invincible.
This Duke of
Lorrain,
follow'd by great Armies, and taking the Advantage of the Cloud of Displeasure, which it was God's Will should, for some Years, hang over the Kingdoms of the Grand Seignior on the Side of the River
Danube,
obtained some Advantages against the Faithful, forsaken at that Time of the Protection of
Mahomet;
and made his Name terrible among the Infidels by the taking from us, howbeit not till after infinite Slaughter of his Men, and a most glorious Defence, the City of
Buda,
which be recovered immediately by thy Hand.
He was now drawn out of that War against us, that he might with a Fury needful, against an Enemy so dangerous, defend the Dominions of the
German
Empire, against the Attacks of the
French,
who daily made Inrodes into the Country, and threaten'd the Destruction of the whole: This great Man, for he really merited that Name among all the Leaders of Armies, of whom none in this Part of the World came near him in Character, or rather in Success, for Success does not always follow the greatest Merit; I say this great Man is at length laid level with his Inferiors in the Dust, for the Grave knows no Dignity.
Take the History of his Death in a few Words, for it was brief; Death used no Ceremonies with him. He had for some time had a Defluxion or Rheum in his Breast, occasioned by a violent Cold gotten in passing some Mountains, in his Return from the Frontiers on the
Rhine;
where he had been to take Care of the Emperor's Affairs, and put all things in a Disposition for opening the Campaign, or at least for opposing the
French
Armies, who generally made their first and greatest Effort in the second or third, or at least the fourth Moons before the
Germans
could be gotten in the Field.
But it was needful for him to go back to
Vienna,
to assist in the Councils of War, and to concert there more effectually the Operations of the War. He was arrived within a few Leagues of the Emperor's Court, namely at a Village called
Wells
near
Lintz,
on the
Danube;
when his Cold encreasing he found a Swelling in his Throat, which grew so much as to impostumate, and turn to what their Physicians here call a
Quinzy,
and this came on him with such Violence, that notwithstanding the Place was inconvenient, and not capable of entertaining him, he was obliged to stop, not being able to stir a Step farther: In a Word, in that obscure Village he finish'd the Course of what vain Men here call a Life of Glory and Victory; that is, in plain Truth, a Life of Blood and of the destroying his Fellow-Creatures; for as War is the Plague of Heaven, cast upon Men by the Displeasure of God; These we foolishly call Heroes, what are they but bloody Men? commanded by the irrevocable Decree to fulfil what in Wrath has been predestinated to be inflicted upon the Nations of the Earth.
But to return to the Duke; he found his End draw on apace, and herein he shewed more of the Hero than in the greatest Victories he gain'd; for 'tis allowed on all Hands, that he received the first Summons of Death with a Steadiness of Mind equal to those
Romans
of old, who esteemed Death no other than a shaking Hands with the Gods. In a Word, glorious Prince, this Duke wanted nothing in Life or in Death, but to have been numbred among the Faithful, to have been a true Believer in the everlasting Law, and a Servant to the Grand Seignior.
He met Death with an undaunted Heart, and tho' the Distemper was so violent as to allow him very little Intervals from the Convulsions of Death, and but a very few Moments of time, having seized upon the Passages of the
Thorax,
and deprived him of the Use even of his Lungs, except with violent Heavings and insupportable Pangs for Breath, yet he applyed himself immediately to the Point of dying with an unusual Alacrity. He first sent for a Priest or Dervice, whom they call here a Confessor; for to such these
Nazareens
apply in such Cases, and disburthening their Consciences, as they call it, confess to them all their Sins, and then think these poor Creatures, wicked like themselves, can absolve and forgive them; foolish Notion! as if any but God, against whom our Offences are committed, could wipe out that Account, which Souls must give to their Maker, which if true, then had those wicked Creatures Power to license the committing all manner of Crimes.
When his Confessor came, as above, he found him silent; for his Speech was stopt by the Bulk of the Impostumation, so he took a Pen and Ink, and wrote his Confession which he intended to make, which the said Priest read aloud to him in private, and then put into the Fire in his Presence; for 'tis their Maxim, that what is delivered in Confession is sacred, and never to be divulged; nay, some have gone the Length as to say, that if a Man, in Confession, declar'd he intended to assassinate his Prince, the Priest must not divulge it, no, tho' doing so would save the Life of the Person: For which devilish Doctrine one whole Society, of these Dervices, called Jesuits, were expell'd
France,
after the Murther of the two
Henries.
The Duke having finished his Confession, he, in the next Place, received the chymerick Absolution, I have just now mentioned, from the Hands of his Priest, together with the Viaticum, or the Sacrament,
as they call it,
of extreme Unction, which, in a Word, they call here the last Office of the Church, and making Peace with God. This being over, and perceiving his End hastily approaching, he wrote a Letter to the Emperor, wherein, after he had testify'd his Sorrow for being no longer able to serve him, he recommended his Wife and all his Family to his imperial Care. He wrote another to the Princess his Lady, to comfort her for her Loss; which two Letters he gave to his Confessor, with Orders to deliver 'em immediately after his Death: After which the Imposthume that was in his Throat bursting within Side, stifled him; so that he expired in the Arms of his Confessor the 18
th
of the 4
th
Moon in the Evening.
He was born in the Year 1643 at
Vienna,
and was christen'd
Charles Leopold Nicolas Sixtus.
He was born of
Francis Nicolas,
who had been first a Cardinal, but by a Dispensation from the Pope, married
Claudia
of
Lorrain,
his Cousin-German. His Uncle
Charles
III. had married
Claudia
's eldest Sister, by whom he had no Children; but while his first Wife lived, who died not till the Year 1657. he contracted a second Marriage with
Beatrice d'Cusance,
Widow of
Eugenius Leopold,
Prince of
Cante Croix,
by whom he had
Charles Henry
Prince of
Vaudemont;
and
Anne,
the Wife of
Julius,
Count of
Lislebonna;
the Duke of
Lorrain,
of whom I now speak, married in the Year 1678 the Arch-Dutchess
Eleonora Maria d' Austria,
the Emperor's Sister, and Widow of
Michael
King of
Poland,
by whom he had Children, which being very young, are not yet in a Condition of themselves, to recover the Dutchy of
Lorrain,
which is their lawful Inheritance.
'Tis not yet known who will be declared Generalissimo of the Emperor's Forces; but the Prince of
Baden
will return into
Hungary,
to command the Imperialists, unless his present Sickness hinders him.
Every Body that considers the Consequences of this Duke's Death, must acknowledge that the Emperor had better have lost Ten Thousand Men, for how great a General soever he may have still remaining on that Side, it may be said there is not one that has that Expertness, that Experience, that Authority, that Credit and Love of the Soldiers, which the Duke of
Lorrain
had, insomuch that all the Princes of
Germany
willingly gave way to him; and in Regard he was a Prince poor and distressed, there was no Body jealous of him; but they were still glad of the good Success which generally attended his Arms; whereas, on whomever else the Emperor cast his Eyes, to confer upon him the Command of his Armies, he cannot so well order it, but that it must breed Jealousies among several of the Princes, and the greatest Part of the rest of the Generals; there is not any one that has Authority sufficient to make himself equally obey'd by so many different Nations as compose the imperial Army, and who have every one their Chieftain, that pretends to be independant, and not obliged to receive Orders from any one whatever.
Many and glorious be thy Days, invincible and magnificent
Mehemet,
many be thy Days, and Peace be thy End; be thy Felicities and Honours encreased, and the Glory of the august Emperor of Monarchs and Lord of Princes be the Care of thy Head, and prosper in thy Hand.
Paris,
15th Day of the 5th Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER III. To
Amurath Zahabbezin,
a proselyted
Jew,
reconciled to the Doctrine of
Mahomet.
THOU who hast been deliver'd from the Burthens of the apostate Nation, must needs be also filled with just Indignation at the Superstitions and Heresies of thy People, from whose Tabernacles thou hast taken thy Flight. Verily,
Amurath,
it has never gone well with the
Jews
since they clogg'd the pure Law deliver'd to them by
Moses,
and received by him from the Mouth of God, with the Inventions and Delusions of Men.
Prithee tell me, enlighten'd
Morat,
what hodge podge of a Constitution will the
Jews
bring their Religion to at last? they have already blended the Explanations and Expositions of Men in such a gross manner, with the positive Law of God, that it is hard for any that have not critically studied the Constitutions of the Mount, to know one from the other.
I have read over very attentively the Pentateuch, or Books wherein the Law of
Moses
is contained; and must tell thee, had the
Jews
adhered stedfastly to the Letter of that Law, and not mixed with it their several Innovations, which they would have call'd by the Name of Interpretations, they had certainly been the People of God to this Day; or until the
Shiloth
of old Father
Israel
had come; and whether he be already come, or yet to come, I find they are hard put to it to determine.
But be the Messiah, who is doubtless meant there by
Shiloh,
and in other Places of their Prophet, called by other Names, come or not come, about which I purpose to write to thee hereafter; it is most certain that the
Jews
have, in a most egregious Manner, prophaned and corrupted the first Institution of their Law; and there is no Wonder that when the Prophet of the Christians, Jesus the Son of
Mary,
came among them, this was the great thing for which he reproached them, and charged their Scribes and Pharisees with Hypocrisie: It is certain that it was for this that they were implacably bent to destroy him, and that they abhor his Name and Memory to this Day; But also 'tis most certain that they were convinc'd that he had too much Reason, on his Side, to be opposed; that they really had taught for Doctrines the Commandments of Men, and had destroyed the Law, by mixing with it their corrupt Traditions and Sayings of the Elders.
Had not the
Jews
thus degenerated from the first Institutions of God's Law, exhibited by
Moses,
doubtless
Mahomet
and all the Empire of the faithful Mussulmen, had been
Jews
to this Day. The Caliphs of the
Arabian
Empire, who were the justest and meekest Men upon Earth, would have faithfully followed the Divine Influence, and have worship'd God in that way which he so evidently delivered from Mount
Sinai;
and as they had no Faith in the Messiah
f
he
Christians,
as to his being the Person who the Writings of the Prophets had foretold should come, they would most certainly have continued
king in all the Ways of God and of his Prophet
Moses
to this Day, or till some Revelation from Heaven of the true Messiah's being come, should have wrought upon their Minds to know when the Promises made of him were fulfilled.
But this Degeneracy of the
Jews
encreasing, and besides having led them, as Delusions naturally do, to all manner of Neglect of the Commands of God, has given Rise to all the Variety of Abominations which have appear'd among that profligate People to this Day.
Hence the Doctrine of the
Nazareens,
and hence the pure Rules of our glorious
Mahomet,
have taken the Rise of their Epocha in the World; for were we to suppose them, or either of them, not to be of divine Institution, Heaven forbid such Prophaneness! yet it might very reasonably be expected, that when the People of the Nations round them saw the Laws of God thus confounded with the Devices of Men; and the People, by consequence, deviated into all manner of Wickedness, they would rightly conclude, that either the Law was fulfill'd, and the divine Institution terminated, and so they ought to seek out the Ways of Truth as Heaven should direct them; or that some terrible Judgment from Heaven would attend the People who had so degenerated, that they would be removed from th
Face of the Earth, and some new and gloriou
evelation would be given of the further Mind of God, the great Legislator of the World.
Both these Events are certainly come to pass, and the
Jews
are manifestly cast out of the Fold, as wicked and corrupted Creatures, degenerated Plants; having forfeited the Care of him who first watered and cultivated them, who they have voluntarily rejected and despised.
Happy be thy Days, enlighten'd Convert, who art broken loose from the Bondage of Hypocrites, and hast detected the Fraud of electing an Oral Law in the Throne of the divine Revelation. Thou art come into the Family of the Blessed, even of those who first, in the most effectual manner, drew the Sword of Justice in the Cause of God against the manifest Delusions of Men, set up in Rebellion to his Commands.
For know thou that the Successors of our great Prophet,
(viz)
the Saracenical Caliphs, were the Men, who, in the Name of God, drove the Rabbinical Impostors from
Babylon,
the Seat of the
Jewish
Innovations, where the Talmud and the Collections of their Innovations and Errors were first made, and from whence the
Gemara,
or great Mass of Traditions, being a Comment upon the more ancient Misna, which they would have called the Oral Law of
Moses,
obtained the Name of
Babylonian.
I say the
Arabian
Caliphs and
Saracen
Powers, the immediate Successors of our great Prophet, scattered these collected Mischiefs; and the Blow given to the
Jewish
Impostures has never yet been recovered, or ever will be while the World endures; for God, the Author of Truth, abhors the Mixtures of humane Traditions with his divine Institutions, much more when they are injuriously placed in a wicked Usurpation over his own Laws.
From this Conquest of
Babylon
by
Abu Obeid
the great Captain of the
Saracens,
the
Jews
may reckon the Epocha of their more effectual Desolation, and of their being scattered over the whole World; in which dispers'd Condition, as it often happens, they have neither preserv'd the Law, no, nor the Talmud it self, from farther and greater Innovations and Corruptions, which, by the way, is agreeable to what these
Nazareens
say of them,
(viz)
that they should be given up to strong Delusions to believe a Lye, that they all may be damn'd.
I salute thee, humble
Morat,
who, in search after these things, hast learned the Truth, and delivered thy self from the Errors of wicked Men; Peace be to them who cleave to Truth, and prosperous be the Hands of those who build upon the Foundation of the Faithful.
Paris
10th of the 4th Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER IV. To
Mohamed Elmakem,
Student in History at
Trapezond.
THOU knowest little of the Scituation of Affairs on this Side of the World, and less of my Circumstances in this Place, that thou hast written to me to furnish thee with Materials for thy learned Enquiry into the Antiquities of the East, and supply thee with Particulars for the History of the Empire of the
Saracens,
which I understand thou art compiling.
Hadst thou written to me to supply thee with the nicest and most particular Accounts of the
Roman
and
Grecian
Empires, this is the fittest Place, at this Time, in the World for such an Enquiry; the Learning of this Age applying themselves, and that with a great and just Applause, to those Studies, to which also they find great Assistance among those Writers which they call the Classicks.
But for the Eastern Learning, tho' it is it self the Beauty of all Study, and would furnish matter for innumerable Histories, of the greatest Actions in the World; much greater than furnished the Song of
Homer,
or the Commentaries of
Julius Caesar;
yet it is in it self so remote, that the
Arabick
Tongue, in which all those things are to be found, is so sunk out of Knowledge, in these Parts of the World; and the getting the Tracts that are extant in it, is so exceeding difficult, that indeed the Enquiry after it is as good as dropt, and Men are backward to enter into a Study, which seems lock'd up from humane Enquiries, or at least fortified with so many Retreats and inaccessible Darknesses, that it is scarce to be attempted.
As the Wars of the
Arabians
are a Story filled with infinite Variety, and that Nation had been for many Ages the bravest, the most aspiring to, and the best fitted for glorious Actions, of any People in the World; so Arts and Sciences, and all sorts of Learning, flourished in the
Arabian
Kingdoms, even before the rest of the World had either learned the Methods of Instruction, or had any Sense of the Blessing of it.
Acquired Knowledge seems to have had its first Rise in that Country, the Climate, favoured by Heaven with all that could make a Country pleasant and agreeable, deservedly gained for the Country the Title of
Felix.
The Inhabitants breathed an Air that assisted Nature beyond Expression, in forming a People for great things; perfect Health, invigorating Juices in the Fruits of the Earth, and innumerable Helps from natural Causes, prepared the People for the generous Principles, the Fortitude, and the Gallantry of true Heroes; they seem'd fit to undertake things more than humane, and yet appeared capable of every thing they undertook.
In Study they outdid Nature; they searched into her very Bowels, and disclosed her most concealed Parts; they master'd all kinds of Astronomical, Mathematical, Anatomical, and Astrological Knowledge; Wisdom seemed to be born of them, and the most exquisite Accomplishments of the Soul became common and familiar; as if it had been the natural Genius of the Country: As they had in their Temper the greatest Application to Learning, so they had in their Minds the greatest Capacities to attain it: They had the brightest Parts, the clearest Heads, and the devoutest Hearts of any Nation in the World.
In their common Conduct, they had the Beauties of Behaviour, and the most correct Attachment to every moral Virtue; and besides all this they had joined to the height of a martial Genius, the softest, meekest Dispositions in the World; as they were in the Field, all Fire; so they were in the Family, all Phlegm; a manly Humility shone in the Characters of their greatest Caliphs, and a generous Clemency was the very natural Produce of the highest Birth.
From them the World learned Knowledge, all liberal Arts, all Studies of Science began with them; they were the Men who gave Names to the Stars, discover'd the Motions of the heavenly Bodies, and which is yet a more sublime Study, found out the Influences of the planetary World, and how the heavenly Bodies govern this Globe, and reign in all the particular Classes of vegetative, sensitive, and rational Life.
From them the
Ptolomaian
Astronomers gathered the first Rudiments of their great System of Celestial Motions; from them the
Aesculapian
deriv'd the Fundamentals of Physical and Anatomical Knowledge
Job,
if the
Jews
have preserved an authentick Account of that eminent
Arabian;
and the Book called by his Name, which was found in the Archives of the Sons of
Isaac,
may be depended upon, surpassed all the Students in Astronomy, in Physicks or Metaphysicks, which have since his Time been seen in the World.
Even the
Jews
themselves, the Rabbins and the greatest Men among them, had but little Knowledge in any other sort of Science than the meer Study of their own Law, and the Disquisitions of necessary things relating to their Sanhedrim and Court of Justice; till they came to converse with the learned
Arabians:
From them they received the first Introductions in Science, and the Love of the most excellent Parts of Knowledge, such as the Study of Philosophy, the Mathematicks, and especially the Study of Nature.
It is true, there is a great Variety of critical Study among those Rabbins, and they discovered themselves to have among them Men of bright Parts, aspiring Thoughts, and clear and exquisite Judgments; but, as above, it was wholly taken up in the Study of their own Law, solving Difficulties in the Interpretation of their particular Cases of Judicature, and settling Points of Conscience in the Conformity to Ceremonial Institutions
But even
Moses
himself, when any thing is spoken of his Learning, it speaks of it as borrowed. He
was learned in all the Wisdom of the Aegyptians,
and this Wisdom or Learning of the
Aegyptians
was also received from the
Arabians,
with whom the most ancient Knowledge of the Sciences is to be found.
Search then,
my Friend,
the ancient Libraries, the Monuments and Records of the
Arabians,
if thou wouldest learn any thing of the Eastern Antiquity; with them, even long before the coming of our Prophet, was treasur'd up an infinite Variety of humane Wisdom and Knowledge; and since the Time of
Mahomet,
under the Caliphs and Princes of the
Saracens,
the politest Learning of those Days has flourished in their Dominions; their more ancient Conquests spread the glorious Light of heavenly Wisdom over the Eastern World, and they afterwards brought the Rudiments of Philosophy into the
Grecian
and
Roman
Countries.
Among them were found the innumerable Tracts of History, and all kinds of Learning which compleated
Ptolomy
's Library, in which it is said were to be found Seventy Thousand Volumes, and from those Manuscripts innumerable Copies were handed continually forward into other Parts of the World, till that glorious Collection was destroyed.
Among the
Aegyptians,
afterward, the same Spirit of Magnanimity and Glory was preserved, with the same Love of Litterature, and the same Genius for Art and Sciences, during the fortunate Government of the
Mamalukes,
till they, with the whole Eastern World, sunk under the invincible Arm of
Sultan Selym,
who God appointed to be Lord of the whole Earth.
Here then apply thy self for Materials for thy well designed Collection. Go to the Banks of
Cuthur,
and to the Society of devout Emirs, who dwell on the miraculous Plain, they will lead thee to the Cave where are the Seven Hundred Tables of Brass, on which are written with a Pen of Adamant with molten Gold, the illustrious Histories of the
Arabian
Princes for Four and fifty Ages before the
H gyra
of
Mahomet
's going to Heaven began.
There thou wilt find Materials for the brightest History that was ever extant in the World; the Priests of
Mecca,
who attend Day and Night at the Tomb of our holy Prophet, will let thee into the sacred Mysteries, and inform thee of every thing meet to be known for the propagating thy Work, and making it the Wonder of all the succeeding Ages of the World.
Light and Joy attend thy diligent Enquiry into Truth, and mayest thou be fully rewarded in the exalted Heights of Paradise, where Knowledge is perfect, and Happiness compleat.
Paris,
20th of the 10th Moon, of the Year 1690.
LETTER V. To the Kadileskar of
Natolia.
IT is very seldom that I propose any of these
Nazareens
for an Example to the true Believers, because they are here the greatest Hypocrites in the World; Religion is made a meer Guise of Deceit, and the Outside they put on to appear devout, has ever some holy Cheat in it to draw in Fools, or to buoy up the Spirits of the Commons, to support with more Alacrity the heavy Loads they are to lay upon them. It is a proverbial Saying of their own,
When the Fox preaches,
Guardez les Poules,
beware of the Gueese.
However, as an Example of a Hypocrite may be recommended; because the Outside of it is guilded over with the Sanctity of an Angel, and the vile Design with which it is performed is concealed; so I recommend to the Faithful the Practice of Religion, without the Hypocrisie; the Guise, without the Disguise.
The People of
Paris
are every thing the King pleases; and tho' in themselves, and following the Dictates of their own Inclination, they are the gayest, profuse, and most debauch'd People alive; yet all on a sudden a Fit of Religion having possess'd them, they are all turned Pharisees and Recluses.
The Alteration has something dismal in it; for instead of an Air of inexpressible Levity, which was the Habit even of the whole Nation; instead of eternal Dancing and Singing, even as they walk along the Streets, and scarce restrained even in the Churches; instead of all the Gallantry of Dress, and the coquettry of Ribbons, Patches, and Paintings; instead of innumerable Coaches in the Walks of the Thulleries, the Grand Tour, and the Park at
Versailles;
instead of Songs, new Tunes, new Dances, new Opera's, and the constant Noise of Musick; This City is all on a sudden turned into a Collection of Cells of Hermits, or Houses of Recluses; if the Women go abroad, 'tis all
en des habille,
mussled up as if they were veil'd; and instead of the Tour to the Gardens of the
Loure,
'tis only now, away to the Mosque, to say their Mattins and their Vespers, and directly home again; the Pages and Servants hurry up and down all over the Town, to the Booksellers Shops, to buy Books of Devotion and Religion, so that they are scarce to be had, and the Price exceedingly risen; all other Writings may be turned to waste Paper, for no Body buys them; instead of singing and dancing as they go along Streets, the Breast all unbutton'd, the Hat under the Arm, and the Face covered with Smiles and Joy; the Beaus now walk with the Hat pull'd over their Eyes, their Cloths button'd close up to the Chin, and the Neckcloth tuckt close in to the Wastcoat or Vest, they look grave, walk softly, talk seriously, and study to be dull.
The Publick-Houses, Cabarets, or Taverns, look as if they were broke; the Opera's, the Musick-Meetings, and the Gaming-Ordinaries, are shut up; nothing open but the Churches: The fine Walks and Gardens at the King's Houses in the City, where the infinite Numbers of Coaches, Ladies, and Burghers Daughters, used to be surprising; now they are all empty; the Women are all upon their Knees in the Churches and Chappels; or performing their Hours, as they call them, in the Convents and religious Houses; where they visit the Nuns, and talk all of Religion. As for Coaches, Dress, Servants, fine Liveries, and all gay things, they are laid by, and the People that made the shining Splendor of the
French
Court be the Glory and Envy of
Europe,
live now all retir'd; see no Company, pay no Visits, and talk of retreating from the World; nay, many of them go out of Town every Day to their Country-Seats, tho' it be at the Time of Year that every Body uses to come to Town: While the Gentry are in this State of Humiliation, the inferior sort of People have a real Cause for it. They mourn in earnest; for Trade, which is here in a manner wholly supported by the Luxury of the most extravagant People in the World, is quite sunk in this Alteration. The Perriwigmakers, the Perfumers, the Toy-Shops, the Taverns, the Assemblies for Play, the Milleners, the Lace-Shops, the Weavers of Silks and Ribbons, the Mercers, the Drapers, the Taylors, and a Thousand Trades depending upon these, alas! they are all undone, and they walk about their Shops wringing their Hands, and tearing their Hair from their Heads,
(for they wear no Beards here)
as Men undone and ruined, their Trade being gone, and their Livelihoods taken away all on a sudden; their Wives sit behind the Counters, all in Tears; no Body comes to buy, fine Cloths are all useless, and of no Esteem, no Body wears them; if a Gentleman should powder his Wig, or a Lady appear in Dress, it would look like a
Swiss,
or like one that came a great way out of the Country, to be sure it would be presently said, they had no Business at Court, they were People of no Fashion, or they did not understand themselves. In a Word, the Countenance of the merriest Nation upon Earth is, on a sudden, chang'd into that of the mournfullest and heaviest Generation of Mankind, and they look as if the City was just visited with the Pestilence, and they afraid to speak to one another for Fear of Infection.
One would think the old
Arabian
Prophet
Jonah
had been here on the same Errand that he was sent to
Nineveh,
and having told them
Paris
should be destroyed within Forty Days, the People were all upon their Penetentials for their Sins.
And what's the Matter all this while? Is it real Devotion? Is the Humour of the Nation changed? Are the People really become religious? nothing like it! 'Tis all a Mimick, a meer Piece of State-management: The King led the Way, and appeared devout, and as it were shut up in his Closet, which, they say, is upon the Occasion of the great Prospect of War and Devastation of Countries and Nations, Burnings of Cities, and shedding of Blood, which, as they pretended, must fall as a Judgment from Heaven upon the King's Enemies the ensuing Year.
It is true, this is all grimace; nor do the wiser sort pretend to talk much of that kind; but they say, the last Year having been a Year of Glory and Success to the King, tho' surrounded with infinite Enemies, it has all been procur'd by the exemplary Devotion and Piety of the King, who has for some time given himself up to Fastings, Prayers, innumerable Masses, Works of Mortification, Abstinence from Pleasures, and the like; and that therefore his best Subjects will follow the same Method, and thereby secure a prosperous State of things for the Time to come.
By the Tomb of
Mahomet,
and all the holy Men whose Ashes surround the Entrance of the Circle of Sanctity in
Mecca,
these
Nazareens
are the grossest Hypocrites in the Universe; for at the same Time that this Mask of Humiliation is put on, all the Intreagues imaginable are carried on, to embroil in War all the Courts and Princes of
Europe.
Thou art not ignorant, sublime Judge of Equity and Uprightness, what infinite Violences they commit in all Parts of the World, at the same time that they pretend to weep and mourn for the Calamities of Mankind; the History of these things lying daily in thy Sight, thou canst not but see through the Mask of Devotion they put on.
A flagrant Instance of it also is before thee, in the daily Sollicitations of the
French
Ambassador at the Port, to encourage the
Ottoman
Ministry to carry on the War against the
Nazareen
Emperor, and prevent the Projects of Peace that were on Foot. Thou art Witness there, to the Intreagues they carry on, and the Assistances they give for the
Ottoman
Forces, of Engineers and Gunners, and some Money, if they do not belie their own Councils, to hasten on the Preparations, and make the Continuance of the War inevitable.
On the other Hand, I am Witness here, to the secret Joy with which they entertain the News of the Grand Vizier's Successes on the Frontiers; the Victory of
Nissa,
and the taking the Town: The surprizing Recovery of
Belgrade,
and the like; nay, some People here suggest, that the City of
Belgrade
was betray'd to us, and the Count
Aspremont,
a Native of
France,
being Governour, the Magazines were blown up by his secret Contrivance; that the Mussulman's Army might enter Sword in Hand, and the Conquest be secured; and all this, that it being a Blow which could not fail to put the imperial Affairs into the utmost Consternation, might occasion a necessary Diversion of the
German
Troops, as well from the Empire, as from
Italy;
where the King of
France
was resolved to push the Duke of
Savoy
with his utmost Strength, and who, if not supported by the
Germans,
must at last be obliged to change Sides, and submit to
France.
While these Steps are taking, while the King of
France
stoops to confederate secretly with the
Ottomans,
who at the same Time they pretend to call the common Enemy of Christendom, and who they make it a Piece of Conscience to act against upon all Occasions, as Infidels and People, who they ought not to wish Success to, no, not against the greatest of their Enemies: I say, while they profess such things as these, and practise in secret the very Reverse of it, what Sincerity can there be in all the Outside of their Humiliation and pretended Devotions?
God, who is one in the Unity of his Nature, demands that we be one at all times in the Unity of our Practice: The Faithful are taught to know, that God sees the Inside of our Imaginations, and that he abhors the Mask of Devotion, covering the Deceit of the Intention.
Just Men act from just Principles, and cannot meek the World with the Pageantry of Religion, any more than they can mock the great One
Alla,
the God of pure and perfect Uprightness, with a double
Entendre
in their Services.
We shall see this Fit of Devotion be all over in a little while; and the Tyger will sit rampant upon the King of
France
's Councils; when perhaps, in the Beginning of the Campaign, he shall give Orders for the Burning and destroying the fruitful Countries on the Frontiers, on the Pretence of preventing his Enemies Armies subsisting there.
Blessed be the righteous Desires of the Believers, who walk in strait Paths, doing Justice, and keeping their Eyes to the Gates of
Eden,
replenished with Joy, and crowning the Pleasures of the Just.
Paris,
12th of the 2d Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER VI. To
Morat Husain Abdeilomar,
Caimacham of
Constantinople.
IT belongs to thee, happy
Morat,
that keepest the Gates of the illustrious Port, the City of Joy, within whose Walls dwells the mighty, the resplendent Mirror of Glory, the King of Emperors, whose Days be multiplied, and his Felicity endless; it belongs to thee, I say, to hear how the great Cities of the World behave, when the prosperous Arms of their Princes bring Triumph to their Gates.
Contrary to the Expectation of Enemies; nay, even to the Surprize of the Court it self, every Patt of the
French
Frontiers has furnished some Subject of Triumph to the King of
France,
this past Year; they have been overwhelmed with Joy, on all Sides, which is indeed the more welcome, because they were not without Apprehensions of the Superiority of their Enemies almost on all Sides.
The first of the Year saluted them with a compleat Victory at
Fleuri,
on the Banks of the
Sambre,
the Month of
June
with a Victory at Sea: The
French
Navy, the most formidable that ever one single Power could boast of since the Use of Ships of War was known, attack'd and defeated the united Fleets of
England
and
Holland,
and burnt, stranded, and took Seven Men of War, from 70 to 90 Guns each, on the Coast of
England:
After this they landed some Men on the same Coast, and burnt and plundered several Villages. In
Italy,
where it was thought the Duke of
Savoy
had been so well supported by his Allies, that he would have been superior to the
French;
he has been attack'd by the Mareschal
de Catinat,
an old and experienc'd General, and in a great Battle overthrown, near
Sallusses
in
Piemont;
4000 of his Men slain, 1000 Prisoners; with all his Cannon, Baggage, and Colours taken, and the Duke himself narrowly escaping.
This Battle has been so important, tho' the Action it self was not great, that the Court are not able to conceal their Joy; and the King himself was heard to say, he valued it more than the two other Victories of the Year,
(viz)
that of
Fleuri,
and that at Sea.
And he has Reason to do so; for as the War in
Savoy
was more expensive to the King, being at so great a Distance, and carried on with more Resentment on either Side; so the King was infinitely more desirous to bring it to a Conclusion, that he might turn his Arms another way more to his Advantage; and which was greater still, the King had more to fear, on that Side, than on any other, if his Enemies should get the Advantage of his Troops.
But he has now effectually secur'd his Dominions on that Side, and his Army continues to ravage the Country, to deprive the Duke of
Savoy
of subsisting his Army; they have also taken
Saluzzes, Savigliane,
and several other important Posts from the Duke of
Savoy,
as the Consequences of that Victory; and in Close of the Year all the Dutchy of
Savoy,
except the Fortress of
Montmellian,
and the Town of
Suza,
fell into the Hands of the
French;
so that unless the Emperor supports the Duke of
Savoy
with a very strong Power, he will be reduced to very narrow Circumstances in a little Time.
On the
Rhine,
the Confederates boasted of great Attempts to be made of breaking into the Heart of
France,
and the like; particularly it was said the Duke of
Bavaria,
who commands the Army since the Death of the Duke of
Lorrain,
would bring an Hundred Thousand Men into the Field; but the
Dauphine,
whose Army was never above 45000 Men, has defended the Frontiers, and, in his Turn, passed the
Rhine,
and subsisted his Army in the Plains of
Stollhoffen,
at the Expence of the Enemies, and yet has drawn off without fighting, which is in it self a Victory.
Thus all things concur to make the King of
France
triumph over his Enemies, and he lives in the continual Clamour of Joy, the Guns are ever firing for the good News which comes in from one Quarter or another, and I sit in my little Retreat, and laugh at the Madness of these Infidels, who thus weaken and destroy one another, leaving thereby an open Door of Victory to the Arms of the Grand Seignior, whose Ways be prosperous, and his Triumphs uninterrupted
Fortunate
Morat,
let no Opportunity slip to push the Interest of the illustrious high Port, and fail not to take all the just Advantages that the Dissentions of the Powers of the
Nazarcens
offer to thee; these are the Times appointed, by Fate, for the Recovery of all the Territories of the Grand Seignior, lost by the unhappy Conduct of the Vizier
Azem,
when he made that fatal Attempt against
Vienna,
when
Mahomet
was displeased, and God was angry, and the Faithful turned their Backs, and fled from the Face of their Enemies.
At the latter End of the Moon
Rebliah
the second, called here
April,
the Death of the
Dauphiness,
Wife to the eldest Son of the King of
France,
died; which having thrown the whole Court into Black, lessen'd much of the Lustre which would have been seen here on the Occasions of the Victories I have mentioned: But their Joy is not the less for their mourning Outsides; seeing this is a Nation that is not more eminent for any thing in the World, than for seeming what they are not, and being what they do not seem.
Well be it with the true Believers, who triumph in a Rectitude of Soul, and always are bold to shew the Affection or Enmity, which they entertain in their Breast, whether it be Personal or National; Dissimulation is the Effect of a Cowardice and Baseness of the Mind, which renders it afraid to shew the Inside of the Heart: God, who abhors Hypocrisie, can never be supposed, without blasphemous Conceptions of his Nature, to approve these
Nazareens;
for Sincerity dwells not in them.
May the Gates of Paradise stand open to thee, and the Angel of the Vale receive thee with open Arms, ready to transport thee to the Mount of Joy, and open to thee the Mysteries of inconceivable Pleasure.
Paris,
11th of the 5th Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER VII. To the Rutalier Aga, chief Eunuch, or Chief of the
Seraglio.
THEY are greatly mistaken, who think the Affairs of the Port have not their Influence on these Parts of the World where I dwell; they who plac'd me here, who are now shining in the Garden of Beauty, had other Notions, or they would not have obliged me to reside here so many Years.
The happy Successes of the Grand Vizier in
Hungary,
thereby opening a Way for farther Conquests to the Arms of the victorious
Ottomans,
is acknowledg'd here to be the saving the King of
France
from the absolute Ruine which the Superiority of the
Germans,
and their Confederates, would have infallibly brought upon them; and I infer from hence, that whenever the perfect Wisdom of our mighty Emperor shall think fit to put an End to the Conquests he is making in
Hungaria,
and consent to come to a Truce with these Infidels, there is no Question but all the Powers of
Europe,
who are now in Confederacy against
France,
will put their helping Hand to such a Work; and will join together their Endeavours, to bring the Emperor of the
Nazareens
to yield to all the Demands of the Port, that they may be at leisure to turn all their united Armies against this more dangerous Enemy, the King of
France;
who is now esteemed among them as the common Enemy, of what they call, Christendom.
In the mean Time, the Language of the Infidels here is, that the Mussulmen have once again gotten Fortune on their Side, and perhaps,
says one of their Authors here,
may have found out the Secret to chain her so fast to their Vizier's Tent, that she shall not make her Escape a second Time.
I write these things, to hint that ancient Maxim of
Caled
the great, the first General, to
Abbubeker, Caliph,
and immediate Successor to
Mahomet
in the Civil and Military Government; I hint to thee his Maxim, I say,
(viz) That a Time of Victory is the Time to make Peace:
The Reason is clear;
for then,
said he,
you are sure to keep what you have gain'd, and obtain what you ask.
They talk here that the
English
and
Dutch
Ministers at the Port, have Orders to concern themselves, in the Names of their Masters, to encline the Grand Seignior to Thoughts of Peace; and offer to act as Mediators. This is a Signal in deed,
if true,
of the weak Condition of the Emperor's Affairs; 'tis no less than a white Flag hung out of a Town besieged, to offer a Capitulation and surrender. And I doubt not the Vizier will know how to make his Advantage of it.
It is true,
France
regarding her own Interest, will oppose it with all her Might, knowing that if the
Nazareen
Emperor concludes a Peace with the Port, he will make no Peace with him. But if I might be permitted to give my Judgment in so weighty a Case, it is, that the Port should weight her own Strength and Interest, not forgetting to note, that however the Port may regard
France
in carrying on the War,
France
would have no Regard to the Interest of the Grand Seignior, if he was designing to clap up the War by a Peace; but would rather assist the Emperor against the Mussulmen, as they did at the Battle of
Raab,
and as they did in the Case of the
Venetians
at the Siege of
Candia;
things which the illustrious Port may happen to remember to them hereafter.
Yeild to Peace then while Victory crowns thy Attempts, O Man assisted by Heaven, and let an End be put to shedding the Blood of the Faithful.
Not that I fear for the Grand Vizier; tho' they talk here loudly of the mighty Strength of the
Nazareen
Emperor, and that he will have an Hundred Thousand disciplin'd Soldiers on Foot in
Hungary
this approaching Campaign; but it cannot be rational to believe it: If I may credit the vulgar Opinion in this Place, Money is more difficult to be had in
Germany
than Men, and the Emperor will be very sorely distress'd to raise Money for this double War, if it holds another Campaign.
His hereditary Dominions are terribly exhausted; the Contingencies, or Quota's of the Princes of the Empire, which they call the
Roman
Months, come in, not only slowly, but even not at all; the smaller Princes only are those that pay any thing, and the great ones nothing. The first plead Poverty, and the last Power, giving trifling Reasons and haughty Answers, without paying any Part of their Money to the military Chest, or sending their Quota's of Men to the Army.
Mighty Princes often think fit to put Bounds to their Conquests, even when they have Power to extend them farther: It is sufficient that the Vizier has recovered to the
Ottoman
Empire the Banks of the
Sauve,
and of the
Theiss,
and that
Belgrade
and
Temeswaer
remain the invincible Barriers of our Empire. As for the rest of
Hungary,
it will be more an Expence than an Advantage to the
Nazareens
to keep it: The
Hungarians,
who hate the
Germans,
being all Malecontents, as well upon Religious as Political Accounts, will be for ever raising Commotions, weakening the Power, and exhausting the Treasure of the Emperor, till at length wasted by continual Factions, that Kingdom will fall naturally into the Hands of the just Nation, without fighting, as it did before.
Prosperous be the Days of the Emperor of the Just, may his Head resplendent with Celestial Glory shine like the Stars, and his Crown be a Constellation of Five Hundred Suns. Joy be to thy exalted Soul, dear
Achmethies,
both here and in Paradise.
Amen.
Paris,
5th of the 2d Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER VIII. To the Kaimacham.
I Have often given the Characters of the illustrious Men of these Parts of the World; and have told thee, that the King of
France
has the greatest and best Generals of the Age, and it is most true, the Duke of
Luxemburgh
in
Flanders,
and Monsieur
Catinat,
who acts against the Duke of
Savoy,
are certainly two of the greatest Men this Age affords, and Victory seems to attend every Action they take in Hand.
But I am called off from such mean Characters, if after what I have said of them they may be called mean, I say, I am called off from them to the rising Figure the new King of
England
makes in the World.
I have often nam'd this Person to thee as
Prince of Orange;
but being now stept up into the Chair of Majesty, and mounted the
English,
or rather
British
Throne, his Power having thus encreased to an Equality with his martial Genius, which indeed it was not before, he begins to threaten
France
with such an Appearance in the Field, as no Prince in
Europe
ever made before him.
He has been in
Ireland
in Person, where he pass'd a great River called the
Boyn,
in the Face of a superior Army of the
French
and
Irish,
and defeated them by plain fighting; the Slaughter was not great, but the Victory plain and confess'd by the Flight of that unfortunate Prince, the Deposed King, the 2d. time to
France,
who arrived here the latter End of the last Year.
The victorious Prince pursuing the Course of his good Fortune, has recover'd the most Part of the Kingdom of
Ireland,
and leaving the rest to his Generals, appears now at the
Hague,
forming Alliances against
France;
and his Designs seem to threaten the King of
France,
that he will arm all the rest of
Europe
against him.
It is incredible to hear how the Princes and States, on all Sides, caress him; the Congress which he has formed at the
Hague,
is what was never seen in those Parts of the World. He makes himself be adored by all the Powers of that Part of the World; and tho' they dissemble their Apprehensions, he is terribly feared by this Part.
The haughty Spirit of the King indeed, who knows not how to fear God or Man, supports the
French
Nation; and their natural Aptness to bluster, makes them seemingly despise this Prince; but it is easie to see the Consternation of their more reserv'd Thoughts. They prepare for the War as if it was to be carried on after a differing Manner than it uses to be; and in
Flanders
particularly, as if they were to be more seriously attack'd there than elsewhere.
They pick and cull their whole Army for the best Troops, and the most active and enterprising Generals; they new mount their Cavalry, and do a Thousand things to encourage the Officers to behave well; at the same time letting them know they are to expect hot Work; that they must look for Blows; and that nothing but superior Numbers, and superior Courage, will carry on the War on that Side.
As for the King of
England,
he is now at the
Hague,
where, as I have said, he has form'd a Congress of the Princes of the Northern Parts of
Europe;
who are arrived there in such Numbers, either in Person, or by their Ambassadors, that it is worthy thy Remark, the like not having happen'd in any Age; where they concert a League or Alliance offensive, as they call it, of all their Powers against the single Power of
France.
If this King of
France
can withstand this Confederacy,
Europe
must be reduced under his Hand into one universal Monarchy or Empire, far exceeding that of
Charlemaign.
It may be of use to thee, and for the Service of our glorious Emperor the Grand Seignior, to give thee some Account of this Congress: There was assembled besides the King and Fourteen Noblemen of
Great Brittain,
who he brought over with him, for the Splendor of his new gained Dominions; and besides the two Electors of
Bavaria
and
Brandenburgh,
Five and Twenty Soveraign Princes, having Estates and Dominions of their own; such as the Landgrave of
Hesse Cassel,
the Duke of
Brunswick Lunenburgh,
the Duke of
Saxe Eysuach,
the Duke of
Courland,
and others of like Degree; Fourteen Princes of great Houses, but not themselves Soveraigns; 37 Generals, all of them having Titles of Honour, besides their military Character; the
Dutch
high Admiral
Trump;
the King of
Spain
's Governor of the
Spanish Netherlands, (viz.)
the Marquis
de Gastanaga,
and the imperial General the Prince
de Commercy.
Besides these, there were a prodigious Train of Ambassadors, Envoys Extraordinary, and publick Ministers from other Princes, States, and Powers; such as were too great or too remote to appear in Person, and even from some that were present, who were to remain when their Principals were gone. The Account they give here of them is thus.
Three from the Emperor, Two from the King of
Spain,
One from
Sweden,
Two from
Denmark,
Two from
Savoy;
from the Electors of
Bavaria, Brandenburgh, Treves, Mentz,
and
Cologn,
each Two; from the Elector
Palatine,
one; from the Elector of
Saxony,
one; from the King and Republick of
Poland,
one; Two from the Landgrave of
Hesse Cassel;
one from the Bishop of
Munster;
from the Dukes of
Hannover, Lunenburgh, Wolfembuttle,
and
Zell,
each one; from the Duke of
Holstein,
one; and from the Cities of
Liege
and
Hamburgh,
each one; besides Agents from
Switzerland,
the
Grisons, Geneva,
and
Neufchattel.
I need not muster up to thee the Powers of these several Princes, who art so well acquainted with the State of
Europe;
but thou mayest understand that there being a general Unanimity in them all to unite against the growing Power of
France;
every one of these entered into Measures and Agreements for some Proportion, either in Money or Troops, to support the Alliance, and every one of them had some Pretensions upon
France;
so that like the Assembly of the Birds, they all pretended to pluck their respective Feathers out of the Plume, wherewith the King of
France
has adorn'd himself.
The Agreement of so great a Number of Princes and Powers, will not be more wonderful to thee, than it will be that
France
has gone on so long in a general Encroachment upon her Neighbours, to such a Degree, and for so long a Time, till the whole World, as we may say, are aggrieved at her, and yet never be opposed in a Body before: The Reason is, the Conduct of this Court has been so very subtle, that the King has always found Means to disunite the Princes whom he had oppress'd; and to break all the Measures laid at any time for concerting any Opposition to him: so that he had them often in secret League with himself, ready rather to oppose one another, than to join in Measures to oppose him.
Thou wilt, doubtless, expect to hear what the King of
France
is doing all this while, and what Prospect there is of his defending himself against so many powerful Adversaries. As to the first, as I hinted already, they turn it all in publick to jest and ridicule. They call the new King of
England, Le Petit Prince d'Orange,
and one of their scribbling Poets here has written a Satyr or Lampoon, call'd the
Cavalcade
at the
Hague,
wherein he pretends to give the Characters of all the Princes and great Persons of the Congress; but his Work is so scurrilous, and he treats Soveraign Princes with such Indecencies, and such mean course Language, that indeed the
French
Gentlemen themselves, who, to give them their due, are a very mannerly Nation, do not relish it.
However, at the same time that they treat the Notion of a grand Alliance against them with a Kind of Gayety and Contempt, the King shews, that he knows the Prince of
Orange,
and that he is not in jest; and accordingly he prepares to deal with him in earnest; for his Army in
Flanders
will be in the whole, the Garrisons included, 132000 Men, of which the Duke of
Luxemburg,
who is to command them, pretends, on any Emergency, he will be able to have 110000 Men in the Field ready for Battle.
The Duke is a politick and a fortunate General; but they say this of him, that he never came but to one Battle with the Prince of
Orange,
and then he was soundly beaten, which was at the Battle of
Mons,
at the Close of the last War with the
Dutch,
of which I gave at that Time a full Account to
Solyman,
thy illustrious Predecessor, now an exalted Soldier of Praise in the Garden of Peace.
Rejoice, happy Prince, in the Lustre of thy great Command, and the Favour of the Sultan thy Lord, the Mirror of humane Wisdom, and the illustrious Emperor of the Faithful, whose Days be fill'd with Joy, and his End, Triumph and inexpressible Glory.
Paris,
10th of the 4th Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER IX. To
Hoganquin Zemel Atran,
a Studier of Antiquity at
Zaabbachz
in
Arabia.
THOU that art searching after ancient Knowledge, how canst thou look into this Part of the World? where Men know nothing but by a kind of Talmudical Knowledge, receiving Error from their Fathers, and handing it on to their Posterity, with the loose Sanction only of their own Approbation; so that all things are accepted as Truths, because received from the past Generations.
You ask me for a History of the ancient Gods, whom the
Roman
Nations adored; and how the Stars come to be sirnamed after the Deities they worship?
I could give thee long Legends of Fables for the Original of the Gods, some one way, some another, as the Learning of the respective Ages those things were written in directed, and as the several Authors who have written of such things have received them, such as
Stephanus, Philo, Varro, Arnobius, Diodorus Siculus, Plato,
and many more, too long to name.
But if I may give thee my Opinion of these things, it must be, as I learnt them from the Leaves of the never fading Tree of
Aphelezma,
on which the History of the World was written by the Angel of the Gate with a Pen of Adamant, I say, if I must give thee my Opinion, it is that thou direct thy Prayers to
Mahomet
three Times a Day for Illumination, and that thou shouldest be instructed in the everlasting Record, that nothing past may be concealed from thee.
Certainly the Introduction of Idols and Images to be worshiped by Men, was begun by the evil Spirit of the Lake; who, to erase the Knowledge of the true One God, built Houses and Families of Gods in Romance, founded on Traditional Discoveries of things past.
As this carried them back to the first Knowledge of things, so it did also of Persons; and as none could be more the Subject of their Inquiries than the first Men, so upon the Fable of their Fame, for Time makes mighty Stories dwindle into Romance, they made no Scruple to form the Gods which they wanted to invent.
From these Records, which remain only in the sacred Repository of the Cave of Wonders, I say, from these Record of Traditions rise all the Gods they wanted; they ascribed godlike things to Men gone before their Memory, and then conceiv'd of them as Gods on Account of their great Deeds.
Thus they go back to the Beginning of Men; and Saturn, who is called the Father of all, both Gods and Men, was certainly no other than
Adam,
the Primogenitor of the Creation, to whom the whole Globe was given in Fee simple, as Lord of the Soil.
As
Adam
was the first
Saturn,
so
Cain
appears to be the first
Jupiter; Eve
was also called the Goddess
Rhea;
and
Naamath, Eve
's eldest Daughter and
Cain
's Wife, was called
Venus; Tubulcain
is the same they called
Vulcan.
Nor is the Similitude of Sound yet worn quite out of the Words; for taking away the Letters
Tu
from the Word, and you find not much of any kind of Difference between
Bulcain
and
Vulcan.
I know that succeeding Generations, in Imitation of this first Nomination of Gods, named also the Heroes of their own Ancestors by the same Names; placing them in the Skies as Stars of Eminence, and adored them as Gods; but these are modern, compared to the Original as above, which I take to be the Work of the first Ages of Time.
From the Tales which the
Antediluvians,
as they call them here, handed down to their Posterity, came most of the Fables with which the Eastern Part of the World was so full, some of which I find here in their ancient Poets and Historians, such as
Homer, Hesiod, Ovid, Cornelius Severus,
and others; for Example:
From the building that great stupendious Stair-Case, called the Tower of
Babel,
the said Poets feigned the Story of
Pelion
upon
Ossa,
or the Giants undertaking a War against the Gods, and throwing one Mountain upon another to assault Heaven, which is admirably described by one of the said Poets thus:
Tentavêre (nefas) olim detrudere mundo
Sydera, Captivi
que
Jovis
transferre Gigantes:
Imperium, & victo leges imponere coelo.
Cor. Sev.
Likewise from the authentick Histories of the Sons of
Noah,
and their dividing the Earth among their Posterity, came the Fable of dividing the World among the Three Brethren the Sons of
Saturn.
The Fiction of the golden Fruit kept by the Dragon was taken from the Garden of
Eden,
where was a forbidden Tree guarded by the divine Anathema.
And, as some tell us, from the translating
Enoch
into Heaven, was taken the Translation of Heroes and famous Men into Stars and celestial Signs, and the like.
Now if thou read the wondrous Manuscripts of the Ancients, which thou wilt find treasured up in the miraculous Cave, and collected with great Industry by the most ancient
Arabians;
thou wilt find the full Confirmation of these Truths, and just Reason to trace the Antiquity of the Heathen Fiction back to the first Age.
Innumerable Similitudes will appear also if thou study
Moses
's written Law, where thou wilt find the Custom of Kings and Conquerors making Leagues, Covenants, and Conventions, confirmed by the Sanction of
Solomon,
and mutual Sacrifices, is borrowed from
Moses,
who, when he read the Covenant of God to the People, sprinkled the Blood of the Sacrifice upon them.
Wherefore then, divine
Atran,
doest thou turn thy Face this Way for the Intelligence of things ancient? seeing the dispers'd Families of the Sons of
Noah
have not left the Eastern World without authentick Proofs of their Original, and of the Customs of their Ancestors.
I know the
Lybian
Fables, take the original of the Gods of the
Greeks
from the
Africans,
where
Uranus,
they say, first reigned, a Name which signified
Heaven;
and who, for his Knowledge of the Stars, his People honoured after his Death, as a Star in Heaven.
This
Uranus,
they say, was the Father of the Titanes or Giants; his Wife also sirnamed
Titea,
was canoniz'd for a Goddess; her Name signifying Earth. Thus Heaven and Earth married together, their Son
Hyperion
marrying his Sister
Basilea:
She bore him two Children, called
Sun
and
Moon.
The rest of these fictitious Tales are too long to trouble thee with, and only serve to let thee know, how ignorant of more ancient Truth those Nations were, and that the more genuine, and indeed only Fund of Antiquity, is treasured up in the Archives of
Churuth,
and the Repositories of the holy Mountain, where if thou pray to
Mahomet,
thou shalt have Wisdom, and have the just Discoveries of retired Truth made known to thee.
Paris,
5th of the 4th Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER X. To the Captain Bassa.
I Should omit the Duty I owe to thy high Station in the Empire of the Faithful, if I did not acquaint thee of the greatest Battle, or Sea-fight, which, perhaps, was ever fought in these Parts of the World; whether we regard the Strength of the Fleets, or the Vigour and Consequence of the Action.
The Glory and Ambition of the King of
France,
especially in his maritine Affairs, thou hast been no Stranger to for many Years; nor art thou ignorant that he was really arrived to a Greatness at Sea, amazing to all those who knew the Circumstances he formerly stood in with respect to his Neighbours of
England
and
Holland;
and how the former not only were superior to him in Naval Strength, but pretended to forbid him encreasing that Power, or building any more Ships whenever they thought fit.
It was but the last Year but one that we saw the Fleet of
France
engaging those of
England
and
Holland
in the open Seas, and being superior to them both, as well in the Number of Ships, as in the Force of those Ships, we found the
English
and
Dutch
retreating from them, declining the Fight, and at length worsted.
The next Year the Fleets of
France
were reckon'd 100 Sail of capital Men of War of the Line,
(viz.)
from 50 Guns upwards to 110 Guns, and the
British
and
Dutch
Fleets were not so forward to engage them as was usual.
But this Year, by I know not what Fate, whether the Vigilance and Diligence of the
British
Admiral, or the Rashness and Pride of the
French
Admiral, I know not; but this Year, I say, has been fatal to the King of
France,
in his Naval Affairs; and in a great Battle at Sea, his Fleet has been entirely overthrown; and about 20 of the biggest Men of War in his Navy, and indeed some of them the biggest in the World, have been burnt or destroyed; a Loss, which I foresee
France
will not be able to restore in many Years, if at all.
They came together upon the most natural Terms imaginable; for Monsieur
Tourville,
the
French
Admiral, tho' he had not in his whole Fleet above 52 Sail, went boldly into the
British
Channel, to seek out his Enemies, who were near 90 Sail. Thou wilt reasonably conclude, that when the weaker looks out for the stronger, there will be little Difficulty to meet.
The Fight was bloody, and there is no doubt but had the
French
been equal in Number to the
British
and
Dutch
Fleets, they would have had the better of them; but a great Disproportion of Numbers left the
French
Room for nothing but to make the best of their way to their own Coast, after an unequal Fight; in which no Behaviour of the particular Captains and Officers could atone for the intollerable Rashness of the Admiral, in attacking the Enemy when he might have declined it, and easily saw the Disparity of Strength.
The
French
say, in Justification of the Admiral, that he had positive and express Orders to fight the Confederates wherever he met them; but 'tis alledg'd in Reply, that this was with a Supposition of a probable Advantage, or at least a fair Cast for it; not to fight at all Adventures, two against three, where they would be sure to have the worse.
However it was, the King, who is the best Judge of his own Orders, received the Admiral perfectly well, spoke cheerfully to him, and was very far from showing any Resentment against his Conduct, as if he had not obeyed Orders.
The Loss the
French
has sustained is inestimable, 17 of the finest Ships the World ever saw, are burnt and destroyed in their own Harbours, and in Sight of their own People, besides others smaller; a Sight so mortifying, so dreadful, and particularly so provoking to the Seamen, who long'd for nothing more than to have fought it out Ship for Ship, and Man for Man; that they tore the very Hair from their Heads for Rage, to see the Ships burnt in their own Ports.
But there was no Remedy, the
British
and
Dutch
Fleets were upon them; the rest of their own Fleet was separated, and fled through the Race of Alderney for
Brest;
whereupon they set Fire to the Ships with their own Hands, after having saved out of them whatever was portable, and placed the Hulls so as the Guns might be easily weighed.
Never was such a Blaze of Fire seen on Earth, the Light was seen in the Air an Hundred Miles, to the infinite Terror of the People.
The Troops which were drawn up on the Shore, prevented the
English
landing; and by some Cannon planted on large Batteries, kept off the Boats a great while which were sent in to burn the Ships, and by those Batteries they protected two Men of War which were not burnt.
The Loss of Men has not been great; the Account they give is about 2500 Men killed, and 3000 wounded. Nor have the Enemy lost much less; but the Loss of the Ships is such as the
French
themselves do not pretend to be able to repair in many Years. And since this Disaster, they advise the King to spare the excessive Expences of fitting out so great a Fleet, and employ the Seamen in small Cruisers, to attack the Commerce of the Allies, who abound in Numbers of Merchant-Ships in all Parts of the Sea.
This had been good Advice, had it been given before; had the King of
France
laid up his great Fleet, and encouraged his Subjects to sit out Privateers, he had saved the Expence of thirty Millions a Year, and wounded his Enemies in the most sensible Part,
(viz.)
their Trade; by which they supported all the rest of their Power.
But this is late Advice now, and makes good a proverbial Saying of the most learned of the
Nazareens, (viz)
that the
Italians
are wise beforehand, the
Dutchmen
in the Action, and the
French
after 'tis done.
This Blow to the Naval Power of
France
may not be without its good Consequences to thy Affairs: Our glorious Master the Grand Seignior knows what use to make of it, to the exalting the
Ottoman
Power in the
Levant,
and assisting it to maintain a just Superiority of Naval Strength in every Part of the World.
Glory and Success attend the Navies of thy Lord, under thy wise and prosperous Conduct, invincible Admiral of the faithful Navy; and may the Ensigns of
Mahomet
spread the Seas at the Ports of thy Enemies, that the Topsails of
France
and
Venice
may strike to the victorious Pendants of the Admiral-Galley, under the Awe of thy Sword and of the Grand Seignior's invincible Power.
Paris,
20th of the 8th Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER XI. To
Amurath Zahabbezin,,
a proselyted Jew of
Trapezond.
THO' I believe thou art a true Musselman, and hast forsaken the Errors of thy mistaken Brethren, yet I find by thy Letters that thou art yet of the Rabbinical Principle, and art a kind of
Mahometan
Pharisee: for thou canst not refrain in all thy Notions of things, to put a mighty Stress upon the Tradition of our Ancestors, as if the Alcoran, which thou knowest we believe came down from Heaven to our great Prophet, needed any Explanations.
It's evident to me, that the Laws of God, handed to
Israel,
by the Ministration of
Moses
coming immediately from the divine Oracle, spoken by the Mouth of God himself, and written down by the Pen of
Moses,
the faithful Collector of what God had spoken to him, required no Explanations: It is to me a sufficient Objection against the
Jewish
Talmud, the
Gemara,
and all the Writings which are called the Collections of the Elders, that they all differ from
Moses
's Law, or the Writings of the Prophets, in the Preface or Introduction of them all; for that
Moses
introduces all his Precepts with,
Thus saith the Lord: The Lord spake all these Words, and said: The Word of the Lord came unto me—saying: The Lord hath spoken,
and the like.
WHEREAS
in the Talmud, and all the Collections of traditional Explanations, it is said, by way of Introduction,
Rabbi Simeon,
Says thus:
Rabbi Juda,
Says thus:
Rabbi Eliezer,
Says thus, and the like
And wherefore seekest thou a cabbalistick Scheme, or a Collection of traditional Explanations upon the perfect Law of
Mahomet?
Art thou ignorant how the Alcoran was brought down from Heaven, and given to our great Apostle
Mahomet?
and that every Musselman believes that it requires no other Law to explain or enforce it?
It is true that we have a
Sonnah,
in which are said to be contained traditional Explanations of the Text of the
Alcoran;
but the Principles of the Musselman's Belief are such, so plain and so few, that no
Sonnah,
no traditional Precepts, can add to or explain: Our whole Faith being contained in these two great Fundamentals,
(viz.)
That God is but one God, and that
Mahomet
is his Apostle or Prophet.
The
SONNAH,
or
MISNA
of our Law, may explain the Precepts of
Mahomet,
respecting the Conduct of his Disciples or Followers; but the great Point denominating a true Musselman,
(viz.)
believing the Unity of Person, and the Dignity of
Mahomet,
admits no Explanation; neither is the
Sonnah
of our Emirs concern'd in such a blasphemous Attempt.
Leave off then, enlightened
Morat,
thy old cabbalistick Notions, and lessen thy Esteem for traditional Ideas; believe that
God is One God,
and that
Mahomet
is
his Prophet,
and enjoys the Blessing of
Eden,
the promised Pleasures of Paradise, where Oceans of inexpressible Bliss flow down in Streams of Delight, where Millions of shining Beauties attend the Faithful, such as should one of them appear on Earth, all Mankind would dye for the Love of her, and sink into inconceivable Torment at the Loss of her.
Give no Jealousies to thy Friends, that thou art not thoroughly inform'd, and hast not embraced the right Way with a perfect Mind.
Perhaps it may be true that the Law of
Moses
may stand in need of Interpretations, and the Solutions of learned and judicious Men in doubtful and difficult Cases, about their sabbattical Observations, legal Retributions,
&c.
may be useful Precedents for the Judgment of the Elders, in like Cases, among the
Jews
to this Time.
Tho' I confess, I believe all those Traditions and Precedents have rather corrupted than informed their Posterity, and have spread a Cloud or Veil of Darkness over their Law, rather than cleared it up from any Difficulties that were in it before.
But suppose it so; for I know the Rabbinists, who are the chief sort of
Jews,
who I meet with in these Parts of the World, do all strictly adhere to the Voice of the Elders, and therefore the whole Study of their Doctors is employed upon the
Misna,
which is the original authentick Text of the
Jewish
Traditions, or Opinions of the Elders.
Yet what is all this to the true Musselmen? who believe that
Mahomet
was a Prophet sent from God, and that God gave him a Body of written Laws,
(viz.)
the Alcoran? seeing we have no need of Rabbinical Authorities or traditional Institutes for the Understanding that Law.
I am told here by some of the learned Fathers or Rabbies of the
Nazareens,
that one
Nicholas Clenardus,
a famous Man in the Study of the Laws of the Messiah, and fill'd with Learning in all the Languages which were in use in these Parts of the World, got a Passport about 160 Years ago,
(viz)
the Year 1541. from the King of
Morocco,
for Leave to come to
Fez
in
Africa,
the capital City of the Moores, to study the
Arabick
Language, which, at that Time, not scarce a Scholar in all the
Nazareen
World could read a Word of.
It seems his Design was, that he might then search, and open a Door for others to search after him, into the Fundamentals of our Principles; examine the Alcoran; read the Histories of our great Prophet; study the
SONNAHS
of the ancient Emirs, and of the sacred
Te
reh,
and all the Collections of traditional Knowledge they could reach, in order to put the People here into a Method to dispute successfully against the Musselmen-Doctors and Dervices, as Occasion might offer.
But what did all the Study of this famous Man amount to? for I hear he lived there eleven Years, in which Time he made himself perfect Master of the Tongue, and likewise enquired fully into the Laws of
Mahomet;
but with what Success may be seen by the rest of his Life: He became afterwards a Professor of
Arabic
in the University of
Prague,
and after that, in several other Places, and left so many Scholars, who were Masters of the Language, in divers Parts of
Europe,
that the learned Men here have a tollerable Skill in the Tongue to this Day.
But not one Dispute with any Musselman has ever, that I have heard of, been managed in consequence of this learned Man's elaborate Studies; nor have they been able to enter into any one Argument against the one great Fundamental of
Mahomet
's Laws,
(viz.)
That there is but One God, or that
GOD IS ONE.
Wherefore then studiest thou, learned
Morat,
to bring us to the
Rabbinick
Method of Explanations in our Law? such as the Traditions of our ancient Mufti's, and Doctors in
Mahomet
's Law, things of very little Use while the Precepts of
Mahomet
are explicit and plain, fully directing the Faithful.
Thou wilt labour in Light to bring forth Darkness; for verily, as the Traditions of the Elders have eclips'd the true Light of God's Law among the
Jews;
so all the Studies of the most learned Men that are, or that shall be hereafter, will not add to the Light of the true Believers, inspired by their great Prophet to choose the right Way.
Nay, as thou art already convinc'd that the Traditions of the
Jewish
Cabbala, contain in them many things immoral and unjust, and that therefore as thou hast well argued against the
Jews,
from whom thou art, (happily for thee) separated by the Light of Wisdom; so thou mayest well conclude these Rabbinick Traditions infamous, and to be rejected; since 'tis inconsistent with the righteous and wise Nature of the One God, to give to his Servants a holy, written, positive Law, full of wise and just Commandments, and then suffer Men to destroy the Intent and Meaning, nay, the very Foundation of the Law, by subsequent humane Interpretations.
This has exposed them to the
Nazareens
as a most contemptible Sect of self wise Men; but who, in Effect, have rendered themselves Fools, by taking upon them to correct the righteous Law of God, and to enervate his Commands by their absurd and corrupt Glosses and Explanations, teaching Men to understand the Law of God in a manner not at all agreeable to what he at first directed them to understand it.
Be not thou like to them, least thou bring thy self into Contempt; but let thy Knowledge be improv'd to instruct Men to pray for divine Inspiration, that Truth may be its own Interpreter in the Hearts of the Faithful. The Blessing of the great Apostle be on all those that choose right things, and let Error and Idolatry vanish from the Earth.
Paris,
8th of the 8th Moon, of the Year, 1691.
LETTER XII. To the
Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State.
THE Angels of Paradise surround the Dominions of thy Lord, the Dew of
Hemus,
the shining of
Aarathes,
the Calms of
Maathaon
attend thy constant Labours in the Service of the happy Emperor of the World.
The Empire of the
Franks
begins to suffer Convulsions, which no Power on Earth has been ever able to bring her to before; the Duke of
Savoy,
a poor and contemptible Prince, reduced the last Year to such Extremities, that his Friends began to talk of his casting himself upon the Clemency of the
French King,
has this Year appeared at the Head of an Army so superior to the
French,
that, disdaining to attack the Towns he had lost, or so much as to attempt to recover his Dominions out of the Hands of the
French,
he has boldly enter'd
France
with his Army, and penetrated into the Province of
Dauphine
at the Head of 45000 Men.
In this Attempt the
French
seem perfectly surprized; they have no Force at hand able to make Head against him; the Duke has taken
Guillestre, Gap, Ambrun,
and have laid all the Country far and near under Contribution.
This is what
France
has not felt for many Ages, all the Power of the Nations, by which the
French
have been so vigorously attack'd, have not been able till now so much as to set a Foot into her Dominions; she has always carried the War into her Enemy's Country, and maintained her Troops at the Expence of the Nations she has made War with.
But now while the King of
France
triumphed, as it were, in the Ruine of this Prince, had taken from him the Port of
Nice,
and the City of
Villa Franca,
with all the Country adjoining; also the City of
Chamberry,
the impregnable Fortress of
Montmelian,
the Town and Citadel of
Suza,
and the whole Dutchy of
Savoy,
and gave out that they would attack
Turin,
the Capital of his Dominions; I say, in this Poverty of his Circumstances, the Duke receives a Supply of 18000
Germans
in a Body; also 6000 Men raised by the Assistance of the King of
England
and the
Dutch,
and a great Sum of Money from the same Powers; and making the Mareschal
Catinat,
who was the Terror of the
Savoyard
before, retreat to
Pignerol;
he insults the Dominions of
France,
and enters the Heart of the Province of
Dauphine,
filling all Places with the Terror of an invasive War.
This is a terrible Mortification to the King of
France:
It must be a Blow to the Glory of a Man, the most ambitious of Fame in the World; and it is a greater Affliction, as it is from a Hand which they despised so much, that it would not more surprize thee to find the Dominions of the Grand Seignior invaded by the Knights of
Maltha.
This Attack has rouz'd the Court from the Lethargy of their Pleasures: The Statesmen are filled with Indignation at the Insult offer'd the King; the Soldiery are eager to be put into a Condition to engage the
Savoyard,
and make him pay dear for the Attempt; but the Truth is, all Hands are employed; the King has so many Broils upon his Hands, that he is not able to apply a suitable Remedy to these Mischiefs: In short, there are no Troops, tho' the King of
France
has Three Hundred Thousand Men in Pay; yet he has such Embarrassments on his Hands, that he knows not where to detach Ten Thousand Men, to protect his own Dominions from an Invasion, which it was below him so much as to think of, without leaving himself open to some other Enemy, ready to break in at the Gap which those Ten Thousand Men would make in his Defences.
This shews the mistaken Arrogance of this Nation in general, founded on the Flatteries of the Courtiers,
(viz.)
that
France
alone was able to make War against the whole united Powers of
Europe.
They are, however, obliged to venture it; and strong Detachments are ordered to be made from
Rousillon,
from
French Comte,
and from the upper
Rhine;
who make long Matches to join Monsieur
Catinat;
but it must be at least Forty Days March ere some of them can come up to him; and what Conquests the Duke of
Savoy
may make in that Time we know not.
They tremble at the very Gates of
Lyons,
one of the greatest and richest Cities in
France;
they repair the Fortifications at
Thoulon,
and
Marseilles,
as if they fear'd a Siege. In a Word, all
France
is in a Consternation, to find 40000 Men entred into the Heart of the Country, and no Forces ready, or at least in Condition to oppose them.
The King alone shews a Temper fitted for such a Surprize; when every one else discover the Consternation they are in, the King speaks cheerfully, smiles at the Mention of the Duke of
Savoy,
and tells the Courtiers, the Duke and he shall be good Friends for all this, and he will go back again quietly.
What the King means, none knows but himself; but as all the King says is received here as an Oracle, the People take Heart at it, without any other Foundation than that the King says it; so true is it, that it becomes Kings, and Generals of Armies, never to shew any Concern at whatever Dangers threaten them; for the Eyes of the whole Nation are upon them and will be dejected or encouraged, just as the Countenance of their King or General appears anxious or gay.
Illustrious Counsellor of the Prince of Emperors, how glorious is the
Ottoman
Throne? shining with the Lustre of Heaven, guarded by the Hands of Millions of the Faithful, and guided by the Prudence of wise Councils? No Insults can be offer'd her unrevenged, no Enemies assault her unchastized; how happy is thy Station, who, by Office, dwellest at the Feet of Majesty, clothed with the Moon, crown'd with the Sun? I say, how happy is thy Station, who art in the Secrets of Empire, the right Hand of Government, and the Terror of Infidels?
Paris,
17th of the 8th Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER XIII. To
Morat Ebn Allwazhhair,,
a learned Man, studying Astronomy at
Hadramurt
in
Arabia.
WHAT art thou doing, thou retired Man? and wherefore art thou buried alive these Five and Thirty Years? being wrapt up among the Stars, and beating thy Brains with innumerable Rolls of Figures, for the Calculations of the Revolution of Commets, and the Eclipses of the Planets, in the Systems of the planetary Worlds not yet discovered?
It is Fifteen Years ago since thou wrotest to me, that thou hadst for twenty Years before spent thy whole Study in a fruitless Endeavour to support the old Philosophy, and demonstrate the
Ptolomaian
System, against the Objections of the Moderns, and against the Notions of the
European
Philosophers; being very loth those Infidels, who had not Sense to embrace the same just Notions in Religion with thy self, should be able to arrive to a Degree of Knowledge, in Science, superior to that which the ancient learned
Arabians
first dictated; for from them
Ptolomey
received the Rudiments and Elements of the celestial Motions, which he form'd into a Scheme, and got the Honour of having it called by his Name.
But after Twenty Years Study, it seems thou art obliged to acknowledge the superior Excellence of the Copernican Scheme, and the farther Improvements and Additions of the new Philosophy, and that accordingly thou hast sound Methods to solve all the difficult Phoenomena which so distracted
Aristotle,
and the greatest Men of Knowledge in the
East.
I am therefore to suppose thee now, poring upon the Motions of the Planets in the solar System, where thou hast set the Sun in the Center, as is no Question its due; being the Life, the Guide, the sovereign Director (under God the great Director); and in a Word, the very Soul and Being of the whole System.
It may be thou hast spent some time, perhaps Years, to draw the just Proportions of Gravitation, by which the Distances and Magnitude of the Planets are only to be known; and perhaps thou hast discover'd, as I have done here, by looking into the like Calculations, in the Study of learned Men here, that the Magnitude of the Sun, and our Distance from it, and likewise the Distance of all the other Planets from it, and from one another, are infinitely greater than they were supposed by our Ancestors to be, and perhaps infinitely greater than we yet think them to be; seeing every Calculation that has yet been justly, and with good Judgment made, carries the Sun farther and farther from us, and adds to its Dimentions; till from first supposing it to be 366 times bigger than the Earth, we are now come to know that it is no less than 900000 times bigger; and that its Distance is in Proportion remov'd: So that we now speak of the Earth's being above 60 Millions of Miles, and some say 81 Millions of Geometrical Miles distant from the Sun.
That all the Planets gravitate to the Sun, and the Sun to them, in just, tho' differing Proportions, and that all those Proportions are known and calculated, in a regular Manner, by the Rules of Art, I see no Room to question; and I doubt not but when thou seest some of the Calculations of the present Masters in this noble Study, which I send thee herewith, thou wilt readily acknowledge that they are very accurate.
The Improvements made here in the Study of these things are exceeding great; the King gives all possible Encouragement to such Studies; has built them an Observatory at a prodigious Expence, and furnish'd them with Glasses, for Observation, of the best that can be found in the World; and every Man who applies to this Study, is allowed the Use of those Glasses; by the Help of which, it is wonderful to consider what new Discoveries in Nature Men daily make, and to what Perfection in Art they are arriv'd.
Happy
Morat,
thou who receivest by the sublime Intellect a superior Instruction, art not doubtfully inform'd of all these things, and I congratulate the Advances which thou hast made, in that yet more unsearchable Branch of Astronomical Knowledge,
(viz)
the Revolutions, Number, Magnitude, and Distance of the Comets; Bodies altogether out of our reach as well as out of our Sight.
This difficult Study, if thou canst bring it to Perfection, will put an End to all the enthusiastick Whimsies of these
Nazareens,
who are continually poring upon, and making Calculations of the general Point, of Nature when Time shall finish its Circle, and the Pulse of Nature beat no more.
For if, as we firmly believe the general Conflagration, which is the End of all things, shall be perform'd by the Flame of a Comet, which, in its direct Motion, shall, at the appointed Hour of Nature, come so near this Earth, as to set both it and the Moon, and perhaps all the Planets of our System on Fire; so if thou canst arrive, by a just Calculation, at the Knowledge of the proper Revolution of this one Comet, thou shalt be able, without any other prophetick Inspiration, to tell us to a Minute; nay, to one Second of Time, when, and in what manner the Conflagration of this Earth, and, in a Word, the End of all things shall begin.
This noble Study is worthy indeed of all thy Powers; and as thou art already in the Garden of Knowledge, and drinkest daily of the inspiring Streams of
Aroa jairoth,
a Branch of the Brook of
Eden,
either thou wilt attain this highest Pinnacle of Knowledge, or I must conclude that God, for wise and just Reasons, has entirely concealed this Knowledge from Men, perhaps until
Mahomet
shall be sent down again to bring supernatural Light into the World.
However,
Morat,
as thou hast doubtless made infinite Discoveries in the Secrets of Nature, and in the Motions, Order, and Oeconomy of the celestial Bodies, why shouldst thou not communicate to others the Parts proper to be known, that succeeding Time may enjoy the Advantage of thy Labours and Study?
For thou knowest well, divine
Morat,
that so the Destination of righteous Power has appointed, that Knowledge dies with Men, and is not conveyed by Generation, or bequeathed by Testament to our Heirs.
It is sufficient, and what we rejoice in, that the
Capacities
of being instructed are
often
conveyed as the Consequences of a sublimer, spirituous Nature, in the ordinary Course of Generation; the Semen partaking of the extraordinary Vigor of its Ancestor, prepares the Case, (which shall embody the subsequent Soul) with dilated Organs, and extended Parts, adapted for the full Reception of a capacious Intellect; and thus the Son often partakes of the natural Endowments of the Father; but never of the acquir'd, till by the same Erudition and Application he furnishes himself, after the Example of his indefatigable Parent
Mark, I say, they are the Capacities of Nature which are thus convey'd by Generation, and that tho' these are OFTEN so conveyed, yet that it is not so
always;
on the contrary, we frequently find, that as among the Kings of thy Nation, a weak, supine, stupid
Rh
hoboam
succeeded a wise and incomparably knowing
Solomon;
so Ideots and Fools are often the Production of generating Philosophers and Politicians; But I return to thy particular Case.
Since then all this Knowledge must die with thee, and thou shalt carry from thy Children the whole Sum of Forty or Fifty Years Study with thee into Paradise, there to delight thy self in the consummate Discovery, and that all this shall prepare thee only for the superiour Delights of the Garden of Wisdom, what Profit shall the World reap from thee, if thou communicate not the Elements of thy Wisdom for Posterity to build upon?
The Infidels, among whom I dwell, boasting of the Improvements they make in the sublimest Branches of humane Knowledge, reproach the Musselmen of the Eastern World with being Enemies of Learning, and perfectly void of the Advantages of Science, living like meer Animals, as they say, without the Study, or Desire of Knowledge and Wisdom.
They discover their own Ignorance and Injustice in this, not having been acquainted with the numerous Retreats of the most knowing and most studious Searches after Wisdom in the World, and which, at this Day, take up the happy Plains of
Hadrumurt,
the Vallies of
Saada,
and the golden Hills of
Oman,
the most delicious Part of
Arabia Faelix,
where the inspired Souls of wise Men are ravish'd with the Delights of Wisdom, and where Knowledge it self takes Pleasure to dwell.
But in this they might justly blame us if they were sensible where alone we are deficient, that whereas the true Searchers after Knowledge find there infinite Discoveries beyond all that Nature has own'd her self to be furnish'd with in other Parts of the World; yet the Proficients, ravish'd with the inexpressible Joy of knowing whole Nature, live out their Years in their silent Raptures, without leaving behind them, in laborious Volumes, due Schemes of the Discoveries they make.
I tell the People here, if they would know perfectly the Secrets of Wisdom, and have the reserved Treasures of Nature entirely opened to them, they must go and dwell among the Fathers of Wisdom, in the District of
Raled,
and drink of the Waters of
Cazimurt,
where Learning is inspired by that Breath of God, the Air; and Wisdom flows in a Stream like the River.
But then I add, that they will, like them, write no Books, and the World will receive no Advantage from the Learning and Knowledge of their Forefathers.
O
Morat,
in this
only
I would have thee imitate the
Nazareens;
and as thou hast made such Advances in humane Learning as the World never yet knew, communicate thy Knowledge, for the Good of Mankind; and let these Infidels hereafter confess themselves beholding to a learned
Arab
for more Discoveries into celestial Nature than all the Tellescopes of
Europe,
or the Studies of a Thousand Universities, could supply.
Paris,
10th of the 11th Moon, of the Year 1691.
The End of the SECOND BOOK.
A Continuation of LETTERS written by a Spye at
Paris.
BOOK III.
LETTER I. To
Issuff Oglan,
Bassa, Teacher of the Exercises of Arms to the young Janizaries at
Constantinople.
I Know thy worth, and thy Experience in martial Affairs, thy Courage, and the Wounds which thou hast received in thy faithful Services to the Grand Seignior: I remember the Services of thy Father, who lost one of his Arms with a Cannon-Shot at the Battle of
Raab;
I know how well thou meritest from the Grand Seignior, who knowing very well thy worth, has made thee Inspector of that Body, which is the Strength and Defence of the Empire.
But as I flatter thee not at any time, so much less can I withhold giving thee the needful Instructions which my Distance, in this Place, furnishes me with for the publick Good.
In a Word, faithful Servant of the Grand Seignior, you must, notwithstanding the Excellence of your present Methods for disciplining and exercising the Janizaries, I say, you must be content to vary as well the Exercise as the Weapons to which they are exercised; so that as they excel all the Nations of Infidels in Prowess and Valour, they may not be deficient in Knowledge and Experience, and may be furnished with all those Additions and Helps to the valiant Hearts they are Masters of, as may be sufficient to continue them in the Reputation which they have so long enjoyed of being the best Troops in the World.
I need not argue with thee the Necessity and Usefulness of Art in the well disciplining of Soldiers; why do we put Weapons into their Hands? why do we call the War a Trade, an Art? why are the Courages of Men lifted up to a due Pitch by enuring them to Action? and why do we form Troops into regular Bodies, that they may support, succour, and encourage one another in Fight? but because all Ways and Methods are to be studied, which may add to the Terror of our Arms, and make our Men superior to their Enemies in warlike Experience, as well as in Number and Courage.
As Weapons are put into the Hands of Men to defend themselves, and offend their Enemies; so all thy Predecessors, in the
Oda
's of the Janizaries, have thought fit to alter and change those Weapons, after the Manner of other Nations, that they might find no Disadvantage in the Field against their Enemies; but might be always equally armed, and equally exercised in the Use of those Arms, as the other Nations with whom they are to engage.
That this has been the Usage, I refer thee to the Rules of Discipline established in the Seraglio, confirmed in the Divan, in the Days of
Selym Ussan Cherger,
Bassa, Aga of the Janizaries, in the Time of
Amurath
the first, the glorious Conqueror of
Mahomet
's Enemies; under whose Reign the Janizaries were first taught the Use of the Harquebuss or Gun, and began to throw away their Javelines, and Bows and Arrows; where thou wilt find it said, that whereas the Christians made use of certain Engines, contrived to cast with great Force leaden Bullets point blank, which they brought into the Ranks, making thereby great Slaughter of their Enemies, that therefore it was agreeable to the Law of
Mahomet,
to repel Force with the like Force; and that thence forward Powder should be made, some (renegade
Jews
) having brought with them the Art of making it, and also the Use of those Engines for Shooting Bullets, called Harquebusses; and that for the Time to come, certain Numbers of the Janizaries, of the most able Bodies, should be armed therewith, to annoy the In fidels in the same manner as they intended to annoy others.
Sage Instructor of the valiant Youths, the Flower and Pillar of the
Ottoman
Glory, thou wilt learn from me, that the Use of Arms, the Exercise, the additional Weapons, are not only many, which they use now in fight; but the manner of using them varies very much, and the
French
are in this so dextrous, that they are, at this Time, the Teachers of their Enemies; and all the
Nazareens
borrow from them, not only the Way of fighting, encamping, fortifying, attacking,
&c.
but even the Terms, the Language of the Field is all
French.
Think it not a useless Caution that I admonish thee, think it not below thee to learn all the Improvements of the Art of War from Infidels and Enemies; I'll tell thee wherein they can learn from thee, they are not wanting; every Step of thy excellent Discipline, which they find useful, they add to their own.
Particularly as thou hast long ago taught the Janizaries to throw away that useless, cumbersome Weapon the Pike, and instead thereof to make all thy Soldiers able to fight offensively, the
French
are taking the hint from thee; and all the old Regiments are made now,
as they call them here,
Fuzileers, having no Use of the Pike among them; and this will no doubt become a Practice through all the Armies of the
Nazareens.
But it shall remain upon Record, to thy Praise, that this Custom was taken first from thee, and that thereby the Janizaries have been rendered the more terrible in fight for some Years; particularly at the Defence of the Town of
Buda,
and at the Battle of
Nissa.
Now as they received this hint from thee, O Man of martial Experience, be content to take back, in Exchange, the Improvement they make here of arming their Musqueteers with a Hanjarr or Dagger, which they call here a Bayonet, which, in Case of a close Engagement with the Enemy, and particularly with the Horse, they place on the Muzzle of their Fire-Arms, and presenting the Point to the Enemy, repulse thereby the most fierce Attacks of the Cavalry as well as of the Infantry.
So that by this Method of fighting, the ancient way of clubbing the Musquet, and striking with the Stock or But-End of their Pieces, is also quite laid aside; the Point of the Bayonet being presented with double Force, at the End of the Musquet, being a much more terrible way of charging, and doing much more Execution than the Stock of the Musquet.
Take this hint from me, founded upon an old Maxim among the Men of the Sword here.
Paris,
the 12th Day of the 2d Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER II. To
Mehemet Asdan Cupriogli,
victorious Conqueror of the
Nazareens,
Restorer of Glory to the Faithful, the right Hand of Honour, the Star of Praise, mighty Supporter of the tremendous Throne of the invincible Sultan
Achmet,
on whose Head be eternal Benediction.
TO whom but to thee, enur'd to Glory and great Actions, should I send an Account of the glorious Progress of Arms on this Side the World, and the Conquest of a City impregnable in its Scituation, made more so by Art; and in a Word, still made terrible by a numerous Garrison of resolute and experienced Soldiers.
In a Word, while the potent Confederacy of the
Germans, Dutch, English, Scots, Irish,
and all the Powers of the
Northern
World, were drawing together, to fall upon the King of
France,
as if they resolved to finish the War in one Campaign, and that no humane Power was able to withstand them.
While their numerous Troops were reckon'd up, and the on-looking World was, as it were, amaz'd at the very Thoughts of what would be done by such a collected Power, led on by such a martial Prince as the new King of
England;
or rather, as we call him here, Prince of
Orange.
While all Eyes were turned upon the Councils of
France,
and every one wondred what course the King would take, and what Dispositions of his Troops he would make, to oppose such prodigious Forces as seemed to threaten his Dominions.
I say, while things were in this Posture, we see all the World under some kind of Consternation except the King of
France;
but of him it might be truly said, that he alone made all these terrible things his Sport; smiles continually, covered his Face, and he was ever gay; he spent the Day among the fair ones, and diverted himself with Balls, Opera's, Feasts, and Shews, as if the whole Kingdom had been in profound Peace.
Now and then, and as if it had been for his Diversions only, he would steal away to his Divan, or Chamber of Privy Counsellors, where he would stay so little, as to be hardly miss'd, and return as unconcerned as one who was only born for Delight, and swallowed up in Pleasures.
When, on a sudden, without the least Noise or Disorder, News came to
Paris,
for we knew nothing of it before, that
Namure,
the strongest Town in
Flanders,
was invested by Monsieur
de Boufflers,
and that the Troops were all in full March from the Frontier Garrisons to form the Siege.
Nor was this all; but in two or three Days more we found the King's Field-Equipage preparing, and were told that his Majesty resolved to command the Siege in Person.
It is impossible to describe to thee what hurry and Confusion this real
Coup de Eclat
has put the World into: The Confederates drew together their Forces in such Numbers, and with such Assurance of Success, that People began to be very apprehensive of the Success of the Enterprize, only the King and the Duke of
Luxemburg
pursue steddily the Measures they have taken, and depend upon the Success.
As the Confederates talk of having an Hundred Thousand Men to raise the Siege, the King resolved to have as many to cover the Siege, besides a sufficient Force to carry it on.
The King having resolved to be there in Person, all the Houshold Troops were ordered to march, the
Gens de Arms,
the Light Horse, the Guards
de Corps;
all went away before, and the Duke of
Luxemburgh
saw himself surrounded with 125 Thousand Men before the King came, who brought with him about 15000 Men more.
The siege, in the mean time, was carried on with such Vigor, that the City surrendred upon Articles in less than 12 Days; the Batteries, consisting of 160 Pieces of Cannon and 60 Mortars, made such terrible Work, and the
French
followed their Work so close with Attack upon Attack, Storm upon Storm, even from Morning to Night, that nothing could withstand them.
Upon the City having surrendred, the
French
had this Advantage, that their Lines took up less Circumference; the Castle and a strong Fort, which was lately built, took up an Angle, form'd by two Rivers, the
Meuse
and the
Sambre;
so that the
French
had nothing to do but to extend their Works from one River to the other, exactly as the City of
Belgrade
is scituate in the Angle between the
Danube
and the
Sauve.
The Castle and Fort made a stout Resistance, the latter being defended by Monsieur
Cohorn,
the Engineer, who contrived and built it, and after whose Name it was called the
Cohorn
Fort; this Man is no less a Soldier than an Engineer, and is one of the best Officers in this Part of the World, both for Experience in Conduct, as well as Courage in Action.
The Vigour of this Defence gave the Prince of
Orange
Time to collect his Troops, and being as good as his Word, he approach'd the Leaguer with an Army of no less than Ninety Five Thousand Men, and which was still more, these Troops were thought to be all old experienc'd Regiments, the Flower of the military Men in this Part of the World.
Yet in Sight of this Army, and as if they were come only to be Witnesses to the Glory of the
French
Power, the King of
France
carried the Place; the Duke of
Luxemburgh
covered the Siege with an Army at least equal to that of the Confederates; but posted so, with a River in his Front, to Advantage; entrenched all the Avenues to his Camp, and fortified in such a Manner, and those Trenches mounted with such an innumerable Number of Cannon, that it was impossible for the Prince of
Orange
to attack him, or so much as to pass the River, tho' it was but a small one, to approach his Entrenchments.
It is true, the Confederates made several Motions this Way, and that, to draw him out of that Scituation, but it would not do; and the River swelling at the same time, with a hasty Rain, gave them some Excuse for not attempting what they saw could not be done without hazarding the Ruin of their whole Army.
In the mean time, the King pushing on the Attacks against the Place, the Works were continually storm'd Day and Night; the Garrison was plied with incessant Batteries and Assaults; so that all the Outworks being won, the Garrison was obliged to capitulate, after having lost above 7000 Men of their Number in the Siege.
The Reputation this has given to the
French
Arms, the Vigour it has put into their Measures and Councils, at a Time when all
Europe
expected they would have been oppress'd with the Power of so many Enemies, is not to be express'd; nor is it to be equall'd by any thing in the World but thy glorious Enterprizes in
Hungaria,
where thou hast retriev'd the Honour of the
Ottoman
Arms, and curb'd the Insolence of the Enemies of thy Master's Glory, in a manner surprizing to the whole World.
Illustrious and fortunate General, thou alone outshinest the Glories of the greatest Heroes; may thy Name be terrible, and thy Arm victorious, till thou exaltest the Crescent of
Mahomet
upon the Spire of the great Mosque at
Vienna,
from whence the triumphing
Nazareens
had the Insolence to take it down, after it had been an Hundred and twenty Years a Testimony to the powerful Arms of the magnificent
Solyman,
Emperor of the Musselmen.
Paris,
14th of the 5th Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER III. To the Aga of the Janizaries.
THE
Nazareens,
the ancient Enemies of God and his great Prophet, whose Champion thou art, are universally involv'd in War: The
German
Emperor, Head of the Princes of the People believing in Jesus, and of the Followers of the Messiah, is engaged in a bloody and heavy War against the
French.
Tho' his Power is great, his Troops numerous, and well disciplin'd, and his Generals are Men of Gallantry and Experience, yet the Vigilance and Velocity of the
French
Motions, their subtilty in contriving their Attacks, and Celerity in Execution of their Designs are such, that the
Germans
are every where worsted and defeated.
The King of
France
is devoured in Imagination; but he always extricates himself by the admirable Vivacity of his Councils, and the Vigour of his Generals; he conquers on every Hand, and his turning the Schemes of his Adversaries all upon themselves, by being before them in every Action, is the Astonishment of Mankind.
The Nothern Powers have placed, at the Head of their Confederacy, a Prince politick in Council, as
Tomombcius
the
Mamuluck;
furious in Battle as
Scanderbeg
the
Epirot;
warlike in Genius as
Isurael
the
Persian;
but as all these were unfortunate, and their Powers at last fell under the irresistible Hand of the
Ottoman
Power; so the Prince of
Orange
is made glorious, only by being defeated; and the Greatness of his Soul seems rather illustrated by his equal Mind under his Misfortunes, than by the Laurels and Triumphs of Victory.
In the Beginning of the Year, he had the Honour of seeing the King of
France
take the strongest Fortress on the Frontiers of the
Netherlands,
while he look'd on, at the Head of a Hundred Thousand Men, but was not able to relieve it; and now he has had the Misfortune of attacking the
French
Army at a Village called
Steenkirk,
but has been beaten off with the Loss of above 5000 Men, and some of his best Generals, and has taken the Pains to bring the Duke of
Luxemburgh
a Victory to the very Lines of his Camp.
In
Germany,
the King of
France
gains every Campaign; and this Year he has plundered the Frontiers of the Empire, and in View of a superiour Army, forced the
Germans
to repass the
Rhine,
and at last, tho' he refused to fight their whole Army, has defeated a Body of 4000 Horse, which he surprized at a Distance from their grand Army, and cut them in Pieces almost to a Man.
Thus this invincible Monarch, tho' he struggles with innumerable Difficulties at home, and tho' he has most powerful Enemies abroad, even on every Side of him, triumphs in their Disappointment, and will, in Time, most certainly reduce them all, one after another, if some unexpected Blow does not intervene to disable him at once; and even this there seems to be no Danger of, where the Power is so great, and the Prince so vigilant, that it seems next to impossible to surprize him.
The Fortune of this Man puts me in Mind of
Saladin,
the famous Prince of the
Arabians,
or of their Successors the
Saracens,
who when over-power'd and surrounded with innumerable Armies of the
Nazareens,
who blind Zeal inspired to make War upon the true Musselmen, on pretence of recovering the Sepulchre of Jesus, the Son of
Mary;
this Prince, by his Vigilance and Valour, accompanied with a never wearied Application, at length conquered them all, and sent them home to instruct their Posterity, how foolish an Enterprize their Fathers spent their Blood and Treasure upon,
(viz.)
to look for the Sepulchre of him, who was taken up into Heaven.
So may the Arms of the invincible Sultan
Achmet,
thy glorious Master, prosper in thy Hands, till the
Germans,
and other Nations of the
Nazareens,
who have so long in vain lifted up the Sword against him, may see and repent of their Folly, and admonish their Posterity to avoid splitting on the same Rock.
Valiant Aga, wherefore is it that the Experience and Valour of the Janizaries has not yet convinc'd the grand Vizier of the Usefulness and Necessity of keeping up a larger Body of those gallant Troops, suitable to the Greatness and Extent of the Dominions of
Mahomet,
and proportioned to the growing Power of the
Nazareens,
who, by their Advantages over the true Believers, are grown more powerful and more insolent than ever.
Why are not the Oda's of the Janizaries encreased in every Beglerbeg or Government? nay, why are not all the Soldiers of the Grand Seignior made Janizaries,
(viz.)
taught Discipline, enured to Hardships, instructed in due Subordination to their Officers, and, in a Word, made good Soldiers.
The Courage, the Gallantry in Spirit, the Strength and Agility of Body with which our People are endowed, far exceeds the Nations they are engaged with; what are the
French,
the
Italians,
the
Hungarians?
they have neither the Constancy of Mind, or Strength of Body, as the
Bulgarian, Thracian, Georgian,
and
Armenian
Janizaries; the
French
common Soldiers are low and despicable, their Limbs weak, their Subsistence mean, their Intemperance weakens and debilitates them, and they seem capable of no Service; yet we see them often, by the excellent Conduct of their Officers, and their own being enured to the War; I say, we see them often break the undisciplined Nations of other Countries; nay, even of the
Germans
themselves, by their dextrous Use of their Arms, and the Fire of their martial Disposition.
Were the Subjects of the Grand Seignior thus bred to the Field, were they daily and duly exercised, as the Janizaries, we know the martial Genius, the undaunted Spirit, the Constancy and Courage of the faithful Musselmen is such, that they would cut the
Germans
in pieces; the best Troops of these Infidel Nations could not stand before them; if this is not done, take
Mahmut
's Word, the Art of War is so much improved, the Methods of fighting so altered, and the Engins and the Devices of the Generals so differing from what it was in our Forefathers Days, that it will be impossible for any of the Grand Seignior's Troops, but the Janizaries and Spahis, to stand their Ground against their Enemies; their Number must be encreased, and they must be encouraged, equal to their Deserts, and then the
Ottoman
Arms shall triumph, as they have always done, over Infidel Nations to the Day when the great Gates of
Eden
shall be opened, and the Faithful shall, with Swords of Flame, destroy the Enemies of
Mahomet.
Paris,
10th of the 6th Moon, of the Year, 1692.
LETTER IV. To the
Aga
of the
Janisaries.
IT was thought, in the Beginning of this Year, that the King of
France
's good Fortune began to leave him, things went exceeding hard with him on every Side; for tho' he had taken the usual Advantages of the Spring, by being early in the Field, as was always the Custom of
France,
and by which they used to have the better Hand of the Confederates, and had thereby taken
Namure,
as I have written already to the Grand Vizier, yet the Confederate-Army harrass'd the
French
Frontiers in
Flanders
extremely after this, and attack'd their whole Army in their Camp, tho' without Success in the End.
Two Blows have since that befallen
France,
which are as two Stabs into the Vitals of a Body, which before was struggling for Life; and it was thought, had they been followed home, the Glory of the King of
France
must have expired; these were the Overthrow of their Fleet by the
English
and
Dutch,
and the penetrating into the Bowels of
France,
by the Duke of
Savoy,
at the Head of 40000 Men, where he committed most dreadful Ravages, and burnt above a Hundred Towns, of both which I have written fully to the Kaimacham, who will doubtless communicate the Particulars to thee.
The
French
Nation were so humbled by these two fatal Stroaks coming together, to neither of which they were in a Condition to apply any immediate Remedy, and especially being at the same Time threatened with a powerful Invasion or Descent of an Army from
England,
that they fell to what they call here the last Remedy,
(viz.)
Prayers to their Messiah; to this End a general Day of
Biram,
was proclaimed by the great Mufti of
Paris,
throughout his Districts, and so by the other pontifical Mufti's, in their respective Dominations, with strict Orders that all the People should apply themselves to their Devotions, and to call upon their God, in the Name of the Son of
Mary,
to deliver them.
Whether it were that the Sins of the other
Nazareen
Nations were so great, that Heaven did not think sit to chastise
France
by their Hands; or whether their Prophet JESUS, to whom the
French
were said they put up their Petitions, did obtain Help for them, I do not well know how to resolve; for these
Nazareens
of
France
have so many Intercessors, that it is hard to resolve who they will thank for their Deliverance, or who they will acknowledge to have procured it; for some pray to God alone, others to Jesus, and some to his Mother; some to this old Hermit, some to another; so that it is certain there are almost as many Idols as Worshipers.
However it was, this is certain, that the whole Stream of Successes seems to be turned on a sudden; and the Attempts of the Enemies of
France,
however probable, and however powerful, have miscarried on every Side, and the King of
France
is in a fair way to conclude the Year with a general Triumph over his Enemies.
In Truth, O thou fortunate Leader of the select Bands of the Faithful, the Sword in the Hands of the Soldier is never in vain lifted up, when the Eyes of those who fight are first lifted up to Heaven; for whether God hears these Infidels or not, in respect to their wrong and ill directed Worship, yet he may give Ear to all his Creatures, when they lift their Hands to him for Help against their Enemies, and deliver them, that they may de directed to seek the right way of applying themselves on farther Occasions.
Hence it was, without doubt, that the more pure Prayers of the faithful Mussulmen, in their great Pilgrimage or Procession to
Mecca,
the Year before the last, obtained the future Favour of our great Prophet, who strengthened the Arms, and sharpened the Scymaters of the Janizaries, to hew down the Enemies of the Grand Seignior.
It consists well with the Notions we entertain of the great
Alla,
who guides the Affairs of Men, whether private and personal, or national; that he sometimes hears even the Calamities of infidel Nations, and turns the Scale of his Providence as they turn their Eyes upwards, tho' otherwise they may be impious Transgressors of his Law; for Heaven never can be said to stand neuter in the Concerns of War and Peace between Nations, tho' the contending Parties may be equally Infidels and Enemies to God; but he delivers here, and delivers up there, as it best answers the great Ends of his Glory in the Earth.
How much more then shall he hear the Prayers of his faithful People, who choose the right Way? and what Courage must this give to the Hands and Hearts of thy immortal Soldiers, when they know the whole Choir of Believers five Times a Day make Prayers for their victorious Progress in the Field.
But to do the King of
France
Justice; after all this, he took care to pray and fight, whether it was that he had less Confidence in the Priest, than in the Sword, I will not determine; but he applied himself with infinite Vigilance to every Attack that was made upon him, and his Troops brought him unexpected Victories from several Quarters.
At the same Time Heaven concurr'd, and Two things more especially seemed to be the immediate Act of a supernatural Power; for Example; the Duke of
Savoy,
in the Middle of his Success, when he was entered the very Heart of the
Dauphinate,
and promised to himself the Plunder of the Cities of
Briancon
and
Grenoble;
nay, as some said, expected to pass the
Rhosne,
and penetrate into
Languedoc;
in the Middle of all this Triumph, the Duke, who was the Soul of the Enterprize, was struck from Heaven with a loathsome Disease, which they call here
les Petits Veroles,
a Distemper not known in the happy Climate of
Arabia,
where thou and I drew our serener Breath.
They tell us a Story here, and boast much of it, tho' I tell thee beforehand I believe not one Word of it; that the very Moment that the King of
France
was on his Knees in the Royal Chappel or Mosque of his Serail, or Palace at
Versailles,
praying to the image of
Mary,
the Mother of their Prophet Jesus, she struck the Duke of
Savoy
with the Small-Pox. If this were true, the
French
would have much more Reason to worship that old Woman, than any of us believe they have.
But to leave these
Nazareens
to their Superstitions, certain it is, the Duke was taken so ill, and was brought into so much Danger of his Life by this Distemper, that it put a full Stop to all his Conquests, and the Troops retired in the best manner they could; quitted all the Places they had taken, broke down the Bridges behind them, and rather fled, than march'd quite out of
France,
and that faster than they came in, and yet the
French
Army was not in any Posture to precipitate them at all, neither did any one pursue them.
Whether the King of
France
will acknowledge this to be the Hand of God, or of the Woman
Mary,
I know not; but this I know, that if he takes the Honour from the Hand that has really sav'd him in so remarkable a Manner, and pays the Acknowledgment of it to the Image of that Woman, it would be very righteous in the great Retalliator of just Sentences, to make the same Hand of
Savoy
scourge him into a more rightly directed Devotion.
But he has bad another Deliverance also immediately from Heaven; for the
English
Army, who were not only appointed, but actually shipp'd and sail'd, in order to make a Descent upon the Kingdom of
France,
and which it was apparent the
French
were in great Apprehensions of, because they knew not where to look for them, or provide against them, are returned and relanded in
England,
having given over the Design, without its being possible to see any apparent Reason for their doing so.
Being thus at once delivered from these two great and threatning Articles, they were not only easie, but at leisure to apply proper Remedies to the other Parts where they were weakest; and first, the Duke of
Luxemburg
having been attack'd by the King of
England,
at
Steenkirk
in
Flanders,
he repulst him, after a very obstinate Fight, with the Loss of near 8000 Men kill'd, wounded, and taken Prisoners; and believing himself, by this Victory, able to stand his Ground with fewer Troops than before, great Detatchments have been made to the
Rhïne,
and to
Piedmont;
of which I shall give thee a full Account in my next.
Illustrious Aga, as these bloody Wars destroy Multitudes of Men, and the
Nazareens
are thus cutting one another in pieces; let thy victorious Ensigns cheerfully advance, secure of Conquest, assisted by the Prayers of our great Prophet, and thy unwearied Valour and Council.
Paris,
10th of the 8th Moon, of the Year, 1692.
LETTER V. To the venerable Mufti, sage Mirror of celestial Wisdom, the inlighten'd Prince of the Oracles of Virtue, Guide of the true Believers to the Glories of Paradise, and Keeper of the Garden of Pleasure.
VERILY, the Affairs of Religion in these Parts of the World tend apparently to the forgetting entirely that there is a Rule for Men on Earth, or a God to judge in Heaven; it would amaze thee, venerable and wise Patron of Piety, it would amaze thee,
I say,
to see how that Bawble called Religion, is kick'd about here, even among the Men pretending to Learning, Understanding, and the Height of humane Knowledge, till it grows into Contempt, and will in a little Time be entirely lost; nay, perhaps it may be no more remembred, no, not so much as the Name of it.
It is true, there is so much Gain made here by the Shew of it, that, for ought I know, the Formalities of Religion may continue some time, at least till the Pride, Luxury, and Lewdness of the Clergy provoke the common People to do themselves Justice upon the Priests, which will certainly happen the first Occasion the Mob have to get so much Power into their Hands; and then, as the Substance of Religion never was among them, the Shadow will wear off with small Difficulty.
Here was a Book publish'd a few Months ago by a Man who does not want Wit, entituled,
The Vanity of Religion, and the Necessity of the Disguise of it being thrown off:
He would insinuate, that seeing the wicked Lives of the Clergy or Dervices, makes it manifest to the World that there is no such thing as Religion, really and at the Bottom of all their Schemes; but that it is a meer Grimace, and a Piece of Hypocrisie, to get Money and Dominion one over another; that therefore Men ought to deliver themselves from the insupportable Weight of the Disguise of Religion, and make no farther Pretences to it in the World.
Some People take this to be a Satyr only, and pointed at the Hypocrisie and Cheats of the Clergy, who, under the Colour of religious Habits and Orders, are the Protectors and Encouragers of all sorts of Wickedness; but we, as true Mussulmen, join in the litteral Sense of the Words, and believe they ought to throw off all the Disguise, own the Cheat, and pretend no more to any thing of that which they call Religion here, embracing at the same time the most pure and perfect Rules of Blessedness from the Mouth of undisguised Truth, owning and adhering to the everlasting Oracle, and the Law of the great Prophet
Mahomet.
Some time since, I heard that the great Mufti of the
Nazareens,
the Prince of Delusions, and Patron of apostate Mysteries, who calls himself the Head of the Followers of Jesus the Son of
Mary,
the infallible Guide of the Law, and Interpreter of the Faith and Doctrine of the Christians, was at the Point of Death.
Upon this News, it is scarce possible to describe to thee what running and posting, what intreaguing and caballing there was among the Princes and Courts in this Part of the World, to make an Interest for a new Election;
France
is particularly concerned, if possible, to have a new Pope elected out of the Number of Cardinals, who are in the
French
Interest, and Couriers are dispatch'd to all the Cardinals that are so, to set out immediately for
Rome,
to be present at the new Election, and take Care of the main Point in the Conclave. It is worthy of thy self, sublime Judge of venerable Truth, to search into the Policies of those People, and to have an Account of this Election faithfully laid before thee; I shall take care to obtain as many Particulars as may be depended upon, and lay them at thy sacred Feet as they go on.
In the mean time, I observe no Grief for the Loss of him that is going: Of what Import, say they, is the Death of an old Man; the Regard to the Person of the late Pope is all swallowed up in the politick Bustle they make for a new Election, and in this Part
Spain
and the Emperor are the particular Opposers of the
French
Interest.
This dead Pope has sat in the Chair of the Pontiff but fifteen Months, and is no less than Eighty one Years of Age. I call him dead, because soon after an Express arrived with an Account of his Death, the Particulars I have of it, as published here by the Court, are thus:
He had been indisposed for four or five Days, and having Reason, on Account of his great Age, to expect the first Shock would carry him off, he disposed himself for his Exit; he discours'd much the 29
th
of the Moon called
January
to the Cardinals, concerning the several Interests of
Europe,
and his Endeavours to prevent the growing Mischiefs of the War, which however he saw was impossible: He passed some Bulls, and declared against some Encroachments of the King of
France
upon the Church.
The 30
th,
he found himself very ill, and the 31
st
much worse, and his End drawing on, which obliged the Cardinals, and more especially his Favourites, to keep near his Person; next Morning, being somewhat better, he received the sacred Oil, as they call it, and the rest of the Seals of their Religion, and discoursed a long Time with Cardinal
Colorede
his Confessor, and other Ecclesiasticks, upon Matters of Piety: After which, the Cardinals being brought to his Bed, one after another, he recommended it earnestly to their Care to cast their Eyes, in the next Conclave, upon a worthy Person to fill St.
Peter
's Chair, more especially considering the Consequence of the Election at such a Juncture of the Affairs of
Europe;
he expired the Night of the same Day about Four of the Clock in the Morning, aged fourscore and one Years, after he had sat fifteen Months and twenty two Days, being elected the 16
th
of the Moon which they call
October,
1689.
The Meeting of the Conclave, their manner of electing, the Rules of their strict, or rather mock Confinement, during the Time of their electing, this thou art fully acquainted with, and I have no need to trouble thee with Repetitions.
It is not yet known who shall succeed in the Pontificate of Idolaters, neither is it of much Consequence; for tho' the Popes themselves labour very assiduously to make themselves considerable to the Princes of
Europe;
yet the Princes, on the other Hand, oftentimes take occasion to mortifie the Popes, and to let them see the Insignificancy of their Power, when it comes in competition with temporal Interest; I say, this makes the whole System of the Papacy a meer Piece of political Pageantry, carried on to support the Pride and Luxury of the Clergy, and which is in it self nothing at all but a Bubble of Air and Emptiness when it comes to be tried with its Superiors, the secular Powers of
Europe.
The Conclave is met, and the last Pope has left it full, which has not been known in the Memory of Man. This Pope was a Person of the least Signification of any that has sat in this Chair of Abomination for many Ages, and can only have this said in his Favour, that he has done neither Good nor Harm; he has left little but his Name to put Posterity in mind that ever he was here. He was superannuated when he came in, and after a Stay only of One Year and three Moons, left the Chair of the old Fisherman just where he found it.
Paris,
10th of the 4th Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER VI. To
Ali,
Bassa, Chief of the Engineers, and Seraskeir of the
Morea.
I Cannot have a fairer Occasion to give thee an Account of something in thine own Way, than what offers just now among the
Nazareens.
The Castle of
Montmelian
is a Fortress in the Dutchy of
Savoy,
which for many Ages has been thought impregnable, as well by the Difficulty of its Scituation, as the Addition of all the Fortifications that Art could invent, or the best Engineers of this Country contrive, to render it perfectly inaccessible.
It is seated upon a monstrous Rock, exceeding high, steep, and inaccessible, except on one End, where it runs out long, narrow, and sloping down till it gradually comes level to a little Plain, from whence they pass to a little River with a Bridge over it, called the
Isera.
This is the only Passage into the Fort; but is so taken up with Works innumerable, one above another, and one defending another, that it is not to be conceived how Art should find its Way, among such Opposition, to work it self into the Town.
It is commanded by one Rock, which indeed overlooks this Part; but there is no possible getting any Cannon up to that Rock, except by Pullies and Engines, and this must be done in the Face of the Fire of the Forts on the Hill of the Castle.
Yet this impregnable Fortress has been taken by the
French,
after a long Blockade, in a few Days formal Siege, and that in the most severe Season of the Year, when the Mountains, of which the whole Country is composed, were all covered with Snow, and the Cold so severe, that every one thought it insupportable.
This, however, surprizes no Body here, whatever it may do in other Countries; for
France
has always his Men ready to take the Field, his Magazines and his Arsenals are always well furnished, and he has such good Generals, and such a great Number of Officers, that they make it a Point of Honour to expose their Lives when it is for the Glory of the
French
Monarchy; besides, the Monarch himself little cares how he sacrifices his best Soldiers, and being absolute, exacts such vast Sums from his Subjects, makes his Soldiers march all Seasons of the Year, and takes his Time and his Measures so exactly, that he may be said to play a sure Game whenever he has a Mind to make himself Master of any Place.
Of this, they that have to deal with
France
ought to be sensible in good earnest; for so long as they are not vigilant, and upon their Guard,
France
will be always upon the Surprize with them; 'tis in vain to trust in the Scituation of a Fortress, if there be not Men in a Condition to be stirring at all times: There are no Places now a-days impregnable, unless they be relieved in Time: The Fortresses that are the highest raised, are no less subject to the Destruction of the Bombs and Carcasses, than to the Strokes of thundering Cannon; so that all that great Guns can tear down, must yield at length to a Conqueror that resolves to spare neither Lives nor Limbs to make himself Master of a Place, especially when unmolested from without; since Artillery came in use, there is nothing can resist the Force of it, when the General that besieges has no Enemy to disturb him behind: The Engines now a-days made use of give the Besieged so little Time to look about 'em, that many times they are taken when they think to make the stoutest Defence; and therefore the surest Way is always to have Men lie ready near those Places which are most in Danger, that in Case of Necessity they may be able to form a Body sufficient to encounter the Enemy.
This Place was taken in two and thirty Days, principally by the Power of battering and mining; for there was not any one Attack made of any Consequence.
The Besieged defended themselves without much use of either great Shot or small Shot, and yet they kill'd the
French
a great many brave Men, and some considerable Officers; their chief Defence was countermining the Works of the Assailants, and rolling great Stones upon them from the Tops and Ascents of the Rocks, which coming so furiously, and receiving additional Strength to the Motion from the Heights from whence they were cast, were not to be resisted, no not so much as the Shot of great Guns might have been resisted.
The Garrison plied them with this Sort of Battery incessantly; so that no sconer had the Assailants raised a Battery of Cannon, or any Work to cover or lodge their Men, but in one Night's Time it was overthrown, and as it were buried with Stones, and the vast Quantity of Rubbish the Stones brought with them; so that the Cannon were dismounted, as it were, in a Moment, or perhaps broken, and the Carriages clogg'd so as not to be stirred, Stones of two or three Ton coming down continually upon them from the Summits of an immense Mountain.
The Bombs, however, and Miners, reduced the Place, and a Bomb, by Accident, breaking into one of the Mines which the Garrison themselves had made to ruin the Approaches, blew up the great Bastion of the Place, at which Breach the
French
taking hold of the Occasion, Six hundred Men immediately entered, and the Garrison seeing themselves surprised, beat a Parly.
The Garrison were but 300 Men, and it is observed, that they were so secured in the Retreats, which they had in the Rock, from the Shot and Bombs, that tho' the
French
were not sparing of either one or other, yet they lost very few Men within the Place, I think less than 20, whereas the
French
lost above 1500 Men without, besides such as died by the Extremities of the Weather, which were a great many.
But that which is yet more strange than all this is, that the King of
France
has given positive Orders to have the Place entirely demolished, which some People think to be very ill Policy; but I am of Opinion, I confess, that the King is in the Right; for he concludes, that on a Peace, which he knew would sometime or other happen, it must be restored, and he is not willing it should cost him 2000 Men again, if he should ever have an Occasion to lay another Siege to it; and as the Fortifications before were made by the
French,
he knows the Duke of
Savoy
cannot spare so much Money as it must cost, to restore them to what they were before.
For thy farther Improvement in the Art of Fortifications and Attacks of Towns, and to acquaint thee with the noble Experiment daily made on these Occasions by this aspiring Infidel Nation, I shall send thee several Plans and Drafts of the several Fortifications of the Places which have been attack'd by the
French
in this War; and likewise Plans of the Approaches, Batteries, Circumvallations, and Contravallations, for the Security of their Camps and Works, that thou mayest extract from thence whatsoever shall be useful to thee in the Conquests the Grand Seignior's Armies shall make upon the
Germans.
The Wisdom of
Sephar
the Son of
Omar Caled,
attend thy Undertakings: The Blessing of
Mahomet,
and the Garlands wrought by the divine Hands of
Sega Ogleda,
and her Companions, who walk on the bright Terras of
Eden,
crown thy Head; they are wrought with the sublime Plants of the perfum'd
Aourisna,
the Lawrels of the Vale, and the beautiful never fading Roses of the celestial Garden.
Victory attend thy Undertakings, let the Turrets of
Buda,
and the impenetrable
Canisia,
the strongest Fortresses in the
Nazareen
Empire, sink under thy Attacks, or be blown up into the Air by the Assistance of thy irresistible Art.
Paris,
10th of the 8th Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER VII. To
Ibrahim Ebn Allhazar Reis Effendi,
or Secretary of State.
I Never doubted, after I had heard that the Grand Seignior trusted to thy Judgment in the Choice of a Person to succeed me in this retired Piece of secret Service; I say, I never doubted but if there was one Man in the whole Empire, fitter than another for the Work, thou wouldest find him out.
And yet it never entred into my Thoughts that thou shouldest send as far as
Algier,
on the Borders of the Empire of
Morocco,
for a Man who has for many Years had upon his Hands an Employment, in its Nature the same, tho' not so fill'd with Variety as this of mine.
Morat Oglou,
the Son of the late chaioux Bassa, is a Person so well vers'd in the Courts and Affairs of the
Nazareens,
that I know not a Man fitted like him for this Employment. I remember very well the Errand he was sent upon to the
English
Court, and how well he discharg'd himself during his Residence there for twelve Years, and I have much wondred that such a Genius could be buried in Silence for so long time as he has been in
Africk,
tho' I doubt not but he has employed his Hours in the most useful Manner, and with the most Advantage possible to himself.
I know he will come hither stored with Knowledge in the publick Affairs of the
Nazareen.
Countries, as well as with the Wisdom of the
Arabians,
whose Language and Manners, as well as Studies, he is thoroughly Master of; his Genius enclines him to all useful Studies; he is a great Master of History and of natural Philosophy, and, as I have been told, has, for some Years among the
Moors,
addicted himself to the Study of the heavenly Motions, and is the most perfect Astronomer in that Country.
I shall rejoice at his arriving here, and shall not fail to dispatch the Orders I have receiv'd from thee to the
Jew
at
Florence,
that he may give him Notice of the Grand Seignior's Pleasure.
It will not a little contribute to our great Master's Service, if he takes the nearest Passage by Sea to
Alicant,
and travels through
Spain
and
Portugal,
to bring with him some Account of things transacting in those Courts.
I shall obey the Orders of the Divan, who direct that I should assist a Year after his coming here, to introduce him into the Methods of his Conduct, proper for his Concealment, and for his more effectual serving the Grand Seignior's Interest.
Happy is
Mahmut
in thus effectually finishing the long Course of his Services, and almost of his Life, to the Satisfaction of the most glorious Emperor of the World, the Lord of Sovereigns, and King of Kings in the Earth.
The remaining Moons will be but a gentle Slumber, taken up entirely with the pleasant Contemplation of my Return, and the soft Dreams of my Retirement into my native Country.
I shall bear the small Delay without the least Reluctance, when the Hours shall pass with the sweet Reflections that I am a releas'd Man, that my Successor is arrived, and I am, as it were, at the Gates of
Mecca,
the highest of my Desires, and to me the Perfection of Bliss on this Side the Mountain of Perfumes, in the full Plain of
Eden,
whither I shall, in a few Moons more, be transported in the Bosome of the bright Cloud of Glory always apparent without the first Gate of Paradise.
There I shall wait thy coming, illustrious
Alhazar,
and shall be Witness to the Honour done to the most useful Servant of our great Prophet.
Paris,
7th of the 6th Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER VIII. To the Aga of the Janizaries.
I Have already written to thee an Account how the good Fortune of the King of
France
is returned to him, and this Campaign, which in one Part of it was most fatal to
France,
and threatning to be still more so, has appeared more to the Glory of the
French
Nation, and particularly of the King, than any since the War begun.
The Beginning of the Season, the Campaign was opened with the Siege of
Namure,
a terrible Place for Strength, and yet taken in the View of an Hundred Thousand Men, and headed by the greatest and most formidable Enemy the King of
France
has in the World,
(viz.)
the King of
England,
a Man whose Character rises in the World like a new Star (in a Constellation) never discovered before.
After this, the same King of
England,
with that great Army, warmly endeavoured to bring the Duke of
Luxemburgh
to a Battle; but yet when he attempted to force him to it, by attacking him at
Steenkirk,
was repuls'd, and oblig'd to retreat with very great Loss of his best Men, several Generals of great Reputation have been kill'd in this Attempt, with abundance of Officers, and Six or Eight Thousand Soldiers.
The Campaign on the
Rhine
seemed to be going off without Action, but the Duke
de Lorge,
the
French
General, who commanded there, having received some Forces from
Flanders,
followed the
Germans
so well, and managed so subtilly, that at length he trick'd them into a Separation, and then turning short upon one Half of them, before they could join again, fell upon that Part of their Army which march'd under the Duke of
Wirtemberg
towards
Germany,
defeated them entirely, cut 4000 of them in pieces, took 3000 Prisoners, a great many Officers of Note, and among them the Duke himself.
After this, pursuing the other Body, who were commanded by the Landgrave of
Hesse,
and had laid Siege to the strong Fortress of
Ebrenburgh;
he obliged them to raise the Siege with great Precipitation, and in the mean Time Monsieur
de Lorge
had ordered a Body of Troops to make the usual Havock of a Conqueror, in the Duke of
Wirtemburg
's Country, and the Circles adjacent, where, besides the Plunder they gain'd, which was prodigious great, they raised some Millions of Money for Contribution.
The
Germans
have receiv'd this Blow as a just Return for their drawing so many of their Troops from the
Rhine,
to fight against the faithful Mussulmen in
Hungaria;
which they do, upon a Supposition that the Princes of the Confederacy would supply them with other Troops in their stead; how well they perform it, this is an Example: And I rather send thee this Account, because thou mayest gather from it, that the Emperor of the
Nazareens
has already sent for five
German
Regiments of Foot, and four Regiments of Horse from
Hungary;
the Foot making 12900 Men, and the Horse 4000, and thou mayest depend that every Blow the Emperor receives upon the
Rhine,
will be felt in
Hungary,
where the Troops of the Grand Seignior, on whose Arms be the Lustre of Heaven, will have so much the more Room to act with Success.
In
Catalonia,
the
French
General, with the Assistance of a Squadron of Men of War from
Thoulon,
has, in less than twelve Days, taken the strong Town and Port of
Roses;
a Conquest the more considerable, because of its being the best Harbour for shipping that the
Spaniards
have upon the whole Continent of their Dominions in the Mediterranean.
The Method the Court of
France
takes when any Prisoners of Quality fall into their Hands, is very singular, and worth thy Observation in this Place, as it recommends the Civility of the
French
Nation to all the World. The Prince of
Wirtemberg,
taken Prisoner, as I have said, by the Duke
de Lorge,
is a Man of Arms, a Lieutenant General in the Emperor's Army, and a Prince of the Empire also; tho' he was but Administrator at present of the Dutchy of
Wirtemberg
for the Heir his Nephew, who is a Minor.
Thou wilt observe, in the Usage this Prince met with, how well the
French
Soldiers know their Duty, and what Respect their King, and all his Generals by his Command, shews to captiv'd Princes or Officers of Quality; when he was taken Prisoner, which, it seems, was by a Lieutenant of Horse, he had not the least Violence offer'd him, or any thing taken from him; only the Officer desired some Token from him that he was the Person that gave him his Hand,
that is to say,
that took him Prisoner, and sav'd him from the Fury of the Soldiers; upon which the Duke took a fine Diamond-Ring from his Finger, and a Gold Watch out of his Pocket, and gave to the Lieutenant, who returned him his Watch again, and took his Parole of Honour that he would not offer to escape.
The Duke, however, desired the Lieutenant to accompany him to the General's Tent, which being in the Heat of Action, he could not do without Leave of his Captain; but the Captain, upon the News, saluted the Prince, and gave the Lieutenant Orders to attend him.
When he was brought to the Duke
de Lorge
's Tent, at his first Salute he presented his Sword and Pistols to him, the Prince holding the Point of the Sword and the Muzzles of the Pistols towards himself, which is the Custom in the Field, when an Officer demands Quarter.
The Duke
de Lorge
treated him with all possible Respect, gave him back his Sword, and taking his Parole, gave him a Guard of two Captains to attend him, but without any Restraint, except that as he was under Promise, it was understood that he was not to quit the Camp.
After the first Ceremony, the General ask'd his Highness, if the People that took him had offered him any Violence, or taken any thing from him; the Prince told him no; but that, on the contrary, the Lieutenant, to whom he surrendered, had, with some Hazard to himself, prevented two Troopers, with whom he (the Prince) was engaged, from wounding him first, as well as rifling him afterwards.
Upon this, the General caused the Lieutenant to be called in, and asking the Prince what the Value of what he had about him might amount to; he said about a Thousand Crowns: Immediately he made the Lieutenant, Captain of a Troop in the same Regiment he serv'd in, and told him that was for the Service he had done the King; then he gave him a Thousand Crowns in Money, and told him, that was for his Care of the Prince his Prisoner: In return to this, the Lieutenant pull'd off the Ring he had taken of the Duke as a Token, and restored it; the Duke took the Ring; but the next Morning sent it him again, and an Assignment on the Town-house of
Nurembergh
for 500 Crowns a Year during his Life.
When the Prince had been some time at
Strasburgh,
the King sent him an Invitation to come to
Paris,
ordered his Journey to be defrayed all the Way, ordered all the Governours of Towns to receive him as a Prince, to shew him all military Honours, to let him visit the Fortifications, and to beat the Drums as he pass'd, as if he had been a General of their own Army.
When he came to
Versailles,
he was treated with the same Generosity, and with great Magnificence; the King received him with the utmost Civility and Ceremony, only told him he was obliged not to say he was glad to see him, because of the Circumstances.
He was invited to come often to Court, and whenever he did come, the Officers of the Kitchin had Orders to provide a Table for him; the Master of the Horse had Orders to provide the Coaches for him; and whenever he pleased to hunt, the Querries furnished him with Horses, Hounds, and Attendance from the King's Stables.
The King presented him with his Picture set with Diamonds, and with a very fine Jewel, and told him, he was sorry his Ransome was not sufficient to make it worth his presenting him with his Liberty; but he hoped he would take the Freedome of going home whenever he pleased, and in the mean Time all the Care possible should be taken to make him forget his Misfortunes.
Valiant Aga, may the Angel that keeps the holy Gate, guard thee from falling into the Hands of the Enemies of
Mahomet;
let Princes be thy Prisoners, and the Swords of the mightiest of thy Enemies be delivered into thy Hands: Cruelty is not in thy Nature; happy will they be who fall into thy generous Hands, who knowest as well how to be merciful to the Miserable, as terrible to the Desperate.
I must confess this courteous Usage of Prisoners is a generous Practice, and very consistent with the fiercest and most vigorous Methods of making War, and always has this Effect to the Advantage of those that practise it, that it is a Debt which some time or other comes to be paid to Advantage.
It is to be observed also, that tho' the Prince had all possible Liberty to go where he pleas'd, yet having pass'd his Parole,
(viz.)
to be a Prisoner, he was obliged not to serve again, or to appear in the Field again, till his Ransom was paid, or that he was exchanged according to the Cartel, or Agreement for Exchange of Prisoners.
Paris,
8th of the 9th Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER IX. To
Zema Ellmahannon,
an old Dervice at
Damascus.
THE Affairs of the World are not uncertain by a meer fortuitous Accident of Causes, or in Obedience to the ill Fate of Men, upon whom those Uncertainties fall, but by the meer Course of Nature, the necessary Event of things, tending naturally to daily Revolution.
Death, the common Law of Nature, is not an Accident to Life, but a meer Consequence of Being; every thing that has a Beginning, must necessarily end; otherwise it would be a monstrous Rupture in the Course of Nature.
Nature it self is mortal; it is a Machine made up of innumerable Consequences attending the first great Cause; the Motion given, it shall continue as long as the Hand which first put it together appointed it to go; but when the Weights are once run down, when the Clue is wound off, all the Powers cease, nothing can wind it up again.
Hence those Philosophers here, who follow the old Notion of
Epicurus,
that the World was made, or rather made it self by meer Chance, by a fortuitous Conjunction of Atoms; I say, these Philosophers argue not only absurdly, but even to the last Degree weakly and foolishly; for having traced the Beginning of Nature to the Atoms or Particles of Matter flowing in the Abyss, by whose Conjunction and Attrition the beautiful Frame of the World has been made, and its Motion perform'd, I say, they argue absurdly; for they most ignorantly pass over the just Progress of the Inquiry who first gave Being to those Atoms, which one Question destroys all their System, according to that Distich of the Poet, speaking of the Atoms jumbling together into the Frame of the World.
Forgetting that some Power must first bestow
Existence on those Atoms that did so.
They have another Fable here among the Naturalists; but it seems not only an ignorant one, but a very unnatural one,
(viz.)
That Man made himself: I remember a learned
Arabian
at the holy City, when in my Youth I attended the sacred Service with my Father, I say, a learned
Arabian
had a Debate with as learned a
Jew
on the Point I mention,
(viz.)
of a first Cause in Nature; and coming down to the Being of Man, the
Jew
urged an Argument which I now find much in Use in this Nation of Atheists and Deists, among whom I live,
(viz.)
of Man being his own Maker:
Why then,
says
Amiaz Zebir Oglou,
so was the ancient
Arabian
called, why then, says he,
Man must be eternal;
for what could give it self Life, could certainly preserve Life; and if Man is eternal, says he, then Man is God; for whatever is eternal is God.
The Ancients told a merry Fable of
Prometheus,
who having made a Man of Clay, stole Fire from the Sun to put Life into his Figure, for which Felony, say they, he was condemned to be chained down to a Rock, where a great Vulture was always preying upon his Bowels.
But looking into an
English
Poet lately, where this Fable was mentioned, as alluding to the ancient Principle of Atheism above, I met these Lines drawn from the same reasoning as those above.
The great
Promethean
Artist, Poets say,
First made the Model of a Man in Clay;
Contriv'd the Form, of Parts, and when he had done,
Stole Vital Heat from the Prolifick Sun:
But not a Poet tells us to this Day,
Who made
Prometheus
first, and who the Clay;
Who gave the great Prolifick to the Sun,
And where the first Productive Work begun.
I wonder often how these
Nazareens,
who are nevertheless a knowing and learned People, especially in these Parts; I say, I often reflect with Wonder, whence this brutish Notion is derived, I mean, of denying the Being of a God, and all the subsequent Notions of the World's Eternity, Man's self-existent Power, and the like.
Upon the whole, I have resolved it into this, that it is the natural Consequence of the Corruption of their own Religion; for while their Priests set up here so many Absurdities, and pay their Adorations to so many supposed Deities, Men of Penetration frequently see through all the false Glosses of the Clergy, and find it often a Legend of Forgeries, a meer Bundle of Nonsense, and Inconsistencies, and then not being enlightened from Heaven with the sacred Knowledge of the true ONE God, it leads them into a Contempt of all Principles, and their Religion dwindles away to nothing; they begin in ridiculing their own Profession, and then go on to the great Extream of denying even God himself.
Such a Crime is never found among the Followers of
Mahomet,
the first Principle of whose Religion contains a Confession of One God; the Faithful are therefore called Mussulmans, the Name we boast of, signifying a Believer of the One God, and of
Mahomet
his Prophet.
The Light of the divine Oracle, which inspired
Mahomet,
shines into the Understandings of the Faithful, and they worship the Creator of the World: They neither kneel to a Piece of Bread, nor worship an old Woman, and call her God's Mother; but declare to all the World, that God is One God, and to him alone we pray with incessant Prayers, revolving the Moon, and constant as the Day.
Receive, righteous
Zema,
the Relation of the Blasphemies of these Mockers of God, and pray to
Mahomet
that all his faithful Followers may be kept in the right Way.
Paris,
20th of the 9th Moon, of the Year, 1692.
LETTER X. To
Ali,
Bassa, Chief of the Engineers, and Seraskeir of the
Morea.
WHEN I wrote last to thee, I gave thee an Account of the taking the strong Town of
Montmelian,
in the Dominions of
Savoy,
with some Description of the Fortress it self, and bad thee to expect to hear from me again.
According to my Word, I here send thee true Drafts of the several Towns, and the Sieges of them, which have been carried on these last two Years by the
French,
who are now certainly the best Masters in the World of the Art of raising Fortifications, and of attacking them when they have done.
The Fortifications of the Town and Port of
Dunkirk
I send thee as a thing by it self, because I am inform'd the Grand Seignior has commanded thee to make a Port and Harbour at
Candia,
which he designs to make the strongest City, and the safest Harbour in the World.
Thou wilt see by this Plan, that the
French
Engineers had a Piece of Work to do here, the Scituation of which did not appear to the Eye capable of being made to bear the Perfection of it; they had a Harbour and Basin to build, which the King resolved should be capable of receiving his largest Men of War, some of which drew 24 to 26 Foot Water, and the Channel of the Port they had to work it on, had not above 11 Foot Water at the highest Tides; and this upon a flat Shore, where the Sea, except at Spring-Tides, scarce flow'd 4 Foot in a Tide, sometimes scarce flow'd at all into the Town.
To bring this to Perfection, the Engineers first considered a small River which pass'd through the flat Country above, and emptied it self into the Sea at this Place, whose little Channel, scarce deserving the Name of a River, made the Port.
The first thing the Engineers had to do, was to draw the Water of several other small Rivers, which, in their natural Course, ran into the Sea at other Places on the Coast, to join their Waters with this little Stream, and then they laid the large Parts of low Land (which you see mark'd in the Plan) together, for receiving the Quantity of Water when it should come in, and stop it in this River when the Sluices were shut.
Below the Conjunction of these Waters, several large Sluices were made, to stop their Course, and swell them till they flow'd over all those Lands, and so keep them up till a very great Head of Water was gotten together, for the Uses of which I shall speak presently.
When this Provision for a Back-water was first made, then they went to work with the Channel of the Port, which they cut 14 Foot in Depth into the Earth deeper than it was before.
To secure this Work, and preserve the Depth of the Channel, which the Sea would otherwise fill up, even in one Tide, it being a very flat and sandy Shore; I say, to secure this, they built those two prodigious Jettes or Peirs, which you see in the Draught, which ran out into the Sea no less than 11000
Hemiza's,
being almost an
English
Mile and a half, even to low Water-Mark, form'd of an innumerable Number of Trees, of an immense Size, bound with Iron, and sharpen'd at Bottom, and driven with the Force of mighty Blows by a
Bolqueen
of a Ton Weight, raised high in the Air, and let fall at once. They call these Trees here
Pilotis.
These two Peirs being made solid, the Spaces fill'd up with Stone and Chalk, and the Heads joined together with Bars of Iron, are firm as the solid Earth; and breaking off the Violence of the Sea make the Space between a calm, safe Channel, into which when Ships were entred, they were secured from any Hazards of Wind or Weather.
They also took Care to preserve the Channel, which, as I have said, was thus deep, from filling up by the Sea; and at the upper End of it, and within the Fortifications of the Town, a large Basin or Pool was made, able to receive the biggest Ships, and able to contain above 300 Sail; at the Entrance into which was a Sluice or Water-Stop, the Gates of which were Six and fifty Foot wide; being a Work of that prodigious Expence, and requiring so much Skill of the Engineer, that some Workmen of very good Experience declared to the King, it was impossible that Monsieur
Vauban,
whose Undertaking the whole Work was, could ever bring it to Perfection.
But he laugh'd at them all, and went on, finish'd it, and brought the Gates of that immense Sluice to so exact a Ballance, that they are now made to open and shut by the Hands of two Men only,
(viz.)
one at each Gate.
The Sluice first spoken of, which kept in the Land-Water, now discovered its Usefulness, and the exquisite Skill of the Workman; for whenever the Channel seem'd to fill, or the Sea cast any Banks of Sand up against the Mouth of the Peirs, as it would have done in two or three Tides, the opening this Sluice let go a mighty Stream of Water, which they call a Back-Water, or Back-current, which always keeps the Channel open to its full Depth.
Thus this mighty Work is finish'd, the Wonder of this Part of the World. As to the innumerable Works for strengthning the Town, the Risebank for farther strengthning the Port, an immense Work, advanced in the very Sea, and founded also upon Piles, yet made so strong as not only to carry 100 Guns, which are planted on its Parapet, but to bear 300 Dwelling-Houses and a Church or Mosque, and so become a little Town of its self: All this I refer thee for to the Plan of the Work, which is without Question the most perfect Fortification in the World; and if it ever should be attack'd, as it will require an Army to defend it, so they must expect to lose a good Army before it that attempt it.
They are aware here that the King of
England,
the most enterprizing Prince in this Part of the World, has his Eye upon it; especially since the Victory over the
French
Fleet has secured him the Superiority at Sea; and therefore the Generals always keep a watchful Eye over it, and very rarely have less than 18 or 20000 Men in it, or within Reach of it, when the Campaign is over.
The Fortifications of this Place, including the Harbour,
&c.
is said to have cost the, King of
France
Twenty Thousand Purses, which, in the Coin of this Country, is called no less than an Hundred Millions of their Money.
The Draft of this Place is worth thy Study, and worthy the Hand of a Power immense and inimitable, like that of the Grand Seignior; half the Care and Art which is shew'd here, would make the City of
Candia,
which is so much envied by the
Nazareens,
be the safest and most terrible Port in the
Levant.
Success and Wonders be the End of all thy Undertakings, and let the Glory of thy illustrious Lord be made more and more conspicuous by thy exquisite Performances. The other Plans which I send thee I shall write of by thy Servant the
Chaioux, Mustapha,
who is here with me, and who I shall dispatch in Twelve Days to the Kaimacham on Business of Importance.
Paris,
17th Day of the 8th Moon, of the Year 1692,
LETTER XI. To the Kadilescher of
Romelia.
THERE has happened this Month a thing which, as it is the subject Matter of Conversation all over the
Nazareen
World, so it tends more to the personal Dishonour of the King of
France,
than any thing that I have ever heard charged upon him through the whole Course of a long and flourishing Reign.
There has been a Conspiracy detected in the Confederate Army in
Flanders,
to assassinate the new King of
England;
the Conspiracy it self, tho' odious and detestable in its Nature, is not the main thing I take notice of to thee; for such things are frequent among these
Nazareens,
tho' not heard of among the true Believers of the One God, the faithful Followers of
Mahomet;
I say, among the Mussulmans, no such thing is ever heard of; it is below the Dignity of Man, as a Man, to kill by Treason; nor can the religious Principles of those, who believe the Rewards of Paradise, or the Torment of Fire, permit them to think of such Practices without Horror. Thank
Mahomet,
it is only practised among Christians, the Mussulmans abhor it.
I say therefore, I had not mentioned this Crime, odious in its self even to humane Nature, it is not the Fact it self which I insist upon, but this in particular, that there is great Reason to believe the King of
France
himself, or at least his chief Ministers of State, (and they, we know, dare do nothing without his Orders) have been discovered to be in the Design.
It is scarce to be thought of, without Horror and Execration, that Men of Honour,
as they call themselves here,
should stoop to murther the Man they cannot conquer. In all the Reigns of the
Ottoman
Princes, or of the Caliphs of
Syria,
in all the Days of the
Saracen
Empire, the true Successors of our great Prophet
Mahomet,
whose more righteous Law forbids Rap'n, Injustice, and Blood, no such thing has yet been left upon Record.
Was it ever known that any of the Princes, Followers of
Mahomet,
ever sent an Assassinator, or Murtherer, to cut off a
Nazareen
Prince, General, or Commander of an Army, by Treason, tho' we esteem the
Nazareens
as Dogs, Enemies of God, and such as of right demand to be cut off from the Earth; yet it is always attempted honourably, by War and the Arm of Battle; as open Enemies ought to deal with one another, leaving the Sword to decide the Quarrel, and God to direct as best pleases him.
Never, I say, was any
Nazareen
Prince, Captain-General, or other Enemy, surprized on our Account, by Treason and Murther: These People value themselves upon the Name by which they pretend to be distinguished,
(viz)
Christians; and the King of
France
is called the most Christian King; as if he was more a Christian, or a better Man than other Kings; but this Affair has sullied his Face, and blackened his Character in such a Manner, as all the other idolatrous Nations in the World would abhor: and let them say what they will, it seems to me that these assassinating Principles are not allowed, at least not so much, if at all, by any People in the World, but these Christians. In the Name of
Mahomet
let them have the Praise of it; let them be the only People in the World who deal in secret Murther.
As to the King of
France,
Men may call him the most Christian King as long as they please; but if he gives Encouragement to such Villanies as these, I dare pronounce
Caius Fabritius,
a
Roman
Pagan, a far better Christian than the most Christian King; for he being General of the
Romans,
against
Pyrrhus
King of
Macedon,
one of the stoutest Enemies the
Romans
ever had; when the
Macedonian
Prince's Physician came and promised him to poyson his Master for a Sum of Money, he not only scorn'd his Proposals, but sent him with a Letter, discovering his Treachery to the King, to deal with him according to his Deserts.
This was done like a
Roman;
but the King of
France,
like those who they call here Christians, has not thought fit to act in such a generous Manner; for Monsieur
Granval,
who, it was proved openly, had undertaken the Business of assassinating the King of
England,
had, it seems, been encouraged to, and employed in this horrid Work, first by Monsieur
Louvois,
the first Minister of State to the King of
France,
and since his Death by Monsieur
de Barbasieux
his Son, with the Gift of Eighty Pistols, a small Piece of Gold Coin which goes here for four Ducates, and with the Promise of twenty Thousand Livres
per Ann.
Reward when the Murther was committed.
This it seems has been proved in the military Divan, or as they call it here, the
Court Martial;
and the Person has been condemned and executed for it; even himself not denying the Fact.
Nor do they concern themselves much to deny it here, or to disown that he was employed by the
French
Ministers; for these are, it seems, above covering such things from the World, not valuing the Censures of Men however just.
There is a noble Principle in the Minds of wise Men, which qualifies them to support the Censures and Reproaches of the World, and to receive the vilest Usage with the highest Contempt, and this is an Attainment worthy of a good Man, and makes a Man truly great; but this is always built upon this Preliminary as a Foundation,
(viz.)
that the Charge is unjust, as well as indecent; that the Person is innocent; for no wise Man can bear a just Censure; if his own Heart reproaches him with the Crime, his Face is covered with Blushes at the Censure, and he sinks under the Weight of the Reflection, as a Child does under the Stripes of his Preceptor.
To contemn just Censure is the Token of a Face hardened by Crime, grown wicked to a Degree, above being touch'd by Conscience or Principles of Honour, and is a Token not of a very wise Man, but of a very wicked Man.
It is with some Horror I write of this particular Circumstance; if Kings can thus justifie the surprizing their opposite Princes with Murther and Assassination, what need is there of making War? It is enough to revenge the Injury done by the Hands of Villains and Assassinators, and we may leave the Kings of the Earth to kill one another, without engaging Armies of innocent People in the Quarrel.
Men of just Principles abhor these things, and indeed the King is exclaimed against universally in all Foreign Courts on this Affair. At home here, 'tis true, People dare say nothing; so they cast it all upon Monsieur
Barbisieux,
and clear the King of the Scandal of it.
If this wicked Custom prevails, Kings are the most unhappy of Men; they must live wrapt in Iron for the Day, and sleep covered with Terrors in the Night; the Dagger and the Pistol would be their daily Dread; and as it was said of the first
James
King of
England,
they would bewray Nature at the Sight of a naked Sword.
It appears upon Record, in the Histories of these Parts of the World, that the Ancestor of this Prince, the King of
England,
was murthered in the same Manner as has been thus attempted now; and that it was done in Consequence of the Proscription of his Enemy the King of
Spain;
who publickly invited all the Men of villainous Principles, of which the
Nazareens
never want Examples, to murther the Prince of
Orange,
promising a Reward of a Thousand Pistols to the Person who should kill him.
But the whole World blamed the King of
Spain
for it; even when he published the Invitation to Murther, and several of the Princes, even of the King of
Spain
's own Party, openly protested against it; but much more after the Murther was committed, and the Murtherer confess'd, that it was upon the hearing of that Proclamation that he undertook it; I say, from that Time the King of
Spain
was abhorr'd by all Men of Honour, as a Tyrant, a Man of Cruelty, and a Murtherer; nor did righteous Heaven prosper any of his Affairs after it.
After all, the King of
England
lives; the Traytor has been put to Death, and the Horror of the Fact has cemented, rather than weaken'd the Confederacy; nay, it has fill'd the Enemies of
France
with that Animosity against her Management, that it may be truly said of the King, he has nothing to trust to but the Sword; for the least and weakest of his Enemies are deaf to all Accommodations.
Paris,
28th of the 9th Moon, of the Year 1692.
LETTER XII. To
Ali,
Bassa, Chief of the Engineers, and Seraskeir of the
Morea.
I Am to thee like a Student in Divinity, who I have heard much of among the
Nazareens,
who being appointed, in one of their Tetrehs or Colleges, to read Lectures to the Scholars upon some of the Books of the old Prophets in the Law of
Moses,
chose the Book called the Prophet
Isaiah,
containing above Sixty Chapters, and read Forty four Year upon the first Chapter, and did not finish it neither.
Thus designing, in my last Letter, to send thee a Lecture of Fortifications and Attacks upon all the Towns or Sieges which have been the Subject of Discourse here during this War; I spent my whole Letter upon the Town and Port of
Dunkirk,
and have done very little indeed towards finishing it either; but thy mathematical Genius will supply the rest.
Next to this Town, I begin with the Town of
Mons,
of the Siege of which I wrote formerly to the Port; after thou hast surveyed the Works, how regular, how large, how well scituated for Defence, and how well defended by a resolute Garrison, who fail'd in no Part of their Duty, thou wilt perhaps wonder how it came to be carried, as it were, Sword in Hand, that is to say, in about 18 Days after the Trenches were opened.
But thou wilt be more fully satisfied when thou shalt observe some Marks I have made in the Plan of the Siege, by which it will be seen, that the
French
began with draining the Morass, which lies on one Part of the Town, which the Confederates thought was impracticable, and by which Means they came dryfooted to the Town, on a Side where there were very slight Works, the
Germans
believing that the Place was inaccessible on that Side.
The Siege of
Namure
is the most remarkable in this Part of the Country, of which also I have written particularly before: The Castle is a very inaccessible thing, and is defended by its Scituation, which is not only raised high on the Summit of a Rock, as you will see by the Plan; but is seated in the Angle of two large Rivers, the
Sambre
and the
Maez,
like the City of
Belgrade,
between the
Sauve
and the
Danube.
But the Strength of this Castle is doubled by a Work call'd the
Cohorne
Fort, which is a Royal Fortification, built by one Monsieur
Cohorne,
a
Flemish
Engineer, and a Lieutenant General in the Confederates Army. The Plan of this Fort will shew thee the Skill of the Engineer; and the gallant Defence he made in it, against the whole
French
Army, will shew thee his Bravery; but the Consequence of this Fort best appears by telling thee, that the Castle, however strong in it self, made very little Defence after the Surrender of this Fort.
The Plan of the Port of
Nice
and the City of
Villa Franca;
as also of the Port and Town of
Roses
in
Rousillon,
on the Frontiers of
Spain,
as they have a great Similitude to one another, and have both met with the same Fate,
(viz.)
to be attack'd by the
French,
during this War; so they will shew thee perfectly well, how fatal an Error it is, to leave Ports of such Consequence, and so capable of being render'd impregnable, so naked and defenceless, as both those Places were.
This is a Mistake the
French
King is never guilty of; whatever Town is taken by him, is sure to get by the Exchange of Masters; for he always makes it stronger than it was before; and almost all the Frontier Places having been first or last in the Possession of
France,
owe most of their Strength to his Diligence in fortifying them.
This also is like to be the Fate of
Roses
and of
Nice;
for the
French
Engineers are at work already upon them both, and they tell us, that
Nice
especially shall be made impregnable, and the Harbour be made capable of receiving the largest Men of War; and tho' he may do this, yet 'tis odds but in Time he comes to render this Town up to the Duke of
Savoy.
The Reason indeed of this Difference between the Towns possess'd by
France,
and those possess'd by other Princes, is chiefly this, that the latter want Money, and the King of
France
always abounds; that the latter, when they have Money, care not to lay it out on such things; and the other spares no Expence to make Places strong; believing it,
as it often times appears to be,
the best Money he can lay out.
I cannot but think the Frontiers of the Grand Seignior's Dominions deficient on this very Article, how else could the effeminate
Muscovites
have reduc'd so important a Town as that of
Asoph
on the
Paulus Meotis?
Had the King of
France
been possess'd of such a Fortress, it would have been made as terrible as
Dunkirk,
and it would never have been in the Power of any Enemy, much less a contemptible Nation, of whom it usually was a Saying at the Port, that they neither knew how to make Peace or War.
I doubt not thou art forward enough to regulate these Matters, and had the Royal imperial Mandate issued out to thee,
Asoph
would long ago have been a Place as impregnable as any of the King of
France
's Ports are, to none of which the Confederates have been yet able to approach, through the whole Series of the War, no not since they have boasted of their Superiority at Sea.
Nor is our Lord the Grand Seignior, whose Name I mention with Reverence, bowing my Head to the Ground, the Brightness of the upper Regions of Light be on his Head; I say, our mighty Emperor, the Lord of the World, is not unwilling to allow the Expence of necessary Fortifications to strengthen the Towns exposed to his Enemies; but it has been the Negligence or Covetousness of the Viziers, to whom the Emperor has committed the Charge of those things.
Vigilant
Ali,
thou art always awake to the Interest of thy Master, and to the Glory of his Empire, extended from the
East
to the
West
Seas. I know that nothing escapes thy Observation. I conjure thee by the Dust of happy
Icharrah,
thy Predecessor, whose Dwelling is in Paradise; by the Bones of thy great Grandfather
Ibrahim,
who was principal Engineer to
Solyman
the magnificent, at the famous Sieges of
Rhodes
and
Maltha;
by the brazen Gates of
Mecca,
and the invincible Turrets of
Medina,
let not the Hint I am now going to give thee be forgotten, neither take it in evil Part from me, who am anxious for the Glory of our invincible Lord
Achmet,
Emperor of the World.
Take it not in evil Part that I ask this important Question, why is not
Belgrade,
which is now fallen into the Hands of thy Lord, why, I say, is it not made the most invincible Place on Earth?
Thou knowest it is not, and that it has all the Advantages by Scituation which can be desired; two mighty Rivers wash its Walls with their furious Currents,
(viz)
the
Sauve
and the
Danube;
the Angle where they join is wholly taken up with the Town and Castle, which are thereby utterly inaccessible on two Sides of three; had the King of
France
this important Place, his Engineers, in spight of the hardest Rocks, the highest Mountains, the most impenetrable Parts of the Earth, would long ago have brought the
Sauve
to have entirely surrounded the Town, and to have embraced it with its divided Stream, equally deep, navigable, and rapid like the other Part.
Infinite Bastions, Cavaliers, Parapets, Lines, Courtins, Tenails, Ravelines, Counterscarps, Motes, covered Ways, Horn-works, Crownworks, Lunettes, Retrenchments, Redoubts,
&c.
should have ere now so surrounded the Town, as not to make it possible for any Army to attack it without the certain Ruin of their Infantry.
When it was last taken, the Works were, generally speaking, entirely demolished by the Blast of Powder, which blew it up: Why should not all the Plan of the Place have received a new Face, and why not make it strong enough to be worthy the Name of the Bulwark of the
Ottoman
Empire?
Flatter not thy self that the Power of thy Lord is so great, that it will never suffer any Revolution, or that the victorious Vizier can never meet with any Foil; these things are influenced by the secret destinated Appointments of him that guides thee and I, and every Head that bears the Charge of a Soul; and albeit that what is thus appointed shall not be revers'd, yet such Agency as that of giving a Stop to the Enemies of
Mahomet,
by the Assistance of humane Power, is always allowed to be bestowed on the Faithful; and the Aids of Art to support us in the Defence of the Dominions of our Emperor was always allowed not as lawful only, but expedient at all Times, leaving the Issues of things to God and
Mahomet.
Rouze up thy self, thou Man of Knowledge, and apply thy self to strengthen this Frontier, surround it with innumerable Works, spare no Cost or Labour to make it a Terror of the
Nazareen
Empire, extend it to such Limits that its Garrison may be an Army, and that to invest it may require 200000 Men.
Draw round it a treble Counterscarp, I know the Scituation will allow it; for the inmost Works are high as a Mountain, and will overlook seven Descents below it.
The two Heights of
Orwar
next the River
Sauve,
will require a double Crown-work to surround them, with a Parapet high as a Cavallier, if it should be attack'd; and suppose it should be carried Sword in Hand, it is impossible an Enemy can make a Lodgment in it, the Troops which shall be posted in the Mountain, will pour in such Floods of livid Fire of Shot, of Grenadoes,
&c.
that nothing can support it.
On the Side next the
Danube,
the Hill
Ibrahim, Bassa,
readily guides thy Hand to erect a Royal Fort; under its Protection no Ships from the
Danube
can batter it, the Rock defending its Flanks; the same Rock affording at the same Time a natural Line for 100 Pieces of Cannon, to cut off even the Navigation of the
Danube,
and send to the Bottom the strongest Vessels which shall attempt to lie open to it.
Glorious
Ali,
why is not this City made the Bulwark of the
Ottoman
Empire? Depend upon it, as the Arms of the victorious
Kuprioli
have conquered this Fortress, so the
Nazareens
will lose no Opportunity of recovering it; and if once they are Masters of it again, they will not fail to make it the strongest Fortress in the World.
Then shall the Blood of the Faithful, which it shall cost to recover it from the Infidels, be laid to their Charge who neglected strengthening it while it was in their Hands.
Paris,
8th of the 10th Moon, of the Year, 1692.
LETTER XII. To the Kaimacham.
Note.
This Letter should have been printed in page 157, Book II. and Letter XII. in the same Book, should have been placed here.
WOnder not that I follow so soon my last Express with another Letter almost upon the same Subject: The King of
France
is certainly the most politick Prince in the World; he knew not only what was concluded against him at the
Hague,
in the great Congress of Princes, which I mentioned in my last, and which met there the Beginning of the last Moon; but he knew the Reputation that illustrious Appearance of Princes would give to the confederated Arms, if they had leisure given them to go on as they began, and therefore, to give some sudden
Coup de Eclat
in the Infancy of their Alliance, was not only the best way to weaken and disconcert them, but also to lessen the Reputation of a Body, monstrous like
Hydra,
and composed of many Heads as well as many Members.
However, he lay still till the Prince of
Orange
had broken up his Congress, and was gone to his Palace of
Loo,
a House of Pleasure in, the
Dutch Gueldre,
where he design'd to pass the Time till the Season for taking the Field should call him away.
But he was scarce gotten thither, when Expresses, in the Heels of one another, brought him Word, that the
French
were making Preparations, in all their Frontier-Garrisons, for some great Enterprize; and that tho' the Season for Armies to take the Field was not yet, by two Moons at least, yet it was certain the
French
would march very quickly.
This alarmed the Prince, who was himself perfectly vigilant, and as able to judge of the Designs of the Enemy as any Officer in his Army. The
Hague,
which but a few Days before was throng'd with Princes, General-Officers, and Colonels of the Army, was, on a sudden, an abandon'd desolate Place, compared to what it was before, the Governors of Towns and Provinces, the Generals, the Officers, were all flown to their respective Commands, as if they had been driven away with a Storm of Wind.
Nor was it without Cause; for in about ten Days after the first Alarm, they found the
French,
whose Motions are the swiftest of any Nation in the World, were actually in the Field with 60000 Men, and in less than Five Days more, in Spight of the Severity of a terrible Season, Difficulty of impassable Roads, and of all the Inconveniencies of a Winter-Siege, they had invested the City of
Mons,
the Capital of
Hainault,
in the
Spanish Low Countries.
This was the 14
th
Day of the third Moon.
This Place is not only considerable in its self, as it is a very strong Frontier; but also as it secures a spacious Country, which will be at the Disposal of the
French,
if they succeed in their Design; it is environed on every Side with good Fortifications, except on that Side which is between the Gates of
Brussels
and
Aeh,
where there is only a bare Wall, secured by a large and deep Morass; so that 'tis impossible to be approach'd that Way: But they say the Design of the
French
is to drain the Morass, which being done, the Town will be easily taken; and to that Purpose, as impossible as the Design seems to be, yet they have got together Twenty Thousand Pioneers, from all the Frontiers, which they have set to work, under the Protection of an Army of Sixty Thousand Men. The Garrison is said to consist of Seven Thousand well disciplined Soldiers, of which the greatest Part are
Germans;
and besides them there is a great Number of the Townsmen, well exercised in Arms, who have promised to make a vigorous Resistance, all under the Command of the Prince of
Bergues,
who pretended to hold it out to the utmost; nevertheless
France
made this Business a Point of Honour, and there could be no Question but they will put as fair for it as possible; the King, the Dauphine, most of the Mareschals of
France,
and all the best Generals of the Kingdom, were there to see the general Assault; to which Purpose they have drawn out of
Germany
all their best Men; in a Word, it may be said, that the whole Power of
France
is going to fall upon that poor City.
The Prince of
Orange
came immediately back from
Loo,
having staid there but two Nights; Expresses flew like Posts riding on a Whirlwind to all the Confederate-Princes for Help, and all the Troops near Hand were ordered to the general Rendezvous.
But
alas!
what signified Troops in
Brandexburgh,
the Land of
Hessia,
or other remote Countries, to an Army in full March, and a Town already invested with Ten Thousand Horse. The
French,
secure of the Success, pushed the Siege with the utmost Vigour; and to encourage the Soldiers, by the Presence of so illustrious a Leader, the King himself resolved to command the Siege; he arrived in the Camp the 21
st
of the third Moon, visited the Posts himself, had an Officer killed with a Cannon-Shot just at his Elbow, and saw the Trenches opened before the Place, in his own Presence, on the 24
th,
and on the 8th of this Moon the Town capitulated.
The King of
England
drew together all the Troops which were within Reach, and encamped at
Hall,
not far from the
French
Camp; but he never could get above 34000 Men together.
The Town made a very vigorous Defence, and the Garrison were reduced to 2400 Men; but the Fury of the
French
could not be withstood, who, with a numerous Artillery, beat down all the Defences of the Place, and followed it with such continued Attacks, not valuing the Lives of their Men, that it was impossible to hold out.
The Town having capitulated, the
French
have put 10000 Foot and 4000 Horse into it, as a Garrison, and are retir'd into Quarters, having thus cut their Enemies out Work enough, in the Morning of the Campaign, to keep them employed perhaps all the rest of the Time.
As the King, by this sudden Blow, has been before hand with the Confederates, so he lets them see that by entering the Fields, so before the usual Time, he will be always before them, and that their Confederacy will have no Effect so long as they march every Country Troops back to their own Limits for Winter-Quarters.
But the King of
France
has not contented himself with this Advantage; for on the Side of
Piedmont
he has done just the same thing, taking from the Duke of
Savoy
the City of
Nice
and the Town of
Villa Franca,
the principal Port that Prince had on the Side of the Mediterranean Sea.
This Action was carried on with all that Secresie and Celerity which is peculiar to the
French
Conduct, and in which they are a Pattern to all that would prosper in great Undertakings: Monsieur
Catinat,
a vigilant and fortunate General, commanded the Expedition; they began to draw the Troops together at
Thoulon,
and the general Rendezvouz was between that Place and
Grace,
a Town on the River
Vaar;
they were all at the Place the 22
d
of
February;
but the March being difficult, they could not sit down before the Town till the 13
th
of
March,
which, however, was so early in the Year, that no Troops but those of
France,
who conquer all kinds of Difficulties, could pretend to take the Field.
This City of
Nice
is surrounded with Forts, Palanques, and Fortifications, at a Distance from it, and on the particular Places which must be passed to come at it; as first,
Villa Franca,
a Town about a League from
Nice;
secondly, the Fort, called the Castle of
Villa Franca;
thirdly, the Fort of St.
Hospitio;
fourthly, the Fort of
Montalban,
then the City of
Nice;
and lastly, the Citadel; all these Places were fortified, and most of them, especially the Castle of
Villa Franca
and the Fort of
Montalban;
yet by the 26
th,
in the Morning, the
French
had master'd them all, and sat down before the Citadel of
Nice,
having brought also a Squadron of Men of War to block up the Port by Sea, that no Relief might get in.
In a Word,
Nice
had the Fate of
Belgrade;
for a Bomb falling into a Magazine of Powder, blew it up with three other Magazines, killed 700 of the Garrison, demolished the best Part of the Fortifications, and frighted the Governour and his remaining Part of the Garrison into an immediate Surrender.
Thus this King makes himself a Terror to the World; the Duke of
Savoy
is in a fair Way to be ruined, and they say is desirous to make his Peace; whether that be true or no, Time will discover; but 'tis certain, if he does not, or is not immediately assisted in a powerful manner by the Emperor, his Destruction is not far off; for the King of
France
reselves to give Monsieur
Catinat
50000 Men to reduce him at once, and make quick work of him; on the other hand, Monsieur the Duke of
Orleans,
the King's Brother, whose Daughter the Duke of
Savoy
has married, has sent an Express to
Turin,
to inform his Son-in-Law of the Dangers that attend him, and to advise him to take speedy Measures to accommodate his Affairs with the King, offering his good Offices, at the same Time, to dispose his Majesty to his Interest; but it seems the Duke is not so apprehensive as others are, or has some secret Dependences which they are not informed of.
However, the King of
France
has, by these two Actions, so anticipated the Glory of the next Campaign, that his Enemies have nothing to do but to try if they can regain in the Summer what he has taken from them in the Spring, and he has nothing to do but to act upon the Defensive, if he pleases, till they are dispers'd again, and then they may expect him to fall upon them again just as before.
I need not lay these things before thee as a Pattern, the Success of the
Ottoman
Affairs against the Infidel Nations manifest that the Grand Vizier wants no Experience, Vigilance, Council for contriving, or Vigour for Execution of his glorious Attempts; may Glory and Vertue encrease his Fame, and may the Sultan our Lord, the inexhaustible Source of Magnificence and Lustre, lift up his Head above the Kings of the Earth, crowned with inconceivable Glory, and the Light of an Hundred Thousand Constellations.
Paris,
12th of the 5th Moon, of the Year 1691.
LETTER XIII. To
Mahomed Elmaken,
Student in History in
Trapezond.
IF there is any thing to be gathered from outward Appearances, the Desolations Nature works upon her self with her own Hands must be Tokens of the Anger of God upon the Nations; Nature is never lunatick,
Non compos mentis,
or so out of her Wits, as in the Frenzy to lay violent Hands upon her self: If the Author of Nature does not lay his irresistible Commands upon her to do so, for the Punishment of wicked Men.
Certain it is, that in violent Tempests, Hurricans, or Tournadoes, Eruptions of Fire and Water, Earthquakes, and the like, Nature seems
Felo de se,
she appears armed against her self, tearing her own Bowels, defacing her own beautiful Countenance, and,
in a Word,
acting all the Parts of a Man, who being demented by the Fury of a Disease, a Fever, or the like, lays violent Hands upon himself.
This has been a Year terrible in the
Nazaren
Nations for these things, and particularly for Earthquakes, of which there are some very affrighting Instances this Year. In
Holland, France, Germany,
and
Great Britain;
as near as can be gathered, the whole Body of the Earth felt a Jogg or two at the very same Moment of Time, which, tho' it did no harm, yet it put all these Parts of the World into a most terrible Consternation.
But in
America,
they tell us dreadful Stories; for Example, that in the Empire of
Mexico,
three and twenty Villages are overwhelm'd, with great Part of the Inhabitants, and a great Town called
Truxillo,
almost quite demolished; that in
Peru,
a great Mountain sunk down into a plain Country, and a great Hill rose up out of a Lake.
But the most affrighting Story of all is, that of the Island of
Jamaica,
scituated in the Gulph of
Mexico,
and now a Colony of the
English,
who formerly took it from the
Spaniards;
the principal Town or Port of this Island was called
Port-Royal,
and of that Town the principal Part was called the
Point,
being a Neck of Land running out into the Water like a Peir; this had upon it very fair Buildings, and the principal Merchants of the Island resided there.
It was in the Middle of the Day, or rather a little before Noon, when, by a furious Earthquake, one whole Side of that Neck of Land I mentioned, which they called the
Point,
sunk by a sudden and violent Earthquake, and the Buildings having then no Foundation, slid all down into the Sea; so that above 2000 People were immediately swallowed up, with their Habitations, Goods, and Effects.
The Calamity of this Country is not to be express'd; for in the other Part of the Island, where the Dwellings were not swallowed up, the Earth for several Days moved so violently, that the People could not stand upon it, even in the very Fields, but lying down, roll'd with it up and down the Earth like Vessels on the Sea, and you may be sure they were all the while in the utmost Horror and Distraction, expecting every Moment to be swallowed up alive.
Certainly the Consternation must be inexpressible among the miserable Inhabitants; for it was a Calamity which they had never felt before in the Place: And since I am speaking of Earthquakes, things which very rarely happen among the righteous Nations; it is not improper to give thee a brief historical Account of some of the most remarkable Earthquakes which have happened in these
Nazaren
Parts of the World, where they are more frequent than in any other Places.
'Tis about Two Thousand and Sixty six Years ago that there happened one in
Achaia,
which almost utterly destroyed it; and which was attended with Inundations, which in the very Heart of
Corinth
delug'd the Cities of
Helice
and
Buris,
of which
Ovid
makes mention in the 15
th
Book of his
Metamorphosis.
Si quaereas
Helicen & Burien,
Achaeidas urbes,
Invenies sub aquis; & adbuc ostendere nautae,
Inclinata solent cum ma
ibus oppida mersis.
Ovid. Met.
The last Year of the Two Hundred and Seventieth
Olympiad,
the most Part of the Buildings of
Tyre
and
Sidon
were overturn'd, and an infinite Number of People buried under their Ruines. The third Year of the 181
Olympiad, Rome
was shaken for three Days and three Nights together, and
D rrachium
was levell'd with the Ground, together with several Cities of
Campania;
nay, in our own Country I have read in the holy Writings of
Aaiada,
that in the Reign of
Bajazet
II. the mighty and most invincible Emperor, there was an Earthquake at
Constantinople,
that lasted forty Days; and that during all that Time there was not an Hour past but the City suffer'd extraordinary Shocks; so that the Grand Vizier, by the Grand Seignior's Command, employed Forescore Thousand Workmen to repair the City, till by the Prayers of the Faithful, Rest was obtained.
In the Year 1180, of the
Nazaren
Account, an Earthquake ruined a great Part of the City of
Naples;
that of
Arian,
a smaller City, was swallowed up of the Sea, and several other Towns utterly overthrown in that Part of
Italy
called
Calabria.
In the Year 1456. there arose upon the Sea of
Ancona,
together with a thick gloomy Cloud that extended above two Miles, a Tempest of Wind, Water, Fire, Eightning, and Thunder, which piercing to the most deep Abysses of the Sea, forc'd up the Waves with a most dreadful Fury, and carried all before it upon the Land. This afterwards caused, as the Writers here testify, so dreadful an Earthquake, that the Kingdom of
Naples
was in a Manner quite ruined, and all
Italy
carried the dismal Marks of it; a Million of Houses, Castles, and Palaces were buried in their own Ruine; above thirty thousand People were crush'd to Pieces by their Weight, and a huge Mountain was overturn'd into the Lake
de la Guarde,
in the
Milanese. Joseph Acosta
relates, that in
Peru,
the Year 1581 there happened an Earthquake which removed the City of
Anguaquim
two Leagues from the Place where it stood, without demolishing it, in Regard the Scituation of the whole Country was changed. And every Body has heard of the Earthquake which happened among the Mountains of the
Alps,
in a Place called the
Valtoline,
in the Year 1660. by the Violence of which a great Mountain near
Bigorre,
sunk down into the Earth, and was covered over with the Water of a Lake hard by; but the greatest and most dreadful Earthquake was that which divided.
America,
from
Africa
and
Europe;
for we read in
Plato
's
Timaeus,
that they talked in his Time of an Island near the Pillars of
Hercules
that was call'd
Atlantis,
bigger than
Europe
and
Africa
both together, which, by a horrible Earthquake and a Deluge of twenty four Days, was swallowed up and covered with the Sea, and never seen since, 500 Millions of People being destroyed with it; and that the Sea, which swallowed it up, has from thence been called the
Atlantick
Ocean to this Day.
Some of the Ancients among these People have been of Opinion, that the Earth was a great Animal, and that the Shivering, occasioned by some Distemper not unlike that of an Ague-Fit, was the Cause of its trembling. Father
Bourhours,
one of their Priests here, but an Author of Fame among them, speaks many pretty things upon this Fancy, in his Discourse of
Eugenius
and
Aristus,
upon the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea.
The greatest of the Heathen Philosopher s accused the Stars of these Disorders upon the Earth, and some of them expostulated with the Gods very earnestly on this Account; but to speak one Word of the Causes of them in general, I say that there are two which are natural, and may very rationally be accounted for, and it is most profitable to speak of such, rather than of imaginary Causes, 1. that the subterranean Fires and Winds are the first Cause; the Bowels of the Earth are full of bituminous Matter, sulphurous, and nitrous Particles, Salt-Petre, and the like; and when it happens that one Stone, by secret Operation, falling upon another, strikes Fire by Collision, or that Air penetrates in unusual Quantities, those combustible Matters being kindled, and the Winds blowing up the Flames, they cause most terrible Overturnings of the Earth, unless they find Outlets, as in
Etna, Vesuvius,
and other Mountains, whose opening Tops give Vent to the Flame. The second natural Cause which I observe, proceeds from the Water that is under the Earth, which undermining the Foundations that support the subterranean Vaults, which extend themselves for several Leagues together in several Parts. Those Vaults, deprived of their usual Prop, and overpress'd by their own Weight, shrink down, and all of a sudden impetuously pushing forward, the Air and Water enclosed in the Earth, give the upper Parts those violent and boistrous Jolts, which quickly overturn the weaker Structures of humane Art, which must of Necessity give way to those more than gigantick Impetuosities that rend and shatter the more solid Frame of Nature it self.
Grave
Mahomed,
thou, who hast searched the most retired Parts of Nature, art fully instructed in these things; may that Power which uses these most furious Distortings of Nature as Weapons or Scourges in his Hand, to correct Infidels, preserve the Faithful in Safety, that the Mussulman's Empire may be the Epitome of
Eden,
and be the Retreat of the Universe, whither the People may flee from the Deluges of Life, and enjoy the Tranquillity of the Blessed.
Paris,
10th of the 9th Moon, of the Year, 1692.
LETTER XIV. To
Simeon Ben. Habbakkuk,
a
Jew
at
Salonica.
I Have just written at large to thy old Friend and mine
Elmakem
at
Trapezond,
with an Account of a very terrible Earthquake, which, they say, has happened at the Island of
Jamaica,
in the Gulph of
Mexico,
belonging to the
English Nazarens.
It might be agreeable to thee to give thee an Account of the Particular, of this terrible thing; but thou art too familiarly acquainted with such things in the Country where thou livest, to need any Information from me, one Circumstance only I cannot omit, because it relates to the People whom thou belongest to.
The Earthquake there, as the Relations which come from
England,
and also others from the
French
Colonies in those Parts, particularly at
Cuba, Martinico,
and the
French
Part of
Hispaniola,
give an Account was very terrible; and that in particular that after the first Shock, which overthrew the capital Town of the Island, for several Days the Earth rolled up and down like the Waves of the Sea, that in sundry Places great Chasma's appeared, the Earth parting, and leaving several Openings, gaping dreadfully to a frightful Depth.
That the poor People amaz'd and terrified to the last Extremity, lying in the open Fields, expected to be swallowed up every Moment, and that some were even frighted to Death, anticipating Death it self with the Apprehensions of it, and confirming that just Notion, that the Fear of any Evil is greater than the Evil it self, like as the Desire of any Good is far greater than the Possession.
I need not spend Time to inform thee of that, who hast too just Notions, and too large a Portion of Judgment not to know, that what is present affects the Senses in a quite differing manner from what is to come; what is present to us is seen in its genuine Form, but what is distant and represented only by the Passions, as by Fear or Desire, is magnified to an infinite Degree, as those Passions get the Victory over our Reason.
But what Apprehensions of Death, or rather of the World after Death produced the Effect I am going to relate to thee, that I know not, and leave to thee; but the Fact is thus, I am assured that the
Jews,
for there are a great many Families of thy Nation in that Island, I say the
Jews,
in the Extremity of the Terror they were in, upon Occasion of this Earthquake, called upon Jesus the Son of
Mary
to save them.
I have no Room to question the Truth of the Fact; because divers
Jews
here have not only heard of it, but do approve and justifie the Relation.
If the Mussulmans, who acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah, and that he was a Prophet ser from God, as we acknowledge
Mahomet
also to be, had in such a Calamity called upon any of the Prophets, and upon Jesus also to assist them in that Extremity, it might have been said, it was because we do believe him to have been a just Man, and that he was ordained of God to be one of the six great Masters of the Law of God, an Oracle of Truth, and one of the Instructors of Men. Certain it is we give a just History from God how that he has caused the Truth and the Doctrines of Righteousness to be instituted by six Oracles,
(viz)
the Oracle of
Adam,
handed on by oral Ministration to the Deluge; the Oracle of
Noah,
forming the Institutions of divine Worship to the renewed World; the Oracle of
Abraham,
whose Preaching and Institutions was received by all his numerous Posterity, who were Founders of many Nations, and from whose Bowels our Ancestor
Ishmael
is descended; the Oracle of
Moses,
whose Law was prescribed to your Nation only; the Oracle of Jesus, whose Institutions, howbeit they are profess'd by his Followers, have yet suffered so many Corruptions, Interpretations, and Addition of humane Inventions, that the pure Professors of his Law are very rarely found, and very difficult among so many Professors to be known; and the Oracle of
Mahomet,
whose Light and Empire is spread over three Parts in four of the discovered World.
But how inconsistent must it be for thy Nation, who have condemn'd this Jesus as an Impostor, and would, as we believe, without Question, have put him to Death, had not God took him; I say, how inconsistent must it be with that Hatred of him which they profess'd, to call upon him in their Trouble; wherefore, O
Simeon,
consider and judge of these things with righteous Judgment; for if God has owned the said Jesus to be his Prophet, and you continue to despise him, you ought to take this for a Judgment from Heaven upon your Infidelity, that the
Jews
were brought, by his invisible Power, in the Extremity of their Terror, to recognize the Messias in the Person of that Jesus whom you had intentionally at least murthered before.
Be wise then, and cease to adhere to the Oracle of
Moses,
and the Talmudic Systems of thy misguided Rabbies, seeing other Oracles have succeeded by the Appointment of God, every one exceeding each other in Purity and Excellence, as the Oracle of
Moses
likewise, in his Days, excelled all those which were before him.
Paris,
8th of the 10th Moon, of the Year, 1692.
The End of the THIRD BOOK.
A Continuation of LETTERS written by a Spye at
Paris.
BOOK IV.
LETTER I. To the Selictar-Aga, or chief Sword-Bearer.
I Was ordered by
Isuff Bassa Reis Eff'endi,
in case of his being gone a Journey to
Bagdat,
to negotiate a Peace with the
Persians,
as I find he is, to write to thee what I had purposed to say of the Affairs of these Parts of the World; it is always of Importance for the principal Secretaries, prime Ministers, Statesmen, and Managers in the Court of our illustrious Master, to know the minutest Matters relating to Government, to Peace, and to War; how much more then the important Affairs in the Court of the greatest King in these Parts of the World, whose Actions none can imitate, whose Glory is only outshin'd by the Mirror of superior Glory, the Lustre of the sublime, the ever great and resplendent Grand Seignior, whose Days be happy, and his rising every Morning victorious?
If one may guess by the encreasing Power of the King of
France,
by his Vigilance and Application to the Business, as well of War as of Government; if one may calculate from the immense Treasures he lays up, the Numbers of his Armies, the Vigor of his Councils, the Experience and Bravery of his Generals, the early Motion of his Troops, and from the Progres
of his Arms the last Year, it would intimate that this must be a Year of Wonders.
It is true, that the King of
England
is a resplendent Star, encreasing in Magnitude; a Prince, whose martial Genius fills the World with Expectations, gives Vigor and Spirit to the Soldiery, is the Life of the Confederacy, and is not to be discouraged by the greatest Repulses; but still he amasses Troops, raises new Armies, encreases the Numbers of his Confederates, and causes every Day new Enemies to rise up to the King of
France.
But the King of
France
bullies them all, and appears equal to their greatest Designs, superior to them in Numbers, and above all, superior in the exquisite Administration of all his Affairs, as well Civil as Military
Men always believed the King of
France
would outdo the ancient Giants in the desperate Efforts of the present War; nay, considering who he has to engage with, it must be so, or he must fall under the Weight of so many Enemies; but it was thought also that his Treasure would fail him before his Troops, and that he must be at last exhausted and enfeebled that way.
But he disappoints them all that way too; for he finds such ways to raise Money, and that in such immense Quantity, that 'tis almost incredible; his Enemies boast that he raises it with Difficulty, which indeed is true; but what is that to their Purpose? seeing difficult or not difficult, he does raise the Money. Indeed such is his Skill to direct his Demands of Money, and his absolute Power to enforce those Demands, that his Officers will tear it out of the Bowels of the People, so long as there is any Silver in the Kingdom.
When I look on the Application of this Court to raise Money, how intense upon it, and how absolutely necessary it is to them to have it; I have wondred they have not thought of empting the wonderful Lake of
Thoulouse.
This is a great standing Pool of Water near the City of
Thoulouse,
into which, they tell us, that the ancient
Gauls,
after they had sack'd the Temple of
Delphos,
threw an Hundred and Ten Thousand Pound Weight of Gold, and five Millions of Pounds Weight of Silver, on its being suggested that it was sacrilegious Wealth, and that the Gods were angry with them. 'Tis true, that
Cepio,
the
Roman
Consul, got up a great deal of it some Ages afterwards, and carried it away; but a modern Geographer of this Place tells us, there is a great deal still left, which the People of
Thoulouse
would fain have been fingering, but that they were still frighted with Devils and Monsters of all kinds; now the King of
France,
who has so many Dragoons, that fear neither God nor the Devil, might easily make himself Master of it; or if this failed, one would think that all the sacred Reliques in
France
should turn to a vast Account; he had better sell them than squeeze out the very Heart-Blood of his Subjects; there's half St.
Peter
's
Beard
at
Poitiers,
would be worth to him half a Million of Money; and the Shrines of the Apostles at St.
Stephens
in
Thoulouse,
would suffice to furnish him for seven Years together. But this by the way.
The King of
France
has not only very exquisite Methods of raising Money, but the Oeconomy of his Government is such, that when it is raised, it is always applied to the proper Uses; we never hear of Embezzlements and Misapplication among his Finnanciers or Treasurers; and by this punctual Management of his Treasure, he has this Advantage, that his Troops are always in the Field before his Enemies, let them make the utmost Speed they can.
This he threatens them with on all Hands this Year, and tho' I am now writing to thee but in the second Moon, we see already his Cavalry new mounted, his Houshold Troops new clothed, his Recruits distributed, and most of his Armies in a Condition to march, while some of the Confederates are little more than got home into their Winter-Quarters; and I am mistaken if we do not see him give them some considerable Blow before they can get into the Field.
Every Year he encreases his Troops, and it is said that this Year he adds sixty Thousand Men to his Armies, besides a prodigious Number wanting to recruit his old Regiments; expect therefore I shall in a little while send the News of some
Coup de Eclat
on this Side.
Fail not also to communicate to the Grand Vizier, that the
French
resolve to push the Emperor so vigorously on the
Rhine,
that he may expect few Troops will be spared to go to
Hungary
this Summer; and the
Germans
talk already of bringing Six Thousand Horse away from the hereditary Countries, which is the same thing as from
Hungary.
Thou knowest, wise and penetrating Commander, what Advantage the happy Port ever made of the intestine Broils of the
Nazarens,
the very first Rise of the
Ottoman
Name deriv'd from the Weakness of the Christian Princes, and that Weakness from their being divided one against another.: Wisdom rises upon the Ruines of Folly, in all Ages and Places in the World, whether Personal or National.
Let the
Ottoman
Glory still rise; and while the Hands of Infidels and Idolaters are thus lifted up against one another, let the Faithful embrace the Occasion, and advance the Mussulman's Empire, till it spread the Face of the
German
Dominions, and strike Terror into the Heart of this great Emperor of the
French,
who at present bids Defiance to the World, and can never be effectually reduced till the Question lies between him and the glorious Emperor of the World.
Paris,
5th of the 2d Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER II. To the Grand Mufti.
I Once gave a brief Recapitulation of the History of Earthquakes to thy holy Slave
Elmakem
at
Trapezond;
my Letter was occasion'd by looking back with Horror and Regret on the Convulsions of Nature, which I have lately met with of that kind, particularly some remarkable and dreadful Casualties which have happened in these few Years time in these Parts of the World.
Here is now a new and most dreadful Return of this particular kind happened in
Italy,
and the Island of
Sicily.
I intimated in my Letter to
Elmakem
how these kinds of God's Judgments seem peculiar to these Countries: Thou wilt say so too when thou shall hear the following Story, which is just now come to Hand: It was the Ninth of the First Moon, about Four of the Clock in the Morning, that a terrible Farthquake was felt at the City of
Messina
in
Sicily:
The Protection of
Mahomet
be upon every true Mussulman; for certainly the like of this Earthquake was never heard of; especially in some of the most dreadful Parts of it, of which such undoubted Authorities are brought, that there is no Room to question the Truth. Take the Heads of it as follows,
(viz.)
At first it did no Damage, only that it shook the whole City in a most frightful Manner, and terrified the People most strangely: the greatest Part of them fled to the Fields, the rest run to the Moschs, to make their Prayers; however, in about three Hours it went off for that Time: But the third Day after, it returned with such Fury, that the whole City was terribly shatter'd, the Violence of the Shock in a Moment overturn'd Four and Twenty Palaces, and endanger'd all the rest of the Buildings; all the People throng'd to the
Dome,
that is the chief Mosch, where the Archbishop preached, and gave that provoking Insult upon the One God, called ABSOLUTION; as did also, such is their Delusion here, a great Number of their Dervices, dispers'd for that Purpose into all the Quarters of the City. After this every Body thought of nothing else but escaping from the Danger, by retiring into the Country; those who could set up Tents were safe from the Injuries of the Weather: But many of the others were destroyed; the Air being all on a Flame by Reason of a most terrible Thunder and continual Flashes of Lightning: But this is but the least Part of this Story; for notwithstanding the great Damages done to this City, it was nothing to what many others received; the Towns of
Faormina, Maseal, Madica,
the Cities of
Agousta, Catanea, Syracuse, Carlentino,
and several other considerable Cities, Towns, and Provinces, are utterly ruined.
Agousta
is become a meer Lake, by Reason of a Rupture which the Sea made into that Part where the Houses stood, while at the same Time the Lightning flashing into the Fortress of the City, blew it up into the Air.
Catanea
was utterly overturned, and Sixteen Thousand Persons were buried under the Ruins of the great Mosch only; the 18
th
and 19
th,
two fresh Jolts gave new Alarms, but without Damage. Nor is the News from
Palermo
less surprising; but I have not yet the Particulars; all that is known at present is, that the Palace Royal is quite overturn'd, and the Vice-Roy had much a-do to escape to the Galleys; it may be truly said, that
Sicily
is utterly laid waste, as also the lower
Calabria,
being a Country in the Southermost Part of the Kingdom of
Naples.
'Tis thought that above a Hundred Thousand Persons are destroyed in this dismal Calamity, besides above Twenty Thousand wounded
With this I must inform thee a little of the Wickedness of the audacious Priests in that Country on this Occasion in particular,
(viz.)
that as
Messina
received less Damage than the other Cities, and for that the People in that Country are very superstitious, the Monks, who understand how to make their Advantages of the Simplicity of the Country-People, spread abroad a Report at the Time of the Earthquake, that the blessed Virgin,
so they call Mary the Mother of the Prophet Jesus,
had revealed to a young Girl of Nine Years of Age in that City, who was her particular Favourite, that by Means of her Intercession she had obtained that the City of
Messina,
which is under her Protection, should not be destroyed in the common Calamity with the rest, and this has caused a Thousand idolatrous Extravagances among them, in Gratitude to this Woman; they have drest up her Effigie or Image in all the Moschs, deck'd with Jewels of an inestimable Value; they put a Crown upon her Head, and impiously call her
Queen of Heaven;
and all the City, old and young, flow into the Temples to say their Prayers to her.
Allow me, transcendent Mirror of Piety, Image of the divine Prophet, allow me to express my Abhorrence of such execrable Idolatry, blaspheming the ineffable Glory of the One great God, who has said,
before me only shall Men worship.
I frequently talk to them of this Woman
Mary,
and grant to them she was highly honoured in being the Mother of their Prophet; but I challenge them to shew me one Word in all the Institutions, even of their Prophet himself, directing his Disciples to worship her, or empowering her to any Part of the Office of an Intercessor in Heaven, much less crowning her as a Queen, who was her self a poor humble Wife to a mean, and a laborious Mechanick; but they grow angry, and cross themselves, as if they saw the Devil when I talk thus, and calling me Hugonot, tell me, if I was in
Italy,
I should be sent to the Inquisition; so I talk of something else.
But to return to the Story: The Citizens of
Catanea
found, to their Cost, the Impotence of the like Church-Pageantry; for tho' the Dervices there, brought forth the Image of St.
Agatha,
another old Woman, who they have made an Idol of too, and who they call Patroness of that City, and that many Thousand of the poor frighted People fled after her to the great Mosque or Cathedral, grovelling on the Ground on their Hands and Knees to their Saint; yet they were all involv'd in the general Destruction; for the whole Cathedral being transvers'd by the Earthquake, the poor Votaries, with their Saint, were buried in the Ruines of that very Church they fled to for Safety. It is said no less than 8000 People, chiefly Women, Children, and Priests, perished in that one Mo
que.
There is not so much as one Edifice left standing in that whole City; infinite Numbers of People are maimed and bruised, besides those who are kill'd, and very few escaped but such as got into the Fields; for as for the Sea, it retreated above two Miles from them by the first rising of the Earth.
Immortal Prince of the Priests of
Mahomet,
fill all the faithful Mussulmans with a just Contempt of the Idolatry of Infidels; for which, no doubt, these Strokes of the Anger of the great
Alla,
the God of Thunder, is fallen upon them.
Paris,
20th of the 1st Moon, of the Year, 1693.
LETTER III. To
Hassan El Abmenzai,
Steward to the Sultanness
Alfaraiza.
IT is the Sum of humane Misery to have no Body to communicate our Joys and Griefs with: The Heart is not able to contain its own Excesses, but they will break out; and if we have not a Friend to unburthen the Soul to, it will discover its Burthen in every Line of the Countenance.
Old
Nathan
the
Jew,
furnish'd me with an Equivalent for this Violence of the Mind, which was a kind of a Charm, repeating a certain Number of Words in (a Corruption of) the
Syriac
Tongue, and then to tell my whole Story with my Face towards the Sun, as if I were talking to a particular Friend.
But all these things have appeared empty Shadows to me, and my Heart has been ready to burst for these thirteen Moons past, with the violent Agitations of Joy and Despair, revolving in their Turns, equally strong and equally unsupportable.
It was next to impossible for me to conceal the Transports of my Soul, when I had, by three several Expresses from the Port, the most comforting agreeable News, that the Grand Seignior, the Lord of benign and heavenly Council, the merciful Rewarder of his faithful Slaves, had heard my repeated Prayers, and had granted me licence to return to the Graves of my Fathers, and to close an Age of Misery and Retirement with the Consolation of the Faithful,
(viz.)
to die at the Feet of our great Prophet, kissing the Steps of his Tomb, and the Dust of the Feet of ten Millions of Pilgrims.
This happy News was seconded by another no less agreeable, from the
Reis Effendi,
wherein he congratulates my compleating my Desires, and gives me the Name of my Successor,
viz.) Ali Mezzawar
of
Damascas,
my old Friend and Acquaintance, who has for many Years resided, for the Service of the illustrious Port, among the reconciled Rebels of
Algier.
At the same time that this happy News made glad my Heart, I received Letters from
Ali
himself, to whom a Chaioux had been sent, with Orders to him to repair to
Paris,
intimating how readily he would obey those Orders, and that he was just taking Ship for
Marseilles,
in order to come to
Paris.
Judge you, my Friend, how surprizing all these good Tidings were to a Soul ready almost to fly out of its Prison at the first Account of it, and who had lived eleven Moons in the most perfect State of Satisfaction that it was possible for me to represent to my self in the World, insomuch that I fed, as it were, upon the Air of Expectation, with a Mind satisfied even to a Surfeit of Contentment.
Nay, as if Fate intended to sport with my Misfortunes, and I was still to be made more miserable than any Man was before me, I was still lifted up higher, to add to the Weight of my Fall, and to dash me utterly in pieces by the Force of it. In a Word, my Deliverer arriv'd, and I received a Letter from him, dated at
Marseilles,
where he landed, assuring me that he lost no Time to come forward, and promised himself a singular Pleasure in dismissing me, and setting me at full Liberty for my Return.
Is it possible that all this could be an
Ignis fatuus,
to ensnare my Mind, and plunge me in the deepest Despair; was there any thing now but the single Hazard of Mortality between me and my Deliverance? who would not have looked upon himself as a Freeman, and have begun to truss up his Baggage to depart?
But see the Product of surprizing Decrees, the next Letter I received was from
Chalons,
where my dear Friend was taken sick, and sent an Express, a faithful Messenger, to desire me to come to him thither, for that he was dangerously ill.
It was with a Surprize of Grief, that I received this Account, and immediately I posted to
Chalons;
but it was with an inexpressible Sorrow, that when I came to him he had but just Life left in him enough to know me, and being not able to speak, expired in my Arms.
Thus all my Comforts are blasted at once, and the Hopes I had entertained of being see free from the diconsolate Circumstances I am in, are entirely cut off.
It was with great Secrecy that I caused his Body to be washed with clean Water, and having hired a Carriage, which they call here a Hearse, I embalmed the Corps, and caused it to be put into a Coffin of Lead, and went away with it as travelling for
Paris.
When I came upon the Road to a Place where the Ways parted, sloaping one towards the Right, and the other towards the Left, I discharged the Hearse and its Attendance, having told them, that another Hearse was to meet me there, and so setting the Coffin upon the Ground, they went their Way. Here, with a just Solemnity of Tears, I buried my deceased Friend, laying the Coffin on one Side with his Face towards the sacred Repository at
Mecca,
that he may awake again with his Eyes directly against the golden Gate at the Entrance into Paradise.
And now I am a disconsolate Mourner indeed; condole with me, my Friend
Hassan,
and deliver the Letter here inclosed to the
Reis Effendi,
that I may obtain another Successor, and may not die here among
Mahomet
's Enemies, and my Dust be blended with that of Infidels, Enemies to
Mahomet,
Blasphemers and Idolaters.
Think of
Mahmut,
O you my Friends, who have the Joy of being surrounded with the Temples of the Faithful, and who say your Prayers in their just Courses, to the great Prophet, and to the great One God, the common Father of all the true Mussulmans; think what it is to be excluded from the Society of the Blessed, and left to starve here with the Hunger of disappointed Expectations.
Paris,
5th Day of the 2d Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER IV. To the Mufti.
THESE
Nazarens
are the most addicted to Fiction and Forgery of any People that ever I met with; it is a received Custom among them, that whenever they have to do with any Sect or Opinion of People, differing from their own, the first thing they go about is, to represent them as monstrous and unnatural, either in Person or in Principle, or perhaps in both; dressing them up in ridiculous Shapes, and imposing a Thousand Stories about them upon the Credulity and Ignorance of the Vulgar, that they may entertain immoveable Prejudices and Aversions against the Persons and Principles they profess.
It would amaze thee, illustrious Prince of Wisdom, to hear what absurd romantick Tales, what imaginary Histories, and what innumerable forged Stories, they tell of our sublime Prophet
Mahomet;
in what Colours they represent him, and the sacred Institutions of our Law, which we are satisfied were handed from Heaven to us by his Ministration.
What fabulous Miracles they muster up to be pretended by him; how he used Sorcery and Witchcraft, and feigned the Inspiration of the Spirit of God by the Help of a Pidgeon; how his Tomb, in which is his Coffin, hangs suspended in the Air between Heaven and Earth; and what strange Inspirations and Agitations he was represented by to his Followers; all which the true Mussulmans disown, and take no Notice of.
We have a famous Instance of this just now among themselves in the Court of their horrible Inquisition, where they dress the People up whom they determine to the Flames, in Coats painted all over with Devils and tormenting Spirits, to fill the Minds of the People with Horror and Detestation at the poor Victims; determining them to be Enemies to God and his Church, hating and abhorring them as such, without enquiring into any thing of which they are accused.
There is another Example of their Injustice in the Story of Father
Molinos,
a Dervice of great Fame among them, and who they call the Quietist; because he placed the Sum of Religion in the secret Contemplations of the great One God, and declared against the Pageantry of Worship with which the
Nazarens
abound.
I cou'd not doubt but thou wouldst be pleased with some Account of this extraordinary Man, of his Principles, and of his End, which has been in the Prisons of the Inquisition, where he was condemn'd to remain during Life; his Name was
Michael de Molinos,
a
Spaniard
by Birth, and of a very good Family and Fortune
He betook himself to study from his Youth, wrote several Books before he commenc'd a Dervice or Priest. In the Year 1625. he publish'd one of these Books under the Title of the
spiritual Guide,
which won him the Esteem of several Cardinals, or such as afterwards were made Cardinals; as the Cardinals
Coloredo, Attieri, Petrucii,
(the last of which
Molinos
call'd his
Tomotheus
)
Cassanata, Azolini,
and
Carpegna,
together with Cardinal
d'Estrees,
who, of all the rest, was he who most familiarly visited him, and shew'd him most Affection, and Tenderness; but at last betrayed him. This Book he wrote argues very strenuously against
Pennances, Mortifications, Visions, Extasies, vocal Prayers,
the Abuses of Confession, and the Insipidness of Catholick Sermons and Books; and, in a Word, against all their ecclesiastick Frippery, by which they carry on the Cheat of their Religion at
Rome
among the People, and from whence they spread the Fraud over the World.
The next Year Cardinal
Odeschalchi
being created Pope, under the Name of
Innocent
XI. was no sooner install'd, but he gave apparent Marks of his Friendship to
Molinos,
by open Familiarity with him, lodging him in the
Vatican,
and conversing with him on Affairs of the greatest Consequence, which acquir'd him the Respect of all Men; and his Method was so applauded at
Rome,
that except the Jesuits, the most Part of the Confessors followed it, and caused their Penitents to quit their Rosaries, and betake themselves to mental Prayers, and a contemplative Life. Cardinal
d'Estrees
also, that he might contribute to the Propagation of this Doctrine, caused to be translated out of
French
into
Italian
a certain Book, entitul'd,
An easie way to raise a Soul to Contemplation;
and at the same Time Father
Petruci?
publish'd several Letters, and some Treatises upon the same Subject. If ever there was any real Danger that the
Nazarens
should return to the first Principles of their Prophet Jesus, and worship God in the Spirit; if ever the Fraud of Popes and Cardinals was in a way to be effectually overthrown; in a Word, if ever the Popes and popish Tribe were like to turn Hugonots, now was the Time; but the Jesuits, who were too cunning not to see the Danger, and to ward off the Blow, finding the new Doctrine of
Molinos
get Ground, and that all People forsook the
Confessionals,
thought it Time to lay about them; and therefore taking the Alarm, in behalf of Religion, they first branded
Molinos
for a Heretick, and accused him for denying the Trinity, so they call their Doctrine of three Persons or as we call it, of three Gods; maliciously inferring, that his Maxims tended to the destroying the Humanity of their Prophet Jesus; they likewise insinuated, that he was an Enemy to Prayer, because he affirmed,
that the Perfection of the Soul
isted not in speaking, nor in thinking of God, but in the loving him after an extraordinary Manner▪
They accused him that he made all Christians indifferent, because he adds,
that Men ought not to disturb themselves when they fall into any Transgression; but to make their Advantage of
This was occasioned by a Prayer which he calls a Prayer of
Quietude,
and the Maxim they called Heresie, is now called
Quietism.
These Accusations, and some others, made such a Noise, that the Inquisition took Cognizance of 'em; but the Office for that Time found nothing blame-worthy in
Molinos,
or in his Doctrine; besides, the Pope gave a Bishoprick to Father
Petrucii,
who was one of
Molinos
's most zealous Disciples. This put the Jesuits almost out of their Wits; so that they caused a Report to be whisper'd about, that the Bishop being a
Spainard,
he might as well be of the Race of the
Jews;
but this did not hinder the Number of the
Quietists
from encreasing every Day.
However, as I said above, the Cardinal
de Estrees
influenced, it seems, from hence; for the Jesuits have all the Power here in
France,
betrayed him, and from his greatest Friend, became his Accuser and Enemy, and left not till he got him into the Prisons of the Inquisition, where he ended his Days; for it is no easie thing for any Man to get out of such Hands, when he is once abandon'd of his Protectors, let his Quality be what it will, or his Innocence ever so clear.
I think this Man was brought to the Entrance of Truth, and had he been enlightened by the Beams of
Churuth,
and the blessed Vision of
Alluzared,
the Angel of Paradise; had he been guided so, as to come into the Society of the Faithful, he would have been a just and a wise Man, qualified for the immortal Contemplations of
Ha
imut,
and the Plains of Illumination; but as he was so near the Truth, it could not be expected that he should escape the Persecutions of the Sons of Error.
Enlightened Guide to immortal Truth, bless the Eyes of those, who, searching after sublime Contemplation, are raised above the Enjoyments of Life, and give themselves up to the Enquiry after exalted Wisdom.
Paris,
4th of the 2d Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER V. To the Grand Vizier.
THE Devil must certainly deal with the
French
Kings Generals, whether the
French
King deals with the Devil or no, that I cannot tell. It is true, his new great General, the Duke of
Luxemberg,
of whom I am now to speak, has been charg'd with it, and many Accounts have been made publick about his being a Sorcerer, that he was invulnerable, and that the Devil had engaged to keep him free from Sword and Gun for a certain Term of Years.
I do not affirm these things; but as it is certainly true, that the
Nazarens
have some People among them so abandon'd of Heaven, as to enter into secret Compacts with Hell, what Wonder if those, who are already deluded into Infidelity, should be capable of the Extremes of all Delusions, and outdo those Nations in Wickedness who never heard of a divine Law, or a sovereign divine Being.
But to return to the Duke of
Luxemberg,
they do not indeed stick to say here, that he is a Witch or Wizard, and that he has a secret infernal Correspondence; but they do not say that he is any forwarder for that to expose himself to Sword or Gun, or to venture his Flesh farther than other Generals when he comes to Action.
But he does the greatest things in the Field, and is so much master of Fortune, that the amaz'd People stand and look on with Surprize, and say, he deals with the Devil. He has now given the greatest Blow to the Confederates that ever they have yet received, and, contrary to the Expectations of all the World, has first drawn the confederate Army into that irrecoverable Oversight of dividing their Army, and then forcing them to fight with an Inequality of Forces.
The King of
England,
who is now very justly esteemed the greatest General the Confederates have, has been always forward to bring the
French
to a Battle; eager to fight, but vigilant not to be taken at an Advantage; but however vigilant, he was, the Duke, has overreached him: The two Armies lay encamp'd upon the little
Mehaign,
a River on that Side of the
Netherlands
next to
Namure,
their Numbers about 70000 Men on a Side, not much odds on one Side or other.
The
French
General having taken
Huy
before the Confederates could come up to relieve it, made evident Shews of attacking the City of
Liege,
where there was a Garrison; but as the Place was large, and not capable of Defence, the King of
England
sent away, in several Detachments, about 16 Battallions of Men, with Orders to encamp under the Cannon of the Town, and fortifie themselves, which they did so strongly as not to be attack'd, but in the Forms of a Siege: The Duke made shew of falling upon them with his whole Army, and in the mean time the Mareschal
d'Harcourt
lay with a Body of 11000 Men as a flying Camp, posted at a Distance from the Army towards
Huy;
and this obliged the King of
England
also to make another strong Detachment to watch his Motions.
These Detachments reduced the Confederate Army to about 52000 Men; the D. of
Luxemberg
taking hold of this Advantage faces about with his whole Army, at the same Time giving secret Orders to the Mares.
d'Harcourt
to decamp with all possible Secrecy with his Cavalry only, which were 32 Squadrons, and join him, which he perform'd so well, as to come up in the Heat of the Battle, while the other Body sent to observe him knew nothing of his March.
Thus every thing conspir'd to give the
French
the Advantage: The confederate Army, tho' inferior in Number, was composed of some of the choicest Troops in those Parts of the World, pick'd select Regiments out of all the Nations concern'd, and led on by the greatest Generals they had, such as the Prince of
Orange,
whom the World now calls King of
England,
tho' we do not here give him that Title; a Prince whose Courage and Gallantry they speak very well of here, tho' they hate his Person; also the Elector of
Bavaria
was there, and a World of Princes and Noblemen of all the Nations concern'd in the War.
They had about half a Day's Notice of the Battle, and some blam'd the King that he did not retreat, but in Truth he had not Time; for the
French
would have been upon him before it had been possible to have carried off his Cannon and Baggage, and would have put all in Confusion; so he resolved to fight.
Nothing more surpriz'd the
French,
than to find, that when they view'd the Confederate-Army over Night, they saw them drawn up in Battalia in the open Field; but in the Morning, when the Fight was to begin, found them entrench'd up to the Teeth, with a regular Parapet in Front, and in a Posture not to be attack'd without infinite Disadvantage.
Then it was that the Duke was advised to retire, and give it over; but he was gone too far to retreat with Honour, and resolved to attack them cost what it would.
Never was a more terrible Fight; 'tis in vain to describe it to thee, it would take up a Book, not a Letter. The Attacks were so furious, the Defence so resolute and obstinate, that nothing that is humane can be supposed to do more; the
French
found every Avenue so guarded, every Regiment so well posted, seconded and supported, that they saw it impossible to penetrate any where but in one Village, and there the Flower of the Confederate-Troops were posted; so that the Resistance was terrible.
They attack'd this Village with such Fury, that they drove out or cut in pieces all the Troops posted there; but in a Moment fresh Troops attack'd them again, and drove them out with the same Fury and Slaughter.
Judge, illustrious
Ali,
thou who hast seen the most bloody Attacks, and the most obstinate Defences at
Bude, Belgrade,
and all the other great Actions of the War in
Hungary,
where thou so often hast repell'd the Fury of the
Germans,
to their Confusion; judge what Slaughter must be the Consequence of taking and losing this Village three times in this Manner in the Space of about five Hours.
At last the Duke of
Luxemberg
putting the Sum of the whole Battle upon this one Action, came on the third Time, and carried the Village, succouring his Troops so well, and supporting them with such Numbers, that they could not be dislodg'd; and when the King of
England
would have attack'd them again, he found some of his best Troops so discouraged by the Danger of the Service, that they did not do their Duty, nay, as it is said, refused to march.
Upon breaking in here, the Duke of
Bavaria
press'd the King to give it over, who was himself leading up his own Guards,
English
and
Dutch,
to drive the
French
back; but the Duke assuring the King that the
French
had entered so many Troops that it was impossible to remove them, prevailed on him, with much Difficulty, to make a Retreat before the Troops were push'd into Disorder; upon which the King immediately ordered the left Wing of his Army to draw off, and with his usual Presence of Mind made a desperate Stand in the Rear till they were quite clear off the Field of Battle.
But his Right had not such good luck; for the
French
having driven them from their Posts, and having form'd themselves in two Lines within the Entrenchments, no sooner saw them begin their Retreat, but they attack'd them with such Vigour, that they put them into the utmost Confusion; especially the Cavalry, who coming to a little River, which was in their Rear, called the
Geet,
and the Bridges not being able to receive them, they tumbled into it one over another, that tho' there was scarce Water enough to drown them, they were rather stifled in the Mud with the Weight of one another, than drowned in the Water.
Several whole Squadrons seeing the Consequence of attempting to pass the River, chose rather to face about and charge again; but there being nothing but Desperation in such an Attempt, they were all cut in pieces.
In short, the
French
have an entire Victory; they have taken 76 Pieces of Cannon, 8 Mortars, above a Hundred Colours, Standards, and Kettle-Drums, with all their Carriages, Ammunition, and Baggage, five General Officers, 200 other Officers, and 2000 Soldiers; and we are told that the Enemy has left 12000 Men kill'd on the Field of Battle, besides the wounded, which are at least as many.
This Victory is so much the more glorious to
France,
because the Confederates lay so much Stress upon the Goodness of the Troops, and the Conduct of the King of
England,
that they thought it impossible they should be beaten; but that Confidence has often times been the Ruin of great Armies.
It is true, the Loss of Men is exceeding great in the
French
Army, and especially among the Officers, of whom they have lost abundance, and a great many even of the King's own Blood are wounded; for the terrible Conflict in the Village, and the Manner in which they carried on the Attack, was such, that their Loss of Men must be very great.
They own here the Loss of 5286 Men killed and wounded; but others speak of three Times that Number.
Let the Infidels fight, and tear one another to Pieces, that the Faithful may triumph over them; but Peace be in the illustrious Port for ever.
—Pax optima Rerum,
Quas homini novisse datum est.—
Paris,
10th of the 8th Moon, of the Year, 1693.
LETTER VI. To the Selictar Aga, or Chief Sword-Bearer to the Sultan
Achmet,
Lord of the illustrious among Men, Prince of the Kings of the three Corners of the Earth.
THERE is not a more empty and insignificant Pageantry on Earth than this the
Nazarens
make such a Noise about the World with,
(viz.)
about Orders of Knighthood.
Old Sultan
Saladine,
the happy Leader of the victorious Mussulman, exposed the
Nazaren
Knights to the last Degree of Ridicule and Laughter. In the Account of his glorious Victories over the enthusiastick Crowds, rather than Armies, of those Fools that pretended to fight for the Sepulchre of Jesus, had several of these sort of People Prisoners in his Armies, who caused them to be led about in Chains, with all their Trumpery, their Crosses, their Caps, their Mantles and Sashes, and afterwards hang'd them; they carried always such a ridiculous Weight of Trophies and Badges of one sort or another, as render'd them more like Porters, bearing a vast Burthen on their Backs, than Men prepared to buckle with an Adversary.
One of these, a Prince by Birth, and of a Sovereign Title, was taken by one of the Sultan's Dwarfs, and for the Honour of the pigmy Soldier,
Saladine
caused him to lead his Prisoner by a Halter tied about his Neck through the
Saracen
Camp; in a Word, they were at last a Shame to their own People, and have been with good Reason wholly extirpated, except a sorry Remain of them at the Island of
Maltha,
where they fled after the immortal
Solyman,
the magnificent Emperor of the Mussulmans, drove them from the Isle of
Rhodes.
Here,
(viz)
at
Maltha,
they live by Rapin, Piracy, and Mock-Piety, and carry on the Cheat of their Knighthood among those that please to be cheated; but at present their Reputation is very low.
But however, the first Contrivers of these honorary Trifles have sunk, the thing it self remains; and the
Nazarens
are so fond of it, that there is now scarce a Nation without what they call their Order of Knighthood; the King of
Spain
and the Emperor have that of the golden Fleece, the King of
England
the Garter, and the King of
France
a blasphemous Order, called Knights of the Holy Ghost. I could say much of the Impiety of it, if I were one of those who believe the Divinity of the Holy Ghost; but that is not to the Case before me.
The Order of the Garter, which is that of the King of
England,
is a merry Institution, and sounds well enough, being conceived in a Frolick of one of their King's, dancing with a Lady, who drop'd a blue Ribband from her Leg, which they call a
Garter,
which the amorous King took up, and wore over his Shoulder; which blue Ribband is, to this Day, the chief Ornament of the Order; this last Month it was sent as a mighty Piece of Honour to the Elector of
Saxony,
who received the gawdy Trisle with wonderful Acknowledgments, and all possible Ceremony, wearing the blue Ribband above his Cloaths wherever he goes.
The like Compliment the King of
Spain
has made to Prince
Lewis
of
Baden,
of the Order of the golden Fleece; and that great Warriour walks about with the Image of a dead Sheep hanging about his Neck. One would think these People were mad, that upon every Whimsie make the meanest Animals the Trophy of Honour to them, as in their Heraldry, another of their sumptuary Whimsies, one carries a Goat's Head for his Device, another a Bunch of Hops; and an eminent Family in
England,
I have heard, give three Owles for their Emblem or Coat of Distinction, which Bird they nevertheless esteem as the most contemptible. Another great Family here shews a Crab, and another yet greater, a Ladder, to say nothing of their Veneration to a Cross, which is to them the highest of all Ensigns, tho' it be nothing less or more than a Gibbet or a Wheel, is
(viz)
an Engine of Horror and Death.
But to go back to the Order of the
dead She
;
for so it ought to be called. I shall give thee from their Histories a Summary of its Antiquity and Institution, and that in few Words, and leave the ridiculous Part to thy wiser Observation.
The Order of the golden Fleece was instituted at
Bruges
by
Philip the good,
Duke of
Burgundy,
in the Year 1429. who commanded that all who were admitted into this Order should carry, in a Collar composed of Steel, flint Stones, and St.
Andrew
's Crosses, the Representation of a Sheep; the
Spaniards
generally believe that this Order was instituted in Honour of the holy Virgin and St.
Andrew,
by Reason of an Apparition of an Angel that appeared to a certain Countryman, and gave him a Fleece of Gold, commanding him withal to raise Forces under that Standard, and so exspel the
Moors
out of
Spain.
Others believe it to have been instituted in Memory of the great Gain which the Dukes of
Burgundy
got by Wool. Others, in Remembrance of
Gidcon
's Fleece, who, with Three Hundred Men, defeated the whole Army of the
Midianites:
The Chymists will have it to be a chymical Mystery, in Imitation of the famous golden Fleece of the Ancients, which the most Refined in that Art say was no more than the Secret of their Elixir written in Parchment. Others pretend, that it owes the Institution of it to the fishing for Gold in some Rivers of
Spain,
at which Time they used to fling a Sheep's Fleece into the Water, and after it had lain a little while, draw it up again, and picked out the Grains of Gold that stuck to the Wool, which was practis'd formerly by the Inhabitants of
Calchis,
who by that Means became so rich, that they drew the covetous
Argonauts
to invade them and make themselves Masters of their Wealth; but they who imagine that all these Orders owe their Originals to the Gallantries of Princes, affirm, that it was in Memory of a Lady's Combings, whose Hair was extreamly white, and with whom
Philip the good
was passionately in Love; however it were, it is a very ancient and honourable Order, in Regard that the King of
Spain
not only wears it himself, but presents it to Foreign Princes: The Habit of the Order is a Coat of Cloth of Silver, a Mantle of Crimson Velvet, and a Hood of Violet colour'd Velvet.
Happy the inspired Genius of the Faithful, who, despising this taffety Glory, establish their Names on the Basis of Virtue, and make themselves truly great by their own heroick Actions, leaving the Praise of their Deeds to the Trophies and Garlands of the inlighten'd Train of Beauties in the Garden of Pleasure, who despise the Ensigns of temporary Honour, expecting a sublimer Fame among the Millions of Heroes, whose Blood has raised the Mussulmans Empire above the Songs or the Tongues of Men; and whose Merit seeming to lie in the Dust of Oblivion, shall rise like a Comet, resound in Glory, and enlighten with its Lustre the Vallies of Beauty in the Garden of Pleasure.
Paris,
the 15th of 6th Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER VII. To
Mustapha Osman,
a Dervice of
Adrianople,
his Friend.
HERE is such a Tale of
Nazaren
Superstition told here just now as thou hast not heard of, I believe, in many Years; and as I dare affirm, may challenge all the Follies of the blindest Ages of Paganism in the World to shew any thing like it.
Thou art no Stranger to the Manner of the
Nazaren
's Devotion, having lived among them so long at
Vienna,
where they are as devout, that is, as superstitious as any where; among the rest of their Fopperies, thou knowest they make
Allazehiah,
or consecrate a little Bit of Wafer, or Bread, which they persuade the People to believe; mark, I do not say they believe it themselves, I say they persuade the People to believe that this Piece of Bread is turned, by the Crossings and Mutterings of Words which they use over it, into the Substance, the very Body, Bones, Blood and Flesh of the Son of
Mary,
who they worship and call their Saviour.
In a Word, I speak it with Horror, they call this consecrated Wafer the real God that made them and the whole Globe of Heaven and Earth; and this Trifle of their own making they adore, as if Jesus the Son of
Mary
were really there. Were this Jesus, who they call their Prophet, to come down from the Mansions of Paradise, where he is surrounded with Glory inconceivable, with the four mighty Prophets that went before him, and where we believe our great Prophet shines in unsufferable Light with him; I say, were he to descend hither, and see what a paltry Demi-God they substitute in his Place, and what Adoration they pay to it in his stead, he would certainly scourge this Idol out of his Worship, and out of the Moschs of his Worshippers, as he did the Pawn-Brokers out of the Temple at
Jerusalem.
But to return to the Biggotry of the
Nazarens.
It was near a City called
Bruges
in
Flanders,
where the Scene I am to represent to thee was laid: A certain sacrilegious Wretch, who had, thou mayest be sure, less Veneration for the Son of
Mary
than for the golden Pix, so they call the Vessel in which these consecrated Gods are placed, and left upon the Altar in their Moschs; or if not so, did not perhaps believe the Truth of the Priests Allegations,
(viz.)
that God was laid up in the little Gold Box upon the Altar; I say, this Thief having more Mind to the Gold, than Veneration for the thing reposited, broke into the Mosch in the Night, and stole it away.
The City, thou mayest imagine, was in a great Uproar upon the Discovery of such a dreadful Crime; the Mosch or Church was interdicted for 60 Days, and shut up, being esteemed unclean after a Wretch so impious had set his Foot in it. The Gates of the City were immediately shut, as if a Murtherer had been to be search'd for; and the strict Enquiry was such, that it was impossible the Criminal could escape.
When he was apprehended, the main thing which was enquired of was, what he had done with the Deity, as they esteemed it to be, which the Man, not without torturing to Extremity, at length confess'd he had thrown into a House of Office
This was received with the utmost Amazement and Surprize; the Criminal was put to Death with most exquisite Torment, being broken alive upon the Wheel, after his Flesh had been first torn with burning Pinchers.
But that which is behind is more strange still; for no sooner was it known where the Wretch had cast the Host, so they call the consecrated Wafer I have named to thee; but the People flock'd Day and Night to the unclean Place, to say their Prayers to the Idol, swallowed up in Excrement; they continued this stinking Devotion with such Zeal, that the finest Ladies were not ashamed to be seen kneeling in that nasty Place, and crowding one another almost to Death to get in; nay, if any one had fallen in; for it was a deep Vault, I believe they would have esteemed it meritorious of Heaven; nor would they have suffered the Filth to have been wiped off of their Clothes, least any Part of the holy Article should have been mingled with it.
In a Word, the whole City concerned themselves in the thing, and to expiate the Offence which was committed within their Walls, they caused the Vault, full of Filth as it was, to be arched over, and a Chappel to be built there, which is actually done, and thither the biggotted Citizens go to say their Prayers Morning and Evening.
Righteous
Osman,
view the Enthusiasm of blinded Zeal in these Infidels, with a just Abhorrence, and rejoice in paying a more pure Devotion to the great One God in the Moschs of the Faithful; surely the
Nazarens
have forgotten the Institutes of their great Prophet, wherein he taught them a more reasonable Service, and are worshiping a worse God than ever the
Egyptians
did.
But nothing is more true, than that Ignorance accompanying Devotion will lead Men to do the meanest, vile and loathsome things, if they are but once perswaded it is meritorious, as these
Nazarens
believe: If ever these People are accepted by their great Prophet upon the Merit of these Devotions, Jesus, the Son of
Mary,
must be a meaner Person than even we, the Followers of
Mahomet,
believ'd him to be.
Paris,
10th of the 4th Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER VIII. To
Muley Hamet Mahomozzi,
an
Egyptian
at
Medina,
a Master in the Study of Magic.
THOU knowest, old Friend
Muley,
that I always condemned the Art thou hast so many Years made thy Study; that I thought it an unperforming romancing Piece of Froth; that I recommended to thee rather the Study of Antiquity and History, and to restore to the World the first Ages of the
Arabs,
and the mighty Wars and magnanimous Deeds of our Ancestors the
Saracens;
the founding their glorious Empire, since devolved upon the invincible Sultan, our glorious Emperor, upon whose Head be Ten Thousand Years of Joy in the bright Paths of Paradise.
Otherwise I recommended to thy capable Genius the Study of Astronomy, the Search into the Motions, Magnitude, Distance, Revolutions, and Eclypses of all the heavenly Bodies; but to turn Sorcerer and Magician in thy old Age, and to have all those illuminated Parts which formed thy Genius, and made thee capable of mounting thy Thoughts up to Heaven; I say, to have these all sink down to Hell; and instead of ranging through the shining Mazes of Light in the Summits of Paradise, be groping continually in the Darkness of Tophet, where you can have no Light but that of the infernal Pit, no Oracle but that of the Arch-Devil Beelzebub, and in which thy highest Qualification or Acquirement must be that of bringing evil Tidings to the World; this is an unaccountable Folly.
But I found thee obstinate and unpersuadable, so I left thee to go on till old Age and Experience should bring thee to see thy self in the wrong, and that all the wonderful Pretences thou hast made to the Knowledge of hidden things, amount to no more than the Tale of a roasted Horse.
And now after thirty Years Study, and all the Searches thou hast made into the dark Regions of Horror; after all thy Acquaintance with the Inhabitants of the Air, and with the World of Spirits; here's a Device among the
Nazarens,
that, I dare say, has outdone thee in all that thou hast not only arrived to thy self, but in all that thou hast ever heard of that any one else arriv'd to; nay, I much question whether the Prince of evil Spirits himself, were he permitted to assume humane Shape, could act the like amazing things as this Man has done.
It is a Religieuse, or a Student, as he calls himself, of the City of
Leon,
who carries about with him a shaking Rod: I fancy it sometimes to be just such another as that miraculous Rod which
Moses
carried in his Hand when he stretched it out to bring Plagues and Desolation upon thy Forefathers the
Egyptians.
This Priest, by the Means of this Rod or Wand, discovers Treason, Conspiracies, Murther, and Robbery; finds out lost Treasure, forgotten Land; marks secret Adulteries; and, in a Word, detects all sorts of Fraud, Lying, and malicious, false Accusations.
It was presently said this Man dealt with the Devil, and they talk'd of burning him for a Wizard or Familiar; but he confounded them with asking, whether it was the Devil's Business to detect Crimes, or to prompt Men to Crimes; to do good, or to do evil; intimating, that his Rod was qualified to expose Wickedness, discover all sorts of Villanies, and bring Offenders to Justice; but had no Power to prompt or encourage any thing that was evil. And this saved the Man from Censure.
There is no more doubt of the Truth of his Performance, than there is possibility of guessing by what Means it is performed; he is now in this City, where he does Wonders, and the World is astonish'd at him. Monsieur, the King's Brother, hid a great Parcel of Money in his Garden, and sunk a Steel-Box with some Jewels in a Fountain of Water; but the shaking Wand discovered both immediately. The Princess of
Conde
discovered by it a Servant who had stollen several Pieces of Plate from her Toilette, particularly two large Silver Candlesticks, tho' the Robbery had been committed almost three Years before. It is impossible to question the Truth of the Stories they tell of this Man, and his wondrous Rod, unless one would doubt the whole City, and believe every one you meet a Party to the Fraud.
For my Part, I know not what to think of this Man; for as above, there is no denying the Facts he performs, so there is no resolving how he performs it.
I know the Southsayers and Diviners of the
East,
the wise Men of thy Country, and the Magicians of
Persia,
used a Wand in all their Performances of this Nature; also we find in many ancient Writings, that the
Scythians,
the
Sarmatians,
and the
Thracians,
and many other Nations, used Divinations and Sorceries by Twigs and Rods, in the same or like Manner as this
Leontine
does.
The
Goths
also retain'd this Custom; whether they received it from the ancient
Scythians
or not, I know not; but I find it crept in among the
Huns,
and perhaps march'd round through those desolate Parts of the World which are now call'd
Muscovy,
into
Laponia
and the
North,
where nothing is more certain than that they raise Storms and Calms, and cause the Winds to blow this Way or that, as the Mariners please or pay them, and that they do it by crossing little Switches or Wands in wild and irregular Motions to those Quarters from whence they will have it blow.
This Rabdomantick Art, or divining by Rods, I thought had been dropt out of the World, but they assure me here, that when
Gustavus Adolphus,
King of
Sweden,
made War in
Germany,
the
Swedish
Soldiers would, with Rods, find out the Treasure which the Monks hid in their Churches and Convents, in Vaults and Places under Ground, where nothing but such an Art could do it.
For my Part, I have so little Faith in these things, that I cannot give the Credit to it that others do; tho' at the same Time I must confess I cannot detect any Falacy yet in it; tho' sometimes I begin to think there must be some
Legerdemain
in it, which no Body could yet find out, but which would, in Time, discover it self, as such things generally do: The rest I must leave to Time. But I dare say thou wilt confess thou art outdone by this Man, and perhaps will say it is impossible to be true; but for that there is no Room for Question; because there is no Argument against Demonstration.
Paris,
20th of the 4th Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER IX. To the Kaimacham.
THE good Fortune of the King of
France
is now indeed returned; and tho' he did not make the Advantage of the Spring, as he usually did, and undertook nothing early, yet the Successes which have flow'd in upon him since, have abundantly made him amends. In
Flanders,
he has gain'd the most glorious Victory that ever he yet obtained in all his Reign; of which I have given thee a full Account; but as if this was not enough, the Successes of his Armies have been on every Side equal to it, in Proportion to the Forces engaged.
While the Armies in
Flanders
were preparing for that glorious Action, the Duke
de Lorge
passed the
Rhine
in
Germany,
ravaged the Frontiers of the Empire with as much Fury as ever a Hoord of
Tartars
made an Inroad into
Poland,
only that they did not covet so much the sweeping away of the People; for they do not sell Slaves in these Countries, except such as are brought from
Africk,
who they call
Negroes.
In this Ravage they resolved to attack the City of
Hidleberg,
the Capital of one of the Electors of the
Nazaren
Empire, which they did: They push'd the Siege with such Fury on one Hand, and the Place was so ill defended on the other, that they took both the City and the Castle in a very few Days.
In taking this Castle, they were Masters of one of the finest Palaces in all these Parts of the World, the Seat of the Elector
Palatine;
the Buildings, the Furniture, the Paintings inimitably fine and inestimably rich; all which the Mareschal
de Lorge
caused first to be plunder'd by his Soldiers, and then burnt down to the Ground; for which all the World blamed him, and spoke of the Mareschal with great Tokens of Abhorrence.
But they tell us the Mareschal had express Orders from the King his Master for what he did; and the Reason they give for that is still a greater Satyr upon the King,
(viz)
that he ordered the Castle and fine Palace at
Heidleberg
to be demolished; because it was the only Palace in the World that exceeded his new House at
Versailles.
If this were true, I say, it was a great Satyr on the Pride and Ostentation of the King of
France.
On the other Hand, the Baseness of the Governour, who so ill defended this City, has been treated with that just Disgrace which such a Piece of vile Cowardice well deserves, and of which I send thee a particular Account, that thou mayest present to the Divan a Precedent commendable and very fit to be used upon such Officers, as being entrusted with Places of Importance, fail in their Duty, or basely give up the Fortresses of the Empire of the Faithful into the Hands of the Enemy.
The Governour of
Heidleberg
was the Baron
Heidesdorf,
a Major-General of the Emperor's Armies, a
Franconian
by Birth, of a good Family, one of the Knights of the Teutonick Order, and till now he was thought to have been a very good Officer; but his Cowardice and Surprize was proved plainly on a full Hearing before a Court Martial, and his Sentence was very severe; for they sentenc'd him to be beheaded, after being degraded of all his Honours, which was done with the utmost Disgrace.
The Execution was in this Form,
(viz)
He was carried to the House of the Teutonick Order, which is in
Hailbrun,
where he was clad in the Robes of one of the Knights, and then having both his Collar and his Cross taken from him, they struck him twice upon the Face with it; then the youngest Knight, taking him by the Arm, thrust him out of the House, and gave him two Kicks at the Door that leads into the Street. Nor was this all, but he was carried in a Tumbrel by the common Hangman to the Prince of
Baden
's Camp, and after he had been a Spectacle to all the Army drawn up in Battalia on Purpose, he was lead up to a Scaffold, where he was to have lost his Head, as the Sentence imported; but as the Executioner was preparing to do his Duty, there came a Reprieve, which gave him his Life, at the Intercession of the Teutonick Order, but still more Disgrace: for after the Hangman had girt his Sword about him, he took it from him again immediately, broke it in two, and gave him three Slaps with the flat Side of the Blade upon his Face. At the End of this ignominious Execution, he was declared banish'd out of the Circles of
Suabia, Franconia,
the
upper Rhine,
and
Austria;
to which Purpose the Hangman carried him in his Tumbrel beyond the
Neckar,
and there left him; where, as some Letters say, the Country-People, much more his Friends than they who begg'd his Life on such shameful Terms, in a few Days after, knock'd him on the Head; some say he requested a Bo
r, that is, a Country-Fellow, to do him that Office, as of Kindness, that he might not live to see his Disgrace.
Heroick Prince of the immortal Spahis, thou art well able to judge how much more agreeable Death must be to a Man of Honour than such Usage; and after all, they say the Baron was a Man of as much personal Bravery as any Man, and had distinguish'd himself with great Advantage upon many Occasions; however, being overpowered now with great Numbers, and seeing no Relief at hand, he unhappily misbehav'd at last.
It is necessary sometimes too to let the Weight of all fall upon one Head, to excuse others; for after all, they alledge that due Care was not taken to repair the Fortifications of the Place, or to give him a Body of Men able to have made a good Defence.
Happy the invincible Empire of the Mussulmans, where it never was known that any Governour, Aga, or Bassa, in the numerous Armies of the Grand Seignior, being entrusted with the Defence of any fortified Town, betray'd it to the Unbelievers; let the
Nazarens
testifie for us, and let it be spoken openly, what Characters they give here to the Honour of our Bassa's, Governours of
Buda, Newhausel, Gran, Canisia, great Waradin,
and
Belgrade;
and to the Blood those Sieges or Blockades have cost the Unbelievers before they got them, or any of them, into their Hands.
In this the Empire of our immortal Sultan is truly invincible,
(viz)
that nothing falls out of the Hands of his Slaves, the Leaders of his mighty Armies, but with all the Resistance and Defence that Honour and an inviolable Fidelity to their Master calls for from them.
I remember the glorious Defence thou madest at the first Siege of
Buda,
made famous under thy Government by the Bones the
Nazarens
left in Heaps under the Walls; for which inimitable Conduct thou art still honoured among thy Enemies, and advanced worthily to the Favour and Cabinet of the greatest Emperor in the World.
Paris,
11th of the 5th Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER X. To the Captain Bassa.
IN my last to thee, I gave an Account of a terrible Blow given to the
French
Naval Power by the
British
and
Dutch
in the great Battle at Sea, and the burning their Ships afterwards in their own Harbour, thou mayest now see the Reverse.
Certainly what the
French
want in Force, they make up in Policy and in Vigilance: it was true that the
French,
though their Diligence in repairing their Navy was beyond all that the World thought possible, were not able to fight the
English
and
Dutch
Fleet joined together, who were no less than 80 Men of War of the Line; yet by their Vigilance and Dexterity in taking hold of the Advantage offer'd them, they have given the Confederates a terrible Blow at Sea; and had not the Confederates been very fortunate, even in this Disaster, the Blow had been much greater.
The
English
and
Dutch,
whose Trade is their Wealth, and the Fountain of their Strength, especially at Sea, had prepared a mighty Fleet of Merchant-Ships bound to
Portugal, Spain,
and the
Levant,
and to the august Port also, (the Receptacle of Nations) richly freighted with all sorts of Wealth, and rich Commodities, proper for those Parts.
This great Fleet contained above 400 Sail, and the grand Navy being ready to sail, it was thought convenient to take the Advantage of their Convoy as far as they could be had, which was to the Mouth of the Bay of
Biscay.
Here the said united grand Navy left the Merchants to proceed on their several Voyages, and left them about thirty Men of War to be their Convoy.
It was in an ill Hour the grand Fleet left them, the 10
th
of
June;
for the vigilant
French,
who watch'd for such a desirable Booty, and well knew where they would part, sailed about 4 Days before them from the Coast of
France
with 50 Men of War, and waited for them in
Legos
Bay, and on the Coast of
Portugal
and
Spain,
about Cape St.
Vincent,
which they call here the Southward Cape.
About the 23
d
they took a small
French
Bark, who told them there was 18
French
Men of War in
Legos
Bay; but the
English
having 30 Men of War, thought of a Booty rather than a Battle on that Account. On the 26
th
they began to discover some
French
Ships of War, being at that Time about Cape St.
Vincent,
and the next Day in the Morning they plainly perceived the whole
French
Fleet, to their great Surprize, and even Amazement. The
English
Admiral with 22 Men of War, discovering plainly the superior Strength of the
French,
shifted his Course westward, and having some Advantage of the Wind, made all the Sail they could, giving a Signal to the Merchant-Ships and to the
Dutch
Men of War to follow: Among the Merchant-Ships there was the greatest Consternation, imaginable every one cried out to his Fellow, we are all undone.
The
French
not regarding so much the Men of War, fell in among the Merchant-Men, who, every one endeavour'd to shift for themselves the best they could; and the Fleet being so very great, many got away; however, above Threescore and Six Sail were taken or burnt, most of them richly laden; two
Dutch
Men of War, after an obstinare Fight, were taken; four
English
Merchant-Ships immensly rich, bound to the happy Port, were sunk by the
French
after they were entered the Harbour of
Gibraltar,
and a
Dutch
Ship burnt.
In a Word, tho' it was next to miraculous that the
French
got no more Booty, yet the Loss to the
English
and
Dutch
amounts to many Millions of Livres, and the Consternation throughout those trading Nations is inexpressible.
The
Dutch
lost three Sultanas taken, and two burnt; the
English
two, and a Store Ship, besides the Merchant-Ships.
This Action has reviv'd the Courage, and restor'd the Credit of the
French
Seamen, who, it was said, were very much dispirited at the last Year's Misfortune, and at the manifest Superiority of the Confederate Fleets: The Loss of the Confederates in Ships and in Goods is esteemed at 25 Millions of Livres, and the
French
say, that now they are even with the
English
for the burning their Men of War at
La-Hogue.
The very same Hour almost that this News makes glad the People of
France,
they are rejoycing also on the Accounts of accumulated Victories over their Enemies on all Sides: on the
Rhine
they have push'd the
Germans
far into the Empire, defeated several of their Bodies, raised infinite Contributions upon the Circles, dismantled their Towns, and ravaged the Country.
In
Catalonia,
the
French
Army and Navy has carried
Roses
by a short Siege of eight Days by Sea and Land, and has ravaged the Country far and wide even to the Gates of
Barcelona,
which it is said they will also besiege.
Invincible Captain of a Thousand Sultanas, chief Admiral of the Armadas of the Faithful, thou knowest what it is to gain Victories, as well as to rejoice in them; the Triumphs of the
French
Nation are faint Emblems of the glorious Conquests of our invincible Emperor, in the Days when the Kingdoms of the World fell faster into their Hands than Towns do here into the Hands of
France.
May Victories continue still to crown the Head of thy immortal Master, till, surrounded with inimitable Glory, he ascends to Paradise in the Arms of our great Prophet
Mahomet,
there to enjoy the Treasures of Peace in the Company of
Omar, Ekir,
and
Alibeker
the blessed, and shine like the Sun in the Strength of inexpressible Glory.
Paris,
17th of the 8th Moon, of the Year 1693.
LETTER XI. To the Grand Vizier.
I Am destin'd to write of nothing but Victories for this whole Year; if
France
goes on thus a little longer,
Lewis
XIV. and the bright Scepter of the invincible Race of
Ottoman
the glorious, whose Days be many, and his People prosperous, will meet on the Banks of
Danubius,
and share the Empire of the World between them.
I have thrice already written of the Victories of the
French
by Land and Sea: The taking of Cities and Towns, and a vast Extent of Dominions depending on them, are things too mean to engage a Pen which has the Wonders of this Reign to describe:
France
has crown'd the Campaign with another compleat Victory, and that over the Enemy of all the rest which most moved his Choler.
It had been a Mortification almost insupportable to the
French
Court, to find the little D of
Savoy,
a Prince, who, the King, could, at another Time have crush'd with one of his Fingers, insult him while his Hands were, as it were, tied by the Struggles he had with more significant Enemies. The Mareschal
Catinat
complained, in his Letters to the King, that while the Mareschal
de Luxemburgh
had still 135000 Men in
Flanders,
even after the Confederates were defeated at
Landen,
the Duke
de Lorge
70000 Men on the
Rhine,
and no Enemy to fight with, and the Duke
de Noailles
22000 in
Catalonia,
while the
Spaniards
durst not look him in the Face, he only
(Catinat)
should be left with a handful of Men, as if condemn'd to the Misery of seeing his Majesty affronted by the
Savoyard,
without Power to resist; and concludes his Letter with earnest Entreaties for Succours, or that the King would give him leave with 4000 Horse (that were with him, and that were made desperate with seeing the Ruine of their Country) to break into the Enemy's Armies, and die as became them with their Swords in their Hands.
At length the King gave Ear to the Mareschal's Importunities, and ordered the Duke
de Lorge
to make a Detachment of 12000 Men from
Alsace,
to march to
Italy,
among which were the
Gens d' Arms,
and other Troops of the Household; and at the same Time, the Campaign being over in
Catalonia,
the Duke
de Noailles
was ordered to detach 4000 Foot and 2000 Horse from that Side; and tho' the March was long, yet both those Detachments, together with 4000 Men from
Provence,
joined Monsieur
Catinat
almost together, and came in so good time, that he had an Opportunity to enter
Piedmont
just as the Duke of
Savoy,
grown haughty by his Success, pretended to bombard
Pignerol.
The Duke hearing of the March of the
French,
drew off, and retreated to cover
Turin,
which the Mareschal
Catinat
made him believe he would attack, and the two Armies met in the great Plain of
Marsaglia,
about five Leagues from
Turin.
The Mareschal, an old Soldier, who knew his Army was now equal at least in Number, and superior in Cavalry to the
Savoyard,
and whose Troops were sufficiently provoked by the Ravages which the
Germans
and
Spanish
Troops in particular had made the Year before in
France;
for which they waited an Occasion to pay them home; I say, the Mareschal and his whole Army breathing nothing but Revenge, made no Stop, but as soon as they came up with their Enemies, let them see they must fight for it, and acrordingly lying but one Night in Reach of the Duke's Army, the next Morning he marched in full Battalia directly to their Camp, and fell upon them with such Fury, that nothing could withstand them.
It was observ'd, that the Cavalry in the
French
left Wing and the Infantry in the main Battle charg'd their Enemy Sword in Hand without firing a Gun; the Foot with their Handjars screw'd on the Muzzles of their Pieces, a Method never practised before, coming up to the Teeth of the
Milanese
Troops, overturn'd all that stood in their Way; so that receiving their first Fire, and not firing at all themselves, the Enemies were cut in pieces before they had time to charge their Muskets a second time.
In short, this daring Courage of the King of
France
's Troops, dispiritted the Duke of
Savoy
's Troops to that Degree, that they could no where stand their Ground before the
French;
their Army is quite broken, above 9000 kill'd on the Spot, 2000 taken Prisoners, 34 Pieces of Cannon, all their Baggage, and 106 Colours and Standards taken by the
French.
Invincible Prince of Generals, the Particulars of this Battle will assure thee how easily the
German
Cavalry are to be conquered: Not the Curiassers themselves, of whom such terrible things have been said, tho' arm'd and barb'd Man and Horse, were able to resist the
French Gens d' Arms
and Light Horse; who despising Armour, and neglecting their Carabines, charg'd naked into the Line of the
German
Horse, and by the dextrous Management of their Horses, and an invincible daring Courage, broke them in an instant, and cut them in pieces with their Swords only.
Glory attend the Armies of the illustrious resplendent Emperor of the World, led by thy experienc'd and victorious Hand. These Victories of the
French
will make way for thy Conquests, and the
Nazaren
Emperor shall no more be able to stand before thee, being obliged to call off his Armies to defend his imperial Palace from the conquering
French,
who, if no sudden and unexpected Accident intervene, will soon make the Walls of
Vienna
tremble.
While I am writing this to thee, News is come from the Duke of
Luxemburgh,
that he has convinc'd the World that the Victory he obtained at
Landen
was compleat, by his besieging
Charleroy
in the Face of the King of
England
's Army, who pretended to be recruited again, but did not think fit to try their Hands in another Battle. The Town held out but 26 Days after the Trenches were open'd, and is surrender'd, which makes the Victories of the
French
this Year be no less than 13 in Number.
Paris,
12th of the 10th Moon, of the Year 1693.
FINIS.