the treaty, begun at Vienna, might not feem to be broken off without fome reason, the Wazir writes to acquaint the emperor's council; "that he had heard fome perfons were ar"rived at Vienna under the title of ambassadors from the "Porte, and had propofed terms of peace in the Soltan's name: but that they were impoftors, and had either forged "the letters, which they pretended to have received from "that prince, or procured them from the former Wazir, "without the Soltan's knowledge "." 66 A. D. 1688. MATTERS being thus fettled, he prepares for an early His artful campaign, by applying his whole care to the raifing an army, mandate and providing warlike ftores. But, finding what the Mufti had faid to be true, that the Othmâns were seized with fuch terror, there were but little hopes of raifing forces capable of oppofing the Germans: that the treasury was exhausted, and the people every-where unwilling to perform their duty; he takes a different method of levying troops from that used by his predeceffors, which he executes with wonderful art and fuccefs. The former Wazirs, in their mandates, had required all perfons, whofe duty it was, to attend the wars; but he publishes a Fermân in another ftrain: he fays in it, "That, as he found it neceffary to truft the command of the "Othman army, against the haughty Germans, to none but himself, fo he would not employ, in this expedition, any "foldiers forced into the fervice, as knowing the will was "of more value with God than the deed: that he would 66 only put the Mufulmans in mind, that, by the precepts for raifing " of God, and his prophet, every one is commanded neither foldiers; "to avoid martyrdom, nor despair of fuccefs, in defence of "the law, and the extirpation of infidels: that every Mu 66 fulman therefore, who thought himself obliged by this law, "and had refolution to fuffer every thing for the faith, ought "to come, and lift himself in his army: but that he who was doubtful, was afraid of being a martyr, or detained "by affairs, which he believed would excufe him before "God, from the fervice, fhould have the liberty of staying at home; where, after purging himself from all criminal "actions, he ought daily to intercede with God for the ar 66 66 my's fuccefs. It was added, that even tho' fuch a perfon "should be of the military order, yet he should not only be "exempt from punishment, but alfo enjoy his pay during "his abfence." By this artful mandate both the foldiers and people of its furpriAfia are rouzed as it were from a profound fleep: for till fing effect. A. D. 1588. Reforms the trea Jury then, whenever they were called to the wars, the greater part, for fear of the punishment threatened to the unwilling, hid themselves; and efcaped the enquiry of the Pafbâs, partly by gifts, and partly by artifice, and falfe pretences. But, when they find themfelves called on, from motives of religion, to war against Infidels, not only those who received the pay, but others, who had been dismissed the service, prepare for the campaign, for fear of being accounted cowards, or Gyawrs, in cafe they ftaid at home. Thus what the former Wazirs could not effect by the fevereft threats, or by the Pafbás, Kapuji, and Chaufh; Kyoprioli Moftâfâ Pasbâ accomplishes without any difficulty, by one word of the Korán; and raises more numerous forces than any Wazîr had done, fince Kara Moflafa Pafbȧ. HAVING, by this method, affembled an army, he turns his thoughts towards purging the treasury of money unjustly raised, and filling it by more honourable means. He finds the ftate of accounts in no lefs confufion than that of other affairs for the Wazîrs, and other great men, in the time of peace, had confumed most part of it under various pretences they had alfo for bribes granted to some an exemption from tribute, and laid on others a greater burthen than they could bear. Afterwards, on the war breaking out, the Tefterdars had invented various fchemes to fill their empty coffers; by which they had fo impoverished the citizens, that nothing was heard but the cries of people calling for the vengeance of God on their oppreffors. The Wazir, with great application, removes all thofe abuses; reftores to the treafury all the money which his predeceffors, the Pashâs and fecretaries, had taken away; establishes new laws for raifing tribute; and orders, that no perfon of a different religion fhould be exempt from it. Whereby the Greek monks, before exempt, became fubject to the Haraj (W), which he divides (W) A fet tribute, which all perfons, not Mohammedans, are obliged to pay to the Turkish emperors, if he has a mind to be a fubject of the empire. This tribute the Korán has fixed to be 13 drams of pure filver for all perfons come of ripe age. But, in time, this fum being thought too fmall, three rixdollars were fet upon each perfon's head, under Mohammed II. and his three successors; "which was afterwards leffened or encreased at pleasure, till this Kioprili divided it as in the text.-The Greek monks, ever-fince the taking of Conftantinople had been exempt from the Haraj, or Karaj, by virtue of a writing given by the pretended prophet Mohammed, to the monks of Sinay; but Kioprili alledged this priviledge to be fpurious, or, if genuine, to extend only to the Sinaite monks. Cant. A. D. 1688. into three parts, that none might fuffer by an unequal affeffment; enjoining the richer fort to pay ten Leonines a year, thofe of a middle rank fix, and the poor only three dollars. ALL the money which the devotion of their ancestors had left to the treasurers of the Jami, he brings into the publick Seizes treafury; and anfwers the Muteveli, who call it facrilege, that church wealth defigned for religious ufes, ought to be employed in treasure. religious wars; adding, that it was more conducive to the Mufulmân intereft, to maintain with it the defenders of the holy edifices, than enemies and robbers. He reflores to their former integrity the judicial proceedings, which till then had been almost intirely venal; punishes the judges convicted of Reforms corruption with great feverity; refcues those who are oppreffed the lawby falfe accufations without refpect of perfons; and prevents yrs. every-body from being injured. He orders that neither corn, nor any other provifions, fhould be violently demanded from the subjects (A), but purchased with ready money at fuch a price as they fhould think proper. By these measures having acquired a great reputation for prudence, juftice, and fanctity, he prepares for the campaign; and left fo many alterations. might in his abfence occafion a fedition against the Soltân, he perfuades him to remove to Adrianople in the fpring, where we leave the Wazir for a while, to fee what was doing in the interim in Hungary. HITHERTO the imperial arms had been profperous to a furprising degree: but now the empire being furiously attacked within the very bowels of it, by the arms of France, which obliged the feveral German princes to provide for their own fecurity, many of the troops who ferved in Hungary Kaffenek were called home. So that the main burden of the war fell befieged. on the emperor, which was carried on with various success, but for the most part profperous, whilft under the auspicious direction of prince Lewis of Baden. However the year 1690 began not very favourably on Leopold's fide: for the prince of Holftein, who in Veterani's abfence commanded the army in Albania, hearing that the Turks ravaged the country, he marched to Prifleren, or Priffina, with fome troops to meet them. From hence, on the first of January, he detached the prince of Hanover and colonel Straffer with fixteen hundred A. D. men to relieve the pass of Kaffenek, befieged by the Turks; 1688. where arriving next day they posted themselves with their backs to a morafs, and planted four field-pieces against the Turks, who durft not attack them in that place: 'but keep-. ing to the hills and woods, they detached one thousand Tatars into the plain, on fight of whom, Straffer, quitting his advantageous poft, forced them to retreat. The Germans de feated. Kaniflia MEAN time the Germans, being now in the open field, found themselves furrounded by thirty thousand of the enemy, against whom they maintained a battle from nine till three in the afternoon; when having spent all their powder and ammunition, they were at laft totally defeated. Here the prince of Hanover, colonel Straffer, and count Solari, with most of the officers and foldiers, were flain on the fpot, and most of the prifoners died of their wounds. However, five or fix hundred men, by favour of the night and woods, got fafe to Belgrade. On the fourth, Picolomini's regiment,' which was to join Straffer, under count Montecelli, having had no advice of the defeat, drew near to Kaffenek, and was presently furrounded by the Tatars: but the count retreating towards a morafs, over which there was a bridge, fent a lieutenant with thirty horfe to guard the other end of it. The Tatars after fome time attacked them on both fides: but the lieutenant being relieved by two companies, they defended themselves valiantly till night; under fhelter of which they retired to Prifferen, and thence marched to Prokopia. By this time Veterani, appointed general in place of Pifurrenders. colomini, arrived with fome troops from Tranfilvania, at Nija; which being a place open to the attack of the enemy, he fortified as well as he could. Mean time the pafs of Kaffenck furrendered: but to pafs by feveral small advantages of this kind gained by both parties; Kaniffa was fo ftraitly blocked up, that on the 16th of March, the garrison being greatly reduced, the Pafha fent two Agas to count Bathiani, offering to furrender, in cafe he was not relieved in four weeks. But that being refused, on the 19th the place was furrendered, on condition that the inhabitants fhould march-off with their arms and moveables into the Othman dominions. The Pafha himself brought the keys of the city in a gilded bafon, hanging on a gold chain; and delivering them to the count, faid, I deliver into your hands the keys of a fortress the like whereof there is none in all the Othman empire. This strong city was yielded rather thro' divifions among the officers, than for want of provifions, of which there were enough for four months. On the walls were mounted fifty-fix brass and ten iron cannon. There were found alfo three thoufand feven hun hundred and forty mufkets, with abundance of warlike A. D. ftores. 1688. Tekeli's promotion. It would be endless to take notice of every little action which happened before the opening of the campaign. But it is worth obferving, that in order to make way for greater ones, the French ambassador at the Othman court, after long folicitation, procured a Baratz or commiffion, declaring Tekeli prince of Tranfilvania, with the fame power and privileges as had been granted to Bethlem Ghabor. Of this inveftiture Tekeli gave notice by his circular letters, bearing date the 26th of June, to all the cities and provinces, forbidding them to give any affiftance to the Germans; and requiring them to join with him and the Turks, who were coming to deliver their country from the terrible oppreffion of the imperialifts. In effect the many troops of Tatars which had already entered Walakhia, and the increase of Tekeli's troops, much alarmed the German generals; so that all the forces in and about Tranfilvania were ordered to march under general Heufler towards the paffes which lead to Walakhia. At length, about the middle of July, the Tatars coming up the Danube, appeared before Widdin with Widdin four gallies and fixty other veffels, having five thoufand men attacked. on board, and begun to fire on the town. On this news general Trautmanfilorf marching with his troops to the relief of the place, fo plied the enemy with his cannon from the bank of the Danube, that they were compelled to fall lower down the ftream to the other fide of the river. After this, having furnished the town with a garrifon, and provifions out of the boats which attended him (on the Tinck) he returned to the rendezvous at Jagodina. 1 BUT in Auguft general Veterani, receiving advice that the grand Wazir was on his way towards Niffa, ordered all the troops in those parts to march to that city; where having left a garrifon of three thousand foot and five hundred horfe, he went back with the reft of the army, and encamped at Alexin. Now let us return to the Turkish hiftorians, and The Waattend the motions of the grand Wazir, who, about the be- zîr adginning of Shawal 1101, marched with the whole army towards Belgrade; and being informed in his paffage through Hej. Kiz Darbend (B), that feveral thoufand Germans from that 110!. city A D. b RICAUT, ubi fupra. (B) That is, the Virgin's paffage (narrow gate or gap); one of the two paffages over Mout D 4 vances. 1689. |