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Modern History:

BEING A

CONTINUATION

OF THE

Univerfal History.

BOOK XV.

CHA P. XX.

The Reign of Soleymân II.

SECT. I.

Troubles in the Othmân Empire. The Siege of Belgrade, and Battle of Nissa.

W

HEN the Boftânji Bâfbi (A) brought Soleyman 20 Soltân the news of his brother's depofition, and his own Soleymân advancement to the Ali Othmân throne, that II.

prince, contrary to every body's expectation, was extremely grieved at the meffage; "Why, fays he, in "the name of the immortal god, do you endeavour to dif "turb my tranquility? Suffer me, I befeech you, to pass "in quiet, in my cell, the few days I have to live; and let

my brother rule the Othmân empire: for he was born to go"vern, but I to the ftudy of eternal life." The Boftânji Bashi, at first, is amazed at these words: but, recovering himself, continues to prefs the prince; alledging, that the refolution

(A) The chief of the gardeners.
B

MOD. HIST. VOL. XIII.

of

A. D. of the Wazîrs, Ulema, nobles, and the whole people, could 1687. not be altered; nor Soltán Mohammed restored, without great detriment to the empire. Soleymân, still in suspence, replies, "That he owed too great a reverence to his brother to take "poffeffion of his throne, which he had quitted with reluc"tance: I would come forth, however, continues he, but 66 am afraid of my brother."

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AT laft the Botânji Bâfbi, impatient of delay, fays, His timo-muft give way, moft refplendent emperor, to the entrea"ties and wishes of the Muffulman people ;" and, with these words, forces him, as it were, out of his chamber, and leads him to the room where the throne was usually placed. When he came there, he firft, not without figns of fear, defires his conductor and the door-keepers "to take care, left his brother should be within; fince he dreaded "to appear in his prefence." Having been affured, that his brother was removed to another apartment, he, at length, mounts the throne, and is faluted emperor by all the courtiers. But, as foon as the ceremony was performed, he leaps down again, as from an impure place, and demands abdeft (B). This done, he defers returning to the throne; and, when the courtiers prefs him to it, he puts his finger to his mouth, and enjoins them filence (C). At laft, notwithstanding his reluctance, he is again feated there; and admits the Ülema and nobles to kifs his robe.

A new fedition.

BEING thus advanced, he confirms the Wazir, Siavus Pashâ, and commands him to appease the fedition. On the Wazîr's return to his palace, the Bulûk Agalari (D) do him their reverence; but then demand their pay, and a new Bakhfhib (E), which used to be given to the foldiers at the beginning of a new fucceffion. Siavus Pafbâ, finding the treafuries

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furies empty, amuses the officers for fome time with words, and then endeavours to feparate the chief authors of the dif turbances, under pretence of promoting them, in order to fend them to remote cities. By this conduct, the former hatred of the foldiers is revived against him, when affembled in the Orta Jâmi; they run through the streets, crying out, the Wazir ought to be put to death, as an enemy to Soltân Soleymân, a deserter, and a violater of his promises.

A. D. 1687.

very:

PRESENTLY after they furround his palace, whither, on the firft alarm of their meeting, he had retired with zir's bra his officers; and, on being denied admittance to speak to that minifter, attempt to break open the gates: but Siavus Pafbâ repels them with the arms which he found by chance. in the palace; and kills above twenty Janizaries. The foldiers, more enraged at this flaughter, rush with their whole force upon the gates, and break them open. Mean time the Wazir fhoots feveral with arrows from his chamber oppofite to the gate, while his officers, about 100 in number, prevent the rebels from afcending, and force them into the Diwân Khâneh (F). A bloody conflict hereupon enfues, wherein above 150 of the confpirators are killed upon the stairs, and as many wounded. But, at last, many of the Wazir's party being flain, the rest fly to the top of the house, and throw themselves into the street. Upon this, Siavus Pabâ retires again to his chamber; and, in the door, kills twelve Jani Zaries with his fword. At laft, rather wearied with conquering than conquered himself, he is beaten down, and killed he is flain. by the foldiers, who cut his body in pieces, and throw them into the street 2.

RIC AUT relates feveral matters which paffed before the death of the Wazir, not mentioned by our Turkish his

CANT. Hift. Othm. p. 350, & feqq.

preferve the empire, and be a check to the tyranny and vices of his fucceffors, as well as of his minifters, by being an encouragement to the foldiery to watch over the conduct of the Pasha's, and reform the government when grown negligent or corrupt. Cant.

(F) That is, the house of judgment, or place where the people's complaints are heard. It is a large hall on the fecond floor of the Wazir's palace, open to

wards the ftair-cafe; where peo-
ple standing may hear what is
doing above. The Wazir fits
oppofite to the ftairs,in an alcove
made in the wall. He is obliged
to adminifter juftice there Fri-
days, Saturdays, Mondays, and
Wednesdays. Thursday is a day
of reft: the other two days are
for the Soltan's divân. If hin-
dered by bufinefs of state, which
is rare, the Chauh Bájki-fup-
plies his place.-Cant:

B 2

torians.

A. D. torians. According to him, Shaus Pafbâ made his entry into 1687: Conftantinople, on the 1ft day of November, with great folemnity; and prefented the prophet's ftandard to the Soltân, who, moving three fteps forward, took it from him, and gave it to Mostafa, the Seliktar, or Silahdar: then receiving his brother's feal, in the fame manner, returned the Wazir another with his own name upon it.

Changes at

court.

NOTWITHSTANDING this, the fury of the mutineers was not yet abated: for they committed feveral great men to prifon; and had Rajeb Páfbâ strangled; although it was believed that the chief promoter of his death was the Wazir, who envied him on account of his great abilities. They likewife turned out their Aga, and chose in his room the Seliktar, a man but twenty-five years old, who had formerly been a furgeon in the Saray, and of no experience in military affairs.

THIS, however, proved a merit in his character, as it made him the fitter to be governed by them: for now the Wazir himself was forced to grant them all their demands, and apMoney pro- prove in writing fuch methods as they judged proper for jects. raifing money; one of which was to tax the great officers belonging to the late Soltán, down to the aftrologers and goldfmiths, most of whom were fined to the full of what they were worth. The next method of railing money was, by admitting to ranfom thofe who were imprifoned. These fums, thus collected, being fufficient to discharge the arrears due to the foldiers, things grew calm for a time; so that, on the 17th of November, Soltán Soleyman went in the morning by boat to the Saray of Ayub; where he was girt with the fword by the Nakîb Effendi; and, when the ceremonies were over, rode back through the city, but with no great pomp.

Civil lift reduced.

AFTER this, he began a reform at court, by leffening the number of hawks and hounds. He reduced that of his horses to one hundred; made one hundred-and-fifty of his pages Spahi's, and changed the reft. The like was done in the court and chambers of the women: by which retrenchments eight thoufand purfes were faved yearly to the treafury. These proceedings greatly pleased the foldiers; but, the money falling fhort to pay them, it created new commotions. And now it was the Wazir's turn to conjure up more; which he performed by the old method, in going over with the rich men once again. Among the reft, the Kizlar Aga, whom he began with, was forced to pay nine hundred purfes, befides his effects to a great value; and then banifhed to Rhodes. But the money raised, still falling fhort by two hundred purses,

the

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