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"to-morrow, with your confent, to refign to him the feal of "the empire, and defire leave to go to Mekka"."

A. D.

1691.

THE Fanizar-Aga, and the reft of the officers, on hearing the Wazir's fpeech, call the Soltan ftupid, imprudent, fim- Sounds the ple, and cry out that he is fwayed by his courtiers like boughs Soldiery. fhaken by the wind: adding, that if he should persist in his defign, they had rather depofe him than Kyoprili Ogli, the defender of the law, the restorer of the Othman empire, and the invincible general. They promife to fhed their blood in defence of a fingle hair of his head; binding themselves by oath never to suffer any other general during his life, and to execute his commands with the utmost alacrity. The Wazir, who had fent for the officers only to found how they stood affected to him, finding that he might depend on them, fends an answer by a Talkhish (F), " That as he was mounting his "horfe, he was informed that the foldiers, for fome injury "received from the courtiers, were raifing a fedition; that " he imagined he might fafely defer his obedience to the Sol"tan's command, in order to put a stop to it: that with "fuch a view he had fent for the officers of the army, and "would acquaint his majesty next day with the course that "should be taken for appeafing the commotion."

NEXT day he informs the Soltân, by another Talkifb, that Ruins bis he had done his utmoft to extinguish the latent flame among enemies. the foldiers; but found them so presumptuous as to refuse to return to their duty, till the Kizler Agafi was difmiffed, and his fecretary delivered-up to a trial. He therefore intreats his majesty, that now the army was ready to fet out, and himfelf full of hopes of fuccefs, he would not, by an unseasonable indulgence to his officers, stop the progress of victory, and expose himself to great danger. The Kizler Agafi, who, by this letter, perceived his defigns were betrayed to the Wazir, defires the Soltán to facrifice him, though a faithful fervant, he said, to the good of the empire. But Ahmed refufing, through fondnefs to the deceiver, the Wazir fends a third Talkhifh; which obliges the Soltán, for fear of worse confequences, to do as he had defired. Accordingly the Kiz+ ler Agafi was banished to Egypt; and his fecretary, when

account;

CANT. Hift. Othm. p. 377, & feqq. in Ahmed II.

(F) That is, a relation, or the name given to the letters fent by the Wazir to the Soltán about publick affairs; which, if rejected, is reckoned

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A. D. brought to the Wazir, was ordered to be hanged in his habit, 1691. with a filver ink-pot at his girdle.

Takes the field.

Battle of
Ilanka

men.

THAT minister being thus confirmed in his poft, to cut off all opportunity from the other court-officers to make the like attempts against him, three days after he removes the army out of Adrianople; and, encamping near the city, prepares every thing neceffary for the campaign. Here he receives, with great honour, an ambassador from William III. king of England, who came to offer his master's mediation for fettling a peace (A). The Wazir declares he was ready to agree to one upon honourable conditions; but, in reality, intended only to amuse the Germans, till he made himself master of Buda. With this view, he marched with his army to Belgrade: but, being there informed, that the imperialists, under Lewis, prince of Baden, had taken the field, and were advanced to Peterwaradin, he directs his course thither; on whose approach the German general pitches his camp near lankamen, on the banks of the Danube, and strongly fortifies it.

THE Wazir foon after comes up, and places his troops to the right of the imperial camp, in order to prevent their return. At the fame time five thoufand Germans, marching in hafte to reinforce prince Lewis, are intercepted, and inclosed by the Turks, in fight of the emperor's army, fo that not one of them escaped being killed or taken prifoners. The Germans, who before had defigned to attack the Othmans, on this difafter lose their refolution; and their general too late perceives his error, in fuffering himself to be shut-up in fo narrow a space, where he could neither open his troops, nor defend them from the enemy's cannon: fo that, there being no other way to extricate himself from this dangerous fituation, he refolves to force a paffage with the fword. While he meditates this defign, the Turks, flushed with their late success, rush furiously on the German camp, as if they would destroy the whole army at one effort. The battle continues for fix hours doubtful, with equal courage, but with unequal strength. The imperialifts, now turning despair into refolution, pass the Turkish trenches; and the Turks, out of fhame for lofs

(A) Ricaut places this affair in the reign of Soleyman, and fays, the ambaffador, Sir William Huffey, fet-out for Conftantinople on the 12th of June (which was the day after the Soltán died). He propofed a Uti poffidetis; but the Wazir, feeming to be intent on wars

did not declare himself on the fubject. Sir William's arriving fo late, for he did not get to Adrianople till June, was owing to the Germans flowness; who, though they wished for peace, were very dilatory in giving him their inftructions.

of

of the victory fnatched out of their hands, drive the imperi- A. D. alists back into their works, which they, in their turns, pe- 1691.

netrate.

Ar laft, when the victory feems inclined to the Othmans, TheWazis the Wazir, to dismay by his prefence those who still refifted, flain. with his own troop attacks the right wing of the Germans, where he faw the greatest oppofition: but, in the heat of the battle, being wounded in the temples by a musket bullet, he falls from his horse; and, by his death, transfers the victory, already obtained, to the Germans: for his chamberlains, confounded at this unexpected difafter, call their companions, and other officers prefent, to take up their master's body; during which time the Tubulkhâna (B) ceases to found. This ceffation occafions great disorder among the Othmân troops now victorious: fo that the horse, seized with a panic, abandoning the foot, firft take to flight, and are foon followed by the Janizaries. The imperialists, who were fighting, not with the hopes of victory, but that they might not die unrevenged, beholding the unexpected flight of the enemy, advanced but flowly, that the Fanizaries might have opportunity to retreat for their strength was so spent, that they could not have stood another engagement.

THE reft of the Turkish foot, when they perceive the Jani- The Turks zaries to fly, quitting their cannon and camp, follow them overwith the utmost precipitation. There fell in the battle twenty-thrown. eight thousand Turks, but not above three thousand Germans, exclufive of the above-mentioned five regiments. However, when Leopold was informed of the victory, he is reported to have faid, that he should be unwilling to conquer often upon fuch terms, fince he could fcarce repair the lofs of eight regiments in three years; whereas the Soltán could fupply the lofs of even eighty thousand men in eighty days. After this victory, the prince of Baden recovers Lippa, taken by the Turks the year before, and closely befieges Waradin; while the Turkish army, continuing their flight to Belgrade, there ftop, and make Ali Pafbá their Serafkier 2.

THUS the Turkish hiftorians write. Let us now fee if our Bravery hiftorians agree with them. The Wazir being arrived at of Thos, Belgrade, with an army of one hundred thousand men, befides a vast number of fhips and gallies, one hundred of them

a CANT. Hift. Othm, p. 381, & feqq.

(B) Warlike mufick, which in battle is always near the Wazir, and continually playing to animate the foldiers; fo that, if

it happens to cease, the Jani-
zaries take it for an ill omen,
and can fcarce be restrained
from flight. Cant,

were

A. D. were fent, with four thousand men under command of a 1691. Pafba, to attack Titul; which, on the fourth day, was furrendered by captain Thos, on condition that the garrifon, confifting of only one hundred and twenty Germans, and two hundred Rafcians, fhould be conducted to the imperial army. But, when they came to march out, the Pafha's lieutenant would not fuffer the Rafcians to pafs, giving orders to put them all to the fword. Thos, refolved not to bear this treachery, came to fuch high words with the Pashâ, that the latter drew his fimeter; but Thos, being too quick for him, fhot him dead with a pistol, and then another Turk near him. The breach now being irreconcileable, he caused his men to fire on the Turks; whence enfued a most desperate fight. But the imperialifts, being overpowered by numbers, they were almost all flain, after killing five hundred of the enemy.

Prince Lewis marches

MEAN time prince Lewis, being arrived on the 29th of July at Peterwaradin, next day fent word to the Wazir, by a fpy who was taken, that he was marching towards him with his whole army; which foon after, by reinforcements, amounted to fixty-fix thousand and feventy men. With these he advanced firft to Carlowitz, and then to Salankement (C); where being informed, that the whole Turkish army had paffed the Save, and encamped at Semlin (or Semelin) on the Danube, oppofite Belgrade, he marched on the 12th of Auguft within cannon-fhot of the Turkish camp. This being posted on a rifing ground, not to be attacked without great difadvantage, it was refolved next day to march back to Salankement, where their provifions were lodged; the enemy being too strong in fhipping for their veffels to attend them. The 16th, the imperial forces began their march, which the Turks, mistaking for a flight, on the 17th attacked their rear, but were repulfed with lofs. It was now expected that next day there would be a general battle. But, instead of that, the Wazir, following the advice of the French who were about him, marched half a league beyond them (D), that he might cut-off their communication with Peterwarato Salan- din; and there the Turks pofted themselves with fuch expekemen. dition, that, in twenty-four hours, they had fortified their

(C) Or Slankemen; which, according to count Marfigli, who gives a plan of the battle, is a ruined caftle on the fouth fide of the Danube, oppofite to the mouth of the river Teiffe. Etat.

milit. del'emp. Ottoman. part ii. p. 96.

(D) Count Marfigli fays, he made this forced march under favour of the night.

camp

camp with regular walls the height of a man, and bastions planted with cannon, leaving only a paffage for coming in and going out of the camp.

THIS was an unlucky ftep for the Germans: for, by that means, not only fourteen hundred recruits fell into the enemy's hands, and were all flain excepting thirty, but they alfo intercepted one hundred and fifty waggons carrying provifions to the imperial army from Peterwaradin, which was their grand storehouse; besides one hundred ships belonging to their futtlers. The imperialifts, after this lofs, perceiving no deliverance but in their fwords, on the 19th, armed with defpair, by break of day, put themselves in a posture of battle, and marched directly towards the Turks; fo that about noon, both armies drawn up, faced each other at a small distance. The prince of Baden commanded the right, and count Donewaldt (E) the left wing.

A. D.

1691.

THE Turkish army confifted of about one hundred thou- The Turkfand men(F), of whom fixty thousand were the best foldiers in ish army the Othman empire; befides fifteen thousand of the veteran Janizaries. They were advantageously posted, having the Danube on their backs (G), and in their front a deep ditch, with earth thrown-up behind them. However their left wing (H) lay fomewhat more expofed than the right. On the other hand, the greater part of the imperial infantry was divided into twenty battalions, flanked with two regiments of horfe, and the greater part of the biggest cannon. The reft of the army was drawn-up in the ufual form: and, on the fignal of a bomb, all marched in an equal line, till within two hundred paces of the enemy; and then the cannon, on both fides, began to play. At firft it was intended to attack the enemy's left wing (I), before the right, to give room for the

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(G) The Danube also covered their left flank, as it did the right of the imperialifts. Their right wing, which confifted of the cavalry under the Serafkier, was not fo well covered. Yet, being very numerous, they flanked the imperial horse.

(H) Rather the right more than the left; or the infantry, which was more intrenched with the Danube, covering their flank.

(I) Rather it should feem the right wing, for the left was attacked first. foot,

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