the care of Ak-Shemsu-d-dín, while he himself was entirely engaged in continuing the siege. The complete account of the affair is this: Kostantín, the late King of Islámból, being betrothed to a daughter of the King of Fránsah, the latter, in order to send her with an escort worthy of her rank, equipped a fleet of six hundred ships, and sent them to ravage the coasts of Arabia (’Arabistán). In that unhappy year they had plundered ’Akkah, Saïdah, Berút, Tarábulus (Tripoli), Ghazzah, and Ramlah, as far as the land of Hásán (Haúrán?), and carried off more than two thousand Húrí-like damsels from ’Arabistán, with spoils to the amount of millions. Of this fleet, ten galeons and ten frigates were dispatched to carry the Princess to Islámbúl. When they reached the straits of the White Sea (the Dardanelles), they discovered that the Túrks had built castles there; but these accursed fellows, by disguising themselves, taking advantage of a fresh southerly breeze, and sending forwards five empty ships to receive the fire from the castles, in two hours got twenty miles beyond them. Having by this stratagem reached Islámból, they were taken, thank God! as has been related. This French princess afterwards gave birth to Yildirím Báyazíd; but other historians tell the story differently, and say that she was taken by the father of Mohammed the Conqueror, and gave birth to him, but he was in truth the son of ’Alímeh Khánum, the daughter of Isfendiyár Oghlú. The correctness of the first account maybe proved thus: My father, who died an old man, was with Sultán Suleïmán at the sieges of Rhodes, Belgrade, and Sigetvár, where that prince died. He used to converse much with men advanced in years: among his most intimate friends there was one who was grey-headed and infirm, but more eloquent than Amrïo-l-kaïs or Abú-l-ma’álí. He was chief secretary to the corps of Janissaries, and his name was Sú-Kemerlí Kójah Mustafà Chelebí. This gentleman was certainly related to this daughter of the King of Fránsah, from whom he continually received presents; and I remember that when I was a boy he gave me some curious pictures which had been given to him by her. During the siege of Sigetvár, before the death of Suleïmán was known to the army, the silihdár (sword-bearer) Kúzú ’Alí Aghá, by the desire of the Grand Vizír Sokól-lí Mohammed Páshá, assembled a council of war, at which the corpse of the Sultán was seated on his throne, and his hands were moved [by some one concealed] behind his ample robe (khil’ah). To this council all the vizírs, vakíls, and senior officers of the army were summoned. Among them were the rikábdár (stirrup-holder) Julábí Aghá, the metbakh emíní (clerk of the kitchen) ’Abdí Efendí, my father, and the abovementioned Sú-kemerli Kójáh Mustafá. He was at that time so old, that when he accompanied the army he was always carried about in a litter (takhti-reván). He had been one of the disciples of the great