The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Vol. 1 (of 2)Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
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The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de, 1522-1592
When the men had ridden forward for the space of one hour, they noticed
four horsemen under the shade of a tree, which stood at a little
distance from the road. As they were dressed in Turkish fashion, they
took them for Turks, and rode up. On coming nearer, they inquired
whether the country in that direction was fairly quiet. The four
horsemen made no reply, but charged on them with drawn swords, and
slashed one of the Turks over the face, cutting his nose nearly off,
so that the greater part of it hung down on his chin. One of the Turks
was leading his horse by the rein. This the horsemen seized, and one
of them mounted on its back, leaving his own scurvy jade in its place.
After this exchange of steeds they took to flight, while the Turks
fell back to our party—the man whose face had been damaged bellowing
lustily, and showing the horrid wound he had received. They told us
to make ready for fighting our way through an ambuscade they had
discovered. Even I got into the saddle, in the hope of encouraging my
men. But we came too late; the battle was all over. The fellows, who
were far more anxious to carry off their booty than to bandy blows,
were already galloping back to Raab, a town which our people hold, and
of the garrison of which they formed a part. The Turks pointed them out
to us, as they rode across the neighbouring hills on their way to Raab.
After this adventure we came to Gran, where next day the Sanjak-bey,
after giving me a hearty welcome, recommended me, amongst other things,
not to forget the proof I had just received of how insolent Hungarian
soldiers could be, and to remember that not even the respect due to
the presence of his Royal Majesty’s ambassador had kept them from
playing their old tricks. He requested me also to see that the horse
which had been taken away was returned. Meanwhile, my friend the Turk
who had been wounded was standing in a corner of the Sanjak-bey’s hall,
with his head covered with bandages and his nose freshly sewn up. As
he drew his breath there was a kind of hoarse, uncomfortable sound. He
kept asking me for something to comfort him under his misfortune. I
promised to give him that which should cure his wound, and presented
him with two gold ducats. He wanted more, but the Sanjak-bey cut him
short, and declared that it was enough, and more than enough, to cure
him, reminding him that his misfortune must have been predestined, and
therefore I could not justly be held responsible for it!
After this I was allowed to resume my journey, and on the same day
reached Komorn. Here I waited patiently for my fever to come on at its
regular time. At last I found that it had left me, and that the Turkish
fever had not ventured to cross into Christian territory! Hereupon I
gave thanks to God for delivering me, in one and the same day, both
from sickness and also from the toils and troubles of a long and
difficult journey.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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