The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Volumes 1 and 2Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
History
The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Volumes 1 and 2
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de, 1522-1592
Accordingly Solyman was afraid that the Shah, who, by the way, is
better known to us as the Sophi, would have a keener recollection of
their ancient quarrels than of the peace which he had been recently
compelled to make, and that consequently, if his son should escape into
Persia, he would not allow him to be taken away without a great deal
of trouble, and that possibly a long and harassing war would be the
result. He therefore took the utmost pains to apprehend Bajazet, before
he should escape thither. He remembered that the support, which, a few
years before, he himself had given to Elkass, the brother of Tahmasp,
who had taken refuge with him,[222] had been the cause of many years of
annoyance and anxiety to Tahmasp, and his conscience told him that this
would be an opportunity for the latter to retaliate, and perhaps to
make an attempt to recover the territory which he had lost in war.
Although the designs of Solyman were kept very secret, they were not
unobserved by Bajazet’s friends, who repeatedly warned him not to trust
his father, to be on his guard against plots, and to take betimes the
best measures in his power for his safety. A little matter is often the
immediate cause of a very serious step, and so it was in this case.
What drove him to take his friends’ advice was, as I have heard, the
circumstance that one of his spies, who was arrested in the camp, was
by Solyman’s orders publicly executed by impalement, on the pretext
that he had been enlisted by Bajazet after he had been strictly
forbidden to enroll any more soldiers. When informed of his follower’s
execution, Bajazet immediately felt that his only chance was to fly for
his life. Solyman, on the other hand, thinking he had now made certain
of his not escaping, or perhaps to deceive him the more, ordered his
army to return to Constantinople the day after the festival of Bairam.
At Amasia, on the very day of the feast, as soon as the usual
ceremonies were finished, Bajazet ordered his baggage to be packed up
and began his ill-starred journey to Persia; he knew right well that he
was going to the ancient enemy of the house of Othman, but he was fully
resolved to throw himself on any one’s mercy rather than fall into his
father’s hands. Every man marched out who was capable of bearing arms;
none but women and children unequal to the fatigues of a long journey
were left behind. Among the latter was a newly born son of Bajazet,
with his mother; his father preferred to leave the innocent babe to
his grand-father’s mercy, rather than take him as a companion of his
anxious and miserable flight. This child Solyman ordered to be taken
care of at Broussa, feeling as yet uncertain what his father’s fate
might be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account