The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Volumes 1 and 2Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
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The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Volumes 1 and 2
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de, 1522-1592
De Sandé, when he heard the story, was both vexed and amused. He
was unaffected by the doctor’s exclamations, thinking he was more
frightened than hurt. But he was tormented by a terrible anxiety,
fearing that he would be recalled to Constantinople, and could not
be persuaded that there was not some treachery at the bottom of the
affair. The Pashas, he thought, had sought an opportunity of pretending
to do me a favour, and would soon show their real intentions, and find
an excuse for dragging him back to Constantinople, where he must lie
rotting in a filthy jail to the end of his days. He was therefore much
vexed at the behaviour of my servant, who, instead of expressing any
sorrow at the severe wound he had inflicted on the Janissary, swore
that he was exceedingly sorry to hear he was still alive. Accordingly,
he addressed him as follows, ‘My good Henry (for that was his name),
I beg you to control your anger. This is no place for displaying your
courage or avenging your wrongs; in our present situation it is no mark
of cowardice to pocket an affront. Whether we will or no, we are in
their power. Pray, remember how much mischief this ill-timed passion
of yours may bring on us; we may in consequence be all brought back to
Constantinople, and everything that has been done may be undone, or
at any rate, unsettled, the result of which will be fresh worries and
endless trouble. I beg you another time, if you have no regard for your
own safety, for my sake at any rate, to control yourself more.’
But his remonstrances fell on deaf ears. Henry was a man of obstinate
disposition, and when angered, most unreasonable. ‘What would it have
mattered to me,’ he answered, ‘even if I had killed him? Had he not
resolved to murder me? if but one of all the blows he aimed at my
head had reached me, he had butchered me like a sheep. The idea of my
being guilty for slaying a man, who was endeavouring to kill me! I am
desperately sorry for one thing, and that is, that I do not feel quite
sure that he will not recover from my blow.’ Then he swore he would
spare no Turk, who wanted to wound him, but would, at all hazards, do
his best to kill him. De Sandé did not approve of these sentiments.
The Janissary, having received the wound I mentioned, made it out to
be worse than it was. Two Jews, who were acquainted with the Spanish
tongue, came to me, saying that the Janissary was in great danger; I
must give him some compensation, or else I should hear more of it; much
trouble was in store for me on this account. I replied as I thought
politic.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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