A pitiful Case, you will say, rather to be lamented than related: But these are the Tragical Sports of insolent Fortune; yet Revenge followed him at the Heels, _Rustan_’s Laughter was soon turned to Sadness: For a little while after one of the _Deli’s_, or mad Sparks, a sort of furious Horsemen among the _Turks_, so called by their outragious Boldness, came post to him out of _Dalmatia_, and told him, that a parcel of _Turks_ had made an Excursion into the Enemies Country, and had got great Booty, but seting no bounds to their Avarice, they, at last were encountered with a Party of _Christians_, _Dragoons_ or _Musketeers_, who totally routed them, slew many _Sanziacks_, and among them his _Achillean_ Cousin, lately so much extolled by him. This sad News made _Rustan_ burst out into Tears, so that his fit of Laughter was justly requited. But hearken to the close of the Story, which is not unpleasant: When this _Dalmatian_ Trooper, who brought the News, was asked by the _Bassa_, in the _Divan_, How many were there of you? He answered, above two thousand five hundred: And how many of the _Christians_? I think, says he, they were not above five hundred, unless there were more of them in ambush, as we suspected. Fie for Shame, said the fretting _Bassas_! what! a regular Army of _Mussulmans_ (so they call the Men of their own Religion) to be beaten by so small a handful of _Christians_! You are goodly Warriors indeed! fit to eat the _Sultan_’s Bread, are, you not? The blunt Fellow, nothing dismay’d, replied, you are quit beside the Cushion; did I not tell you that we were beaten by Musketeers? ’Twas the Fire defeated us, not the Valour of our Enemies. We had come off Conquerors, if we had contested by Valour only; but who can fight against Fire, the fiercest of Elements? and what Mortal can stand, if the very Elements fight against him? This bold Answer of his, being as saucily pronounced, made the By-standers ready to burst out into a Laughter, though on this sad occasion to them.