Travels into Turkey: Containing the most accurate account of the Turks, and neighbouring nations, their manners, customs, religion, superstition, policy, riches, coins, &c.Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
History
Travels into Turkey: Containing the most accurate account of the Turks, and neighbouring nations, their manners, customs, religion, superstition, policy, riches, coins, &c.
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
Turkey -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
By these Reasons _Solyman_ was induced to yield to the Murder of his
Grandchild, and thereupon sent _Ebrahim_ Bashaw to _Prusa_, to destroy
the innocent Youth. As soon as the Bashaw came thither, he made it his
great Business to conceal his intended Design from the Child’s Mother;
for, he thought, it would be look’d upon as an inhuman Thing in him, to
cut off a Youth, with the Privity of his Mother, and, as it were, before
her Eyes. And, besides, he was afraid the People would rise in Arms upon
the Perpetration of so cruel a Fact; and therefore at first, Fox like,
he sets his Wits at work to deceive the Mother. He pretended that he was
sent by _Solyman_, out of Respect to her and her Son, to visit them; that
his Master saw his Error in putting his Son to Death, which he now, too
late repented of; but that the crueller he had been to the Father, the
more indulgent he would be to his Son; and many such colloguing Words
he used, whereby he imposed upon the too credulous Mother, who was the
rather induced to believe him, because of _Rustan_’s Disgrace and Fall;
and to crown his Flattery, he presented them with many Gifts. This past
on for a Day or two, and then some Discourse was administred concerning
their going abroad, out of the City, to enjoy the fresh Air. And the
Bashaw, being an Eunuch, persuaded her the next Day to take a Turn in
the Suburbs, she in her Coach, and himself, with her Son, would ride
afore on Horseback. The Matter seemed not to afford any Suspicion, and
therefore she consented, and a Chariot is prepared for her; but (mark
the Fraud!) the Axle-Tree of the Coach was so made, on Purpose, that it
must needs break, when it came to be jogged in any rough Way. Thus she,
in an unlucky Time, began her Journey out of the City. The Eunuch and the
Child rode a pretty Way before, as if they had Occasion for some private
Discourse, and the Mother speeded after as fast as she was able; but
when the Coach came to the designed craggy Place, the Wheel violently hit
against the Rocks, and so the Axle-Tree broke. This the Mother looked
upon as an unlucky Omen, and therefore, in a great Fright, she could not
long be restrained from leaving her Coach, and with a few of her Maids,
from following her Son on Foot. But, alas! ’twas too late; for the Eunuch
being come to the House designed for the Slaughter, without any more
ado, shewed the Child the Emperor’s Mandate for his Death. He answered,
according to the Principles of their Religion, That he looked upon that
Command as proceeding not from the Emperor, but from God, which must
necessarily be obeyed, and so he yielded his Neck to the Bow-String.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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