The History of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia — Voltaire — John Shaqi
The History of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia
Voltaire · en
The treaty was no sooner concluded, than the czar quitted the borders of
the Pruth, and returned towards his own dominions, followed by a body of
eight thousand Turks, whom the vizier had sent as an army of observation
to watch the motions of the Russian army during its march, and also to
serve as an escort or safeguard to them against the wandering Tartars
which infested those parts.
Peter instantly set about accomplishing the treaty, by demolishing the
fortresses of Samara and Kamienska; but the restoring of Azoph, and the
demolition of the port of Taganroc, met with some difficulties in the
execution. According to the terms of the treaty it was necessary to
distinguish the artillery and ammunition which belonged to the Turks in
Azoph before that place was taken by the czar, from those which had been
sent thither after it fell into his hands. The governor of the place
spun out this affair to a tedious length, at which the Porte was greatly
incensed, and not without reason: the sultan was impatient to receive
the keys of Azoph. The vizier promised they should be sent from time to
time, but the governor always found means to delay the delivery of them.
Baltagi Mahomet lost the good graces of his master, and with them his
place. The khan of Tartary and his other enemies made such good use of
their interest with the sultan, that the grand vizier was deposed,
several bashas were disgraced at the same time; but the grand seignior,
well convinced of this minister's fidelity, did not deprive him either
of his life or estate, but only sent him to Mytilene to take on him the
command of that island. This simple removal from the helm of affairs
(Nov. 1711,), and the continuing to him his fortunes, and above all the
giving him the command in Mytilene, sufficiently contradicts all that
Norberg has advanced, to induce us to believe that this vizier had been
corrupted with the czar's money.