Since Charles’s retreat to Bender, Constantinople was occupying the
position that Rome had so often held, as the centre of the business of
Christendom. Count Desaleurs, the French ambassador at the Porte, was
supporting the interests of Charles and of Stanislas; the Emperor of
Germany’s minister was opposing them. The Swedish and Russian factions
were falling foul of each other, as those of France and Spain have long
done at the Court of Rome.
England and Holland posed as neutrals, but were not really such; the
new trade of Saint Petersburg attracted the attention of those two
trading powers.
The English and the Dutch are always on the side of the prince who
most favours their trade, and there was just then much to be gained
from the Czar, so that it is no wonder that the English and Dutch
ministers should work secretly in his interest at the Porte. One of
the conditions of this new alliance was that Charles should at once be
driven from the Turkish dominions.
Perhaps the Czar thought him less formidable at home than in Turkey,
where he was always on the spot ready to raise the Ottoman arms
against the Russian empire, or perhaps he hoped to seize him _en
route_. The King of Sweden continued his petitions to the Porte to
send him home through Poland with a large army. The Divan resolved to
send him back, but only with a guard of 7,000 or 8,000 men, not like a
King they wished to help, but as a guest they were anxious to be rid
of. With this object in view the Sultan Achmet wrote him the following
letter:
“Most powerful of the Princes that worship Jesus, redressor of wrongs
and injuries, and protector of justice in the ports and republics of
South and North, shining in Majesty, lover of Honour and Glory, and of
our sublime Porte, Charles, King of Sweden, whose enterprises may God
crown with success.
“As soon as the most illustrious Achmet, formerly Chiaoux-Pasha,
shall have the honour to present this letter to you, adorned with
our Imperial seal, be persuaded and convinced of the truth of our
intentions expressed therein, namely, that, although we had planned
to march again against the Czar, yet that Prince, to avoid our just
resentment at his delay in the execution of the treaty concluded on
the banks of the Pruth, and renewed again at our sublime Porte, having
surrendered to us the castle and city of Azov, and having endeavoured
by the mediation of the English and Dutch ambassadors, our ancient
allies, to form a lasting peace with us, we have granted his request,
and given up his plenipotentiaries, who remain with us as hostages,
our Imperial ratification, after having received his from their hands.