They amassed this money solely to act before the Divan the comedy of a
Swedish embassy. At the Porte, Grothusen received all the honour paid
to ambassadors extraordinary on their day of audience. The object of
the whole thing was to get money from the Vizir, but the scheme failed.
Grothusen proposed that the Porte should lend him a million. But the
Vizir answered that his master could be generous when he wished, but
that lending was beneath his dignity; that the King should have all
necessary for his journey, and in a degree becoming to the giver; and
that possibly the Porte might send him a present of uncoined gold, but
that he was not to count on that.
The King began his journey on the 1st of October, 1714. A capigi-pasha,
with six chiaoux, went to accompany him from Demirtash, whither he
had removed a few days before. The presents they brought him from
the Sultan were a large scarlet tent embroidered with gold, a sabre
set with jewels, eight beautiful Arab horses, with fine saddles and
stirrups set with massive silver. It is not beneath the dignity of
history to tell that the Arabian groom, who had charge of the horses,
gave the King an account of their genealogy; it is the custom there
to think more of the family of a horse than of a man; which is not
unreasonable, for if we are careful of the breed these animals never
degenerate.
The convoy consisted of sixty chariots, laden with all sorts of
provisions, and three hundred horses. The Pasha, knowing that many
Turks had advanced money to the King’s suite at high rate of interest,
told him that, as usury was forbidden by the law of Mahomet, he desired
his Majesty to settle the debts, so that his resident at Constantinople
should only pay the principal. “No,” said the King, “if my servants
have given bills for a hundred crowns it shall be paid, even if they
have only received ten for it.” He proposed to the creditors to go
with him, and promised payment of all their debts; and many did go to
Sweden, and Grothusen was responsible for seeing that they were paid.
The Turks, to show more respect for their guest, made very short stages
in the journey; this respectful delay bored the King; he got up as
usual about three in the morning; as soon as he was dressed he himself
called the capigi and the chiaoux, and ordered them to march in the
midst of pitch darkness. The Turkish solemnity was not pleased by this
novel way of travelling, and the King was glad to find it was so, and
said that he would avenge Bender a little.
When he arrived at the Turkish frontier, Stanislas was leaving it by
another road, intending to withdraw into Germany to the Duchy of Deux
Ponts, a country bordering on the Rhine Palatinate and Alsace, which
had belonged to the King of Sweden ever since it had been united to the
crown by Christina, successor to Charles XI.