Part 18

But _Rustan_ died of a Dropsy soon after, and _Haly_, then Second Vizier succeeded him. He was a prudent and courteous Person as any was among the _Turks_. I sent him a Present, a large Garment of Silk, by way of Congratulation upon his new Dignity. He returned me this obliging Answer, That he would always be my Friend, and upon any occasion I should not scruple to make my Address to him. And I found him as good as his Word; for, when my House a while after was re-visited with the Plague, which swept away many of my Servants, and amongst others, my chief Physician; I sent the same Message to _Haly_ which I had done to _Rustan_ before; who answered me, for his part he was very willing I should remove my Habitation; but that it were better for me to ask leave of the Sultan himself, lest, said he, if he casually light upon any of your Servants walking at random up and down, he should take it very ill that so much liberty was granted them without his knowledge: And yet, proceeded he, I shall propose the matter so cautiously to the Prince, that I do not doubt of his Assent. And accordingly, soon after I received a Message from him, that I might remove whither I pleased. Whereupon I chose an Island called _Principo_, for my Dwelling, about four Hours Sail from _Constantinople_. It was the pleasantest of all the little Isles contiguous to that City, for the rest have no Village at all in them, or but one at most; but this has two.

The Physician, I lately told you died at my House of the Plague, was my old Friend Dr. _Williams_, the Faithful Companion of my long and tedious Pilgrimage. The occasion of the Sickness was this: It seems, among the rest of the Prisoners I had redeemed, one, as the Event declared, who was sick of the Plague. My Physician constantly attended him, till he got the Infection himself. He had that Angularity of Opinion, that there was no more Fear than Danger; for at the same time, said he, there are wont to arise other Diseases, which Men are apt to think is the Pestilence; so that Pestilential Remedies are usually applied to every common Sore or Boyl. Thus he flattered himself, even when he was deeply infected; yet he did not suspect it to be the Plague, till it was past Remedy, and he was ready to die under the Hands of his Attendance. The Day before he died, he sent me word he was better; and desired to see me, if I pleased to bestow a Visit upon him. I did so, and sat a great while by his Bed-side. He told me how very ill he had been, and that his Sight, as well as his other Senses, had been so weakened, that he knew no body; but now, said he, my Senses are restored, and if I could be freed from a Distillation that almost stops my Breath, I should presently be well; and at my Departure, I told him, I heard he had a Tumour in his Breast. I have so, says he; and thereupon he threw aside his Blanket, and shewed me his Breast: But there is no Danger, says he, in it; for it came from buttoning my Doublet, which I put on too strait. Towards the Evening, according to custom, I sent two of my Servants to watch with him, and while they were putting on him a clean Shirt, he himself espied a Purple Spot in his Breast, which they told him was but a Flea-bite; and by and by he discovered more Spots and larger ones. No, said he, there are not Flea-bites, but Tokens of near approaching Death; and therefore us spend this Night in Prayer and holy Conference preparatory to my latter end; which he did, and in the Morning, with full assurance of God’s Mercy, he departed this Life.

Thus was I bereaved of my dearest and most useful Friend, and the Common-wealth of Learning had also a great Loss of him; for he had made many curious Observations in his Travels which he intended to publish, and would have been very useful to the World, if Death had not prevented his laudable Designs. His Skill and Faithfulness was so much prized by me, that, if the Times had differed me to return, I knew none fitter to leave in my place at _Constantinople_ than himself, had he out-lived me.

After his Death, my Cares seemed to be doubled; nay, if I should have left him behind, I had returned but half myself, as it were. Well! his Soul is at Rest, and I erected a Monument, as a due testimony to his Vertue. But to return to our Island.

I lived there very pleasantly for three Months. It was a private Place, without any Crowd or Noise. There were only a few _Greeks_, with whom I diverted myself; but never a _Turk_ to interrupt my Mirth. As for the _Turks_ of my Houshold, they created no trouble to me; I might go whither I would, and pass from one of these Islands to another at my pleasure, without any molestation from them. There grew several sorts of Plants, as _French_ Lavender, sharp-pointed Myrtle, Cotton-weed, and abundance more. The Sea is full of divers sorts of Fishes, which I took sometimes with Net, sometimes with Hook and Line. Several _Grecian_ Fishers with their Boats attended me, and where we had hopes of the greatest sport, thither we sailed and cast our Nets. Sometimes we played above board, and when we saw a Crab or a Lobster at the bottom, where the Sea was very clear, we ran him through with a Fish-spear, and so halled him up into a Vessel. But our best and most profitable sport, was with a drag-Net; where we thought most Fish were, there we cast it in a round; it took up a great compass, with the long Ropes tied to the ends of it, which were to draw it to Land. To those Ropes the Seamen tied green Boughs very thick, so that the Fish might be frightned, and not seek to escape. Thus we brought great Sholes of trembling Fishes near the Shore. And yet in this danger they were naturally instigated how to save themselves; some would leap over the Net, others would cover themselves in the Sand, that they might not be taken; others strove to bite the Meashes of the Net, though made of coarse Flax or Hemp, of which kind were the _Synodontes_, Fish armed with strong Teeth; and if one made way for himself, all would follow him, and so the whole Draught would escape, and not a Fish left for the Fisher. To remedy this Inconvenience, (for I was aware of it) I stood with a Pole in my Hand, beating the Water, that I might keep the Fish from biting the Net. At which my Attendants could not choose but laugh; yet, for all this, many of them escaped: So sagacious are Fishes where they are in extream danger! But notwithstanding the Fugitives, we brought a great many Fishes ashore, a Sea-Bream, Scorpion-Fishes, Dragon-Fishes, Scare-Fish, Jule-Fish, Chane or Ruff-Fish, whose Variety did delight my Eye, and the enquiry into their Nature, did hugely please my Fancy: So that at Night I return’d home with my trimphant Vessel laden with Prey. The next Day I presented _Hali Bassa_, and his Chief Steward, with Part of what I had taken, who thought it a very acceptable Present.

Sometimes I took delight, with an Iron Spear made on purpose, to bring up Shrimps or Cramps, which are there so thick, as if that Sea were stock’d with them. Where I observed the Master-Shrimps lying two by two, the Male and the Female, and sometimes more of them, of which _Cicero_, _Pliny_, and _Athenæus_ speak so much. I confess, I think some of these Relations concerning them are rather fabulous than true: For they say, that this Shell-Fish doth gape in order to catch other small Fishes; and when she hath got them, yet she shuts not her Shell till the _Pinncphylax_ bite it, and by this warning she closes her Shell, and divides the Prey with the _Pinncphylax_. The Figure of these _Pinnæ_ you have in _Bellonious_. The sharp part of it sticks in the bottom of the Sea, as if it grew there; and by these sticking Fibres, she draws in her Nourishment; as appears by this, that when she is loosed from her hold, she dies for want of Sustenance, as Herbs and Plants do. And it is probable, that the _Pinnophylax_ chose this sort, as a Defence against other ravenous Fishes, where it may lye quiet even in stormy Weather, and go in and out at her pleasure. Yet I speak not this, to detract from the Credit of those worthy Authors I mentioned before; but only to leave the matter to more curious Enquirers. We quickly laded our Boat with these _Pinnæ_; they are but coarse Fare, like Muscles, of which you would be soon weary; but the Fishermen advised me to keep the _Pinnophylaxes_ apart, for they are a grateful and nourishing Food.

Amongst the rest of the Islands, there is one untilled and uninhabited, whither all sorts of Monsters do resort, Star-Fish, Saw-Fish, Grape-Fish, Sea-Horses, prodigious Cockles, a round yellow Fish like an Orange; no ordinary Fish there, but Thornback, and a certain Fork-Fish, with a terrible Prickle. I remember, we took one of them, who, making at us, ran herself through.

When tempestuous Weather kept me from Sea, I delighted myself in finding out strange and unusual Plants at Land. I would sometimes go a-foot all ever the Island, having a young _Franciscan_ Monk in my Company, a jolly Fellow, but very Fat, and not used to travel on Foot. I took him out of a Monastry at _Pera_, to be my Partner in my Walks; he was so corpulent and pursy, that when I went on a-pace to catch myself a Heat, he would follow me at a Distance panting and blowing, with these Words in his Mouth, What need all this haste? Whom do we run from, or whom do we pursue? What are we Carriers or Posts that must make speed to deliver some important Letters? Thus he mutter’d, till the very Sweat pierced through all his Cloaths. In fine, when we came back to our Lodgings, he threw himself upon his Bed, wofully complaining, and crying out, he was undone: What Injury have I done, said he, that you thus hurry on to destroy me? And, in this fretting Posture, we had much ado to persuade him to eat a bit of Dinner.

Now and then, some Friends visited from _Constantinople_, and from _Pera_; yea, and some _Germans_ also of _Holy_’s own Family; of whom when I asked whether the Plague was abated? Mightily, said they. How many then die in a Day? Scarce Five Hundred, said they. Good God! quoth I, call you that to abate? when then doth it rage? They replied, when about a Thousand or Twelve Hundred die in a Day. The _Turks_ entertain this Opinion concerning the Pestilence, that every Man’s Destiny is written by God in his Forehead; so that ’tis a foolish thing in them, to think to decline or avoid it. This Opinion makes them fearless of the Plague, but not secure from it: So that, as soon as any Man dies of the Pestilence, they will take off their Cloaths, yet sweaty, and Linnen, and rub their Faces with them. If it be the Will of God, say they, that I shall die this way, it will most certainly come to pass; if not, it will not hurt me. Thus a large Field is open for Infection; so that whole Families are sometimes swept away by that Disease. Whilst I abode in these Islands, I got acquaintance with one _Metrophanes_, a _Metropolitan_ who presided over a Monastry in _Chalcis_, one of those Islands. He was a Learned and a Vertuous Man, very desirous of an Agreement between the _Latin_ and the _Greek_ Churches; so that he differed from the Humour of the rest of the _Grecians_, who esteem the _Latins_ as Men of an impure and profane Sect. So much doth every Man abound in his own Sense!

When I had lived about two Months in those Islands, some of the _Bashaws_ began to suspect my long Absence, and told _Haly_, that perhaps I might make my escape, for I had Ships ready at my command, and other Conveniences might easily be procured; and therefore it was more advisable I should return into the City. He answered them, he had that Confidence in my Word, that he believed I designed no such thing: Nevertheless he sent a _Chiaux_ to advertise me thereof. The _Chiaux_ very cunningly pried about, to see if he could discover the least Preparation for an Escape but finding none, after I had made him a Present, he returned to his Master with his Message from me, that he might rest secure, for I never intended to break my Word. Thus I continued three Months in my Retirement, and returned of my own accord into the City without any Compulsion.

From that time forward l had a Familiarity with _Haly_, and our Discourse was still of Peace. He is a _Dalmatian_ by Birth, and only Courteous Man I found in that barbarous Country: His Nature, mild and gentle; his Person of easy Access; he is of a deep Understanding, capable of managing the greatest Affairs, having much skill in Military as well as Political Matters, for he is an old Man, and hath passed through the greatest Offices of that Common-wealth. His Stature is tall, and his Countenance filled with a lovely Gravity. He hath a mighty Love for his Master, and consults by all means imaginable his Repose in his Old and Sickly Age. What _Rustan_ thought to do by Austerity, Severeness and menacing Expressions, _Haly_ endeavours to compass by Mildness, Moderation and Friendship. _Rustan_ was always severe, fierce, self-will’d; his Word must pass for a Law. ’Tis true, he knew well enough his own Circumstances, and what the Times did exact of him, and what the Old Age of his Prince required; but he was afraid, that, if he shew’d any Indulgence, either by Word or Deed, it would be said he did it out of Covetousness, of which his Prince did much suspect him: And therefore, though he was desirous of a Peace, he would abate nothing of his usual Stiffness; but if Propositions were offered to him, not pleasing to his Fancy, he was ready to thrust a Man out of Doors; so that I scarce ever parted from him but in an angry Mood. One time, when I was treating with him of Peace, if I had nothing else to say, he bid me _be gone_: I presently rose up and went my way, only telling him, _That I could propose no other Conditions than what my Master commanded me to do_. Which Words I pronouncing with more Fervour and Passion than I was wont to do, he called back my Interpreter and asked him, whether I were angry? He answered, _No: What_, said he, _if I should obtain what he desires of the ~Sultan~, dost thou think he will perform his Word to me, in presenting me with the Sum he promised me?_ _No question_, said the _Drugger-man_, _but he will be as good as his Word to a Tittle._ _Then_, says _Rustan_, _go home and ask him._ I had then 5000 Ducats, which make 6000 Crowns, lying by me for any sudden Emergency; I loaded my Interpreter with them, and bid him carry that to _Rustan_ and tell him, that this Sum was only an Earnest of what I had promised him; but the rest would follow, if my Negotiation were brought to an happy Issue, for by no means would I be worse than my Word. He seem’d to be pleased with the sight of the Money, but returned it again to me, bidding my _Drugger-man_ tell me, that he no ways doubted of my Faithfulness, but the matter of the Peace stood yet on ambiguous Terms; neither could he certainly promise a good Issue, for he did not fully know his Master’s Mind. _But let the Ambassador_, said he, _keep it for me, as my Treasurer, till he sees the Event._ Thus was the Money brought me back again, and _Rustan_ died soon after.

Here give me leave to acquaint you with the Bounty of my Master, the best of Emperors; for that Money lying dead by me, I acquainted his Imperial Majesty, that I would lay it out for one Year’s Expence (which amounted to just so much) in my Embassy. But I repented afterwards of this my Frankness; especially considering what Pains I had taken in my Employment for so many Years together. My Mind gave me I was deficient to my self, in not desiring that Sum for my self, since I knew I serv’d a liberal Master, who put a just Value upon every Man’s Service, and rewarded him accordingly; and therefore I might have desired that Money (which was snatch’d, as it were, out of the Fire) for my own use; for I knew some Courtiers would have asked greater Sums for less Merit and Service. Upon second Thoughts, I put my Master in mind of my over-sight, and desired his Favour, that the said Sum might be returned entire to me. He was graciously pleased to grant my Request, and commanded so many Ducats to be told out for me from his own Exchequer: Which Bounty of his, so freely bestowed, if I should be unmindful of, I were not worthy to live a Day longer: But to return from whence I digressed.

_Haly_ and _Rustan_ were of quite different Humours and Dispositions: _Haly_ lived a blameless Life, free from Sordidness, and never feared that his courteous Deportment would procure him the _Sultan_’s Ill-will; but _Rustan_, on the contrary, was a Money-monger, Avaritious, and his Conscience hing’d at his Purse-strings. _Rustan_’s Conferences with me were very short and concise; but _Haly_ would spin out Time on purpose; and, that he might entertain me the longer, he would season his Discourse with a great deal of Facetiousness; insomuch that the _Turks_, who attended on the account of Business or otherwise, would murmur and grumble that he spent so much Time with me, thereby they had not convenient Opportunity to transact their own Concerns with him. And the Truth is, there was somewhat of Mortification to my self in it too; for I usually was sent for to him in the Afternoon, and I went Fasting, that I might be readier to deal with so acute a Man. In our Conferences he pressed this as a principal Point, that each of us would propose that which we thought most conducive to the service of our respective Masters. He knew his Master desired Repose in his old Age, which was sated with Success and Victory; and he thought my Master also desired Peace and Quietness; and therefore, if he studied the Tranquillity of his Realm, he should by no means rouse a sleeping Lion. _The minds of Princes_, says he, _are like Looking-glasses having no innate Shape, yet the Shapes of all Objects pass through them; so Princes Souls, free of themselves, are impress’d by the Images of all Things, as they are represented; and therefore we must lay nothing before them, but what stands to their Reason: For as good Cooks temper their Sauces, not to this or that Man’s Palate, But for the Relish of all the Guests; so we, in Propositions of Peace, must weigh Circumstances on either side._ This, and much more, did he frankly communicate to me; yea, at all times he shewed himself courteous, and when I required his Courtesy with any extraordinary piece of Respect, he thought himself doubly oblig’d. Once, as he was returning from the _Divan_, and came to a cross way where he was wont to salute his Fellow _Bashaws_ at parting, turning his Horse too nimbly, and leaning on his Neck, both Horse and Man fell to the Ground: When I heard of his Mischance, I sent to know whether he had got any hurt by his Fall? He returned me Thanks, and told me, he got no hurt, but ’twas usual for an old Soldier to be apt to stumble and fall. Then, turning to the By-standers, _This Christian Agent_, says he, _has, I thank him, a mighty Love for me._ Sometimes in Discourse he would tell me, that he had got Wealth and Honour enough; so that now he studied only to leave a savoury Memory behind him, by doing good to Posterity.

When our Treaty of Peace had proceeded on fairly a long time, and I was in good Hopes of a happy Conclusion, an unlucky Accident happened, which might have embarrassed the whole Affair: A certain _Greek Despote_, by the help of _Cæsar_’s Soldiers which guarded the Frontiers of _Hungary_, had broke into _Moldavia_, and driven out the _Vaivode_ thereof, possessing it for himself. This Business gave a great Alarm to the _Turks_, as not knowing but such Beginnings might end in greater Mischief; and indeed the Danger was considerable, though the _Turks_ thought it Prudence to dissemble their Forces. _Haly_ intended to speak with me about it, as I understood by one of his Domesticks; and accordingly he sent for me a few Hours after. I confess I was somewhat startled at the Message; I was afraid, that, my Negotiation being in a promising way to a good Issue, this Matter would spoil all. When I came, he entertain’d me with his usual Courtesy, and after much Discourse tending to a conclusion of the Peace, he shew’d no sign of Discontent at all in his Words or Looks, till I was just going to take my leave of him, and then he bid me sit down again, for something was come to his Memory which he had forgot: _Don’t you hear_, said he, _that your ~Germans~ have made an Inroad into ~Moldavia~?_ _No_, said I, _neither do I believe it; for how should the ~Germans~ come to a Place so very remote from them as ~Moldavia~?_ _’Tis most certainly true_, said he; _I have it by several Expresses, and I will send one of your own Countrymen to convince you._ This Onset gave me occasion to tell him, that, if any of this were true, I was sure it was not done by the command or consent of my Master _Cæsar_. _The ~Germans~_, said I, _are a free People, and used to serve other Nations in their War; and perhaps some of them had taken Pay under Foreigners: But, in my Judgment, the cause of these Commotions arises from the ~Hungarian~ Nobles of that Neighbourhood, who being provoked by the daily Injuries of the ~Turks~, resolve to be even with them. And, to speak the Truth, I think they are not much to be blamed, if upon so great Provocations, they labour to revenge themselves. Do not your Soldiers take the same Liberties on the Borders of ~Hungary~? What Plunderings and Devastations have they not made in the Emperor’s Territories there! Here we talk of Peace; there is nothing but War and Bloodshed: And, for my own part, I am held as a Prisoner, neither do my Friends know whether I am alive or dead? And truly they that have long suffered so much Damage from you, are worthy rather of Praise than Blame, if they take any opportunity of Revenge._ _Let them retaliate_, said _Haly_, _provided it be within ~Hungary~, and the Borders of it; but ’tis intolerable they should range as far as ~Moldavia~, which is but ten day’s Journey from ~Adrianople~._ To which I replied, _Men of the Sword do not much study points of the Law or Civility, but use to take the first Opportunity to revenge themselves where-ever it was offered._ Thus I departed from him, neither did he seem at all to be angry, nor was a jot more morose in my After-addresses to him.

During these Transactions with the Vizier, the _French_ Ambassador did me a great Favour; there were thirteen young Gentlemen (some of whom were _Germans_, and some _Hollanders_) in prison at Constantinople upon this remarkable occasion. They took Ship at _Venice_, in a Vessel every Year carried Pilgrims to _Jerusalem_, under Protection; some of them travelled on the account of Religion, others to see foreign Countries: but they all met with an unlucky Omen; for just at the time they landed in _Syria_, the Knights of _Malta_ had landed some Soldiers, and plunder’d the Sea-Coast of _Phœnicia_, carrying away some of the Inhabitants Prisoners: Whereupon those _Syrians_ who had lost Parents, Children and Friends, having no other visible way of Satisfaction, seiz’d on these Gentlemen in the _Venetian_ Vessel, pretending they were some of the Pyrates; and if they did not procure their Friends to be released, they should be kept in Slavery themselves: And though they were shewed the Privilege from the Government of _Venice_, and were put in mind of the Public Faith, and the League betwixt them, yet all was one, away they must be sent Prisoners to _Constantinople_: And their Youth was a great Prejudice to them, for the _Bashaws_ thought such young Striplings would never undertake so long a Voyage on the account of Religion, for the _Turks_ never begin their Pilgrimage till they are well in Years.