Memoirs of the Twentieth Century

Front matter

Twentieth Century.

1.

Twentieth Century.

Dedication

To His

,

Prince of Wales, and Earl of Cheer, Electoral Prince of Brunwick Lunenburg, Duke of Cornwall and Rothay, Duke of Edinburgh, Marquis of the Ie of Ely, Earl of Eltham, Vicount of Launceon, Baron of Snaudon and of Renfrew, Lord of the Ies, and Steward of Scotland, and Knight of the Mo Noble Order of the Garter.

Dedication

Containing

Many Words to the Wie.

B about to deliver to the learned World in thee Letters, one of the noble Preents that ever was made to it, I mu own, I have been as much perplex'd how to introduce them properly, by a Preface worthy of them, as Cervantes himelf, when he fell on that which stands before his inimitable Don Quixote, or as Thuanus was how to begin the fir Sentence of his Hiory, which we are told, co him o many painful Hours, before he could ettle it to his Mind.

Constantinople, Nov. 3, 1997

OF THE

, &c.

To the Lord High Treasurer, &c.

Contantinople, Nov. 3, 1997.

I , according to the Commands your Lordip honour'd me with by Captain Milton, by the way of Vienna in September la, o far pres'd the Concluon of the Treaty grounded on the new Stipulations, that I think it is as good as finied, and that our Trade all be as much favour'd here, as by his Majey's Authority and Influence and your Lordip's Care, it has been in all other parts of the World. The only Difficulty that remains, proceeds from the 4th and 5th Articles, which the Grand Vier eems to think too highly honourable for our Nation, and derogatory to his own, judging it hard that their Ships of War, ould in their own Ports and Seas, rike their Flag to ours and alute them, (as by the 5th Article is provided) with double the number of Guns.

However, thee Points are o gently canva by them, that I ee evidently they degn not to in on them, and I make account, we all in a little time mutually gn, and that our Cloath and Manufactures all hereafter have no unreaonable Duties impos'd on them, as thoe of other Nations have; who mu therefore vend theirs at great Diadvantages. I ould be tempted to be exceeding vain on my happy Succes herein, but that it is o evident my carrying all my Points here, is owing to no Dexterity of mine, but to the Widom and Courage of his Majey's Meaures, the Strength, Loyalty and Wealth of his Subjects, the Terror which his Fleet preads over the Ocean, and the Care and Policy of his Miniers, and above all your Lordip, who now o happily prede over them.

The long Intimacy and Friendhip you have honour'd me with, as well as the Relation I have to your Noble Family, will prevent any Supicion of Flattery, when I aver to your Lordip, that the News brought me by Mr. Milton, of your being declar'd Prime Minier and Treaurer by his Majey in Council, was to me the mo agreeable I have heard this twenty five Years that I have reded here. At the ame Time I can ay with Truth, that the Satisfaction this gave me, took not its rie from any private Views as to my own Interes, which I neither want nor dere to encreae in the World, but from the aßured Hope I have, that our native Country all hereby be highly advantag'd.

It is a peculiar Felicity that attends your Lordip's Promotion; that it happens when our glorious George 6. hath by the Succes of his Arms oblig'd his Enemies to accept the Terms he was pleas'd to precribe them, and that after having humbled France o far, as to oblige her to give up all her Ports in the Channel, even Dunkirk and Calais it elf into our Hands, and taught all the Powers in Europe the Repect and almo Dependance they owe us; your acred Ma- er's Cares and Yours, will now be almo olely confin'd, to the keeping the general Peace we are in with all Nations afe and undiurb'd, and to promote our Trade wherever our Indury and Profit can extend it.

But your Lordip is too uefully employ'd with uch Cares, to lien to my awkward Compliments how ncere oever, and therefore I all leave them; and nce you are pleas'd to think I am capable of giving you ome Light into the State of Things here, which by my long redence I mu have ome tolerable Knowledge of, I all obey your Commands herein with the mall Abilities I am Maer of.

I all not trouble your Lordip with any hiorical Events relating to thee People, nce the Ottoman Line was extinguied in Mahomet 9. and the Tartar Race ucceeded. This was many Centuries nce foretold, as well as the Decline of this great Empire, and that a Mahomet would be the la of that Family, as it has really happened. Juxton, the laborious Writer of the 19th Century, has given us o full a Detail of their Affairs, that they are known to all the learned World as well as your Lordip; I all therefore only dwell on uch Facts and Alterations as are of a later Date, and confin'd within the Year 1949 and this preent Time, which are worth your Curioty; and which the Memoirs of my two Predeceßors in this Po, which have fallen into my Hands, and my own Experience have given me a fuller Acquaintance with.

Your Lordip is no Stranger to the va Alterations which the coming in of the Tartar Line has produc'd, and above all in Matters of Religion. For as the Mufties and all the Heads of their Clergy, have been ill the Grand Seigniors Countrymen, as fearing to place natural Turks in o high a Tru, the Zeal to the Mahometan Religion and Dicipline, has been thence greatly acken'd, both in their Pries and People, which was anciently o hot and violent. By this means there ucceeded in its ead a dead Paly in their Faith, which has almo been deroyed betwixt Chriianity and Deim. It is incredible, my Lord, what an Harve Chriian Mißionaries and Jeuits have reap'd thereby among this People. For being diguis'd as Phycians, Mathematicians, Arologers, nay, as Janizaries and Spahies, as well as under the appearances of all kinds of the be orts of Trades, (and ome of them even by the Popes Connivance circumcied and acting the part of Turki Pries,) they got o throughly both into the Knowledge and Confidence of all Kinds and Ranks of People here, and epecially the better ort, that under pretence of propong their own Doubts, they oon overturn'd the eabli'd Religion, in the Minds of all Perons eminent for their Pos or Learning.

They conceal'd the Chriian Truths at fir under the pretended Name of Serabackzi or Enthuas, till at length their Doctrines got Admißion into the Seraglio, by the means of the Renegedo Vizier Ibrahim, in 1955 or 56, who they ay, to make amends for his Apoay, gave this Sect (whoe Degns he was not only fully acquainted with, but alo conducted) all poßible Countenance and Encouragement. By his means it was, that o many Printing-Preßes were dipers'd thro' the whole extent of the Ottoman Empire, thereby upplanting and almo extirpating the infinite Crowd of Scribes and Hogies, who liv'd by writing the Books of the Law and the heaps of Comments on the Alcoran, and conequently were the hotte Zealots for the Glory and Honour of Mahometim.

With the ame Views he put down the Minarets and order'd all to be called to the Moques at the Hours of Prayer, by ounding their wind Inruments and beating of Drums. By this means he oblig'd the Mißionaries by lencing the blaphemous Proclamations of the Muezins or Criers from the Minarets, who us'd to call the Turks to their Naama or Prayers; and alo made the People les zealous and furious, for the Honour of their Prophet and his Religion, who us'd to have their Ears ill dinn'd, and their Zeal inflam'd with the proclaiming their Mahomet for the Prophet of God.

With the ame ubtle management, he confin'd to their own Towns all the vagabond Dervices, who us'd to run thro' the Provinces poße with the hotte Spirit of Mahometim, and turn'd many of the Monaeries of thoe lazy Drones (who had all the Zeal and Ignorance of our wor kind of Monks in them) to Caravaneras or Inns for Travellers, or ele into Timariots to maintain uch a number of Soldiers.

He ent uch Orders thro' the Empire and appointed uch faithful Miniers to execute them, (many of whom were diguis'd Chriians and even Jeuits,) that the open Profeßi- on of Chriianity, was o far from being penal, that under pretence of the Chriians being ueful for the Arts and Sciences, the Trade and Plenty they brought with them wherever they came, they were even repected and regarded, provided they were not natural Turks or converted Renegadoes. Nor was this Work les ubtilly carried on by the free Trade for all forts of Wines, thro' the Dominions of the Grand Seignior; the Drinking of which was o univerally conniv'd at, that in the open Taverns in every Village, the Turks would be een all Day caroung and fuddling in defiance of their Alcoran. Nay, ome of them have been heard in the Freedom of their Cups, to peak contemptuouy of the upid Prophet, who thought, (they aid) by the blind Hopes of an imaginary Paradie above, to deprive them of the only Heaven Men could enjoy below, a cheerful Bottle, and an open-hearted Friend.

But what help'd to introduce the Chriian Religion ill further, was the Cuom he eabli'd during his Miniry (almo as long as the two great Kuperlies in the 17th Century joined together) and which has been kept up ever nce, of ending Ambaßadors to all the Courts of Europe; thee were accom- panied with a great Train of the Sons of the Baßas and chief Men in the Empire, who return'd Home improv'd indeed, but often by the Addres of the Mißionaries (who waited ill on the Catch for them) o prejudiced again Mahometim, and o in Love with the noble Arts forbidden by their Prophet, as Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and above all the delicious Vine-Pres, that it is incredible how far the ecret Infection is pread, and how likely uddenly to break out into a violent Diemper in the State.

The Tranation of elect Parts of the Bible with ueful ort Notes licens'd by the Pope, and alo the number of Arabick and Turki Books which the Printing-Preßes diper among them, help'd on the Mißionaries marvellouy; for they were o ubtilly compos'd, as to ake and undermine the fale Religion, and ecretly to prepare the People for op'ning their Eyes to the Truth. Indeed, as to outward Profeßion Mahometim ill ews its Face, but 'tis ju like the Pagan Religion under Julian the Apoate, the Religion of the State but not of the People; one third of whom are either ecretly or avowedly Chriians, another third Deis, and hardly as many ncere Mahometans. What adds to the wonder is, that all this has been effected chiefly by the Means and Management of the Roman See, who tho e has almo renounced the Faith her elf, yet out of political Views labours to encreae her Converts here.

This is an odd Scene of things, my Lord, and yet as true as 'tis urpring, and I doubt not in a few Years we all ee, that as the old Empire of the World forook Rome to ettle in Conantinople, o Religion poßibly before this Century expires may do the ame; and as the Pope is almo turn'd Pagan or Turk, the Mufti will et up for Patriarch of the Eaern World, and the great Head and Father of the Chriian Church here.

What the Conequences of o prodigious a Revolution may be, I all not preume to hint, to o exquite a Judge of uch things, as your Lordip is confeßedly allow'd to be; and therefore leaving them to your own judicious Reflections, I all only oberve, that had Great Britain continued her Care and Protection of the Grecian Church, with her true Chriian Zeal, poßibly we ould have made as large an Harve of Converts in Turky as by our Supinenes and Negligence the Jeuits have done.

But leaving this for another Occaon, I all proceed to give your Lordip ome Account of the State of their Army and Soldiery, their Trade and Revenue, their Laws and Cuoms at preent; nce the aid Period of 1949, to which my Predeceßors Memoirs and my own little Experience neceßarily confines me.

It is certain then, my Lord, that both the Spirit and Courage, as well as the Dicipline of their Soldiery, has been enbly declining ever nce the coming in of the Tartar Race, and epecially within this la 150 Years, provided we always except the mall Interval of Vizier Ibrahims Adminiration.

This has been chiefly owing to their taking in all orts of People (and epecially natural Turks, married Men and Trademen) for Money into the Body of the Janizaries; who us'd formerly to be compos'd of Chriian Children taken Captives, and bred up in the rict Dicipline and School of the Seraglio, in all manly and warlike Exercies.

It mu be confe alo, that the ecret preading of Chriianity among their People and the Soldiery, has not a little contributed hereunto; for as the Succes of their Arms has ever been the great Source of the Propagation of their Faith, it is not to be wonder'd at, if thoe who had privately made a Defection from this la, did not fight with the utmo Reolution and Obinacy, for the Power and Glory of a Mahometan Emperour.

But the dreadful Cuom of giving the Soldiery uch perpetual Largeßes, and as it were, rewarding their Seditions whenever they reolved to depoe one and et up another Emperour, (and confirm or deroy the Grand Viziers and Principal Baßas, as the Fancy took them) abolutely overturn'd what little Spirit, Virtue or Dicipline was left among them. Let us join to this abominable Inolence, the horrible Licence of daily guzling Wine in the Streets, and almo the very Moques of Conantinople, and their Debaucheries of all kinds that accompany'd it, and we need not eek for any other caues of their urprizing Degeneracy.

Some indeed, have alo accounted for it from their frequent Defeats in their Battles with the Germans and the Poles, and their being o often vanqui'd by both the Mucovites and Perans, who have all of them rip'd this Empire of ome of its ronge Fortreßes and riche Provinces. But it is plain thee were not the Caues but the Effects of their decay'd Valour and Dicipline, by which they have by degrees lo all their Conques in Pera, and their Territories round the black Sea, together with the greate part of Tranlvania, Moldavia and Wallachia, and almo to the Gates of Adrianople.

Nor is it their Land Forces only that have thus declin'd, for their naval Power which was anciently o formidable is now o prodigiouy unk, nce the Defect of their Fleet by the Engli Squadron in 1876, and in the Sea-fight with the Dutch ten Years afterwards, that bedes their long both Crete and Cyprus to the Pope and Venetians, they have lo all Intere and Influence, with their old Dependants of Tunis and Algiers. Nay, the very Knights of Malta, have nce o often burnt and taken their greate Galeaßes, that their few Gallies and Ships of War that remain to them, dare hardly ail now out of ght of the Dardanelles, to collect the little Tribute of the neighbouring Iands, which are every Day revolting to them and the Venetians, and refung the Payment of their old Capitation Tax.

After mentioning this I need not add that their Trade which in the 18th Century was in o poor a Way, and yet before 1876 was in o flouriing a Condition, is now entirely unk and fallen into the Hands of the Merchants of Great Britain. For a great while indeed, they applied themelves to it with more than ordinary Vigour, and by being Maers of the be Ports in the Mediterranean, and by the Aßiance of their Harbours in the Red Sea, open'd an eaer and quicker Paßage to the Ea Indies, than the Chriians could have, who are forc'd to ail to them by the tedious and hazardous Navigation of the Cape of Good Hope. It was eay with uch Advantages to have engros'd the whole Trade of the Ea, and under-ell both the Briti and Dutch Merchants in the Mediterranean; but the Unkilfulnes of their Mariners, the Weaknes of their Veßels, with the natural Indipotion of the Turks to long Voyages, and the Toils and Hazards of the Sea, prevented their carrying thee Degns o far as they might have done. But bedes this, our viting them with our Squadrons, and utting up the Dardanelles, and at la our falling on their Fleets and deroying ome of them, oon made them urrender up their Pretenons to that Branch of Trade, and indeed all others into our Hands; where I hope they will long continu eto improve, and epecially if this Treaty be once agreed to in all its Articles, as I doubt not, it will very uddenly.

I have but little to ay of the Revenues of this va Empire, nce I propoe not to write to your Lordip, what is to be found in every printed Account of them, but only uch Alterations as are of more modern Date, and little known in Europe. It is certain within this la forty Years, they have applied themelves much to raie them, even beyond the exceßive Bounds of the late Emperours, who eem'd to rive to make up by new Taxes, the lo Revenues of their old Provinces, torn from them on every de.

They have laid immene Excies on all Eatables and Drinkables, and exceßive Cuoms on all Imports and Exports except our Briti Manufactures, on all Mills, Taverns, and every Trade, not only ubervient to the Pleaures but the Conveniences and even Neceßaries of Life. They have bedes loaded their Lands with great Impotions, and laid Taxes on every Acre plow'd or dug, on every Cow, Hore, Bullock, Sheep, Goat, As or Camel throughout the Empire. Bedes this and the Pole-Tax, every Houe, Boat and Ship, and every Marriage pays o much to the Grand Seignior; the Births indeed are Tax-free, to encourage them to breed; neither do they pay for their Burials for a very good Reaon, the Grand Seignior being Heir in effect to every Man that dies in his Dominions. There are alo Taxes on Paper and Leather, and in one Word, on every thing neceßary to Health or Eae, or even Life it elf, and if it were poßible, I am peruaded, they would Tax the only Bleßings they enjoy here, their Air and Sunine. Yet with all this grinding the Face of the mierable oppres'd Subject, thee Revenues are o ill manag'd, and the Officers employ'd in the Collection of them, uch wicked Stewards to their cruel and rapacious Maers, that hardly one half is brought into the Treaury of what is paid them. Indeed if it were not for the va hereditary Revenue, the Baßas are obliged to pay in from their everal Provinces, over and above all thee Taxes, and the immene Wealth that the dayly Forfeiture of their Heads, to their Maer's Avarice or Jealouy brings in, this unweildy dipirited Empire would almo nk, for want of vital Nouriment.

Under all this Oppreßion, there is not one found who dares even lament his own and Fellow-ubjects Miery, or who will not pretend at lea to Glory, in calling himelf the Grand Seigniors Slave, and owning that he has no title either to his Life or Liberty, his Lands, Houe or Subance, but from the ole Will of his mighty Emperor. A Reflection which I cannot make, but with the hone Joy every Britton mu feel, who ees himelf ecur'd by Laws of his own making, in his Liberty, Life and Property, above the Reach of the highe Power and the ronge Arm; and in Peace and Security under his own Vine and Fig-tree, enjoys from the be of Conitutions, and (the uual and natural Conequence thereof,) the be Princes, all the Bleßings Men can ak for as Freemen and Chriians.

O Fortunati nimium, ua bona norint, Angligenæ!

I all detain your Lordip no further, than with two or three Words, as to ome conderable Alterations of late Years in their Laws and Cuoms, by which they have endeavour'd to retrieve the Virtue and Majey of this falling Empire, and which they owe chiefly to the Skill and Ability of the Renegado Vizier Ibrahim, who flouri'd in the middle of this Century. Many of them I ncerely wi with ome Alterations could be tranplanted into our Country and Coniution, and, if that Exces of Liberty we abound in would allow it, I doubt not we ould find our Account in them.

The fir I all touch upon is the Method he took to cure the Defects of their Dicipline and Courage, which he found o low, and endeavour'd to raie o high. To effect this, he divided all the Troops into Battalions and Squadrons of about 1000 or 1500 Men. Each of thee Bodies were raied from one particular Province, whoe name they carried, from whence alone their Officers and Recruits came; and conequently whenever they fought, the Glory or Digrace of the Country to which they belong'd, and where they were born, was directly concern'd. By this means both Men and Officers fought ill with the greater Emulation and Dere of diinguiing themelves and their Country by their Valour; and alo Recruits were more cheerfully and willingly rais'd, being ure to be ent to aßi their own Country-Men and Acquaintances.

Nor was there any Danger of uch Bodies uniting in Seditions in their own Province, being never dibanded; nor yet abroad in the Field, where their Strength was o mall and inconderable, in repect of the whole Army, and their Country ill anwerable for their Conduct.

In the next place, (bedes the popular Tenets of the Turks, that every one's Fate is writ on his Forehead, and is inevitable, and all who die in the War go rait to Paradie) he took care to breed up a contempt of Death or Danger in them, by remitting the half of all Taxes to the Widows and Children of the Slain, and by doubling the Pay of all that were wounded in Battle, as well as by allowing an anuual Stipend for Life, to all who, lo their Limbs, Eyes, or were any ways diabled. This he ettled according to the following Table; for one Eye 5 l. a Year of our Money for Life, for both Eyes 12 l. for the right Arm 5 l. the left 3 l. for both 12 l. for their Hands omething les, but with lit- tle difference. For one Leg 2 l. 10 s. for both Legs 6 l. and the ame for a Foot or both Feet, or with a very mall Diproportion, according to the Danger and Suffering of the Soldier. Nay, o careful was he of Men o diabled, that if any one offered to wound, hurt or even rike a Soldier thus maim'd in the Service of the Empire, he was inantly entenc'd to loe his Hand for the Offence; which was a everer Penalty than he incurr'd, if he had ruck an Iman or a Cady; as they call their Pries and Judges.

By this means, my Lord, it is incredible for a while, with what Zeal his Troops us'd to ru into the Battle deping Wounds; or rather wiing for them, as the very Road to Preferment and Reward. Nor did his Care end here, for out of the choice and be Troops, he form'd two great eparate Bodies of Infantry and Cavalry of 5000 Men each, of the brave Veteran Soldiers, who receiv'd double Pay, and were worn on the Alcoran never to turn their backs in Battle, till they had Orders to Retreat, or that two Thirds of them were kill'd, and then to yield and be immediately ranom'd, with twice the Number of the Enemies Troops. To keep them in this evere Dis- cipline, all Officers of his Forces both Janizaries and Spahies were intirely choen out of thee two Bodies; which were in like manner ever recruited out of thoe Men who had erv'd longe and diingui'd themelves mo, in every Provincial Corps in the Army. A method which had he liv'd to have kept up, (for it fell with him) might have bid fair for the Recovery of all the Territory and Glory, they had lo before in o many unucceßful Battles, and had probably co the Chriian Powers, infinite Blood and Hazards to have urmounted. After all, my Lord, the Oath thoe Troops took was ill les than the Roman Gladiators obliged themelves to perform, who us'd frequent-to ell, not the Hazard but the certain Los of their Lives, for maller Advantages.

Till this great Man found a Remedy for it, the Turki Cavalry were generally of little Service, for tho' their Hores were fine and beautiful to the Eye, they were light-limb'd and o thin-bodied and Fleet, that they were ill ready to yield to the Shock of the European Cavalry, and to tru to their Speed to fave themelves; but by baniing thoe ort of Hores, and obliging them only to ue the large and weightie that could be found, he taught his Troops to tru no more to the Swiftnes of their Hores, but their Strength and the Weight of them, and their Swords, to the infinite Service of the Empire.

Another Method he took to improve the Soldiery, was frequently imploying them to oot at Marks for Rewards, whence he made them excellent Marks-men with their Guns, when employed again their Enemy; aying often to them, "it was ridiculous a Soldier ould not oot as well as a Fowler, nce the one ot for his Life, and the other only for his Diveron or a little lly Gain". Nay, he carried this even to his Cannoniers, who by this means in his time, us'd to oot as true, as with a Harquebu or Muket.

Nor were his Cares and Skill in Civil Affairs les conderable than in Military Matters, for to him alone are owing thoe excellent Regulations (which the Chriian World would be happy in) as to the Proceedings and Decions of all Judges, who preded in Law-uits and Proceßes, in their judicial Courts.

By them, a Bribe being fully proved to be taken by any Judge, was Death without Remißion, and Forfeiture of all his Subance, half to the Grand Seignior, and half to the injur'd Party. Nay, whenever Judges decided any Controvery, they were obliged by him to give their Reaons on which they grounded their Judgment, to both Parties in Writing; and as there was ill an Appeal allow'd to a Cadeliker at Conantinople, appointed olely to receive uch Decrees; if there was found either great Ignorance, or the lea evident Fraud or Malice in the Decion, the Judge was inantly ummoned and examin'd, and if guilty condemned to pay the whole of the Value he had given his Decree for. A Precedent, my Lord, I fear we dare not hope to ee follow'd, no more than that he eabli'd concerning Perjury, by which all fale Witneßes were for the fir Offence condemn'd with forfeiture of Goods for ten Years to the Gallies; and for the econd Offence, to be torn in pieces by Hores tied to their Limbs. He alo forbid all Perons but the Soldiery, to carry any Weapons about them by Night or Day, on pain of Death; by which means Robbery and Murders were in a great meaure prevented, or the Malefactor more ealy detected; and, which was ill more ueful, he made an Intention to Rob or Murder, if fully and evidently proved, equally penal with the having put the degn in Execution. Nay, o far did the rigour of Juice carry him, that any kind of Fraud or Colluon, to cheat or deceive another, or even denying or avoiding artfully a ju Debt, was made as puniable, as if the Offender had actually attempted a Theft of equal value.

He went further yet, and with the Spirit of the ancient Spartans, if any Peron could july impeach another of evident Ingratitude, he gave up the Offender to him into Slavery, for o many Years as might bear ome proportion to the Heinounes of the Offence he was Convicted of. Bedes, he inforc'd that excellent Law which had grown obolete, that every Turk ould effectually learn ome Trade, by which he might preerve himelf from Want, which he eablied with uch Vigour and Care, as was never before een in this Empire. A Law, my Lord, which if it were pa in England, as to the Children of the ordinary People, would deliver us from thoe Shoals of Beggars, Thieves and ueles Idlers, which are the greate Cure of our Country.

The late Emperour Achmat made alo ome Laws, (how ineffectual oever they proved) that deerve our Notice at lea, if not our Imitation; as that, by which, for his ort Reign, he effectually cur'd the growing, Crime of Suicide, by Forfeiture of Eate and Goods, and ignominiouy expong the Bodies of the Deceas'd unburied to the publick View. He alo ordered the ubituting perpetual Slavery, as the Penalty of mo Crimes formerly puni'd with Death, not excepting even Theft and Adultery; and prohibited all Playing (which pread prodigiouy among the Turks) either at Games of Hazard or Skill, on pain of the evere corporal Puniment.