Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/220

 gardens, on learning which our aga came to us, shouting:—“Good news, Christians! good news! The most mighty Sultan makes an excursion to-morrow to Ibrahim’s gardens. Therefore, when a cannon is fired on the tower, shout with all the voice you have, and wish the Emperor prosperity and victory over his enemies.” We heard this with great joy, kissed his hands and clothes, and thanked him for the advice. In the morning the Sultan issued magnificently from his palace, with the firing of heavy artillery, with shouting, and wishing of prosperity, on the part of all the people who stood in orderon the shore, with their heads bent down to their knees, but stopped on meeting his monks, or hermits, who lived a mile from Constantinople, and deliberated with them about all manner of things for two hours. These monks, as we afterwards heard, counselled him, since much Mussulman blood had been shed in Hungary, to appease the prophet Mahomet by almsgiving, and, if he had any prisoners who were innocent, or had earned their freedom by work and service, to release and set them at liberty. After this advice he took leave of them, and sailed along the shore past the tower in which we were, in a boat gilded all over, as our guards told us. The Turks fired heavy artillery in honour of him, and our aga, with everybody from the town welcomed him, with their hands crossed and with great humility, and bending their heads to the ground, shouted with a loud voice:—“God preserve thee and thy Majesty in health for ever!”

As soon as they ceased firing, we all called out and shouted with a loud voice, wishing him prosperity, our