Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/221

 guards also assisting us in so doing. The Emperor heard the noise, but could not understand anything. When the Emperor sailed gently on, and the shouting increased more and more the farther he went, he asked what the noise was, and whence it came. Then the Lord God raised up a friend for us, Bostangi Pasha, the grand superintendent of the gardens, who stood behind the Emperor, and commanded the guard in the stern of the boat, and he said to the Emperor:—“This voice, most gracious Emperor, is that of poor prisoners, who have now been long in yon tower, and see not the light of the sun; they are calling and begging for mercy.” The Emperor stopped, and asked what manner of prisoners they were? Information was given him that they were the servants of the ambassador of the Viennese king, who had been sent to his father, Sultan Amurath, with the annual gift and handsome presents, and that their lord had been a traitor, and had written down all manner of intelligence for his king; also that Synan Pasha had commanded him to be put to death in prison, and his suite to be placed in that tower, and that, though guiltless, they had already been three years imprisoned in irons.

Upon this the Emperor said:—“Since they are guiltless prisoners, and have never drawn the sword against us, it is not a proper thing to aflict them by imprisonment; therefore. I command that they be released.” He then went on his way. Then the kind Turks and guards who heard this ran tumbling over each other to us, hoping to receive presents for telling us some very good news. And when we promised them, they informed us that their Emperor had given orders to set us at liberty. Then, being filled with boundless joy, we distributed to