Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/223

 to Constantinople with a small number of soldiers, and on this account there was great clamour, weeping, and wailing. Moreover, some of the pashas, who envied Synan his prosperity, were glad, and brought him into disfavour with the Emperor, so that the Emperor made him mazul, and forbad him to ride to court under penalty of death. For “having,” as it was said, “purposely lost so many distinguished youths, he was not worthy to receive honour and thanks, but deserved rather to be strangled.” He was, therefore, commanded not to come into the Emperor’s sight, but to remain on his own estate, and not to quit it without the Emperor’s leave. Thus he was in great disfavour, so that the Turks began to say that he would eventually be strangled-a fate which we heartily wished him. Synan, being an old, cunning, and experienced fox, took an insult like this very much to heart, and by a written petition entreated to be allowed to prove his innocence, and be heard as well as his adversaries; but the chief pashas conspired against him, and would not allow his petition to come before the Sultan.

Understanding this, he obtained his wish by great presents. That is to say, he sent fifty mules’ burthen of gold, silver, precious stones, carpets, and other valuable things, which were appraised altogether at 100,000 ducats, to the Emperor’s wife and mother, and ordered them to be told that he had brought all this for them from Hungary. Through this cunning, and the value of his gifts, he was admitted to the Emperor’s presence before he expected. He kissed his hand, wished him good fortune and prosperity in a long reign, and then, as the Turks said, made a speech to the Emperor to the following effect:—“Mighty Emperor! my heart pains me in my old and