Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/76

 tresses taken; a formerly most glorious kingdom is suffering violence; the surrounding nations are fainting with excessive terror; and we poor Bohemians experienced at those times much misery and trouble through wars in Hungary; a countless sum of money has been taken out of the country; a countless number of people of note and of our dear Bohemian friends have fallen and been slain in Hungary,—sacrifices of which the land of Hungary is in no wise worthy. And, unless the Lord God pleases to aid us specially by His divine assistance, it is to be expected that these our deadly foes will force their way into Austria, and at last into our own beloved country,—which may the Most High mercifully forefend! Moreover, hitherto there has been no real love and unity amongst us; the worthy and upright Bohemians and fathers of their country have perished, and if there be any, there are very few remaining: but the majority consists of such as would be glad that foreign nations should invade these countries, and destroy this our famous Bohemian kingdom. But I have already digressed far; I will return again to Belgrade.

On Oct. 24, before we moved from Belgrade, a dispute arose between my lord the ambassador and the kapigi pasha assigned to us. It being his duty to supply us properly with provisions, he neglected to do 80, supplied us badly enough, and kept the money for himself. My lord the ambassador wished, therefore, to send a courier on horseback to Buda, and lay a complaint against him before the pasha; but the kapigi, conscious of guilt, and being a cunning fellow in such matters, contrived to prevent our obtaining any such