between the Courts of Delhi and Constantinople. 483 



the fdith by the conquest of towns and castles, and by the flasliiiig of their scimetars. 

 To uphold the divine commands, to observe the statutes of the prince of Prophets and 

 guardian of the two sanctuaries, to advance all affairs belonging to the garden of the 

 illumined tomb of the Prophet, all these services form the diadem of the glorious head 

 of the Ottoman monarchs, and the desire of righteous Khalifs ; and constitute the band 

 wherewith they adorn their turbans. Their deeds are praised by tongues and pens, and 

 traced on the leaves of day and night. 



The late Sultan Murad IV. of blessed memory, who now slumbers in the cradle of 

 di\-ine mercy, and reposes on the cushions of forgiveness, had begun a holy war, accord- 

 to the text, "Combat m the ways of God:" and the noble purport of the verse, "We 

 have granted to thee evident conquest," was reflected from the polished mirror of his il- 

 luminated mind like the descent of heavenly inspirations. Under the auspices of the words 

 "God has aided tliee with a brilliant victory," he issued from his imperial residence; 

 and, according to the text, "and we shall give them troops (so numerous) as never were 

 seen before," he marched with armies, rushing on like the waves, arraved like the 

 Pleiades, and swift and sure like the shafts of fate ; and Bagdad, the celestial abode of 

 heavenly influence, after it had been for some time the dwelling-place of base heretics, by 

 God's grace, being, with all its advantages, reconquered and arrayed in the list of Otto- 

 man provinces, liis Majesty returned with good fortune and prosperity to liis sublime 

 residence and capital : but the miessenger of fate having announced the message of pre- 

 destinated death, by the words, "Return to thy Lord," the falcon of the celestial spirit 

 flew away from the narrow nest pf elementary composition into the vast field of divinity, 

 and his gracious body having been entrusted, like a hidden treasure, to the chest of the 

 earth, the throne of the Kalifat and of Suliman was granted — according to the words, 

 "We have placed thee as our successor on earth," — to the eye of the Khalifat, the 

 splendour of the garden of empire, the chief of the Ottoman orchard, the cream of 

 Suliman's progeny, the clasp of the girdle of kingdoms, the place of the collar of dig- 

 nity, the conquering hero of Rum, Arabia, and Persia, the ruler of the century, the 

 Shah of the world, the Sultan, God's shadow upon earth, raler of two parts of the 

 earth, the Khakan of two oceans, the servant of the two sanctuaries (Mecca and 

 Medina), the Sultan son of a Sultan, the Khakan son of a Khakan, called after the 

 name of God's favourite (Abraham), — Sultan Ibrahim Khan, brother of Sultan Murad 

 Khan, and son of Sultan Ahmed Khan. Since the throne has been graced by his 

 excellent person, resplendent as the sun, the gates of welfare and prosperity have been 

 opened on his fortunate forehead, and the pearl of fortune and blessing has been placed 

 in the shell of liis Khalifat ; the flashing of his royal scimetar is the dawn in the east 

 of good fortune, and the terror of his imperial standards is the sun of the spheres of fate ; 

 he is the lord of the world, — the Suliman of the times : 



" Since God has created the world, was never seen such a king and lord." 



May the suns of his good fortune always rise on the foreheads of men, and may the lights 

 of his grace never set till the end of time ! 

 These news, through time and space having reached the noble hearing of his highness, 



