1829.J Carmelite Convent at Brussels. 659 



quently disguise himself in the dress of an Armenian merchant, and 

 preambulate the city of Stamboul and its environs, for the purpose of 

 observing, with his own eyes, the conduct of his subjects, but more par- 

 ticularly in watching the schemes of the Janissaries, whom he feared and 

 detested. Upon one occasion he was thrown from his horse in the vici- 

 nity of Peru, where Sciabasse possessed a country residence, and being 

 slightly wounded in the knee, was conveyed to the house of the IMosco- 

 vite merchant: every assistance was administered, and he was enter- 

 tained with the most hospitable kindness. Here he saw the fair Eudocia, 

 and became enamoured with her charms ; but, he was a married xnan, 

 and he soon learnt that the religious principles of the merchant would 

 not yield even to the mighty monarch of the Ottoman empire — he would 

 never consent to see his beloved daughter immured in the seraglio of the 

 Grank Turk. Compulsion he could have easily resorted to, but he pre- 

 ferred owing his success to other means. He declared his love, and 

 found she was not insensible to his passion. Fearing that the virtuous 

 lady would recoil with horror at any dishonourable proposals, knowing 

 also that he v/ould meet with a repulse from the stern parent, if he 

 declared his rank, he, after some time, told Eudocia that he was not an 

 Armenian merchant, but one of the principal officers of the empire, and 

 a favourite of the sultan : he offered to lead her to the altar, where a 

 Greek priest would unite them in holy wedlock, but solemnly entreated 

 her not to divulge the fact — her father, even, he wished to be kept in 

 ignorance, at least for a time ; alleging the necessity of secrecy, that 

 offence might not be given to his sovereign, who had recently offered 

 him one of his sisters in marriage, — he would be able, he asserted, to 

 prevail upon the sultan to withdraw his intentions, and in a few months 

 the marriage with Eudocia should be made public. Fortune favoured 

 his views ; Sciabasse was compelled to proceed on urgent business to 

 Smyrna, and afterwards to the north of Europe ; during his absence 

 Eudocia became a wife and a mother. Such was my entrance into life. 

 My father passionately adored his spouse, and could not enjoy a moment 

 of happiness away from her. A faithful eunuch, who had attended him 

 from infancy, took a country seat adjoining that of Sciabasse ; and here 

 it was the sultan and my mother spent the happiest days of their lives. 

 The continual absence of Ibrahim from the seraglio was remarked, and 

 the sultana, whose jealousy was in consequence aroused, sent some emis- 

 sary to watch his steps. She became frantic with rage on learning that 

 her husband spent all his time in the company of a ^Rloscovite lady, by 

 whom he had a son, and she determined to wreak vengeance on us all. 

 She waited for a fit opportunity ; and whilst Ibrahim was in the serag- 

 lio, attending to important state affairs, some of her confidential servants 

 rushed into our house, and, seizing upon Eudocia, the eunuch, and my- 

 self, conveyed us on board a vessel which immediately set sail for the 

 island of Rhodes, where it was intended to consign us to a dungeon lor 

 the remainder of our lives. The above circumstances came to my know- 

 ledge thirty-seven years afterwards, and were communicated by one of 

 the individuals employed on this expedition. When my father heard of 

 the dreadful fact, his anger knew no bounds — he paced the interior of 

 the seraglio like a wounded tiger, and many bloody sacrifices were 

 offered uj)on the occasion. He was iniable to prove the guilt of the 

 sultana, or her body would have rolled in the waves of the Bosjihorus ; 

 but his suspicions were raised ; and although her life was spared, he 



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