of the Algerines. 5 1 1 



count made of this Body ; which is indeed ftill very formally con- 

 \^cned, but then it is only to confent, with the fame Formality^, to 

 fuch Propofitions, as have been before hand concerted^ betwixt 

 the T^ejf and his Favourites: fo that, inEffeft, the whole 

 Power is lodged in one Perfon. 



This Perfon, who, at Algiers, is called the i)^/, is chofenT::-? o#., 

 out of the Army ; each Order, even the moft inferiour, having «///Γοο>'* 

 an equal Right and Title,to thatDignity,vvith the higheft. Every 

 bold and afpiring Soldier, tho' taken Yefterday from the Plough, 

 may be confidered at Algiers , as the Heir apparent to the 

 Throne, and, with this further Advantage like wife, that he ly- 

 eth under no Neceifity to wait 'till Sicknefs or old Age remove the 

 prefent Incumbent : it is enough that he is able to protett him- 

 felf with the fame Cymiter, which he hath had the Hardinefs to 

 iheath in the Bowels of his PredeceiTor. The chief Command 

 here, as it was in theDecleniion of the i?o;;2<?» Empire, lyeth 

 open and expofed to every bold Pretender, who, if he hath the 

 Refolutiononly to attempt, will rarely fail to carry it. To ther^fDeys>.- 

 Truth whereof, we need only appeal to that quick SucceiTion,^'"''^"' 

 which there hath been ^ilways among the T)eys, ever lince the 

 Ttirkipj Dynefly \ rarely one in ten having the Fortune to dye 

 in his Bed ; i. e. without a Muskett Ball or a Cymiter. Even 

 thofe few Perfons who have made thefe peaceable Exits ^ cannot 

 attribute them to any fuperiour Regard and Efteem, which the 

 Army had for them in particular , but rather to their own 

 fuperiour good Fortune, in preventing an Infurreolion^ by cut- 

 ting off the Confpirators before they could put their Deligns in 

 Execution. This bloody Method of fucceeding to the Dej/fljip, 

 and of continuing peaceably in it, will doubtlefs appear ilrange 

 and furprizing to Perfons long accuftomed to regular Succeili- 

 ons and civilized Governments, yet is what may be very well 

 accounted for at this Place, where a ftrid: and regular Difcipline 

 hath been a long time wanting ; and where, even a private 

 Soldier, after a fmall Exercife and Tryal under thefe Colours, 

 hath the Ambition to think himfelf conliderable enough, either 

 to pufh for the Kaftan himfelf, or to contribute at leaft in the 

 Promotion of another to It. However this fadious and dif- 

 contented Humour feems, at prefent, to be fomewhat purged 

 and allayed, by the many feafonable Executions that have been 



Iiii^ lately 



