4§2 WAR OF THE TURKS 



ful to be arretted by a kind of officer of jufiice, and 

 brought before Amurath bey, at that time comman- 

 dant of Cairo ; where, by a mafter-ttroke of cunning, 

 he was drawn in to fubfcribe an obligation, in the name 

 of his republic, to pay a fum that far exceeded the 

 value of the embezzled goods — a proceeding at which 

 all the other confuls teftifled the greateft difpleafure. 



Soon after this, the monks of xAlexandria built them- 

 felves a church, twice as large as they had permiffion 



to do. 



The bey, on this account, made a demand of 50,000 

 patafches, by one of his kiaiifs, of the confuls and 

 chriftians collectively. But as the chrittians refufed 

 to pay the fum required, the people belonging to the 

 kialif began to demolifh the walls of the church. 



The Franks of Cairo, however, fet about means of 

 appealing the bey; which at length they effected, 

 through the mediation of the pafha, who is comman- 

 dant of the fortrefs, and a turkifh ttate-officer of the 

 fultan, and by a prefent of 5000 patafches. 



With this money the bey now reedified the walls 

 that had been pulled down, and bore the monks harm- 

 lefs for a few trifles which the janizaries had robbed 

 them of. To the confuls he made fome kind of apo- 

 logy. But they were fo very much incenfed at the ill- 

 treatment they had received, that in the firft heat of 

 their refentment, they each of them difpatched a cou- 

 rier to their feveral ambaffadors at Conftantinople, de- 

 firing them to lay their complaints before the porte. 

 It is faid, that the Alexandrians wrote by the ruffian 

 conful to his emprefs, imploring her protection, and 

 adding, that they were ready to fet up her flag. ■ 



The 



