The fourth volume of letters writ by a Turkish spy who lived five and forty years undiscover'd at Paris : giving an impartial account to the Divan at Constantinople of the most remarkable transactions of Europe, and discovering several intrigues and secrets of the Christian courts (especially of that of France) continued from the year 1642 to the year 1682 / written originally in Arabick, translated into Italian, and from thence into English, by the translator of the first volume.

LETTER VII.

To Dgnet Oglou.

THOU art not Ignorant, that when I first heard of the Cruel Sentence executed on our late Friend Egri Boinou (on whom be the Mercies of the Creator) I wrote to his Suc∣cessor, Ismael Mouta Faraca, a Letter of Con∣doleance: Wherein, to keep a Medium between the Tenderness I ow'd to the Loss which my Friend had sustained of his Eyes, and the distrust I had of a Stranger; I filled up my Letter to Ismael, with Consolatory Expressi∣ons; such as I wou'd have used to Egri him∣self, had I been in his Company. Believing, that Ismael would read my Letter, to his Blind Predecessor.

I plaid the Stoick, and encouraged the Do∣ctrine of Apathy: Or at least, I abounded in Philosophical Counsels, almost as Impractica∣ble as the other. Nothing but severe Mora∣lity dropt from my Pen. And, all this, to cover my real Concern and Passion for Egri's Sufferings; who, thou Knowest, was beloved by more than thee and me. I told thee in a former Letter, That I did not dare to trust my Sentiments, though disguized, to a Man, who on the score of his new Preferment might become more quick-sighted than before, and would soon penetrate the thin Veil of Words, and Spy something, in that Dispatch to my

Disadvantage, should I have ventured to descant on the Sultan's Severity, or Egri's Merits.

Therefore, I thought it best to pretend an Indifferency, to which I am as much a Stranger as any Man, in Cases that too nearly touch our Sence. 'Tis easie to give Counsel to ano∣ther, which in the same Circumstances, we are far from practising our selves. Then we can be full of Wisdom and grave Morals; but, when it once comes Home, all our Phi∣losophy vanishes: There remains Nothing to be seen, but a meer Sensitive Animal, without Vertue or Patience.

My own Experience, but two Days agoe, forces this Confession from me, when by an unlucky Blow, I lost the Sight of both my Eyes, for the Space of Eight and Fourty Hours. 'Tis true, I should not have used them much during a Third Part of that Time, had they not been hurt: Unless thou wilt say, they are serviceable in our Dreams, and help our Souls to spy the Dark Chimaera's of the Night. However, I remember 'twas no small Grief, even in that Absence of the Sun, to be only Sensible of the Privation by my Ears: For, whilst the Windows of my Soul were shut, 'twas in vain for those of my Chamber to be open; which before this Mis∣fortune, would by letting in the Light of the Moon or Stars, have convinc'd me, that it was Night, without being beholden to the Clocks and Bells of the Convents for my In∣telligence, as I was under this Affliction.

Then it was, that in my Heart I unsaid all that I had written to the Eunuch on the Sub∣ject of Blindness, and cursed the Philosopher for a Fool or a Madman, who put out his own Eyes, for the Sake of his Thoughts. I envy∣ed those more Happy Fools, who are without Thoughts, but enjoy their Sight, which helps to form and regulate the Conceits of the most Wise and Thinking Men.

Nay, such was my Passion and Melancho∣ly, during this short Eclipse of my Eyes, that I preferr'd to mine, even the Life of those Dumb Animals, whom Men have learned to call Irrational, because they express their Sen∣timents by Inarticulate Sounds, a Dialect which we don't Understand. And, I could have almost wished my self Metamorphos'd, though it were into a Dog, provided I might but have that Sense, the Want of which ren∣ders our Humanity Imperfect and a Burden to it self. Or, if thou wilt blame me for such a Wish, I cannot forbear thinking that Dog happier than his Master, whom I have seen leading a Blind Man in a String along the Streets of Paris. How prudently did that Faithful Creature act the Guide, in crossing the Way, if any Danger threatned his Charge, as a Cart, Coach, or Throng of People? And, all this Conduct was oweing to his Eyes, which made him Wiser than his Master; who, had he enjoy'd this Sence, might not, for ought I know, have Surpassed his Kind Brute in the Exercise of Reason.

And now I am fallen on this Subject, of

the Wisdom of Brutes, I must not forget a Sto∣ry which I have read in Plutarch, as also in a certain French Author, of a Dog in the Court of the Roman Emperor, Vespasian, which would act to the Life, all the Agonies and Symptoms of Death at the Command of a Mountebank, who had taught him many such Comical Tricks, to divert the Grandees of Rome.

The same Frenchman mentions certain Oxen, which it seems had Learned Arithme∣tick: For, being employ'd in turning the Wheel of a Well an Hundred Times every Day, when they had finished that Task, would not stir a step more; but having re∣volved that Number in their Minds, desisted of their own Accord; nor could any Violence compel 'em to farther Labour. Who will deny now, that these Oxen were Mathema∣ticians; Or, That that Ship-Dog had any need to study Euclid's Elements, who having a great Desire to taste of some Oil, that he saw in a deep Earthen Vessel, and not being able to put his Head in far enough, by Reason of the long streight Neck of the Pot, after some Study ran to the Hold of the Ship, which was Balasted with Gravel-Stones. From thence he brought in his Mouth, at several Times, as many of those little Stones, as half filling the Pot, forced the Oil up to the Mouth, so that he could Lap his Belly full. Of this, Plu∣tarch says he was an Eye Witness. Was not this, thinkest thou, an Archimedes among the Dogs? Are not the Goats of Candy absolute

Physicians, when being wounded, they ne∣ver cease ranging the Plains of that Fertile Island, till they have four'd the Herb Ditta∣ny, with which they restore themselves to Health.

Should the French read these Lines, and those others I have writ on this Subject to Cara Hali, and the Great Mahummed of the Desart, they would censure me as a Heretick, a Fool, or a Madman: Or, at least, they would conclude, I am too Importunate an Advocate for the Beasts. They would call me Brute my self, and fix my Pedigree among some of the Dumb Generations.

But thou, who hast been Educated in the serener Principles of the East, and hast had the Honour to pour Water on the Hands of the Abstemious Eremit, wilt have another Opi∣nion of what I say, in Defence of our Kin∣dred Animals.

He that has given Wisdom and Language to the Pismires, and Instructed them to con∣verse together by Mute Signs, so that when the Signal was given, the Alarm was taken throughout their humble Territories, and they all fled away with their Bag and Bag∣gage, when the Army of Solomon approach∣ed: Inspire us with Grace, to understand the Language of the Beasts, or at least, not to think our Selves Wiser than them who under∣stand Ours.

Paris, 14th. of the 4th. Moon, of the Year 1654.