- press from my Master, the Emperor. The
Bashaws would not let him bring his Letters directly to me, as they were wont to be brought, but they carried him first into the Divan. The Reason of this their unusual Procedure, was, because they would fain know what Cæsar's Letters did contain, before they were delivered, in regard they suspected I dealt not faithfully with them, in communicating my Master's Sense, but that I suppressed some of his Concessions. The Messenger was cunning enough for them; for, having some inkling of the Matter before-hand, he hid Cæsar's Letters, and only shew'd them those that were directed to me, from some particular Friends. Their interpreter, Ebrahim, a Polander by Birth, had acquainted them before, that the Letters, that brought any secret Commands to me, were not written in an ordinary Character, but in a new kind of Marks, called Cyphers. As they were searching all my Letters, at last they light upon One, that was wrote to me by a Friend of mine, a Secretary of Burgundy. Ebrahim saw, through the thinness of the Paper wherein 'twas writ, some shining Letters, which were not of an ordinary sort. O! says he, now I have found it out; don't you meddle with any of the rest of the Packet, for here's the Secrecy in this. Whereupon the Bashaws commanded him to open, read, and interpret it to them, and they all stood listning to hear the News; but Ebrahim told them plainly, that he could not read one Letter of it. That's strange, says the Bashaws; what, did you never learn the Christian Alphabet; or have you forgot it? Says Ebrahim, this sort of Character is only known to those who are Secretaries to Princes: They did not well understand him; but however, say they, if it be so, why dost thou not make haste
