Page:Busbecq, Travels into Turkey (1744).pdf/208

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But to return to Bajazet, after the Fight at Iconium, who retired to his Government of Amasia, pretending to live quietly there, if his Father would permit him so to do. For why? He had sown his wild Oats, and for the future seem'd pliable to obey his Father's Will; and for this he employed sundry Persons to carry submissive Letters to his Father, begging his Pardon: Neither did Solyman pretend that he was averse to a Reconciliation with his Son, and therefore he admitted his Messengers into his Presence. He read his Letters, and answered them mildly: So that the Report was spread over all the Army, what an Agreement was like to be between Father and Son; what he had done amiss, was to be imputed to the hot Blood of his youthful Age, provided he would shew himself obsequious for the residue of his Life. This Solyman did by the Advice of his Bashaws; for the cunning old Man would not declare himself, till he had brought Bajazet into the Noose of his own Power. He was terribly afraid, lest out of Desperation he should march furiously into Persia (his only place of Refuge,) with such furious Expedition, that all his Sanziacks should not be able to get before him. To prevent which Mistakes, he sent many Letters to all the Governors upon the Borders, to watch Bajazet, and not to suffer him to escape, if he should attempt it.

In the mean time, he put all those of Bajazet's Party, that he could get into his Hands, to the Rack; and when he had sifted out of them what he could, he put them privately to Death; amongst which were some that Bajazet had sent to clear him to his Father.

The Kingdom of Persia at that time contained all the Countries between the Caspian Sea, and the Seas of Persia, with some part of Armenia the