the Public Faith, and the League betwixt them, yet all was one, away they must be sent Prisoners to Constantinople: And their Youth was a great Prejudice to them, for the Bashaws thought such young Striplings would never undertake so long a Voyage on the account of Religion, for the Turks never begin their Pilgrimage till they are well in Years.
When I heard of this Disaster, I did what I could to release them, but all to no purpose. The Bailo of Venice was applied to, because under the Protection of that Republick they fell into this Danger: He granted there was all the reason in the World they should be released; But what Justice, said he, can we obtain among such an inhuman and barbarous People? In the mean time I applied all the Relief I was able, to their distressed Condition: But one day, far beyond my Expectation, they all came to my House, and told me, they were sent as a Present to me by the French Ambassador, who had obtained their Liberty. I was mighty glad of their Releasement, and sent great Thanks to the Ambassador, whose Name was La Vigne. The manner was thus; when he was about to take his leave of the Sultan, and to kiss his Hand, as the Custom is, he thrust a piece of Paper into it, wherein he desired that the Gentlemen might be released in favour to his Prince, because their Voyage was occasioned upon the account of a Pilgrimage for Religion. Solyman granted his Request, and released them presently: Whereupon I supplied them with Accommodations for their Voyage, and sent them first to Vienna, and then home into their own Country.
This La Vigne at first was very strict and vexatious to me, and used all his Arts to bring me into the Bashaws Dislike without any Fault of
