Page:The European Concert in the Eastern Question.djvu/92

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76
SAMOS AND CRETE: TEXTS.

No. II[1].

ΥΨΗΛΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΙΚΟΝ ΦΕΡΜΑΝΙΟΝ

1834.ἤτοι

ΟΡΓΑΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΑΤΑΞΙΣ

Ή ἐκδοθεῖσα τῷ ἔτει 1834 καὶ περιέχουσα τὰ χορηγηθέντα τοῖς Σαμίοις προνόμια.

Έπειδὴ ἡ ὑπερτάτη θέληστς τοῦ ἔχοντος ὑποτεταγμένα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, Ύψίστου καὶ Παντοδυνάμου Θεοῦ, κ. τ. λ.

(Translation).

Sublime Imperial Firman, or Organic Law, issued in the year 1834, and comprehending the privileges granted to the Samians.

Since the most exalted will of the Most High and Omnipotent God, who holds in subjection Heaven and Earth, whose glory and height be worshipped in every time and place, having united in our sacred person, as his vicar for the time being, the qualities of justice and greatness, has assigned to us the highest grade among the sovereigns of the earth, and of his boundless goodness having vouchsafed to us all noble and highborn perceptions, and a heart self-moved towards benevolence and philanthropy, has ordained that the threshold of our Sublime Porte, like him who ordained it, shall be the refuge of the peoples and the fountain of their hopes and wishes.

Wherefore it is regarded as our imperial duty, knowing the benefits of the divine prescience, that we should be always disposed to consecrate our care and solicitude to the shielding and protection of our faithful subjects, who accurately fulfil the duties of obedience and submission to our Sublime Porte, and to provide for them quiet and safety under the life-giving shadow of our power.
  1. Σαμιακὴ νομοθεσία, ἐν Σάμφ, ἐκ τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ τυπογραΦείου, 1875, τεῦχος Α′, p. 8. I am indebted for a copy of this work to the great courtesy of M. Epaminodas Frangoulis, President of the Court of Appeal of the island, acting on the request of my friend M. Saripolos, of Athens.