youths and valiant men who have been slain by your people in Hungary, one of whom was better than all the giaours put together.” He also uttered great threats, and angrily revealed his evil intent and wish to be revenged upon us, infuriating himself till he turned pale. My lord the ambassador, seeing him enraged, did not choose to dispute with him, but only said, moderately:—“Until the truce is renewed, and is steadfastly and honestly observed, and the fortresses which have been taken are restored, no tribute will be sent.”
When we were about to return home there occurred a manifest token of our future misfortune. The grey horse, on which my lord rode, would in nowise allow itself to be mounted; but bit, kicked, and reared, though it had never before done anything of the sort. My lord the ambassador was, therefore, obliged to mount his steward’s horse, and ride home. When we arrived at our house the gate was immediately fastened up with iron bolts, by order of Synan, and thus the unfortunate Zahradetzky, through staying a few weeks with us in order to see the city, was compelled to remain in the house with us, and experience all our misfortunes and grievous imprisonment; for now the Turks refused to allow him to quit the house.
We were now deprived of our allowance of provisions and everything else, and so little was given us that my lord the ambassador was obliged to send a chiaous to the pasha, and ask for permission to send out and purchase necessaries in the market with his own money. Permission was given for the clerk of the kitchen to go daily with a janissary to the market, but nowhere else, and buy necessaries. Strict orders were, moreover,
