A short but true ACCOUNT Of the Death of The Grand Visier, Strangled at BELGRADE, By the Command of the Grand signior: WITH Some Reasons that induced him thereunto.  
In a Letter to a Friend,  
THE ill Success of the Siege of Vienna, followed by other Circumstances of the like Nature in the Field Battels, He begot such an Odium in the Popularity towards Hamet Selimus, the Grand Visier; that notwithstanding his long and seeming steadfast security he thought to have possessed in his Masters ●avour, yet at length deceived him, and he became a Victim, as several of his Predecessors had done, to the Vulgar Fury; which oft-times has displaced even the Grand signors themselves; especially when the Mutiny has begun among the Jan●zar●●'s, which makes the surprise the less, that so great an Officer should be so quietly Cut off, as the present Hamet Selimus was; and the more, if we consider, that his Predecessor, the famous Hali Achmet, notwithstanding his great Success in the taking of Candia, found the like measures after all those signal Services he had done to the Ottoman Empire. Had he had regard to Omens, or been superstitiously inclined, he might partly have ghes'd at his misfortunes by the previous Signals that attended him at his going forth from Constantinople: there was no Shouts, no Acclamations, no wishes of Success, but on the contrary, notwithstanding his continued smiles and bowings to the People, a disregardless aspect, and a cloudy look was all the returns he received from the discontented Multitude, on whom the Impression was still fresh of his Severity and Covetousness, which extended not only to his own Countrymen, but to the Franks, by which name they call all the Europeans out of their own Dominions; witness the hard case of Mr. Pentloe, who by inadvertency marrying of a Greek Woman, about the year 79, had an Avenue served upon him by this Visier, and all his Estate seized upon to the use of the Grand signior. But what is urged as to the rigour of the Visier, is this, that two eminent Merchants, who were in the quality of Administrators, or Overseers to his Estate, were near undone, he imprisoning them, and charging 20000 pound more upon the Estate then ever it amounted to. In the time of his Cavalcade, the bide, called the Mahometan bide, being about the bigness of a Raven, crook'd for several Hours from the Top of Santa Sophia, the great Mosk of the Turks; several howlings, like those of Dogs, were heard from the opposite shore of Scutari, a place, in the Plague time, they sand most of their Dogs to; not being cautious only of killing them, but sending them even thither Relief, notwithstanding the wideness of the Channel between that and Galata. His turban fell off of his Head, his Horse stumbling just at the same time as he passed through the Portico Novo, as you go by the old Hyppodrome. Several of the Crescents, fixed upon the Tops of the Capolas of the Mosques, turned into Circles, and the Figure of a Spread-Eagle was seen to fly over the City. But to the purpose; As to his Birth, it is partly unknown, being brought in a Prisoner by the Precopensian Tartars, and sold to Muly Ishmael, who had been formerly a Captain of Horse in Samogitia, who came into Favour by the means of Ibraisia Mula●ta, one of the Grand Seig●iors Mistresses, and prime Beauties of the Seraglio. His first deportment was so extremely obliging, that not only the Grand signior but the rest of his Bashaws, could not but look upon him with a more than ordinary Eye, esteeming him a Person fit for more than common designs: But the main Obstacle was, the more than usual Conversation he had with that Lady, by a private Intrigue of the Madonna of the Maids; His first signal degree of Honour was, his being made Bas●a● of Aleppo, and afterwards by few steps in a short time he mounted to the height from whence he fell. As to what concerns his management of Affairs in the late War, I think I need not mention, it being fresh in the memory of most inquisitive Persons. As to the last Scene of his Life at Belgrade, 'twas thus; The Mutiny growing high at Constantinople, and his Rigour to the People in Peace, making them averse to the War, under such a Commander, caused a general hatred to him throughout the whole Camp; They could not then dare to show their Aversions, but after his Defeat at Vienna, all Tongues were free, and they spake in general the Sentiments of their minds. The Grand signior, who by a long tie of Love had united his affection to him, could not of a sudden be persuaded to withdraw it, but at length, continual Clamours being made against him, he was forced to yield to their demands. The Visier thought himself pretty secure at Belgrade, a Place of considerable Strength, but he found it otherwise, the Aga of the janissaries, Kaka Sebat, one formerly in some esteem with the Visier, and promised his niece, the noted Sucalemma, failed yet of his respects to the Visier, and performed his Office, as to the point of Strangling of him. He came to him in a way of courtesy, as desiring his advice in a great affair of War, upon which he was admitted, but the conclusion was his Death, the Mutes performing their Office, and the A●a returning to Constantinople with his Head.  
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed for James Norris, at the Kings Arms without Temple-Bar, 1684.