Christian ambassador came by them; for even persons of high rank, and imperial officials, are not ashamed of acting contrary to their conscience, and revealing to him secret counsels, whereof, if the Viennese king knows, there is no doubt that he will, in good time, make preparations corresponding to those of the Turks, and will demand all possible aid from the empire.”
The pasha, having thought this over, commended him for such fidelity, and not only granted him power to examine the chancery of the Christian ambassador, but also assigned him some of the chief chiaouses, among whom were a Spaniard, and several Italian renegades, with orders that everything was to be carefully examined, and took care that no obstacle should be placed in the way of that rascal of a steward, to whom, at his perversion, the Turks had given the name of Ali Beg.
The day before this my lord the ambassador ordered the documents, which had been translated into cipher, to be brought him by the secretary, who was playing for ducats with the rest of my lord’s attendants of equestrian rank. On looking into them it appeared to him that something had been left out, and he therefore ordered the originals to be brought him out of the secret receptacles; but, finding that there was no error in any respect, he directed them to be immediately concealed in the same secret places. But the secretary liked play better, and, forgetting his duty and the oath which he had sworn to the Lord God and his Imperial Majesty, thrust them into the nearest cupboard as soon as he entered the chancery, and went out again to his game. Thus, as is manifest, no human counsel and vigilance can hinder the judgment and ordinance of God.
