Abschrift des sultanischen Patents (<foreign>nīşān-ı hümāyūn</foreign>/<foreign>berat</foreign>); Istanbul, 15. September

131 Mesfūr Niḳolos tercümān hālık olub ḳaydı terḳīn buyurmaġla yirine papasın oġlı Arutin (Arvitin/Arvitre?) tercümān naṣb ve berat-ı ʿālī-şān virilmişdür. fī evāṣıṭ-ı cā(Cemāẕiyye’l-evvel) 1155 It appears that this note was added on the record retrospectively when Nikolas Theyls died in 1741. Nīşān-ı hümāyūn oldur ki Romā imperāṭorı ṭarafından büyükilçilik ile der-i devlet-medāruma gelen ḳıdvetü ümerāʾi’l-milleti’l-mesīḥiyye Cenerāl Ġrūf de Virmond ḫutimet ʿavāḳibühū bi-l-ḫayr südde-i saʿādetüme ʿarż-ı ḫāl gönderüb bundan aḳdem müşārün ileyh Romā imperāṭorı ṭarafından āsitāne-i saʿādetümde muḳīm olan ḳapu ketḫüdāsı yanına tercümān olan Maderos nām tercümān mürd olmaġla yirine rāfiʿ-i tevḳīʿ-i refīʿü ş-şān-ı ḫāḳāni Niḳolos In the document, Nikolos is mentioned without last name and who he was is not clear based on this charter. However, we infer from the ambassador Virmont’s report dated September 6, 1719 that the interpreter whom this berat was addressed to was Nikolas Theyls. tercümān naṣb ve taʿyīn olunmaġlaʿahdnāme-i hümāyūnum mūcebince ola geldügi üzere berāt-ı şerīfüm virilmek bābında ʿināyet ricā itmegin bu nīşān-ı hümāyūnı virdüm ve buyurdum ki: Mesfūr Niḳolos vech-i meşrūḥ üzere tercümān olub tercümānlıḳ ḫidmetinde olanlar ve oġulları ve ḫizmetkārları ve cāriyeleri ḫarāc ve ʿavārıż ve ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası ve resm-i üsārā ve sāʾir tekālīf-i ʿörfiyye ṭalebiyle rencīde ve remīde olunmayub ve ḳul ve cāriye istiḫdām idermişsin diyü kimesne ḫarāc ve rüsūm ve bāc ṭalebiyle daḫl ve rencīde eylemeye ve gendünüñ maṣraf ve hedāyāsına ve ḳadīmden geydügi melbūsāt ve mefrūşāt ve meʾkūlāt ve meşrūbātına kimesne daḫl ve rencīde eylemeyüb ḳadīmden ola geldügi üzere ʿafv olunub ve rüsūm-ı gümrük ve bāc ṭaleb olunmaya ve evlerine ʿaskerīden ḳonaḳ ḳonulmaġıyla rencīde olunmaya ve gendü bāġında ḥāṣıl olan şīreden ḫamr emīni ve Ġalaṭa voyvodaları sāʾirlerden ola geldügi üzere fuçı aḳçasını ṭaleb eylemeyüb gendüsi ve evlādı ve taṣarrufında olan cāriyeleri ḫarāc ve ʿavārıż ve ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası ve resm-i maṣdariyyeden ve tekālīf-i ʿörfiyyenüñ cümlesinden muʿāf ve müsellem olub ve mezbūr ile ve her kimüñ daʿvāsı olur ise ellerinde olan ʿahdnāme-i hümāyūn mūcebince āsitāne-i saʿādetüme ḥavāle olunub ġayr-ı yirde istimāʿ olunmaya ve baʿżı zamānda bir yire gitmek istedükde gidişde ve gelişde ḳaradan ve deryādan menāzil ve merāḥilde gendüye ve esvāb ve ṭavarlarına ve emvāl ve erzāḳına ve yanında olan ādamlarına ulaḳ ve ulaḳ akçası ve ġayri cānibde kimesne daḫl ve taʿarruż eylemeyüb ve her ḳanda dāḫıl olur ise zād ve zevāde ve sāʾir ẕaḫīresi narḫ-ı rūzī üzere aḳçasıyla virilüb bir ferd taʿallül ve nizāʿ eylemeye ve maḫūf ve muḫāṭara olan yirlerde başına aḳ ṣarınub ve ḳılıç ve oḳ ve yay ve sāʾir levāzımāt götürdükde ḳāḍīlar ve beglerbegiler ve ġayrıdan bir ferd rencīde eylemeyüb ola geldügi üzere ḥimāyet ve ṣiyānet ve anuñ gibi teʿaddī ve tecāvüz üzere olanlar menʿ ve defʿolunub dāʾimā işbu nīşān-ı hümāyūnumuñ mażmūn-ı münīfi ile ʿamel olunub ḫilāfına rıżā ve cevāz gösterilmeye şöyle bileler ʿalāmet-i şerīfe. fī evāil-i Ẕā [Ẕi’l-ḳaʿide] sene 1131

The aforesaid interpreter Nikolos died. His record is deleted. In his place, Arutin (Arvitin/Arvitre?), the son of a priest, has been assigned and a noblest imperial deed of grant (berāt) is issued. July 14 to July 23, 1742. So is the imperial charter / sign(nīşān-ı hümāyūn): The paragon of the great commanders of the community of Messiah, General [Damian Hugo] Count of Virmont—may God end his days propitiously—who came to my gate that is the center of state as grand ambassador from the Roman emperor, sent a petition to my threshold of felicity. The interpreter named Maderos, who was formerly the interpreter for the resident envoy of the aforesaid Roman emperor in my threshold of felicity, died. In his place, the most glorious imperial sign [has been bestowed to announce that] the translator Nikolos has been assigned and appointed. For the grand ambassador officially requested my favor to grant my noble charter (berāt-ı şerīf), as it has been taking place to this day according to my imperial letter of agreement (ʿahdnāme-i ḥumāyūn), I issue this imperial sign (nīşān-ı hümayun) and I command that: The aforesaid Nikolos has become an interpreter in the way described. Those who work as interpreters, their sons, servants, and the women in their household shall not be injured and disturbed with claims of tribute, extraordinary tax, dues for goods in transit (ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası, lit. 'butcher’s fee'), captive tax, or other levies. No one shall interfere with him demanding tribute, tax, or toll under the pretext that he employs male and female slaves and oppress him. No one shall interfere with his own expenses, gifts, garments, furniture, food, and drinks and oppress him. He shall be forgiven as per the time-honored practice and no customs duty or tolls shall be claimed. He shall not be oppressed through the deployment of a military officer at their house. The voivode of Galata and the wine superintendent shall not claim barrel money for the must produced from his own vineyard as they have been claiming from others. Himself, his children, and the women under his authority shall be exempt and delivered from tribute, extraordinary tax, dues for goods in transit (ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası, lit. 'butcher’s fee'), export fee (maṣdariyye), wine tax, and all of the extraordinary levies. Whoever has a court case with the aforesaid [interpreter], as required by the letter of agreement in their possession, the case shall be referred to my threshold of felicity and a hearing shall not take place at another location. At certain times, as he would like to go somewhere, as he comes and goes on land and sea, at stations on the road, and during stages of the journey, no one shall interfere and attack him, his clothes, flock of animals, properties, provisions, and his men accompanying him [claiming] messenger fees or on any other excuses. In whichever location he enters, his victual, provisions for the journey, and cereals shall be given in return for the fixed price. No one shall seek an excuse to avoid or dispute it. Judges, provincial governors, and not even a single person from among the rest shall disturb him when he, at dangerous and insecure places, wraps his head in white (başına aḳ ṣarınub) and takes with him a sword, an arrow, a bow, and other equipment; they shall guard and protect [him] as it has been the practice. Those who do wrong and attack shall be prevented and repelled. At all times, [all] should act as required by the exalted purview of my imperial sign (nīşān-ı hümāyūn); no consent or permission shall be shown to the contrary. Thus shall they know and [have confidence] in the noble mark! September 15 to September 24, 1719