Die Großbotschaften Damian Hugo von Virmonts und Ibrahim Paschas (1719/20)

. Nemçe ilçisine [Amcazade] Ḥüseyin Paşa merḥūmuñ yalısında olan żiyāfeti müşʿirdür. Fī 4 Z̠iʾl-ḳaʿade 1131

.Māh-ı mezbūruñ dördünci is̠ neyn güni ilçi-yi mezbūra ʿAmcazāde Ḥüseyin Paşa
.merḥūmuñ yalısında żiyāfet olunmaġla z̠ikr olunur.

Yalı-yı mezbūrda deryā
.üzerinde vāḳiʿ ḳaṣr-ı kebīr ve ḳurbında olan küçük oṭa ve ṭaşrasında
5 vāḳiʿ ṣuffa ve eṭrāfında iki üç oṭa daḫı meḥterḫāne-i ʿāmireden
.bir iki gün muḳaddem döşendürilüb ve bir gün muḳaddem ketḫüdā beg ḥażretleri daḫı
.gidüb mühimmāt-ı ż iyāfete ḳıyām ve köşküñ derūnında olan fısḳiyenüñ
.eṭrāfına dāiren-mā dār sepetler ile meyveler ve ḳaṣrıñ üç ṣuffasını daḫı
.şükūfeler ile tezyīn itdirmiş-idi.

ilçi-yi mezbūr ṭaşrada Ḥazinedār Çiftliginde olmaġla
10 etbāʿı içün kifāyet miḳdārı mükārī bārgīri irsāl olunub lākin ilçi ve begzādegānı - 2 -
.kendü atlarıyla Defterdār İskelesine gelüb ve şıḳḳ-ı evvel efendinüñ yedi çifte
.ḳayıġına ve etbāʿı daḫı irsāl olunan on beş yigirmiḳadar ḳayıḳlara süvār
.olub sāʿat ikiye ḳarīb ṣāḥib devletüñ Beşiktaş ḳurbında vāḳiʿ
.yalısı öñine geldiler.

Ż iyāfet olunacaḳ yalıda ḫalḳ cemʿ olunca bir miḳdār
5 maḥabbetce ṣoḥbet olunmaḳ üzere daʿvet olunmaġla ilçi ile ṭoḳuz nefer begzādegānı
.ve ser-kātibi ve kendü tercümānı ve dīvān tercümānı yalıya çıḳub ḳuṣūr-i etbāʿı ilçi içün
.yalı-yı mezbūr öniñde ḥāẓır olan İsmāʿīl Paşa çekdiri sefīnesine
.çıkarıldı.

ilçi-yi mezbūr yalı-yı meẕkūrda vākiʿ bāġ çeye oturdılub
.ve begzādegān ḳıyāmen durdılar. Baʿdehū ṣāḥ ib devlet ḥażretleri bāġçe-i mezbūrıñ
10 ḥarem ḳapusından çıḳduḳlarında reʾīs efendi ve ̣çavuş başı aġa öñine düşüb
.geldüklerinde ilçi ḳıyām idüb ṣadra ḳuʿūd eylediler. Bu es̠ nāda vezīr-i aʿẓam efendimüz
.serḥaddī ṣofa ḳaplu semūr kürk giymişleridi. Baʿdehū ṭatlu ve ḳahve virildikden ṣoñra
.ḥalvet olunmışdur.

ṣāḥib devlet efendimiz teşrīf eyledigi es̠ nāda reʾīs efendi ve çavuşbaşı
.ve teẕkireci efendiler ve muhżır aġa ve bostāncı oṭa başısı ve bu ḥaḳīr rūzmerre
15 gidiñiz es̠vāb ve ṣarıḳlar ile köşküñ ṣuffesi üzerinde selāma durmış-idik.
.Lakin selām aġası bu maḥallde selām olmamışdur. Ve ilçi-yi mezbūr yalıya yanaşduġında
.selām aġasıyla ḳapucılar ketḫüdāsı istiḳbāl idüb çavuş başı gitmemişdür.

.Ve ilçiye ḳahve virildügi es̠ nāda begzādegānına daḫı selsebīl ṭarafında olan küçük
.oṭada ṭatlu ve ḳahve virilmişdür. ilçi ile ṣaḥīb devlet maḥfīce ṣoḥbet üzere
20 iken Dilsiz Ḥasan Aġayı ḥavuż a bıraḳdılar. ʿAẓ īm cilve-bahş olmışdur.

.Yarım sāʿat miḳdārı ṣoḥbet-i ḫāṣṣdan ṣoñra saʿādetlü vezīr-i aʿẓam ḥażretleri
.ḳalḳub içerüye teşrīf buyurduḳlarında fermānları üzere ilçi begi ṭaşrada mevlevīḫāneye
.muttaṣıl deryāya nāẓ ır köşke çıḳarılub yaṣdıḳ üzerine oturdub baʿdehū
. ṣāḥib devlet gelüb şerbet ve buḫūr gelinceye degin ṣāḥib ṣadr ḥażretleribir ikinci kerre
25 tüfeng atmışdur. Baʿdehū ilçi-yi merḳūmı ḳayıḳ ile çekdiriye götürüb süvār itdirildi.

.Bu es̠ nāda çekdiri filāndralar ile ve başdan başa küçük bayraḳlar ile ve cümle cānibinde
.olan pāyzenlerüñ birkaç ḳatı ḳırmızı paġuryalıklar ile müzeyyen olmışlar idi.
.Ve ilçi çekdiriye bindigi gibi bir ḳalḳma ṭ opı atdılar. Ve żiyāfet maḥalline ʿazimet itdiler.

.Bir sāʿatden ṣoñra vezīr-i aʿẓ am daḫı ṣ andala süvār olub rūzgār ziyāde
30 olduġından ilçinüñ çekdirisi tiziyye gidememekle ilçiden evvel ż iyāfet
.maḥalline gelüb çıḳduḳda yalı-yı mezbūrda müctemiʿ olan kürklü zuʿamā ve müteferriḳa başı vezīr
.aġaları ve hācegān ve aġavātdan mesṭūrüʾl-esāmī olanlar biʾl-cümle ferāce semūr kürk
.ve sarıḳlarıyla köşküñ ḫāricinde selāma ve çavuşān-ı dergāh-ı ʿālī daḫı tellileriyle - 3 -
.zuʿamānıñ verāsında olan sedd üzerinde selāma ṭurmışlar idi.

.Bu günde mevcūd olan ricālden eks̠ eri bi-lā daʿvet gelmişlerdür. ilçi, yalı-yı mezbūra
.gelmezden muḳaddem baʿżı begzādegānı gelmiş bulunmaġla vezīr-i aʿżam ṣandaldan çıḳduḳda
.çavuşān-ı dergāh-ı ʿālī alḳış eylemişlerdür. Ṣāḥib devlet köşke gelüb ḳuʿūd
5 eyledikleründe derūn-i ḳaṣrda olan meyve ve şükūfeden bir miḳdārı intiḫāb olunub
.veliyüʾl-niʿam-ı ʿālem olan şevketlü mehābetlü padişāhımız ṭarafına irsāl olundu.

.Baʿdehū ilçi-yi mezbūruñ çekdirisi aḳındıya güzer itmekde ṣuʿūbeti olduġından geç
.ḳalmaġla tiziyye gelmesi içün ḫaber gönderilmekle Bebek Bāġçesi öñini tecāvüz iderek
.çekdiriden çıḳarub yedi çifte ḳayıḳ ile yalıya getürilmişdür. Ḳuṣūr etbāʿı
10 yine çekdiri ile gelmişdür.

ilçi yalıya dāḫl olmazdan aḳdem vezīr-i aʿẓam küçük
.oṭaya girüb baʿdehū ilçi geldükde derūn-i ḳaṣrda ḳapuya nāẓır ṣofaya vażʿ olunan
.iskemleye ḳuʿūd itdirildi. Baʿdehū ṣāḥib devlet efendimüz beyāż ferāce ṣofa ḳaplu
.semūr kürk ile teşrīf eyledüklerinde ilçi ḳıyām idüb muʿtād üzere ḥāżirūna
.selām-dāde olduḳda selām aġası ṣavt-ı bülend ile selām alub maḳām-ı ʿālīlerine
15 oturduḳlarında ṭātlu ve ḳahve virildi.

ilçinüñ geldigi zamān sāʿat
.beşi tecāvüz itmekle der-ʿaḳab ṭaʿām döşenüb dībā sofra ve gümüş sini ḳonmışdur.
.Ve ilçi içün bir ṭabaġın içine bir altūn kāfirī ḳaşıḳ ve bir çatal ve bir bıçaḳ
.ḳonmışdur. Vezīr-i aʿẓam ve dāmādları vezīr-i mükerrem Nişāncı Muṣṭafā Paşa
.ve İmām-ı Evvel Şehriyārī ʿArabzāde Efendi ve reʾīs efendi biʾl-cümle vezīr-i aʿẓamuñ
20 ṣol ṭarafına oturub ve ilçi ṣaġ ṭarafı semtine māʾilce yaṣdıḳ üzerine
.oturub ṭaʿām tenāvül olundı. Ṭaʿāmuñ ḳabları biʾl-cümle mertabānī
.ve faġfūr idi.

Ve begzādegānı içün daḫı köşküñ ḫāricinde bāġçeye
.ḳarşu ṣofada üç ʿaded peşgūn ve ḳuʿūdları içün ṭūlānī iskemleler
.ḳonub ve etbāʿ-ı sāʾiresi içün daḫı aşaġı deñiz ṭarafında olan
25 meydānda beş altı yerde ṣofralara ḳonmışdur. Baʿdeʾl-ṭaʿām mevcūd olan meyve
.ve şükūfeyi ṣāḥib devlet ilçiye inʿām idüb ḳaldırılmışdur. Baʿdehū ḫānendeler gelüb
.köşküñ iç ṭarafında ṣaġ cānibde vāḳiʿ ṣofa üzerine oturub faṣıl
.eylemişlerdür.

• ḫānende, nefer 13
• neyzen, nefer 8
• ṭanbūrī, nefer 4
• ṣanṭūrī, nefer 2
• kemānī, nefer 3
• düdük, nefer 1
• nefīrī, nefer 2
• çeng, nefer 1
• mis̠ ḳāl, nefer 1

.Faṣıl olunur iken ṣāḥib devlet efendimüz deryāda gezen ḳuşlara birkaç defʿa tüfeng
30 atub ḥattā bir martı ḳuşını urdı. Bu es̠nāda ilçi daḫı şevḳe gelüb tüfengüñ
.birini eline alub nişāna baḳar ve atar gūne ḥareket eyledi. Lākin atmadı. Bu es̠ nāda nişāncı - 4 -
.paşa ve imām-ı evvel efendi daḫı ṣāḥib devlet ṭarafında otururlardı.

Bu hengāmede
. ṣāḥib devlet ḥażretlerinüñ engüşt-i şerīflerinde bir kebīr elmās yüzük ve bir vasaṭ elmās
.yüzük ve ṣol engüşt-i şerīflerinde daḫı bir kebīr zümrüd yüzük ve miyān-ı saʿādetlerinde
.cevāhir ḳuşaḳ ve elmās ile muraṣṣaʿ hançeri ilçi temāşā iderek bī-ṭāḳat
5 olmaġla lisāna getirüb vāfir reşk eylemişdür. Bugünde hidmetde olan Enderūn
.aġ aları biʾl-cümle mücevher hançer ile ve pāk libās ile müzeyyen idiler.

Ḫānende faṣlı temām olduḳdan
.ṣoñra iç aġaları sāde neḳāre ile cerīd oynadılar. Baʿdehū pehlivānlar güreşdiler.
.Baʿdehū ḥoḳḳa-bāzlar oynadılar. Baʿdehū Anaṭolu ve Rūmili ḥiṣārlarından Ḳaradeñiz
.Boġazına ṭoġrı üçer defʿa sekdirme ṭoplar atıldı. Baʿdehū yine ḫānende
10 faṣıl itmişlerdür. Ve baʿdehū deryāya desti ḳonmaġla ṣāḥib devlet efendimüz tüfeng ile
.birkaç desti şikest itmişdür. Baʿdehū yeñiçeri tüfengcileri atdılar.

Baʿdehū ikindi ṭaʿāmı
.tenāvül olunub baʿdehū bir miḳdār ṣoḥbet olunduḳdan ṣoñra ilçinüñ begzādegān etbāʿından
.otuz miḳdārı keferenüñ boġazlarına birer telli çekme baġlanmışdur. Baʿdehū çekdiri başına
.ve üzerine meʾmūr yeñiçeri ḫaṣekisine ve üzerine meʾmūr Ḳapucıbaşı Meḥ med Aġaya ve çorbacıya
15 ve dīvān tercümānına ve kendü tercümānına birer hilʿat giydirilmişdür. [1] On August 16, the last day of the month of Ramadan that year, Virmont was invited to the house of the agha for a festive meeting of several embassy members and numerous Ottoman officials. The Austrian delegation spent the night at Mehmed Agha’s house. Ḥattā çekdiri paşasına ibtidā
. ṣāḥib devlet yalısı öñinde iken sālyānesine bir yük aḳçe żamm olunmaḳ üzere defterdār
.efendiye lisānen fermān buyurulmış.

vech-i meşrūḥ üzere ḫilʿatler ilbās olunduḳdan ṣoñra
. ilçiye daḫı gül penbe çuḳa ferāceye ḳaplu semūr kürk ilbās olunmaġla kürk ilbās
.olunmazdan muḳaddem ṣaḥib devlet efendimüz ḳıyām idüb ilçi daḫı ḳıyām eyledükde kürk
20 ilbās olunmışdur. Baʿdehū ilçi ḳıyām ile çekdiriye binüb ʿavdet eylemişdür. Baʿdehū herkese iz̠ n
.virilmişdür. Ḥattā begzādeniñ bir muʿteberine iki telli çekme virilmişdür. Baʿdehū ṣāḥib devlet
.efendimüz ḫānendelerden birkaç neferin intiḫāb itdirüb hāṣṣaten ḥużūr-i
.şerīflerinde faṣla āġāz idüb

aḫşām daḫı ḳarīb olmaġla faḳīr daḫı
.iş ḳalmadı mülāḥaẓ asıyla ḳayıġa binüb ʿaẓīmet üzere iken
25 devletlü ṣadr-ı ʿālī efendimizüñ nażar-ı keremkārīlerine dūş olduġumda deryā-yı
.mürüvvetleri temevvüc ve girü yalı-yı mezbūra ʿavdetimiz fermān buyurulub ve ḥużūr-i ʿālīlerine
.varduḳda bir ḫilʿat-ı ḫāṣṣüʾl-ḫ hāṣ ilbās ve beyneʾl-aʿyān maḥsūdüʾl-aḳrān
.buyurmışlardur. Ḥaḳḳ sübḥānehū ve teʿālā ʿömr ü devletlerin dāʿim eyleye bir ż īyāfet olmışdur ki
.eslāfını birkaç fersaḥ geçmişdür. Rab teʿālā devlet-i ʿaliyeyi ilā yevmiʾl-ḳıyāme
30 dāyim eyleye. Āmīn.

Bu hal üzere żabṭ olunmışdur ki bizden ṣoñra gelenlere iḳtiżā
.itdikde zaḥmet çekmeyeler ve bizi duʿā-yı ḫayr ile yād ideler.

. ilçiye żiyāfet olunduġı gün yalıya gelen ricāl-i aʿyāndur gelmeleri bilā daʿvetdür.

• nişāncı paşa
• imām-ı evvel efendi
• defterdār efendi
• def[t]er emīni efendi
• başmuḥāsebeci efendi
• fermān muhāsebecisi efendi
• maṭbaḫ h emīni efendi
• arpa emīni efendi
• ż arbḫāne nāẓırı efendi
• İstanbul bārūtḫāne nāẓırı aġa
• sermehterān-ı ḫayme
• silāḥdār kātibi efendi
• tersāne emīni efendi
• ḳapu ketḫüdālarından Mühür Yūsuf Aġa
• Silāḥdār Aġa-yı sābıḳ Mehmed Aġa
• Ordu Ḳāżısı Fażallāh Efendi

.Bostāncıbaşı Aġa daḫı geçerken uġrayub dāmenbūs-i āṣafī ile müşerref olub
.ḳahve virilüb yarım sāʿat miḳdārı celseden ṣoñra gitmişdür.

The report on the banquet organized for the Austrian ambassador at the waterfront mansion of the deceased [Amcazade] Hüseyin Pasha. September 18, 1719.

The following relates the banquet that was organized for the said ambassador at the mansion of the deceased Amcazade Hüseyin Pasha, on the fourth day of the aforementioned month, which was a Monday.

The large pavilion which is situated by the seaside at the said waterfront mansion, the small room in the pavilion’s vicinity, and an exterior bench together with surrounding rooms were richly furnished several days prior with items supplied from the inventory of the sultan’s tent pitchers. On the previous day, the grand vizier’s chief steward set about the preparations for the banquet. He had the entire circumference of fountain inside the kiosk adorned with baskets full of fruits and had the three benches outside the pavilion adorned with flowers.

Since the ambassador was at that time residing at Hazinedar Farm outside the city, a sufficient number of packhorses were dispatched to accommodate his entourage. However, he and his inner circle - 2 - came to the Treasurer’s Pier mounted on their own horses and embarked on the chief treasurer’s caique equipped with seven pairs of oarsmen, while his entourage embarked on fifteen to twenty caiques. At about two o’clock, they arrived in front of the grand vizier’s waterfront mansion in the vicinity of Beşiktaş.

When people had gathered at the mansion where the banquet was to take place, the ambassador was invited for a friendly conversation together with the nine members of his inner circle joined by his chief secretary, his personal interpreter, and the interpreter of the Ottoman imperial council, they went to the waterfront mansion. The remainder of the ambassador’s entourage were boarded onto İsmail Pasha’s oar-powered ship (çekdiri) which was in front of the seaside mansion.

The ambassador was offered a seat inside the garden at the mansion and his close entourage remained standing. When his excellency, the grand vizier, came inside through the garden’s harem gate – preceded by the chief of the scribes and the agha of palace ushers – the ambassador rose to his feet and the grand vizier sat at his post. At that time, our lord the grand vizier had on him a sable fur lined with mohair (made in or designed after the style of the frontier regions). After coffee and sweets had been served, a private assembly took place.

When the grand vizier had honored the room with his entrance, the chief of the scribes, the agha of the palace ushers, the grand vizier’s secretary (tezkireci efendi), the agha of the grand vizier’s guard, the chief gardener, and this poor recorder of daily affairs have stood greeting at the antechamber of the kiosk with our uniforms and turbans on [us]. However, the master of ceremonies did not performed a salutation at this occasion. When the ambassador came by the waterfront mansion, the master of ceremonies and the aghas of the palace gatekeepers went to receive him, but the agha of palace ushers did not go.

As the ambassador was being served coffee, his inner circle had also been served coffee and desert in the room located on the side of the ornamental fountain. As the ambassador and the grand vizier were having a private conversation, Dilsiz (Mute) Hasan Agha was thrown in the pool. It was a [moment of] great amusement.

Following a half-hour private conversation, our lord the felicitous grand vizier, stood up and honored the room with his entry. As per his command, the ambassador was taken outside to the waterfront kiosk next to the Mevlevi lodge and was seated on a cushion. Then, the grand vizier came and, until sherbet and frankincense were served, he shot with a musket for a second time. After that, the ambassador was brought with a caique to the oar-powered ship and he was given a tour.

The ship was adorned with pennants and small flags from one end to the other and the hulls of the ship were adorned with [images of] red crabs. When the ambassador came on deck, a departure cannon was fired and they advanced to the location of the banquet.

An hour later, the grand vizier also embarked on a ṣandal (a European style row-boat). However, due to excessive winds, the ambassador’s ship could not swiftly go and the grand vizier came to the location of the banquet first. At that moment, the holders of large military fiefs (zuʿamā) with their furs and turbans on them, the head of the court officials, the aghas of viziers, the elders and aghas – whose names were written [on a list] – were standing in order to greet (them) outside the pavilion together. They were wearing sable furs covered on a ceremonial cloak and their turbans. The palace ushers, wearing their tellis [a ceremonial turban decorated with gold or silver wire or threads], - 3 - were standing on top of the barrier located behind the holders of large military fiefs (zuʿamā).

The majority of the state officials who were present on this day came without an invitation. Before the ambassador had come to the mansion, some [members] of his inner circle had arrived, on which grounds the aghas of the palace ushers applauded when the grand vizier disembarked the boat. When the grand vizier came to the kiosk and sat on his post, a certain amount of fruits and flowers that were present inside the kiosk were selected and dispatched to our gracious, majestic, awe-inspiring sultan.

The ambassador’s ship had difficulty overcoming the current and, therefore, was late. As news was sent for the ship to dock swiftly, the ambassador was transferred past the Garden of Bebek to a caique powered with seven pairs of oars and was taken to the waterfront mansion. Yet the rest of his entourage still came by ship.

Before the ambassador came inside the mansion, the grand vizier entered the small room. Then, the ambassador came and he was seated on the stool that was located across the bench inside the pavilion. After that, as our lord the grand vizier honored the room wearing a sable fur lined with a white mohair ceremonial cloak, the ambassador rose to his feet and, as per custom, saluted those who were present. The master of ceremonies saluted back with a loud voice and, when [the grand vizier] had sat down on his exalted post, sweets and coffee were served.

When the ambassador arrived, it was past five o’clock. A meal was then spread out. A brocade meal cloth and a silver tray had been placed. For the ambassador, an infidel-style gold spoon, fork, and knife were placed on a plate. The grand vizier and his son-in-law, the esteemed vizier Chancellor Mustafa Pasha, the sultan’s private senior imam, Arabzade [Abdurrahman Bahir] Efendi, and the chief of the scribes sat together on the left of the grand vizier. The ambassador sat on a cushion slightly leaning towards the right side of the grand vizier and the meal was eaten. The entire tableware consisted of Martaban style dishes and Chinese porcelain.

For the ambassador’s inner circle, three benches and long stools had been placed on the porch outside the kiosk across the garden. For the rest of his entourage, meals were spread on five or six different locations down on the maidan by the sea. After the meal, the grand vizier offered the fruits and flowers that were present to the ambassador, after which they were removed. Then, vocalists came, sat on the bench on the right side inside the kiosk, and performed.

• vocalist, 13 persons
• ney player, 8 persons
• tanbur player, 4 persons
• santur player, 2 persons
• violin player, 3 persons
• düdük player, 1 person
• nefir player, 2 persons
• çeng player, 1 person
• miskal player, 1 person

During the performance, our lord the grand vizier shot a few times at the birds swimming on the sea and he hit a seagull. The ambassador, carried away by the moment, took hold of a musket, aimed, and pretended to shoot but he did not shoot. At this moment, the chancellor - 4 - and the sultan’s private personal imam were sitting next to the grand vizier.

In the meantime, on [the right hand] fingers of his highness the grand vizier there was a large diamond ring and a small diamond ring, while on his left [hand] finger there was a large emerald ring. On his waist, there was a jeweled sash and a dagger adorned with diamonds. The ambassador looked at them with admiration and he could not overcome his desire to verbalize [how he felt], and he greatly envied [the grand vizier]. On this day, the aghas of the inner court were all adorned with jeweled daggers and bright uniforms.

After the performance of the vocalists was over, the aghas of the inner court played the game of jereed as a single kettledrum played. After that, wrestlers wrestled. Next, jugglers performed. Then, from the Anatolian and Rumelian fortresses, bouncing cannonballs were fired three times in the direction of the Black Sea. After that, the vocalists performed again. Next, jugs were placed on the sea and his highness the grand vizier hit several jugs with a musket. Then, the janissary musketeers shot.

Then, the mid-afternoon meal was eaten. After that, from among the ambassador’s inner circle, each one of about thirty infidels was presented with an embroidered fabric bound around their necks. Then, the palace janissaries, who were commissioned with service on and outside the ship, the head of the imperial gatekeepers Mehmed Agha who supervised them, the janissary agha, the imperial council interpreter as well as the Austrian interpreter were dressed with kaftan.[1] Moreover, on the verbal orders of the grand vizier to the chief treasurer while in front of the waterfront mansion, the yearly salary of the agha of the ship was increased by a load(?) of akçe.

After they had been dressed with kaftan in this way, the ambassador himself was dressed with a sable fur on a broadcloth ceremonial cloak. Before the ambassador was dressed with the fur, our lord the grand vizier and the ambassador got up and the ambassador was dressed with the fur in this way. Next, the ambassador embarked on the oar-powered ship and returned. After that, everyone was dismissed. Furthermore, a man of good reputation from among the inner circle of the ambassador was presented with a [piece of] embroidered fabric. Next, our lord the grand vizier had a few of the vocalists chosen and they started a private concert in his presence.

As the evening was drawing near, assuming that there were left no tasks to be fulfilled, this humble servant was about to leave by embarking on a caique. When I happened to come across the benevolent sight of our lord the most excellent grand vizier, his sea of generosity surged and my return back to the waterfront mansion was commanded. When I arrived in his presence, he had me dressed with a robe of honor of the best kind that clearly made me envied among my peers. May God the exalted, may he be praised, perpetuate his life and government; this was such a feast that it outshined by far those that had been organized by the predecessors. Amen.

[What happened] has been recorded in this way so that the posterity, if need be, (may read it) without any toil and may remember us with a prayer of benediction.

The list of the grandees who have come to the waterfront mansion on the day the banquet was organized. They came without invitation.

• chancellor
• sultan’s private senior imam
• the chief treasurer
• the superintendent of the (cadastral) register
• the chief accountant
• the accountant of the imperial edicts
• the superintendent of the imperial kitchens
• the superintendent of grains
• the minister of the imperial mints
• the minister agha of the Istanbul arsenal
• the chief of the imperial military barracks
• the secretary of the swordkeepers
• the superintendent of the shipyard
• Yusuf Agha, one of the aghas of the palace gatekeepers
• Mehmed Agha, the former agha of the swordkeepers
• Fazallah Efendi, army judge

The chief gardener agha had also stopped by and was honored by the kissing the skirts of the grand vizier’s robe; he was served coffee and, after staying for half an hours, left.