The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Constantinople, April 20:

EVERY Thing here wears a new Face:
The violent and suspicious Temper of the late Grand Vizir kept every body in awe; but the new Grand Vizir is affable, obliging, and generous: It was he that commanded the Ottoman Army last Year at the Battle of Cornia; he always treated the German Prisoners with a great deal of Humanity, admitted the Officers to his Table, and never would suffer their Swords to be taken from them.

The Ottoman Ministers, who under the late Vizir were afraid to say or do any Thing, resume their Dignity at present; those who were exiled, are call'd home; the Tefterdar is of that Number as well as Count Bonneval, to whom an Express has been sent in order to bring him back forthwith, the Grand Vizir desiring to have him near his Person: It is said the Count will be treated on the Road as a Bashaw of three Tails.

The Turks seem really to wish for Peace; the Grand Vizir is very much inclin'd to it, and we are assur'd that he has said he would be glad of the Marques de Villeneuve's Company in the Army. It is certain that since the Congress of Nijmegen, there has not been a more favourable Opportunity for making a Peace: The only Business is to find out Expedients suitable to the Dignity of this Empire.

The following is an Account of the State of Affairs in Turkey, as publish'd at Petersburg, by which it appears, that the Turks poisoned the new Persian Ambassador on the Road to Constantinople, after which they seiz'd his Papers, but were vastly surpriz'd to find that Nadir [Thamas Kouli Kan] had ordered him to declare War against the Porte. That Provisions are so dear at Constantinople, that a great many Janizaries have been obliged to sell their Arms in order to find Subsistence, upon which the Grand Signior distributed thirty Purses among them, to prevent the like Practices for the future.

That tho' the Porte have given Orders for bringing Troops from the Provinces in Asia and Africa, yet not so much as a single Man is arriv'd. That the Plague still rages in Constantinople, where upwards of 130,000 Persons have died of it within these 5 Months, among whom were 32 Women out of the Capt. Bashaw's Seraglio: And that as the Scarcity encreases every Day, Persons in easy Circumstances are obliged to content themselves with Bread made of Millet Seed, Barley, and Wheat.