87

THE TAESCHNER COLLECTION (Or. 12.359, cont.)

ready to discuss such matters with the Venetian bailo - but would not want to entertain a special relationship with that republic at the cost of its good relations with the other states of Europe. The ambassador was ready to send a list of conditions to be included in a mutual agreement to Paris, which would arrive, by way of Bosnia and Venice, in Pans in about fourteen days where, he was sure, they would find approval. (In a supercript, copied from a hatt-i hümayün, the Sultan states that he had seen the report and urged that the [grand] vizier should take steps to arrange an alliance with Venice, 44b.) ff. 50a-53a. A report on the negotiations between the re’Isülküttab Ratib [Ebübekir] Efendi [in office 1209/1795 - 14 Safer 1211/19 August 1796, cf. SÖ 1 IV, pp. 1360-1] and the French ambassador concerning the proposed alliance with France (cf. above). The ambassador, Veminac, had requested the Directorate in Paris to agree to the conditions of an alliance drawn up on paper by him. There were sixteen articles proposed by the ReTs Efendi. The latter did not think that the alliance would give rise to serious opposition from the other states of Europe. It was, in fact, a legitimate sequel to the treaty which had first been concluded under the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent and which had been so profitable for Ottoman trade. What follows (from f. 50b: 13) are the sixteen articles (numbered erroneously from the fifth onward, cf. 51a:20). Regrettably, the French ambassador had not heard from Paris for forty-two days and had appologized for that (52b). This was all the more troublesome in view of the build-up of the Russian army in the Ukraine and elsewhere; the Porte would be in need of military support from France. (A superscript states that the report was read out to the Sultan by the grand vizier and the re’isülküttab, and discussed with him 50a).

ff. 53a-54a. A note, probably a telhts by the grand vizier, concerning the delivery of guns and ammunition by France, the expected arrival of the new French ambassador as well as the aforementioned negotiations; an answer had been received from France by way of Bosnia (another copy sent through Austria seemed to have been lost) and there would be another round of negotiations in the house of the ReTs Efendi that evening; the latter is warned to be cautious and not to follow France’s wish to have the Porte join her in a European war blindly. (A superscript taken from a hatt-i hümayün encourages the negotiations but warns [the grand vizier] that the guns on board the French ships should not be fired while the ambassador was still on his way, 53a.)