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THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book hi.
It was certainly no scheme of the Christians luredhim into their power, but his own ambitious pro-jects; and the asylum was not from their inclination,but pity for his situation—restriction never to beforgotten, but permanently understood in all futurecases. The statesmanship may have come after-wards. In all protections they afforded him, that factis to be borne in mind. It were an injustice towardsthem to do otherwise ; nor should he have abusedany safe-conduct given under such circumstances.Little it matters in Turkey whether a brother be elderor not, but with us considerably ; and to make Zainpass for such, gave him a show of legitimate rightto the throne, and engaged many Europeans (par-ticularly the ladies) to take an interest in his favourand his sorrowful and (as they made it out)romantic destiny. Yet in truth it is certain, fromthree quite indisputable documents, he was theyounger; nor would I venture to assert it in con-tradiction to respectable historians, if I were not insome degree forced by the clearness of the evidence;for though any one of those documents wouldsuffice, yet it happens there are three, of which oneshall be-in the Appendix . 1 And Zain, the fiercer
1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., ii.—Giunt, Num. xxi.—Cod. Dipl.Geros.,ii., Hum. xxiii.—Giunt., Hum. xxvii.— Seb. Paoli: Discorso,ii. 603.—Appendix, olxxvii.