barbarians like them could still less comprehend the feelings of dislike
with which they had inspired him, by their deposition and murder of
Selim, to whom he was attached, and in conjunction with whom he had
hoped to make European Turkey a military power capable of coping with
Russia.

Perhaps he might still have gained over Mahmoud to his cause, if he had
sooner made use of more potent arguments; but, as he has since expressed
himself, it revolted his pride to make use of corruption. We shall
besides shortly see him hesitating about beginning a war with Alexander,
or laying too much stress on the alarm with which his immense
preparations would inspire that monarch. It is also possible, that the
last propositions which he made to the Turks, being tantamount to a
declaration of war against the Russians, were delayed for the express
purpose of deceiving the Czar as to the period of his invasion. Finally,
whether it was from all these causes, from a confidence founded on the
mutual hatred of the two nations, and on his treaty of alliance with
Austria, which had just guaranteed Moldavia and Wallachia to the Turks,
he detained the ambassador whom he sent to them on his road, and waited,
as we have just seen, to the very last moment.

But the divan was surrounded by the Russian, English, Austrian, and
Swedish envoys, who with one voice represented to it, "that the Turks
were indebted for their existence in Europe solely to the divisions
which existed among the Christian monarchs; that the moment these were
united under one influence, the Mahometans in Europe would be
overwhelmed; and that as the French emperor was advancing rapidly to the
attainment of universal empire, it was him whom the Turks had most
reason to dread."