have gone crazy."
"And then they will become aware that they themselves have gone
crazy."
"Then surely I could not send out such a summons, for, with the
exception of the country of the Szeklers, Kemeny has all in his
power."
"Then we will send to the Szeklers, they will certainly come."
"And even among the Szeklers the more influential are unknown to me,
for I am not one of them. There I know such people as John Daczo,
Stephen Run and Stephen Nalaczy."
"Well, then, call these men, Run, Daczo, and Nalaczy, if you think
they are honest folk."
Apafi began to scratch his head. "But suppose they came, where should
we hold the convention? we have no suitable place. In Klausenburg my
brother-in-law, Dionysius Banfy, is my sworn foe, and he is captain of
the train bands. In Hermanstadt John Kemeny himself lives."
"Certainly we have Klein-Selyk, we can assemble here." In spite of his
distress, Apafi had to laugh. "There is not a house here where thirty
men could find room at the same time," he answered, quickly.
"Yes there is, there is the church," replied the Pasha, "there you can
hold your meeting. If that building is good enough to pay one's
respects to God in, surely it is good enough to pay one's respects to
men in."
Apafi did not know what further objection to urge. "Can you write?"
asked the Pasha.
"To be sure I can," answered Apafi, sighing deeply.
"Because I can't. Well then, sit down and send your summons to the
states."
A slave brought a table, parchment, and red ink. Apafi sat down like a
lamb for the sacrifice, and by way of beginning made a letter on the
parchment so large that the Turk sprang up in fright and asked him
what that meant.
"That is an S," answered Apafi.
"Leave some space for the rest of the letters."
"That is the initial letter, the rest will be smaller of course."
"Read aloud to me what you are writing."
Apafi wrote with trembling hand, and read, "Whereas"--The Pasha tore
the parchment away from him in anger and roared out,
"'Whereas,--since'--what is the use of such roundabout expressions?
Write as is the custom, 'We, Michael Apafi, Prince of Transylvania,
command you, miserable slave, that as soon as you receive this
writing, without fail you appear before us at once in Klein-Selyk.'
Then stop."
It required some effort on the part of Apafi to make the Pasha
understand that it was not the custom to use such terms with the
Hungarian nobility. At last he g
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