nd at last
neglected him altogether. He was made a Dominican friar; and the only
mark of his supposed estate was the name Padre Ottomano, which was
conferred upon him more in scorn than reverence, and which he
continued to bear till the day of his death.

MOHAMMED BEY--THE COUNTERFEIT VISCOUNT DE CIGALA.

In the miscellaneous writings of John Evelyn, the diary-writer, there
is an account of this extraordinary impostor, whose narration of his
own adventures outshines that of Munchausen, and whose experiences,
according to his own showing, were more remarkable than those of
Gulliver. In 1668 this marvellous personage published a book entitled
the "History of Mohammed Bey; or, John Michel de Cigala, Prince of the
Imperial Blood of the Ottomans." This work he dedicated to the French
king, who was disposed to favour his pretensions.

In this remarkable book the pretender sums up the antiquity of the
family of Cigala, entitling it to most of the crowns of Europe, and
makes himself out to be the descendant of Scipio, son of the famous
Viscount de Cigala, who was taken prisoner by the Turks in 1651. He
pretends that Scipio, after his capture, was persuaded to renounce
Christianity, and, having become a renegade, was advanced to various
high offices at the Porte by Sultan Solyman the Magnificent. Under the
name of Sinam Pasha, he asserts that his father became first general
of the Janizaries, then seraskier, or commander-in-chief of the whole
Turkish forces, and was finally created Grand Vizier of the empire. He
also maintains that various illustrious ladies were bestowed as wives
upon the new favourite; and among others the daughter of Sultan
Achonet, who gave himself birth. According to his own story he was
educated by the Moslem _muftis_ in all the lore of the Koran, and by a
series of strange accidents was advanced to the governorship of
Palestine. Here, in consequence of a marvellous dream, he was
converted, and was turned from his original purpose of despoiling the
Holy Sepulchre of its beautiful silver lamps and other treasures. His
Christianity was not, however, of that perfervid kind which demands an
open avowal; and, continuing to outward appearance a Mussulman,
he was promoted to the governorship of Cyprus and the islands. In
this post he used his power for the benefit of the distressed
Christians--redressing their wrongs, and delivering such of them as
had fallen into slavery. From Cyprus, after two years