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 made brilliant
by notable exploits (which no man ever heard of but himself), he was
constituted Viceroy of Babylon, Caramania, Magnesia, and other ample
territories. At Iconium another miracle was performed for his
benefit; and thus specially favoured of heaven, he determined openly
to declare his conversion. At this important crisis, however, his
father-confessor died, and all his good resolutions seem to have been
abandoned. He repaired to Constantinople once more (still preserving
the outward semblance of a true believer, and ever obedient to the
muezzin's call), and was created Viceroy of Trebizonde and
Generalissimo of the Black Sea. Before setting out for his new home on
the shores of the Euxine, he had despatched a confidant named Chamonsi
to Trebizonde in charge of all his jewels and valuables, and his
intention was to seize the first opportunity of throwing off the yoke
of the Grand Signior, and declaring himself a Christian. But Chamonsi
proved faithless; and instead of repairing to the place of tryst,
plotted with the Governor of Moldavia to seize his master. Mohammed
Bey fell into the trap which they had prepared for him, but succeeded
in making his escape, although grievously wounded, after a wonderful
fight, in which he killed all his opponents. In his flight he met a
shepherd who exchanged clothes with him, and in disguise and barefoot
he contrived to reach the head-quarters of the Cossacks, who were at
the time in arms against Russia.
In the Cossack camp there were three soldiers whom the _quondam_
Ottoman general had released from captivity, and they, at once
penetrating the flimsy disguise of the stranger, revealed him to their
own commander in his true character. At first he was well treated by
the Cossack chief, who was anxious that the honour of his baptism
should appertain to the Eastern Greek Church; but our prince,
designing from the beginning to make his solemn profession at Rome,
and to receive that sacrament from the Pope's own hands, was neglected
upon making his resolve known. He, therefore, stole away from the
Cossacks, and, guided by a Jew, succeeded in reaching Poland, where
the queen, hearing the report of his approach, and knowing his high
rank, received him with infinite respect and at last persuaded him to
condescend to be baptized at Warsaw by the archbishop, she herself
standing sponsor at the font, and bestowing upon him the name of John.
After his baptism and subsequent confirmation, this somewhat singular
Christian set out on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of
Loretto, and afterwards proceeded to Rome, where he was received with
open arms by Alexander VII. On his return journey through Germany he
found that the emperor was at war with the Turks; and, without
hesitation, espoused the Christian cause against the circumcised
heathen, slaying the Turkish general with his own hand, and performing
other stupendous exploits, of which he gives a detailed narration.
As a reward for his services the German emperor created him "Captain
Guardian" of his artillery, and would have loaded him with further
honours, but a roving spirit was upon him, and he started for Sicily
to visit his noble friends who were resident in that island. On his
route he was everywhere received with the utmost respect by the
Princes of Germany and Italy; and when he arrived in Sicily, not only
did Don Pedro d'Arragon house him in his own palace, but the whole
city of Messina turned out to meet him, acknowledging his high
position as a member of the noble house of Cigala, from which it seems
the island had received many great benefits. Leaving Sicily he next
came to Rome, into which he made a public entry, and was warmly
received by Clement IX., before whom, in bravado, he drew and
flourished his dreadful scimitar in token of his defiance of the
enemies of the Church. At last, after touching at Venice and Turin, he
arrived in Paris, where he was received by the king according to his
high quality, and where he published the extraordinary narrative from
which we have taken the above statements, and which honest John
Evelyn, who was roused by his appearance in England, sets himself to
disprove.
Right willingly does Evelyn devote himself to the task of stripping
the borrowed feathers from this fine jackdaw. After inaugurating his
work by quoting the Horatian sneer, "_Spectatum admissi risum
teneatis, amici_?" he at once plunges _in medias res_, and not mincing
his language, says:--"This impudent vagabond is a native of Wallachia,
born of Christian parents in the city of Trogovisti;" and throughout
his exposure employs phrases which are decidedly more forcible than
polite. From Evelyn's revelation it appears that the family of the
pretended Cigala were at one time well-to-do, and ranked high in the
esteem of Prince Mathias of Moldavia, but that this youth was a black
sheep in the flock from the very beginning. After the death of his
father he had a fair chance of distinguishing himself, for the
Moldavian prince took him into his service, and sent him to join his
minister at Constantinople. Here he might have risen to some eminence;
but he was too closely watched to render his life agreeable, and after
a brief sojourn in the Turkish capital returned to his native land.
Here he became intimately acquainted with a married priest of the
Greek Church, and made love to his wife; but the woman, the better to
conceal the familiarity which existed between herself and the young
courtier, led her husband to believe that he had an affection for her
daughter, of which she approved. The simple ecclesiastic credited the
story; until it became apparent that the stranger's practical fondness
extended to the mother as well as the daughter, and that he had taken
advantage of the hospitality which was extended to him to debauch all
the priest's womankind. A complaint was laid before Prince Mathias,
who would have executed him if he had not fled to the shores of the
Golden Horn. He remained in Constantinople until the death of the
Moldavian ruler, when he impudently returned to Wallachia, thinking
that his former misdemeanours had been forgotten, and hoping to be
advanced to some prominent post during the general disarrangement of
affairs. His identity was, however, discovered; his old crimes were
brought against him; and he only escaped the executioner's sword by
flight. For the third time Constantinople became his home, and on this
occasion he embraced the Moslem faith, hoping to secure his
advancement thereby. The Turks, however, viewed the renegade with
suspicion, and treated him with neglect. Therefore, driven by
starvation, he ranged from place to place about Christendom, and in
countries where he was utterly unknown concocted and published the
specious story of his being so nearly related to the Sultan, and
succeeded in deceiving many. Of his ultimate fate nothing is known.