The text of this edition is reproduced from a copy in the William
Andrews Clark Memorial Library.
THE
HISTORY
Of the THREE late famous
IMPOSTORS,
{_Padre Ottomano_,
viz. {_Mahomed Bei_, and
{_Sabatai Sevi_.
The _One_, pretended _Son_ and _Heir_
to the late _Grand Signior_;
The _Other_, a _Prince_ of the _Ottoman_ Family,
but in _truth_, a _Valachian Counterfeit_.
And the Last,
The Suppos'd _MESSIAH_ of the _Jews_,
in the _Year_ of the true _Messiah_, 1666.
With a brief _Account_ of the _Ground_, and _Occasion_
of the present _War_ between the
_TURK_ and the _VENETIAN_.
Together with the _Cause_ of the final
_Extirpation_, _Destruction_ and _Exile_
of the _JEWS_ out of the
EMPIRE of PERSIA.
* * * * *
In the _SAVOY_,
Printed for _Henry Herringman_ at the Sign
of the _Anchor_ in the Lower-Walk of
the _New-Exchange_. 1669.
[Illustration: Title decoration]
To the READER.
_The Great_ Scaliger _was wont commonly to say_, Omnis Historia bona,
_that all_ History _was_ good; _meaning, that it was_ worthy _of_
notice, _so it were_ true, _and_ matter _of_ fact, _though the_ Subject
_of it were never so_ trivial. This, _though but a_ Pamphlet _in bulke,
is very_ considerable _for the_ Matters _it containes, and for that it
endeavours to informe, and disabuse_ _the_ World _of a current_ Error,
_which has mingled, and spread it selfe into divers grave_ Relations
_that have been_ Printed, _and confidently published many Yeares without
Suspition._
_How I came to be enlightned for these_ Pieces, _I have in part declar'd
in my_ Dedicatory _Addresses; and if I forbear to publish the_ Name _of
that Intelligent_ Stranger, _and that other_ Person, _from whom I
received my_ Informations; _You are to know, that it is not out of fear
of being detected of_ Imposture, _whil'st we declare against it, and
which cannot serve any_ Interest _of the_ Relators; _but because, being_
Strangers, _or_ Itinerants, _and one of them upon his return into his_
_Native_ Country _(which may possibly engage them to passe by_ Malta,
_and other_ Levantine _parts obnoxious to these_ Discourses) _it would
appear but ingrateful in us to expose them to an_ Inconvenience. _Let it
suffice to assure you, that they are_ Persons _of no mean_ Parts,
Ingenuity _and_ Candor; _well acquainted with the_ Eastern Countreys
_and_ Affaires, _and that have themselves been witnesses of most of
these Transactions._
_It were to be wish'd that our_ Christian Monarchs _had alwayes near
them some dextrous_ Person _of this_ Gentlemans _abilites; were it but
to_ Discover _such_ Cheates _as frequently appearing under the Disguise
of Distressed_ Princes, Merchants, _&c. are, to truth, but_ Spies, _and
bold_ Impostors, _and whom otherwise 'tis almost impossible to_ detect;
_not to suggest the many other good_ Offices, _as to the_ Eastern
Commerce _and_ Affaires, _they might be_ useful _in. But this is more
than I have_ Commission _to say from those who have no other design in
what they_ Relate, _than their_ Affection _to_ Truth. _It is not yet a
full_ Year _since there went a Crafty_ Varlet _about the_ Countrey, _who
pretended himself to be the_ Brother _of the famous_ Peter Serini
_(whose brave and_ Heroick Actions _had so celebrated him against the_
Turkes) _and related a_ Story _by his feign'd_ Interpreter, _how he
fortun'd to be cast on shore on the_ West _of_ England, _as he was
conducting_ Supplies _from abroad._ This _he perform'd with a
confidence and success so happily, as caus'd him to be_ receiv'd,
presented, _and_ assisted (_like another_ Mahomed Bei) _by divers_
Persons _of_ Quality, _and some of them my nearest_ Acquaintance, _in
his Pretended Journey to_ Court; _But being at last discover'd in a_
Tipling-house _on the_ Rode, _where un-mindful of his_ Part _and_
Character, _he call'd for a_ Pot _of_ Ale _in too good_ English, _and a
more natural_ Tone _than became so great a_ Stranger, _and the_ Person
_he put on, we heard no more of the_ Gamester: _I wish our_ Fin-land
Spirit, _who is of late dropt out of the_ Clouds _amongst us, prove not
one of his_ Disciples; _for the_ Age _is very fertile; and I am told,
that our_ Mahomed _having receiv'd his_ Ajuda de Costo _from the Bounty
and Charity of a great_ Person _of more easie_ Beliefe, _is slipt aside
for fear of the_ Porters-Lodge, _and yet 'tis_ possible _you may hear
more of him before his_ Ramble _be quite at a period._
_You have at the end of the last_ Impostor _an_ Account _of the_ Jews
_Exile out of that Vast_ Empire _of_ Persia, _happening but the other
day; which, together with the miscarriage of their late_ Messiah (_the_
Twenty-Fifth _Pretender to it as I am credibly inform'd, it stands in
their own_ Records) _might, one would think, at last open the_ Eyes,
_and turne the_ hearts _of that_ obstinate _and miserable_ People: _But
whil'st the_ Time _not yet_ Accomplish'd, _I could_ _wish our modern_
Enthusiasts, _and other prodigious_ Sects _amongst us, who Dreame of the
like Carnal_ Expectations, _and a_ Temporal Monarchy, _might seriously
weigh how nearly their_ Characters _approach the_ Style _and_ Design _of
these Deluded_ Wretches, _least they fall into the same_ Condemnation,
_and the Snare of the_ Devil.
* * * * *