The Ottoman Grand Vizierate (1560s–1760s)Kaiser Maximilian II. an Großwesir Sokollu Mehmed Pascha, Wien, 22. März 1576Letter from Emperor Maximilian II to Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, Vienna, 22 March 1576İmparator II. Maximilian’nın Vezir-i Azam Sokollu Mehmed Paşa’ya mektubu, Viyana, 22 Mart 1576Maximilian IIlat, en1576-03-22Mehmethi Baßae Maximilianus etc.Accepimus literas vestras, die 30. mensis proxime praeteriti datas, quaque inter alia de negotio Polonico scribitis, benigne intelleximus, ac istud praecipue, tum ex iisdem literis vestris, tum illis etiam, quas serenissimus imperator vester eadem de re ad nos dedit, cognovimus serenitatem suam ac vos longe aliter, quam res se habeat, edoctos esse. Etsi enim non inficiamur, quod cum non ita pridem de vayvodae Transylvani apparatibus bellicis certiores facti essemus, neque tamen satis exploratum haberemus, quonam illi spectarent. Nos nec ea prorsus negligenda existimantes, quae ad superiorum regni nostri Hungariae partium utpote Transylvaniae adiacentium securitatem necessaria forent, nostro ibidem capitaneo generali, ut copias suas aliquo militum numero augeret, permiserimus: Tamen ab eo tempore dicto capitaneo iniunximus, ut dummodo a Temeswariense bassa ac aliis officialibus Turcicis, quos arma parare et aliunde accepimus et vestrae literae innuunt, idem fieret, suas illas copias in praesidia ac certas stationes distribuat.Neque enim is unquam fuit, vel etiamnum noster est animus, ut contra vel contra Poloniam vel Transylvaniam quicquam vi et armis moliamur: quinimo pro syncero nostro quietis et tranquillitatis publicae studio id summae semper curae habuimus ac in posterum etiam habituri sumus ut prorogata nuper inter serenitatem suam ac nos salutaris pax quam maxime stabilis atque diuturna esse possit. Quo minus videmus quanam idonea causa esse queat, quod serenitas sua ob Polonicum negotium tantopere offendi debeat, ut pacis nulla a nobis causa data abrumpendae ansam inde accipiat.Nam ad Moschorum principem quod attinet, ita nobis persuasum est, illum, nisi lacessatur, facile quieturum esse. De Transylvania autem et Caspare Bekes quonam pacto se res habeat, cum saepe antea, tum ex novissimis quoque literis nostris vos intellexisse arbitramur. Ideoque ad priores illas literas, necnon ea, quae in nostris ad potentissimum imperatorem vestrum literis attingimus, nos remittentes, ita vos statuere velimus, quod uti vos statuere velimus quod uti nihil aeque, ac publica quies et tranquillitas nobis cordi est, ita haud facile commissuri simus, ut eiusdem quietis turbandae ulla a nobis causa data esse iure dici queat. Nobis vicissim pollicentes, vos ita provisuros, ut subditi nostri iam tandem prorogatae pacis beneficio frui possint, neque a militibus vestris limitaneis, contra eiusdem pacis capitula hostili modo uti fere quotidie fieri solet, ulterius infestentur. Quod cum vestra authoritate quae summa est, facile effeci posse non dubitamus, tum vero vestrum hoc loci officium pro eo, quod hactenus prae vobis tulistis, adeoque tam initae primum cum quondam sulthano Selymo, quam prorogatae nuper confirmataque pacis tempore praeclare testati estis, tranquillitatis publicae promovendae studio haud desyderari passuros esse nobis pollicemur.Eius rei quavis occasione ac tam in annua munerum, quae etiam pro hoc praesenti anno primo quoque tempore istuc expedituri sumus quam alias, tam benignam rationem habituri, ut nostram gratitudinem atque munificentiam sibi vobis haud defuisse re ipsa cognoscere possitis. Quod reliquum est, caesaream nostram benevolentiam vobis benigne deferimus vosque recte valere cupimus.to Mehmet Pasha Maximilianus etc.We have received your letters, dated the 30th of the last month, and have kindly understood what you have written, among other things, concerning the Polish matter, and from both your letters and those that your most serene emperor sent us on the same subject, we have learned especially that his serenity and you have been informed quite differently from how things truly stand. For although we do not deny that not long ago we were informed about the war preparations of the voivode of Transylvania, we had not sufficiently investigated where they were aiming. And since we did not consider it right to entirely neglect those things necessary for the security of the upper parts of our kingdom of Hungary, which adjoin Transylvania, we permitted our captain general there to increase his forces by a certain number of soldiers. However, from that time, we have instructed the said captain that as long as the pasha of Timișoara and other Turkish officials, whom we heard from elsewhere were preparing arms and as your letters also indicate, do the same, he should distribute these forces in garrisons and certain stations.For it was never our intention, nor is it now, to undertake anything by force of arms either against Poland or Transylvania. On the contrary, due to our sincere desire for public peace and tranquility, we have always held it as our utmost concern and will continue to do so, that the recently extended beneficial peace between his serenity and us may be as stable and long-lasting as possible. Therefore, we do not see any justifiable reason why his serenity should be so offended by the Polish matter, that he should take occasion thereby to break the peace without any cause given by us. For as far as the prince of the Muscovites is concerned, we are convinced that he will easily remain quiet unless provoked. Regarding Transylvania and Gáspár Bekes, we believe that you have understood from our last letters, as you have often before, how things stand. And therefore, in regard to those previous letters, as well as to what we add in our letters to your most powerful emperor, we wish, by returning the correspondence, that you may make up your mind that, as nothing is so dear to us as public peace and tranquility, we will not allow it to be said justly that a reason for disturbing the peace is given by us. By giving us promises in return, you will ensure that our subjects can at last enjoy the benefit of extended peace and that they will no longer be harassed in a hostile manner by your border soldiers, as is almost daily the case, contrary to the articles of the same peace. We have no doubt that with your supreme authority this can be easily achieved, and, moreover, given your dutifulness, which you have hitherto displayed and which you have clearly demonstrated both at the time of the initiation of peace with the former Sultan Selim, and at the time of its recent extension and confirmation, we promise that we shall leave nothing to be desired in our efforts to promote public tranquility.On any occasion of this, and also in the matter of the annual gifts which we shall send there for this present year as soon as possible, we will hold such a generous disposition that you may recognize by this very thing itself that our gratitude and generosity towards you have not been lacking. Finally, we kindly extend our imperial benevolence to you and wish you good health.