Die Großbotschaften Wolfgang IV. zu Oettingen-Wallersteins und Elçi İbrahim Paşas (1699–1701)

To our esteemed, affectionate, and long-standing friend, the ambassador, after presenting the pearls of our greetings of peace and well-being, we inquire about your health and well-being: Are you in good spirits? May you always remain steadfast in friendship. If you inquire about our condition, praise be to God Almighty, you may know that we remain in the blessing of health and safety.

My esteemed and affectionate friend, the ambassador: News has reached the felicitous Hüseyin Pasha, who is presently here by our side, that a number of our captives have arrived to you. It would be unfortunate for both our captives [who will travel to us in our direction] and yours [who will travel in your direction] to endure hardships while traveling during the winter season.

Upon the arrival of this letter, kindly send to us all of our captives who have reached to you so that we may proceed with their exchange. Thereafter, as additional captives arrive, we shall continue to exchange them accordingly. We wish to prevent our captives from suffering hardship in the winter. The letter that you sent through our standard-bearer has reached us and has been duly received, bringing us immense joy. We urge you not to neglect sending your letters through your envoys who travel to our direction.

The Bosnian plates, which you ordered through your [? envoy], have been collected and sent with [? ...]. The esteemed resident ambassador, Graf Zinzendorf, is inquired about his well-being; we inquire also about the well-being of all the nobles. Please do not neglect to send your letters. We would be most pleased.

Our esteemed and affectionate friend, the interpreter: After conveying the pearls of our greetings, we inquire about your well-being. My dear and devoted friend, the translator: God willing, when you enter the fortress of Vienna, please procure for us three hundred fox fur collars (tilki boġazı kürk). The furs should be especially white and fluffy. Purchase them for a reasonable price and send them with one of your men traveling to this side. We will pay for them. However, be sure that they are exceptionally white and fluffy; do not neglect this matter. Additionally, for trousers (çaḳşır), please obtain finest red fabric, four arşın [a measure of length, close to a yard] in length, or, if possible, even more. However, if only four arşın is available, that will suffice. Let it be of the finest quality, and once purchased, send it to us.