And
this enemy has all the will but not yet the power to accomplish what he
threatens; and his design is never abandoned, but is handed down from
father to son, for never will he make peace, he will ever slay and
destroy till he himself is destroyed and slain--this enemy is the
Muscovite. Our fathers heard very little of that name, our sons will
hear more, and our grandsons will weep exceedingly because of it. Our
religion bids us to be resigned to the decrees of fate, but only cowards
will be content to sit with their hands in their laps because the
predestined fate of the Ottoman Empire is written in Heaven. If the
prophecy says that a time must come when the Ottoman Empire must fall to
pieces because of the cowardice of the Ottoman nation, does it not
depend upon us and our children whether the prophecy be accomplished, or
whether its fulfilment be far removed from us? Of a truth the
signification of that prophecy is this: We shall perish if we are
cowards; let us _not_ be cowards then, and never shall we perish. And if
the foe whose sword shall one day deal the nations of Muhammad the most
terrible wounds, and whose giant footsteps shall leave on Turkish soil
the bloodiest and most shameful imprints--if I say this foe be already
pointed out to us, why should we not anticipate him, why should we wait
till he has grown big enough to swallow us up when we are now strong
enough to destroy him? The opportunity is favourable. The Cossacks
demand help from us against the Muscovite dominion.
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