I, on the other hand,
will not be astonished that you, a scion of the princely Crimean family,
should be afraid of war. You were born a ruler and know therefore that
your life is precious. You embellish the deeds of your enemy that you
may not be obliged to fight against him. You say 'tis a good neighbour,
a peaceful neighbour, he does no harm, although you very well know that
it was the Muscovite guns which drove our Timariots out of Kermanshan,
and that the Persians were allowed to march through Russian territory in
order to fall upon our general Abdullah Pasha from behind. But there is
nothing hostile about all this in your eyes, you are perfectly contented
with your fate. War might deprive you of your Khannish dignity, while in
peaceful times you can peaceably retain it. It matters not to you whose
servant you may be so long as you hold sway in your own domain, and you
call him a blockhead who does not look after himself first of all. Yes,
Kaplan Giraj, I am a blockhead no doubt, for I am not afraid to risk
losing this wretched life, awaiting my reward in another world. I was
not born in silks and purples but in the love of my country and the fear
of God, while you are wise enough to be satisfied with the joys of this
life. But, by way of reward for betraying your good friend, may Allah
cause you, one day, to become the slave of your enemies, so that he who
was wont to be called Kaplan[17] may henceforth be named Sichian."[18]
Even had nothing been preconcerted, Kaplan Giraj's sword must needs have
leaped from its sheath at these mortally insulting words.
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