and Aaron, Voivode of Moldavia, and determined to rid his country of the oppressors.  Aaron of Moldavia, it should be added, was a feeble prince, who would not have joined Michael but for the circumstance that, having been attacked and defeated by the Poles, he was compelled to seek refuge at Michael’s court.  After the alliance between the three princes was completed the first blow was struck for independence, and on November 12 or 13, 1594, all Turks who were found in Bucarest or Jassy were slaughtered without mercy.  Michael is said to have invited a large number of true believers, who were pressing for the settlement of unlawful claims, to meet him in a khan in Bucarest, and when they were assembled he had them all put to the sword, and this was the signal for a massacre throughout the Principalities.  A few Turks escaped through the humanity or friendship of private individuals, and one instance of this is specially recorded.  The Cadi of Giurgevo, who happened to be at Bucarest, was walking out on the morning of November 13, when he was stopped by a Wallachian friend who said, ‘Ali-Gian-Hogea, how many years have I eaten of thy bread and salt?’ ‘About twenty years,’ answered the Turk.  ‘Well, then,’ said his friend, ‘out of gratitude I will give thee a word of counsel.’  ‘Speak,’ said Ali.  ’Do not stay in this city until three or four o’clock; neither remain in Giurgevo, but hasten thee as speedily as possible to Rustchuk’ (on the opposite bank of the Danube).  ‘But wherefore?’ enquired the Turk.  The Wallachian walked away, but, turning round and seeing his friend still undecided, he called out:  ’Forget not what I have told thee!’ Wandering on in the city, the Turk could not help noticing greater activity than usual in the streets; suspecting mischief, but without saying a word to any person, he ordered his horses to be harnessed and fled to Giurgevo.  The interior of Wallachia having been thus cleared of the Turks, Michael proceeded to attack their positions on the Danube.  First he stormed Giurgevo and compelled the Turks to leave it, some crossing over the Danube, and others taking refuge in the fortress which was situated on an island in the river; but this latter he was unable to capture, as troops, ammunition, and provisions were sent into it from the Bulgarian side.  Content, therefore, with his victory, he retired to Bucarest.

[Footnote 138:  Teutschlaender, from whose excellent little treatise, Michael der Tapfere (Wien, C. Graeser, 1879), these details are taken, mentions many customs as existing in the time of Michael which were in all probability only introduced at a later period.  The tobacco-tax is clearly one of them.]

[Footnote 139:  The reader will find full accounts of the officials and their various duties, as well as a description of the investiture of the princes, in Raicevich, p. 62.  In Wilkinson, p. 55, he will find that in his day there had been a great multiplication of the offices; there were second and third Logothets, second and third Vestiars, &c.]