allah, God illumine and support
him!
To our dearly beloved and cherished, exalted by the power of God,
the Sultan[223] George the Third, Sultan of the territories of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain, Ireland, Duke of Mecklenburg
Strelitz, Prince, descended from the dynasty of the Sultans of Rome
and Palestine, &c.
This premised, we inform you, that we make diligent inquiry about
you, desiring heartily that you may be at all times surrounded by
health and prosperity. We wish you to increase in friendship with
us, that our alliance may be more strongly cemented than
heretofore, even stronger than it was in the days of our ancestors,
whom God guard and protect.
Now therefore we make known to you, that your physician, Doctor
Buffe, has been in our royal presence, [which is] exalted by the
bounty of God, and we have been well pleased with his medical
knowledge and diligent attention, and moreover with the relief he
has given to us.
397 We have therefore to entreat of you to give him your royal order to
return to Gibraltar, in our neighbourhood, well provided with all
good and necessary medicines; that he, residing at Gibraltar, may
be ready to attend quickly our royal presence, whenever we may be
in need of his [medical] assistance. We trust you will return him
without procrastination to our throne, seeing that he has been of
essential service to us.
We recommend you to exalt Dr. Buffe, in your favour and esteem on
our account, and we will always be your allies and friends. May you
ever be well and in prosperity! Peace be with you, 4th of the month
Jumad El Lule in the year [of the Hejra] 1221, (corresponding with
5th July, 1806, A.D.)
[Footnote 223: This perhaps is the only letter extant, wherein
a Muselman Prince gives the title of Sultan to a Christian
king.]
LETTER VII.
In Muhamedan countries, an insolvent man continues liable to his
creditors till the day of his death, unless the debt is discharged;
but he can claim by law his liberation from prison, on making oath,
and bringing proof of his insolvency: but then if he succeed
afterwards and become possessed of property, he is compelled to pay
the debts formerly contracted; so that an European should be
cautious how he contracts debts with the
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