Constantinople.

being fair copies of regular dispatches (from 9 to 21 per year), giving the view from Constantinople of the War between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, reporting the actions and decrees of the Grand Vizier and the government (The High Porte), the alignment of various European nations against the Turks, describing the rebellions of enemies of the Holy Roman Empire, the state of the Venetian navy, giving accounts of events, politics and living conditions in Constantinople, the price of food, intrigues at court, the treatment of the castrati, and reporting news from Adrianopoli, Belgrade, Albania, Anatolia, Crete and elsewhere, comprising volumes 3-5 and 10-12 from the set, elegantly written on twelve lines to a page throughout, mainly by a single scribal hand (the final 72 pages and table in a second hand), and paginations and tables by the scribes

6 volumes, 4to (183 x 148mm.), c.1300 pages in all, uniform contemporary vellum gilt, upper covers lettered in gilt ".A.C." and with a date (between 1686 and 1695), spines lettered in manuscript "Guerra/ Turc. Ung." (and numbered in red ink "44"), gilt edges, bookplate of Christoph Wenzel Graf von Nostitz (1643-1712), occasional browning, covers worn on the first volume

Christoph Wenzel Graf von Nostitz (1643-1712), bookplate

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These dispatches give the viewpoint of the Great Turkish War of the 1680s and 1690s, as seen from Constantinople, surrounded by its enemies, The Holy League. The dispatches may have been sent to Vienna, where they ended up in the Nostitz collection. The disastrous defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the Batlle of Mohács in 1687 is hardly described here, except to show that the Moghal and Asian troops could not come to the Turks' support. The war ended in a decisive victory for the Holy League at the Battle of Zenta (in Serbia) in 1697 and the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699.

[January 1687] ...Il Gran Vesiro scrisse al Gran Sign^re e conferma quello che scrisse anco il Han di Tartari, come li Moscoviti sono entrati in liga contro la Porta, e mandarono Ambasciatori al Rè di Polonia, all' Imp[erato]^re alli Venetⁱ et al Papa, e vanno già armandonsi questo anno contra l'Ottom[man]^o.  Questo à loro infausto aviso gli diede maggior coraggio; questo spavento gli fece muoveresi vanno armar alla gagliarda, così è questa Canaglia hoggi si vede indebolita, spedita, e morta, e subito si rifà, e resuscita, perche si vede calar in buon numero d'Esserciti da tutte le parti, particolarm[en]^te dall' Asia, al quale vien assicurata dal Persiano che vuol viver in riposo; questo consiste per esser despotico, e per haver quel natural Zelo della fede; perciò ogni ricco Turco molto volontieri dà la metà del suo havere per esser applicato alla guerra contro il Christiano, che se facessero così li Nostri Ricconi Christiani nel Dominio di sua M[ae]sta Ces[are]^a e Prelati ricci &c potrebbe anco acculumular molti millioni, perche si fà stupire il Zelo che hanno per la fede, e di concorrer à far la guerra contro li Christiani..."