---
title: Consult of the doctors on the grave illness of the Grand Sultan (Consult vande medicijnen inde swaere siekte vanden grooten Sultaen)
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/consult-of-the-doctors-sick-sultan-antwerp-1683/
description: 'An etched allegory of the Ottoman defeat at Vienna: a sick sultan lies in a canopied bed while nine ''doctors'', each labelled as a state (Lorraine…'
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

[![Consult of the doctors on the grave illness of the Grand Sultan (Consult vande medicijnen inde swaere siekte vanden grooten Sultaen)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/consult-of-the-doctors-sick-sultan-antwerp-1683.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/consult-of-the-doctors-sick-sultan-antwerp-1683.jpg)

# Consult of the doctors on the grave illness of the Grand Sultan (Consult vande medicijnen inde swaere siekte vanden grooten Sultaen)

An etched allegory of the Ottoman defeat at Vienna: a sick sultan lies in a canopied bed while nine 'doctors', each labelled as a state (Lorraine, Bavaria, Spain, Venice, Poland, Brandenburg, the Empire, Muscovy, Saxony), prescribe a remedy in Dutch and French. The Koran lies as toilet paper beside the royal commode, and the stack of allied physicians stands for a united Christian front.

- **Date:** 1683
- **Period:** [Pre-1914](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#era=pre-1914)
- **Made by:** Philibert Bouttats II, engraver and publisher, Antwerp
- **Region:** [Western and Central Europe](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#region=western-central-europe)
- **Country:** [Spanish Netherlands](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#country=spanish-netherlands)
- **Medium:** [Print](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#medium=print)
- **Issuer type:** [Media](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#actor=media)
- **Regime:** [Spanish Netherlands](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#regime=spanish-netherlands)
- **Leader:** [Ottone Enrico Del Caretto](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#leader=ottone-enrico-del-caretto)
- **Audience:** [Domestic public](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#audience=domestic-public)
- **Purpose:** [Commemorate](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#purpose=commemorate)
- **Themes:** [War and the military](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=war-military), [Religion](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=religion)
- **Event:** [Siege of Vienna 1683](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#event=siege-of-vienna-1683)
- **Techniques:** [Transfer](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/transfer/) [Bandwagon](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/bandwagon/)
- **Source:** Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- **Source:** [Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/object/RP-P-2004-381--17b7b316d25faf8a7477fe3e7d028343), retrieved September 29, 2026
- **Rights:** Public domain (printed 1683; Rijksmuseum data marks CC0 1.0) Philibert Bouttats II, Consult vande medicijnen inde swaere siekte vanden grooten Sultaen, Antwerp, 1683; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, RP-P-2004-381

## Text on the object

Original (Multiple) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
Consult vande medicijnen inde swaere siekte
vanden grooten Sultaen,
ende remedie van hem haest te genesen.
Aduis des medecins pour la grande maladie du grand Sultan
et les remedes de le guerrir bien tôt.

den grooten Sultan aen Primo Vizir
helaes Visir, ick kom heel uyt mijn schelpen raeken,
ick ben soo krank, dat ick geen testament kan maeken,
geeft Cesar, dat hem komt, ick geef u dese wet
maer strijdt voor 't heylig Ryck altijdt van Mahomet
le grand Sultan au premier Visir
ie suis au desespoir, Visir ie ne puis faire,
mon dernier testament, la mort me fait la guerre
donnez Cesar ses biens, car mon dernier souhait
veut, que vous defendez la loi de Mahomet

[left scroll:] Deez' siekte is mij van Weenen voort gekome[n]
en heeft uijt hoogmoet' quaedt haer loop genome[n]
cete fieure me vient de Vienne, et ie le sens,
que me causent ce mal les humeurs allemand

[right scroll:] Medecijn van Piemont
mits hij soo brandig is
in sijne dermen
soo hoeft hem Ciprus
wol niet te verwerme[n]
s'la chaleur des reins
lui fait si grande peine
il ne faut plus que Cipre
a lui fournit sa laine

[on the commode:] Konninck lijcke Stoel. Siege Royal.
[on the book:] ALCORAN
bequaem voor het gepasseerde,
propre pour le passé.
Tulbant vanden Grooten Heer.
Turbant du grand Seigneur.

Primo Visir.
nu ick niet meerder kan mijn kranke meester by staen,
ist beter, dat ick vlucht, en laet de buy voor by gaen.
Premier Visir
puisque de tous cotez le malheur me menace,
il me faut m'en sauver, et chercher le bonace.

Teckli
ick spin van d'auont tot den Morgen
het gaere, dat hem sal verworgen
Teckli
ie file du matin iusques au soir
le licol fatal pour son desespoir.

Phi: Bouttats junior excudit Antverpiae.

1. Medecijn van Loreyne
hem past een spoudrank,
of wij konne niet bekome
de landen die hy ons
onwettig heeft ontnomen
1. Medecin de Loraine.
i'ordonne un vomitif pour
le faire nous rendre
tout ce, qu'il a mal pris
dans l'état de mon Gendre

2. Medecijn van Beijere
och! wat een quade tong,
en hoe ontsteken,
door een purgatie sal
hy beter spreken.
2. Medecin de Bauieres
ah! que mauuaise langue!
ah! comme est enflammee
pour la rendre mellieure
elle sera purgée.

3. Spaenschen Medecijn
tot heeling van
dees pestilentie,
dient het vier van
mijn inventie.
3. Medecin Spagnol,
pour appaiser le feu
de cete infection,
qu'on lui donne le feu
de mon inuention.

4. Venetiaensche Medecijn
och! och! sijn waeter is
te seer ontvonken
want heeft in Candia
te veel gedronken.
4. Medecin de Venise
ah! s'il n'avoit trop beu
en candie du vin,
son eau seroit moins chaude
et son esprit plus fin.

5. Medicijn van Polen
stael, stael, want tarters,
noch rebarber sal hem baeten
'k heb hem ten buijt gedoemt
van ons soldaeten.
5. Medecin de Pologne
les armes, armes sont
pour le barbare,
mais point le rebarber,
ni le Tartare.

6. Medecijn van Berlijn
mijn brandebourger leg
ick hem op 't lijf,
want d'arme duijvel is van koud schier stijf
6. Medecin de Berlin.
ie mets mon brandebourg
sur mon Pauure Ennemi,
car ie vois que son corps
est desia refroidi.

7. Hoogduijtsen Medecijn
nu de klisteri heeft sijn
Poort ontsloten,
wordt met min moeijt
sijn bloedt vergoten
7. Medecin Allemand.
le Clistere a ouuert de son
Corps le passage
ie tirerai son sang pour
nourrir mon courage.

[small, above 8:] tegen den visir
8. Medecijn van Moscouien
met mijnen Recipe van
hondert duijsent sielen
krijgt hij de doodt in 't lijf,
de korts gij in uw hielen.
8. Medecin de Moscouie
mon recipe de cent mille
braues soldats
met le visir en fuite,
et son Maitre au trepas.

9. Medecijn van Saexen
het is met hem
geheel verbruijdt,
de ziel vliegt hem
ten neirsgat uyt.
9. Medecin de Saxe,
il est perdu, il est perdu
son ame fiere
se prepare a' passer
par la porte derriere.
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
Consultation of the doctors on the grave illness of the Grand Sultan, and the remedy to cure him quickly.
Advice of the doctors on the great sickness of the Grand Sultan and the remedies to cure him soon.

The Grand Sultan to the Prime Vizier: Alas, Vizier, I am quite losing my wits; I am so sick that I cannot make a testament. Give Caesar what is due to him; I give you this law: but always fight for the holy realm of Mahomet. [French: the same, with 'I am in despair, Vizier, I cannot draw up my last testament, death makes war on me; give Caesar his goods, for my last wish is that you defend the law of Mahomet'.]

[left scroll:] This sickness came to me from Vienna and has taken its course out of arrogance / evil. [French:] this fever comes to me from Vienna, and I feel it, the German humours cause me this illness.

[right scroll:] Doctor of Piedmont: since he is so inflamed in his bowels, Cyprus (wine) need not warm him. [French:] if the heat of the kidneys gives him such pain, all that is needed is for Cyprus to supply its wool [wine].

[on the commode:] Royal seat. Royal seat. [on the book:] ALCORAN: suited to the past. Turban of the Grand Lord. Turban of the Grand Seigneur.

Prime Vizier: Since I can no longer stand by my sick master, it is better that I flee and let the squall pass by. [French:] since misfortune threatens me on all sides, I must save myself and look for calm.

Teckli: I spin the yarn from evening to morning that will strangle him. [French:] I spin from morning until evening the fatal noose for his despair.

Philibert Bouttats junior published it at Antwerp.

1. Doctor of Lorraine: A vomit-draught suits him, or we cannot get back the lands he has wrongfully taken from us. [French:] I prescribe an emetic to make him give back all he wrongly took in the state of my son-in-law.

2. Doctor of Bavaria: Oh what an evil tongue, and how inflamed; through a purge he will speak better. [French:] ah, what a bad tongue, how inflamed; to make it better it will be purged.

3. Spanish doctor: To cure this pestilence, the fire of my invention serves. [French:] to quiet the fire of this infection, let him be given the fire of my invention.

4. Venetian doctor: Oh, oh, his water is too inflamed, for he drank too much in Candia. [French:] ah, if he had not drunk so much wine in Candia, his water would be less hot and his wit finer.

5. Doctor of Poland: Steel, steel, for neither Tartars nor rhubarb will help him; I have condemned him to be plunder for our soldiers. [French:] arms, arms are for the barbarian, but not rhubarb, nor the Tartar.

6. Doctor of Berlin: I lay my Brandenburger on his body, for the poor devil is almost stiff with cold. [French:] I put my Brandenburg on my poor enemy, for I see his body is already cold.

7. High-German doctor: Now that the clyster has opened its gate, his blood is shed with little effort. [French:] the clyster has opened the passage of his body; I will draw his blood to nourish my courage.

[small, above 8:] against the vizier
8. Doctor of Muscovy: With my prescription of a hundred thousand souls he gets death in his body, [and] you the cramps in your heels. [French:] my prescription of a hundred thousand brave soldiers puts the vizier to flight and his Master to death.

9. Doctor of Saxony: It is all over with him, his soul flies out of his rear. [French:] he is lost, he is lost, his proud soul prepares to pass through the back door.
```

Read from a 3000 px scan of the Rijksmuseum image. The two speech scrolls are cut off at their curled edges, so the last letters of some words are missing (marked [ ]); a few Dutch readings ('de korts gij in uw hielen', 'onwettig heeft ontnomen', 'ter neirsgat') are uncertain, and the translations of the puns (Cipre / Cyprus wine and wool, rebarber / rhubarb and barbarian) are approximate. The tiny numerals and the fool's and imp's banners carry no further text.

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