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J.C. 1444, and to prevent the enemy from turning or taking

to 1448.

to 851.

Heg. 848, it in flank. He had placed the king in safety, behind a large body of cavalry, advifing him to take the command of the reserve, in which he had mixed a great part of the infantry that he least esteemed. The command of the left wing was given to a Polish nobleman, whofe name has not been preserved by history. Hunniade was determined to begin the attack himself at the head of the right wing, and to continue it by the left. The legate and the bishops he had left with the king in the reserve.

Ladislaus is killed, &

The Turks advanced in good order, carrying the confe- at the end of a lance the treaty broken by the derate army defeated. Chriftians, upbraiding them with their perjury, and loudly promifing to themselves victory or martyrdom. The Turkish army was almost a third more numerous than that of the Chriftians; but Hunniade's difpofitions had deprived the enemy of every mean of furrounding them, or even of presenting a more extended front; which could facilitate their attacking them in flank. Amurath had placed almost all his infantry in the firft line. Garaffe, beglerbeg of Afia, commanded the right wing; Ali bashaw, beglerbeg of Europe, the left, and the emperor himself was in the centre. After fervent prayers on both fides, and short harangues from the chiefs, Hunniade charged the left wing of the Turks with as much order as vigour. The fquadrons engaged

to 1448.

to 851.

gaged feveral times without effect, fhewing J.C.1444 equal force and addrefs: at length Hunniade Heg. 845, found means to open the enemy's front ranks; the ardour of the horse, and the weight of their arms, presently routed them. The flaughter was terrible at the right, and the Hungarians might have flattered themfelves with the victory, if Hunniade had been always obeyed. But the bishops, who furrounded Ladislaus, jealous of the waywode's victory, and more fanguinary than martial, preffed the Hungarian monarch to charge at the head of his corps. He accordingly ordered the squadrons that guarded his perfon to open, and, marching with his infantry against the janiffaries, he forced the latter to take vengeance, and to fall with fury on these bands which came against them. The victory was no longer in fufpenfe; the whole confederate infantry was presently routed. The king of Hungary himself, furrounded on every fide, was unable to withstand his numerous affailants; after having defended himself a long time, he was willing to furrender prisoner; but the janiffaries, exas perated at the breaking of the truce, gave no quarter. All those who threw down their arms were maffacred without mercy. The king of Hungary fell, pierced with wounds, in the middle of the janiffaries. They cut off his head, and carried it against Hunniade, who had abandoned his attack to march to the king's affiftance.

to 1448.

J.C. 1444, This fpectacle terrified all the Christians, and Heg. $48, completed their defeat. Hunniade vainly ento 851. deavoured to recover his master's corpfe, and the

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fhameful trophy difplayed by the Mahometans with so much oftentation. The name of perjurer, which they continually repeated as they fought, or rather as they maffacred the vanquished, roused in vain the courage of the Poles and Hungarians, who only offered themselves in greater number to the enemy's fword. The flaughter lafted 'till night. The two beglerbegs, each on his quare ter, pursued the fugitives, numbers of whom were drowned in the Danube. The two bishops perished in the battle; the Christian army was. entirely difperfed, and Amurath, the next day, had a pyramid, covered with pompous infcriptions, raised on the field of battle, by the fide of a trophy compofed of the arms of the vanquished. The fultan made no use of this victory. He the throne had juft loft two fons by a contagious disorder. his fon Either through grief at this lofs, or dislike of government, he determined, after the battle of Varna, to refign the empire to his fon Mahomet, who was only fifteen years old, leaving his two fervants Garaffe and Ali bafhaw near the throne, to fupport their new mafter. We cannot divine the motives, that could induce Amurath to quit an empire, which he had extended and fortified, to leave it to a child. The Turkish hiftorians. pretend even that he abdicated the throne twice;

Amurath abdicates

in favor of

Mahomet.

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to 1448.

to 851.

the first time before, and the fecond after the J.C. 1444, battle of Varna. But this improbable account Heg. 848, is denied by the Greek hiftorians, more authentic than the Turks, who do not always preferve the exactest memoirs. Be that as it may, Amurath, contented with his trophies, and with having punished perjurers, had the young Mahomet proclaimed emperor of the Turks in the city of Adrianople, and retired to Magnesia to give himself up to the repofe and pleasures of fenfuality, which neither the cares of war, nor of the throne, had ever made him forget.

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re-afcends

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Mahomet fixed his refidence at Adrianople. Amurath The janiffaries, accustomed to fear Amurath, the throne foon took advantage of the youth and inex- his abdicaperience of his fon. These fierce foldiers required a fevere difcipline, which could not be expected under the government of a child. Several riots at Adrianople coft the inhabitants, and even the janiffaries, much blood. The managers of the public treafury took advantage likewife of their fituation to apply the money to their own ufe, and to opprefs the subjects. In lefs than four months the face of the empire was entirely changed. In the midft of peace abroad, which had been fo feldom feen, there never was fo much confufion. 'Till then the emperors had executed every thing themselves; the viziers had not yet gotten that authority which they have fince acquired under a long fucceffion of effe

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J.C. 1444 minate princes. The foldiers and all the ministers

to 1448.

Heg. 848, were accustomed to receive their orders from the to 851. fovereign himfelf. Kalil, Garaffe, and Ali, who were charged with affifting the young emperor, faw that the empire would foon run to ruin, if it were not sustained by more powerful hands, They roused Amurath, who was giving himself up to his pleasures, and conjured him to come. to the affiftance of his empire and family. They did not dare propose to the young sultan a voluntary abdication; for, notwithstanding his inability, Mahomet was already grown fond of authority. Amurath fet out privately from Magnefia, and Kalil invited the young fultan to a hunting party, which was to laft feveral days. During this interval, Amurath arrived at Adrianople, and shewed himself to the people, who received him with tranfport. He went to the divan, and had all the malecontents punished. All the odas of janiffaries immediately returned to their duty. After feven days abfence, Mahomet, on his return from the hunting party, found his father fettled on his throne; he was ordered to go to Magnefią, to wait 'till age should have taught him to command. The young prince obeyed without a murmur, and Amurath presently rectified all the faults committed by his fon.

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Amurath reduces the

During the war with Hungary, there had defpot of happened what was always the confequence when any power rofe up against the Turks.

the Morea.

All

the

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