Page images
PDF
EPUB

Heg. 857.

J.C. 1453 ing them to prefer a speedy death, to the infamy with which they would be covered for the remainder of a long life. He beheld these two innocent victims beheaded, and then presented his own neck to the executioner. His wife, already fick, expired with grief a few days after. All the fathers were not fo courageous as the great duke; Mahomet filled his feraglio with children of both fexes, intended for his pleafures, whom he caused to be educated and inftructed to his mind, after having torn them from parents left at liberty in Conftantinople.

Mahomet

wants to

voy from

God.

Amidst all these horrors, Mahomet II. afpired at pafs for en- the title of envoy from God, and would fain blend with his fuccefs what was marvellous and fupernatural. He had with him a dervis called Cheik, a fort of hireling prophet, and a man of revelations and extafies, whofe profeffion was to pray to God and Mahomet for the prosperity of the empire, and who endeavoured to prevail on the Mahometans to adore the emperor's vices, as much as his power was feared. The third day after the taking of Conftantinople, this man published in the new mofque of St. Sophia, that the triumph of the most powerful emperor had been predicted to Conftantine, the laft Greek emperor, by Ioub, a friend of God and of the prophet; that this fervant of God, being on the point of death by the hands of the executioner (without doubt for fome crime), had declared

aloud,

Heg. 857.

aloud, that within the year, he should have an J.C. 1453. avenger, the inftrument of the Divinity, called Mahomet like the great prophet, who fhould for ever efface from the universe the Greek empire and its princes, who would establish the true worship in Conftantinople, and who should honor his (loub's) tomb, to whom the Lord had revealed all these things. Cheik added, that, notwithstanding the care taken by the Infidels to conceal the tomb of Ioub, and even to difperfe his bones, God had fhewn it to him, and he would go and open it. He immediately conducted the emperor, accompanied by a great number of people, to the fuburb which from thence took the name of Ioub; he had a place digged up, which to every appearance was free from fufpicion, when, at a certain depth, they found a large tomb, on which was written in Arabic characters rather recent; " Here is the fepulchre "of Ioub, the constant friend, the counsellor, "and the apostle of God, whofe aid be more " and more propitious." Beneath this tomb was a body, either exceedingly well preserved, or which had never had time to corrupt. This miracle was celebrated with every demonstration of joy. Mahomet gave the name of the pretended prophet to the fuburb where it had been found, and had an elegant tubé or maufoleum built over the tomb, with a mosque and a public fchool.

The

[ocr errors]

J.C. 1453.
Heg. 857.

The emperor entered Galata on the fifth day, and ordered the inhabitants to be numbered. Mahomet They found very few people in this town, which

endeavours

to repeople almoft all the Genoefe had abandoned to avoid

Conftanti

nople. the wrath of a prince whofe alliance they had

betrayed. Mahomet did no other mischief than reunite the town to that of Conftantinople, of which it was no longer but a fuburb. He had the poffeffions of all the fugitives inventoried with great exactnefs, ordering, that they should be restored to them, provided they returned to their habitations within three months, otherwise they should be confifcated. He determined likewife to pull down the walls of Galata, and to repair the breaches of Conftantinople. Befides the Greeks that were to repeople it, and to whom, as we have already obferved, he left fome churches, ten thousand families, taken from different provinces, were ordered, upon pain of death, to come and settle in Constantinople before the end of September. Houses and con. fiderable lands were given them. The fituation of this celebrated city, its commerce and the refidence of its monarchs, must ever render it one of the most advantageous habitations in the univerfe. But force was neceffary to determine the people to leave their native homes. This mean was never regarded by Mahomet: whole families were dragged from the extremities of Europe, and received, against their confent, laft

[ocr errors]

ing establishments, in exchange for miferable J.C1453. Heg. $57. habitations, which they were forced to quit.

The town of Selivrea fent to ask a governor and garrison of Mahomet; which having granted, he fet out the 18th of June for Adrianople. His march was more like a triumph than any thing elfe, the people ran in crowds to admire the number of slaves which this conqueror dragged after him, and the rich booty with which his foldiers were loaded. Though Mahomet's thoughts were fo taken up with the repeopling of his new conqueft, he never loft fight of the defign of making new ones. He reduced, in a J.C.1455. Heg. 859. fhort time, either in perfon, or by his lieutenants, the rest of the Morea. The Greeks were no longer fufficiently formidable to oppofe him with forces to be feared. But although he brought feveral countries under fubjection almost without ftriking a blow, all the enernies of Mahomet were not beneath his courage.

[ocr errors]

Scander

Scanderbeg, whofe talents and valour had Exploits of proved fo fatal to Amurath II. could not remain beg. long without attacking the Turks, whom he mortally hated. This prince, the greatest general of his time, was, as we have seen, fovereign of a finall territory, heretofore wrested from his ancestors, which did not furnish him with foldiers fufficient to make conquests by himself. Tired of keeping on the defenfive, he folicited the Chriftian princes to fend fome forces to join

[blocks in formation]

Heg. 859.

1.C.1455 the army under his command; but there was neither fufficient unanimity between the different powers, nor an equal intereft to oppofe the Turks. Scanderbeg refolved to declare war by himself against the son of his enemy: he entered Macedonia, at the head of eight thousand men, where he took feveral caftles and ravaged the country. Mahomet difdained to march against fuch a petty prince, or rather he was afraid to truft himself against fo great a general. For three fucceffive years did Mahomet fend his best lieutenants, at the head of a fuperior army, against the prince of Albania, and each time were they beaten. Scanderbeg knew how to take fuch advantages of ground and circumstances, that he cut in pieces, or dispersed, all the troops fent against him. Mahomet, exafperated, fet out himself, at the head of a hundred and fifty thousand men, to lay fiege to Croia; but he changed his mind on the road, and left Libanus, who had already been vanquished several times by Scanderbeg, to attempt this fiege, at the head of fifty thousand men only. This expedition was not more fortunate than the preceding ones. After two months of almost uninterrupted loffes, Libanus retired.

Origin of

the Order

This warrior was not the only obstacle which of Malta. Mahomet met with. The knights of Saint John of Jerufalem, called knights of Malta fince their being fovereigns of that ifland, poffeffed at that

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »