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to 1360.

to 761.

hours this small army was tranfported from Afia J.C. 1336, to Europe, and, before the end of the day, Soly- Heg. 736, man took the other caftle, called Aiofo Conia, which did not contain more garrifon than the firft. The next day, the governor of Gallipoli affembled all the troops that he could muster, and attacked the enemy: the battle was long and bloody; the Turks at last forced the Greeks to flee and fhelter themselves in their town, which they defended courageously a long time; but wanting provifions, and their fortifications being moreover in bad condition, they were obliged to furrender. Thus Solyman made himself master of the key of Europe..

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About this time the Greek empire was troubled Orcan with fresh diffentions. Cantacuzenus, guardian to alliance the emperor Paleologus, having attempted to feize Greek emon the fovereign power, had fucceeded to divide tacuzenus, it. The empress Anne, mother to the young his daughemperor, fought protectors for her fon, and asked affiftance of Orcan. Cantacuzenus made the fame application. As the fultan defired only conquefts, he chofe rather to join the ufurper, who was mangling the remains of the empire, than its lawful mafter, who had intereft to preferve it. Orcan fent fuccours to Cantacuzenus, which did not a little contribute to the ruining of the country, for the Turkish generals took great care to dismantle the places that they feized in the name of the Greek ufurper. Under pre

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J.C. 1336, tence of ferving the ally, they laid waste Thrace Heg. 736, as much as in their power, and equally endeavoured to weaken and plunder it. Cantacuzenus, in order to confirm this alliance, which he thought would be very useful to him, refolved to give Orcan his daughter in marriage, notwithstanding the difference of religion, and the number of wives, concubines, and children, that this barbarian had already. This was what Cantacuzenus himself called his future fon-in-law. The fultan eagerly received the propofal of this marriage. He sent an ambaffador to demand this princess, who was called Theodora. The new Greek emperor was then at Selivrea. The ceremony of the marriage was performed in a large plain near the city, where the princefs was fhewn to the people, fitting on an elevated throne, unattended by any one of her fex, in the middle of a troop of eunuchs on their knees with lighted torches. According to the laws of the country, neither the mother nor the fifters of Theodora appeared at this ceremony. The emperor gave a magnificent entertainment to all the Turks, who, the next day, conducted their new fultanefs to her husband. This princess retained her religion in the middle of the feraglio of Orcan: and this fultan, either through policy or inclination, granted her more liberty than the Muffulmen in general give their wives; for, a fhort time after her marriage, peace being concluded between Paleologus and

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Cantacuzenus, on condition of dividing the au- J.C. 1336, thority between them, Orcan came as far as Heg. 736, Scutari, where the emperor his father-in-law came to receive his compliments. On this occasion the Muffulman prince brought Theodora to see her father, and permitted her to go and pass three days at Conftantinople with the imperial family, whilft he, the fultan, waited for her on board his veffels, for he had fome fince Solyman's expedition on the ftraits of Gallipoli.

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The Greek empire was but a fhort time in solyman peace. The difagreement between Cantacuzenus ral towns and Paleologus being renewed, the latter engaged in his quarrel the Syrians and Bulgarians, and the the ufurpaformer had recourfe to his fon-in-law, who fent tion. him twenty thousand men under the command of his fon Solyman. This young prince beat the Bulgarians, took fort Simpré, and feveral maritime towns of Thrace. Paleologus, astonished, fent ambaffadors with confiderable prefents to this redoubtable enemy, to engage him to remain neuter in the quarrel. Solyman promised it, and repaffed the fea without rendering, either to Paleologus or Cantacuzenus, the places which he had taken in the Greek empire. A fhort time after, an earthquake having done much damage in feveral towns of Thrace, the foldiers and inhabitants, frighted at the fall of the buildings, deserted them to feek their fafety in the plains. Solyman, always ready to take advantage of every circumftance,

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J.C. 1336, circumftance, returned into this province, entered to 1360. Heg. 736, all the towns that had been deferted on account to 761.

of the earthquake, placed new garrisons in them, and expeditiously repaired the breaches. Cantacuzenus complained in vain to his fon-in-law; the fultan replied, that the part of Thrace which his fon had taken poffeffion of, was but a trifling indemnity for the expences of the war; that Solyman had had a right to take poffeffion of these deferted towns, which did not appear to belong to any one; and that, as to the reft, neither Gallipoli nor Simpré fhould be reftored 'till the emperor had paid him the expences of the armament. These two places interested Cantacuzenus more than all the others; he fent his fon-in-law fifty thousand crowns of gold; but the perfidious fultan, after having received the price, eluded the reftitution. Cantacuzenus, aftonished, croffed the fea with a feeble escort, and went as far as Nicomedia to feek a conference with Orcan, who took care to avoid it; Cantacuzenus was even given to understand, that he would risk his liberty, if he penetrated farther into the territories of his fon-in-law.

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The fultan's deceit did not prevent Cantacuzenus from restoring him Kalil, his youngest fon by the princefs Theodora. This child had been taken by a Phocian pirate, who came as far as the gulf of Aftacena, in which was fituated Nicomedia, where the young Kalil was bred up.

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to 1360.

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The emperor gave a large fum of money, and a J.C.1336, confiderable dignity, to the pirate for the ransom Heg. 736, of the Turkish prince his grandson. At that time Solyman was extending his empire eastward; he took from the Tartars the towns of Ancyra and Cratea. On his return, he found that the emperor Cantacuzenus had retired into a cloister, and that his fon Matthew poffeffed his throne. Notwithstanding the promises which Paleologus favor of had made his colleague, at the time that the Matthew, latter made his abdication, to live on good terms abdicates with his fon, the concord between the two Greek emperors was not of long duration. In a fhort time, Matthew reclaimed the dangerous affistance » of these Turks, whom his father had had so much reafon to complain of. The new emperor was not better ferved by them than Cantacuzenus had been. Five thousand men that Orcan fent to reinforce him, after having pillaged every place through which they paffed, gave the example of flight to Matthews's troops in a battle fought near Philippi, when this prince was made prifoner. The unfortunate emperor having abdicated his crown to recover his liberty, the Turks had no longer occafion to feign, or rather to betray. Orcan no longer thought but of taking by open force the reft of Thrace, great part of which he had already ufurped.

The fultan fent his two eldest fons, Solyman and Amurath, across the fea. These two princes

entered

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