Heg. 886.

J.C.1481. covered the breaches; the Turks were repulfed; and the traitor was given to the executioner, after having acknowledged, in the horrors of the torture, that his only defign in entering Rhodes was, to deliver it to the Turks.

Propofals

made by

The bafhaw loft both time and men. The the Turks infinity of refources which the fagacity of the

for an ac

tion, rejec

commoda- grand mafter and the valour of the knights furted by the nifhed them with, but too much convinced the knights. Turk that he was not at the end of the fiege. He thought it beft to have recourse to negociation. The lieutenants of the bashaw were ordered to propose an honorable capitulation. Forgetting for the moment the Ottoman haughtiness, they made ufe of flattery, telling thefe brave knights, that fo many prodigies, which covered them with glory, would not secure their town from the fate, which the number of their enemies, and the state of their walls, ought to demonftrate to them. This capitulation depended entirely on the grand mafter, because, as we have faid, the knights had conferred on him the absolute sovereignty during the fiege. Notwithstanding this confideration, feveral members of the council, feeing their town open on all fides, were fearful of fpilling ftill more blood, and not being able to fave it after all. They were strongly inclined to accept an honorable capitulation, though Aubuffon was refponfible to them for the event. They folicited him to liften

το

Heg. 886.

to the terms propofed; and as they fupported J.C.1481. their advice with that heat which fear infpires, they had already communicated it to a great number of the befieged. They began even to blame aloud the grand mafter, and spoke to him of furrendering with an indecent liberty. Aubuffon, irritated at so much weakness and mutiny, exclaimed: " Gentlemen, if there be any one among you, who does not think himself safe. in this place, the gate is not so closely blocked "up, but I can let him out." The shame which they felt having caused a general filence to be kept, he continued: "If you will remain with 6C us, trust to me. I declare, that I will have "the first person beheaded, who fhall mention "an accommodation." These thundering words recalled, in the feebleft hearts, that courage which all had fhewn at firft, but which had

in the breafts of fome.

grown cool

The bafhaw, enraged to think he had flattered the pride of his enemies to no purpose, swore he would have them all put to the fword; he even ordered a quantity of ftakes to be fharpened and planted around the ramparts, to empale, as he faid, the grand mafter and principal knights. He promised the pillage to the foldiers, and recommenced the attacks with more fury than ever. Their greatest efforts were always turned towards the quarter of the Jews; the artillery had. fo battered this fide, that the walls were no longer

Heg. 886.

L.C.148 longer any thing but a heap of ftones, the ditch was filled up, and the ramparts did not appear difficult to climb; but the knights had formed another intrenchment behind that which was fhattered, without, neglecting, on that account, the defence of the rampart. A bloody combat was fought on this baftion, of which the Turks fancied they could easily render themselves mafters. The houses and streets were lower than this fortification, to ascend to which there were two pair of steps, which, at that time, were broken and covered with rubbish. The grand mafter and his knights could not get there but by the affiftance of ladders, and faw themfelves conftrained in their turn to mount to the affault, in order to attack thofe, who had affailed them for fo long a time. The Turks had believed the town taken, as foon as they were gotten on the ramparts. This new species of defence astonished them; the knights precipitated them in great numbers from the other fide of the bastion on thofe heaps of ftones which had ferved them as ladders, and which rendered their fall more fatal. The janiffaries made ufeless efforts to feize the perfon of Aubuffon, who, though twice wounded, would never quit the battle.

The fiege raifed.

The blood of the grand mafter, which ran down his armour, animated the knights and foldiers to fuch a degree, that, in a little time, all the Turks were thrown down or put to flight.

Heg. 886.

In vain did the bashaw endeavour to bring back J.C. 1481.
his troops to the place which they had aban-
doned; his efforts only gave the Rhodians an
occafion to fhed more blood.
purfued, killed one another in

The Turks, being
the hurry of their

flight. They threw the alarm into the camp,
and communicated their fright to the rest of the
army, At length, after a fiege of three months
and the spilling of much blood, the bashaw,
Paleologus, loft both hope and courage; he got
on board his veffels again the 17th of Auguft,
and fhamefully brought back the broken re-
mains of his fleet and army to Conftantinople,
meditating only to perfuade Mahomet, that the
ifle of Rhodes was impregnable.

diffembles

grin.

The emperor faw with the greatest chagrin his Mahomet hopes deceived. He, who had fo badly served a his chaprince abfolute and cruel, accustomed to make every one bend before him, and to punish with Mahomet. death the smalleft faults, was too happy to pre

serve his life with the lofs of his place and
liberty. The command of the army, the dignity
even of bashaw, were taken from Paleologus,
and he was banished to Gallipoli. Mahomet
seemed to confole himself for the misfortune of
his arms, by publicly saying, that they were
invincible, only when he commanded them him-
felf. And indeed he made new efforts to restore
them the glory which Paleologus had loft.
In the autumn he levied two numerous armies,
refolved

Bb

Death of

J.C. 1481 refolved to place himself at the head of the first Heg. 886.

against the king of Perfia, and to fend the fecond into Europe, under the command of a vizier. These preparations were made with the greateft promptitude. The fultan had already paffed the Bosphorus, and having pitched his camp hear the city of Nice, he was meditating to penetrate into Perfia, when death furprised him in the midst of the great projects which he was unceafingly forming, Mahomet lived fifty-one years, of which he reigned thirty, and three months. This prince, one of the most perfidious and fanguinary that history has ever handed down to posterity, was born with great talents for war; he would have had the fame for government, if his paffions had not destroyed every thing that reason, the intereft of his people, and his own, could have infpired him with. Mahomet, one of the founders of the Ottoman empire, is perhaps the prince who has made the most important conquefts. Conftantinople owes fome edifices to him. All his dominions reproach him with their depopulation, which his fucceffors have not repaired. Debauchery and the spirit of revenge ftifled in his heart all the feeds of equity, The glory of his conquefts covered his vices in the eyes of his fubjects: the Turkish hiftorians fay, he was the greatest of emperors; but thofe, who know that there is no true greatnefs without juftice, count Ma

homet