homet only among the moft terrible fcourges J.C.1481. of the human race.

Heg. 886.

BAJAZET

EIGHTH REIGN.

II.

MAHOMET, when he died, left two fons, Bajazet and Zizim, both fuch enemies of each other, that their father had thought it requifite to feparate them, to prevent the effects of their hatred. Bajazet refided at Amafia, towards the extremity of Cappadocia; Zizim dwelt at Magnesia, a town of Caria. Bajazet was the eldeft; Mahomet had intended him for his fucceffor. As foon as the emperor was dead, the grand vizier Achmet or Acomat, faithful to the law, and especially to the will of his mafter, difpatched a meffenger to prince Bajazet, whom he esteemed but little, for him to come and take poffeffion of the throne. Though (this) fuperftitious Bajazet had a rival in his brother, he chofe rather to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, than come to Conftantinople, to occupy the throne which belonged to him, and gain the Korcut, favor of the people and foldiers. He wrote to Bajazet,

the fon of

occupies

in the

the divan, that he was obliged to accomplish a the throne vow, and that Korcut, his fon, as yet a child, name of his fhould reign in his name all the time that he, J.C. 1482.

father.

Heg. 887.

1

J.C. 1482 the lawful emperor, fhould be abfent_from Heg. 887 Conftantinople. This project flattered, without doubt, the ambition of the viziers, who became masters during this fort of regency. Korcut mounted the throne, and the viziers governed, in the name of a child, the nine months that Bajazet's pilgrimage lasted.

Zizim levies an ar

defeated by

Zizim took advantage of this favorable occamy, and is fion he seized on Burfa and Bithynia, the anthe grand tient patrimony of the Ottoman princes; he flees to the wanted to be thought the lawful emperor of the foudan of Turks, because Mahomet II. was emperor

vizier. He

Egypt.

when Zizim was born, whereas, Bajazet was born before his father afcended the throne. This reafon had no weight with the members of the divan. Whilft Bajazet was fcrupulously employed at Mecca in all the exercises of his religion, the vizier Acomat was meditating to reprefs the rival of his master. He paffed into Afia with the choice of the janissaries and spahis, and marched against Zizim, determined to lay fiege to Burfa, in cafe he should be fo bold as to wait for him there. This, prince, who had already raised an. army, was refolved not to remain shut up within walls. Though his troops were new and badly difciplined, he went fome days march against Acomat, and had the temerity to offer battle to an experienced general, who commanded old foldiers. The conduct and valour of the vizier almoft entirely deftroyed the rifing fortune of Zizim;

Heg. 887.

his army was put to flight, and it was impoffible J.C. 1482.
to rally it. The prince, having with difficulty
escaped the carnage, deliberated, with fome of
his partifans who had likewife faved themselves,
to what foreign prince he fhould go with his
pretenfions and hatred. There were three that
feemed likely to receive him according to his
wishes the foudan of Egypt, Caraman Ogli
from whom Mahomet II. had taken almost all
his eftates, and who no longer reigned but in a
corner of Cilicia, and the knights of Rhodes
who had fo valiantly withstood the arms of the
laft emperor. Zizim chose the most powerful
of the three: at the head of only forty horse, he
traversed Syria, penetrated into Palestine, and
visited at Jerufalem the mofque called the temple
of Solomon; then croffing the defarts of Arabia,
he arrived at Grand Cairo. Caitbei, the foudan
of Egypt, received Zizim with the respect due to
misfortune; but not judging it prudent to enter
into an alliance with a prince, who had nothing
in the world but unjuft pretenfions, he folely
offered to employ his good offices for him with

his brother.

Bajazet II. on his return from Mecca, found his throne fecured by the defeat of Zizim. His fon, who had been but a phantom of a fovereign, made no difficulty to give up his authority. He went as far as Nice to meet Bajazet, and having ordered the mimbar to be raifed, which is a kind

of

1

J.C. 1482. of throne among the Orientals, he placed Bajazet Heg. 887. on it, and proclaimed him emperor, after which he retired to Magnefia with a confiderable penfion and the authority of bafhaw. On the fultan's arrival at Conftantinople, he found ambassadors from the foudan of Egypt there, who were come to fettle a peace between his brother and him, This negociation was without any fuccefs, as Caitbei endeavoured to acquit himfelf of a duty of humanity to Zizim, rather than procure him a throne which did not belong to him. Bajazet's brother, difpleased with the foudan of Egypt, went to feek the alliance of a prince lefs powerful, but more enterprifing than Caitbei. This was Caraman Ogli, who, as we have faid, had Caraman only a fmall part of Cilicia left. Zizim enfeek fuc-gaged to reftore him all the eftates which Ma

He goes to

Ogli to'

cours.

homet II. had wrefted from his father, if, by his means, he became emperor of the Turks. The ambitious Caraman entered into a league with feveral petty Mahometan princes; with thefe fuccours, which feemed more like a troop of confpirators, than an army, he had the temerity to enter Cappadocia, having by his fide the pretended fucceffor of Mahomet, whom he announced as the repairer of all the mischiefs which his father had done. At these news, Acomat fent acrofs the Bofphorus of Thrace all the troops that were

not wanted in Europe. The emperor quitted

the pleasures of his court. As he was reviewing

Heg. 887.

Bajazet a

brother.

peror flat

ters his

vizier, in

make him

former in

his army, before it penetrated into Afia, he ob- J.C.1482. ferved that the grand vizier, who was at the head of the fpahis, had his fword faftened to the Efforts of pommel of his faddle; on which Bajazet faid to gainst his him," Milada,* thou beareft things in mind; The em"forget the faults of my youth, replace thy "fword by thy fide, and make use of it with thy order to ufual valour against my enemies." For the forget a information of the reader refpecting this fact, it jury. fhould be obferved, that Mahomet II. being at war in Afia, brought with him his fon Bajazet, as yet very young, in order to instruct him in military exercises. One day of battle, Mahomet fent the vizier Acomat to examine in what order the young prince had placed the troops under his command. Acomat, displeased with what he faw, faid to Bajazet, with a fevere tone: "Is it

thus that a prince, who wishes to vanquish, "should range his foldiers?" The pride of the Ottoman blood being offended with this reprimand, the young prince threatened Acomat, that he would make him repent one day of his too great liberty. "What wilt thou do to me?" replied the old warrior in a rage. "I swear by the foul of my father, that if thou come to "the throne, I will never draw my fword in thy * fervice." The Mahometan fovereigns, like

all

This word, in the Turkish language, fignifies defender or protector. The emperors, to flatter their viziers when they are older than themselves, often give them this title.