J.C. 1512. Heaven. As he could not choose his fucceffor, Heg. 918. he endeavoured to reconcile himself to him who became fo against his will: he fent to Selim to fay, that, fince he thought himself more capable than his father of maintaining the glory of the Ottoman name, he was ready to furrender the empire to him. He demanded, only permission to retire to Didimotica with a confiderable penfion, and to carry with him those whom he should choose for companions of his retreat. Selim did not expect fo little refiftance; he entered Conftantinople with a numerous guard; and when he had taken poffeffion of all the posts, he humbly prefented himfelf before him whom he had juft dethroned; he proposed to him even to remain in the feraglio with his court and wives, whilft he, Selim, should inhabit the old feraglio. The fultan replied, that the fame scabbard could not contain two fwords; and he prepared for his retreat, with as much more hafte, as he was importuned by the reiterated cries of the people and foldiers, who wished glory and long life to the emperor Selim. Bajazet wished to leave Conftantinople before his fon was proclaimed emperor. Selim accompanied his father two leagues, converfing with him on the affairs of the empire. When they were arrived at the place of feparation, Selim fell on his knees to Bajazet, asked his benediction, and paid him, for the laft time, the profoundest Heg. 918. profoundest respect, after which the dethroned J.C. 1512. fultan departed, accompanied by fome friends and a guard of spahis commanded by Iounoux bashaw. They had permitted this prince to be dethroned, without any one's having it in his power to say he had contributed to the revolution. The new emperor, but juft proclaimed at Conftantinople, learned that his father increased his distance from the capital but by very easy journeys, that Iounoux bafhaw, his conductor, had some correfpondence with the spahis of Conftantinople, and that the dethroned fultan had fent expreffes to fome towns through which he had no occafion to pafs. The cruel Selim, Selim cauwithout examining fufpicions that might be with-be poifonout foundation, fent orders to a Jewish physician, whom he had fent with his father, to poison him. This fentence, or rather outrage, was executed immediately. The corpfe was brought back in pomp to Conftantinople, and interred in a mofque that Bajazet himself had founded. fes him to ed on the This prince died in the fixty-fecond year of Character his age, after a reign of thirty-two years. The of Bajazet, Turkish hiftorians fay he loved the sciences, and protected the learned. These pretended sciences were confined to the idle conceits of judicial aftrology, and an imperfect knowledge of the Arabic and Syriac languages. Bajazet II. timid and cruel, could not be otherwife than superftitious; he carried this weakness fo far, that he caufed Ii2 J.C.1512. caufed the duft of his fhoes and clothes to be Heg. 918. faved during his whole reign, in order to compofe a lump which was buried with him. He flattered himself with redeeming his frequent tranfgreffions of the law of Mahomet by it, with which he reproached himself at times, especially the prohibition of drinking wine. He was a notorious fot, and would often have his most intimate confidents put to death in his fits of frenzy caused by the wine. He joined even cruelty to his fuperftitious actions. One day he paffed through a village, between Conftantinople and Adrianople, washed by a river, which, often overflowing its banks, rendered the paffage exceedingly dangerous. A fangiac of an inferior rank, but very rich, had conftructed, at a great expence, in this place, a bridge for the fafety of travellers and the good of his foul; for all the Muffulmen firmly believe, that benevolent actions are recompenfed a hundred fold in the other life. Bajazet ordered the fangiac to be immediately brought him, and offered to give him the price of his bridge, on condition of having the merit of the action transferred to him. The fangiac conftantly refused, faying, that the recompenfes of Paradife were preferable to the praise and favors of men. The emperor, perfuaded, as all the Muffulmen, that the merits of good works could be transferred like fums of money and all other temporal rights, infifted ftrongly Heg. 918. ftrongly on his request being complied with, but J.C. 1512. always in vain. Bajazet, enraged, ordered the unfortunate fangiac to be immediately ftrangled, after which he fwam across the river, and the troops which followed him did the fame. But whatever defire he might have to destroy the bridge, he never did it, for fear of meriting punishment in the other life, in proportion as the fangiac merited favor. Bajazet built several mofques: the most useful thing he did during his reign, was the repairing of the walls of Conftantinople, which had been almost destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1509; it lafted ten days, and deftroyed thirteen thousand perfons under the ruins of a vaft number of edifices. SELI M I. NINTH REIGN. AS foon as Selim had attained the throne, he Selim fhews him. determined to get rid of thofe who might felf cruel one day difpute it with him. In vain did Muftapha, the grand vizier whom he had chofen, tell him, that he had nothing to fear from either of his brothers; that the pacific Achmet had been difgufted with the throne at the firft obftacle; that Korcut, ftill more timid, had not even re turned on afcend ing the throne. J.C.1512. turned to Magnesia, for fear of giving offence to Heg. 918. his brother; that he had affifted at his proclamation and entry into Conftantinople, and had publicly declared himself his premier subject. Selim, who did not conceive that any man could voluntarily renounce a throne, answered his vizier, what he often repeated afterward, that, in order to reign with pleasure, a prince must reign without fear. His fentiments, and particularly his actions, made him merit the furname of Yacuz, which fignifies Ferocious. He was He purfues the blood brothers. who hides furprifed & forty-five years old when he became emperor of the Turks. We cannot conceive, how this fiery and fanguinary character had remained fo long in repofe. In hafte to march against Achmet, he granted the janiffaries the augmentation of pay which they had in vain demanded of his eldest brother, when Bajazet II. propofed to refign the fceptre to him. This refufal had been the first cause of the misfortunes of the two princes. The eldeft of the Ottoman houfe having learnof his two ed, that, notwithstanding his love of peace, the Korcut, ufurper was determined to fmother his rights in himself, is his blood, prepared to fell both dearly. He went to the mountains of Armenia to folicit fuccours of the fovereigns of that country, and even of the king of Perfia, whilft his brother Korcut, lefs courageous, was wandering from cavern to cavern, trying to bury his exiftence in frangled. the |