Heg. 920. J.C. 1514 vice, too fage to be adopted by a prince who would have nothing resist him, was strongly op posed by all those who had interest to please. Camden, too prudent for the public good, was not fufficiently fo for his own; his enemies ruined him with the emperor, who caufed to be ftrangled, as a traitor, the only man who had dared tell him falutary truths. Selim entered the deferts of Perfia, relying upon the provisions promised him by Aliadoulet, king of Armenia, and on what he should procure from his own country. But the Armenians, far from furnishing him with fuccours, intercepted, the convoys which paffed through their territories; fo that, in less than fix days, this numerous army was reduced to the sole resource of fome bitter fruits, which foon caufed a general dyfentery. The fultan was obliged to keep along the borders of the Euphrates, for fear of wanting water; but the famine which devoured his army, excited murmurs, and announced to him an approaching revolt, when they learned that the Perfians were coming to engage them. Though the army was already diminished one-third, this report restored courage to the foldiers. They were told that the Perfians, much lefs numerous than themfelves, had in their retinue a great abundance and immenfe riches. And indeed, this army, compofed entirely of cavalry, had brought provifions on a multitude of camels. Nay, they were Heg. 920. were told, that gold and precious ftones fparkled J.C. 1514 every the Perfians. The Turks where among thought themselves already in poffeffion of these riches, and confidered the enemy's army, lefs as an obftacle to their conqueft, than as a certain occafion of enriching themselves. It was compofed only of forty thousand horfe, but under the exactest discipline, and keeping the finest order. The Perfians were armed with cimeters, arrows, and clubs; for, as we have already said, they did not yet know how to found cannon. The two monarchs longed to engage. They joined near Tauris, the first Persian town in the plain of Calderan. The famished Turks were not lefs defirous than their emperor of coming to action. As foon as Selim faw the Perfians in fight, he sent and fummoned them to give up Solyman; on their refufal, he ranged his troops in order of battle, always placing in the front the corps on which he leaft depended, referving his fpahis, janiffaries, and artillery, for the moment, when the Perfians, drunk with carnage, should think themselves victorious. The policy of the Turks, particularly that of Selim, did not fufficiently value human blood. This prince, without confidering that a man taken at hazard may become a brave warrior by long ufage and ftrict difcipline, thinking ftill lefs, that the man who is but an indifferent foldier, may be ufeful in cultivating land Heg. 920. 1.C.1514. land and for population, faw only in the multitude of national forces, levied in hafte to increase his army, victims whom he offered to the dangers of war, whilft he referved his good troops for important occafions. In effect, at the battle of Tauris, the Perfians at first made a great flaughter; but when their fquadrons feparated to purfue those who fled, the janiffaries and fpahis fell in order on their difperfed troops. The artillery of the Turks, well ferved, reached them at a great distance. The fquadrons being broken, the spahis took advantage of the disorder, and attacked, with their long lances, those who had loft their ranks. Never was there a more bloody battle; the Perfians did not flee 'till after having feen fixteen thousand of their troops perish. They had killed more than forty thousand of the Turks; but this immenfe lofs did not prevent Selim's gaining the day. He charged at the head of the janiffaries; the efforts of this brave foldiery decided the victory. The troops were too much fatigued to pursue those who fled, and indeed, it would have been dangerous to engage in deferts full of rocks and defilés against national troops. The Turks, after having loaded themselves with booty, entered the town of Tauris, which made no resistance. At first the spoils dazzled the vanquishers; they faw nothing on the field of battle but arms well wrought, incruftated with gold Heg. 920 gold, and ornamented with precious ftones, tents J.C. 1514. lined with the finest filks, rich clothes, women of uncommon beauty, who had followed their hufbands or mafters to the war, and frighted horses, covered with the fuperbest trappings, brought back by hunger to the places where they faw men. Thefe riches and the pillage of Tauris occupied for fome time the avidity of the Turks; but all the gold and pearls of the East could not furnish them with fuftenance; the scarcity became more and more dreadful. Thefe conquerors, loaded with booty, who faw their army more than half reduced, after having a long time combated hunger, were afraid of finking under it themselves. When the fultan gave out that he meant to penetrate into Perfia to feek provisions, the revolt became general; the principal officers of the janiffaries and spahis declared, that they could not answer for their troops, and that, if he would be obeyed, he must turn back. wanted to is obliged he to turn back for fear of The imperious Selim dreaded the confequen- Selim, whe ces of his obftinacy: convinced of the impof- penetrate fibility of penetrating into Perfia at the head of into Perfia, an army of which he was no longer mafter, retook the road to Armenia, deferring the nifhment of the mutineers 'till circumstances fhould furnish him with an opportunity: his thoughts were employed on another project of vengeance. pu- mutiny King J.C. 1514 Heg. 920. J.C. 1515. King Aliadoulet, who, after having promifed to furnish the fultan's army on the confines of Perfia with provisions, had, on the contrary, intercepted the convoys which he drew from his own dominions, was become the object of Selim's refentment. Moreover, his projects on Perfia feemed to require him to conquer Armenia, which was nearer the Ottoman empire, less arid than the country on which it borders, and the conqueft of which should neceffarily render eafier the invasion that he meditated in the empire of the fophi; but his army had never had so much want of repofe; he croffed Armenia without committing any act of hoftility, and returned to his own dominions for winter quarters. The emperor employed himself, during this inHe raises terval, in repairing the immenfe loffes that his vicnew levies tories had caufed him. And indeed, the exact reduring the winter. view of his army convinced him, that he had paid too dearly for very trifling advantages: he raised new levies, and employed in difciplining his troops the time intended for their repofe. The mountainous and difficult province of Armenia became a neceffary barrier to obtain. The kingdom of Aliadoulet comprehended mount Taurus, and a long chain of other mountains extending from the confines of Amafia to mount Amant, and to the further extremities of Caramania. Thefe people, who inhabited only fimple cottages, were more proper for pillaging than fighting. By the |