to 1402. to 804. orders to Bajazet to restore Taharten his liberty, J. C.1395, Tamerlane, after a delay of three), Tamerlane marched as far as Siwas, where he reviewed the different corps which joined him at that place; then continuing to advance into the Turkish territories, as he was about to lay fiege to Angora or Ancyra, he learned that Bajazet was marching towards him, with an army, which, at the moft, was not more than the half of his. Tamerlane made a march forward; he knew how to take other advantages befides number. He had more military knowledge than appeared in an J.C.1395, an age when the multitude of foldiers, courage, to 1402. Hleg. 797, and bodily ftrength, compofed the whole science of war. to 804. Battle of Angora. Heg. 804. 1 The Tartarian prince intrenched himself in his J.C.1402. Camp, leaving before him a dry plain, in which he hoped to hem in Bajazet, if he came to take poffeffion of it, either by fuperiority of number, or by guarding feveral narrow paffes which he had had the time to obferve. Bajazet, accuftomed to vanquish, longed to engage an enemy more formidable than all those whom he had yet met with. As he made long marches, he foon took poffeffion of the, camp which the Tartar feemed to have intended for him. Bajazet remained in this fituation but a fhort time, before he faw himself compelled to give battle; this was what Tamerlane wanted.* He divided his army into three corps, at the head of which he placed eight of his fons and grandsons, who were all called Mirza, a title given by the Tartars only to kings' fons. It is faid that Tamerlane paffed the night preceding the battle in prayers; he affected an exterior religion before his foldièrs. Bajazet is defeated Bajazet's troops were reduced to despair before and taken the battle began. Since the evening, five thoufand men were dead of thirst in his camp. The prifoner. *This battle, between Tamerlane and Bajazet, was fought at the foot of mount Stella, in the very place where Pompey vanquished Mithridates. Tranflator. Heg. 804. wing to Bazzirlaus, his wife's brother, fon of J.C. 1402. Ierman Ogli whom he had dethroned. He put four fons, whom he had had by feveral concubines, at the head of different corps. His whole army was diftributed on a line, in order to /offer a more extended front to his numerous enemies; but the fury of the Turks hurt their difcipline. The janiffaries and spahis hurried on without keeping their ranks or liftening to the orders of their commanders. Moreover, the Tartar's elephants, carrying fmall towers full of foldiers, foon frighted the horfes of the fpahis. Bazzirlaus was killed in the beginning of the battle. Bajazet beheld from an elevated spot the defeat, or rather the diforder of his army: for his brave Turks, difperfed, without any hope of rallying, chofe rather to precipitate themselves into the middle of the Tartarian battalions, and fell their lives dearly, than flee before the vanquisher. In vain did they attempt to perfuade Bajazet to fave himself by flight; he confumed this fatal day in useless efforts; the troops rallied at his voice, only to offer more victims to the enemy's sword, Having feen Muftapha his eldest fon perish, he ordered his vizier Ali bashaw to make the best of his way to Burfa with Solyman his second son, in order to preserve fome remains of the Ottoman blood. Never was valour more unfortunate. The conqueror was at length prevented from continuing Heg. 804. J.C. 1402. the flaughter by the heaps of dead. On the approach of night, Bajazet being defcended from the little hill from which he had beheld this fatal fight, was prefently attacked by a cloud of Tartars; his defpair was unable to procure him the death which he fought. Those that had furrounded him were determined to take him alive; they wrefted his fword from him, with which he had slain more than thirty Tartars; and when his ftrength was exhausted, they tied his hands with a bow-ftring, and placed him on a fmall horfe, which carried him to the tent of the vanquisher. Tamerlane knew by the acclamations what captive they were bringing him. He had retired from the feld at the decline of the day: the victory being over a long time, he was playing at chefs with one of his fons. Neither the arrival of Bajazet, nor the acclamations, nor the eagerness of the chiefs, difturbed Tamerlane; the prifoner was obliged to wait at the entrance of the pavilion, 'till the Tartarian prince had finished his play. to Bajazet, untied his hands, be clothed with a fine vet. proached his prisoner with the blood that he had fpilt. Bajazet replied haughtily; but, whatever fome hiftorians may have faid, Tamerlane never forgot the refpect due to the misfortunes of an equal become his He then advanced and ordered him to The conqueror rehis ufurpations, and flave. Heg. 804. flave. He confoled him and fwore that he J.C. 1402. would refpect his life. furrenders fons to Tamer He lane. Ba He jazet is treated The with hu manity by quifher, & Bajazet, encouraged by the clemency of the Angora conqueror, requested to have two of his looked for, whofe fate he was ignorant of. had seen the eldest fall before his eyes. fecond he had ordered to fave himself; the two his vanlaft were foon brought, like their father, to Tamer-nds his lane, who treated them as he had treated Bajazet. This prince was conducted to a tent, where, though ftrictly guarded, he was paid all the attention-due to a monarch. After this victory, the governor of Angora delivered up the place and its citadel to Tamerlane. H 2 wife & two • fons. * The manner in which the Tartar réceived Bajazet, is differently reported. According to fome he reproached him with his pride, cruelty, and prefumption. Doft thou not know, faid he to him, that it is only the children of misfortune, that dare oppofe our invincible power? Others pretend, on the contrary, that Tamerlane received him favourably; that he conducted him to his own tent, where he made him eat with him, and that, to confole him, he entertained him only with the viciffitudes and inconftancy of fortune. They add, that, either through compaffion, or perhaps a fort of contempt, he fent him a hunting equipage, and that it gave the Tartar great pleasure to be able to make him comprehend, that he thought him fitter for the tail of a pack of hounds than the head of a great army. This at least was the explication which Bajazet himself gave to the mysterious prefent of his enemy. This unfortunate prince, not being mafter of his refentment, and full of a wild chagrin, replied haughtily: Tell Tamerlane, he has not mistaken, in inviting me to an exercise, which bas always been the pleasure of fovereigns, and that is much more fuitable to Bajazet, defcended from the great Amurath the fon of Orcan, than to an adventurer like him, the commander of a banditti. Tamerlane foon returned to his character. This barbarian, irritated at fuch an injurious answer, immediately ordered Bajazet to be put, without a faddle, on one of the old horfes that served to carry the baggage, and to be expofed in that fituation to the contempt and raillery of the foldiers of the camp; which was immediately executed. At his return, this unfortunate prince |