to 1406 to 809. "that I have been the enemy of Bajazet; I am J.C.1403, even difpofed to be a father to his children, Heg. 805, provided they expect from their conqueror "the effects of my clemency. "quefts are fufficient for me, "tempted by the cáreffes of an << tune." My firft con and I am not replies to haughtily, vides Baja nions be tween the two young We have faid that Solyman was given to de- Solyman bauchery, particularly to wine, fo much abhorred Tamerlane by the Muffulmen. He had drunk to excefs of who dithis dangerous liquor, when he received Tamer-zet's domilane's letter. Being become audacious, he had in the the boldness to return him a haughty answer. Tamerlane punished it, only by conferring on Mufa, Bajazet's fecond fon, the title of fovereign, which he had at firft intended for the eldest. "Receive," faid he to him in a letter," the heritage of thy father. A foul truly noble "knows how to conquer kingdoms and how to "reftore them." Tamerlane, after having reestablished all the Muffulman princes that Bajazet had dethroned, returned to his Tartarian dominions, without referving to himself a fingle conqueft. He had made Mahomet, the youngest of Bajazet's fons, prince of Amafia; but this conqueror did not leave the two youngest of his prifoner's fons a fufficient force to oblige the eldeft to obferve the difpofitions made in their favor. Solyman having learned that his brother Mufa confidered himself fultan, paffed the ftraits of Gallipoli. I eft fons. J.C. 1403, Gallipoli. This prince, all vicious as he was, to 1406. ftraight to Burfa. Heg. 805, had valour and talents for war; he marched difputes reignties of his bro thers. the fove- pare troops to receive him; he fled to Cogni to Caraman Ogli, to save himself from his brother's refentment. Solyman fixed himself at Burfa as lawful fovereign, and fent orders to the different governors, called fangiacs, to endeavour to recover the provinces near their governments, which Tamerlane had divided from the Ottoman He would not undertake any thing in perfon against the princes that his father had formerly vanquished, as the repeated attempts of Mufa required constant attention. This fugitive fovereign had found at Cogni, only an afylum; he wanted affiftance. He went and afked it of the emir of Caftamona, hoping that this prince, who, like himself, owed his re-establishment to Tamerlane, would defend the work of his benefactor. But this emir, ftill lefs willing to help than Caraman Ogli, forbade the Turkish prince to enter his dominions, for fear of giving offence to his brother. On this refufal, Mufa embarked in a small veffel, which he found near Nice, flattering himself he fhould be more fortunate in Europe. Solyman, elated with this fuccefs, formed a close alliance with the prince of Caftamona, and returned to Burfa, where he refigned himself to drunkennefs. The only way to make court to 1406. to 809. court to him was to flatter his vices. One may J.C. 1403, judge with what indignation the real Maho- Heg. 805, metans, who were then very numerous, faw their law fo openly tranfgreffed. Solyman imprudently affronted Mahomet, prince of Amafia, his youngest brother, by answering the ambaffadors which this prince had fent to pay him homage, that his fubjects had no right to treat with him as fovereigns. He chafed away, rather than difmiffed, these ambassadors, whom he would never acknowledge; he would have marched against the ufurper of Amafia, as he called him, if his brother Mufa had not cut out more ferious work for him in Europe. This prince had in fact taken advantage of the supineness of his enemy, and of all the time that the latter had loft. Solyman, by his debaucheries, had loft the affection of all his officers. Mufa appeared in the eyes of these malecontents the avenger of their tranfgreffed law this prince, with a corps of Walachians, which he had affembled, had no difficulty to make himself master of Adrianople, and to get himself declared fultan there; but he remained in that place, only whilft his brother was raising an army and croffing the ftraits of Gallipoli. Mufa had no regular troops; he left Adrianople, of which he ftiled himself the fovereign, and fled into Walachia, leaving to Solyman the care of deftroying himself. This elder brother, become J.C.1403, the horror of every man of virtue, was surrounded to 1406. to 809. Heg. 805, only by attendants, plunged in the fame vice as himself. His contempt for the Mahometan law, and for all the customs which the Muffulmen confider as of great importance, broke the fole ties that engaged them to their prince, and made them foon look on him as an ufurper. The good Muffulmen exclaimed, that the Ottoman empire was about to fall, fince the crimes of its master were continually foliciting the vengeance of Heaven; that God would raise up another Tamerlane to punish the Ottomans all together for fo many impieties, of which they made themfelves accomplices, by tamely permitting them. Solyman's fervants and go to Mufa fomented at a diftance this revolt. defert him, Though he had not had the firmness to wait for Mufa. Solyman at the head of his army, he fought him with fuccefs in the heart of his court. He oppofed an exterior piety to the fcandalous debaucheries of his brother, and affured all thofe whom the public indignation drew to him, that he would not dethrone Solyman, were it not to avert the evils which menaced their cherished nation. The great officers, the bashaws, and all those that commanded the troops, eagerly liftened to the propofitions of Mufa. Even Ali, Solyman's grand vizier, to whom Bajazet had intrusted his youth after the battle of Angora, refolved to abandon a mafter whom he had never been able to divert from debauchery.. The unhappy prince, to 1406. to 809. prince, more and more befotted by, the wine, J.C. 1403, did not perceive what was plotting under his Heg. 805, eyes. All his officers quitted him one after another, without his feeming to regard it; none remained with him, but his companions in vice, who made him forget both the cares of war and of the throne, as soon as those were out of fight that fometimes forced him to a remembrance of them. Mufa's army was increased by all these chiefs, who had prevailed on their foldiers to follow them by parties: he marched towards Adrianople, without Solyman's appearing to trouble himself about it, or even deigning to inform himself of all thefe commotions. The malecontents acquired fuch additional force as they advanced, that there was no appearance that Solyman could ever defend himself. The unhappy prince awoke from his fupineness, when it was too late; he had no longer about him, either minifters, chiefs, or foldiers; and his finances were exhausted. Hearing nothing from the people but curfes, he confidered flight as his only refource; and hoping to find fome fuccour from the Greeek emperor, his ally, he determined to go and folicit affiftance of that prince, whom his father had fo cruelly oppreffed. Solyman determined too late on this neceffary step. The scouts of Mufa's army arrived at Adrianople exactly as his brother left it. The unfortunate prince fled; his horse, swifter than thofe |