to 1416.

to 819.

with honors, and confented to restore him Thef- J.C. 1413, falonica, with all the fortreffes bordering on the Heg. 816, Pont Euxine. He favorably received likewife the envoys of the princes of Walachia, Bulgaria, and Moldavia, received the tributes which they, offered him, promifing his protection and a lafting peace to all of them, as long as they remained in fubjection. This prince, in the hiftory of the Turks, is counted the fifth emperor. All the time which paffed between the fall of Bajazet and the acceffion of Mahomet to the throne, is confidered only as an interreign. He was acknowledged in Afia as in Europe, by Caraman Ogli, the son of him,

except at first

whose estates

had been invaded by Bajazet, and who had loft his head by order of that prince. Caraman Ogli, re-established, as we have feen, on his father's throne, by Tamerlane, had been kept in order fince, by the prefence of Mahomet; but as foon as the latter was gone to Europe, he flattered himself with the conquest of Burfa, as - much more easily, as, fince Bajazet, the Ottoman dominions in thefe" two different parts of the world, had not belonged to the fame mafter. Mahomet fubdued this rebel, as likewise the prince of Caftamona his accomplice; he feized the poffeffions of the latter, and reduced those of Caraman to a fimple tribute.

It was neceffary to have the authority and talents of Mahomet to reftore the Ottoman empire

1

J.C. 1413, the form, which the invafion of the Tartars, and

to 1416.

Heg. 816, the divifions and vices of the fons of Bajazet, had

to 819.

destroyed. All the tributary princes, even the Mahomet bafhaws, confidered themselves as fo many in

reduces Si

neis to o- dependent fovereigns. There was ftill a bafhaw

bedience,

homage

1

& receives of Smyrna, called Sineis, to be reduced, who, from feve- under the feeble Solyman, had taken poffeffion of princes. Ephefus and Nimphea, and who hoped to main

ral Greek

tain this ufurpation, though all his neighbours were returned to their obedience. In the beginning of the fpring, Mahomet marched towards Smyrna, where Sineis, who was fortifying Ephefus, had left his wife and children. Mahomet had no fooner encamped before the town, than the princes of Phocea, Upper Phrygia, Caria, Lesbos, and Scio, came in a crowd to offer him their tribute and homage. Mahomet kindly received all these Greeks, and treated them as if they had been Mahometans. The fiege of Smyrna lafted but twelve days: Mahomet demolished the fortifications immediately on its furrendering. It was the policy of this prince to preserve but very few fortified towns, particularly in the inland part of this large ftate; they only ferved, he faid, to invite and favor revolts. Sineis ran to beg forgiveness. Mahomet fpared his life and left him his property, contenting himself with taking from him the government which he had abufed.

The

1

tians at

Turks by

them.

Heg. 819.

The fultan was not fo fortunate by fea as he JC. 1416. Heg. 819. had been on the continent. The republic of Venice was at that time very powerful: their The Vene poffeffions extended from cape Iftria to Conftan-tack the tinople, and they tranfacted most all the com- fea & beat merce of Europe. The Turks, much worse J.C.1416. mariners than the Venetians, (for they knew but little of working veffels, ftill lefs of their conftruction,) were infinitely more greedy. Being accustomed to pillage by land, they saw with envy merchantmen, richly laden, returning from Trebizond; they lay wait for, and attacked them when they thought them badly defended. The Venetians, offended at this piracy, fent an ambaffador to Mahomet, who made complaints, and offered the fultan either war or peace with the republic. Mahomet, convinced by the law of his prophet, that all was lawful that was taken from Chriftians who paid no kind of tribute, an swered the Venetians roughly, and prepared to give a good reception to this naval army, with which he was menaced.

These republicans advanced towards the Hellefpont with fifteen galleys, commanded by admiral Loredan; they proceeded as far as the entrance of the straits of Gallipoli. Thirty Turkish galleys came out, commanded by Gialibeg, the captain bafhaw. Admiral Loredan, at the head of his fifteen galleys, was fenfible of his fuperiority over the Turks by the construction of his veffels,

1

J.C. 1416, veffels, the address of his failors, and the talents

to 1419.

to 822.

Heg. 819, of the admiral and officers who commanded under him; he knew how to gain the wind, and difpose the attack in fuch manner, that the fun might dazzle the eyes of the enemy. Though powder was already invented, the use of fire arms was as yet very rare; they were but little used in the East, and even in the European armies. Clouds of arrows, well aimed, destroyed almost as many Turks, whilft the latter were unable to fee where to direct theirs in return. The boarding was almost as favorable to the Christians, as the combat at a distance had been. The Venetians killed a great many, among others, the enemy's admiral; they captured more than half their galleys; the rest were funk, or re-entered the ftraits only in a fhattered condition. Let a naval engagement be ever fo unfortunate, it rarely produces fuch fatal confequences as a battle by land. The Turkish coaft was too well guarded to admit of the Venetians' attempting to make a descent. But they received from this victory the fruit of their expectation; the fea became more free, and their commerce more certain.

The hifto. g of Perelgia.

An unexpected event prevented Mahomet from endeavouring to repair this maritime defeat. He learned, that towards the entrance of the gulf of Ionia, oppofite the ifle of Scio, a novator had begun to preach, fword in hand, and that his profelytes

profelytes were as many foldiers.

This man, J.C. 1416,

to 1419.

to 822.

who was called Percligia, prescribed a voluntary Heg. 819, poverty, the community of every kind of property,

except that of women, above all the not tolerating of Mahometanifm, and the neceffity of offering to God bloody facrifices of thofe whom he termed Blafphemers and Infidels. This pretended prophet was clothed only with a tunic; he marched at the head of feveral followers, and murdered all those whom he was unable to per- . fuade. Several Greek monks favored this hypocritical brigand, published his miracles, became his difciples, and perfecuted in his name. Their retreat was in inacceffible mountains, from whence they fpread themselves into Lydia and lonia, where they made either profelytes or martyrs. The bashaws of thefe two provinces had been repulfed at the head of the troops that they had been able to affemble. Mahomet fent against them his fon Amurath, only twelve years old, at the head of fixty thousand men, having Bajazet, the grand vizier, for his lieutenant. Though this war was fhort, it was exceffively bloody. The Mahometans found every where thefe fanatics determined to die. The entrance of the mountains was fo well defended, that the guards ftood to be killed to a man, never fleeing, nor giving, nor receiving quarter. They hoped, as well as the Muffulmen, to charm Heaven fword in hand. Not one of Percligia's disciples would

renounce