HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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spirit of emulation throughout the whole nation. A variety of inferior expe-ditions took place, all of which proved equally successful in proportion to theirmagnitude and extent. That however under Mathuvias maintained its pre-eminence, as being the most formidable. Encouraged by the uninterruptedtide of good fortune, which had carried his operations into the most prosperouscurrent, he resolved, by one bold attempt, to make himself, if possible, completeand undisputed master of the eastern, or Constantinopolitan empire. Thismeasure he attempted to carry into effect, by no less an enterprise than anattack on the metropolis itself. To this end he constructed, and collected toge-ther a very formidable naval force at Tripoli, in Syria, the success of whichwould probably have proved decisive as to the fate of Constans, had not thebravery of two persons put a sudden, and very unexpected stop to the w’holeenterprize.

These were two brothers, who though Christians, and naturally consideredas mortal enemies by the Saracens, were nevertheless, contrary to the usualpolicy of states when at war with each other, permitted to enjoy their liberty.In consequence of this oversight, they were enabled to break open the prisonwhich was at that time crowded with captives made by Mathuvias in the courseof the conquests, and victories he had before obtained. The release of theseunhappy persons, whose condition was rendered desperate by the peculiarsituation in which they stood, and to whom no alternative appeared left butthat of death, or victory, caused the immediate destruction of the whole fleet,which, after having killed the commander, with others who ineffectuallyattempted to oppose them, they set fire to, and completely destroyed, withthe exception of one vessel, reserved for the purpose of making their escape,which they were fortunate enough to effect. The Saracen, however, wasnot so easily to be diverted from an undertaking which he appeared to con-sider as certain of success. Having used a degree of expedition almost in-credible in the equipment of a second armament, no less formidable than thefirst, he sailed to tne coast of Lycia, where he fell in with, and engaged theimperial fleet, commanded by Constans in person. After a conflict less obsti-nately disputed than most of those which had preceded, the fortune of Mathu-vias prevailed, and nothing but the civil feuds which continually arise amongall people under the dominion of many independent chieftains, could in allprobability have prevented the eastern diadem from falling completely into the

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