HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH.

Rapid. Decline of the Eastern Empire—the Causes which immediately producedthat of its Maritime Power—its Alliance alternately courted by Timour andBajazet—rapid Progress of the Turkish Consequence—Passage up the Helles-pont refused by the Turks to all Nations—the Siege of Constantinople undertakenby Mahomet the Second—Inactivity of the Christian Powers in respect to itsRelief-—the whole Turkish Armada defeated by five Genoese and Imperial Ships—Mahomet adopts the extraordinary Resolution of conveying his Fleet overLand—Constantinople taken by Storm—subsequent Enterprises of Mahomet theSecond—his Death and Character—Wars between the Venetians and Genoese —Division of the Prizes taken at the Battle of Lepanlo—Account of the VenetianNaval Arsenal , Docks , and Bucentaure , together with the Method taken topreserve Vessels from Injury by the Weather—Decline and Fall of the VenetianNaval Power—Motives which prevented the Neapolitans from attempting toacquire Maritime Consequence—fallen Stale of the French Marine at the Con-clusion of the Fourteenth Century—Attemjit to revive its Consequence—theInvasion of England projected—Description of an enormous Vessel jiurjioselybuilt for the Expedition—its Failure—the greatest Part of the Armamentdestroyed by a Storm—no subsequent Attempt made in the same line till afterthe Accession of Henry the Seventh to the Throne of England—Naval Expe-ditions and Enterprises undertaken by the Kingdoms of Castile and Arragon —their Union under the Appellation of Spain—Maritime History of Portugal —Inactivity , or rather Quietude , of Denmark , Sweden , and Russia—Attention ofHolland , Flanders , and the Hanse Towns, to Commerce—Attempts made by theScots towards the Attainment of Maritime Consequence—Causes of the quiescentState of England in respect to Naval Affairs , from the Accession of Richardthe Second , to the Time of the Defeat and Death of Richard the Third.

r I % HE maritime power of the eastern empire had, as repeatedly stated in thepreceding chapters, been long sinking into decay and obscurity; thoughgradual in the commencement of its decline, its fate appeared, during the lateryears of the fourteenth, and even part of the succeeding century, rapidly hasten-ing towards its final exit. This epoch was brought on by a variety of causes,Vol. I. Y y among