86

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAPLX VI.

Hisprivate

motives.

pressure by urging the duty of inquiry, the obli-gation of collecting the sense of his patriarchsand bishops, and the impossibility of conveningthem at a time when the Turkish arms were atthe gates of his capital. From a review of thepublic transactions, it will appear that the Greeksinsisted on three successive measures, a succour,a council, and a final re-union, while the Latinseluded the second, and only promised the first,as a consequential and voluntary reward of thethird. But we have an opportunity of unfoldingthe most secret intentions of Manuel, as he ex-plained them in a private conversation, withoutartifice or disguise. Tn his declining age theemperor had associated John Palaeologus, thesecond of the name, and the eldest of his sons,on whom he devolved the greatest part of the au-thority and weight of government. One day, inthe presence only of the historian Phranza, h hisfavourite chamberlain, he opened to his col-league and successor the true principle of hisnegociations with the pope. 1 “ Our last re-“ source,” said Manuel, “ against the Turks is

11 From his early youth, George Phranza, or Phranzes, was employedin the service of the state and palate; and Hanckius (de Script.Byzant. p. i, c. 40) has collected his life from his own writings. Hewas no more than four-and-twenty years of age at the death of Manuel,who recommended him in the strongest terms to his successor: Impri-mis vero huiic Phranzen tibi commendo, qui ministravit mihi fideliteret diligentcr (Phranzes, 1. ii, c. 1) Yet the emperor John was cold,and he preferred the service of the despots of Peloponnesus .

* See Phranzes, 1. ii, c. 13. While so many manuscripts of theGreek original are extant in the libraries of Rome , Milan, the Escu-rial, &c. it is a matter of shame and reproach, that we should be re-duced to the Latin version, or abstract, of James Pontanus ad ealeemTheophylact. Symocattae (Ingolstadt , 1001), so deficient in accuracyand elegance (Fabric. Bibliot. Graic. tom. vi, p. 015-020).