THE DECLINE AND FALL

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chap, banner of their veteran leader, the janizarieslxaii. f 0U2 .j,^ anf j conquered: but lie withdrew fromthe field of Warna, again to pray, to fast, and toturn round with his Magnesian brethren. Thesepious occupations were again interrupted by thedanger of the state. A victorious army dis-dained the inexperience of their youthful ruler:the city of Adrianople was abandoned to rapineand slaughter; and the unanimous divan im-plored his presence to appease the tumult, andprevent the rebellion, of the janizaries. At thewell-known voice of their master, they trembledand obeyed; and the reluctant sultan was com-pelled to support his splendid servitude, till, atthe end of four years, he was relieved by the an-gel of death. Age or disease, misfortune or ca-price, have tempted several princes to descendfrom the throne; and they have had leisure torepent of their irretrievable step. But Amurathalone, in the full liberty of choice, after the trialof empire and solitude, has repeated his prefer-ence of a private life.

Engenius After the departure of his Greek brethren, Eu-league geniushad not been unmindful of their temporalthe Turks, interest; and his tender regard for the Byzantine a.d. 1443. ein pi re was animated by a just apprehension ofthe Turks, who approached, and might soon in-vade, the borders of Italy . But the spirit of thecrusades had expired ; and the coldness of theFranks was not less unreasonable than theirheadlong passion. In the eleventh century, afanatic monk could precipitate Europe on Asia for the recovery of the holy sepulchre; but inthe fifteenth, the most pressing motives of reli-