184

THE DECLINE AND FALL

chap, labouring to be forgotten, their ambassadors pur-

.'^sued his camp, to demand the payment, and

even the increase, of their annual stipend: thedivan was importuned by their complaints, andthe vizir, a secret friend of the Christians, wasconstrained to deliver the sense of his brethren.“ Ye foolish and miserable Romans,” said Ca-lil, “ we know your devices, and ye are igno-“ rant of your own danger! the scrupulous Amu-“ rath is no more; his throne is occupied by a“ young conqueror, whom no laws can hind, and“ no obstacles can resist; and if you escape from“ his hands, give praise to the divine clemency,“ which yet delays the chastisement of your“ sins. Why do ye seek to affright us by vain“ and indirect menaces? Release the fugitive“ Orchan, crown him sultan of Romania ; call“ the Hungarians from beyond the Danube ; arm“ against us the nations of the West; and be“ assured that you will only provoke and pre-“ cipitate your ruin.” But if the fears of theambassadors were alarmed by the stern lan -guage of the vizir, they were soothed by thecourteous audience and friendly speeches of theOttoman prince; and Mahomet assured themthat, on his return to Adrianople , he would re-dress the grievances, and consult the true in-

from an epistle of cardinal Isidore (in Ferragine Rernm Tnrcicarum,ad calcem Ckalcocondyl. Clauseri, Basil, 1556) to pope Nicholas V. ,and a tract of Theodosius Zygomala, which he addressed in the year1581 to Martin Crusius (Turco Graecia, 1. i, p. 74-98. Basil , 1584),The various facts and materials are briefly, though critically, reviewedby Spondauus A. u. 1453, No. 1-27). The hearsay relations of Mon.* strelet and the distant Latins, I shall take leave to disregard.