18 ti

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.LX VIII.

“ tinople is measured by her walls. Have you“ forgot the distress to which my father was re-“ duced, when you formed a league with the“Hungarians ; when they invaded our country“ by land, and the Hellespont was occupied by“ the French gallies? Amurath was compelled“ to force the passage of the Bosphorus ; and“ your strength was not equal to your malevo-“ leuce. I was then a child at Adrianople ; the“ Moslems trembled; and, for a while, theg-a-“ hours n insulted our disgrace. But when my“ father had triumphed in the field of Warna , he“ vowed to erect a fort on the western shore, and“ that vow it is my duty to accomplish. Have“ ye the right, have ye the power, to controul“ my actions on my own ground? For that“ ground is my own: as far as the shores of the“ Bosphorus, Asia is inhabited by the Turks, and“ Europe is deserted by the Romans. Return,“ and inform your king, that the present Otto-“ man is far different from his predecessors; that“ his resolutions surpass their wishes; and that“ he performs more than they could resolve. Re-“ turn in safety—but the next who delivers a“ similar message may expect to be flayed alive.”After this declaration, Constantine, the first of

• Tbe opprobrious name which the Turks bestow on the infidels isexpressed KaCwp by Ducas, and giaour by Letmclavius and the moderns.The former term is derived by Ducauge. (Gloss. Grate, tom. i, p. 530)from K<t(tv(ar, in vulgar Greek, a tortoise as denoting a retrograde mo-tion from the faith. But, alas! gabour is no more than gheber, whichwas transferred from the Persian to the Turkish language, from theworshippers of fire to those of the crucifix (d'Herbelot, Bibliot. Orientp. 376).