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“ the prophet, we shall speedily become masters chap.“ of Constantinople .” To sound the disposi-^*'^ 111 ’tion of his soldiers, he often wandered throughthe streets alone, and in disguise; and it wasfatal to discover the sultan, when he wished toescape from the vulgar eye. His hours werespent in delineating the plan of the hostile city;in debating with his generals and engineers onwhat spot he should erect his batteries; on whichside he should assault the walls; where heshould spring his mines; to what place heshould apply his scaling-ladders: and the exer-cises of the day repeated aud proved the lucu-brations of the night.

Among the implements of destruction, he stu- The greatdied with peculiar care the recent and tremen-do us discovery of the Latins; and his artillerysurpassed whatever had yet appeared in theworld. A founder of cannon, a Dane or Hunga-rian , who had been almost starved in theGreek ser-vice, deserted to the Moslems , and was liberallyentertained by the Turkish sultan. Mahometwas satisfied with the auswer to his first ques-tion, which he eagerly pressed on the artist.

“ Am I able to cast a cannon capable of throw-“ ing a ball or stone of sufficient size to batter“ the walls of Constantinople ?” “ I am not ig-

“ norant of their strength ; but were they more“ solid than those of Babylon, I could oppose“ an engine of superior power: the position and“ management of that engine must be left to your“ engineers.” On this assurance, a founderywas established at Adrianople ; the metal was

VOE. XII. o