OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

and some Byzantine nobles, basely withdrewfrom the danger of their country; and the ava-rice of the rich denied the emperor, and reservedfor the Turks , the secret treasures which mighthave raised in their defence whole armies of mer-cenaries.* The indigent and solitary prince pre-pared however to sustain his formidable adver-sary; but if his courage were equal to the peril,his strength was inadequate to the contest. Inthe beginning of the spring, the Turkish van-guard swept the towns and villages as far as thegates of Constantinople : submission was sparedand protected; whatever presumed to resist wasexterminated with fire and sword. The Greekplaces on the Black sea , Mesembria, Acheloum,and Bizon, surrendered on the first summons;Selybria alone deserved the honours of a siegeor blockade; and the bold inhabitants, whilethey were invested by land, launched their boats,pillaged the opposite coast of Cyzicus , and soldtheir captives in the public market. But on theapproach of Mahomet himself all was silent andprostrate: he first halted at the distance of fivemiles; and from thence advancing in battlearray, planted before the gate of St. Romanusthe imperial standard; and, on the sixth day ofApril, formed the memorable siege of Constan-tinople .

* Antonin, in Proem.—F.pist. Cardinal. Isidor. apud Spondanum;and Dr. Johnson , in tlic tragedy of Irene, lias happily seized this cha-racteristic circumstance.

The groaning Greeks dig up the golden caverns,

The accumulated wealth of hoarding ages;

That wealth which, granted to their weeping prince,

Had rang’d embattled nations at their gatts.

197

CHAP.

LXVIII.