THE DECLINE AND FALL

m

CHAP.

LXVIII.

Mahomettransportshis navyover land.

maintained a Christian fortress in the heart ofthe Ottoman empire . Yet this was the sole andfeeble attempt for the deliverance of Constan-tinople : the more distant powers were insensi-ble of its danger; and the ambassador of Hun-gary, oratleastof Huniades, resided in the Tur-kish camp, to remove the fears, and to directthe operations, of the sultan.*

It was difficult for the Greeks to penetrate thesecret of the divan; yet the Greeks are persuad-ed, that a resistance, so obstinate and surprising,had fatigued the perseverance of Mahomet. Hebegan to meditate a retreat, and the siege wouldhave been speedily raised, if the ambition andjealousy of the second vizir had not opposed theperfidious advice of Calil Bashaw, who stillmaintained a secret correspondence with theByzantine court. The reduction of the city ap-peared to be hopeless, unless a double attackcould be made from the harbour as well as fromthe land; but the harbour was inaccessible; animpenetrable chain was now defended by eightlarge ships, more than twenty of a smaller size,with several gallies and sloops; and, instead offorcing this barrier, the Turks might apprehenda naval sally, and a second encounter in the opensea. In this perplexity, the genius of Mahometconceived and executed a plan of a bold and mar-vellous cast, of transporting by land his lightervessels and military stores from the Bosphorus

• Ducas, who confesses himself ill-informed of the affairs of Hun-gary, assigns a motive of superstition, a fatal belief that Constantin-ople would be the term of the Turkish conquests. See Phranza (l. iii,c. 20) and Spondamnu