LXV.

bers and companies of the Janizaries, and severely trained CHA P. in the military or domeftic difcipline of the order. The youths most confpicuous for birth, talents, and beauty, were admitted into the inferior clafs of Agiamoglans, or the more liberal rank of Ichoglans, of whom the former were attached to the palace, and the latter to the person of the prince. In four fucceffive schools, under the rod of the white eunuchs, the arts of horsemanship and of darting the javelin were their daily exercife, while thofe of a more studious cast applied themselves to the study of the Koran, and the knowledge of the Arabic and Perfian tongues. As they advanced in feniority and merit, they were gradually dismissed to military, civil, and even ecclefiaftical employments: the longer their ftay, the higher was their expectation; till, at a mature period, they were admitted into the number of the forty agas, who stood before the fultan, and were promoted by his choice to the government of provinces and the first honours of the em pire (88). Such a mode of inftitution was admirably adapted to the form and fpirit of a defpotic monarchy. The ministers and generals were, in the ftricteft fenfe, the flaves of the emperor, to whofe bounty they were indebted for their inftruction and fupport. When they left the feraglio, and fuffered their beards to grow as the fymbol of enfranchifement, they found themselves in an important office, without faction or friendship, without parents and without heirs, dependent on the hand which had raised them from the duft, and which, on the flighest displeasure, could break in pieces these statues of glass, as they are aptly termed by the Turkish proverb (89). In the flow and painful steps of education, their character and talents were unfolded to a difcerning eye: the man, naked and alone, was reduced to the standard of his perfonal merit; and, if the fovereign. had wisdom to chufe, he poffeffed a pure and boundless liberty of choice. The Ottoman candidates were trained by the virtues of abftinence to those of action; by the habits of

(88) This sketch of the Turkish education and difcipline, is chiefly borrowed from Rycaut's State of the Ottoman Empire, the Stato Militare del' Imperio Ottomanno of Count Marfigli (in Haya, 1732, in folio), and a Defcription of the Seraglio, approved by Mr. Greaves himself, a curious traveller, and inferted in the fecond volume of his works.

(89) From the feries of cxv vizirs till the fiege of Vienna (Marfigli, p. 13.), their place may be valued at three years and a half purchase.

LXV.

CHA P. of fubmiffion to thofe of command. A fimilar fpirit was diffufed among the troops; and their filence and fobriety, their patience and modefty, have extorted the reluctant praife of their Chriftian enemies (90). Nor can the victory appear doubtful, if we compare the difcipline and exercife of the Janizaries with the pride of birth, the independence of chivalry, the ignorance of the new levies, the mutinous temper of the veterans, and the vices of intemperance and diforder, which fo long contaminated the armies of Europe.

Invention

gunpow

der.

The only hope of falvation for the Greek empire and and ufe of the adjacent kingdoms, would have been fome more powerful weapon, fome discovery in the art of war, that fhould give them a decifive fuperiority over their Turkish foes, Such a weapon was in their hands; fuch a difcovery had been made in the critical moment of their fate. The chymifts of China or Europe had found, by cafual or elaborate experiments, that a mixture of faltpetre, fulphur, and charcoal, produces, with a fpark of fire, a tremendous explofion. It was foon obferved, that if the expanfive force were compreffed in a strong tube, a ball of ftone or iron. might be expelled with irresistible and deftructive velocity. The precife æra of the invention and application of gunpowder (91) is involved in doubtful traditions and equivocal language; yet we may clearly difcern, that it was known before the middle of the fourteenth century; and that before the end of the fame, the ufe of artillery in battles and fieges, by fea and land, was familiar to the ftates of Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and England (92). The priority of nations is of fmall account; none could derive any exclufive benefit from their previous or fuperior knowledge; and in the common improvement they stood

on

(90) See the entertaining and judicious letters of Bufbequius. (9.) The 1ft and 2d volumes of Dr. Watfon's Chernical Effays, contain two valuable difcourfes on the discovery and compofition of gunpowder. (92) On this subject, modern teftimonies cannot be trufted. The original pailages are collected by Ducange (Gloff. Latin. tom. i. p. 675. Bombarda). But in the early doubtful twilight, the name, found, fire, and effect, that feem to exprefs cur artillery, may be fairly interpreted of the old engines. and the Greek fire. For the English cannon at Crecy, the authority of John Villani (Chron. 1. xii. c. 65.), muft be weighed against the filence of Froiffard. Yet Muratori (Antiquit. Italiæ medii Ævi, tom. ii. Differt. xxvi. p. 514, 515.) has produced a decifive paffage from Petrarch (de Remediis utriufque Fortune Dialog.), who, before the year 1344, execrates this terref trial thunder, super rara, nune communis.

on the fame level of relative power and military fcience. CHA P. Nor was it poffible to circumfcribe the fecret within the LXV. pale of the church; it was disclosed to the Turks by the treachery of apoftates and the selfish policy of rivals; and the fultans had fenfe to adopt, and wealth to reward, the talents of a Chriftian engineer. The Genoefe, who tranfported Amurath into Europe, must be accused as his preceptors; and it was probably by their hands that his cannon was caft and directed at the fiege of Conftantinople (93). The first attempt was indeed unsuccessful; but in the general warfare of the age, the advantage was on their fide, who were moft commonly the affailants; for a while the proportion of the attack and defence was suspended; and this thundering artillery was pointed against the walls and towers which had been erected only to refift the lefs potent engines of antiquity. By the Venetians, the ufe of gunpowder was communicated without reproach to the fultans of Egypt and Perfia, their allies against the Ottoman power; the secret was foon propagated to the extremities of Afia; and the advantage of the European was confined to his eafy victories over the favages of the new world. If we contrast the rapid progress of this mifchievous difcovery with the flow and laborious advances of reafon, fcience, and the arts of peace, a philofopher, according to his temper, will laugh or weep at the folly of mankind.

С НА Р.

(93) The Turkish cannon, which Ducas (c. 30.) first introduces before Belgrade (A. D.436), is mentioned by Chalcondyles (1. v. p. 123.) in 1422, at the siege of Conftantinople.

LXVI.

the younger

C H A P. LXVI.

Applications of the Eaftern Emperors to the Popes.-Vifits to the Weft, of John the First, Manuel, and John the Second, Palæologus.-- Union of the Greek and Latin Churches, promoted by the Council of Bafil, and concluded at Ferrara and Florence.-State of Literature at Conftantinople.-Its Revival in Italy by the Greek Fugitives.-Curiosity and Emulation of the Latins.

CHAP.IN the four last centuries of the Greek emperors, their friendly or hoftile afpect towards the pope and the Latins, Embaffy of may be obferved as the thermometer of their profperity or Andronicus diftrefs; as the scale of the rise and fall of the Barbarian dyto pope Be- nafties. When the Turks of the house of Seljuk pervaded nedict XII. Afia and theatened Conftantinople, we have feen at the A.D. 1339 council of Placentia, the fuppliant ambaffadors of Alexius,

imploring the protection of the common father of the Chriftians. No fooner had the arms of the French pil grims removed the fultan from Nice to Iconium, than the Greek princes refumed, or avowed, their genuine hatred and contempt for the fchifmatics of the Weft, which precipitated the first downfal of their empire. The date of the Mogul invafion is marked in the foft and charitable language of John Vataces. After the recovery of Conftan tinople, the throne of the first Palæologus was encompaffed by foreign and domestic enemies as long as the sword of Charles was fufpended over his head, he bafely courted the favour of the Roman pontiff; and facrificed to the prefent danger, his faith, his virtue, and the affection of his fubjects. On the deceafe of Michael, the prince and people afferted the independence of their church and the purity of their creed: the elder Andronicus neither feared nor loved the Latins; in his last diftrefs, pride was the fafeguard of fuperftition, nor could he decently retract in his age the firm and orthodox declarations of his youth. His grandfon, the younger Andronicus, was lefs

a flave

LXVI.

crufade and

union.

a flave in his temper and fituation; and the conqueft of C HA P. Bithynia by the Turks, admonifhed him to feek a temporal and fpiritual alliance with the western princes. After a feparation and filence of fifty years, a fecret agent, the monk Barlaam, was dispatched to pope Benedict the twelfth; and his artful inftructions appear to have been drawn by the master-hand of the great domestic (1). "Most holy father," was he commiffioned to fay, "the The argu"emperor is not lefs defirous than yourself of an union ments for a "between the two churches: but in this delicate tranfac"tion, he is obliged to respect his own dignity and the "prejudices of his fubjects. The ways of union are two"fold; force, and perfuafion. Of force, the inefficacy "has been already tried; fince the Latins have fubdued "the empire, without fubduing the minds of the Greeks. "The method of perfuafion, though flow, is fure and "permanent. A deputation of thirty or forty of our di"rectors would probably agree with thofe of the Vatican, "in the love of truth and the unity of belief: but on their return, what would be the ufe, the recompense of "fuch agreement? the fcorn of their brethren, and the "reproaches of a blind and obstinate nation. Yet the na"tion is accustomed to reverence the general councils, "which have fixed the articles of our faith; and if they "reprobate the decrees of Lyons, it is because the Eaftern "churches were neither heard nor reprefented in that ar"bitrary meeting. For this falutary end, it will be expe"dient, and even neceffary, that a well chofen legate

fhould be fent into Greece, to convene the patriarchs of "Conftantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerufalem; "and, with their aid, to prepare a free and universal "fynod. But at this moment," continued the fubtle agent, "the empire is affaulted and endangered by the "Turks, who have occupied four of the greatest cities of

Anatolia. The Chriftian inhabitants have expreffed a "wifh of returning to their allegiance and religion; but "the forces and revenues of the emperor are infufficient

"for

(1) This curious illustration was transcribed (I believe) from the Vatican archives, by Odoricus Raynaldus, in his continuation of the Annals of Baronius (Romæ, 1646–1677, in x volumes in folio). I have contented myself with the abbé Fleury (Hift. Eccléfiaftique, tom. xx. p. 1-8.), whose abstracts I have always found to be clear, accurate, and impartial.