The First Seven Sultans of the Ottoman Dynasty [pp. 42-64]

OF THE OTTOMAN DYNASTY.
retiring Tartars, and with great ability extended his influence
over all the surrounding country. He was surnamed "Cheleby,"
"'the gentleman," from his personal appearance, and graceful
and pleasing address.
Isa came out from the fastnesses of Olympus, and began
to restore the burned and ravaged and desolate city and plain
of Broosa. Mousa, after his father's death, was honorably retored to liberty. He made court to the Greek Emperor inorder
to find a "point dc'appui" against his jealous brothers. Isa was
overthrown by lMohamnmed, and fled again to the mountains.
He disappeared among the mountains of Karamania, and his
— fate, like that of his brother Moustapha, is unknown.
MIousa, with the aid of the Greeks, formied a party against his
eldest brother, Suleiman, who had many noble qualities, but
whose drunkenness and debauchery proved his ruin. After long
and bloody struggles he fled from Adrianople, besieged by
MIousa. As he passed through a village, five brothers joined his
flight, intending to act as a guard. He distrusted them, and
sent an arrow to the heart of one, then of another. The three
enraged survivors killed him and cut off his head; for which
not only they but all their village were burned alive by the vTictorious MIousa. He then began to chastise the rebellious vassals, and finally laid siege to Constantinople itself, for having so
weakly endeavored to compass his ruin. This was the third
regular siege of the Byzantine capital by the Sultans of this
dynasty.
Mohammed passed over from Asia, and raised the siege. He
feared his brother Mousa, but not the Greek Emperor. Mousa,
becoming in his misfortunes still more cruel and barbarous, the
brutality of his nature predominating over all better traits, was
finally abandoned by all his partisans. Losing his right hand
in his last conflict, he fled into Wallachia, where, according so
some, he was strangled; according to others he perished in a
morass.
Mohammed now reigned alone, the sole representative of the
bloody house of Yilderim. He is generally regarded by Ottoman historians as the direct successor of Bajazid, and the ten
years of contest are regarded as an interregnum of confusion
and blood.
He was readily acknowledged by all the Qsmanlee Turks as
18741.]
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