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

OF THE OTTOM3AN DYNASTY.
servants and slaves for mere fancied offences. In the spring of
1453, he gathered up his forces from Europe and Asia, 250,000
strong, besides an uncounted host of camp followers. He outnumbered the forces of the Greek Emperor, twenty to one. For
fifty-one days the storm of war beat upon the devoted city with
unremitied fury. The mightiest artillery the world had then
seen thundered against its walls. Mines were sunk to sap their
foundations. Movable towers of battering ra,ins rose on every
side. All that was new and all that was old in the art of war
united in this decisive struggle. The attacks by sea were nmiserable failures. The Greeks knocked in pieces the Turkish vessels like egg-shells. It gave rise to the saying among the Moslemns that Allah had given the dominion of the seas to the unbelievers, and of the land to the followers of the prophet. The
beleaguered heroes within, undaunted by the fearful odds against
them, repelled every assault, countermined every mine, and killed
the delvers; and compelled Mohammed himself to express surpirise and admirationl at their achievements. The Sultan, finding
it impossible to break through the barriers at the mouth of the
Golden Horn, or to appear with a ship upon the Marmora, resoi'ted to a novel expedient, with eminent success.
He constructed a plank road from Beshiktash up to the summit of the hill and thence down into the Golden Horn at Cassmi
Pasha. Covering the road with grease, he made his soldiers drag
over it seventy small vessels (lBiremues) in the night, and planking them over, lashed by fives or sixes together, he filled the
port with these formidable gun-boats, which the Greeks made
bold but fruitless efforts to destroy with greek fire.
On the 29th of May, 1453, the final assault was made, the city
was taken, the last of the I'aleologi fell with his face to the foe,
and his capital was given up for three days to pillage and lust.
Every church was sacked, every house was entered, and its in.mates led away into slavery. The fleet that could not face the
enemy on the sea was loaded to the water's edge with booty
and captives to be carried away to Asiatic homes. On the
fourth day, Mohammed made his triumphal entry in state, with
all the dignitaries of his court; the cross was dismounted from
St. Sophia, and replaced by the Crescent; the pavement cleansed
from blood, and the Muezzin's cry, "Allah il Allah," "God is
God, and Mohammed is his prophet," resounded from its towers.
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1874.]