Lusignanpresentedhimwithagoldsaltcellarofcuriousworkmanship,andofthepriceoftenthousandducats;andCharlestheSixthdespatchedbythewayofHungaryacastofNorwegianhawks,andsixhorse—loadsofscarletcloth,offinelinenofRheims,andofArrastapestry,representingthebattlesofthegreatAlexander。Aftermuchdelay,theeffectofdistanceratherthanofart,BajazetagreedtoacceptaransomoftwohundredthousandducatsforthecountofNeversandthesurvivingprincesandbarons:themarshalBoucicault,afamouswarrior,wasofthenumberofthefortunate;buttheadmiralofFrancehadbeenslaininbattle;andtheconstable,withtheSiredeCoucy,diedintheprisonofBoursa。Thisheavydemand,whichwasdoubledbyincidentalcosts,fellchieflyonthedukeofBurgundy,orratheronhisFlemishsubjects,whowereboundbythefeudallawstocontributefortheknighthoodandcaptivityoftheeldestsonoftheirlord。Forthefaithfuldischargeofthedebt,somemerchantsofGenoagavesecuritytotheamountoffivetimesthesum;alessontothosewarliketimes,thatcommerceandcreditarethelinksofthesocietyofnations。Ithadbeenstipulatedinthetreaty,thattheFrenchcaptivesshouldswearnevertobeararmsagainstthepersonoftheirconqueror;buttheungenerousrestraintwasabolishedbyBajazethimself。"I
despise,"saidhetotheheirofBurgundy,"thyoathsandthyarms。Thouartyoung,andmayestbeambitiousofeffacingthedisgraceormisfortuneofthyfirstchivalry。Assemblethypowers,proclaimthydesign,andbeassuredthatBajazetwillrejoicetomeettheeasecondtimeinafieldofbattle。"Beforetheirdeparture,theywereindulgedinthefreedomandhospitalityofthecourtofBoursa。TheFrenchprincesadmiredthemagnificenceoftheOttoman,whosehuntingandhawkingequipagewascomposedofseventhousandhuntsmenandseventhousandfalconers。^65Intheirpresence,andathiscommand,thebellyofoneofhischamberlainswascutopen,onacomplaintagainsthimfordrinkingthegoat'smilkofapoorwoman。Thestrangerswereastonishedbythisactofjustice;butitwasthejusticeofasultanwhodisdainstobalancetheweightofevidence,ortomeasurethedegreesofguilt。
[Footnote61:Ishouldnotcomplainofthelaborofthiswork,ifmymaterialswerealwaysderivedfromsuchbooksasthechronicleofhonestFroissard,vol。iv。c。67,72,74,79—83,85,87,89,
whoreadlittle,inquiredmuch,andbelievedall。TheoriginalMemoiresoftheMarechaldeBoucicaultPartiei。c。22—28addsomefacts,buttheyaredryanddeficient,ifcomparedwiththepleasantgarrulityofFroissard。]
[Footnote62:AnaccurateMemoirontheLifeofEnguerrandVII。,SiredeCoucy,hasbeengivenbytheBarondeZurlauben,Hist。
del'AcademiedesInscriptions,tom。xxv。HisrankandpossessionswereequallyconsiderableinFranceandEngland;and,in1375,heledanarmyofadventurersintoSwitzerland,torecoveralargepatrimonywhichheclaimedinrightofhisgrandmother,thedaughteroftheemperorAlbertI。ofAustria,Sinner,VoyagedanslaSuisseOccidentale,tom。i。p。118—124。]
[Footnote63:Thatmilitaryoffice,sorespectableatpresent,wasstillmoreconspicuouswhenitwasdividedbetweentwopersons,Daniel,Hist。delaMiliceFrancoise,tom。ii。p。5。
Oneofthese,themarshalofthecrusade,wasthefamousBoucicault,whoafterwardsdefendedConstantinople,governedGenoa,invadedthecoastofAsia,anddiedinthefieldofAzincour。]
[Footnote*:Daru,Hist。deVenice,vol。ii。p。104,makesthewholeFrencharmyamountto10,000men,ofwhom1000wereknights。ThecuriousvolumeofSchiltberger,aGermanofMunich,whowastakenprisonerinthebattle,edit。Munich,1813,andwhichV。Hammerreceivesasauthentic,givesthewholenumberat6000。SeeSchiltberger。ReiseindemOrient。andV。Hammer,note,p。610。—M。]
[Footnote*:AccordingtoShiltbergertherewereonlytwelveFrenchlordsgrantedtotheprayerofthe"dukeofBurgundy,"and"HerrStephanSynther,andJohannvonBodem。"Schiltberger,p。
13。—M。]
[Footnote64:Forthisodiousfact,theAbbedeVertotquotestheHist。AnonymedeSt。Denys,l。xvi。c。10,11。OrdredeMalthe,tom。ii。p。310。]
[Footnote!:SeeSchiltberger'sverygraphicaccountofthemassacre。HewasledouttobeslaughteredincoldbloodwiththerestftheChristianprisoners,amountingto10,000。HewassparedattheintercessionofthesonofBajazet,withafewothers,onaccountoftheirextremeyouth。Nooneunder20yearsofagewasputtodeath。The"dukeofBurgundy"wasobligedtobeaspectatorofthisbutcherywhichlastedfromearlyinthemorningtillfouro'clock,P。M。ItceasedonlyatthesupplicationoftheleadersofBajazet'sarmy。Schiltberger,p。
14。—M。]
[Footnote65:SherefeddinAliHist。deTimourBec,l。v。c。13
allowsBajazetaroundnumberof12,000officersandservantsofthechase。Apartofhisspoilswasafterwardsdisplayedinahunting—matchofTimour,l。houndswithsatinhousings;2。
leopardswithcollarssetwithjewels;3。Greciangreyhounds;and4,dogsfromEurope,asstrongasAfricanlions,idem,l。vi。c。
15。Bajazetwasparticularlyfondofflyinghishawksatcranes,Chalcondyles,l。ii。p。85。]
Afterhisenfranchisementfromanoppressiveguardian,JohnPalaeologusremainedthirty—sixyears,thehelpless,and,asitshouldseem,thecarelessspectatorofthepublicruin。^66Love,orratherlust,washisonlyvigorouspassion;andintheembracesofthewivesandvirginsofthecity,theTurkishslaveforgotthedishonoroftheemperoroftheRomansAndronicus,hiseldestson,hadformed,atAdrianople,anintimateandguiltyfriendshipwithSauzes,thesonofAmurath;andthetwoyouthsconspiredagainsttheauthorityandlivesoftheirparents。ThepresenceofAmurathinEuropesoondiscoveredanddissipatedtheirrashcounsels;and,afterdeprivingSauzesofhissight,theOttomanthreatenedhisvassalwiththetreatmentofanaccompliceandanenemy,unlessheinflictedasimilarpunishmentonhisownson。Palaeologustrembledandobeyed;andacruelprecautioninvolvedinthesamesentencethechildhoodandinnocenceofJohn,thesonofthecriminal。Buttheoperationwassomildly,orsounskilfully,performed,thattheoneretainedthesightofaneye,andtheotherwasafflictedonlywiththeinfirmityofsquinting。Thusexcludedfromthesuccession,thetwoprinceswereconfinedinthetowerofAnema;andthepietyofManuel,thesecondsonofthereigningmonarch,wasrewardedwiththegiftoftheImperialcrown。Butattheendoftwoyears,theturbulenceoftheLatinsandthelevityoftheGreeks,producedarevolution;andthetwoemperorswereburiedinthetowerfromwhencethetwoprisonerswereexaltedtothethrone。AnotherperiodoftwoyearsaffordedPalaeologusandManuelthemeansofescape:itwascontrivedbythemagicorsubtletyofamonk,whowasalternatelynamedtheangelorthedevil:theyfledtoScutari;theiradherentsarmedintheircause;andthetwoByzantinefactionsdisplayedtheambitionandanimositywithwhichCaesarandPompeyhaddisputedtheempireoftheworld。
TheRomanworldwasnowcontractedtoacornerofThrace,betweenthePropontisandtheBlackSea,aboutfiftymilesinlengthandthirtyinbreadth;aspaceofgroundnotmoreextensivethanthelesserprincipalitiesofGermanyorItaly,iftheremainsofConstantinoplehadnotstillrepresentedthewealthandpopulousnessofakingdom。Torestorethepublicpeace,itwasfoundnecessarytodividethisfragmentoftheempire;andwhilePalaeologusandManuelwereleftinpossessionofthecapital,almostallthatlaywithoutthewallswascededtotheblindprinces,whofixedtheirresidenceatRhodostoandSelybria。Inthetranquilslumberofroyalty,thepassionsofJohnPalaeologussurvivedhisreasonandhisstrength:hedeprivedhisfavoriteandheirofabloomingprincessofTrebizond;andwhilethefeebleemperorlaboredtoconsummatehisnuptials,Manuel,withahundredofthenoblestGreeks,wassentonaperemptorysummonstotheOttomanporte。TheyservedwithhonorinthewarsofBajazet;butaplanoffortifyingConstantinopleexcitedhisjealousy:hethreatenedtheirlives;thenewworkswereinstantlydemolished;andweshallbestowapraise,perhapsabovethemeritofPalaeologus,ifweimputethislasthumiliationasthecauseofhisdeath。
[Footnote66:ForthereignsofJohnPalaeologusandhissonManuel,from1354to1402,seeDucas,c。9—15,Phranza,l。i。
c。16—21,andtheistandiidbooksofChalcondyles,whosepropersubjectisdrownedinaseaofepisode。]
[Footnote*:AccordingtoVonHammeritwasthepowerofBajazet,vol。i。p。218。]
TheearliestintelligenceofthateventwascommunicatedtoManuel,whoescapedwithspeedandsecrecyfromthepalaceofBoursatotheByzantinethrone。Bajazetaffectedaproudindifferenceatthelossofthisvaluablepledge;andwhilehepursuedhisconquestsinEuropeandAsia,helefttheemperortostrugglewithhisblindcousinJohnofSelybria,who,ineightyearsofcivilwar,assertedhisrightofprimogeniture。Atlength,theambitionofthevictorioussultanpointedtotheconquestofConstantinople;buthelistenedtotheadviceofhisvizier,whorepresentedthatsuchanenterprisemightunitethepowersofChristendominasecondandmoreformidablecrusade。
Hisepistletotheemperorwasconceivedinthesewords:"Bythedivineclemency,ourinvinciblecimeterhasreducedtoourobediencealmostallAsia,withmanyandlargecountriesinEurope,exceptingonlythecityofConstantinople;forbeyondthewallsthouhastnothingleft。Resignthatcity;stipulatethyreward;ortremble,forthyselfandthyunhappypeople,attheconsequencesofarashrefusal。"Buthisambassadorswereinstructedtosoftentheirtone,andtoproposeatreaty,whichwassubscribedwithsubmissionandgratitude。Atruceoftenyearswaspurchasedbyanannualtributeofthirtythousandcrownsofgold;theGreeksdeploredthepublictolerationofthelawofMahomet,andBajazetenjoyedthegloryofestablishingaTurkishcadhi,andfoundingaroyalmosqueinthemetropolisoftheEasternchurch。^67Yetthistrucewassoonviolatedbytherestlesssultan:inthecauseoftheprinceofSelybria,thelawfulemperor,anarmyofOttomansagainthreatenedConstantinople;andthedistressofManuelimploredtheprotectionofthekingofFrance。Hisplaintiveembassyobtainedmuchpityandsomerelief;andtheconductofthesuccorwasintrustedtothemarshalBoucicault,^68whosereligiouschivalrywasinflamedbythedesireofrevenginghiscaptivityontheinfidels。Hesailedwithfourshipsofwar,fromAiguesmortestotheHellespont;forcedthepassage,whichwasguardedbyseventeenTurkishgalleys;landedatConstantinopleasupplyofsixhundredmen—at—armsandsixteenhundredarchers;andreviewedthemintheadjacentplain,withoutcondescendingtonumberorarraythemultitudeofGreeks。Byhispresence,theblockadewasraisedbothbyseaandland;theflyingsquadronsofBajazetweredriventoamorerespectfuldistance;andseveralcastlesinEuropeandAsiawerestormedbytheemperorandthemarshal,whofoughtwithequalvalorbyeachother'sside。ButtheOttomanssoonreturnedwithanincreaseofnumbers;andtheintrepidBoucicault,afterayear'sstruggle,resolvedtoevacuateacountrywhichcouldnolongeraffordeitherpayorprovisionsforhissoldiers。ThemarshalofferedtoconductManueltotheFrenchcourt,wherehemightsolicitinpersonasupplyofmenandmoney;andadvised,inthemeanwhile,that,toextinguishalldomesticdiscord,heshouldleavehisblindcompetitoronthethrone。Theproposalwasembraced:theprinceofSelybriawasintroducedtothecapital;andsuchwasthepublicmisery,thatthelotoftheexileseemedmorefortunatethanthatofthesovereign。Insteadofapplaudingthesuccessofhisvassal,theTurkishsultanclaimedthecityashisown;andontherefusaloftheemperorJohn,Constantinoplewasmorecloselypressedbythecalamitiesofwarandfamine。Againstsuchanenemyprayersandresistancewerealikeunavailing;andthesavagewouldhavedevouredhisprey,if,inthefatalmoment,hehadnotbeenoverthrownbyanothersavagestrongerthanhimself。BythevictoryofTimourorTamerlane,thefallofConstantinoplewasdelayedaboutfiftyyears;andthisimportant,thoughaccidental,servicemayjustlyintroducethelifeandcharacteroftheMogulconqueror。
[Footnote67:Cantemir,p。50—53。OftheGreeks,Ducasalonec。13,15acknowledgestheTurkishcadhiatConstantinople。
YetevenDucasdissemblesthemosque。]
[Footnote68:MemoiresdubonMessireJeanleMaingre,ditBoucicault,MarechaldeFrance,partiec。30,35。]
ChapterLXV:ElevationOfTimourOrTamerlane,AndHisDeathPartI。
ElevationOfTimourOrTamerlaneToTheThroneOfSamarcand。
—HisConquestsInPersia,Georgia,TartaryRussia,India,Syria,AndAnatolia。—HisTurkishWar。—DefeatAndCaptivityOfBajazet。—DeathOfTimour。—CivilWarOfTheSonsOfBajazet。—
RestorationOfTheTurkishMonarchyByMahometTheFirst。—SiegeOfConstantinopleByAmurathTheSecond。
TheconquestandmonarchyoftheworldwasthefirstobjectoftheambitionofTimour。Toliveinthememoryandesteemoffutureageswasthesecondwishofhismagnanimousspirit。Allthecivilandmilitarytransactionsofhisreignwerediligentlyrecordedinthejournalsofhissecretaries:^1theauthenticnarrativewasrevisedbythepersonsbestinformedofeachparticulartransaction;anditisbelievedintheempireandfamilyofTimour,thatthemonarchhimselfcomposedthecommentaries^2ofhislife,andtheinstitutions^3ofhisgovernment。^4Butthesecareswereineffectualforthepreservationofhisfame,andthesepreciousmemorialsintheMogulorPersianlanguagewereconcealedfromtheworld,or,atleast,fromtheknowledgeofEurope。Thenationswhichhevanquishedexercisedabaseandimpotentrevenge;andignorancehaslongrepeatedthetaleofcalumny,^5whichhaddisfiguredthebirthandcharacter,theperson,andeventhename,ofTamerlane。^6Yethisrealmeritwouldbeenhanced,ratherthandebased,bytheelevationofapeasanttothethroneofAsia;norcanhislamenessbeathemeofreproach,unlesshehadtheweaknesstoblushatanatural,orperhapsanhonorable,infirmity。
[Footnote1:ThesejournalswerecommunicatedtoSherefeddin,orCherefeddinAli,anativeofYezd,whocomposedinthePersianlanguageahistoryofTimourBeg,whichhasbeentranslatedintoFrenchbyM。PetitdelaCroix,Paris,1722,in4vols。12mo。,
andhasalwaysbeenmyfaithfulguide。Hisgeographyandchronologyarewonderfullyaccurate;andhemaybetrustedforpublicfacts,thoughheservilelypraisesthevirtueandfortuneofthehero。Timour'sattentiontoprocureintelligencefromhisownandforeigncountriesmaybeseenintheInstitutions,p。
215,217,349,351。]
[Footnote2:TheseCommentariesareyetunknowninEurope:butMr。WhitegivessomehopethattheymaybeimportedandtranslatedbyhisfriendMajorDavy,whohadreadintheEastthis"minuteandfaithfulnarrativeofaninterestingandeventfulperiod。"
Note:ThemanuscriptofMajorDavyhasbeentranslatedbyMajorStewart,andpublishedbytheOrientalTranslationCommitteeofLondon。ItcontainsthelifeofTimour,fromhisbirthtohisforty—firstyear;butthelastthirtyyearsofwesternwarandconquestarewanting。MajorStewartintimatesthattwomanuscriptsexistinthiscountrycontainingthewholework,butexcuseshimself,onaccountofhisage,fromundertakingthelaborioustaskofcompletingthetranslation。ItistobehopedthattheEuropeanpublicwillbesoonenabledtojudgeofthevalueandauthenticityoftheCommentariesoftheCaesaroftheEast。MajorStewart'sworkcommenceswiththeBookofDreamsandOmens—awild,butcharacteristic,chronicleofVisionsandSortesKoranicae。StrangethatalifeofTimourshouldawakenareminiscenceofthediaryofArchbishopLaud!
Theearlydawnandthegradualexpressionofhisnotlesssplendidbutmorerealvisionsofambitionaretouchedwiththesimplicityoftruthandnature。Butwelongtoescapefromthepettyfeudsofthepastoralchieftain,tothetriumphsandthelegislationoftheconqueroroftheworld—M。]
[Footnote3:Iamignorantwhethertheoriginalinstitution,intheTurkiorMogullanguage,bestillextant。ThePersicversion,withanEnglishtranslation,andmostvaluableindex,waspublishedOxford,1783,in4to。bythejointlaborsofMajorDavyandMr。White,theArabicprofessor。ThisworkhasbeensincetranslatedfromthePersicintoFrench,Paris,1787,
byM。Langles,alearnedOrientalist,whohasaddedthelifeofTimour,andmanycuriousnotes。]
[Footnote4:ShawAllum,thepresentMogul,reads,values,butcannotimitate,theinstitutionsofhisgreatancestor。TheEnglishtranslatorreliesontheirinternalevidence;butifanysuspicionsshouldariseoffraudandfiction,theywillnotbedispelledbyMajorDavy'sletter。TheOrientalshavenevercultivatedtheartofcriticism;thepatronageofaprince,lesshonorable,perhaps,isnotlesslucrativethanthatofabookseller;norcanitbedeemedincrediblethataPersian,therealauthor,shouldrenouncethecredit,toraisethevalueandprice,ofthework。]
[Footnote5:Theoriginalofthetaleisfoundinthefollowingwork,whichismuchesteemedforitsflorideleganceofstyle:
AhmedisArabsiadaeAhmedEbnArabshahVitaeetRerumgestarumTimuri。ArabiceetLatine。EdiditSamuelHenricusManger。
Franequerae,1767,2tom。in4to。ThisSyrianauthoriseveramalicious,andoftenanignorantenemy:theverytitlesofhischaptersareinjurious;ashowthewicked,ashowtheimpious,ashowtheviper,&c。ThecopiousarticleofTimur,inBibliothequeOrientale,isofamixednature,asD'Herbelotindifferentlydrawshismaterialsp。877—888fromKhondemirEbnSchounah,andtheLebtarikh。]
[Footnote6:DemirorTimoursignifiesintheTurkishlanguage,Iron;anditistheappellationofalordorprince。Bythechangeofaletteroraccent,itischangedintoLenc,orLame;
andaEuropeancorruptionconfoundsthetwowordsinthenameofTamerlane。
Note:AccordingtothememoirshewassocalledbyaShaikh,who,whenvisitedbyhismotheronhisbirth,wasreadingtheverseoftheKoran,'Areyousurethathewhodwellethinheavenwillnotcausetheearthtoswallowyouup,andbeholditshallshake,Tamurn。"TheShaikhthenstoppedandsaid,"WehavenamedyoursonTimur,"p。21。—M。]
[Footnote*:HewaslamedbyawoundatthesiegeofthecapitalofSistan。Sherefeddin,lib。iii。c。17。p。136。SeeVonHammer,vol。i。p。260。—M。]