The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-30 00:00:00

FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE IN 1453.

The following is a literal translation of a letter, the ori-
ginal of which is deposited, it it said, at Bruges, among
the archives of that city. It was addressed to all Christian
Princes by Isabella, Infanta of Portugal. wifeof Philip the
Good, Duke of Burgundy and Earl of Flanders, upon the
taking of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. It is dated
from Bruges, and the Belgian journal from which we take
it truly remarks, that one might believe it to have been
written at the present time, so much do the circumstances
there related bear a comparison with those which are pass-
ing in our own time.
" Prince, ornament of Christendom, and Catholic ruler, by the
Grace of God:
" The voice of a Princess brought up with the delicacy natural
to her sex, has not the nervous eloquence able to point out to the
Christian Princes the necessity of performing a service, on the which
their honour and the dignity of their august character depends.
The cause I propose to plead is that of God, and speaks for itself
to the hearts of true Christiana ; it is the defence of the Cross ; the
protection of religion is the first and only pledge of our salvation.
The barbarians of Asia, disciples of the Koran, have taken the ca-
pital of the East by assault ; their ravages shame our religion, and
their standards float over the walls of ancient Byzantium, steeped
in the blood of victims to the Christian faith. This conquest of
the great Constantine over idolatry is now the prey of the children
of stahomet, who, scimitar in hand, threaten the remainder of the
Greek empire. The beautiful country of the arts and sciences is
about to sink under the rage of the Turks and the effects of the
Koran, by a general destruction of morals and religion. The
dwelling of letters, Athena and Thebes, will remain a spectacle of
sorrow for ever; and the country of Miltiades, Aristides, and The-
, mistocles, is about to be invaded by a horde of barbarians and In-
fidels. It is not the cause of the Greeks alone; it is that of all
Christendom I humanity demands our help, and God, who came
into the world for our redemption, will aid our valour and con-
stancy against the enemies of his Gospel.
" Had 1 the eloquence of St. Paul, the constancy of St. Cathe-
rine in suffering. and the power of the Christian Kings for ven-
geance and punishment, I should be the first to make the Saracen
Crescent give way before the holy Cross of Christ ; but my sex, to
whose weakness it is only permitted to act by piety and mildness,
bounds me to forming the desire of seeing Christian heroism
struggle against the ferocity of the children of the Koran, and unit-
ing in a muss to form an impenetrable barrier round the country of
letters and arts against the doctrine of fflahomet.
" If among so many Kings and honourable Knights there should
be one who would not wish to be the first to attack the enemy, I,
in order to give him emulation, am ready, although a woman, to
show them the path to glory, for the service of God and religion,
hoping that my example will raise a blush on the cheeks of those
who hate not the courage to Imitate her who has the honour to
salute your 11 ighness.
" ISABELLA, INFANTA OF PORTUGAL,
Duchess of Burgundy, and Countess of Flanders."

We understand that, in answer to an application made
yesterday at the Custom-house, it was stated that no
order had been yet received to stop the shipment of arms
for exportation.
It is worthy of remark, that the Hero, Captain Steele,
which arrived at Liverpool on Tuesday from Bombay, had
not been heard of from the day of her sailing hence until
her arrival from the east. She has completed he: voyage
out and home in little more than nine months.

..... _
We stated a fortnight ago, that a Liverpool vessel had
remained some months under seizure, at Rio tie Janeiro,
for a slight infraction of the rigid regulations enforced at
that port. Th• last accounts from Rio state, that she had
been liberated, and that an action had lign brought to
recover compensation for the loss occasioned by her de-
tention.—Liverpoot Cue'