Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1828-04-25
Friday .1pr;l 25, 1925

he land, from Gaata TO the seven towers, were il
Illuminated by the blaze of their nocturnal fires.
. In the confusion of darkness, an assalant NAV
sometimes succeed; but in this great and general
attack, the military Judgment and astrological know
led5e OF Mahonet advised him to expect the MORN
ing, the memorable twentynInth OF May, in the
fourteen hundred and fifty -hrd year of the Christi
an era. The preceding night had been srenuously
employed; the troops, the cannon, and the lascines
|yere advanced to the edge OF the ditch. which in
many parts presented smooth and level passage to
ne beach and his tourscore galleys almost touch
Ied with the brows and their scaling ladders the
Tess deensible wall of the harbour. At day break
without the customary signal of the morning gun,
The Turks assaulted the city by sea and land ; and
The similitude ola twisted thread has been applied to
he closeness and continuity of their attack. The
Foremost ranks consisted of the refuse of the host
\ voluntary crowd, who fought without order or
command, of age or childhood, of peasants and vag-
ants and fall who had joined the camp in the blind
hope Of plumber and martyrdom.-The common i'm
,uIse drove them EDWARDS to the wall the most
|ludacous to climb were instantly perclpitated and
pot DART not bull let of the Christians was idly
wasted on the accumulated throng But their strength
and ammunition was exhausted in this Iaborious de-
fence the ditch was filled with dead bodies they
the foot steps of their companions and
ofths devoted vanguard their death was more serv-
iceable than their life. Under their respective
bashaws and sanjaks, the troops of Anatola and Ro
mania were successfully led to the charge their
progress was various and doubtful but after con-
lict of two hours, the Greeks still maintained and
improved their advantage; and the voice of the en-
peror was heard encouraging his soldiers to achieve
by last effort, the deliverance of their country
In that fatal moment, the Janizaries arose. fresh
and vigorous and nylncbe. The sultan himself OF
horseback, with an iron mace in his hand, was the
spectator and Judge of their valor he surround
ed by ten thousand of his own domestic troops,
whom he reserved for the decisive occasion and
the tide of battle was directed and impeed by his
voice and eye. His numerous ministers of justice
posted behind the line, to urge, to restrain and
to punish and if danger in front, shame and
inevitable death were in the rear, of the ugitives.
The cries of fears and Of pain drowned in the
martial music ofdrums, trumpets, and attahas and
experience has proved, that the mechanical opera
ton of sounds, by quickening the circulation OF the
blood and spirits will act on the human machine
orcibly than the eloquence OF reason and hon.
or.-From the lines, the galleys and the bridge, the
Ottoman artillery Numbered on all sides and the
camp and the city, the Creeks and the Turks, were
involved in a cloud Of smoke, which could only be
dispelled by the final deverance OF destruction Of
the Roman empire.
"The defence began to slacken when the attack
of the Ottoman was fifty, perhaps an hundred
times superior to that of the Christians the double
walls were reduced by the cannon to heap o
ruins in circuit of several miles, some places
must be found more easy OF access more teebly
guarded; and, if the besiegers could penetrate
single point, the whole city was rrecoverably lost
! The first who deserved the Sultans reward wa
Hassan the january, ofggantc stature and strength
i With his scymetar in one hand, and his bucker il
the other, he assembled the outward forthcation Q
the thirty anizaries who were emulous Of his volou
eighteen persisted in the bold adventure HassaI
f and his twelve companions had reached the sun,
nit, the giant was precipitated from the rampant
he rose on one knee, and was again opposed by
: shower of darts and stones. But his success ha
proved that the achievement was possible, the wall
d and towers were instantly covered with swarm {
d Turks and the Greeks, now driven from the val
IS tage ground, were overwhelmed by increasing mu
5, ttudes. Amidst these muttudes, the empero
who accomplished all the duties of general and
in soldier, was long seen and finally lost The noble
who fought round his person. sustained to their la
n breath the honorable names of Paleologus and Ca
I'd tacuzene his mournful exclamation was heart
ID Cannot there be found Christian to cut off n
l. head '-and his last tears that of falling ali1
he into the hands Of the infdes. The prudent de
he pair of Constantine cast away the purple; amidst Il
IS tumult he fell by an unknown hand, and his boz
" was buried under a mountain of slain Alter
in death, resistance and order were no more t
gd Greeks fled towards the city, and many were pre-
of sed and stihed in the pass of the gate OF
n Romanus. The victorious Turks rushed throu
r. the breaches of the inner wall and as they adva
u.s. ced into the streets they soon joined by thu
of brethren, who had forced the gate Phenar on t
as side of the harbor. In the first heat OF their pr
nd suit about two thousand Christians were put to Il
e. sword but avarce soon prevailed over cruet
he and the victors acknowledged that they should il
~ mediately have given quarter, if the valour of
e emperor and his chosen bands had not prepar
n them for similar opposition in every part of
,st capital 1t was thus, after siege ofitythree da,
n that Censtantinople, which had defed the power
o. Chosroes, the Chagan, and the caliphs, was irr
ks trievably subdued by the arms of Mahomct the