Middletown transcript., 1895-06-15

On one side were the Symple
glades, the rocks which Jason feared
on the other the temple to Jupiter tt
which mariners, entering the Euxine
came to offer their vows and pray fol
fair winds; and seated one day OH the
green sward the old man told us the
ST iory of Darius the Great and that t;
this same spot he came to view the
scene on which we looked and q few
miles below he built his bridge, and
led across an army of 700, 900 men; and
to this same spot Xenophon led his
famed retreat of the 10000.
With letters of introduction to
Greeks high in rank, we soon gained
entrance to the places of the Greeks
and to the palaces and gardens of the
Emperor Constantine and grew to love
this brave, kindly man, the last of the
illustrious race which had welded the
Greek sceptre for so many centuries.
The Greeks were so weakened by lux.
ury and indulgence, so effeminate, Sc
listless that call to arms met with NO
reply save shrug of the shoulders;
torn as they were by civil strife, by
religious wars, halting, idling and over
confident, the Greek Constantine held
it not in his power to gather up the
broken and twisted strands of the rope
of his dominion and weave it into a
strong and enduring chain.
"Could another and stonger man
have done it?" l question myself
vainly as 1 do penance for my traitor
GUS mission, and know not if "Yea''
or MAY" be the true reply to this
question.
Summoned one day to the palace of
the Emperor to meet a stranger, an
Italian Of high rank whom he chose to
honor, Haroun, my comrade, and L,
met the strange fate that was to turn
the tide Of my years from the swift
rolling wave of ambition and battle to
the gray penitential walls of this con.
vent cell. Stealthily to lie in ambush,
to fight bravely, to fence skilfully, this
had been my daily bread. The warrior
of the "Flower of the Sultan's Army"
left the palace of Constantine a lover
with hopes and fears.
The cQurtly Genoese, the honored
guest, had brought to the Emperor's
court his fair daughter Blanca, a
niece Sylvia and the companion whose
name is forgotten.
By the beard of the Prophet swear
that no man ever yet loved a woman
for the beauty of her face, nayl nor
ever loved her at all with a love of
whose purity a monk In his cell may
think sane as she stood to him for an
IDEAL of good and sweetness which the
Being who created him fashioned and
liked in his innermost soul.
Our sears tell US of the lines fate
has drawn on our palms. We of the
Janissaries spoke oft of faith that
mans hair tells us of the fibre of his
'oul. This italian maiden was we'll
high crowned by the coils of fair hair
hat wave as an aure0le about her
lead, and she was beautiful with the
,race that endureth. Nanght but my
memory can tell me of her dark eyes
hat had in their shadowy depths the
lndoubting faith of child, and too,
ii the spirit and bravery of woman
lood, but my memory of that sweet
presence is clear and undimmed. 1
danced often at my.fair neighbor as
We sat at the feast, and when she rose,
gaZed in sheer wonder at her lissome
race, her exquisite poise of head and |
md shoulder, and the rare charm of |
Ter movements, either as the spring of |
he p panther, swaying and graceful as a |
ose on its stalk. Eagerly waited |
or the moments when there was
nance to speak with her and the
Sweet Waters of Asia" never gave
orth sweeter murmur than her clear |
'oice. Gentle and womanly, yet there |
vas life and vivacity in her movements |
S she greeted the Emperor and his |
riends. Never until tonight had I |
bought Of myself save as the servant |
f the Sultan but l knew tonight the |
ode of the Janissaries could hold me |
q its iron clasp no longer, and the !
ands of my life's dial were set anew,
he stars had a new light, the waves
ang a new melody and this dim flower
cented garden was vibrant with |
cstasy; as we strolled through the |
ardens this sweet vine that frames my
window tonight blew across my path
nd the Italian maiden broke a spray
rom it. The chance meetings during
he months that followed, with this
entle lady, I treasure in memory as
he miser boards his gold.
Meanwhile, kept busy with the COM
hands of the Sultan, we were studying
he defenses of the city and its many
overs and citidels. Mahomet Ii
the strength of these fortif-
ations had spent years in preparation
or the forging Of the cannons that
7ere to be used in this attack, whose
SO decided the fate of the imperial
ity.
The Turks and Greeks had, until
be accession of this monarch, been on
arms Of seeming friendship, but when
Iahomet, lad, ascended the throne,
Constantine trusted too much to the
outh of the boy and openly deied
i'm. Mahomet at once began active
reparation for this long delayed siege
Z C0nstantinople. Whan the cannons