New-York tribune., 1903-06-28

with John. Murad was free to move upon tho
Danube. He allied himself with the Tartars
north of that river. and came tTesistibly down
upon the Serbs and Bulgars. Belgrade and
Sofia fell and at Kossovo the fate OF SerVia for
centuries to come was sealed AT the CLIMAX OK
that mighty battle a Serb with characteristics
| treachery assassinated Murad under the guiss
of performing friendly service But nothing
was gained by the substitution OF Bajazer
IIderim for Murad-
The empire might have fallen soon after KOS
sovo had it not been for great diversion OK
Baiazets interest. This caused by the on
coming Of TamerIane. Timour. The Sultan
made haste to turn away from European con-
quests to meet this new foe. but in so doing ne
met his own fate. We need not rehearse the
story of his defeat and capture at the nands OK
TamerIane, to notice with gratltuoe IldI
Mr. Pears discredits the legend OF the IRON cage
| Cirlled windows were then common, In houses
and in travelling carriages, and no doubt Il
was through a grilIed window that Bajazet
| thereafter chiefly looked out upon the world
But that he was confined in a cage, in our sense
of that term. or was treated with exceptional
severity or ignomfny there is no good reason for
| believing. What was most important was mat
in the fall of Bajazet opportunity was Of
fered for united Europe not only TO save tle
empire but to give final check to the IurAlSh
advance But Venice and Genoa were at war
| Western Europe was hopelessly divided and the
onDortunity was lost Twice thereafter there
was a gleam of hope for the empire N q
reconciliation between the warning churches, out
| twice the gleam faded and died. In 14Z9 the
Greeks were ready to accept the authority Oh
Rome. but Rome itself then DIVIDED oS
| tween two rival Popes- Ten years ldleI 49,
the Great Council, at Ferrara and theh al I Fiot
e,ca with its months of hairsplittng debate
over the Double Procession At last II seellleu
actually to have effected reunion oL '"7
churches. and solemn TIE Deums were sung
Rut the Spanish contingent aSaIn became q
marriott, making it clear that the Greeks saeri-
fee of faith would profit them nothing; where
u,on the Greeks recOnsidered the agreement
and refused to accept the "F'Ilioque cause Ii
the Creed OF course, that threw all the i'O
into the fire again, and the union OF the c"u -
was not only defeated, but was made IiiOle IiOF0
Iessly difficult than ever before
| ~Ar,uratb TO Ainurath succeeds but Wlth
| Raiazet between them In the reign Oh -"'-iS' -
were enacted some of the greatest scenes III INC
| Ione, Balkan drama. 1t was then thaI ''e0I9S
| Castriot and John COrvinu] arose pest Ai0"-''
rasnactfveIv as Scanderbeg and HunIadeS- 10
| the careers and characters of those eXtraordi-
| nary men our author does ample JustlCe' 50 i"i
| as he has to deal with them ScanderOeS "dS
| n spIa1did hero. beyond doubt But theh HI
WAS lust as surely traitor and m1FuetSI'
/ HuuiadeS a nuCh greater IIl~14ir 11OA0-N'' -
| hero of the highest and purest rank, VINO SUI
| fared defeat only through the incompetence or
| unfaitbfuIness of his suboTdinates. NeVerJhe-
| less he was invoIuntarily involved in one OF the
| most scandaIous and disastrous episodes IN an
| the dark history of the Balkan country II was
after Huniai iess first great victory mat '--S
Treaty of Szegedin was made, in 1444, between
| LadisIaus of Poland and Murad. and sworn 10
| by them, respectively. on Bible and Koran
| That treaty bound them to peace, and not 10
cross the Danube to attack each other, Tor ten
wears There is no doubt that Murad meant to
keep it faithfully, for he Immediately retired
from his throne in favor Of his son, Manomet'
then only fourteen years old But LadIsiaus'
under the urgent prOmptings of his evil genius
the Cardinal I.egate Julian Cesarini, ruthlesSIy
broke it. Julian argued that Murad had not Iul-
filed his obligations under the treaty. that
LadisIaus had had no right to make such a
treaty with an infideI was not binding. and that
the Pope would absOlve Ladislaus from al
blame in violating it, and the sin. If any there
was would be visited upon the head of Julian
instead Of Ladislaus. There was ROW an oppor-
tunity he added. of taking the Turks unaware
and crushing them forever. So Ladislaus was
led into committing one of the most immoral
foolish and dlsgraceful acts in history for
which his own lie was speedily forfeited
For Murad hurried back from his retirement
/ 81 . FEl UNVrrE