Chapter III: Book XVII: A.d. 1453-1481

CRUSADES AGAINST THE TURKS.

Consternation among the Christian states at the
fall of Constantinople.—Philip, duke of Burgundy,
assembles his nobility at Lille—Curious festival
held by—Enthusiasm in favour of a crusade against
the Turks—Bishop Sylvius, John Capistran, Frederick
III. of Germany, and Pope Calixtus III. endeavour
to stir up the crusade—The Turks penetrate into
Hungary—Valour of Hunniades—They are defeated
at Belgrade—An alarming comet—Bishop Sylvius
elected Pope—Extended conquests of Mahomet II.—He
subdues Greece—The Pope convokes an assembly at
Mantua to urge on the crusade—His negociations
with Mahomet—Bosnia conquered—Pius II. engages
personally in the crusade, reaches Ancona, and
dies—Scanderberg defeats the Turks—Mahomet II.
swears to annihilate Christianity—The king of
Persia marches against the Turks, and his army
is destroyed—Cardinal Caraffa commands a fleet
of Crusaders—Satalia and Smyrna pillaged by the
Christian forces—Possessions of the Venetians and
Genoese captured by the Turks—Jacques Cœur—Cyprus
subjected to the Mussulmans—Taken possession of by
the Turks—Rhodes bravely defended by the knights
of St. John—The Turks invade Hungary and different
parts of Europe simultaneously—Defeated by Corvinus,
king of Hungary—Otranto captured by the Turks, and
afterwards abandoned—Pope Sextus IV. implores the
aid of Christian Europe against the Turks—Distracted
state of Italy—Death of Mahomet II., and divisions
in his family—Zizim disputes the Turkish empire with
Bajazet, and visits Europe—Charles VIII. of Naples,
engages in a crusade against the Turks—Alphonso II.
of Arragon—Italy invaded, and Rome possessed by the
French—Andrew Palæologus sells his claims to the
empire of the East—Death of Zizim—-Bajazet declares
war against Venice—Negotiates a treaty—Undertakes
an expedition against Portugal—Commercial ambition
of Venice—Diet at Augsburgh—Helian’s speech
against the Venetians—Council of Lateran convoked
by Julius II.—Bajazet II. dethroned, and succeeded
by Selim—Disorders of Christendom—Selim conquers
the king of Persia and the sultan of Egypt—Palestine
and all the rival powers of the East under the
domination of the Turks—Exertions of Leo X. for
reviving a crusade against them—Vida, the Italian
poet—Novagero’s eulogies on Leo X.—Cultivation
of Greek in Italy—Great preparations for the new
crusade—Eloquence of Sadoletus, and letters of Francis
I. in its favour—Sale of indulgences—Quarrels of
the Augustines and the Dominicans—Preaching of
Luther against indulgences—Soliman succeeds to the
Ottoman empire—Belgrade and Rhodes captured by the
Turks—The knights of St. John expelled from Rhodes,
and transferred to Malta—Francis I. made prisoner
at the battle of Pavia—The Hungarians defeated
by the Turks, and Louis II. slain—Clement VII.
imprisoned by Charles V.—Religious distractions of
Europe—Vienna besieged by the Turks—Hungary enters
into a treaty of peace—Policy of Henry VIII., of
Francis I., and of Charles V.—The Barbary states taken
under the protection of the Ottoman Porte—Preaching
of Luther—Heroic defence of Malta—Death of
Soliman, and accession of Selim—Capture of
Cyprus—The Turks signally defeated at the naval
battle of Lepanto—Universal rejoicings throughout
Christendom—General spread of civilization in
Europe—Brilliant age of Leo X.—The military power
of the Turks begins to decline—Defeated by Sobieski
before the walls of Vienna—Causes and history of
their decline—The Moors driven from Spain—State
of Christendom in Europe, and progress of the
Reformation—Ignatius Loyola—Pilgrimages to the Holy
Land—A spirit of resignation assumes the place of
enthusiasm for the crusades pp. 159-250.

BOOK XVIII.—A.D. 1571-1685.

Reflections on the state of Europe, on the various
classes of society, and on the progress of navigation,
industry, arts, and general knowledge during and after
the crusades pp. 251-348.