"Mon. Is he well shipped? Cas. His bark is stoutly timbered, and his pilot Within. Cas. A sail! a sail! What noise? Fourth Gent. The town is empty: on the brow o'th' hill Othello. "THEN, my lords," said Constantine, as a council of war had assembled in the Great Audience Hall of the Palace, "that powder has failed." my "It has as good as failed, sire," said the Great Logothete. "At bastion they have not fired more than twenty or thirty shots this morning-and now I have absolutely none at all." "It is not quite so bad with me," said Justiniani; "but I do not think I have five barrels left-and we are so exposed at S. Romanus's Tower, that we can hardly hope to beat them off without fire-arms." "For me," said Phranza, "we did some execution early in the morning at the Adrianople bastion-but we have been forced to be idle all the forenoon, for we are reduced to a barrel and a half." "It is strange beyond admiration what can have happened to the fleet," said Constantine :- "sometimes I begin to fear that it is cut off altogether: certain it is that, if it be not, De Rushton could never have reached it,― he would have made the attempt at all risks.” "If we are thus idle another day, sir," said Justiniani, "the Infidels will try a general assault: it is only the good service of our cannon that has kept them off hitherto." "The wind is perfectly fair for their arrival," said Lucas Notaras. "I have marked it especially; last week it was principally east and north-east, so that they would have been pretty well wind-bound, then we had a day or two of perfect calm-but yesterday the wind shifted to the south-west, and to-day there is a steady gale from that quarter." "The watchman has orders to report half-hourly: but the message has ever been the same," said the Protovestiare. 66 “Ay,” replied the Emperor: "and the question now is, whether to risk another adventurer. It is ten days since we despatched the Great Acolyth: he might have had ample time to return-to say nothing of the chance that the fleet might sail before his arrival." "What is the precise number of men that we expect?" inquired the Curopalata. "Each of the Genoese vessels," replied Justiniani, "is to bring two hundred men at arms; and a hundred barrels of gunpowder. Then there will be a good cargo of wheat, barley, rye, wine, oil, and cheese." "The Imperial vessel's cargo," said the Emperor, "must depend on its good fortune among the Islands,-but I look for more provisions and fewer men in her, than in the rest." At this moment, one of the guards approached the Emperor, saying, "May it please your Majesty, the watchman on S. Michael's Tower thinks that he can make out some vessels to sea-but whether our fleet or not, he dare not say." "Follow me, my lords,-let us see for ourselves." And led by Constantine, the whole party passed along one of the corridors of the Palace, till they reached the foot of the Tower in question, and began to ascend the winding staircase. : And a magnificent view it was that presented itself to them when they stood on the balcony. The city, squares, domes, fountains, gardens, streets,-stretched at their feet like a map the Golden Horn winding along like a silver river, under its walls,-the fair houses and rich gardens of Galata beyond, to the north-east,-the innumerable parties of Turks, in the trenches under the walls, in dark squares, in long lines, the tents, the banners, and cavalry, the single horseman hurrying across the plain on some message the advance of a solitary body of infantry,-here and there a white wreath of smoke, followed by the boom of a cannon-huge machines of destruction, stretching out their long thin arms, as if bearing witness, like gaunt preachers, of the impending ruin of the city: beyond all this again blue hills and green plains, stretching on and on and on, till limited at last by the dark ridge of the Balkan. Seaward, the eye ranged over the enormous mass of S. Sophia, over the black vessels that thronged the Bosporus, on to the cypress groves of Chalcedon, the long narrow strait, the interminable Pontus, and the lovely hills of Mysia and Bithynia. But not one eye lingered on any part of this wonderful landscape eastward: every face was instantly turned, with intense and protracted gaze, down the Sea of Marmora, to where Cyzicus and Proconnesus seemed to touch the European shore, and to shut out further view. "What do you make out, Theophylact ?" inquired the Emperor, hurriedly. "I thought," said the watchman, "may it please your Splendour, that some ten minutes ago I made out sailsbut the sun comes so strong from the south-west that I know not whether I saw sooth or not. There, your Highness-you see the dome of the Panaghia of Hope ?" "I see it," said Constantine. "Bear a little to the right-not so much as to S. Theodore, your Highness is too far: and you see one tall house, by itself." "Yes," said the Emperor. "Straight over that, your Majesty, if I see them at all, -there it is." The whole party shaded their eyes from the sun, and gazed in the direction pointed out. Phranza and Notaras, now elderly men, soon gave up the task: the Emperor, after a few minutes' perfect silence, said,-" I can see something, but it may be a white house at Proconnesus." "I doubt, sire, I doubt," said Justiniani. "How shows it to you ?" asked the Curopalata of the watchman-" larger at the top, or at the bottom ?" "At the top, my lord, if I see right." "So it does to me," said the nobleman. "That looks not like a house," observed the Emperor. "But half an hour will set us beyond doubt." "There is one man in Constantinople," said Theophy lact, "that has a sharper sight than I have-if your Majesty thought fit, he might be summoned." "What is his name ?" inquired Constantine. "He is a lieutenant in the Varangians, sire, and his name is Contari." “I know the man," cried the Emperor: "let him be called here instantly." And a guard went off with all expedition to fetch him. While the party were waiting in eager expectation of his arrival, a cloud passed over the sun; and then the whole line of coast showed so clear, so unbroken, as it embosomed the Propontis, that even the most sanguine believed the hopes they had been entertaining to have no foundation. In about twenty minutes Contari had arrived. "Lieutenant Contari," said the Emperor, "we hear that you have an excellent sight. Look westward, and if you can make aught out.” see Contari looked steadfastly for about a minute, and then said decidedly, "Yes, sire ;—there are two great ships in sight." "GOD be praised! GOD be praised!" cried Constantine." But only two ?" "Only two, sire, on this side Proconnesus, at least, as yet." "I see them, I see them," said Theophylact, presently, sure enough. But look, lieutenant-there yonder by the shore under yon hill, that must be another!" "Yes, yes, there are three! there are three!" cried Contari joyfully:-and now the foremost two of the squadron were clearly and distinctly visible. "Let a procession be instantly made for their good passage," ," said the Emperor. "Let the Archbishop of Chalcedon-nay, he is indisposed-let the Bishop of Rhodosto take his place. We will join it ourselves. Where shall we see the passage best, Lord Phranza ?" |
