The Prince of India; Or, Why Constantinople Fell — Volume 02

by Lew Wallace

  CHAPTER IX

  COUNT CORTI TO MAHOMMED

  Extract:

  "God is God, and Mahomet is his Prophet! May they keep my Lord inhealth, and help him to all his heart's desires! ... It is now threedays since my eyes were gladdened by the presence of the PrincessIrene; yet I have been duteously regular in my calls at her house. Tomy inquiries, her domestic has returned the same answer: 'The Princessis in her chapel praying. She is sadly disturbed in mind, and excusesherself to every one.' Knowing this information will excite my Lord'sapprehension, I beg him to accept the explanation of her ailments whichI think most probable.... My Lord will gratify me by graciouslyreferring to the account of the special meeting in Sancta Sophia whichI had the honor to forward the evening of the day of its occurrence.The conjecture there advanced that the celebration of the Sacrament inhighest form was a stratagem of the Patriarch's looking to areconciliation of the factions, has been confirmed; and more--it hasproved a failure. Its effect has inflamed the fanaticism of the Greekparty as never before. Notaras, moved doubtless by Gennadius, inducedthem to suspect His Majesty and the Patriarch of conniving at thewonderful sermon of the monk Sergius; and, as the best rebuke in theirpower, the Brotherhood of the St. James' erected a Tribunal of Judgmentin their monastery last night, and placed the preacher on trial. Hedefended himself, and drove them to admit his points; that their Churchis not the Primitive Church of the Apostles, and that their Creed is anunwarranted enlargement of the two Articles of Faith left by JesusChrist for the salvation of the world. Yet they pronounced him anapostate and a heretic of incendiary purpose, and condemned him to theold lion in the Cynegion, Tamerlane, famous these many years as aman-eater.... My Lord should also know of the rumor in the city whichattributes the Creed of Nine Words--'I believe in God, and JesusChrist, his Son'--to the Princess Irene; and her action would seem tojustify the story. Directly the meeting in Sancta Sophia was over, shehastened to the Palace, and entreated His Majesty to save the monk fromhis brethren. My Lord may well think the Emperor disposed to grant herprayer; his feeling for her is warmer than friendship. The gossips sayhe at one time proposed marriage to her. At all events, being atender-hearted man--too tender indeed for his high position--it is easyimagining how such unparalleled beauty in tearful distress must havemoved him. Unhappily the political situation holds him as in a vice.The Church is almost solidly against him; while of the Brotherhoodsthis one of the St. James' has been his only stanch adherent. Whatshall the poor man do? If he saves the preacher, he is himself lost. Itappears now she has been brought to understand he cannot interfere.Thrown thus upon the mercy of Heaven, she has buried herself in heroratory. Oh, the full Moon of full Moons! And alas! that she shouldever be overcast by a cloud, though it be not heavier than thejust-risen morning mist. My Lord--or Allah must come quickly!

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  "O my Lord! In duty again and always!... Ali did not come yesterday. Isuppose the high winds were too unfriendly. So the despatch of thatdate remained on my hands; and I now open it, and include asupplement.... This morning as usual I rode to the Princess' door. Theservant gave me the same report--his mistress was not receiving. Itbefalls therefore that my Lord must take refuge in his work or indreams of her--and may I lay a suggestion at his feet, I advise thelatter, for truly, if the world is a garden, she is its Queen ofRoses.... For the sake of the love my Lord bears the Princess, and thelove I bear my Lord, I did not sleep last night, being haunted withthinking how I could be of service to her. What is the use of strengthand skill in arms if I cannot turn them to account in her behalf as myLord would have me?... On my way to the Princess', I was told that themonk, who is the occasion of her sorrow, his sentence being on herconscience, is to be turned in with the lion to-morrow. As I rode awayfrom her house in desperate strait, not having it in power to tell myLord anything of her, it occurred to me to go see the Cynegion, wherethe judgment is to be publicly executed. What if the Most Mercifulshould offer me an opportunity to do the unhappy Princess somethinghelpful? If I shrank from the lion, when killing it would save her agrief, my Lord would never forgive me ... . Here is a description ofthe Cynegion: The northwest wall of the city drops from the height ofBlacherne into a valley next the harbor or Golden Horn, near which itmeets the wall coming from the east. Right in the angle formed by theintersection of the walls there is a gate, low, very strong, and alwaysclosely guarded. Passing the gate, I found myself in an enclosed field,the city wall on the east, wooded hills south, and the harbor north.How far the enclosure extends up the shore of the harbor, I cannot sayexactly--possibly a half or three quarters of a mile. The surface islevel and grassy. Roads wind in and out of clumps of selectedshrubbery, with here and there an oak tree. Kiosk-looking houses,generally red painted, are frequent, some with roofs, some without.Upon examination I discovered the houses were for the keeping ofanimals and birds. In one there was an exhibition of fish and reptiles.But much the largest structure, called the Gallery, is situated nearlyin the centre of the enclosure; and it astonished me with an interiorin general arrangement like a Greek theatre, except it is entirelycircular and without a stage division. There is an arena, like a sandedfloor, apparently fifty paces in diameter, bounded by a brick walleighteen or twenty feet in height, and from the top of the wall seatsrise one above another for the accommodation of common people; whilefor the Emperor I noticed a covered stand over on the eastern side. Thewall of the arena is broken at regular intervals by doors heavilybarred, leading into chambers anciently dens for ferocious animals, butat present prisons for criminals of desperate character. There are alsoa number of gates, one under the grand stand, the others formingnorthern, southern and eastern entrances. From this, I am sure my Lordcan, if he cares to, draught the Cynegion, literally the Menagerie,comprehending the whole enclosure, and the arena in the middle of it,where the monk will to-morrow expiate his heresy. Formerly combats inthe nature of wagers of battle were appointed for the place, and beastswere pitted against each other; but now the only bloody amusementpermitted in it is when a criminal or an offender against God is givento the lion. On such occasions, they tell me, the open seats and grandstands are crowded to their utmost capacities.... If the description istedious, I hope my Lord's pardon, for besides wishing to give him anidea of the scene of the execution to-morrow, I thought to serve him inthe day he is looking forward to with so much interest, when thelocality will have to be considered with a view to military approach.In furtherance of the latter object, I beg to put my Lord in possessionof the accompanying diagram of the Cynegion, observing particularly itsrelation to the city; by attaching it to the drawings heretofore senthim, he will be enabled to make a complete map of the country adjacentto the landward wall.... Ali has just come in. As I supposed, he wasdetained by the high winds. His mullets are perfection. With them hebrings a young sword-fish yet alive. I look at the mess, and grievethat I cannot send a portion to my Lord for his breakfast. However, afew days now, and he will come to his own; the sea with its fish, andthe land and all that belongs to it. The child of destiny can afford towait."