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Now it is wonderfully remarkable, that the first conqueft mentioned in history, of the Othmans over the Chriftians, was in the year of the Hegira 680, and the year of Chrift 1281. For Ortogrul in that year (according to the accurate Historian Saadi) crowned his victories with the conqueft of the famous city of Kutahi upon the Grecks.' Compute 391 years from that time [according to established prophetic calculation] and they will terminate in the year 1672 and in that year, as it was hinted before, Mohammed the fourth took Cameniec from the Poles; and forty-eight towns and villages in the territory of Cameniec were delivered up' to the Sultan upon the treaty of peace, Whereupon Prince Cantemir hath made this memorable reflection, This was the laft victory by which any advantage accrued to the Othman state; or any city or province was annexed to the ancient bounds of the empire.' Agreeably to which observation, he hath intitled the former part of his hiftory, Of the growth of the Othman Empire, and the following part, Of the decay of the Othman Empire. Other wars and flaughters, as he fays, have enfued. The Turks even befieged Vienna in 1683; but this exceeding

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the bounds of their commiffion, they were defeated. Belgrade and other places may have been taken from them, and furrendered to them again: but still they have subdued no new state or potentate of Chriftendom now for the space of between 80 and 90 years; and in all probability they never may again, their empire appearing rather to decrease than increase. Here then the Prophecy and the event agree exactly in the period of 391 years; and if more accurate and authentic hiftories of the Othmans were brought to light, and we knew the very day wherein Kutahi was taken, as certainly as we know that wherein Cameniec was taken, the like exactness might also be found in the 15 days. But though the time be limited for the Othmans flaying the third part of men, yet no time is fixed for the duration of their empire; only this fecond woe will end, when the third woe, or the deftruction of the beast, shall be at hand "."

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And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand, or

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Newton, vol. iii. p. 116, &c.-See the fecond Introductory Chapter.

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A. D. 1038.

as the words may be tranflated more literally, two myriads of myriads." It was the custom of the Tartarian tribes to count their forces by myriads; and Gibbon, fpeaking of the Turkish cavalry, adopts this mode of computation. The Hiftorian, defcribing the peculiar manners and customs of their ancestors, fays, their wandering life maintains the fpirit and exercise of arms; they fight on horfeback. The Sultan Mahmud inquired of a chief of the race of Seljuk, who dwelt in the territory of Bochara, what supply of men he could furnish for military fervice. If you fend, replied Ifmael, one of these arrows into our camp, fifty thoufand of your fervants will mount on horfeback. And if that number, continued Mahmud, fhould not be fufficient? Send this fecond arrow to the horde of Balik, and you will find fifty thousand more. But, faid the Sultan, if I fhould ftand in need of your whole kindred tribes? Difpatch my bow, was the last reply of Ifmael, and as it is circulated around, the fummons will be obeyed by two hundred thousand horse,

• Gibbon, c. 57.

P Gibbon, c. 57, p. 650.

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1071.

of victory were placed in the arrows of the Turkish cavalry, whofe fquadrons were loosely diftributed in the form of a crefcent'. At the laft fiege of Conftantinople in the numerous army of Turks, which confifted of two hundred and fifty-eight thousand men, there were, according to an hiftorian quoted by Gibbon, only fifteen thousand Janizaries, troops which are known to be the principal infantry of the Ottomans;-fo that if an allowance be made for forty thousand foot, collected together under other denominations, there will remain for the number of the army of the horsemen on this fingle occafion, literally twenty myriads, or two hundred thousands."

Thofe that fat upon the borfes had breaft plates of fire, and of jacinet, and brimstone.

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"The Timariots, or Horfemen holding lands by ferving in the wars, are the ftrength of the Turkish government; and thefe, as Heylin affirms, are in all accounted between feven and eight hundred thousand fighting men: fome fay that they are a million; and befides these, there are Spahis and other horfemen in the Emperor's pay." Newton, vol. iii, p. 121.

The colour of fire is red, of hyacinth, or jacinct, blue, and of brimftone yellow: and this, as Daubuz observes, hath a literal accomplishment; for the Othmans, from the first time of their appearance, have affected to wear such warlike apparel of scarlet, blue, and yellow. Of the Spahis particularly, fome have red, and some have yellow ftandards, and others red or yellow, mixed with other colours. In appearance too the beads of their horfes were as the heads of lions, to denote their ftrength, courage, and fiercenefs.

The fire, fmoke, and brimftone, which are reprefented as iffuing out of the mouths of the borfes, immediately fuggeft the idea of gunpowder, which was not invented till this trumpet founded another wo to "the third part of men. men." The Turks not only ufed fire-arms in their military expeditions, but fuch cannon as were of a moft enormous fize. To this fact the hiftorian bears ample teftimony in the following paffages. Among the implements of deftruction Mahomet II. ftudied with peculiar care, the recent and tremendous difcovery of the

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t Newton, vol. iii. p. 121.

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