162 DESTRUCTION OF THE GEEEK EMPIEE Elated by Ladislaus and of the cardinal legate, Julian Cesarini, who christians, had accompanied Hunyadi on the campaign just described, and who figures as the evil genius of Ladislaus until his death, it was broken by the Christians. History furnishes few examples of equally bad faith. All the evidence goes to prove that the Turks intended to respect the treaty. The sultan, indeed, had taken the opportunity of abdicating and of formally handing over the government to his son, Mahomet, a boy fourteen years old, and had already retired to Brousa with the intention of going on to Magnesia, to live in peace and quietness. Murad wanted rest. Even when he was seen by La Brocquiere, probably in 1436, he was ' already very fat.' A short, thick-set man with a broad brown face, high cheek- bones, a large and hooked nose, he looked, says the same writer, like a Tartar — that is, like a Mongol. Voluptuous in the worst Turkish sense of the word, he also loved wine and banished a believer who dared to reprove him for drinking it. ' He is thought,' adds La Brocquiere, ' not to love war, and this opinion seems to me well founded.' 1 Just about this time also he lost his eldest son, Aladdin, to whom he was much attached, and was overcome with grief. Hence his determination to get rid of the cares of government. The opportunity to the Christians seemed tempting. News had arrived that a powerful fleet of seventy ships had appeared in the Bosporus, ten triremes having been sent by the pope and ten others at his request by Latin princes. The duke of Burgundy and a French cardinal had arrived at Constantinople to urge John to join in a Christian league. The cities of Thrace were undefended by the Turks, and the fleets, it was believed, could prevent Murad with his army from crossing into Europe. The only obstacle to vigorous and successful action was the newly signed treaty. Pretexts were found that Ladislaus had had no right to by George of Serbia of the renewal of war and again took the government into his own hands ' at the beginning of summer, when the dog-days were com- mencing.' Ducas, xxxii. 1 Early Travels, pp. 346-347.
