troops, of children of Christian captives, whom he caused to be educated in the Mohammedan religion. To this corps he gave the name of Mamluks, meaning, we believe, slaves. About a hundred years after the death of Saladin, the Mamluks, now a very formidable body, placed an officer of their own to rule over Egypt, and this mode of electing a chief on the demise of the one formerly chosen, continued until the year 1516, when Campson Gaurie, the last Mamluk ruler, was overcome and put to death by Selim I., and Egypt annexed to the Othoman Empire.

The Othomans, after having stripped the Christian Emperors of all their possessions in Asia, carried their conquests in Europe under Amurath I., almost to the walls of Constantinople; which was finally taken in 1459, by Mohammed II., when the last Greek Emperor, Constantine Paleologus, perished in the assault.

The Venetians, in consequence of arrangements with the Greek Emperors, had, from about the middle of the sixth century,

sought to engross the supplying of the western parts of Europe, with the productions of the East: but in the republic of Genoa they found a formidable rival to contend with, both in maritime commerce, and for superiority of naval power. The Genoese not only frequented the ports of the Mediterranean, but even some on the Euxine sea, where the Greek Emperors, in reward for services rendered by them,* al

* In assisting to recover Constantinople from the Western Christians, who had kept possession of it fiftyseven years; and also for having relieved it when blockaded by a Venetian fleet.

The Croisaders took possession of Constantinople in 1204, and kept it until the 25th of July, 1261, when it was surprised and taken by Michael Paleologus. The chiefs, or, as they named themselves, Emperors, that governed Constantinople during those fifty-seven years were, Baudouin, or Baldwin, Count of Flanders and Hainault, chosen in 1204.

His brother Henry, who succeeded him in 1206, and who was succeeded in 1216, by,

Peter de Courtenay, Count of Auvergne, who had espoused Iolanda, sister of the two former Emperors. Robert de Courtenay, son of Peter, chosen in 1218.

Baudoin

lowed them to form establishments at Asoph, Trebisond, or Trapezium, and Caffa, or Theodosia. We also find a gift made to them of the city of Smyrna,* and a grant by Andronicus Paleologus, of a piece of ground near Constantinople, on which they began to build houses and magazines,—the same spot that is now named Pera.-The decline of the Genoese power in the Adriatic and Levant may be ascribed in the first instance, and indeed principally, to the immense loss sustained by them in their unsuccessful attack on the city of Venice, in 1379; from that epoch their influence in

Baudouin, or Baldwin de Courtenay, (brother of Robert) chosen in 1228, who, after the taking of Constantinople, escaped into Italy, where he died in 1273.

The late family of Courtenay was descended from king Louis VI. surnamed Le Gros, by Peter, his seventh and youngest son, who, early in the 12th century, married Elizabeth, the eldest daughter and heiress of Renaud de Courtenay, Count of Edessa. The male line of Peter, son of Louis Le Gros, became extinct in France, in the person of Charles Roger de Courtenay, who died in 1730.

* Ann. 1261.

the Levant, and with it their commerce, declined, whilst the Venetians became in a short time the only traders for eastern commodities. And though they were threatened to be excluded from this commerce in consequence of sending succours to Constantinople, when besieged by Mohammed II.; yet, having found means to pacify the Turkish government, they seem to have been afterwards as much favoured by it, as they formerly had been by the Christian Emperors.

The discovery of the passage round the Cape of Good Hope, by Vasco de Gama, in 1497, changed the course of trade between Europe and India. The first enterprize was a voyage of discovery only; but on the 10th of February, 1502, Gama was sent back to India with a fleet of twenty vessels of different sizes, and returned to Lisbon on the 1st of September, 1503, with thirteen ships laden with different products of the east. A great part of the traffic of Indian commodities was hence transferred to Lisbon, where it continued until after

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the seizure of the kingdom of Portugal by Philip II. and the successful revolt of the people of the United Provinces against that prince. Many of the possessions that had been held in India by the Portugueze, were conquered by the Dutch, who now became the principal European settlers in India, and the chief traders with that country.It was only on the 31st of December, 1600, that Queen Elizabeth granted a Charter to George, Earl of Cumberland, and others, permitting them to trade to India, under the title of The Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to the East Indies. The first adventure was conducted by Captain James Lancaster, who sailed with four vessels in 1601; and returned in September, 1603; having performed his voyage in two years and seven months. Certain commodities continued however to be brought through Persia and Egypt into Europe, but of so little amount, as scarcely to have merited attention. The history of the commerce with India subsequent to that period, is foreign to our purpose.