ButhehadimbibedfromhisninthyearthedoctrinesoftheKoran；hewasignorantoftheGospel；thereligionofasoldierisdeterminedbyauthorityandhabit；norisiteasytoconceivewhatnewilluminationattheageofforty^38couldbepouredintohissoul。Hismotiveswouldbelessexposedtothesuspicionofinterestorrevenge，hadhebrokenhischainfromthemomentthathewassensibleofitsweight:butalongoblivionhadsurelyimpairedhisoriginalright；andeveryyearofobedienceandrewardhadcementedthemutualbondofthesultanandhissubject。IfScanderbeghadlongharboredthebeliefofChristianityandtheintentionofrevolt，aworthymindmustcondemnthebasedissimulation，thatcouldserveonlytobetray，thatcouldpromiseonlytobeforsworn，thatcouldactivelyjoininthetemporalandspiritualperditionofsomanythousandsofhisunhappybrethren。ShallwepraiseasecretcorrespondencewithHuniades，whilehecommandedthevanguardoftheTurkisharmy?shallweexcusethedesertionofhisstandard，atreacherousdesertionwhichabandonedthevictorytotheenemiesofhisbenefactor?Intheconfusionofadefeat，theeyeofScanderbegwasfixedontheReisEffendiorprincipalsecretary:withthedaggerathisbreast，heextortedafirmanorpatentforthegovernmentofAlbania；andthemurderoftheguiltlessscribeandhistrainpreventedtheconsequencesofanimmediatediscovery。Withsomeboldcompanions，towhomhehadrevealedhisdesignheescapedinthenight，byrapidmarches，fromthefieldorbattletohispaternalmountains。ThegatesofCroyawereopenedtotheroyalmandate；andnosoonerdidhecommandthefortress，thanGeorgeCastriotdroppedthemaskofdissimulation；abjuredtheprophetandthesultan，andproclaimedhimselftheavengerofhisfamilyandcountry。Thenamesofreligionandlibertyprovokedageneralrevolt:theAlbanians，amartialrace，wereunanimoustoliveanddiewiththeirhereditaryprince；andtheOttomangarrisonswereindulgedinthechoiceofmartyrdomorbaptism。IntheassemblyofthestatesofEpirus，ScanderbegwaselectedgeneraloftheTurkishwar；andeachofthealliesengagedtofurnishhisrespectiveproportionofmenandmoney。Fromthesecontributions，fromhispatrimonialestate，andfromthevaluablesalt—pitsofSelina，hedrewanannualrevenueoftwohundredthousandducats；^39andtheentiresum，exemptfromthedemandsofluxury，wasstrictlyappropriatedtothepublicuse。Hismannerswerepopular；buthisdisciplinewassevere；andeverysuperfluousvicewasbanishedfromhiscamp:hisexamplestrengthenedhiscommand；andunderhisconduct，theAlbanianswereinvincibleintheirownopinionandthatoftheirenemies。ThebravestadventurersofFranceandGermanywerealluredbyhisfameandretainedinhisservice:hisstandingmilitiaconsistedofeightthousandhorseandseventhousandfoot；thehorsesweresmall，themenwereactive；butheviewedwithadiscerningeyethedifficultiesandresourcesofthemountains；and，attheblazeofthebeacons，thewholenationwasdistributedinthestrongestposts。WithsuchunequalarmsScanderbegresistedtwenty—threeyearsthepowersoftheOttomanempire；andtwoconquerors，AmuraththeSecond，andhisgreaterson，wererepeatedlybaffledbyarebel，whomtheypursuedwithseemingcontemptandimplacableresentment。AttheheadofsixtythousandhorseandfortythousandJanizaries，AmurathenteredAlbania:hemightravagetheopencountry，occupythedefencelesstowns，convertthechurchesintomosques，circumcisetheChristianyouths，andpunishwithdeathhisadultandobstinatecaptives:buttheconquestsofthesultanwereconfinedtothepettyfortressofSfetigrade；andthegarrison，invincibletohisarms，wasoppressedbyapaltryartificeandasuperstitiousscruple。^40AmurathretiredwithshameandlossfromthewallsofCroya，thecastleandresidenceoftheCastriots；themarch，thesiege，theretreat，wereharassedbyavexatious，andalmostinvisible，adversary；^41andthedisappointmentmighttendtoimbitter，perhapstoshorten，thelastdaysofthesultan。^42Inthefulnessofconquest，MahomettheSecondstillfeltathisbosomthisdomesticthorn:hislieutenantswerepermittedtonegotiateatruce；andtheAlbanianprincemayjustlybepraisedasafirmandablechampionofhisnationalindependence。TheenthusiasmofchivalryandreligionhasrankedhimwiththenamesofAlexanderandPyrrhus；norwouldtheyblushtoacknowledgetheirintrepidcountryman:buthisnarrowdominion，andslenderpowers，mustleavehimatanhumbledistancebelowtheheroesofantiquity，whotriumphedovertheEastandtheRomanlegions。
Hissplendidachievements，thebashawswhomheencountered，thearmiesthathediscomfited，andthethreethousandTurkswhowereslainbyhissinglehand，mustbeweighedinthescalesofsuspiciouscriticism。Againstanilliterateenemy，andinthedarksolitudeofEpirus，hispartialbiographersmaysafelyindulgethelatitudeofromance:buttheirfictionsareexposedbythelightofItalianhistory；andtheyaffordastrongpresumptionagainsttheirowntruth，byafabuloustaleofhisexploits，whenhepassedtheAdriaticwitheighthundredhorsetothesuccorofthekingofNaples。^43Withoutdisparagementtohisfame，theymighthaveowned，thathewasfinallyoppressedbytheOttomanpowers:inhisextremedangerheappliedtoPopePiustheSecondforarefugeintheecclesiasticalstate；andhisresourceswerealmostexhausted，sinceScanderbegdiedafugitiveatLissus，ontheVenetianterritory。^44HissepulchrewassoonviolatedbytheTurkishconquerors；buttheJanizaries，whoworehisbonesenchasedinabracelet，declaredbythissuperstitiousamulettheirinvoluntaryreverenceforhisvalor。Theinstantruinofhiscountrymayredoundtothehero\'sglory；yet，hadhebalancedtheconsequencesofsubmissionandresistance，apatriotperhapswouldhavedeclinedtheunequalcontestwhichmustdependonthelifeandgeniusofoneman。Scanderbegmightindeedbesupportedbytherational，thoughfallacious，hope，thatthepope，thekingofNaples，andtheVenetianrepublic，wouldjoininthedefenceofafreeandChristianpeople，whoguardedthesea—coastoftheAdriatic，andthenarrowpassagefromGreecetoItaly。Hisinfantsonwassavedfromthenationalshipwreck；theCastriots^45wereinvestedwithaNeapolitandukedom，andtheirbloodcontinuestoflowinthenoblestfamiliesoftherealm。A
colonyofAlbanianfugitivesobtainedasettlementinCalabria，andtheypreserveatthisdaythelanguageandmannersoftheirancestors。^46
[Footnote35:TheyarerankedbySirWilliamTemple，inhispleasingEssayonHeroicVirtue，Works，vol。iii。p。385，amongthesevenchiefswhohavedeservedwithoutwearing，aroyalcrown；Belisarius，Narses，GonsalvoofCordova，WilliamfirstprinceofOrange，AlexanderdukeofParma，JohnHuniades，andGeorgeCastriot，orScanderbeg。]
[Footnote36:IcouldwishforsomesimpleauthenticmemoirsofafriendofScanderbeg，whichwouldintroducemetotheman，thetime，andtheplace。IntheoldandnationalhistoryofMarinusBarletius，apriestofScodra，deVita。Moribus，etRebusgestisGeorgiiCastrioti，&c。librixiii。p。367。Argentorat。1537，infol。，hisgaudyandcumbersomsrobesarestuckwithmanyfalsejewels。SeelikewiseChalcondyles，lvii。p。185，l。viii。p。