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108 DESTEUCTION OP THE GEEEK EMPIEE First battle and Lazarus succeeded in making alliances with his Christian jfoi C i38°9™ neighbours which promised success. In 1389, with a large army of his own subjects, of Hungarians, Wallachs, Dalma- tians, and Albanians, he once more endeavoured to crush the common enemy. A decisive battle was fought on the Plain of Black Birds or Cossovo-pol, in what is now called Old Serbia. 1 Murad and his son Bajazed were in command. The Christians broke the right wing of the Turks, but the issue of the battle was turned by the daring of Bajazed. Lazarus and his suite were taken prisoners, and the triumph of the enemy was complete. The latest historian of Serbia observes that as the battle on the Maritza in 1371 sealed the fate of the Eastern Bulgarians and of the Serbians in Macedonia, so did this battle of Cossovo-pol in 1389 deter- mine that of the Northern Serbians and the Western Bulgarians. 2 Assassina- During or immediately after the battle, there followed a Murai dramatic incident. A young Serb ran towards the Turkish army, and when they would have stopped him declared that he wanted to see their sultan in order that he might show him how he could profit by the fight. Murad signed to him to come near, and the young fellow did so, drew a dagger which he had hidden, and plunged it into the heart of the sultan. He was at once cut down by the guards. 3 The Serbians, according to Ducas, did not know of the sultan's death for a considerable time, and did not defend themselves with their usual courage. Lazarus was captured, and was hewn in pieces. 1 Cossovo-pol. the Plain of Blackbirds, is between Pristina and Prisrend, to the north-east of Uskub. The town of Cossovo is due south of Prisrend, and about thirty miles distant. 2 Novacovich, p. 335. ' Gleichwie durch den Krieg an der Maritza das Sehicksal Ost-Bulgariens und der serbischen Staaten in Macedonien, ebenso ist durch die Schlacht aus Kossovopolje, den 15. Juni 1389, das Sehicksal der nordlichen serbischen Lander und des westlichen Bulgarien entschieden worden, namentlich der Lander des Fiirsten Lazar und Buk Brancovic's.' 3 Sad-ud-din. See also Halil Ganem's Les Sultans Ottomans, Paris, 1901, Upon the assassination of Murad the custom grew up, which continued till about 1820, of not allowing any Christian belonging to a foreign state to enter the presence of the sultan except with Janissaries holding each arm.