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109 CHAPTEE VI EEIGN OF MANUEL : ENCEOACHMENTS OF TUEKS ; MANUEL VISITS WEST, SULTAN BAJAZED SUMMONED BY TIMOUE ; FEIENDLY EELATIONS BETWEEN MANUEL AND MAHOMET THE FIEST ; JOHN ASSOCIATED WITH MANUEL. SIEGE OF CONSTANTINOPLE BY MUEAD J ITS FAILUEE . EFFOETS AT UNION ; MISCONCEPTIONS IN WEST BEGAEDING G-EEEK CHUECH CONSTANCY OF ATTEMPTS AT UNION J NEGOTIATIONS FOE MEETING OF COUNCIL OF CHUECH. INTEENAL STEUGGLES IN LATIN CHUECH. EMPEEOE INVITED BY BOTH PAETIES ; ACCEPTS POPE'S INVITATION ; MEETING OF COUNCIL AT FEEEAEA AND FLOEENCE j UNION ACCOMPLISHED ; JOHN EETUENS TO CAPITAL ; DIVISIONS IN GEEEK CHUECH. Manuel was with the Turkish army at Brousa when he learned the death of his father in 1391. He escaped secretly, hastened to Constantinople, and succeeded in being pro- claimed as the sole occupant of the imperial throne. Bajazed, who had become sultan on the assassination of his father, Murad, in 1389, taken by surprise at the escape of his hostage, at once presented alarming demands. He asked that the Turks should have a resident cadi within Constanti- nople itself and that Manuel should declare himself to be the sultan's vassal and pay tribute. After a year of fruitless negotiations, which Manuel had protracted in order that he might send to the West to implore aid, Bajazed attacked the empire on every side. Within a few months Turks were pillaging the Adriatic coast, were exterminating or carrying off prisoners from Thrace, and were laying siege to the capital. Their leader before the city urged the citizens to