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 Living at this time at the imperial court was a descendant of Sultan Bajazet's eldest son, who received a liberal pension for his maintenance from the Turks. The emperor requested, or rather demanded, that this allowance should be increased; and intimated that in the event of refusal he would let him leave Constantinople, and encourage him to set up a rival claim to the Turkish throne. It was almost an act of direct hostility, and one to which the new sultan, if a man of any spirit, could hardly be expected to submit. The old grand vizier of the late sultan, Khalil, who was still alive, and had a friendly feeling towards the Greeks, saw the danger. He well knew the temper of the young Mahomet, and he solemnly warned the emperor. "The scrupulous Amurath," he said to the imperial envoys, "is no more; his throne is occupied by a young conqueror whom no laws can bind and no obstacles can resist." Khalil seems to have been a just and peace-loving man, and as he gave good counsel to the emperor, so too he exerted his influence in endeavouring to dissuade the sultan from his designs against the Greek empire. Mahomet, himself, meanwhile showed no signs of wrath, but was as bland and conciliatory as ever. The emperor's envoys were dismissed with peaceful assurances and promises that Greek interests should be respected. But the sultan had seen his opportunity, and his plans were already formed. He had resolved from the first to complete his father's work, and to possess himself of Constantinople.

His first step was to put an end to the pension