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 332 DESTBUCTION OF THE GREEK EMPIRE During the night the defenders, and especially those between the stockade and the Inner "Wall, heard the noise of great preparations among the enemy. The emperor rode from Hagia Sophia to the palace of Blachern, which he had occupied during all the time of the siege. Phrantzes, who was in company with him, asks who could remain unmoved while the emperor during his last and short stay in the palace demanded pardon of all there present. * If a man had been made of wood or stone he must have wept over the scene.' Depression is naturally the constant note of all the narra- tives of those present in the city during May 28. The Vene- tian closes the day's entry by recording in a quaint passage that the fasting and rejoicing among the Turkish army went on until midnight, and that then the fires were extinguished, but that these pagans all day and night continued to beseech Mahomet that he would grant them victory and help them to capture this city of Constantinople ; ' while we Christians all day and night prayed God and St. Mary and all the saints in heaven and with many tears devoutly besought them that they would not grant such victory, that the besieged should not become victims of this accursed pagan,' and thus ' each side having prayed to its God, we to ours and they to theirs, the Lord Almighty with his mother in heaven decided that they must be avenged in this battle of the morrow for all the sins committed.' Emperor's Shortly after midnight of the 28th-29th the emperor, sptctkm of accompanied by Phrantzes, left the palace of Blachern on defenders. h orse back to inspect the various stations and to see that all were on the watch. The walls and towers were occupied ; the gates from the city into the Peribolos were safely closed, so that none might enter or leave. 1 When they came to Caligaria, 2 probably on their return, 1 Phrantzes, p. 280. The closing of the gates behind the soldiers is mentioned also by other writers. 2 The Caligaria Gate was the present Egri Capou. For a description of Caligaria and the neighbouring palace of Blachern see Professor van Millingen's Byzantine Constantinople, p. 128. Caligaria was the name of a district which was in the corner made by the wall running at right angles to the foss, where