When men are weary and discourse their thoughts perversely wander through the mind's gloomiest caverns. The defenders recalled the ancient prophecies that Constantinople, founded by a Constantine, would fall during the reign of a Constantine. They remembered the earth tremors and the unusually severe storms that shook the city only a few months ago. Now the swift Venetian brigantine returned from its mission with the news that it had searched through the Aegean islands and sighted not a sail, not even a rumor, of a relief armada en route from the West. It now seemed that Constantinople could depend only on the aid of God.

There was another prophecy warning that the city would fall under a waxing moon. As though to presage this event, on the night of May 24th there was a full moon that was blotted out for three hours by an eclipse. The next day, in an appeal to the Mother of God, the holiest icon of the city was brought out of its church and carried on the shoulders of the supplicating faithful through the streets. The entire populace - even every man who could be spared from the walls - joined this solemn procession.

Suddenly the icon toppled off its stand. For several minutes the horrified believers seemed unable to restore it. Then as the dispirited procession continued a thunderstorm struck. Rain poured down so hard the streets became torrents ' Some children were swept away. The people were forced to flee to shelter. The next day the city was blanketed in fog - an unheard of phenomenon in. May - and that night an eerie illumination glowed over the great dome of the Church of the Holy Wisdom.

The strange luminescence was also seen from the Turkish camp where it caused consternation until the muezzins assured the troops this was a sign that the light of the True Faith would soon shine from that church.

Again the emperor's counselors implored him to flee the city. Constantine was so weary that during this discussion he fell asleep. But nothing would sway him - he would remain with his people to the end.

Neither was there satisfaction in the Turkish camp. After seven weeks of weary siege, Constantinople still stood free. Vizier Halil and his clique of influential ministers were already discussing the advisability of abandoning the siege. The Turks had received reliable reports that a relief fleet had sailed from Venice - the fleet was even rumored to be now only a few days' sail from the city. Besides that there was always the danger that the Hungarians would suddenly surge across the Danube to attack the besiegers in the rear. An Hungarian mission had already come to inform the Sultan the, their treaty of non-belligerence was no longer binding. Moreover the morale of the troops had never been poorer. It now began to seem that the only men in the camp still favoring a prolongation) of the Siege were the Sultan and his own close circle of advisers.

Mohammed's thoughts during those days can only be assumed, but there were certain salient facts that he must have mulled over. He was an unpopular, unproven leader who had already been criticized for his misjudgment and inability to maintain discipline. Could he afford a failure? What would be his fate if he had to face an army of 80,000 disgruntled men? The Ottomans would gain little by the fall of Constantinople, but Mohammed needed this victory to fortify his personal power.

On May 25th the Sultan initiated the course of action he had planned. He sent an envoy to the city offering once again to spare Constantinople if it surrendered. Constantine clutched at this straw and dispatched an emissary back to the Sultan to hear the terms, and when these were to hand he summoned his council. It was decided that the huge annual tribute Mohammed demanded was far in excess of what the city could pay. Some councilors urged Constantine to agree to gain time, but the majority felt that Mohammed would easily see through such a ruse. An alternative was for all the citizens to abandon the city with their possessions. This was unthinkable. Constantine sent back a compromise offer - he would surrender all his own personal possessions, except the city. The Sultan replied that the Greeks must choose between surrender, death, or conversion to Islam. Thus the negotiations broke down.

Having established his credentials as a reasonable, merciful man, the next day Mohammed summoned his own council to the red and gold tent. After the councilors heard how Mohammed had failed to end the siege by negotiation, Vizier Halil rose to his feet. He boldly demanded the siege be abandoned at once. He urged the Sultan to offer acceptable terms to the Greeks. He stressed the urgency of positive action before the West finally united and rose against the Ottomans. Halil's words won many nods of assent among the ministers. Mohammed listened with a mixed expression of anger and despair.

The next to speak was Zaganos Pasha, the commander of the divisions guarding Galata. He cast doubts on all of Halil’s assertions. There was no fleet coming from the West, the Hungarians were merely rattling their sabres. Even if a Venetian fleet came, this time the Turkish fleet would be victorious. Zaganos then launched into a peroration recalling the prophecies that foretold the doom of Constantinople; he compared the young Sultan to Alexander the Great; he spoke of the glory to be of the Ottoman Empire. Press on the attack, he urged. At this many generals leapt to their feet with snouts of agreement. Particularly vociferous was the commander of the Bashi-bazouks. Amid the nubbub Mohammed began to smile. This was what he wanted to hear. The loud demands for strong action drowned out the reasonable words of Halil and his supporters. And when Zaganos returned to the tent claiming the entire army was clamoring to be led over the walls, the Sultan announced he had made his decision. Constantinople would be taken by a massive assault.

The watchers on the walls soon realized the Turks had come to a decision. All that night in the light of torches the Sultan's troops labored to stockpile materials to fill the moat. On the 27th more guns were concentrated on the rickety stockades of the Mesoteichion. Three times that day Urban's great cannon knocked sections down, and three times they were rebuilt.

Also that day, Mohammed rode through the length and breadth of the camp to announce the great assault. He promised the city would be given to the troops for pillage and rapine for three days. All treasure seized would be fairly distributed to every man. All this was greeted with loud shouts of approval. In a few hours Mohammed raised the morale of his troops to joyous heights.

That night, the Turks worked like demons to fill the moat arc stockpile weapons along their forward lines. These labors were accompanied by the clamor of martial music. Throughout the bustling camp tens of thousands of torches blazed. To the weary watchers on the walls it was an awesome sight. They made no attempt to hinder the preparations. Many defenders knelt and prayed.

Suddenly at midnight all work ceased, the uproar dwindled away, the music stopped and the torches went out. Mohammed had proclaimed that this day should be a day of rest and religious observance in preparation for the assault.

The Sultan spent the 28th of May inspecting his troops and giving them final orders. Accompanied by his guards and entourage he rode to the port of the Double Columns to instruct his new admiral, Hamza Bey. His entire fleet must deploy from the boom to the furthest reach of the Marmora wall. At every possible point his men must attempt to breach the defenses without cease. Where this was not possible they must feint attacks to keep all defenders at their posts. Mohammed gave similar orders to his fleet in the Golden Horn. He made a last tour of the camp haranguing the men, then summoned his ministers and military leaders to his tent.

After reminding them of the riches to be gained and the exhaustion of the defenders, he exhorted his commanders to maintain a steel discipline in the ranks. The army would attack along the entire front of the land walls. The main attacks would be concentrated on the Blachernal, the Mesoteichion and the Third Military Gate.

Meanwhile in the city the day of respite - even the Turkish cannons stood silent - was devoted to religious processions and reconciliations. The Venetians and the Genoese put aside their mutual animosities, the frictions that had developed among the Greeks over small matters of strategy were settled by compromise, and the greatest schism of all - between the supporters and opponents of union with Rome - was reconciled with the celebration of the Liturgy in the Church of the Holy Wisdom. All that day the bells of the churchi3s tolled Constantine's darkest hour. Toward the end of the day Constantine met with his commanders and asked them to defend the city with courage and unbroken faith. They then made their devotions at the church and hurried back to their posts.