XIII. Some Observations on a Monumental Inscription in the Parish Church of Landulpb, Cornwall. By the Rev. FR. VYVYAN JAGO, F.S.A. Rector of Landulpb. Read January 12th, 1815. we reflect on the political changes that have recently taken place in Europe, by the total obliteration of some states, and the dismemberment or new organisation of others, the mind sickens at the view of the authors of these changes, usurping the thrones of her ancient sovereigns on no better claim than the right of conquest; and we cannot but draw a mournful parallel between these and the events of darker ages, and imagine those days returned when Rome fell under the barbarous yoke of Alaric, and the usurping crescent of Mohammed the Second glimmered upon the throne and empire of Constantine the Great. We cannot at the same time-but feel a dignified pleasure in the consciousness that England, zealously^ attached to her own lawful sovereigns, has ever been ready to receive with open arms those of other states who have^suffered from^lawless usurpation. The family of the unfortunate Louis have been indebted to the loyal generosity of Englishmen for an hospitable asylum ; and'it may be interesting to communicate a curious fact; perhaps not generally known, that about two centuries ago^ in an obscure corner- of'the kingdom, lived and died Theodore Paleologus, the immediate descendant of the-Gonstan- tine itimily, and'in all probability the lineal heir to the empire of Greece. In the parish church of Landulph, in the eastern extremity of M 2 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 22 Sep 2018 at 20:32:59, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900026084 s4 Observations on a Monumental Inscription Cornwall, is a small brass tablet fixed against the wall, with the fol- kuing inscription :— ' Here lyeth the body of Theodore Paleologus,. of Pesaro in " Italye, descended from ye Imperyal lyne of ye last Chris- '• tian emperors of Greece, being the sonne of Camilio, y* " soune of Prosper, the sonne of Theodoro,the sonne of John* "-ye sonne of Thomas, second brother of Constantine Paleo- " logus, the 8th of that name, and last of y* lyne y' rayned in •' Constantinople until subdued by the Turks, who married *• w' Mary, ye daughter of William Balls, of Hadlye in '• Souffolke, Gent, and had issue 5 children, Theodoro, John, •' Ferdinando, Maria, and Dorothy; and departed this, life 41 at Clyfton, ye 21st of Jany, 1636." Above the inscription are the imperial arms proper of the empire •of Greece—an eagle displayed with two heads, the two legs resting" upon two gates; the imperial crown over the whole, and between the gates a crescent for difference as second son; " The Paleologus dynasty were descended from the imperial race of the Comneni; and the first of the family was Michael Paleologus about 1270; to whom succeeded Andronieus the First and Second, John I., and Emmanuel, who died 1425, leaving six sons. The eldest, John II., who was associated with his father in the government during his life-time, succeeded him. Andronieus, the second son; had the principality of Thessalonica, and died of a leprosy soon after the sale of that city to the Venetians. Some fortunate incidents had restored Peloponnesus, or the Morea, to the empire; and in his more- prosperous days, Emmanuel had fortified the narrow isthmus of six miles with a stone wall and 153 towers. The wall was overthrown upon the first blast of the Ottomans; the fertile peninsula might have Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 22 Sep 2018 at 20:32:59, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900026084 in the Parish Church of Landulph, Cornwall. US sufficient for the Jour younger brothers, Theodore and Constan- tine, Demetrius and Thomas, but they wasted in domestic contests the remains of their strength, and the least successful of the rivals were reduced to a life of dependance in the Byzantine palace On the death of John II., who survived four years the Hungarian crusade, the royal family, by the death of Andronicus, and the monastic pro- fession of Isidore (or Theodore), was reduced to three princes, Con- stantine, Demetrius, and Thomas. Of these, the first and last were far distant in the Morea; but Demetrius, who possessed the domain of Selybria, was in the suburbs at the head of a party. His ambition was not chilled with the public distress; and his conspiracy with the Turks and the schismatics had already disturbed the peace of the country. He would have supplanted his brother, and ascended the throne, but for his mother and the great men, who prevented him. His younger brother, the despot Thomas, also accidentally returning to the capital, asserted the cause of Constantine, who was crowned- emperor.'"1 " Demetrius and Thomas now divided theMorea between them; but though they had taken a solemn oath never to violate the agreement, differences soon arose, and Thomas took up arms to drive Demetrius out of his possessions; Demetrius hereupon retired to Asan, his wife's brother; by whose means he obtained succours from Amurat, and compelled Thomas to submit the matters in dispute to the emperor's (Constantine's) arbitration. But that prince refusing to deliver to his brother the territories that fell to his share, Mohammed ordered Thuraken, his governor in the Morea, to assist Demetrius, and demolish the wall that shut up that country. Hereupon Thomas gave him the city of Kalamata, in lieu of the territory of the Skortians,. which he detained. Immediately on this event, Mohammed be- sieged and took Constantinople, in defence of which Constantine was slain."b The dissentions of the two brothers may be considered a principal; cause of the fall of the Greek empire, a Gibbon's Hist, 4t0. voJ, vi. page 45g, *> Universal Hist, Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 22 Sep 2018 at 20:32:59, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900026084 S6 Observations on a Monumental Inscription After the capture of Constantinople, Mohammed makes war on Demetrius and Thomas, under pretence of recovering the tribute due to him from them as despots of the Morea; but he is obliged to retire, and soon after comes to agreement with them. At this time the Albanians, Thomas's subjects, revolt, and attack Pattras, a city of Achaia, where Thomas resided, but are repulsed : they would have been, however, ultimately successful, had not Mohammed sent his general Thuraken to their assistance. The two brothers again falling out, and endeavouring to supplant each other, Mohammed takes advantage of it, and in 1458 sends an order to the despots of the Morea to pay three years arrears of ten thousand ducats tribute, or quit the country. In spring following, he marched to attack the Morea, and reduced Corinth, without using force. At the first news of his appearance, Thomas, one of the despots, retired to Italy with his wife and children; and Demetrius, the other, submitted of his own accord to the Soltan, who carried him away to Constantinople. Such is the account given in the Universal History from Dukas. The relation of Khalcondylas in the same work is more particular, as well as more favourable to the character of Thomas : " Prince Tho- mas having retired from Pylos, repaired to the island of Korfu, where he left his family, and set sail for Italy ; at the same time, he sent an ambassador to know if Mohammed would give him a great extent of country along the sea-coast, in exchange for the city of Epidamnum. The Soltan, by way of answer, put the envoy in irons, but soon after sent him back. Thomas, arriving at Rome 1461, was lodged in the Pope's palace, and had a pension of three thousand livres for his other expences." Rycaut, in his History, gives a still higher character of Thomas : " Thomas getting into the castle of Salmenica, defended the same against the infidels a whole year, when, despairing of relief, he escaped into Italy, -where the Pope allowed him a pension till the day ni his death. Of him Mahomet gave this character: «' That he had found many slaves, bat never a man in the Grecian province beskles Prince Thomas." Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 22 Sep 2018 at 20:32:59, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900026084 in the Parish Church of Landnlph, Cornwall. 87 But Gibbon has a very contemptible account of the ultimate fate of this unfortunate family. He says, that Demetrius died at Constan- tinople in a monastic habit, and abject slavery; that the misery of Thomas was prolonged by a-pension of six thousand ducats from the Pope and cardinals; that he died leaving two sons, Andrew and Ma- nuel, who were educated in Italy; that Manuel the younger returned to Constantinople, where he was maintained by the Soltan, and died, leaving a son, who was lost in the habit and religion of a Turkish slave. The elder brother Andrew, contemptible to his enemies, and burthensome to his friends, was degraded by the baseness of his life and marriage, and sold his title to the empires of Constantinople and Trebizond to Charles VIII. in 1494, who assumed the purple and title of Augustus.