The course of the Mahometan conquests, and the spread of their
religion, constitute one of the great events of the history of our
globe. In about eight hundred years the disciples of the humble prophet
had subdued or extended their influence over great part of Asia and the
north of Africa, and had now not only gained a footing in Europe, but
had taken its greatest capital. But here their great tide of success
seems to have stopped; it was their culminating point. They have made
partial conquests since; but, altogether, not so much as was achieved
by Mahomet II.