Vienna along with his uncle and counsellor, Czillei.

Hunyady alone remained at his post, resolute like a lion attacked. The
energy of the old leader--he was now nearly sixty-eight--was only steeled
by the greatness of the danger; his forethought and his mental resources
were but increased. As he saw that it would be impossible to do anything
with a small army, he sent his friend, John Capistran, an Italian
Franciscan, a man animated by a burning zeal akin to his own, to preach a
crusade against the enemies of Christendom through the towns and villages
of the Great Hungarian Plain. This the friar did to such effect that in a
few weeks he had collected sixty thousand men, ready to fight in defence
of the cross. This army of crusaders--the last in the history of the
nations--had for its gathering cry the bells of the churches; for its
arms, scythes and axes; Christ for its leader, and John Hunyady and John
Capistran for his lieutenants.

The two greatest leaders in war of that day contended for the possession
of Belgrad. The same army now surrounded that fortress which a few years
before had stormed Constantinople, reputed impregnable. The same hero
defended it who had so often in the course of a single decade defeated
the Turkish foe in an offensive war, and who now, regardless of danger,
with a small but faithful band of followers, was prepared to do all that
courage, resolution, and prudence might effect.

Many hundred large cannon began to break down the stone ramparts; many
hundred boats forming a river flotilla covered the Danube, so as to cut
off all communication between the fortress and Hungary. During this time
Hunyady's son Ladislaus and his brother-in-law Michael Szilagyi were in
command in the fortress. Hunyady's first daring plan was to force his way
through the blockading flotilla, and enter Belgrad before the eyes of
the whole Turkish army, taking with him his own soldiers and Capistran's
crusaders. The plan completely succeeded. With his own flotilla of
boats he broke through that of the Turks and made his entrance into the
fortress in triumph. After this the struggle was continued with equal
resolution and ability on both sides; such advantage as the Christians
derived from the protection afforded by the fortifications being fully
compensated by the enormous superiority in numbers both of men and cannon
on the part of the Turks.

Without example in the history of the storming of fortresses was the
str