g morning at daybreak, and that night Tangriberdy lodged the
embassy in his own palace.

[Note 4: Cairo was thus called in the Middle Ages, the name
belonging especially to one of the city's suburbs. See _Quatremere
Memoires geographiques te historiques sur l'Egypt_. Paris, 1811.]

Traversing the streets of Cairo, thronged with a hostile crowd curious
to view the _giaour_, Peter Martyr, accompanied by the Grand Dragoman
and his Mameluke escort, mounted to the citadel, where stood the
stately palace built by Salah-Eddin. After crossing two courts he
found himself in a third, where sat the Sultan upon a marble dais
richly draped and cushioned. The prostrations exacted by Eastern
etiquette were dispensed with, the envoy being even invited to sit in
the august presence. Thrice the Sultan assured him of his friendly
disposition; no business was transacted, and after these formalities
the ambassador withdrew as he had come, a second audience being fixed
for the following Sunday.

Meanwhile, the envoys from the Barbary States, who were present for
the purpose of defeating the negotiations, excited the populace by
appeals to their fanaticism, reminding them of the cruelties endured
by their brethern of the true faith at the hands of Spaniards. They
even declared that if Cansu Alguri consented to treat with the
infidels, he was no true son of Islam. A council of military chiefs
was summoned which quickly decided to demand the immediate dismissal
of the Christian ambassador. Tangriberdy, who sought to alter this
determination, was even threatened with death if he persisted in his
opposition. Remembering that he owed his throne to the Mamelukes, who
had exalted and destroyed no less than four Sultans within as many
years, Cansu Alguri quailed before the outburst of popular fury. He
ordered Tangriberdy to conduct the obnoxious visitor from the capital
without further delay. Peter Martyr, however, received this intimation
with unruffled calm and, to the stupefaction of Tangriberdy, refused
to leave until he had accomplished his mission. Such audacity in a
mild-mannered ecclesiastic was as impressive as it was unexpected. The
Grand Dragoman had no choice but to report the refusal to the Sultan.
By what arguments he prevailed upon Cansu Alguri to rescind his
command, we know not, but a secret audience was arranged in which
Martyr describes himself as speaking with daring and persuasive
frankness to the Sultan. He availed himself in