In 1453 the Turks stormed Constantinople and finally destroyed the Greek Empire, driving out Greek scholars, who carried the knowledge of Greek language and literature to the western world; and in 1454 the first document known to us appeared from the printing press at Mainz.

From whom the bell tolls?
The supine man, the moon-mad man?
And when will you come?
Mistress Moon, a sleek and mild calm?
It is thy moon, thy valley, thy field,
And to all the patriarchs, and men of property,
Say, "Boo!" to your golden goose.
Say, what we may be addicted to?
Instead, let us swallow the night,
Mirror the courageously confused
Who fell, in peace-time and in war.
For nought was sought like peace wrongly
Achieved, that rare condition the brave despise
Some stood up to spread the golden sanctuary,
A snowy cloud of gold covering Constantinople,
To the whole world.
On your white, bright and fulsome wholeness
You rely, as on a silent night before the flood,
So, how did this world fall into infamy and blood?