four hundred years The next day after having buried the dead and cleansed the City they gave thanks to God with publick Prayers and great rejoycing The poor Christians before oppressed now overcome with unexpected joy welcomed their victorious Brethren with great joy and praise and the Souldiers embracing one another sparing to speak of themselves freely commended each others valour Eight days after the Princes of the Army meeting together began to consult about the choice of their King among whom was no such difference as might well shew which was to be preferred before the others And although every one of them for prowess and desert seemed worthy of so great an honour yet by the general consent of all it was given to Robert Duke of Normandy who about the same time hearing of the death of the Conqueror his Father and more in love with his Fathers new gotten Kingdom in England in hope thereof refused the Kingdom of Ierusalem then offered unto him which at his return he found possessed by William Rufus his younger Brother and so in hope of a better refusing the worse upon the matter lost both After whose departure Godfrey of Buillon Duke of Lorain whose Ensign was first displayed upon the Walls was by the general consent both of the Princes and the Army saluted King He was a great Souldier and indued with many Heroical Virtues brought up in the Court of the Emperor Henry the Fourth and by him much employed At the time of his inauguration he refused to be crowned with a Crown of Gold saying That it became not a Christian man there to wear a Crown of Gold where Christ the Son of God had for the salvation of mankind sometime wâ—rn a Crown of Thorn. Of the greatest part of these proceedings of the Christians from the time of their departure from Antioch until the winning of the Holy City Godfrey by Letters briefly certified Bohemund as followeth Godfrey of Buillon to Bohemund King of Antioch Greeting AFter long travel having first taken certain Towns we came to Jerusalem which City is environed with high Hills without Rivers or Fountains excepting only that of Solomons and that a very little one In it are many Cisterns wherein water is kept both in the City and the Country thereabout On the East are the Arabians the Moabites and Ammonites On the South the Idumaeans Aegyptians and Philistians Westward along the Sea-coast lie the Cities of Ptolemais Tyrus and Tripolis and Northward Tiberias Caesarea Philippi with the Country Decapolis and Damasco In the assault of the City I first gained that part of the Wall that fell to my lot to assail and commanded Baldwin to enter the City who having slain certain Companies of the Enemies broke open one of the Gates for the Christians to enter Raymond had the City of David with much rich Spoil yielded unto him But when we come unto the Temple of Solomon there we had a great conflict with so great Slaughter of the Enemy that our men stood in blood above the ancles The night approaching we could not take the upper part of the Temple which the next day was yielded the Turks pitifully crying out for mercy and so the City of Jerusalem was by us taken the fifteenth of July in the year of our Redemption 1099 thirty nine days after the beginning of the Siege four hundred and nine years after it fell into the bands of the Sarasins in the time of Heraclius the Emperor Besides this the Princes with one consent saluted me against my Will King of Jerusalem who although I fear to take upon me so great a Kingdom yet I will do my devoir that they shall easily know me for a Christian King and well deserving of the Universal Faith but love you me as you do and so farewell From Jerusalem Whilst these things were in doing at Ierusalem such a multitude of the Turks and Sarasins their Confederates now in their common calamity all as one were assembled at Ascalon a City about five and twenty miles from Ierusalem to revenge the injuries they had before received as had not before met together in all the time of this sacred War. Against whom Godfrey the late Duke and now King assembled the whole Forces of the Christians in those Countries and leaving a strong Garrison in the new won City set forward and meeting with them joyned a most dreadful and cruel battel wherein as most report were slain of the Infidels an hundred thousand men and the rest put to flight The Spoil there taken far exceeded all that the Christians had before taken in this long Expedition Godfrey after so great a Victory returning to Ierusalem gave unto God most humble thanks The rest of the Princes returned either to their Charge as did Bohemund to Antioch Baldwin to Edessa Tancred into Galilee whereof he was created Prince or else having now performed the uttermost of their Vows returned with honour into their own Countries This was of all others the most honourable Expedition that ever the Christians took in hand against the Infidels and with the greatest resolution performed for the most part by such voluntary men as moved with a devout Zeal to their immortal praise spared neither life nor living in defence of the Christian Faith and Religion all Men worthy eternal Fame and Memory Not long after ensued a great Pestilence the ready attendant of long war and want whereof infinite numbers of People died and among the rest Godfrey the first Christian King of Ierusalem never to be sufficiently commended who with the general lamentation of all good Christians was honourably buried in the Church of the Sepulchre of our Saviour on the Mount Calvary where our Saviour suffered his Passion in which the Christian Kings succeeding him were also afterwards buried He departed this life the eighteenth of Iuly in the year of our Lord 1100. when he had yet scarce reigned a full year year 1100. Whose Tomb is yet at this day there to be seen with an honourable Inscription thereupon After the death of Godfrey the Christians made choice of Baldwin his Brother Count of Edessa who leaving his former Government to Baldwin sirnamed Burgensis his near Kinsman came to Ierusalem honourably accompanied and was there by the Patriarch on Christmas-day with all Solemnity crowned King in the year 1101. year 1101. He aided by the Venetians and Genoways at Sea and by Bohemund King of Antioch by Land took from the Infidels the City of Cesarea Stratonis standing upon the Sea-side and overthrew certain Companies of the Aegyptian Sultans at Rama But understanding that the Christian Princes of the West were coming to his aid with a new Power he glad thereof went to meet them and safely conducted them to Ierusalem alongst the Sea-coast by the Cities of Berythus Sidon Tyre and Ptolemais all yet holden by the Enemy At which time the Turks at Ascalon having received great aid from the Arabians and Aegyptians invaded
Offices and the other whensoever the Wars or other occasions should cause him to be absent from the Royal Presence might supply his place without attempting to supplant him The Kapisler-Kahyasee or Master of the Ceremonies to the late Vizier he made his own Kahya and all the other Agas which depended on that Court he received into his own service so that in effect there seemed by this great chance of Mortality to be little other alteration in the Court than of the single person of the deceased Vizier of whose Memory that the Grand Signior might evidence the love and esteem that he retained he did not intermeddle or appropriate unto himself any part of his Estate or disanulled his Testament but resigned all into the hands of his Relations challenging no share or proportion thereof And whereas the Vizier left no Children the Estate fell to his Brother and Sisters who to evidence their Devotion to Religion and good will to the Publick and to please the eyes of the envious World conferred on Mecha the Rent of the new Custom house the Besasteen and new Chan built at Smyrna and finished in the year 1677. At this first change there were rumors that the new Vizier had begun his Government in blood having cut off several Heads lately in Authority but all was false and only grounded on a displeasure which he was known to have conceived against certain persons Only one act he performed rather of justice than severity having cut off one of the Pay-masters of the Exchequer for false Money The occasion was this Certain Muletiers having received mony from Exchequer in Venetian Zechins and finding several of them false returned them again but could not prevail to have them changed whereupon having made their Memorial thereof they carried them to the Vizier and upon examination the Pay-master declared That he received them from the Great Ibrahim Hari-ogli who being for that Cause sent for and accused was put into a fear which proved as dangerous to him as a Disease the apprehensions of Death being worse than the reality but the Great Tefterdar soon cleared him of this Accusation having attested That to his knowledge the mony received from him was good and disposed on other occasions so that the whole blame lying now on the Pay-master and upon farther search more of the same stamp being found in his hands he deservedly suffered the punishment of Death the which had likewise been inflicted on another Officer of the same rank but not being found so culpable as the other he was permitted to redeem his life with forty Purses of Mony or twenty thousand Dollars Thus far we have seen the gentle and smooth behaviour of the present Vizier towards the Friends Relations and Servants of the deceased and with what Acts of Justice he began his Government But behold on a sudden the face of the whole Court was changed every Officer thereof putting on a Countenance of fierceness pride and arrogance beyond the manner and custom lately practised For the Great Visier took on himself the State and Grandeur of the Sultan the access being as difficult to him as to his Master his Kahya that of the Visier and so every inferior Officer advanced himself into a fancy of possessing the next and immediate Degree above him This haughty behaviour had a more particular influence on the Ministers and Representatives of Foreign Princes whose Interpreters were not admitted as formerly to private Audiences or Conferences about their Affairs but only at the Publick Divan where their Arzes or Memorials were to be preferred in the same manner as was practised by the Subjects of the Country and those of conquered Nations who petition for Justice The which abasement was not only cast on the Interpreters but on the Persons of the Representatives themselves an example of which we have in the French Ambassador who coming at the time appointed to receive his Audience of the Visier was forced to expect a long time before he could have admittance and then entering into the Chamber of Audience was rudely clouded and rushed upon by a Crew of unmannerly Chaouses who no otherwise regarded the Person of the Ambassador than if he had been one of the Grooms or Lacquies Being come to the Seat of Audience the Ambassador observed That the Stool for the Great Visier was set upon Soffrá and that for Him below or at the foot of it the which being an unusual and unpractised diminution of the ancient honour given formerly to Ambassadors he ordered one of his Servants To set it again on the Soffrá equal with that of the Visier's the which being done was again brought down by one of the Visiers Pages and placed as before whereupon the Ambassador seizing the Stool with his own hand carried it on the Soffrá and sate upon it which being reported to the Visier then in his retiring Chamber he sent twice to him to remove letting him know That unless the Stool were returned into the Place appointed by him he would not appear in the Chamber of Audience Whereunto his Excellency returned this prudent Answer That the Visier might dispose of his Chair as he pleased but not of his Person In which Interim the Chaous-Bashee came in roaâ—ing out Calder Calder which is Take it away Take it away meaning the Stool at which noise the Ambassador arising to see what the matter was had the Stool taken from under him whereat being greatly enraged he threw out of the Room in a high passion and causing the Presents which he brought to be again returned with him he mounted his Horse and departed Afterwards it was intimated unto the English Ambassador That he might if he pleased receive Audience of the Great Visier But his Excellency understanding in what manner the French Ambassador had been treated excused his going on pretence of an Indisposition of health Howsoever the Venetian Bailo and the Residents of Holland and Genâ—ua were contented to be admitted unto Audience on those terms which the Visier was pleased to allow And though during the time that he was Chimacam and bore other inferior Offices and Charges of Trust his behaviour was gentle affable and civil yet I fear that now having changed his Office he will have altered his humour and that his Greatness will have encreased his Pride Avarice and Fierceness thus no man knows what another will be when he shall enter into power Dic mihi si fueris tu Leo qualis eâ—is And as Magistratus indicat Virum so in the actions of his management the temper and constitution of this great Person will be discovered And thus having given a short Account and Character of this present Visier his future Acts and Monuments must be the Subject of other Pens FINIS THE HISTORY OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE CONTINUED From the Year One thousand Six hundred Seventy six to the Year One thousand Six hundred Eighty six By Sir ROGER MANLEY Knight THE HISTORY OF THE TURKISH
fortyfied than in the former Siege for that several new Works were raised on the Banks of the Danube and that on the other side the Ditch had been made much more deep and large than it was before That the Turks had prepared diverse Countermines in those places where the Christians had lately made their Mines That they had made diverse new Sally-ports That they had unpaved all their Streets uncovered the tops of their Houses to prevent the Mischief which was feared from Bombs and Carcasses against which they had fortified the large Cistern of Water which was built in the middle of the City That they had furnished the Town with such quantities of Provisions and Ammunition and Stores of all things necessary for War and support of Human Life as were sufficient without other Supplies or Recruits to maintain a Siege for six Months That the Garrison consisted of Twenty five thousand select Men at least chosen out of the Ianisaries and Spahees and were all resolute Men and good Soldiers That the Governour in chief was a stout and valiant Man a Renegado and one who was learned and experienced in all the Military Arts of the Christians That under him six Agas were subordinated all Men of Conduct and Bravery to succeed in the Government as one or the other of them should fail And lastly That the Town was discharged of all useless and unnecessary Inhabitants such as Women and Children and Iews and Armenian Merchants who were permitted to withdraw themselves with all their Goods and Estates out from the City Notwithstanding this Discourse maintain'd and urged by divers the contrary Opinion prevailed for the Siege of Buda as if the Difficulties thereof served rather to enflame than to discourage so many valiant and generous Spirits Such an Enterprise as the taking a Capital City with the Conquest of which the whole Kingdom would follow and fall a Prey into their Hands seemed an Adventure and an Exploit worthy the undertaking of so many brave Soldiers who were certainly the greatest Captains of this Age and perhaps we may speak it without injury to past times that they were the best Soldiers that ever the World had produced Indeed the whole Army of this Year was in a most Flourishing Condition well Provided and Accoutred Fleshed with Blood and Victory and so Couragious that nothing seemed too hard and difficult for them And this was one Reason to perswade the Military Councils to the Siege of Buda not knowing whether the next Year would produce such an Army as at present which as it was capable to undertake any thing so it was pity to have it wasted and employed in trivial matters and taking in of Fortresses from whence no Important Consequences could be expected There was moreover one thing more especially urged that by the last Siege the Defects and Errors and false Attacks were all seen and discover'd the which might now easily be rectified and provisions made against the mischiefs which cost the Lives of many Men and the Ground and nature of it and Situation being perfectly known the subjection of this place would become much more easie than the time before notwithstanding all the Provisions the Turks had made In fine with these Arguments as I said the Siege of Buda was resolved and every thing prepared in order thereunto In the mean time the Turks were not idle on their part every Day Olacks or Curriers were dispatched in all hast from Buda to Belgrade and thence to the Port to expedite the coming of the Ottoman Army and Succours for Re-inforcement of their Garrison giving them advices of the Motion and Approach of the Imperial Troops against them which if not prevented would quickly surround their Walls and intercept their Advices and Relief The Turkish Officers and Soldiers in all their Quarters in Hungary amassed and gather'd what Forage and Provisions they were able which they laid up and disposed in those Garrisons which were most exposed to the Enemy and Re-inforced them with Troops drawn from other places which were in the least danger of the Enemy and at farthest distance from them The Tartars were urged and sollicited not only to hasten their march to the Confines of Poland to keep that Country in Awe but also to send another Body to joyn with the Ottoman Camp in Hungary In the mean time Skirmishes daily hapned between several Hussars and Dragoons belonging to Raab and Strigonium and detached Parties from Buda to which place Reinforcements were so constantly sent that the Garrison was calculated to amount unto above Nine thousand Men year 1686. besides the Citizens and Inhabitants tho' in reality the numbers were much greater And in regard the Grand Seignior was not well satisfied with the Valour and Conduct of the present Pasha another was sent to supply the place who incessantly laboured both Day and Night about the Fortifications for tho' it was not certain whether the Imperialists would make that Siege the business of this Year yet it was greatly feared and too much labour and caution could not be used for the Defence of a place of such Importance In the mean time the Grand Seignior removed from Adrianople to Constantinople to pass his Summer there in hopes that his Presence would bring some Trade to that City but the War had drained all the Money in such manner that the Merchants found little benefit or alteration in the quickness of their Trade The Grand Vizier intended at the same time to have moved from Adrianople towards Belgrade but the great Fire which had hapned lately there caused him to retard his March for some Days in order to rebuild the publick Edifices consumed by the Fire Besides the Fire and Sword there was great Scarcity of Corn in all the Ottoman Dominions by the two first the Rich were the greatest Sufferers but the latter was an Aggrievance which most affected the Poor Howsoever they supported these Troubles and Losses with Patience without Murmurings amongst the Citizens or Mutinies as yet in the Camp. The Moscovites were all this time playing a double Game having sent an Envoy to the Court to complain of the Incursions which the Tartars had made into their Country and of the Depredations which the Turkish Governour of Asac had made upon them at the Mouth of the Tanais The Envoy found a kind Reception and Orders were sent both to the Tartars and Governour of Asac to abstain for the future from all such Acts of Hostility and maintain a good Correspondence with the Moscovites who were become Allies and faithful Friends to the Port And more to engage the Envoy some few Russian Slaves were given him with License to rebuild an old ruined Greek Church in Constantinople with which to outward appearance the Envoy returned with entire Satisfaction The Polish Inter-nuntio who from the beginning of the War had been kept under restraint at Constantinople was now upon exchange for a Turk of
THE TURKISH HISTORY WITH Sir PAUL RYCAUT's CONTINUATION Mahomethes Quartus Magnus Turcarum Imperator Qui nunc Regnat Anno 1687. Sold by T Basset at the George neat S t Dunstans Church in Fleet street THE TURKISH HISTORY FROM THE ORIGINAL of that NATION To the GROWTH of the Ottoman Empire WITH THE LIVES and CONQUESTS OF THEIR Princes and Emperors By RICHARD KNOLLES sometime Fellow of Lincoln-College in Oxford WITH A CONTINUATION To this Present Year MDCLXXXVII Whereunto is added The Present State of the OTTOMAN EMPIRE By Sir PAUL RYCAUT late Consul of Smyrna The Sixth EDITION with the Effigies of all the Kings and Emperors Newly Engraven at large upon Copper The First Uolume LONDON Printed for Tho. Basset at the George near St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet MDCLXXXVII The AUTHOR to the READER THE long and still declining state of the Christian Commonweal with the utter ruin and subversion of the Empire of the East and many other most glorious Kingdoms and Provinces of the Christians never to be sufficiently lamented might with the due consideration thereof worthily move even a right stony heart to ruth but therewith also to call to remembrance the dishonour done unto the blessed Name of our Saviour Christ Iesus the desolation of his Church here militant upon Earth the dreadful danger daily threatned unto the poor remainder thereof the millions of Souls cast headlong into eternal Destruction the infininit number of woful Christians whose grievous groanings under the heavy yoke of Infidelity no tongue is able to express with the carelesness of the Great for the redress thereof might give just cause unto any good Christian to fit down and with the heavy Prophet to say as he did of Jerusalem O how hath the Lord darkned the Daughter of Sion in his wrath and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the day of his wrath All which miseries with many others so great as greater there can none be the Prince of darkness and Author of all mischief hath by the persecuting Princes of all Ages and antient Hereticks his Ministers labored from time to time to bring upon the Church of God to the obscuring of his blessed Name and utter subversion of his most sacred Word but yet by none no not by them all together so much prevailed as by the false Prophet Mahomet born in an unhappy hour to the great destruction of Mankind whose most gross and blasphemous Doctrine first fantasied by himself in Arabia and so by him obtruded upon the World and afterwards by the Sarasin Caliphes his seduced Successors with greater Forces maintained was by them together with their Empire dispersed over a great part of the face of the Earth to the unspeakable ruin and destruction of the Christian Religion and State especially in Asia and Africk with some good part of Europe also But the unity of this great Mahometan Monarchy being once dissolved and it divided into many Kingdoms and so after the manner of worldly things drawing unto the fatal period of it self in process of time became of far less force than before and so less dreadful unto the Christian Princes of the West by whom these Sarasins were again expulsed out of all the parts of Europe excepting one corner of Spain which they yet held within the remembrance of our Fathers until that by their Victorious Forces they were thence at length happily removed also after that they had possessed the same above the space of 700 Years In this declination of the Sarasins the first Champions of the Mahometan Superstition who though they had lost much yet held they many Kingdoms both in Asia and Africk taken for the most part from the Christians arise the Turks an obscure and base People before scarce known unto the World yet fierce and couragious who by their Valour first aspired unto the Kingdom of Persia with divers other large Provinces from whence they were about 170 Years after again expulsed by the Tartars and enforced to retire themselves into the lesser Asia where taking the benefit of the discord of the Christian Princes of the East and the carelesness of the Christians in general they in some good measure repaired their former losses again and maintained the state of a Kingdom at Iconium in Cilicia now of them called Caramania holding in their subjection the greatest part of that fruitful Country still seeking to gain from the Christians what they had before lost unto the Tartars But this Kingdom of the Turks declining also by the dismembring of the same there slept up among the Turks in Bythinia one Osman or Othoman of the Oguzian Tribe or Family a Man of great spirit and valour who by little and little growing up amongst the rest of his Countrymen and other the effeminate Christians on that side of Asia at last like another Romulus took upon him the Name of a Sultan or King and is right worthily accounted the first Founder of the mighty Empire of the Turks which continued by many descents directly in the Line of himself even unto Achmat who now reigneth is from a small beginning become the greatest terrour of the World and holding in subjection many great and mighty Kingdoms in Asia Europe and Africk is grown to that height of pride as that it threatneth destruction unto the rest of the Kingdoms of the Earth labouring with nothing more than with the weight of it self In the greatness whereof is swallowed up both the Name and Empire of the Sarasins the glorious Empire of the Greeks the renowned Kingdoms of Macedonia Peloponesus Epirus Bulgaria Servia Bosna Armenia Cyprus Syria Egypt Judea Tunes Algiers Media Mesopotamia with a great part of Hungary as also of the Persian Kingdom and all those Churches and Places so much spoken of in holy Scripture the Romans only excepted and in brief so much of Christendom as far exceedeth that which is thereof at this day left So that at this present if you consider the beginning progress and perpetual felicity of this the Othoman Empire there is in this World nothing more admirable and strange if the greatness and lustre thereof nothing more magnificent and glorious if the Power and Strength thereof nothing more Dreadful or Dangerous Which wondering at nothing but at the Beauty of it self and drunk with the pleasant Wine of perpetual felicity holdeth all the rest of the World in Scorn thundering out nothing still but Bloud and War with a full persuasion in timeâ— to Rule over all prefixing unto it self no other limits than the uttermost bounds of the Earth from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same The causes whereof are many and right lamentable but for the most part are shut up in the Counsels of the Great as that for me to seek after them were great Folly Yet amongst the rest some others there be so pregnant and manifest as that the blind
executed and found means to have them cunningly delivered to Achomates as if they had been sent from his Friends who giving credit to the same and presuming much upon his own Strength doubted not to leave his Footmen who followed easily after him under the conduct of Amurat his Son and came and encamped with his Horsemen near unto the Mountain Horminius upon the Bank of the River Parthemius Selymus also departed from Prusa and having received into his Army ten thousand Janizaries but a little before come over the Strait sent before Sinan Bassa General of his Asian Horsemen to know and make proof of the Strength of his Enemies The Bassa not knowing as yet where Achomates lay neither of what force he was being deceived by the darkness of the Morning fell into a place of disadvantage where he was set upon by Achomates and having lost seven thousand of his men was glad with other eight thousand which were left to fly back to Selymus For all this loss was not Selymus discomforted or doubtful of the Victory but forthwith marched on forward to the River Elata which runneth directly out of the Mountain Horminius into Pontus watering most large Fields upon the right hand which at this day are called the Plains of the new Land. So did Achomates also who although he knew his Brother to be every way too strong for him yet being incouraged with the late Victory and in hope that his Friends in Selymus his Army whom he vainly supposed to have been yet living would in the very Battel do some notable matter for him and that Victory would follow his just quarrel resolved neither to retire back neither to expect the coming of the rest of his Army The River was betwixt the two Camps and the number of both Armies certainly discovered yet could not Achomates to whom the open Fields offered a safe retreat unto the rest of his Army possessed with a fatal madness be perswaded considering the greatness of the danger in time to provide for the safety of himself and his Army carried headlong as it seemed by inevitable destiny to his fatal destruction which presently after ensued Selymus a little before the going down of the Sun with his Army passed over the River Elata and gave general commandment through all his Camp that every man against the next day should be ready for battel and in a Wood not far off placed a thousand Horsemen in ambush under the leading of Canoglis his Wives Brother a valiant young Gentleman whom his Father had a little before sent from Taurica unto his Son in law with a chosen Company of Tartarian Horsemen unt him Selymus gave in charge that when the Battel was joyned he should shew himself with his Horsemen upon the back of his Enemies and there to charge them As soon as it was day Selymus in a great open Field put his Army in order of Battel placing his Horsemen in two Wings so that all his Spearmen were in the right Wing and the Archers and Carbines in the left in the main Battel stood the Janizaries with the rest of the Footmen On the other side Achomates having no Footmen divided his Horsemen into two Wings also Whilst both Armies stood thus ranged expecting but the signal of Battel a Messenger came from Achomates to Selymus offering in his Masters name to trie the equity of their quarrel in plain Combat hand to hand which if he should refuse he then took both God and the World to witness that Selymus was the only cause of all the guiltless blood to be shed in the Battel and not he whereunto Selymus answered that he was not to trie his quarrel at the appointment of Achomates and though he could be content so to do yet would not his Souldiers suffer him so to adventure his person and their own safety and so with that answer returned the Messenger back again to his Master giving him for his reward a thousand Aspers Achomates having received this answer without further delay charged the right Wing of his Brothers Army who valiantly received the first charge but when they were come to the sword and that the matter was to be tried by handy blows they were not able longer to endure the force of the Persian Horsemen who being well armed both Horse and Man had before requested to be placed in the foremost ranks by whose Valor the right Wing of Selymus his Army was disordered and not without great loss enforced to retire back upon their Fellows Which thing Selymus beholding did what he might by all means to encourage them again and presently brought on the left Wing with their Arrows and Pistols instead of them that were fled and at the same time came on with the Janizaries also who with their Shot enforced Achomates his Horsemen to retire Achomates himself carefully attending every danger with greater Courage than Fortune came in with fresh Troops of Horsemen by whose Valour the Battel before declining was again renewed and the Victory made doubtful but in the fury of this Battel whilst he was bearing all down before him and now in great hope of the Victory Canoglis with his Tartarian Horsemen rising out of ambush came behind him and with great outcries caused their Enemies then in the greatest heat of their Fight to turn upon them at which time also the Footmen standing close together assailed them afront and the Horsemen whom the Persians had at first put to flight now moved with shame were again returned into the Battel so that Achomates his small Army was beset and hardly assailed on every side In fine his Ensigns being overthrown and many of his Men slain the rest were fain to betake themselves to flight Where Achomates having lost the Field and now too late seeking to save himself by flight fell with his Horse into a Ditch which the rain falling the day before had filled with water and mire and being there known and taken by his Enemies could not obtain so much favour at their hands as to be presently slain but was reserved to the farther pleasure of his cruel Brother Selymus understanding of his taking sent Kirengen the same squint-eyed Captain which had before strangled Corcutus who with a Bow-string strangled him also His dead Body was forthwith brought to Selymus and was afterwards by his commandment in royal manner buried with his Ancestors at Prusa Now Amurat Achomates his Son understanding upon the way by the Persian Horsemen who serred together had again made themselves way through the Turks Army of the loss of the Field and the taking of his Father returned back again to Amasia and there after good deliberation resolved with his Brother to betake themselves both to flight he with the Persian Horsemen passing over the River Euphrates fled unto Hysmael the Persian King but Aladin the younger Brother passing over the Mountain Amanus in Cilicia fled into Syria and so to Campson Gaurus the great
down to the Sea side to kill them as they should come to Shore for the barbarous People thirsting after Christian Blood would not receive them to mercy although they were ready to yield themselves and covenanted nothing but the safegard of their lives At which their cruelty the Spaniards disdaining with their Weapons in their hands got to Shore and standing close together as desperate Men withstood them who had with their multitude quickly compassed them in round yet in despight of what that barbarous multitude without regard of humanity or Law of Arms could do they made way through the midst of them from the place where they were cast on Shore unto the very Gates of the City But seeing the Turks sally out they called unto them offering to yield themselves Prisoners to Assan without further resistance if they would assure them their lives which they were in good hope of for that he was born of Christian Parents in Sardinia and was attended upon with many Renegate Spaniards So Assan coming forth of the City gave them his Faith for their safety and beating away the Moors and Numidians courteously saved them all wisely making great account of so great a gain as would redound unto him by so many Prisoners joyned with no small commendation of his clemency in saving them Of the Germans the third part never returned home but were either lost with Shipwreck or else dead of the Sickness ensuing so great miseries The Emperor perswaded or rather overruled by Auria to avoid the violence of the Tempest sailed alongst the Coast of Africk Eastward to Buzia the Castle whereof was kept with a small Garrison of Spaniards where the Emperor landing found some fresh Victual though not much yet such as did both him and the other Noblemen no small pleasure Whilst the Emperor lay at Buzia expecting fairer Weather a great Ship of Genoa laded with Victual chanced to come into the Bay to the great rejoycing of the hungry Souldiers but such was the violence of the Tempest that her Anchors came home and she driven upon the Flats was cast away yet so as that part of the Victual driven to Shore and half spoiled with the Salt-water well relieved the encreasing want In the mean time the Emperor when he had long looked for the asswaging of the Tempest and was now out of hope of any new supply of Victual sent away Gonzaga with the Sicilian and Rhodian Gallies for the Wind before at North was now come to Northwest and put them in hope to adventure again to Sea rather than to stay there longer So although with a troublesome yet a prosperous Course they came in short time to the Port of Utica now called Farinas where Muleasses King of Tunes bountifully relieved Gonzaga and his Fleet with all kind of Victual and other necessaries From whence they afterward departed and landed all in safety at Drepanum in Sicilia The blustring Winds were now at length weary of blowing and the raging Sea became calm so that the skilful Sea-men for fear of new dangers and weary of those that were past thought it best to adventure again at Sea. Almost every hour they were reasoning in Council What Course they were for most safety best to take when some were of opinion that it was best to bear for Sardinia or Corsica and othersome would have had them to have kept alongst the Coast of Africa and so directly for Sicilia But the Wind coming fair at East the Emperor directed his Course to the Islands Baleares and from thence at length arrived at the Port of New Carthage in Spain greatly commended even of his Enemies for the wonderful courage and constancy in passing through so many extremities in such sort as if he had triumphed over the malice of fortune About this time the dissembled friendship betwixt Charles the Emperor and Francis the French King brake out into open hatred year 1542. The King first thinking himself deluded by the Emperor who had long time fed him with the vain hope of the restitution of the Duchy of Milan when as he meant nothing less and of late abused by the death of Rinco his Embassador slain by the Spaniards in passing down the River Padus as is before declared In revenge whereof he raised a great power in France and at such time as most Men thought he would have invaded Italy sent Charles his Son with the one part of his Forces into the Low-Countries which were then governed by Mary Queen of Hungary the Emperors Sister and Henry his other Son with the other part of his Forces to invade Spain both young Princes of great hope And not so contented but desirous by all means to trouble and molest the Emperor as he did in the Low-Countries by setting on the Duke of Cleve so by Antonius Polinus his Embassador a Man of great discretion he earnestly solicited Solyman the Great Turk with whom he was then in League to spoil the Borders of Spain with his Gallies at the same time that Henry his Son was besieging Perpenna in Spain For which practice he was of most Men discommended as too much favouring his own grief and especially by such as affected the Emperor But how this matter which drew upon the French King no small envy was carried in the Turks Court shall not as I hope be unto this History impertinent to declare After the death of Rinco slain by the Spaniards Francis the French King sent Antonius Polinus a Man of great dexterity his Embassador to Solyman who passing by many by-ways to Venice and so over the Gulf to Sibinicum crossing over Illyria met with Solyman in Misia as he was coming from Buda and there first offered unto him the Present sent from the King his Master for with empty hands no Man might presume to come to those barbarous Kings of the East which Present was a Cupboord of Plate curiously wrought in weight six hundred Pounds and five hundred rich Garments of all sorts of Silk and Skarlet to be bestowed upon the Bassaes and other great Courtiers Solyman after he had read the French Kings Letters and heard what he had further to say seemed to be greatly moved with the death of Rinco and promised Polinus not to be wanting unto the French King by Sea or Land to give him aid in his just Wars against Charles his Enemy for breaking of the League but forasmuch as nothing could be well determined of such matters in his Journy of so great hast he told him that as soon as he was come to Constantinople he should then have answer by his Bassaes of all his demands The Embassador above all things desired that he would send Hariadenus Barbarussa with his Fleet against the next Summer into Provence there to be received into the French Harbors and to be imployed against the Emperor as occasion should require and further That he would request the Venetians with whom he was able to
most suddain dangers with comfortable words cheared them up willing them as couragious Men to follow him against the Enemy whom they in all things exceeded excepting number which always gave not the Victory The Turks perceiving the Moldavians lately revolted upon the joyning of the Battel as Men in Conscience wounded to shrink back thrust them perforce into the head of their Battel making of them no more account but to blunt the Enemies Swords and such as hung back they themselves slew upon whom as false Traitors the Vayvod caused his Field-Pieces to be most furiously discharged so that most part of these treacherous Men there slain some by the Turks some by their own Friends received the just reward of their Infidelity and Treason accompanied with perpetual Infamy Over the dead Bodies of these Traitors the Turks coming on were at the first notably encountred by the Moldavians and after a most cruel Fight as if they had been discouraged began to retire but indeed of purpose to have drawn the Christians before they were aware within the danger of their great Ordnance and Ambushes which they had before aptly and covertly placed for that purpose Which Sujercevius well acquainted with the Turks fineness perceiving with much ado staid their further pursuit and so avoided the danger prepared for them The Turks deceived of their expectation came on again afresh with no less fury than at the first whom the Christians right valiantly received and made with them a most cruel and mortal Battel wherein many both of the Turks and Christians fell and never rose again But what was so small a power against such a world of Men After long Fight the Moldavians oppressed with the multitude of their Enemies began to give ground and seeing no other remedy but either to flie or to die betook themselves to flight wherein most part of them were slain the furious Enemy still hardly pursuing them at the Heels of the Cossacks were left only 250. The Horsemen the chiefest strength of the Vayvod thus by the Treason of Czarnieviche overthrown the Vayvod with 20000 Footmen and such Horsemen as had now after the Battel joyned themselves unto the Footmen retired unto a Town not far off which he but a little before had rased but was now glad in the ruins thereof to fortifie himself against the suddain and furious Assaults of the Turks who the same night so beset the Vayvods Camp with such a multitude of Men that no Man could go in or out of the Camp or the uttermost part of that huge Army be from any place descried The next day which was the 11 of Iune the Turks shot divers great Shot into the Vayvods Camp but to small purpose for the Christians had for so short a time notably fortified themselves within the ruins of the old Town Which the Turks well perceiving and withal considering how hard and dangerous a matter it would be to assault the Vayvod in his strength they sent Messengers unto him to perswade him without delay to yield himself and to repose more trust in the mercy of the Turks than in his own broken Forces especially in his so hard distress being so beset as that he could not possibly escape and out of hope of all relief and therefore should by such voluntary yielding seek for grace of his Enemies rather than by a desperate obstinacy to cast himself into a most certain destruction where no mercy was to be expected Whereunto the Vayvod answered That he was not ignorant into what danger he was brought rather by the Treason of Czarnieviche and his Followers than by the Valour of the Enemy yet had left with him a strong power of most valiant and resolute Men who would in his quarrel and defence of themselves sell their lives very dear unto the Turks nevertheless that to avoid the farther effusion of blood he could for his part be content to yield unto his hard fortune so that the great Commanders of the Turks Army would condescend unto such reasonable conditions as he should propound and for the performance thereof give him their Faith not once or twice but seven times by solemn Oath to be taken Of this his offer the Turks accepted willing him to set down the conditions which were First that the Polonian Cossacks might in safety depart into their Country with their Horses and Armor then that they should without any violence offered to his person send him alive and in good safety unto the great Emperor Selymus before him to answer his own cause as for the Moldavians he said he needed not to covenant any thing for that the injury offered unto them tended also to the hurt of the Emperor himself and of him whom he should appoint Vayvod whose Subjects they were These conditions as reasonable were well liked of the Turks and so according to his desire confirmed seven times by the solemn Oath of every Captain and Commander in the Army both for themselves and their followers Upon this agreement the Vayvod brought all his Army out of their Trenches wherein they had lien strongly encamped and there with heavy heart took his last leave of his Souldiers to the general grief of them all amongst whom he divided such Mony and Jewels as he had as a remembrance of his kindness And there in the â—ight of them all disarming himself accompanied only with Osmolius a Polonian went in manner of a suppliant to the Turks Camp where he had full four hours Talk with the great Commanders of the Army until that at last Capucius Bassa either offended with his Speech or unmindful of his Faith before given with his Scimitar upon the suddain struck him a great blow overthwart his Face and another cross the Belly whom so wounded and as yet but half dead the Janizaries took and cut off his Head which was forthwith set up upon a Lance for all Men to behold His dead Body they bound by the Feet unto two Camels and so shamefully tore it in pieces and happy was he that could get any little piece thereof or embrue his Sword with the least drop of his Blood. This was the lamentable and woful end of Iohn the Vayvod of Moldavia a right valiant and worthy Man shamefully murdred by the perfidious Turks who had he been more constant in the Christian Faith had not happily fallen into so great misery Whose woful â—all may serve as a most notable example of the uncertainty of these worldly things for as no Man for a time had of the Turks more or more glorious Victories so in the end and as it were in demonstration of Mans fragility no Man perished more miserably The Vayvod thus perfidiously murthred the Turks with like Treachery forthwith set upon the Moldavians and slew them down right as Beasts appointed for the slaughter Which the Cossacks beholding and hoping for no better measure thrust themselves into the thickest of their Enemies and there valiantly
fled to the Kings Camp and forsook the Defence of that sorrowful City which he could not hold Nevertheless the Taurisians as many of them as remained in the City gathered themselves together to the Gates of the City well armed prepared to make a bloody entrance for the Turks whensoever they should come All the Night was spent in watching without rest on either side and yet nothing attempted but upon the break of the day a great multitude of the servile sort of the Turks and of the common rascal rout without any order from their Captains armed with Corselets Spears and Swords went to the City with Resolution to have sacked it and so to have enriched themselves with the Spoil and Pillage of that wealthy City But when they came to the guarded Gates of the City they found there contrary to their Expectation a terrible Rescue and were inforced there to joyn an hard and mortal Battel so that the Walls the Entrance yea and all the Ground thereabouts was bathed with Blood and as it were covered with Weapons and dead Carkasses And yet for all that though the Persians stood fast and firm at the arrival of this servile rout at last they were constrained to yield the entrance being overcome by the Multitude of them that out of the Camp flowed in upon them like a Flood and retiring into the City now astonished and amazed on every side they fortified themselves in their Houses under the Ground and in the corners and winding turnings of the Streets from whence with their Arrows and some few Harquebuzes they did the Turks that entred great harm Yet were they not able to kill and destroy so many of their Enemies but that at the last they were too mighty for them and wrought many grievous Mischiefs in that woful City And so a great number of this rascal People that remained alive returned to the Turkish Camp carrying away with them too manifest Tokens of the poor oppressed City wherein the miserable Woman and impotent Souls stood embracing and straining the Doors and Posts of their Houses and kissing their native Soil with Prayers Mournings and Complaints bewailing their present Miseries and yet fearing worse to come Osman the General now made acquainted with these Calamities caused Proclamation to be published That no man should be so hardy as to molest the Taurisians and in the mean time went himself about the City viewing throughly the Scituation of it and surveying the Place wherein he might both incamp himself safely and with better Foundation and greater Security erect a Castle or Fort for the more assurance of that conquered Country The City of Tauris seated at the foot of the Hill Orantes about eight days Journey from the Caspian Sea and is subject to Winds Cold and Snow yet of a very wholesome Air abounding with all things necessary for mans Life and wonderful rich with perpetual concourse of Merchandise brought thither out of the East to be conveyed unto the West and also of others brought out of these Western Parts to be dispersed into the East It is very populous so that it feedeth almost two hundred thousand Persons but yet open to the Fury of every Army without Walls and unfortified The Buildings after the manner of those of the East are of burnt Clay rather low than high For all things it carrieth the Name and was the Place of the Persian Kings Resistance until such time as that the late King Tamas removed his seat from thence further into his Kingdom to Casbin nevertheless both before and since although it had been sundry times molested by the Inrodes and Fury of the Turkish Emperours yet was it still in great Estimation and Renown Of this City Osman Bassa having taken diligent view caused his Tents to be pitched on the South side thereof where was a spacious Garden all flourishing and beautiful replenished with sundry kind of Trees and sweet smelling Plants and a thousand Fountains and Brooks derived from a pretty River which with his pleasant Stream divided the Garden from the City of Tauris and was of so great Beauty that for the delicacy thereof it was by the Country Inhabitants called Secâ—is Genet that is to say the eight Paradises and was in times past the standing House of their Kings while they kept their Residence in this City and after they had withdrawn their Seat from thence to Casbin became the Habitation and Place of aboad for the Governours of Tauris Of these Gardens and Places Osman made choice to build his Castle in whereof he gave the model himself and commanded that all the whole Circuit of those pleasant Greens should be invironed with Walls and Trenches digged round about them to convey the Water from the aforesaid River Which was accordingly begun with the greatest care that possibly might be the Foundation of the imbattelled Walls laid the Ditches digged fourteen foot broad and a mans height in depth and in the space of six and thirty days the whole work finished and brought to an end great store of Artillery mounted upon the Walls and divers Baths Lodgings and such other Houses necessary for the Turkish uses built within the Castle The first day of this building Osman fell sick of a Feaver with a bloody Flux which haply was the cause both of the slowness of the Building and of many other losses that afterwards hapned as shall be hereafter declared Five days after the building of the Castle was begun News was brought into the Turkish Camp That eight Ianizaries and divers Spaoglans were seen strangled in a Bath within the City of Tauris Whereupon the Zaini Spahini and Ianizaries came presently unto the General declaring unto him That although he had with too much Clemency given order That no man should hurt or molest the Taurisians and that according to his Pleasure every man had used Modesty towards them and Obedience to him yet the Taurisians themselves had most audaciously strangled in one of their Baths eight Ianizaries and certain Spaoglans which Injury and Insolency they said in their Judgment was not to be suffered This outrage so moved the General that without any further delay he commanded the City to be sacked leaving it wholly to the Pleasure of his Souldiers who forthwith so used the matter not as if they would have revenged an Injury but rather at once have brought an utter Destruction upon the whole City Every place was filled with Slaughter Ravishment Rapine and Murther Virgins were defloured Men-children defiled with horrible and unspeakable Sins Yonglings snatched out of their Parents Arms Houses layed even with the Ground and burnt Riches and Money carried away and in brief all things ruinated and wasted Neither were these Mischiefs committed once only but the second followed worse than the first and the third upon that worse than the second so that it was a misery almost inexplicable to behold that City so populous so rich sometimes the Court and
prosecute the War in Persia which could not be successful without the united Power of his whole Empire conducted by his own Person he resolved to make a second Journey into those Parts and with his own Hand to knock at the Gates of Babylon To prepare and dispose all matters in order hereunto he in the first place countermanded his Decree which prohibited a farther increase of the number of Janisaries for now being desirous to augment his Army beyond the account of ancient Registers he opened the Janisaries Door as they call it and enrolled six thousand more into that Order To conserve still the Order of this Militia he appointed Officers strictly and severely to take the Decimation of the Christian Children in Europe and lest as was usual they should be corrupted by the Parents who often give Presents whereby to blind the Eyes of the Ministers that so they may oversee their Children or in lieu of the comliest and most fit for Service accept of the Sickly and Impotent or such as are unworthy of the Bread and Education given them by the Sultan he most severely injoined this Service and under a thousand Menaces encharged the care hereof to be executed without Favour or Partiality to any He carefully reviewed the Books of the Timjar-Spahees countting the number exactly that every Country yields and comparing them with those mustered in the Field he confiscated the Lands of those that wanted being forfeited for non-appearance he would admit of no Excuse or Delay to the Matter in hand The Superintendant of the Ordnance but making a Scruple about the Proportion of some Guns as too weighty and unwieldy for so long a March lost his Life for doubting or making a difficulty in what the Grand Signior proposed or designed And that no Commotions at home might divert or call him back before his Business was perfected he encharged his Pasha's of the Frontiers to live quietly with their Neighbours and to be sure to give no occasions of Complaint or Cause for War during his absence recommending to the prudence of the Pasha of Silistria the care of composing certain Differences between the Princes of Moldavia and Walachia Having secured Matters as well as he could at home he ordered the Horse-tail to be set forth at the gate of the Divan and all Pasha's and Officers of the Army did the like at their own Doors His Troops began now to grow numerous the Spahees and Timariots appointed for the Guard of the Grand Signior's Tents together with other Cavalry which hold their Lands under Service amounted unto two hundred thousand From the hundred seventy two Chambers of Janisaries he drew forth thirty thousand From the Topgees or Gunners whereof there are no more than twelve hundred in their Chambers at Constantinople yet make up twelve thousand in other parts he drew out three thousand for the present Service The Shepherds and Plough-men of Bulgaria made up twenty thousand which with Water-bearers Smiths Bakers Butchers and all other Tradesmen which followed the Camp were in vast Numbers so that the whole Army with the Attendants belonging thereunto were at a moderate calculation computed to amount unto near five hundred thousand Men whereof three hundred thousand were fighting Men. The Pestilence which is the Epidemical Disease of Turkie and which abates the Numbers and Pride of that People raged this Year greatly in Constantinople and in the parts of Romagnia it entred into the Seraglio and amongst others took away the only Son of the Grand Signior of two or three Years old This caused Morat to pass most part of the Summer at a Palace on the Bosphorus where he recreated himself with his drunken Companion the Persian Traitor and hereby he contradicted the Proverb That Princes love the Treason but not the Traitor for Morat it seems loved them both entertaining this Fellow in his Bosom His Cloaths his Garb his Horses and Equipage might rival with that of the Sultan's He took place of the Chimacam in all Publick Appearances and what was most strange he preceded the Mufti which was a new Form never before practised and would have afforded matter of Wonder and Discourse but that the World considered this Novelty as a Method agreeable to the extravagant Humor of the Sultan Amongst his Pastimes nothing was more pleasing than some Divertisement acted with Blood he shot the Son of a Pasha with his Gun for daring to approach near the Walls of his Seraglio supposing that he came with curiosity to discover his Pleasures and manner of voluptuous Recreations For the same Reason he would have sunk a Boat laden with Women as it glided slowly by the Banks of the Garden He would himself behold two Thieves impailed which were condemned to die for robbing something out of his Seraglio He commanded the Head of the Treasurer of Cyprus to be cut off in his presence as also the Master of his Musick for daring to sing a certain Air which seemed Persian and to praise the Valour of that Nation The Pasha of Temiswar he put to Death at a full Divan for fighting unfortunately against Ragotski To these severe Acts of Cruelty which he called Justice he added one not unpleasant A certain Greek called Stridia Bei or Lord Oysters who had been Prince of Walachia and one whom we have before mentioned having by his oppression and harassing that People amassed a considerable Sum of Mony essayed a second time by force thereof to obtain the Principality and making his Offer and Request before the Grand Signior he was heard with some railery At length the Grand Signior told him That he was too proud and aspiring and therefore ordered the tips of his Nose and Ears to be cut off telling him that that was to clip the Wings of his Ambition But that before his departure for Persia he might consummate his Acts of Tyranny he practised one upon his Brother a Youth of twenty two Years of Age of great Hopes and good Endowments He was conducted to the presence of his Brother at the Biram to pay his Respects as is usual at that Festival and having performed the Ceremony he enlarged himself in high Praises and Admiration of the Grand Signior's Generosity and Bravery who for recovery of Bagdat was contented to expose his Person to the Inconveniences of a long Journey and the Dangers of a hazardous War and that therein he equalled if not surpassed the Glory of his Ancestors Which courtly and rational manner of Discourse did not please Morat but rather administred Subject of Jealousy fearing that he knew too much and that as he could Speak well so he might Act accordingly wherefore the same Day he caused him to be strangled to the great Sorrow of the People and detestation of his Abominable Tyranny But to amuse the Minds of the Multitude and cease their Murmuringâ— he caused it to be divulged abroad that fourteen of his Women in the Seraglio were with Child which was all false
Year of Peace and repose of this Empire what the Sultan contrived for security of himself by the death of his Brothers We acquainted you formerly in what manner the Sultan was disappointed in his designs against his Brothers by means of his Mother to whom the Janisaries had committed the care of their safety which she according to her promise had maintained and tendered equally with her own But now the Vizier being returned from the Wars and the most seditious amongst the Janisaries withdrawn from Constantinople it was thought fit to make a new attempt on the Princes still residing in the old Seraglio which was performed with those due preparations and secrecy that it took effect on Sultan Orchan the eldest of the two who in the Month of September 1671. dyed by a draught of poyson which was administred to him as a Present from his courteous Brother some say he was strangled and that before he submitted his neck to the Bow-string he killed one of the Executioners with his Hanjarre This Prince was reported by the people to be a comely Person of a strong and robustious body of large and black eyes like Sultan Morat his death was lamented by all and presaged as fatal to the Empire in regard that that very night that he was murthered the Moon suffered a greater Eclipse than it had done for many years before which happening out in this conjuncture was interpreted as â—minous and served to increase the maledictions and evil spâ—eches which the Turks in all places cast out upon those who gave this counsel to the Sultan About this time the State of Genoua desirous to change their Officers in Turkie sent a new Resident to Constantinople and a Consul to Smyrna which change was principally obtained at the request of the old Ministers who weary of an employment so tedious without a benefit corresponding to their melancholy life and perceiving their Trade decline before it was arrived to any tolerable state or degree of reputation by the assistance and mediation of friends sollicited their Letters of Revocation For the Trade of Genoua being cheifly founded on hopes of those advantages which they expected from a coarse or base alloy of mony did instantly decay so soon as the Turks discovered themselves to be abused by the vast quantities of Temins imported as we have before related after which their profit â—ailing the Consulage consequently decayed which is the only subsistence and encouragement of such Officers as are necessary to reside for the continuance of that Peace which but a few years before they unadvisedly made with the Turk The new Resident had no sooner arrived at Constantinople and considered the poor and mean estate and ill foundation of their Trade the growing charge of the Residency and the great debts thereof that were to devolve upon him from his Predecessor but he perceived into what a Labyrinth of troubles he had ingulfed himself instead of being preferred according to his hopes into a place of Honour and happy retirement In which confusion of thoughts arising one morning before day from his bed and sitting on his Close-stool as the servants of the house report reached at a Towel which being intangled within the Lock of a Carbine that hanged always charged near his bed unfortunately drew the Trigger too hard which with that gave fire and shot the poor Gentleman into the belly with a brace of Bullets of which being mortally wounded after Confession and some Prayers in a few hours he passed to another life unhappy mischance if it may be called a chance for I have understood from a sober person of that Nation that the anguish of mind which he conceived at the evil condition of his Affairs wrought in him a deepness of melancholy and despair under which languishing some days did at last most miserably lay violent hands upon himself And now it is time to recal to mind the Conspiracy of Count Serini Marquess Frangipani and Count Nadasti Persons of Quality and of great Power in Croatia and Hungary who as we said before had sent their Messengers to the Great Vizier then remaining in the Leagure of Candia with overtures of submission to the Ottoman Power It was strange News to the World to hear that the House of Serini should abandon the Christian Party and those renowned Defenders of their Country should apostatize though not from Christianity yet from that Cause and Liberty which their Ancestors and themselves had defended with Blood Treasure Valour and Constancy But dissentions and animosities sown by Satan the Enemy of the Christian Church did strangely corrupt the minds of those famous Persons and raise in them a Spirit resolved to avenge the neglect and injuries put upon them by the Ministers of the Imperial Court though at the expence and hazard of their fortunes and lives and ruine and shiprack of their Honour and Consciences For the neglects and affronts undeservedly cast on Nicholas Serini during the late War as before related and the contempt and scorn put on the Croatian and Hungarian Nobility was supposed to have fited the hot and ambitious Spirits of these Persons who could more easily endure the slavery of the Turkish yoke than condescend to the Government and prevalency of a contrary Party Wherefore in prosecution of their design the complices of Serini being resolved to submit to the Turk dispatched two other Gentlemen to the Ottoman Court besides those which were sent the year before to Salonica who arrived at Adrianople the 11 th of February 1670 1 demanding the protection of the Sultan for which they promised a Tribute of thirty Purses or fifteen thousand Dollars every year for those Lands they held in Croatia To make Answer hereunto a Divan or Council was called in which were weighed all the Arguments and Reasons on one side and the other The Muftee opposed their receiving into protection as being against the Capitulations and Agreement so lately concluded with the Emperor wherein the receiving or abetting of Rebels is expresly forbidden and provided against by one side and the other but Vanni Efendi the Preacher who used to be always of a different opinion to the Muftee urged to have them received because that the advancement of the Mahometan Cause and enlargement of their Empire was more sacred than the conservation of their League with an Infidel Prince And that the Ottoman Court was no longer to be termed the Refuge of the World if it could not yield that protection which oppressed Kingdoms and distressed Princes petitioned to obtain In this manner the matter being controverted without Agreement it was in fine resolved to refer the matter to the determination of the Grand Vizier who was now a few months past return'd triumphant from Candia But by this time Intelligence being come by way of Bosna that the Emperor had already entered Croatia with thirty thousand men that he had taken Chiacheturno in Cotoriba and that Serini and his Associates were
they remaining with the hatred whilst the Prince under colour of performing Justice procures both Riches and Fame together If it be suspected that any great Man intends to make Combustion or Mutiny in his Government or that his Wealth or natural Abilities render him formidable without farther inquisition or scrutiny all discontent of the Grand Signior is dissembled and perhaps an Horse a Sword or Sables Vest is reported to be presented and all fair Treatment is counterfeited until the Executioner gets the Bow-string about his Neck and then they care not how rudely they deal with him just like the Birds in Plutarch who beat the Cuckow for fear that in time he should become a Hawk And to make more room for the multitude of Officers who crowd for Preferments and to act the cruel Edicts of the Empire with the least noise times when a great Personage is removed from his place of Trust and sent with a new Commission to the Charge perhaps of a greater Government and though he depart from the Regal Seat with all fair demonstrations of Favour before he hath advanced three days in his journey triumphing in the multitude of his Servants and his late Hopes the fatal command Overtakes him and without any Accusation or Cause other than the Will of the Sultan he is barbarously put to death and his Body thrown into the Dirt of a foreign and unknown Country without solemnity of Funeral or Monument that he is no sooner in the Grave than his Memory is forgotten And this methinks is somewhat agreeable to the crafty Policy of Tiberius who sometimes would commissionate Men for Government of Provinces to whom before-hand he had designed not to permit licence to depart the City Postremò eò provectus est ut mandaverit quibusdam provincias quos egredi urbe non erat passurus Hence are apparent the Causes of the decay of Arts amongst the Turks of the neglect want of care in manuring and cultivating their Lands why their Houses and private Buildings are made slight not durable for more than ten or twenty Years why you find no delightful Orchards and pleasant Gardens and Plantations and why in those Countries where Nature hath contributed so much on her part there are no additional labours of Art to complete all and turn it to a Paradise for Men knowing no certain Heir nor who shall succed them in their Labours contrive only for a few Years enjoyment And moreover Men are fearful of shewing too much ostentation or magnificenâ—e in their Palaces or ingenuity in the pleasures of their Gardens lest they should bring on them the same Fate that Nabal's Vineyard occasion'd to his Master and therefore Men neglect all application to the Studies of Arts and Sciences but only such as are necessary and conducing to the mere course of living for the very Fear and Crime of being known to be Rich makes them appear outwardly Poor and become naturally Stoicks and Philosophers in all the points of a reserved and cautious Life And here I am at a stand and cannot conclude this Chapter without contemplating a while and pleasing my self with the thoughts of the Blessedness the Happiness the liberty of my own Country where Men under the protection and safe influence of a gratious and the best of Princes in the World enjoy and eat of the Fruit of their own Labour and purchase to themselves with security Fields and Manors and dare acknowledg and glory in their Wealth and Pomp and yet leave the Inheritance to their Posterity CHAP. XVIII The several Arts the Turks use to encrease their People is a principal Policy without which the greatness of their Empire cannot continue nor be encreased THere was never any People that laid Foundations and Designs of a great Empire but first thought how to make it populous and by which means they might best supply them with People not only sufficient for the Sacrifice and Slaughter of the War but for the Plantation of Colonies Possession and Security of what the Sword hath conquered We never underderstood how one People alone that was Martial and by successes in War had framed a large Empire was able from the mere original of its own Stock to abound with issue of natural Subjects to bear proportion with the stronger Nations nor how a handful of People with the greatest Policy and Courage in the World was able to embrace a large extent of Dominion and Empire It is true that Alexander did with an Army for the most part composed of Macedonians as it were in a Rant make a Conquest of the best part of the Eastern World but this Empire like a Ship that had much Sail and no Ballast or a fair Tree over-charged with Boughs too heavy for its Stem became a Windfall on a sudden The Turks therefore during the continuance of their Empire have not been ignorant of this Truth for no People in the World have ever been more open to receive all sorts of Nations to them than they nor have used more Arts to encrease the number of those that are called Turks and it is strange to consider that from all parts of the World some of the most dissolute and desperate in Wickedness should flock to these Dominions to become Members and Professours of the Mahometan Superstition in that manner that at present the Blood of the Turks is so mixed with that of all sorts of Languaâ—es and Nations that none of them can derive his Lineage from the ancient Blood of the Saracens The Romans who well knew the benefit of receiving Strangers into their Bosome called this freedom they gave Ius Civitatis whereby Foreigners became as lawful Possessours of Estates and Inheritances and had as much right to the common Priviledges as any that were born in the Walls of Rome and this Ius Civitatis was given to whole Families so that as Sir F. B. says well that the Romans did not over-spread the World but the World it self The English call it Naturalization the French Enfranchisement and the Turks call it Becoming a Believer for they joining with it a point of Religion not only the Proffers of the Goods of this World but also of Delights in the World to come make the Allurements and Arguments the more prevalent and it being an Opinion amongst them as over all the World that it is a Meritorious Work to create Proselytes scarce any who hath Mony to purchase a Slave but will procure one young and fit for any Impression whom he may name his Convert and gain Reputation amongst his Neighbours of having added to the number of the Faithful Of all this Number which yearly are added to the Professors of Mahomet none can retreat on lower Terms than Death and Martyrdom for Christ which causes may whose Consciences though touched with the sense of the denial of their Saviour yet having not Grace or Courage to assert their Faith on so hard a Lesson grow desperate or careless and die
any grant of savour or dispensation The Mahometan Religion tolerates Christian Churches and Houses of Devotion in places where they have been anciently founded but admits not of holy Buiâ—dings on new foundations they may repair the old Coverings and Roofs but cannot lay a Stone in a new place Consecrated to Divine Service nor if Fire or any accident destroy the Superstructure may a new strength be added to the foundation wherewith to underprop for another Building so that at last the Christian Churches in those Dominions must necessarily come to ruin as many already have submitted to the common fate of time And as it happened in the great and notable Fires of Galata first and then of Constantinople in the year 1660 that many of the Christian Churches and Chapels were brought to Ashes and afterwards by the Piety and Zeal of Christians scarce re-edified before by publick order they were thrown down again into their former heaps being judged contrary to the Turkish Law to permit Churches again to be restored of which no more remained than the meer foundation CHAP. III. The Arts wherewith the Turkish Religion is propagated THE Turks though they offer the specious outside of the foregoing toleration yet by their Law are authorized to enforce Mens Consciences to the profession of their Faith and that is done by various arts and niceties of Religion For if a man turn Turk his Children under the age of 14 years though educated with other Principles must be forced to the same persuasion Men that speak against the Mahometan Law that have rashly promised at a time of distraction or drunkenness to become Turks or have had a carnal knowledge of a Turkish Woman must either become Martyrs or Apostates besides many other subtilties they have to entrap the Souls of Christians within the entanglements of their Law. It is another Policy wherewith the Mahometan Sect hath been encreased the accounting it a Principle of Religion not to deliver a City or Fortress by consent or voluntary surrender where Mosques have been once built and Mahometanism professed And therefore the Turk no sooner enters a Town by Conquest but immediately lays foundation for his Temples thereby imposing an obligation of an obstinate and constant resolution on the conscience of the defendants which many times hath been found to have been more forcible and prevalent on the spirits of men than all the terrours and miseries of Famine Sword or other calamities It is well enough known upon what different interests Christianity and Mahometanism were introduced into the World the first had no other enforcements than the persuasions and Sermons of a few poor Fishermen verified with Miracles Signs and Inspiration of the Holy Ghost carrying before it the promises of another life and considerations of a glorified spirituality in a state of separation but the way to it was obstructed with the opposition of Emperours and Kings with scorn and contempt with persecution and death and this was all the encouragement proposed to Mankind to embrace this Faith but Mahometanism made its way with the Sword what knots of Argument he could not untie he cut and made his spiritual power as large as his temporal made his precepts easie and pleasant and acceptable to the fancy and appetite as well as to the capacity of the vulgar representing Heaven to them not in a spiritual manner or with delights unexpressible and ravishments known onely in part of illuminated Souls but with gross conceptions of the beauty of Women with great Eyes of the duration of one act of Carnal copulation for the space of sixty years and of the beastly satisfaction of a gluttonous Palate things absurd and ridiculous to wise and knowing Men but yet capable to draw multudes of its professours and carnal defenders of its verity And this Doctrine being irrational to the better sort of judgments causes the Lawyers who are men of the subtilest capacities amongst the Turks to mistrust much of the truth of the Doctrine of Mahomet especially the assertions relating to the condition of the other life For the representation of the delights of the next World in a corporeal and sensual manner being inconsistent with their reason leads them to doubt the truth of that point and so wavering with one scruple proceed to a mistrust of the whole System of the Mahometan Faith. One would think that in such men a way were prepared for the entertainment of a Religion erected on more solid principles and foundations and that the Jews might gain such Proselytes to their Law from which a great part of the Mahometan superstition was borrowed or that the Christians might take advantage in so well disposed subjects to produce something of the Mystery of Godliness But the first are a people so obnoxious to scorn and contempt esteemed by the Turks to be the scum of the World and the worst of men that it is not probable their Doctrine can gain a reputation with those to whom their very persons and bloud are vile and detestable nor is it likely the Christians will ever be received by them with greater Authority and more favourable inclination untill they acquit themselves of the scandal of Idolatry which the Images and Pictures in their Churches seem to accuse them of in the eyes and judgment of the Turks who are not versed in the subtile distinctions of Schoolmen in the limitations and restrictions of that Worship and the evasions of their Doctours matters not onely sufficient to puzzle and distract the gross heads of Turks but to strain the wits of learned Christians to clear them from that imputation But to return to our purpose The propagation of the Mahometan Faith having been promoted wholly by the Sword that persuasion and principle in their Catechism that the Souls of those who die in the Wars against the Christians without the help of previous acts of performance of their Law or other Works are immediately transported to Paradise must necessarily whet the Swords and raise the Spirits of the Soldiers which is the reason that such Multitudes of them as we read in History run evidently to their own Slaughter esteeming their Lives and Bodies at no greater price than the value of Stones and Rubbish to fill Rivulets and Ditches that they may but erect a Bridge or Passage for their fellows to assault their Enemieâ— The success of the Mahometan Arms produced another argument for the confirmation of their Faith and made it a Principle That whatsoever prospers hath God for the Authour and by how much more successfull have been their Wars by so much the more hath God been an owner of their Cause and Religion And the same argument if I am not mistaken in the times of the late Rebellion in England was made use of by many to intitle God to their Cause and make him the Authour of their thriving Sin because their wickedness prospered and could trample on all holy and humane Rights with impunity And I have known that
air and address and the vivacity of her Spirit and fluency of her Language thought nothing difficult for her to obtain but missing thereof for Reasons best known to the Emperor who judg'd it not good policy to add greater Authority to a person who was Vice-King of Croatia and possess'd already more Power and Interest than he could willingly afford him the Lady was forc'd much against her Nature to acquiess in a denial but not being able to suppress the violent commotions of her Spirit she openly breath'd out her menaces against the Emperor and finding an humor in the People generally inclin'd to a Revolt easily perswaded her Son-in-Law Prince Ragotski and the other principal Nobles of Hungary to enter into an Association and Conspiracy against the Emperor The first thing they did was to complain of the German Garrison in Tokai and being assembled at Zemblin they fent their Deputies to represent unto the Emperor that according to the Laws and Privileges of that Kingdom all their Forts and Places of Strength ought to be Garrison'd with no other than Soldiers of their own Country That the Protestants receiv'd all sorts of ill treatment and discountenance their Churches were taken away and not restor'd as was promis'd and agree'd besides several other Aggrievances which they laid before the Emperor supplicating his Imperial Majesty to grant them ease and redress therein according to the Constitutions and Privileges of that Kingdom which his Majesty at his Coronation had Sworn to maintain To all which the gentle and sweet temper of his Imperial Majesty and the sense of his Conscience was inclin'd to yield a benign and gracious Answer had not Father Emeric a Jesuit and his Confessor instill'd other Principles and Motives into his Mind giving him to understand that it had always been the Prerogative of the Kings his Predecessors to dispose Garrisons in all places of that Kingdom consisting of such Nations as he should judge most for the safety and security thereof And that whereas at present the Hungarians were inspir'd with an humor of Rebellion and Revolt there was no reason to trust or confide in them but in the Germans only whose Loyalty and Duty was sufficiently known and approv'd by his Majesty Farther he added that the Hungarians had in the late War against the Turk suffer'd Waradin to be lost and at the Battle of St. Gothards upon the River of Raab had appear'd in such small numbers for defence of their Country as if they had intended to have betray'd it had it not been for the German and other Foreign Forces the whole Kingdom had become a Prey to the Turks With such Discourses as these the Deputies were entertain'd and dispatch'd away without other satisfaction at which the Nobles and People were so displeas'd that they gave a stop to the Payments they had begun to make towards building the Forts and cut all the Germans in pieces which they found quarter'd about the Country and particularly they kill'd forty Soldiers of the Regiment of Spaar near Xants the which piece of Blood and Slaughter was again return'd by the Germans and Force repell'd again by Force So that now all was open defiance War and Massacre To carry on the Great Designs in hand the Malecontents assembled at the Castle of Kivar upon the Frontiers of Transilvania about two Leagues distant from Ghibania where the Gold and Silver Mines arise The Principal Persons there present were Ladislas Giulaf Gabriel de Kende Benedict Seredey Ionas Veradt the Calvinist Minister of Cassovia also Derus Bansi General of the Transilvanian Forces Ianos Betlem the Chancellor Michael Talha Governor of the Frontiers with some others where a League was form'd between the Hungarian and Transilvanian Protestants to drive and expell the Germans out of the Kingdom to demolish Zatmar and to arm themselves in defence of their Religion In this accord the Wife of Prince Apafi appear'd extreamly zealous being a Woman of a Masculine Spirit a fierce Protestant and one who had a hand in all Matters whilst her Husband apply'd himself to Hunting and to the Conversation of Learned Men. In the mean time Count Nadasti having fail'd in his late Treason against the Emperor contriv'd to Poyson him at a Magnificent Banquet which he had prepar'd for him at which the Persons present were the Empress the two Imperial Princesses Prince Charles of Lorain with all the Court. The fatal Dish prepar'd for the Emperor was a Pidgeon Pye which he extreamly lov'd but God preserv'd his Sacred Person by means of the Lady to the Count who being endow'd with greater Sentiments of Honour and Religion than her Husband beseech'd him on her knees to desist from so black and so detestable a Wickedness but not being able to prevail upon him she Order'd the Cook to set another Pye of the same fashion before the Emperor in the place of that which was poyson'd of which he having eaten without any hurt Nadasti apprehended the dealing of his Wife therein and least the Cook should discover the Secret he kill'd him the same day with his own hand Count Serini tho' he was contriving all this time yet it was not in Matters of so black a nature as these He entertain'd several Conferences with Count Tassembach a Person of as Ambitious and unsetled an humor as any whatsoever year 1669. and ready to enter into any League and Conspiracy with the other Malecontents And in fine after many Consultations he concluded it necessary to engage the Turks with them in the whole Enterprize But lest it should come to be discover'd to the Emperor 's Resident at Constantinople by the openness of the Turks who can keep no Secret it was resolv'd that the Matter should be Negotiated by the Transilvanians who being already Subject to the Turks and under their protection might with less suspicion propose this Treaty This Overture being made to the Turks they immediately embrac'd it being an Offer which at the first sight appear'd very advantageous but then the next Condition requir'd by the Chimacam who was Kara Mustapha the Grand Vizier being then at the Siege of Candia was That in Consideration of the aid and protection which the Grand Seignior was to give unto the Hungarians they were to become his Tributaries in the same manner and on the same Conditions as the Transilvanians were This Demand tho it seem'd hard to the Hungarians yet they resolv'd to pursue their Design and accordingly sent their Agents to the Vizier at Candia hoping by the lenity and moderation of his Nature to obtain more easie terms than those demanded by the Chimacam and in the mean time to notifie their intention of Revolt unto all the World they caus'd a Standard to be erected with two Scymeters died with Blood and a Crescent or Half Moon over them The Grand Vizier being then labouring at the Siege of Candia and in a doubtful Condition of Success was not willing
the Christian Camp In the mean time the Captain General form'd all the Trenches and Traverses for an Attack and bomb'd the Town with Twenty Mortar-pieces and batter'd the Walls with six Pieces of Cannon carrying Fifty pounds weight of Bullet The Report of the Seraskier's near approach confirm'd by the Scouts and other Messengers and that the Turks with a Body of 10.000 Men were come within six Italian Miles of the Leaguer Count Conismarc with a very strong Party advanced once again to meet and give them Battle leaving the Cavalier Alcenago one of the Major Generals with a sufficient Force to maintain the Siege The next Day after Count Conismarc had risen from before the Town being the 14 th of Iune they found the Seraskier encamp'd with 10.000 Men of which Two thousand were Horse in a very advantagious Post which seemed very difficult to be forced Howsoever the Venetians resolving to surmount all the Disadvantages with their Valour enter'd into the Vally by a very streight Passage where the Turks lay encamped and forced them to engage in Battle which lasted for the space of two Hours in a dubious Condition it not appearing as yet to which side the Victory would incline The Regiments of Corbon and Visconti which were Dragoons behaved themselves very bravely and sustaining the heat of the Battle the greatest part of the Loss fell on them but the Saxons and the Troops of Brunswick coming to their assistance with four small Field-pieces forced the Enemy to quit the Field and betake themselves to flight leaving about Five hundred dead upon the Place with all their Tents and Baggage besides many of them are wounded amongst which the Seraskier himself was one all which was perform'd by the wonderful Mercy of God without any considerable loss on the Christian side The Joy of this Victory was solemnized with Te Deum and giving Thanks to God and with many vollies of Shot and Cannon which wholly disanimated the Besieged and put them into such a distracted Consternation that with more lenity than before they began to hearken to a second Summons which the Captain General to spare farther effusion of Bloud had been pleased to send to them After divers Debates and Articles propos'd the Besieg'd declar'd themselves willing to lay down their Arms and yield on Conditions that three Days should be given to the Garrison to march out with their small Arms and Baggage and that shipping should be given to the Garrison and Inhabitants to Transport them to the nearest Coast of Barbary Whilst these things were in agitation it unfortunately happen'd that by some Accident a Fire took in certain Houses near a Magazine of Powder which on a suddain blew up and killed an Hundred and Fifty Turks with Sefer Pasha the Commander in chief of Navarin and also six Christians and about fifteen wounded without the Walls of the City The Turks fearing lest this Accident should be esteem'd as done with Design came trembling before the Captain General solemnly protesting their Innocence in the Disaster offering two other Hostages for performance of the Articles agreed and laying their Standards and Keys of their City at the feet of the Captain General they were graciously received And accordingly at the time appointed above Three thousand Persons were embarked of which One thousand were capable to bear Arms and were conveyed over to the Coast of Barbary and the Venetians took Possession of the Town and planted the Colours of St. Mark on the Walls thereof It was not long after before the Fortress of Modon followed the same fortune for the Christian Forces losing no time to pursue their good Success on the 22 d of Iune the Armada of Ships and Gallies shewed themselves before Modon year 1686. at which the Garrison not seeming to be dismay'd the Pasha who Commanded in chief returned a resolute Answer full of Bravery and Defiance to the Summons sent to him by the Captain General Upon which the Approaches were begun and the Batteries raised and Cannons plaid and Bombs thrown by Direction of that famous Engenier Mutoni by which the Garrison being terrified on the 7 th of Iuly they spread a white Flag and surrender'd on Conditions That in three Days they should leave the Place and march out with Arms and Baggage which accordingly was perform'd on the 10 th of Iuly all the Inhabitants to the number of Four thousand of which about One thousand were Soldiers bearing Arms abandon'd their Habitations with sad and dejected Countenances and as was agreed by Articles were all Transported into Barbary The Town being seized there were an Hundred Pieces of Cannon found therein of which Ninety one were of Brass besides great Quantities of Powder and Ammunition and plenty of Provisions Thus good Success attending the Venetian Arms the Captain General resolved to pursue his Conquests whilst Fortune inclined to his side and to proceed to Napoli de Romania a Town anciently Famous and celebrated for its happy and commodious Situation in the most pleasant and richest part of all the Morea The Greeks call it Anaplia and Ptolomy Nauplia being seated at the bottom of a Bay call'd in former times Sinus Argolicus having a very spacious and secure Port for Shipping and very commodious for Trade The Town it self is situated with great Advantages being defended on the one side by the Sea and on the other by high and craggy Hills having Walls filled with Earth much after the Modern Fortification but without any Ditch only at the Gate to the Land-side there is a kind of a Ditch about six Paces broad and about six Foot deep with Water it hath also something like a Counterscarp but inconsiderable it hath no Draw-bridge but only some Passages thereunto which the Turks have made a little difficult to enter The Venetians having refreshed their Army for a while before Modon order'd Lorenzo Venier Captain extraordinary with three Ships of good force to Cruise within the Archepelago where he discovered between the Islands of Nixia and Nicaria a Fleet of Turkish Vessels call'd the Caravan bound from Egypt to Constantinople plying to Wind-ward nine of which belonged to Constantinople and four Merchant Ships from Rhodes and other Places under Convoy of four Tripoli Men of War The Venetians immediately made up to them and engaged with them for the space of six Hours with Damage on both sides thô the Turks had much the worst and at length with help of the Night were forced to take Refuge in the Port of Rhodes and the Venetians afterwards retired into Trio a Port on the Island of Parisi where having taken some fresh Water and mended their Rigging and other damages sustained in the late Fight they sailed again towards Rhodes and being on their way between Lemno and the Shore of Caramania they espyed Two great Ships and a Sayke and making up and passing some Broad Sides upon them the greatest Ship ran ashoar and set
Designs and infatuate them in all their Counsels Howsoever all the World cannot but confess That the loss of so many Brave Men could not but prove a fatal Blow to all Christendom especially to the Germans who fought almost to the last Drop of Blood Nor were the Turks unsensible of their Losses also both as to Numbers and Quality for one of the Sultan's Brothers-in-Law called Sahin Mehmet Pasha a brisk daring Man and a good Soldier and so Named from Sahin which signifies a Falcon and was the next to the Grand Vizier and carried three Horse-Tails gilded before him was killed by a Carbine-shot for which reason he was much lamented at the Court and most especially by the Queen-Mother not only because he had been her Son-in-Law but a Person endued with many Rare and Excellent Vertues Besides which the famous Mahmud Pasha Celebrated by all to be one of the most Accomplished Soldiers of this Age and the most Warlike Cavalier of all the Ottoman Nation He was an Albanian Born a Man of great Reputation and Fame called Mahmud Bei Oghli and was slain with three Carbine-shots and fell amongst the most Renowned Officers of the Turks These two were said to be the first who broke into Veterani's Army one to the Right and the other to the Left-Wing where they found and encountred such unexpected Opposition that the Turks confessed That they had never met the like and had not prevailed against their Enemies at that time had it not been for the Resolution and Bravery of their Fortunate Sultan who standing in the Rear with his Scimiter in his Hand hindered the base intended Flight of his Soldiery This Action gave a full stop to all the following Designs of this Year for the Turks reasoning with themselves That in case so small an Army as that of Veterani was able to do such Feats what would become of their Forces were they to engage against the whole entire Army of the Kral that is the Elector for they call the King of Poland Kral and so other Inferiour Princes to the Emperor whom they call Kaisar but the King of England they could never be taught to call otherwise than Kral The Grand Seignior having made his Triumphant Entry into Constantinople the Militia of Asia which attended the Sultan from the War had licence given them to return Home to their own Countries and Orders were given to open a Door as they call it to enroll Janisâ—riâ—s according to the usual Ceremonies usâ—â— on those Occasions and care was taken to 〈…〉 as well the New Janisaries 〈…〉 Veterane Albanian Troops 〈…〉 or Marine Regiments 〈…〉 their Numbers of which â—everal had been lost in the late Engageâ—â—nts at Sea the which tho' they had not for many Years been fought with so much equality of Fortune between the Venetians and the Turks as they had been for this Year yet it was not determined which side had gained the better tho' the Turks avoided the Fight so much as was possibâ—e and thereby gave an evidence of their own Weaknesâ— and doubtful Condition It hath been long since we have heard any Discourse of Tekâ—â—y being not regarded so much by any as by the French Ambassador for as to the Turks they had no Opinion of him nor would they have it be thought that they had any need of his Forces or Interest of his Party in Hungary but suffered him to Lodge in one of the vilest Streets in the Town amongst Iews and the meaner sort of the Armenians called Balata his Countenance was much changed pale and fallen and his Feet Swelled so that his Enemies scorned him and his Friends could expect nothing more of good from him The Year drawing now towards an end all the Endeavours of the Turks were to begin the following Year with greater Forces than that of the preceding and herein they were the more concerned in regard of the Moscovites who were coming down upon the Tartars with vast Numbers of Soldiers and all things prepared to make War upon them and to take Asac at least the Diversion hereby would be great and so employ the Tartars that to defend their own Countries they would be obliged to desert the Service and Cause of the Turks Howsoever the Successes of the Turks had been this Year so great as gave them courage to consider in what manner they might be able to form two Armies for the next with one of which the chief Design was to enter Transylvania and if possible to make Peace with the Moscovites by the Negotiations of the Tartars but all this came to nothing as we shall see by the Sequel of the following Year Anno 1696. year 1696. THO' the Turks had gained some advantage the last Year over the Venetiaâ—s both by Sea and Land namely in the Recovery of Scio and by giving a Check or Stop to the Venetian Fleet yet they gained little more thereby than some little Fame and Reputation to the present Sultan Mustapha whom the People began to consider as a Deliverer sent to them from Heaven to recover their almost lost Empire which lay under sad Distresses as well in Asia as in Europe This Opinion of the People when they observed the Justice the Courage and the Resolution of this Sultan to go in Person to the War and that nothing could divert him from it gave them Courage and Assurance tâ— expect a turn of Fortune and hopes of better Successes for the future and tho' the French promised them not to make Peace without them but to joyn with them in a perpetual League of Friendship yet the Turks did not much trust them but kept a watchful Eye over them knowing very well how little stress there is to be laid on the Promises of the Great Monarch of France who was also equally Jealous of the Faith of the Turks and both of them equally doubtful of one another This Great Ottoman Empire had the last Year changed both their Master and the Chief Officers without any considerable Change or Troubles in the State amongst themselves for that this Sultan in whom clearly appeared a Spirit of greater Wisdom and Courage than in his Father Mahomet IV or in his Uncle's succeeding him gave the Soldiery and the People such Hopes and Expectations from him that none durst open his Mouth or lift up his Hands against him there appeared also something more of Justice and Vertue in him and of Diligence and Care and Sedulity in his Business than was found in his Father or in any of the succeeding Uncles as we have formerly said which gave hope to the great Governors of the Empire that under him the Losses which the Empire had sustained in these last Wars might be repaired for tho' the Recovery of the Isle of Sâ—io was made before he came to the Throne and consequently might be looked upon as an effect of his Uncle's Counsels for that Mustapha did not enter upon the Government until the end of Ianuary