grete deuccyon of hym and alle hys people of Rhodes and after that they had made theyr prayers to god to our lady in whoe 's quarell they faught the Lorde mayster anon commanded to putte down the houses and habytacyons of the Iues that were with in the cytee by the walles called the Iure of Rhodes Also were there made wythinne the cytee of Rhodes grete and mighty dyches for the sauyng of the body of the cytee yf the turkes gate the fyrste walles and therfore they made day and myghte grete werkes as walles of tymbre and many other thynges defensybles to the whiche labour euery creature in rhodes of alle maner of aage bothe men and women of alle maner states putted and aplyed theym selfe and they re goodes wyth grete wylle and grete deuocyon for Ihesus sake And in thees whyle the bombardes and grete gonnes of the turkes casted downe and destryed the walles of the cytee of Rhodes wyth so grete myghte and strenghte and with soo grete wonder that alle they that were in Rhodes strangers and other olde and yong of all the countreyes of crystendom sayd that they herde neuer strokes of bombardes so grete and so horryble as thylk were The fals traytour George sayde also that hyt was Impossible after hys thynkyng to fynde in all the world suche instrumentes of werre that were so grete and horryble of noyse as they were for they of a towne called Reede whyche ys an honderd myles from Rhodes toward the eest herde the grete brute and the grete noyse as they sayd afterward And also for to shewe and declare the meruoylous gretenesse of the sayde bombardes and gonnes the grete pyles and postes strong and myghty that were stykked in the gronde behynde atte taylle of the forsayde grete bombardes gaue suche grete and myghty shakyng that the howses of Rhodes other whyles shaked in suche a wyse like yf hyt hadde ben a yerth quake But they of Rhodes alleway besy and prouydent stopped wyth trees the grete ruyne of they re walles and made also many dyches wythinne the cytee The turkes vexed also the Rhodyans wyth many other and dyuers instrumentes of werre for they ordeyned rond aboue the foresayde Cytee of Rhodes certayn instrumentes of werre the whyche ben called Slynges or Engynes And the turkes with suche instrumentes of werre casted in to the eyere a pype full of grete stones the whyche foll vpon the houses of Rhodes and putted theym in a wrecched ruyne wyth grete murdre of theym that were within for that tyme and forthermore they putte in a grete thoughte and sorowe alle the hole cytee of Rhodes for noo persone was sure in hous wyth oute he were in a kaue But neuerthelesse the prudente and wyse Lorde Mayster and hys noble conseyle fonde a remedye as hit foloweth For anone he commanded that alle maner of women and all folke of yong aage and olde aage not able for to fyghte shulde be putte by the walles of the towne in a voyde place for the guyse of the cytees ys to haue next the walles suche a voyde place and there were made myghty schaffoldes the whiche were not so hye as the walles of the cytee for be cause that the turkes sholde not aspye hyt for in suche voyde place they casted noo stones but into the myddes of the cyte The yong men able to fyghte kepte theym self eshewed the castyng of the stones in the day lyght and in the nyght they hyded theym in streng places kaues so that by the myracles of god prayers of crysten people fewe men or bestes of the cyte were hurted The turkes not vnderstanding howe god pourneyed kepte the Rhodyans harmeles ordeyned two grete slynges in a hye place toward the weste from the whiche they myght seen all the cyte of Rhodes and fro thens they casted grete stones in the myddes of the cytee In thees meane whyles whenne thees thynges were so ordeyned the grete basse of the turke sawe consyderyd that the dylygence of the Lord mayster noyed moche to hys power and to hys counseyles Therfore he dysposed by meane whyles to putte to deth the forsayd Lord mayster of Rhodes And ordeyned two turkes of the whyche one of theyme shulde goo yeld hym selfe to the Rhodyans for to lyue in crystes fayth telle the Rhodyans that another of the turkes whiche was hys folawe sholde also come to Rhodes and forsake the fals byleue of the Turke But the basse that ys to saye the cappetayne of the turkes had ordeyned that the same felaw shold bring poyson into Rhodes wyth whiche the Lorde Mayster sholde be putte to deth and be cause that thees two turkes shold auenture theym selfe to poyson the Lord Mayster the basse hadde promysed theim many grete rewardes But he that came to Rhodes afore hys felawe as we haue sayde was in hys talkyng and in hys purpos and in alle hys desyng in Rhodes fonde inconstante and varyante wherfore anone the Rhodyans had demyng and playne opynyon that he was come for to worke som trayson And so after dylygence and sâ—rayâ—e examynacyon he confessed the trayson and hys boldenes and therfore was he putte to dethe as a traytre The daye neyce folowyng hys felawe no thyng knowyng of thys came toward Rhodes but the crysten men stroke sore vpon hym wherfore he fledde and torned agayne to the turkes so the basse was begyled of his trayson In thees whyles the turkes werred agayns one syde of the cyte called the warde of the Italyans in a derk nyghte they came so nygh that they putted gonnes and grete bombardes vpon the bankes of the dyches and made grete strenghte wyth trees rond abowte that they sholde not be broken with no maner shottes of the Rhodyans But anone after they were spyed and sene wherfore there was a conseyle made in Rhodes where fyfty lykkely yong men and veray louers of oure lord Ihesu cryste promysed them selfe there to deye in that quarell or to destroye in that same nyghte the sayd grete bombardes and gonnes with alle theire araye And so a knyght of the ordre of Seynt Iohan was capeteyne to the sayd fyfty lykkely yong men and they came pryuely by the bothome of the dyche wyth certayne ladders whiche they broughte wyth theym to the bankes wher as the bombardes and gonnes were and made suche a fray that the turkes fledde away fro the bombardes and .x. of theym were slayne and also they destreyed alle that ordonnaunce and casted in the dyche And thys done the forsayd fyfty yong men wyth they re capeteyne came agayne in to the cyte of Rhodes as men vyctoryous Wherfore the Lord Mayster of Rhodes gaue vnto theym many worshypfull yeftes be cause of they re vertuous manhode and for to gyue courayge exhortacyon to alle other And they were resceyued in Rhodes wyth grete glorye and Ioye also they had grete thankynges of alle the people of Rhodes Therfore
and galeâ—eâ— And of the sayd naueye companye was Basse that ys to say capetayn in english a Greke whiche was of the noble hoâ—s called Palliogolus the whiche when he shuld take shippyng asked after Antony Melagolo hit was told him that four dayes afore he was myscheuously slayne in Counstantinople Therfor he toke with hym Dymetryus renegate felawe to the sayde Antony anon after theire departyng fro Constantinople by see the turke send as sayd yâ— hys other cost by land that wente ferre aboute by the countreyes of Asya for fere lest crysten men shuld knowe they re entente The Turke also closed and stopped alle maner of passayges of his landys saue the secrete weyes that his oste wente Neuerthelesse the lord Mayster of Rhodes by his grete witte dylygence had knowlege of alle this array For the Turke had messyngers that were not all trewe for som of thayme told thayre maysters conseyle But when the oste that wente by lande came to Lycye the Rhodyans had grete meruayle what they were and the turkes made a commyn sclandyr to dysceyue the Rhodians and saydyn that theyr lord the grete Turke was dede and they were sende thedyr to kepe the contrey of Lycye from harm of ennemyes But the lord Mayster of Rhodes had knowlege of al thees wyles falsede of the Turke And therfore he wyth grete dylygence made strong wyth men of werre and vytaylles all the holdes bothe castelles and forslettes within the Isle of Rhodes That ys to saye Longon The Castylle of Seynt Petre Feracle Lynde Monoleto And alle the people of the Isle of Rhodes wythdrewe to the stronge holdes with they re goodes and catelles And the barle that was rype lyghtly they gederyd hyt vppe and toke hit with thaym And be cause that whete and other maner of cornes were not alle rype thay plukkyd thaym vppe fro the ground as they were and broughte thayme to the townes and holdes And whenne thay were in doyng of these werkys with grete haste and furye the wache that was on the toppe of the hylle besyde seynte stephen shewed a token a knowleche that in the west from Counstantinople was on the see saylyng a grete nombre of shippes And thenne the most parte of the peple of rhodes wente vnto the hye places sawe theim And anone the same shippes wente toward a town called Physoom whiche ys in the countreye called Lycye vpon the see syde .xxii. myles from Rhodes and there they landed receyued the men of werre that came theder by lande by the countrey of asya as I haue sayde afore And thenne they tourned theyme in the see toward Rhodes and so in a shorte tyme they werre at the bankes of the Isle of Rhodes And the nombre of the shippes that came to the bankes of Rhodes was a honderd And thâ—s was in the yere of our lord a thousand four honderd foâ—â— schore the .x. kalendre of the moneth of Iune And anon with grete dylygence they voyded theire shyppes of the men of werre and of their ordonnances And the men of werre made their parkes and their tentes strongly vpon the hylle of seint Stephen afore sayd And afterward they putted they re ordonnance on the see banke vnder the hylle of Seynte Stephen wherfore the Rhodyans sawe all theym that were on the hyll But they myghte not see theire ordonnances and instrumens of werre whiche were on the see banke vnder the hylle be cause of the hyenesse of the hylle And soo anone the shyppes wente and came agayne from the bankes of Rhodes to Physoom bryngyng wyth theyme at euery tyme their men of wrere toward Rhodes And in the meane whyle somme of the turkes on horsebake and on fote the moste hardyest ranne to the walles of Rhodes wyth grete menassing and crakyng And the Rhodyans wyth grete manhode wente agaynest theyme and putte theyme to flyghte and slewe many of theyme And in the nexte daye folowyng the turkes made agayn an other assaute whiles the Rhodyans were at dyner but also they were putte to flyghte and som of theyme to deth But there was one of the knyghtes of Rhodes the whiche auentured him selfe to ferre and was slayne of the turkes and thenne they toke hys heede and putte yt on a spere and ranne with grete myrth and Ioye to theire companye and oste And the body was broughte to Rhodes wyth the rayemente The turkes anone after sette thre bombardes of grete vyolence in the chyrcheyarde and gardens of Seynte Antony whiche was but a lytill space from Rhodes And with thees bombardes they studyed and thoughte to thrawe downe the hye toure strong place of Rhodes called the toure of Seynte Nycolas and couered their bombardes wyth grete logges and trees bourdes of grete defence But whenne the Rhodyans had spyed it they alsoo ordeyned thre grete bombardes agaynes the oste of the turkes whiche casted throe the ryghte syde of theire oste grete and myghty stones whiche dyd theyme grete harme And in the mornyng folowing George the grete gonner of the whiche we haue sayde afore came sodeynly as amasid man to the dyche of Rhodes toward the palays of the Lord mayster and saluted and greted the Rhodyans frendely and mekely cryed and prayed that he myght come in to the citee and so he was resceyued And be cause that he had the rayement and leuerey of the Turke somme smote at hym But many dyffended hym and brought hym vnto the Lord mayster of Rhodes This George was a personable man and welbesene of grete eloquence and of grete malyce a duche man borne And anone he was asked whiche was the cause of hys comyng theder He answerde For the fayth and relygyon of Ihesu cryste and for the welfare and worship of alle crystendom And be cause that he forsoke the fals byleue of the Turke therfore he was receyued with grete ioye and also his purpos was gretely preysed yf he wold abyde stedfastely in hyt as he sayde Anone after yt was asked him what oste the Turke had sende agaynest Rhodes and what nombre of fyghtyng men and what ordenance of instrumens of werre George with boldenes with witte as it semed with throth answerd to the questyons and sayd that the turk had the nombre of an honderd thousand fyghtyng men and xvi grete bombardes euerychon of .xxii. fote of lenght of the whiche the lest casted stones euery stone of .ix. spannes in compas aboute But within Rhodes were many opynyons and dyuers sentences of the comyng of the sayd George from the Turke to crysten folke For somme sayd that he came as a spye and that afore thys tyme he with grete malyce had done many thynges agaynest god and specyally had forsaken crystes lawe and that for certeyn he werked nowe for to betraye Rhodes The moste parte sayde that he was a grete mayster in makyng of instrumentes of werre and that he was a defensyble man in what someuer place he was in
Rhodyans wolde lete hym goo and come sure They answered and sayd to thys man that they were well contente that the grete capeteyne of the Turke sholde sende hys embasserour vnto the dyche and bollewerke of that syde of the cytee and that there sholde be a noble man the whiche shulde gyue an answere for the Lorde mayster so the day next folowing the Embassetoure of the forsayde Capetayne came theder And sayde howe that he hadde grete meruayle that suche a lytyll cytee wolde withstande and resyste agaynest the grete myghte and puyssaunce of the dredefull Turke whyche had conquered .ii. Emperys and so many Kyngdommes Therfore he exhorted theym to haue pyte of iheyme selfe and not to be the cause that the cytee of Rhodes sholde be taken by the assaute of the turkes and by strong hande for thenne the turkes sholde putte to myscheffe and to vyolence bothe men and women beyng in the cytee of Rhodes and forthermore he sayd that yf they of Rhodes wolde desyre take of the turkes peas theâ— sholde haue hyt wyth the possessyon of the selfe Rhodes and wyth alle theire goodes or elles they shulde be putted utterly to destructyon with all maner cruelte and so he menashed to be in shorte tyme to come and therfore he bade theim answere wheder they wolde peas or werre Thenne anon answered the noble and prudente knyghte that there was for the Lorde Mayster and sayde howe that the Rhodyans hadde grete meruaylle that the turkes with soo grete naueye and wyth so strong armee agaynes the honour of all manly werryers shulde eyhorte they re ennemyes to peas And sayd that the Rhodyans vnderstode and knewe ryght well the feynte fals colour of theym for they wyste well that they dyd hit be cause that they sholde preue their hertes Therfore he sayde that nether by yeftes nether by menasshes they wold do shame to crystendom and that wythinne the cyte of Rhodes was a comyn acorde among the grekes latynes and al the people of Rhodes whiche wold rather dye for crystes fayth thenne to be of amyte and of the lawe of Mahumete And yf it so were that the turkes wolde breke vppe their siege and turne agayne to their countreye and after sende embassetoures to Rhodes for peas the Rhodyans sholde therof by conseyl gyue theym an answere but syth that they were so myghty in armes they bade theym vse and doo that they came fore and that thorough the grace of Ihesu they shold knowe that they had not to doo nor to fyghte wyth men of Asea their countrey couherdes and vnherty as women but they sholde knowe wel and perceyue that they shulde feghte and be in hande wyth strong manly and crysten people of Rhodes After the whyche answere the turkes wyth loe chiere and halfe shamely contenaunce departed from theyme and tourned agayne to their â—sie and to they re capeteyne And so the more that the rhodyans wythstode the turkes wyth myghte and wysedom the more waxed the turkes furyous agaynes Rhodes And anon after thys wyth grete bombardes gonnes engynes and all other suche instrumentes of werre they vexed and greued the Rhodyans and purposed to preue yf the dedys of the Rhodyans sholde accorde wyth they re grete wordes Therfore lyke wyse as they hadde done a grete and horryble assaute agaynest the toure of Seynte Nycolas .xxxvii. dayes passed or deyned and dressed alle they re bombardes gonnes of werre alle theire ordonnance and theire myghte agaynest the pryncypal strenghte and moste neweste walles of the cyte of Rhodes howe be hyt that they were large newe and fortefyed wyth myghty toures and bollewerkes neuertheles wyth castyng of thre thousand and fyfe honderd grete bombardes stonee they were horrybly brused and thrawen downe And many worshipfull places and howses of the Rhodyans by that syde wyth the hurte the ruyne of that newe walle were myscheuously broken desâ—ryed all to pieces The whiche myserable case and horryble ruyne fered many of the Rhodyans her 〈◊〉 and putted theyme to more thoughte and sorowe thenne euer they were sythen the comyng of the turkes theder But the Lorde Mayster as a stedfaste Prynce trustyng in Ihesu cryste and in hys swete mother marye and in Seynte Iohan Baptyste conforted alle the people so that nether the knyghtes nether the pryours nether the baylyffes of the ordre nether merchaunts nether people in Rhodes were afered but gladly as the case steâ—â— were redy and contente to fyght hand for hande wyth the turkes at broken walles and playne place And so the turkes by two or thre euenynges folowyng came to the dyches wyth theire taberettys and made songes of myrthe hopyng that wythin shorte dayes they sholde gete rhodes And the Rhodyans from thother syde of the broken walle answered thayme as merely agayn wyth trompettes and claryons but the Lorde Mayster knowyng by hys prudence that anone wyth grete myght furye the turkes wold come theder to assaute the cytee he fortefyed the walles with knightes of hys ordre and moste manlyest werryers and he hym selfe by the broken walle was full of besynes to teche warne and comforte all the people abowte hym and was redy atte alle owres abode to gyue socout to the knyghtes werry ere on the walles and so was alle hys people from the hyest degree vnto the loest dysposed In thys whyle the turkes made theyme redy in their ofte for to come and gyue assaute And made a commyn crye that the grete Turke gaue theym all the goodes that were in Rhodes and that they sholde toke al the yong chyldren in Rhodes and cause theim to â—enaye their fayth and they that were aboue .x. yeres vnto .xx. sholde haue their throtes kette and all that were aboue that aage yf they were taken alyue shuld be perfed thorow the fondemente and thorow the hede with a long stake wherefore they bare wyth theyme to the assaut .viii. thousand stakes and that the Turke all onely was contente to be vyctoryous and lorde possessour of Rhodes 〈…〉 all the turkes came toward Rhodes but afore that they gaue assaute after their fals beleue called to their helpe Mahumete and wasshed theim all naked in rennyng water in a kene of purgacyon of their synnes and after they arayed theim euerychon after hys qualyte of werre and broughte sakkes wyth theim to putte in the goodes of Rhodes and tyed at their gyrdess ropes to bynde theire prysonners For they hoped in their God Mahumete that they wythoute fayle shulde haue vyctorye of Rhodes The daye afore that the grete assaut and bataylle was they casted and shotte agaynes the walles grete stones of .viii. the gretest bombardes that they had and casted downe the reparacyons and defences whiche the Rhodyans hadde made in the broken walles so that they stroke and slewe the waches that were on the walles in the night folowyng for they sessed neuer thorowyng throe alle that daye and the nyghte and alle ther mornyng