acte of Circumcizion was doone by night beholde and marke well wherefore I haue deferred vntyll now to speake of the Ceremonies which then were obserued the which I wyll touch bréefelie and in fewe wordes The seuenth day of Iune Amurathe caused Proclamation to be made that they should bring into the Parke aforesayde all those as were to be Cyrcumcized with promise by him made to giue vnto euerie one a gowne a shyrt and a hundred peeces of money which were woorth about ten pence a peece and at this crie or Proclamation there was gathered together such a multitude of young chyldren seruauntes lacques and slaues which came most part rather for the desyre of gayning the giftes then vppon any deuotion at all so that they lacked and needed aboue thirtie Surgeons to dresse them and yet they were occupied about them all that daye and most parte of the night And in the same night after the sportes and pastimes were all ended and about two of the clocke in the morning Mahumet the sonne of Amurathe the young Prince of sixteene yeeres olde was Circumcized not openlie but in his fathers Waredrope and in the presence of his sayd father and of the 〈◊〉 Officers and Seignioâ—â— by Mahumet Bassâ— the 〈◊〉 Counseller of that State You haue heere freâ—ndly Reader the discourse of the foolish Ceremonies of that myserable Nation which is in daunger to â—eare and suffer the eternall names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but before I make an ende I will adde and speake one word more touching and concerning that as happened and chaunced at the end of the sports and which troubled vs all that were at the Feast First of all were the weddings of the Daughter of Amurathe made who was maried to the Admyrall of Turkie these weddinges were royallie feasted for the spars of fiue dayes Then by chaunce it fell out so that Sulthane the wife of Amurathe dyd not goe her full tyme all out and the tumult grewe betweene the Ianissaries and the Archers of his Garde the which dyd rise in tumult the one against the other in his presence and within the Parke with such furie and â—â—erce anger that without any respect of theyr General or of the great Bassa or of Amurathe himselfe they came to handy blowes in such sort that two Ianissaries and foure Archers were left dead and stretched abreade euen in the same place Amurathe now being sore afraide and amased thereat and verie much doubting the Ianissaries which are meruailous vnhappy and wicked people caused his Castell to be made fast and throughlie furnished round about You seâ— now him which was in hope to haue swallowed vppe as it were all the whole world stand trembling and quaking for feare euen in the middest of his owne garde Vnder the collour of I wot not what bruite or noyse and had much adâ—â— to warrant or saue himselfe vnder the shylter or suretie of any walles And now to make an end the wedding being all finished the one and twenty day of Iune the day before the which he retyred and went in the morning into his Castel with his Sonne being conducted and guided by the Bassas and with three hundred other Gentlemen This is it as I had to saye touching the sportes and sightes at Constantinople wherein I haue béene as bréefe and vsed as much dilligence as possiblie I could and if it dooth not lyke you good Reader yet thinke not euyll of me although I am not ashamed to write it but rather blame you him which durst attempt to doo all these things and take well in woorth my endeuor héerein Vale. FINIS T. H. I doo send vnto you the Confession of Gennadius the Patriarche of Constantinople exhibited to Mahumet the 11. Emperour of that name immediatly after that Constantinople was taken who required the same of him and this I receyued of Theodosius Zygomalius the cheefe Notarie of this present Patriarche Ieremy Thus fare you well in all felicitie at Constantinople the 9. of Iulie WE beleeue that God is the creatour of all thinges whatsoeuer they be and that they were of nothing and that he is neither a body nor hath a body but liueth intellectuallie and he is a God verie good and perfect of mind or substaunce and most wise not made or compounded he is without beginning and hath no ende he is in the World and aboue the world he is not in one place and he is in euerie place These are the properties of God by the which he is seperated from his creatures and such other lyke He is 〈◊〉 and good and true whatsoeuer things his works haue in a part excellent he hath them all alone by a more excellent manner And his creatures haue these same perfections because he giueth them to his creatures and because he is good in lyke manner his creatures are good because he is wise they are wise because he is true they are true and whatsoeuer are such like sauing onelie that God hath them in a principall place the creatures by perticipation We beléeue that in GOD there are thrée properties which are as the beginninges and fountaines of all the other his properties and God lyueth by these thrée properties euer 〈…〉 inglie in himselfe and before that the world was builded by him and by them he builded the world and by them he gouerneth it And these thrée properties we call them thrée persons and because these thrée properties doo not deuide the onelie and most simple substaunce of God therfore be is God and with these properties he is one God and there are not three Gods We doo beléeue that the worde and spirite doo spring but of the nature of God as from the fyre lyght and heat and as the fyre although there be nothing that can be lyghtned and be made warme by it notwithstanding the same fyre hath alwayes lyght and heate and sendeth out lyght and heate So before the world was builded the worde was and so was the spirite naturall powers of God because God is a minde or substaunce as it was sayde before and these thrée the minde or substaunce the worde and spirite is one God as the soule of man is the minde and a worde intellectuall and an intellectuall will and notwithstanding these thrée in déede are one soule Moreouer wée call the worde the wisdome of God and the power and his Sonne because he is the sonne of his naturall substaunce and as we call the sonne of the nature of man the sonne of man and as the cogitation of this minde is so is it in these diuine things Furthermore we name the will of God the spyrite of God and loue Wée call the minde the Father because he is not begotten and without a cause the cause of the sonne and of the spirite Because therefore God doth not vnder stand onely his creatures but more he knoweth and vnderstandeth himselfe and for this cause he hath the worde and wisdome by the which he vnderstandeth
Frauncis Billerbegâ— from Constantinople written to Dauid Chyrtaens of Germanie S. P. D. WHen at this time I liued at Constantinople and deliberated with my selfe of the argument of an Epistle to bee sent to you 〈…〉 that I should shewe vnto your matter not vnpleasant if I should signifie vnto you somewhat of the Gouernours which are vnder the Turkes Empire And of such thinges which are doone in Persia and of other things which I sawe heere or haue receyued of men of singuler credit worthy of memory I thought it superfluous to write vnto you of the Ecclesiasticall state amongst these people when as I doo vnderstand by your Oration y t you haue better intelligence then I which a Nobleman Communicated with mee For vnto me it was most acceptable both for other causes and also forasmuch as I perswaded euery thing to bee true which therin is conteyned It pleaseth mee to begin with the Emperour himselfe whose name is Amurathes the third the second sonne of Selimus who is about thyrty yeeres olde He began his Empire with the murther of fiue young brethren whome he strangled He is off a lowe stature a great head grosse 〈◊〉 and leysie and in a manner neuer moouing them 〈…〉 awes and chéekes pulst vp and swolne A long nose 〈…〉 tched downe to his mouth A thinne red beard pale â—â—ted for the most part The rest of his body leysie and feeble He hath the faling sicknesse It is certaine that his spirites are fâ—â—ble and fearefull for he dareth not goe on hunting wiâ—â— the which he is now and then delighted but very seldome nor to passe ouer Bosphorus to his Parkes vnlesse the Sea be very calme It is reported that he quaketh euery inche of him wheÌ„ hée heareth the sounde of Armour and Gunnes wherevpon it falleth out that contrary to the custome of his elders he committeth his warres to his Deputies They say that he is ruled by the commaundement of his mother and his wife these béeing corrupted with gyftes and rewardes procure the Emperors fauour to many It is said that hée is contented with one wife which thing they rather impute to his imbecillitie then to hys temperancie He hath a sonne whose name is Mehemet the onely inheritour of so many kingdomes notwithstanding that he is scarse fourtéene yeeres olde neuerthelesse it is said that he hath children which thing I would not haue credited vnlesse it were most manifest that hée was begotten when that his father was scarce fourtéene yeeres of age Amurathes abstaineth from wine notwithstanding the Souldiers which serued his Father Selimus were so vsed to wine that many of them cannot be compelled to abstayne from wine contrarie to the commaundement of the Lawe maker This is that Amurathes and such one he is that is now worshipped and feared of the most part of the Monarches of the world who most presumptuously gloryeth in his letters that he is the onely gouernor of the world Sians called Bassa a man excelling bothe in courage of minde and comlines of body is Amurathes Vicegerent and elected his chéefe Councellor and named of the Turks Veziâ— Asem He may be called Protoâ—ezirms or chéefe Counsellor Soliman when hee was young gaue him his name Sâ—ans which signifyeth fayre and comely He is now about 40. yéeres of age by nation an Hungarian he neuer fought battell nor went a warfare although he was â—ermed in Gréeke 〈◊〉 There are besides this man Sâ—ans fowre others 〈◊〉 Basle which are of his priâ—ie Counsell of the which twaine are now heere resident Misach which signifiâ—â— Messias and MehemeÌ„ces these are bothe by nation 〈…〉 ans neyther of them bâ—the for I did inquire famous in Cheualry or warfare The other two new are in the warres against the Peâ—sians Sinan and Osman of the which the one is of Epirus by nation who is said to bée of a séemely stature a leaue body a blacke faâ—e an Eagles nose or bill of an angry stomacke and not to be pacifyed He subuerted Gulett and tooke the kingdome of Tonis from the Spanyardes and commaunded Peter Portacarrerius the President or Captaine of Gulett to be beate to death with Cudgells neere to the Ile Coregra to the infamie and dishonour of the Spanish nation Before this time he warred in Arabia prosperously Hee hath not now so prosperous a wind against the Persians The other called Osman Basla and he is of Bosnia He is now Resident at the broken places called Caspâ—â— porâ—â— with an Army There is greate emulation betweene these twaine for the obtayning of Glory After Vezâ—ri Basse Beglerbegus of Grecia is had in great honour he is called Mehemetes by nation an 〈…〉 rian This man next after the Emperour and hys Vicesultanus hath the chéefest place and there vppon hath this proude name which signifieth the Lorde of Lordes The rest of Beglerbegi liue in prouinces appointed to them This as the chéefe of them followeth the Emperours Court that if there be any thing néedefull to bée doone he executeth it He is expart in warfare His Court is more frequented then the other mens of warre Next vnto him the Admirall of the Sea is of great authoritye whose name is Ochâ—alus by nation a Calabrian he is called of the Turke Captaine Bassa retayning the Italicall word these Lieutenauntes of the Sea are called by the Italians Captaines This mans condition is as it was before both homely base and seruâ—le This man in a battaile fought at Naupact or at the Gulfe of Corinth led the left wing of the Turks Nauie and then the Algeries were the prosulthaine At the beginning of the battail against Malta he repressed the men of warre which bouldly set vpon him in so much that the Maltamans were put to flight Notwithstanding recouering their strength they sette vpon him afresh who when he sawe his Armie to giue backe and flye he saued his life by conueying himselfe away with 40. Gallies when as Andreos Auria a Genua pursued after him very slowly Neuertheles in a short space he repaired his Nauie and in y â— next yéere he repelled the violence of our Souldiers and stayed their enterprise at Pâ—loponesus and the third yeere after that conflict he and Sinan Bassa tooke Gulett Two yéeres before this time he assayled with his Nauie to Colchis and there subdued the inhabitants about the Riuer Phasis there he builded a strong Castell in the foresayd Ryuer In all other points he wrought rather by subtilty then magnanimity When he was about 33. yeere of age he was made Lieutenant of the Ianizarorans Hee was more comely then any of the rest and of greater humanitie and entertaynment of a merry and pleasaunt countenaunce but altogether ignoraunt in marshall affayres because he was newly aduaunsed of a meere Courtier vnto that Lieutenantship As it is reported he is about to marie the Emperours daughter with whom he is in singuler fauour This
mans name is Abraham to whom the whole authority of the Turks Empire is in a maÌ„ner committed all christian mens children and such as are at vnder age are taken froÌ„ their parents except Ochialie who was brought into the power of the Turke hee was condemned to the Gallies notwithstanding he denied the ChristiaÌ„ faith and became a Reuolt and was infected with the superstitions of Mahumet and by that meanes he was aduansed to such honoures The warres betweene the Turkish Emperor and the Persians NOw let vs speake of the battell against the Persians and of such other matters as I haue heere noted In the beginning of the Battel that I may profoundely rippe vp the matter Mustapha was sent against the Persians one of the Teziâ—â—is Basses a man verye expart in marshall affayres Hee first inuaded the Georgians of Iberia who worshipped Christ after the manner of y e Greekes because that they seemed to fauour the Persians and he oppressed them in such sorte at vnwares that they tooke froÌ„ them the best part of theyr Prouince and Country with a Cittie the name whereof is Tâ—flis and moreouer layde a yeerely tribute vpon them From thence hee inuaded Media at the same time that Hismaell king of the Persians dyed His brother Mehemetes Hodebendi béeing a louer of peace and tranquillity and who knewe the strength of the Othâ—mans was desirous to make an ende of that strife rather by reason and discretion then by warre and therefore sent his Ambassadors to Mustapha to conclude a peace and to take truce vntill that Ambassadours should bee sent to Amurathes to to conclude a peace But Mustapha a man of an vnquiet spirite and whom fortune fauoured vtterly reiected the mention of any peace Wherfore the Persians prepared themselues to warre to reuenge the newe and olde iniuryes committed by Othomannus They mette together at a Cittie called Zerua by the which name Media is nowe called they fought a cruel battel many men killed on bothe parties Notwithstanding they departed not knowing who had the victory sauing that the Brother of y e king of Tartaria which nowe raigneth at the Méerâ— or Lake called Mâ—oâ—is This Brother of y â— king of Tartares brought with him 30. thousand horsmen to ayde the Turkes according to the couenant made betwéene them From thence forth they fought venturously and doubtfully who shoulde â—â—nquer vntill that licence was graunted to the persians to send Ambassadours for peace And that Mustapha was called home againe and an other placed in his stead The Persians Ambassadours when they came hesher to the Emperours Court to treate of peace and that they could not agrée then the Turkes demaunded to haue all Media but the Persians stoode stoutly therein and in their owne defence did what they were able to doo and so returned safe home Which thing was doone the last yeere about the Moneth of August Now that they could conclude no peace they returned to their Armour and prepared themselues to warre The Persians euery where spoyled the Countrey and layd the fieldes wast they burnt Granges Villages and Townes they intercepted all manner of victualls in so much that the Turks were in great distresse Sinan Bassa who succéeded Mustapha being their generall The Turkes were so plagued with hunger and pestilence and specially by the plague that they were compelled to leaue of their procéedinges and deuide theyr Armie At this present Sinan Bassa gathereth his Armie againe and is before this Cittie which is called EzeruÌ„ This Cittie standeth vpon Euphrates Heere he receiued ayde about the beginning of April At the same season Armour Artillery and money were brought by Pontus Euoxinus to the Citty Trapezum that they might be sent vnto the Armie The other Armie of the Turkes are resident at the Broken wayes called Caspiae portae Osman Bassa being their Leiuetenante the which vnles he bee defended by the benefit of the place and had receiued ayde from the Tarters he shoulde haue beene in great distresse The places betweene the Armies are so wasted and spoyled that neither of them for want of victuall can helpe the other It is reported that the Persians would gladly haue peace for hether to the spoyle hath béene in their prouinces or Countries for they in especiall laid waste theyr owne Countrey and Territories that thereby they might repell their enemies It appeareth also that it repented the Turks of the beginning of that war To omitte other thinges Beglerbegus came at that time from the Cittie EzeruÌ„ where hee was Liuetenant and had lost his head because he was prouoker and promouter of that infortunate warre vnlesse that he had giuen to the wife and mother of the Emperour two thousand Duckets to speak for him whose pardon they obteyned of this condition that he shoulde bring into the Emperours Treasury euery yéere 2000. Duckets héere vpon it is manifest that both Turks and Persians were desirous of peace neuerthelesse neither of them woulde seeme to giue place to the other Sinan Bassa is looked for heere euery day whom they say shall haue commission from the Emperor to conclude peace with the Persians Some say that hee was called backe againe as he was in his iourney towards Constantinople because that the Persians with whom hee had made truce had broken theyr promise and because that they made a great slaughter of the Tuâ—kes besides the Sea called Mare hyrcanum who thought nothing lesse then that the Persians would haue transgressed the truce which they made with Sinan Bassa â—ut I dare not asfirme these of a trueth because it is as yet vncertaine The cause why these two people of one â—iuing and of one superstition doo fight so cruelly one with the other is this for so they report The Turks accuse the Persians that they haue neglected to send Ambassadors and rewardes to Amuratha the lawfull successor of Soliman nus and Selimus according to that couenaunt and composition which was made before time betwéene Soliman nus the Emperour of the Turkes and Thamus the king of the Persians Amurathes interpreted that intermission of sending rewards and Ambassadors as a contremp tious signe of enmity when it was neuer neglected in the time of Thamus and for this cause hee â—â—â—aded his enemies countrey neither would the Persianâ— requyre peace and therefore it came to hand strypes It is certainly beléeued that if Mustapha whom I said before was called from the Armie had remained still in the Armie the Turks should not haue come into that distresse in the which they are nowe at this day because he was most expart in marshal affayres and had the best knowledge of those Countryes He was therefore called home to Constantinople because hee was accused that hee did not admitt the Ambassadors of the Persians sent to intreate for peace and that hee sold all the offices in his Campe for money Mustapha for his good seruice was vncourteously rewarded wherfore he
From these superior Tarters 〈…〉 Creaâ—â—es vntill the borders of Moscouia an hu 〈…〉 forty and tenne Germaine myles where you m 〈…〉 le ouer Tanaiis and Occam and many other le 〈…〉 Ryuers On the Eastside border the Tarters Casanenses called Astracan whom the Emperour of Moscho partly by violence partly by fame meanes haue subdued and made them subiect to 〈…〉 They did inhabite 〈…〉 yr Country or Prouince quietlye certaine yeeres 〈…〉 nioying the Preuilegies of the great Duke who is yet a liue vntill that the greate Duke broake his promise as hee was wont to doo and conueying them other where by little and little sette Deputies ouer them Notwithstanding in the former tyrannie the Russians with the Tarters were rooted vppe in so much that in 50. or 60. Myles there are neither men nor any buildings or houses Beyond Casan which standeth on the otherside of Vnolgot about 500. Myles from Moscha dwell the Tarters called Nagii of whom Tamerlen had his beginning as the Turkes reporte Tamerlen a Scythian inuaded Asia and killed 200000 Turkes in the yéere of Christ 1345. These were once most mighty but were destroyed with the like tyranny that the Ruscians were The cause of theyr vtter destructioÌ„ rose with this occasion For as much as they had no certaine Rulers whom they ought to haue obeyed they haue no standing mansions or houses neither any vse of mony of Corne or Salt They haue Sheepe and Heards Camells and Horsses The Nobilitie and Gentlemen of that Country vse theyr Mothers naturall tongue they are called in Russia Boyaren with vs Noblemen They wauer abroade hether thether with their Cattel without any certaine mansioÌ„ places neither can they remaine aboue thrée dayes in a place for lacke of pasture Theyr habitation and magnificencie consisteth in their Chariots which haue dyuers Celles or diuers places or Chambers one for theyr Wiues another for theyr Husbandes and the third for theyr houshold stuffe and to certaine lowsie skinnes or ragges In the arse of they Cartes hang two great Lether Bottels wherein they put Camels milke Mares milke Cowes Milke and Ewes Mylk hand-ouer-head altogether this they swallow vp greedily vntil they be drunk They kil very seldome any Camells Horsses Oren or Sheepe vnlesse that they bee diseased they boyle and seeithe the fleshe of such Cattell as be sicke or as dye without kylling and they deuoure it without eyther Breade or salte The Nobelest men of them eate vppe the pottage as for their Seruaunts they gather the Vrine of Camelles and Horsses and of other Cattell which they account as very daintie If they lacke this they must be contented with Fennish and Moorish water Whosoeuer is the strongest and mightiest among y e Mursians hée killeth the weaker scotfrée without any punishment taketh away al that he hath and for this acte he is highly commended They haue neither maiestrates lawes nor iudgments In the yéere of Christ 1563. ther was a Mursian with one eye whose name was Ismaell a notable Nigromancer They are meruailously delighted with that arte the cunninger that a man is in that Arte the more is his estimation The sayd Mursa brought to passe with inchauntments that he killed all the reste of the Mursians with tempestes and Thunderboltes whom he could not otherwise ouercome When he had killed certaine thousands by this meanes he supposed that the rest which was left aliue durst not rebell which thing befell to him prosperously Neuerthelesse after his death by the same meanes that he entreated others by the selfe same his children were destroyed These be those Tarters which being driuen by penury and want of â—ictualles doo serue the great Duke of Moscouia with fifteene thousand men and no more inuaded of late Lauonia Notwithstanding they béeing offended with the Emperour of Moscho haue coupled themselues with the Creames called also Tarters who in the expedition or setting foorth and voyage of the Tarters in the yéere of our Lorde 1571. ayded the Creames at what time the Cittie of Moscho was set on fire and burnt ¶ The true discription of the magnificall Tryumphes and Pastimes represented at Constantinople at the solemnizing of the Circumcision of the Soldan Mauhmet the sonne of Amurath the thyrd of that name in the yeere of our Lorde God 1582. in the Monethes of of Maie and Iune T. H. IN the yeere of our Lord and Sauiour 1582. the Soldan Amurathe Emperor of Turkie séeing his affayres to be in euyll order perceyuing also the contrarietie of affections in his Subiectes dyd now determine with himselfe to winne the good will and to be better beloued and more estéemed of his then before and also to be more redoubted and had in greater estimation amongst Straungers and foreine Nations and Countries then euer thought it necessarie and very requisite to make a great solemnitie in the Circumcising of Soldan Mahumet his Sonne and for the better performing of his purposed determination dyd summon together the greatest part of all Christian Princes to the ende that this Feast might be solemnized as it were before the eyes of the whole world And in déede the Ambassadours of many Christian Princes and Mahumets were sent vnto Constantinople that is to saye the Ambassadour of the Emperor of Fraunce of Polognie of Venice of Persia of Fees and of Tartaria of Transiluania and of Moldauia with many other Princes Now because this pompeous Triumphe the newes whereof hath runne through diuers places ought to be solempnized and showne before so many people of so many and sundrie Nations with what apparell with what expences and how magnifically doo you thinke was it begunne and ended Now to declare vnto you the place wherein sundrie sortes of Playes and Pastimes were showne it was meruailous great and large wherein was erected great Theaters and Scaffolds of woodde distinguished and seperated into diuers parts as if they were Chambers appointed for euerie Ambassador places as well to banquet in as also for euerie Ambassador places as well to banquet in as also for to beholde the Plaies and Pastimes Amurathe was in the most fayre and ritchest place of all the rest from whence he might through lattisses or grates sée euerie one without being séene of any one Behinde him was his Mother his Wife and his Sister and on the one side of him was Sinan Bassa his Lieuetenant generall then the rest of his Earles and noble men on the other side was the Ambassadors of the aforesayde Kings and Princes In the middest of all these Theaters there was a fayre Tyltyard all open and discouerd eightéene hundred paces long and twelue hundred paces broade verie finelie paued and in the same there was two most excellent and auncient Pyramidesses the one of marble fowre square verie cunninglie made and the foote of it to vpholde this Pyramides there was fowre great and mighty Pillers fowre square and round at the toppe the inscription whereof dooth shewe that the Emperor Theodosia