upon another Mans weakness and necessity have encreased his insatiable desire and not granted them Peace being brought low and forsaken except they would deliver unto him the Islands of Cephalenia Zacinthus and Corcyra a matter no less grievous than the destruction of the very City of Venice it self So that the great Embassadors Vastius and Hanebald who came of purpose to have hindred the League with the Turk by their great diligence wrought nothing more effectually than that the Venetians the better foresâ—eing the danger of their State should as they did make haste to conclude the same for it falleth out in Mens purposes and Actions That a good and happy success otherwise well hoped for is oftentimes marred with too much diligence and care Neither was it any doubt but that Hanebald was sent by the French King but for fashion sake and secretly underhand by Pellicerius the old Embassador perswaded the Venetians to hasten the conclusion of Peace with Solyman Which as Badoerius their Embassador was carefully soliciting the matter at Constantinople and being loath to yield the strong Cities which Solyman required offering unto him in stead of them a great sum of Mony Solyman took him up with threatning words as a shameless Dissâ—mbler earnestly protesting That he would never grant him Peace without the yielding of those Cities rehearsing unto him the most secret points of his Embassage and how that he was authorized from the Decem-Viri to yield them unto him which thing the Embassador little thought Solyman had known year 1540. Wherefore Badoâ—rius so shamefully reproved and standing in doubt of his life seeing the greatest secrets of his Embassage revealed to Solyman and his Bassaes was glad to accept of Peace by yielding unto him Nauplium and Epidaurus two Cities in Peloponnesus and with them Nadinum and Labrania two Castles of Dalmatia to the great grief of the whole Senate for granting whereof the Common people ignorant of the secret Decree of the Decem-Viri and supposing that Badoerius had given away that which he had no authority to give were so inraged against him at his return that there was much ado to save the guiltless Man from exile and his Goods from confiscation although the Traitors were then known which had discovered the Secrets of the State unto the Turks These were Mapheus Leonius a Senator and Constantinus Cobatius Secretary to the Colledge of the Decem-Viri and Franciscus Valerius one of the Senators base Sons the Traiterous disperser of the Turks Mony for the corruption of others who with other his Complices were for the same Fact hanged in the Market-place when as Leonius and Cobatius were a little before fled into France About the same time which was in the Year of our Lord 1540 died Ioannes Sepusius King of Hungary Solymans Tributary after whose death ensued great Wars in Hungary and the lamentable subversion of that flourishing Kingdom for the better conceiving whereof it shall not be amiss with as much brevity as the plainness of the History will permit to open the causes and grounds of the endless calamities which afterwards ensued and never took end until that warlike Kingdom was to the great weakning of of Christendom utterly subverted King Ferdinand and this tributary King Iohn had with like desire of Peace and quietness made between them a League profitable to them both as their Estates then stood rather than honourable yet most welcome to the Hungarians who divided into Faction and having followed some the one King and some the other enjoyed nevertheless their Lands and Goods by the benefit of this Peace the Towns and Castles being still kept by them in whose possession they then were at the making of the Peace In the capitulations of which Peace it was comprised That Ferdinand should from thenceforth call Iohn by the Name of a King whereas before he had both in his common Talk and Letters called him by the Name of the Vayvod only It was also expresly set down in the same Articles of Peace and subscribed by the Hands of divers of the Nobility of Hungary That if King Iohn should die King Ferdinand should succeed him in the whole Kingdom of Hungary which condition was suppressed and kept very secret for fear of Solyman who accounted of that Kingdom as of his own gotten by Law of Arms and bestowed upon King Iohn as upon his Vassal neither was it to have been thought that if he should have known thereof being of a haughty mind by nature and not able to endure an injury he would have suffered that Kingdom got and defended with so great danger and cost to be by the Will of an unthankful Man transferred unto his Enemy This matter of so great importance was as it is reported by Hieronimus Lascus Embassador for King Ferdinand to Constantinople revealed unto Solyman and the Bassaes to bring King Iohn into hatred So much did this noble Gentleman for his rare Vertues otherwise greatly to have been commended yield unto his grief and desire of revenge when after the death of Aloysius Grittus he fell from the friendship of King Iohn being as is before declared by him committed to Prison and hardly afterwards enlarged at the request of King Sigismund Whereupon Solyman being exceedingly angry with King Iohn called him unthankful Churl and turning himself about to Luâ—zis Bassa his Brother in Law said How unworthily do these two Christian Kings wear their Crowns upon their faithless Heads who as shameful deceivers are not afraid either for worldly shame or fear of God for their profit to falsifie their Faith But King Iohn understanding thereof and wonderfully fearing his own Estate did by good Friends and rich Presents pacifie Solyman again laying all the blame upon King Ferdinand as better able to bear it Not long after King Iohn having set his Kingdom in good order and strongly fortified the City of Buda being now far stricken in years at the earnest request of most of the Nobility of Hungary and other his best Friends married Isablla the Daughter of Sigismund King of Polonia a gracious Lady and of great Spirit which King Sigismund had long before married Barbara King Iohns Sister after whose death he married the Lady Bona Sfortia the Daughter of Ioannes Galâ—acius Duke of Millain by whom he had this Lady Isabella whom King Iohn now married Which Marriage Solyman liked well of having many times by way of talk before condemned the single life of the King but King Ferdinand liked thereof nothing at all plainly foreseeing that the Hungarians if the King should chance to have a Son would forthwith look upon him as their natural King and reject himself as but a Stranger This young Queen in short time as he had feared conceived with Child and was now very big when King Iohn was enforced to make an expedition in person himself against Maylat famous for the death of Aloysius Grittus and Balas both Governours of Transylvania whereof
of his Cowardise if he failed in the performance thereof promising him indeed his Sister in Mariage amongst other the glorious Rewards and Trophies of his Victory and threatning him with Death as a Punishment amongst the Griefs of his Dishonour But it came to pass that by the Cowardise of our men he came unto the effect of his desire as is aforesaid and took the City which promised unto him the glorious Triumph in Constantinople And under the sweet influence of this Planet he returned to Constantinople where he found all things in readiness for the satisfying of his Expectation and the Advancement of his Glory He is magnificently received of his Prince courteously saluted by all the Nobility and with greatest reverence possible honoured of the People And as he had happily discharged his Charge he found in like manner all things prepared and in readiness for the performance of the promise of the Grand Seignior his Lord and Master who had caused them to be in most sumptuous manner provided for the solemnizing of the Marriage and the contentment of the Bassa But nothing now wanting that he could have desired or wished more than the very solemnizing of the Marriage it self and that also every day of all men expected the Ianizaries and Spahi with the other Souldiers of the Court to the number of five and twenty thousand even upon the sudden when as no such thing was feared came and in Arms presented theâ—â—selves before the Divano or Tribunal holden 〈◊〉 the chief Administration of Justice in the Turks Palace the first four days in every week and having set Guards at the Court Gates the more safely to execute what they were before resolved upon proudly demanded to have Audience for certain of the Spahi and Ianizaries of whom they had made choice in the names of them all to deliver unto the great Bassaes their Grievances and the Causes of that their Assembly Who as soon as they were entered into the Divano before the Bassaes of whom the most couragious of them was not without fear as looking for nothing but for present death they at the first demanded to have Hassan Bassa delivered unto them Who thinking that his Head should have served for a Sacrifice to pacifie this their Fury as a man altogether dismayed wan and pale passed through this mutinous Multitude to have gone unto the great Sultan protesting of his own Innocency and calling upon his Prophet Mahomet to discover unto them the truth of all things But they after a thousand Injuries and Reproaches by them heaped upon him rudely demanded of him whence it proceeded that whilst he with a great part of the Forces of the Empire was busied in Hungary for the recovering of Alba-Regalis there was in the mean time no good order taken for the repressing of the Rebel in Asia who by sufferance was as they said now grown so proud as with Ensigns displayed to come within three or four days Journey of Constantinople the Imperial seat of the Othoman Emperours Whereunto he in so small fear answered That he for his part had done his Duty as well while he had the charge of the Army in Asia as now of late whilst he had the like charge against the Christians in Hungary as even the Enemies themselves could witness But seeing himself even ready to die he yet requested them That his guiltless Death might be unto the State in general profitable and in discharging of his Conscience to declare unto them the Causes of this Contempt and Neglect for the surpressing of the Asian Rebel which they were so desirous to know It proceeded as he said only from the evil Government of the Grand Sultans Mother who then all commanded and from the negligent carelesness of the Capi-Aga Which his speech although they with much impatience and storming gave ear unto yet hearing him so well to excuse himself and to lay the blame there where they were well content it should rest they gave him leave to go to the great Sultan to request him that they might speak with him and further to deal with him that they might have the Head of them who had been the cause of this dishonourable Service or otherwise cowardly behaved themselves in the managing of the Wars against the Rebels in Asia Threatning him withall That if he failed to perform this his charge he should not fail to feel the heavy Effects of their just Fury An heavy charge yet glad was the Bassa to undergo the same to rid himself out of their Hands where he saw himself in great danger amongst them most of whom had sometimes served under him than amongst so many his most mortal Enemies but what Remedy he must now so do or die therefore for which he was the more to be excused So in great fear coming unto the great Sultan almost as fearful as himself he shewed unto him the great danger like even presently to ensue by the Mutiny of his best Souldiers and Guarders of his Person perswading him betime to appease their Fury before they had embrued themselves with Blood for fear of further danger like enough to ensue as well unto his own Person as unto the rest of his most faithful and trusty Counsellor from such furious head-strong men up in tumult with their Arms in their Hands And although that a Prince ought not for the Greatness of his Estate to do any thing as thereunto forced by his Subjects lest in so doing he might breed in them a Contempt of himself and increase their Insolency that yet nevertheless in this Action being altogether extraordinary he was not to rest upon that point for that these mutinous Souldiers turned not their Weapons as they pretended against his Imperial Power and Soveraignty but rather to the contrary against the Contemners thereof seeking to be revenged upon them that had done him such evil Service for the maintenance of his Honour and Majesty and for the Punishment of the insolent and disloyal And that therefore the Justice of the Cause requiting and covering the Malice of the Fact he was of Opinion That it were best for him to yield a little unto the Zeal of these his best Souldiers and to satisfie their just desire although they had by very evil and unlawful means sought for the same And therefore advised his Majesty in some sort to satisfie the just Complaints of these men armed for the Revenge of his Honour and to chastise the chief Commanders of his Asian Forces such as by whose Treachery or Cowardise his Service being neglected had armed these men against them with the same hand punishing such as had wronged his Majesty in Honour and appeasing the discontented for the good of his Service Mahomet thus by the Bassa perswaded as also to shew himself in his Majesty unto these his discontented Subjects one part of their desire the Necessity of the Cause so requiring in his Imperial Seat presented himself unto
hundred thousand Persons dead within the time and they did commonly carry every day twelve or fifteen hundred Bodies to be buried The greatness of this Mortality is not to be imputed so much to the Corruption of the Air as to the wilful Negligence of the Turks who would not vouchsafe to turn away from a Body dead of this Disease when it goes to burial not to forbear to visit their Friends being infected The obstinate belief they have of Predestination maketh them bruitishly contemn all sorts of dangers For say they assoon as man comes out of his Mothers Womb to injoy the Light of the World God writes in his Forehead all the good or evil shall happen unto him and particularly of what Death he shall dye the necessity whereof no humane power can avoid All is governed say they by Destiny and therefore they regard not any Infection but contrariwise when any one is dead another takes his Clothes and wears them which is the cause that Constantinople and the Grand Caire are seldom free and whenas the Air is any thing disposed to Contagion there dyes such multitudes of People as they do not number them but by hundred thousands Before the beginning of this Plague the Baron of Salignac Ambassador for the French King at Constantinople ended his Embassage with his Life His most Christian Majesty sent the Baron of Mole eldest Son to the Baron of Sansie to supply his Place He arrived at Pera this Year in the beginning of September and about the end of October the Sultan being returned to Constantinople after that he had visited the Muphti who is the chief of their Law the Grand Visier the Deftorda who is the Sultan's high Treasurer the Bostangi Bassa his chief Gardiner with other great Men of the Port which were highly in Favour in the end he was admitted to Audience and to kiss the Sultan's Hand A Ceremony which in mine opinion I owe unto the History to shew that the Majesty of the Turkish Emperours is so great as to approach near unto them the Ambassadors of foreign Princes are forced to disguise themselves and leaving the Habits of their Nation to attire themselves and their Train after the Turkish manner Thus the Ambassador of France parted from his Lodging at Pera wearing upon his French Apparel a long Turkish Robe of Cloth of Gold curled furred with Sables his Gentlemen and Secretaries to the number of sixteen had the like Robes but of meaner stuff wearing Caps of black Velvet he had twenty Servants in long Cassocks of Scarlet called in Turkish Ferrages and upon them long Robes of the same stuff with Caps of Taffata the four Dragomans or the Kings Interpreters the Captains Masters of Ships and other French-men attired all in long Robes accompanied the Train He past the Channel which doth separate Pera from Constantinople being come to the other side he found many goodly Horses for him and his Train which some Turks that were Friends to France had sent him to conduct him to the City at the Gate whereof many Chiaus and Janâ—zaries attended him to conduct him to the Seraglio two Chiaus Bassaes went of either side him accompanying him thither the rest of the Turks going before His arrival was no less honourable at the Palace Royal than his coming to the Town Two Capigi Bassaes or chief of the Porters received him at the entry of a great Court and conducted him to the Grand Visier who attended him at Dinner in the Hall where he was feasted being accompanied only with one Dragoman or Interpreter the rest of his Train were conducted into a low Gallery whereas Dinner was prepared for them after the Turkish manner That is to say a great Tapestry upon the Ground without Cloth or Napkins and some Dishes thin set The Meat was Water-gruel with Sugar and some Pottage with Pullets there were two Men either of them holding a certain Instrument of sodden Leather in which there was a Beverage which they call Cerbet made of the juyce of Lemons Water and Sugar and withall they held a Cup of blanch'd Copper giving to every one Drink and going among the Dishes to serve them more commodiously From this Feast distasteful to them that had lived after the French fashion they pass'd into another Gallery whereas the Ambassador and sixteen of his Company received each of them a Robe of Tinsel the which having put on upon their other they were conducted thorow a little Court paved with Marble towards the Grand Seignior's Chamber which was inriched on the out-side with many Pillars of Marble and square Stones of the same stuff and beautified with two little Fountains on either side TheChamber within was about ten paces square the Planchard was gilt the Walls enamelled with flowers after the Turkish manner and the Floor covered with Tapestry of Gold and Silk At the entry of this Imperial Chamber stood six Capigi or Porters whereof two of them took the Ambassador under the Arms and led him to kiss the Sultan's Hand or rather his Robe for having saluted him from the greatest of Christian Kings he kist but his Robe and then was led on the one side going backwards to the end he should not turn his back to the Emperour The French Gentlemen were conducted after the like manner to kiss his Robe But they could hardly see the Sultan for his Face was turned towards a Window that was grated before the which during the Ceremony there past 30 Capigi every one carrying a piece of the Presents which the Ambassador had brought during the which the Frenchmen could not see him but on the other side This Salutation being ended the Ambassador made a short Speech and presented unto the Sultan the principal Letter of his Embassage written in the Turkish Tongue This past at Constantinople whereas the Sultan did willingly see an Ambassadour his Allie whom he honoured above all others But in Transylvania the Affairs went after another strain the combustions which seemed inseparable to this miserable Province made it still the Theatre of all disorders Gabriel Battori who governed it since the cession of Ragotzi had put himself into the Turks Protection against King Matthias who pretended a Title by reason of the cession made by Prince Sigismund unto the Emperour as King of Hungary and had recovered Hermstad and chased Raduille Vayvod of Valachia out of his Countrey where having setled a new Governour and filled the Garrisons with Haiducks he returned toward Transilvania to oppose himself against Fortgatsie King Matthias his Lieutenant who came with Troops out of high Hungary and pass'd the River of Tibisce The Vayvod Raduille had retired himself into Moldavia to Prince Constantine whom he gave to understand That Battori had an intent to seize upon his Country and to make but one Monarchy of their three Provinces whereupon they joyned their Forces together and in the end of Iune entered into Valachia from
the Sultan would not go this Year to the War but only in appearance and that he would only be upon the Defensive avoiding all Fights and Encounters in the Field And as to the Moscovites the Reports were various and full of uncertainty All this time the Sultan remained at Sophia chearful and much pleased to understand that the Polanders had declared the Prince of Conti for their King which could not but produce a Peace with that Kingdom and an Union with that Crown which tho' not true yet it gave the Turks hopes of an Addition of 30000 Coruzzi unto their Forces against the Germans who as they did assault Tokay the last Year with good Success so they were full of hopes to do the like for this also with the Possession of several other Castles and Fortresses But then it was thought necessary that Tekely should be sent to them with Title of King of Hungary which when the Sultan understood with the good Tydings That Bihatz did bravely defend it self with Assurances of conserving the same against all Enemies it was esteemed News of such Importance that the Grand Seignior gave Commands to the Grand Vizier to Write the News into all Parts and particularly unto Tekely That the Grand Seignior had declared him King of Hungary for which the Sultan had sent him a Commission with a Letter the Superscription of which was Orla Maggiar Croli which signifies in the Hungarian Language To the King of Hungary To which were added also some Purses of Money for defraying the Charges of his Journey and adorning his Equipage This Command came very unfortunately at this time for Tekely who was then grievously afflicted with the Gout and preparing for Recovery of his Health to pass over to the Baths and Medicinal Waters of Prusia or Bruscia which fall from that Mountain which was anciently called Mount Olympus But what was worse the Chiauses came furiously upon him at Prusia and without Compassion Complement or good Manners threw him into a Carr like a Log to make him a King without any Respect which was most miserable for him for he had not only the Gout but had a Paralytical Distemper upon him so as that he was seized with a Palsie in his Head Neck and Arms And in this manner he was carried Day and Night in a Waggon until he came unto the sight of the Sultan All this time the Sultan remained at Sophia whilst the Army or greatest part thereof marched towards Belgrade and some into Bosnia and having received some Advices out of Asia That the Rebels of that Country were inclinable to a Submission and made some Evidences as if they intended to return to their Duty and Obedience The Sultan became very much pleased and put himself that time into an excellent Humour and thereupon was induced to dispatch several Aga's into Anatolia with Letters written under his own Hand in an Humble and Caressing Style not usual for any Sultan before that time to Write Swearing In the first place To grant Pardon to all and a general Amnesty to such as should return to their Duty of Obedience Secondly he swore That he would do Iustice to all in their Iust Demands and Pretensions Thirdly That he would give every Man satisfaction Fourthly That he would damnifie no Man either in his Goods or Estate or Life but on the contrary reward every Man according to his Deserts provided that they became Obedient and Deserted the Party of the Male-contented Beys or Pasha's against whom are so many Examples of God's Vengeance and Iustice Of which he advised them well to consider before they entered into a March which would conduct them to his Terrible and Affrighting Presence which if they did not accept and do he Swore That he would make up a Peace with the Christians and March in Person into Anatolia there to take Vengeance upon them for their Offences and extirpate the whole Race of those who have taken up Arms against the Mussulman Cause for which by the Laws of the Alcoran they are to Die and without Mercy to suffer Death This News being carried to the hearing of the Male-contents about 10000 of them Deserted the Cause and proceeded to pass over from Anatolia into Europe and without any delay took the nearest way to reach and overtake the Army of the Sultan to hasten which the Grand Seignior wrote Commands to the Chimacam and Bostangibashi to prepare Quarters for them in the Imperial Gardens and Houses as they passed and that they should in all their Maâ—ches want nothing of Refreshments nor those who are unprovided want Arms or any other thing necessary for the War amongst which there were 3000 Bostangees fitted out for the War from the Grand Seignior's Seraglio's And such Rigorous Courses were spread over all the Countries of the Lesser Asia that those Laws and Commands of the Sultan being put into execution it was believed impossible for any Embroils or Seditions for ever after to arise in the Lesser Asia tho' they could not but be some times apprehensive of Troubles from Persia for since the time that this King was Crowned he was always esteemed a Troublesome and a Dangerous Enemy to the Turks for tho' he was not wanting in his Courtships and Embassies to the Ottoman Court as we have seen yet he was still encouraging the Georgians and the Persians in the Parts of Basora to be troublesome to the Turks The Sultan still remained at Sophia where having Advices from the Frontiers he dispatched away a Capugibashee to his Mother the Valide Soltana giving her to understand That his Forces had fallen upon a Body of Germans which he had routed and taken the strong Fortress of Titul in which he had put all the Garrison to the Sword and did not doubt but speedily to enter into Transylvania from whence he promised to send his Mother a Present of some fine Young Ladies to attend and wait upon her and to be conducted by some of those Black Eunuchs which were attending at that time upon his Person After such Vapours and Boastings as these which the Sultan expressed to his Mother it was not judged to be longer Honourable for the Grand Seignior to remain at Sophia a place so far distant from the Ottoman Camp in Hungary whereupon marching with the Main Body of his Army slowly and in good Order Messengers were sent unto Sarchan Pasha then at Belgrade who was then the General and esteemed an excellent Soldier and a Couragious Man and well acquainted with the Countries about those Confines to hasten his March to meet the German Army And so also the Sultan followed and arrived in good time to joyn the Main Body of the Front about Titul In the Relation of which Battel there were two Accounts sent from Constantinople one of the 29th of October and another of the 5th of November Such as were on this side of the Tibiscus and saw the Battel report That the Rout consisted
Spahees of Asia and Europe Their Pay. * Killer Odasi †Hazna Odasi ‖ Called Taraki * This is done that the Grand Signior may not be cheated by having the Pay continued to those who are dead Sons of Spahees Accidental gains to the Spahees Their Discipline * Called in Turkish Kassem Vlofast How they have lost their honour Their beginning Their numbâ—r Their Habit The Ianizaries of whom composed The Novices Their Quarters * Called Kiahaia-Begh The manner in making Ianizaries Their Pay. Their Diet Cloathing Mutinies Hazoda The Ianizar Aga. The publick Treasury of the Ianizaries Officers The Ianizaries Chambers Officers of the Chambers Ianizaries married * Called Haniarres Serdars Epist. 3. de Legatu Turcico * Ogiacks signifies a Family as also a Military Family so Spahi Ogiagbi the Order of the Spahees Sovischeri Ogiagbi the Militia of Ianizaries c. Lord Anno 1679. Anno 1679. Mr. Gabriel Smith and Mr. Iohn Ashley He was afterwards Grand Vizier and cut off with the Grand Seignior Draco Bey tortured The Ragusean Ambâ—ssador Imprisoned The Secretary of Holland drubb'd The Character of Kara Kiâ—ja Pleasures of the Court. Fire in Constantinople The Vizier Marries his Daughter Faction against the Vizier The Vizier Treats the Christian Ministers with Scorn the French Ambassador imprisoned Matter jugled between the Turks and Franâ—e Troubles on the English Merchants A Trick put on the English Ambassador The Venetians in trouble The Venetian Bailo Imprisoned The Dutch in Troubles A. D. 1681. An Oke is 2. l. ¾ English. Things doubtâ—ul with Moscovy The Cause that mov'd the Vizier to cut off his Kâ—ja The Viziers Kaja strangled The Vizier designs a War on the Emperor The Original of the Troubles in Hungary The Emâ—eror's Grant to the Hungarianâ— Anno. 1523. The Hungarians complain Câ—unt Serini 's Lady disgusted The Deputies make their Complaints to The Emperor Emeâ—ic a Iâ—suâ—t hindâ—rs an agreement with the Hungarians The Deputies return with dissatisfaction The Evils thereof The Malecontents assemble at Kivar Count Nadasti Plotâ— how to Poison the Empror A Treaty held with the Turk The Turks hearken to the Hungarians The Grand Vizier at Candia dismisses the Agents from the Rebels Conditions demanded of them by the Tuâ—ks 1670 Kuperlee unwilling to break with the Emperor A Plot disâ—overed A Diet aâ— Cassovia The Emperor declares against it The Chiefs are cited to Newsol Count Staremberg Imprisoned The Malecontents offer their aggrievances to the Emperor Sereâ—â— unresolved He submits to the Emperor Oâ—â—â—rs made 〈◊〉 Priâ—ce Lubkoviâ—z to â—â—â—ini Serini esâ—pes out of â—hiacaâ—â—rno Are made Prisoners Preparations for a War made by the Emperor Ragotski labours to make his Peaâ—e with the Emperor The Loyal Hungâ—â—ians Petition the Empâ—ror The Turks alarm'd at the coming of German Forces on the Frontiers Gâ—â—eral Spoâ—ke 's Answer to the Turâ—â— Ragoâ—ski Parâ—oned Sâ—rini jusâ—ifies himâ—elf Nadasti betraâ—s Serini Erschet stands out Surrendâ—rs on Conditions Cassovia yields Zemplin refusâ—s to take Gâ—rman Garrisons The Malecontentâ— fly in o Mâ—ldaâ—iâ— Murâ—n â—ieldeâ— Nagiâ—erenâ—◠〈◊〉 Nadaâ—ti discovered to be in thâ— Plot. 〈◊〉 Pardon deny'd The Reasons why the Emperor denâ—es to allow them The three Counts are put to death Their Children change their Names Count Tekeli the Father Rebels Old Tekeli dies His Castle is surrender'd Fears from Apafi Apafi maintains the Cause of the Malecontents The Emperor alarm'd hereat trâ—ats his Subjâ—cts more mildly The Tuâ—kâ— refuse to assist the Malecontents The Reasons why The Emperor sends Presents to the Grand Seignior The Estates of the threâ— Counts converted to the use of the Emperor Conditions made with Prince Ragotski The Inâ—abitants and Soldiers of Cassovia Fight A Diet at Preâ—burg The Deputiâ—s afraid to meet The Declaration enfâ—rced The Hungarians repent but too late The Emperor alters the Government of Hungary The character of the Grand Master of the Teuâ—onicle Order The good Goveâ—nment of the Vice-King The Clâ—rgy disturb the quiet of the Country A War breaks out The time chosen for the War. Colonel Soyer defeated The Imperialists râ—venge themselves The Roman Clergy seize on the Protestant Churches A Bloody Ouâ—rage committed It is revenged The obstinacy of the Malecontents The aggrievances of the Hungarianâ— Cruelties exercised in both sides 1673 Tâ—â— Turks unâ—â—râ—â—and asâ—iâ—t â—â—e Mâ—lâ—â—ontents Oâ—â—er Cruelties perâ—ormed The Popish Bishops seize the Livings of the Hungarian Clergy The Prince Lubkovitz suspected and his Estate seiz'd The Tuâ—ks joyn with the Malecontents The Emperor assembles a Diet aâ— Presburg The People possess'd with Zeal to their Religion A Treaty renew'd at Presburg Apafi seeks a quarrel The Maleâ—â—ntents hold a Conference together 〈◊〉 Hoâ—â—â—â—y A nâ—w Vizier arrives at buda Anâ— to Prince A â—aâ— without â—fâ—ect 〈…〉 Sâ—hâ—â—la and Scheiâ—â—◠〈…〉 to the Tuâ—ks The Turks grow proud with concessions Debâ—â—zin taken by Count Strazoldo The Tuâ—kâ— much enraged thereby Disowned by the Emperor The Rebells refuse to Treaâ— The Vizier makespeace with the Poles The Reasons for it The Malecontents have success against the Imperialists They grow proud therewith Smith and Barâ—gotzi defeated Advices of the Death of the Grand Vizier Achmet Kupâ—â—ogli Kara Mâ—stapha madâ— Viziâ—r resolves upon â— War. War not as yet denounced and why The Pashas of Hungary Order'd to aid the Malecontents Incursiâ—ns made by the Turks New Overtures made to the Malecontents Their Obstinacy A Plot against Apafi The King of Poland gives leave to some of his Troops to serve the Malecontents The Poles March into Transilvania Two Polish Gentlemen Revolt Their Treachery discover'd The substance of Smith's Letter to the Poles A Fight between the Impâ—rialists on one side and the Poles and Taâ—tâ—rs aâ—â— Hungarians on the other Thâ— Tartars Raâ—y The Imperialists overthrown The praises of Boham and other Officers The Poles and Malecontents joyn A Convoy with Money and Provisions taken by the Malecontents 1500 of the Imperialists revolt to the Enemy Kops his Cruelty For which he his blamed at Vienna Count Tekeli appears in the War. The Malecontents increase in their Forces The Emperor sends to treat with the Malecontents and with the Turks The Malecontents propose to Elect a King of their own Pedipol procures a Commission to be Prince of Transilvania He is opposed by Apafi and overcome The Emperor 's ill Successes Representments of the Assembly at Altembourg The Emperor's Council qualifie them Wessellini â—is death Is sâ—cceded by Tekeli Tekeli 's first designs He is in Love with the Princess Ragotski Tekeli defeats the Troops of the Princess Ragotski Dowager The Emperor publishes a Maniâ—est Tekeli offers new Aggrievances Passports given to meet at a Diet. The Dâ—et disappointed and how The Preceeding and Actions of Tekeli Some of the Imperialisâ—s revolt Tekeli Master of the Field Tekeli writes Letters Tekeli takes Esperies and Aâ—va The Tartars Plunder and Burn. Count Lesley 〈◊〉 thrown Tartars in Moravia Duke John. Colonel Josua A Fight near Alsol Bistrick taken Filek Esterhasi defeats a Body of the Turks A
War is Peace so at length upon the evil success of Charles a Peace being concluded betwixt the two Kings and confirmed by a Marriage betwixt their Children Ronzerius living altogether by his Fortunes was to seek for new Entertainment both for himself and his men as having neither house nor certain dwelling place to repair to but being as needy men met together some out of one place some out of another in hope of booty as their Fortune led them In which case Ronzerius their General thought it best to offer his Service to the Greek Emperor in his Wars against the Turks whereof he gladly accepted and so sent for him unto whom he shortly after came with two thousand good Souldiers called after the proud Spanish manner by the name of Catalonians for that they were for the most part Spaniards of the Country of Catalonia Of whose coming the Emperor rejoycing more than he had cause as afterward by proof it fell out in token of his great favour honoured him with the name of the Great Captain and afterwards gave him his Neece Mary in marriage But within a while after when as one Tenza another Catalonian Captain sent for by Ronzerius was come thither also with more aid the Emperor to gratifie them both gave unto Ronzerius the name of Caesar and unto the other the name of the Great Captain But when these new Captains with their Followers were to be transported into Asia it is not to be spoken what harm they did by the way unto the Country people and in the Villages alongst the Sea-coast abusing the men and women as their Slaves and spending their substance at their pleasure for which they had many a bitter curse and this was their first years entertainment The next Spring they set forward to relieve the great City of Philadephia being as then long besieged by the Turks and hardly bestead without with the Enemy and within with extream Penury and Famine which good Service they most valiantly performed and raised the Siege For the Turks beholding the good order of these Latinâ— Souldiers their bright Armor and couragious coming on rose presently and departed not only from the City but quite out of the Emperors Territory Besides that in this Army were joyned unto these Catalonians great numbers of the best Souldiers of the Greeks and all the Power of the Massagets so that had not the Emperor expresly before commanded not to pursue them too far it was by many thought all those Cities and Countries might then again have been in short time recovered from the Turks which they had before taken from him But in Kingdoms appointed unto ruine fair occasions help not for the stay thereof yea the greatest helps provided by the worldly wise by a secret commanding Power above being oftentimes converted to the destruction of that they were provided for the safeguard of as it now fell out with the Emperor and these Spanish Souldiers for this Service done the Greeks returned home as did the Massagets also But these Catalonians with Ronzerius their General roaming up and down the Emperors Territories in Asia did there great harm turning their Forces as Enemies upon them whom they were sent for to relieve alledging that they had not their pay according to the Emperors promise and that therefore they must live upon them that had sent for them and deceived them So were the poor people in every place spoiled their Wives and Daughters ravished their Priests and aged Fathers tortured to confess such secret store as they had all was subject unto these dissolute Souldiers rage and lust yea many of them that had nothing to redeem themselves upon the greedy Souldiers imagination having their hands or feet or some other part of their bodies cut off lay by the high-ways side begging an half-peny or a piece of bread having nothing left to comfort themselves with more than their miserable voice and fountains of Tears with which their Wrongs and Miseries worse than those they had sustained by the Turks the Emperor much grieved and well the more for that they were done by him whom he had entertained to relieve them but what remedy his Coffers were so bare as that he was not able to do any thing for the redress thereof Ronzerius having thus spoiled the Emperors Country in Asia and left nothing that pleased either him or his with all his Power passed over into Europe and leaving all the rest of his Army at Calipolis with two hundred of his men went unto the young Emperor Michael then lying with a small Power at Orestias in Thracia to demand of him his pay or if need were to extort it from him with threats with whose Insolency at his coming the Emperor more offended than before his Souldiers there present perceiving the same with their drawn Swords compassing him in fast by the Court slew him with certain of his Followers the rest fled in all hast to Calipolis to certifie their Fellows what had happened Thus by the death of Ronzerius the young Emperor had thought to have discouraged the Catalonians and abated their pride as like enough it was to have done yet in proof it fell not out so but was the cause of far greater evils So when God prospers not mens actions the best falleth out unto the worst and their wisest devices turn to meer follies for the Catalonians at Calipolis hearing of the death of Ronzerius their General first slew all the Citizens in the City and notably fortified the same took that as their Refuge Then dividing their Souldiers into two parts with one part of them manned out eight Gallies which under the leading of the great Captain Tenza robbed and spoiled all the Merchants Ships passing the straits of Hellespontus to or from Constantinople the other part left in the City in the mean time foraging the Country all about them But Tenza shortly after encountring with a Fleet of the Genowayes well provided for him was by them overthrown and most of his Gallies sunk and himself taken but yet afterwards redeemed by his Fellows and so again inlarged Now the Catalonians at Calipolis somewhat discouraged with the loss of their Fleet and so many of their men for certain days kept themselves quiet within their Walls not knowing well what course to take for they feared both the Massagets and Thracians them for that they had upon light causes abused them and slain divers of them in the late Asian War and these for that they had but even the other day burnt their Houses and spoiled their Labors in the Country there by for which and other their Outrages they utterly despaired of the Emperors Favor whom they had so highly offended But that which most of all terrified them was for that they looked for every day when Michael the young Emperor who as then lay not far off should with a great Power come to assault them for fear of whom they cast a deep Ditch about the
Feet suddenly stabbed him in the bottom of his belly with a short Dagger which he had under his Souldiers Coat of which Wound that great King and Conqueror presently died The name of this man for his courage worthy of eternal memory was Miles Cobelitz who before sore wounded was shortly after in the presence of Bajazet cut into small pieces The Turks in their Annals somewhat otherwise report of the death of Amurath as that this Cobelitz one of the Despot his Servants in time of the Battel coming to Amurath as a Fugitive offering him his Service and admitted to his presence in humbling himself to have kissed his Feet as the barbarous manner of the Turks is stabbed him into the belly and so slew him being himself therefore shortly after as is aforesaid in the presence of Bajazet most cruelly hewen into small pieces Whereupon ever since that time the manner of the Turks hath been and yet is that when any Embassador or Stranger is come to kiss the Sultan his hand or otherwise to approach his Person he is as it were for honours sake led by the Arms unto his presence betwixt two of the great Courtiers but indeed by so intangling him to be sure that he shall not offer him the like violence that did this Cobelitz unto Amurath The dead body of Amurath was presently with all secrecy conveyed into his Tent by the Bassaes and Captains present at his death whether Bajazet was also brought with an Ensign before him as the Successor in his Fathers Kingdom His younger Brother Iacup sirnamed Zelebi or the Noble yet ignorant of that had hapned was by the great Bassaes sent for as from his Father who casting no peril but coming into his Fathers Tent was there presently by them strangled by the commandment of Bajazet as most Histories report howbeit the Turks Annals charge him not therewith This was the beginning of the most unnatural and inhumane custom ever since holden for a most wholsome and good policy among the Turkish Kings and Emperors in the beginning of their Reign most cruelly to Massacre their Brethren and nearest Kinsmen so at once to rid themselves of all fear of their Compâ—â—itors This Amurath was in his Superstition more zealous than any other of the Turkish Kings a man of great courage and in all his Attempts fortunate he made greater slaughter of his Enemies than both his Father and Grandfather his Kingdom in Asia he greatly inlarged by the Sword Marriage and Purchase and using the Discord and Cowardise of the Grecian Princes to his profit subdued a great part of Thracia called Romania with the Territories thereto adjoyning leaving unto the Emperor of Constantinople little or nothing more in Thracia than the Imperial City it self with the bare name of an Emperor almost without an Empire he won a great part of Bulgaria and entred into Servia Bosna and Macedonia he was liberal and withall severe of his Subjects both beloved and feared a man of very few words and one that could dissemble deeply He was slain when he was threescore and eight years old and had thereof reigned thirty one in the year of our Lord 1390. His dead body was by Bajazet conveyed into Asia and there Royally buried at Prusa in a fair Chappel at the West end of the City near unto the Baths there where upon his Tomb lieth his Souldiers Cloke with a little Turkish Tulipant much differing from those great Turbants which the Turks now wear Near unto the same Tomb are placed three Launces with three Horse-tails fastned at the upper end of them which he used as Guidons in his Wars a thing in ancient time not strange There standeth a Castle with a Tomb made in remembrance of him in the Plains of Cossova where he was slain and his Entrails buried which giveth occasion for some to report that he was there also himself enterred FINIS Christian Princes of the same time with Amurath the First Emperors Of the East John Paleologus 1354. 30. Andronicus Paleologus 1384. 3. Emanuel Paleologus 1387. 30. Of the West Charles the Fourth 1346. 32. Wenceslaus Son to Charles King of Bohemia 1378. 22. Kings Of England Edward the Third 1327. 50. Richard the Second 1377. 23. Of France John Valois 1350. 14. Charles the Fifth 1364. 16. Charles the Sixth sirnamed The welbeloved 1381. 42. Of Scotland David Bruce 1341. 29. Robert Stewart 1370. Bishops of Rome Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. Urban the V. 1364. 8. Gregory the II. 1372. 7. Urban the VI. 1378. 11. The LIFE of BAJAZET The First of that NAME The FOURTH and most UNFORTUNATE King of the Turks BAjazet or as the Turks call him Baiasit of his violent and fierce Nature sirnamed Gilderun or Lightning succeeded his Father Amurath in the Turkish Kingdom his younger Brother Iacup being strangled immediatly after his Fathers death as is before declared He in the first year of his Reign invaded Servia and there besieged Cratova a City of the Despots whereunto the Silver Mines of Servia not the least cause of that War belonged Which City was yielded unto him upon condition That the Christian Inhabitants might with Life and Liberty depart Who were no sooner gon out of the City but that by his commandment they were all most cruelly slain by his men of War for that purpose sent out after them At this time he also won Uscupia with divers other Castles in the Country near unto Cratova Sigismund at the same time King of Hungary a young Prince of great hope and Brother to Wenceslaus then Emperor of the West advertised from the Servians his Allies and Confederates of these proud proceedings of Bajazet by his Embassadors sent of purpose requested him That as he was a just Prince and wished to live in quiet with his own to desist from doing of such open wrong and from invading of such Countries of his Friends and Confederates as he had no right in Which Embassadors so sent Bajazet detained without answer until such time as he had overrun a great part of the Despot his Country and therein done what he thought good Then calling the said Embassadors unto him into one of the strong Towns which he had in every corner filled with his own Souldiers told them that they might there see that his Right both unto that Town and the rest by him taken was good enough for as much as the very Walls acknowledged the same And so giving them leave to depart willed them so to tell their Master Which his proud answer by the same Embassadors reported unto the young King no less troubled him than if open War had by them been denounced unto him seeing the Tyrant as it should seem pretended Right unto whatsoever he could by force get nevertheless being himself not yet well setled in his Kingdom and in doubt of the contrary Faction that altogether liked not of his Election into Hungary for their King he was glad at that time to put it
power of the Turk without the help of such base minded Cowards In the mean time he commanded them to surcease from their mutinous talk threatning otherwise to make them examples to others what it is so much to forget themselves But these Spaniards shortly after better considering of the matter and what a dishonour it would be both to themselves and their Nation if they should so dishonourably be sent away repenting themselves of that they had done came and craved pardon of the Great Master and to redeem their former fault in all sallies and services during that Siege shewed themselves most valiant and forward men for all that the Great Master would never afterwards trust them in any service alone The Bassa attempting much and prevailing little thought it would much further his designs if he could by any means take the Great Master out of the way by whose careful policy he saw all his devices still countermanded wherefore to bring this his purpose to pass he practised by the means of one Ianus a Dalmatian to poyson him This Ianus having conceived this Treason from the Bassa was received into the City of the Rhodes as a Christian Fugitive fled from the Turks where he acquainted himself with one Pythius an Epirot of great familiarity with Marius Philelphus of late Secretary unto Damboyse but as then out of favour and in disgrace for that he was partaker with the Spaniards in the late mutiny Ianus by the means of Pythius whom he had now throughly corrupted sought after Philelphus who then as he right well knew lived discontented as a fit instrument whereby to work this Treason for that he was a man well acquainted with the Cooks and Butlers and other Servitors in the Great Masters House and himself yet there very conversant also Pythius presuming of his old acquaintance and familiarity with Philelphus and waiting upon his melancholy humor began to perswade him to revenge the disgrace he lived in and withal to shew him the means how to do it by poysoning the Great Master which might as he said fall out to his greater good than he was yet aware of Philelphus making semblance as if he had not disliked of the motion was desirous to know of him what farther benefit might thereby arise to him more than revenge To whom Pythius forthwith shewed the Bassaes Letters to Ianus whereby he assured him that whatsoever he should promise unto any man for the furtherance of the practice he would to the full perform the same Philelphus having got full understanding of the Treason presently discovered the same to Damboyse By whose commandment Ianus and Pythius were straitwaies apprehended and being examined confessed the Treason for which Ianus lost his Head and Pythius as he had well deserved was shamefully hanged Philelphus for his Fidelity was pardoned his former error and again received into the Great Masters favour The Bassa understanding that the Treason was discovered and the Traitors executed was much grieved therewith Nevertheless he ceased not with continual battery to shake the City but especially the Tower of S. Nicholas for the assailing whereof he made wonderful preparation Amongst other things he had framed a great Bridge staied with strong Ropes and Cables over a short fret of the Sea betwixt the place of his Battery and the same Tower whereon six men might march abreast in which device he reposed great hope But as the Turks were making fast this Bridge and had as they thought brought the work to a good perfection Gervaise Rogers an Englishman of great courage and very skilful in Sea matters found means by night to cut and break in sunder all the Ropes and Cables wherewith the Bridge was staid which now looâ—e was by the violence of the Sea quickly carried away and the Turks disappointed of their purpose For which good service he was by the Great Master honourably rewarded and of him in publick audience highly commended Yet was the furious Battery by the Bassa still maintained and a new Bridge framed upon small Boats and Lighters fast moored with Cables and Anchors and divers Pieces of great Ordnance placed in Fusts and Gallies So that the Tower was at one time battered both by Sea and Land the Defendants assailed with small Shot and Arrows innumerable and the Tower at the same instant desperately scaled But Damboyse had so placed his great Ordnance that with the force thereof the Bridge was broken in sunder four of their great Fusts sunk with great store both of Men and Ordnance the Defendants also in the Tower with Shot Timber Stones and other such like things provided for that purpose grievously overwhelmed the Turks that were scaling the Walls and beat them down with great slaughter This hot Assault was desperately maintained by the Turks from three a clock in the morning untill ten when the Bassa seeing no hope to prevail gave over the Assault having therein lost above two thousand five hundred men whose dead bodies shortly after driven on shore were spoiled by the Christians The same night two Mercenary Souldiers of Crete going about to have fled unto the Enemy were apprehended and put to death And George Frapaine who in the beginning of the Siege fled from the Turks now again vehemently suspected of Treason was executed also Thus neither Force nor Treason prevailing the Bassa because he would leave nothing unproved that might better his cause sent certain Messengers unto the Great Master offering to him in the name of the Turkish Emperor great Rewards with many honourable Preferments if he would yield up the City which he could not as they would have perswaded him long hold against so mighty an Enemy wishing him now in his declining estate not to refuse such honourable and princely Offers for fear he were afterwards constrained to accept of far worse or else through his desperate wilfulness plunge himself and his People into such extreme peril as should be impossible for him or them to find any way out of Whereunto the Great Master in brief answered That he would not willingly in his sure estate use the counsel of his Enemy neither in his greatest distress refuse chearfully to yield his Life unto Almighty God to whom he did ow it and that with far better Will than to yield up the City upon any conditions bear they never so fair a shew of honour or profit The Messengers perceiving his constant resolution rather to die than to yield his City began according to instructions before given them by the Bassa to temper with him another way and to perswade him to yield unto the mighty Emperor some small yearly Tribute or other Homage as an acknowledgment of his greatness and so to live as his Friend in Peace But the Great Master knowing by the woful example of others that in that small request lay included the beginning of the Turkish Thraldom and Slavery utterly refused to pay him the least Tribute or to do him the
by the Turks Horsemen and brought back to the Bassa Techellis thus put to flight Ionuses caused strait inquisition to be made through all the Cities of the lesser Asia for all such as had professed the Persian Religion and them whom he found to have born Arms in the late Rebellion he caused to be put to death with most exquisit Torments and the rest to be burnt in their Foreheads with an hot Iron thereby for ever to be known whom together with the Kinsfolks and Friends of them that were executed or fled with Techellis he caused to be transported into Europe and to be dispersed through Macedonia Epirus and Peloponnesus for fear lest if Techellis now fled into the Persian Kingdom should from thence return with new Forces they should also again repair unto him and raise a new Rebellion This was the beginning course and ending of one of the most dangerous Rebellions that ever troubled the Turkish Empire wherein all or at leastwise the greatest part of their Dominions in Asia might have been easily surprised by the Persian King if he would throughly have prosecuted the occasion and opportunity then offered The remainder of Techellis his Followers flying into Persia by the way lightning upon a Caravan of Merchants laden with Silks and other rich Merchandize took the Spoil thereof for which outrage coming to Tauris the Captains were all by the commandment of Hysmael executed and Techellis himself to the terror of others burnt alive year 1509. The next year which was the year 1509. the fourteenth day of September chanced a great and terrible Earthquake in the City of Constantinople and the Countries thereabouts by the violence whereof a great part of the Walls of that imperial City with many stately Buildings both publick and private were quite overthrown and thirteen thousand People overwhelmed and slain The terror whereof was so great that the People generally forsook their Houses and lay abroad in the Fields yea Bajazet himself then very aged and sore troubled with the Gout for fear thereof removed from Constantinople to Hadrianople but finding himself in no more safety than before he left the City and lay abroad in the Fields in his Tent. This Earthquake indured by the space of eighteen days or as the Turks Histories report a month with very little intermission which was then accounted ominous as portending the miserable calamities which shortly after hapned in the Othoman Family After this Earthquake ensued a great Plague wherewith the City was grievously visited and for the most part unpeopled But after that the Earthquake was ceased and the Mortality asswaged Bajazet caused the imperial City to be with all speed repaired and to that purpose gave out commissions into all parts of his Dominions for the taking up of Workmen so that there were at once in work eighty thousand Workmen who in most beautiful manner in the space of four months again repaired the ruins of that great City Bajazet had by his many Wives eight Sons and six Daughters which lived to be Men and Women grown and the Sons all Governors in divers Provinces of his large Empire whom the Turkish Histories reckon up in this order Abdullah Zelebi Alem Scach Tzihan Scach Achmet Machmut Corcut Selim and Muhamet Yet Antonius Utrius a Genoway who long time lived in Bajazet his Court and as he of himself writeth waited in his Chamber at the time of his death reckoning up the Sons of Bajazet maketh mention but of these six Sciemscia Alemscia Achomates Mahometes Selymus and Corcutus naming the forenamed by names something differing from the other Sciemscia the eldest Governor of Caramania for his towardliness most dearly beloved of his Father died a natural death before him and was of him and his Subjects greatly lamented Alemscia died in like manner of whose death as soon as he was advertised by mourning Letters written in black paper with white Characters as their manner of writing is in certifying of heavy news he cast from him his Scepter with all other tokens of Honour and caused general mourning to be made for him in the Court and through all the City of Constantinople by the space of three days during which time all Shops were shut up all trading forbidden and no sign of mirth to be seen and for a certain space after the manner of their Superstition caused solemn Sacrifices to be made for the health of his Soul and seven thousand Aspers to be given weekly unto the Poor His dead body was afterward with all Princely Pomp conveyed to Prusa and there with great solemnity buried Tzihan Governor of Caria and Muhamet Governor of Capha upon their Fathers heavy displeasure were by his commandment both strangled Of his other four Sons Achmet otherwise called Achomates Machmut or Mahometes Corcut or Corcutus and Selymus the second namely Mahometes was of greatest hope and expectation not given to sensuality or voluptuous pleasure as Achomates his eldest Brother neither altogether bookish as was Corcutus nor yet of so fierce and cruel a Disposition as Selymus but of such a lively Spirit sharp Wit bountiful Disposition and Princely Carriage of himself that in the judgment of most men he seemed already worthy of a Kingdom Which immoderate favour of the People caused his elder Brother Achomates yea and Bajazet also himself to have him in no small jealousie as if he had affected the Empire and was in short time the cause of his untimely death which thing he nothing doubting hastened as fatal things are by such means as he lest feared might have procured any such mortal distrust or danger Most of Bajazet his Children were by divers Women yet Achomates and this Mahometes were by one and the same Mother for which cause Mahometes took greater pleasure in him than in any his other Brethren although it were not answered with like love again Achomates was Lord and Governor of Amasia and this Mahometes of Magnesia who desirous to see the manner of his Brothers Life and Government disguised himself with two of his familiar and faithful Friends as if they had been religious men of that Order which the Turks call Imâ—lier These men are for the most part comely Personages born of good Houses who in cleanly Attire made after an homely fashion do at their pleasure wander up and down from Town to Town and Country to Country noting the disposition and manners of the People whereof as fitteth best their purpose they make large Discourses afterwards to others they commonly carry about with them silver Cymbals whereon they play most cunningly and thereunto sing pleasant and wanton Ditties for which idle delight they receive Mony of the People as an Alms given them of Devotion These are the common corrupters of youth and defilers of other mens beds men altogether given to ease and pleasure and are of the Turks called The religious Brethren of Love but might of right better be termed Epicurus his Hogs than any
humor Yet might Bajazet seem to do him wrong if he should not according to his promise again restore him unto the possession of the Empire which he had almost thirty years before received at his hands as is before in the beginning of his life declared But Selymus being of a more haughty disposition than to brook the life of a Subject under the command of either of his Brethren and altogether given to martial Affairs sought by infinite Bounty feigned Courtesie subtil Policy and by all other means good and bad to aspire unto the Empire Him therefore the Janizaries with all the great Souldiers of the Court yea and some of the chief Bassaes also corrupted with Gifts wished above the rest for their Lord and Sovereign desiring rather to live under him which was like to set all the World on a hurly burly whereby they might increase their Honour and Wealth the certain rewards of their Adventures than to lead an idle and unprofitable Life as they termed it under a quiet and peaceable Prince Whilst men stood thus diversly affected towards these Princes of so great hope Bajazet now far worn with years and so grievously tormented with the Gout that he was not able to help himself for the quietness of his Subjects and preventing of such troubles as might arise by the aspiring of his Children after his death determined whilst he yet lived for the avoiding of these and other such like mischiefs to establish the succession in some one of his Sons who wholly possessed of the Kingdom might easily repress the pride of the other And although he had set down with himself that Achomates should be the man as well in respect of his Birth-right as of the especial affection he bare unto him yet to discover the disposition of his Subjects and how they stood affected it was given out in general terms That he meant before his death to make it known to the World who should succeed in the Empire without naming any one of his Sons leaving that for every man to divine of according as they were affected which was not the least cause that every one of his Sons with like ambition began now to make small account of their former Preferments as thinking only upon the Empire it self First of all Selymus year 1511. whom Bajazet had made Governor of the Kingdom of Trapezond rigging up all the Ships he could in Pontus sailed from Trapezond over the Euxine now called the Black Sea to the City of Capha called in ancient time Theodosia and from thence by Land came to Mahometes King of the Tartars called Praecopenses a mighty Prince whose Daughter he had without the good liking of his Father before married and discovering unto him his intended purpose besought him by the sacred Bonds of the Affinity betwixt them not to shrink from him his loving Son-in-law in so fit an opportunity for his advancement And withal shewed unto him what great hope of obtaining the Empire was proposed unto him by his most faithful Friends and the Souldiers of the Court if we would but come nearer unto his Father then about to transfer the Empire to some one of his Sons and either by fair means to procure his favour or by entring with his Army into Thracia to terrifie him from appointing either of his other Brethren for the Successor The Tartar King commending his high device as a kind Father-in-law with wonderful celerity caused great store of shipping to be made ready in the Pontick Sea and Moeotis but especially at the Ports of Copa and Tana upon the great River of Tanais which boundeth Europe from Asia and arming fifteen thousand Tartarian Horsemen delivered them all to Selymus promising forthwith to send him greater Aid if he should have occasion to use the same These things being quickly dispatched Selymus passing over the River Borrysthenes and so through Valachia came at length to Danubius and with his Horsemen passed that famous River at the City of Chelia his Fleet he commanded to meet him at the Port of the City of Varna called in ancient time Dionysiopolis in the Confines of Bulgaria and Thracia he himself still levying more men by the way as he went pretending in shew quite another thing than he had indeed intended which the better to cover he gave it out as if he had purposed to have invaded Hungary But Bajazet a good while before advertised that Selymus was departed from Trapezond and come over into Europe marvelling that he had left his charge in Asia the Rebellion of Techellis and the Persian War yet scarce quieted and that upon his own head he had entertained forreign Aid to make War against the most warlike Nation of the Hungarians and farther that with his Army by Land he had seised upon the places nearest unto Thracia and with a strong Navy kept the Euxine Sea he began to suspect as the truth was That all this preparation was made and intended against himself for the crafty old Sire had good proof of the unquiet and troublesome nature of his Son especially in that without his knowledge he durst presume to take a Wife from amongst the Tartars and afterwards with no less presumption of himself raise an Army both by Sea and Land whereby he easily perceived that he would never hold himself contented with a small Kingdom so long as he was in hope by a desperat adventure to gain a greater Yet thinking it better with like dissimulation to appease his violent and fierce Nature than by sharp reproof to move him to farther Choler he sent unto him Embassadors to declare to him with what danger the Turkish Kings had in former times taken upon them those Hungarian Wars for example whereof he needed not to go no further than to his Grandfather Mahomet the Great who many times to his exceeding loss had made proof of the Hungarian Forces wherefore he should do well to expect some fit opportunity when as he might with better advice greater power and more sure hope of Victory take those Wars in hand Whereunto Selymus answered That he had left Asia inforced thereunto by the injuries of his Brother Achomates and was therefore come over into Europe by dint of Sword and the help of his Friends to win from the Enemies of the Mahometan Religion a larger and better Province for that little barren and peaceable one which his Father had given him bordering upon Hiberia and Cholchos bare and needy People living as Connies amongst the Rocks and Mountains As for the Hungarians whom they thought to be a People invincible and therefore not to be dealt withal he was not of that base mind to be daunted with any danger were it never so great and yet that in his opinion the War was neither so difficult or dangerous as was by them prentended forasmuch as the ancient prowess of that warlike Nation was now much changed together with the change of their Kings and their Discipline of
two or three days in a place Whilst he was thus travelling Selymus no less careful of the keeping of his Estate than he had before been for the obtaining of the same began now to doubt That if he should depart from Constantinople and with all his Forces pass over into Asia against his Brother Achomates Bajazet in the mean time might in his absence return to Constantinople and so again possess himself both of the City and Empire Wherefore to rid himself of that fear he resolved most Viper like before his going to kill his Father and so most unnaturally to deprive him of life of whom he had received life such is the cruel and accursed Nature of Ambition that it knoweth neither Father Mother Brother Wife Kindred or Friend no sometimes not her own Children the fury whereof was never in any one more pregnant than in this most monstrous and cruel Tyrant Selymus The readiest and most secret way he could devise for the effecting of this his damnable device which without great impiety could not be so much as once by him thought upon was to work it by poyson upon which resolution he secretly compacted with Haman a Jew his Fathers chief Physitian to poyson him promising him for his reward a Pension of ten Ducats a day during his life And for that men are oftentimes with terror and fear as well as with reward enforced to be the ministers of mischief he to be the more sure of this Jew prone enough for gain to do evil threatned him with most cruel death if he did not both secretly and speedily work this feat commanding him so soon as he had done it to return unto him to Constantinople The deceitful Jew moved both with the fear of death and hope of reward two great motives coming shortly after to Bajazet and finding him very weak seeming to be very careful of him told him That he would prepare for him a portion which should both restore to him his health and also strengthen his weak body if it would please him to take it the next morning early lying in his bed Bajazet nothing distrusting his old Physitian whom he had so often and so long trusted said he would gladly take it Early the next morning cometh the Jew with the deadly poyson in a Cup of Gold Bajazet yet sleeping which he set down in the Chair of State and so stood waiting untill the aged Prince should of himself awake But Bajazet sleeping soundly as oftentimes it chanceth when men sleep their last and withal somewhat longer than stood with the Jews purpose he presuming of his wonted practice awaked him and told him That the time to take the portion was almost past and asked him if it were his pleasure then to take it Bajazet doubting no Treafon willed him to bring it whereof when the Jew had taken the essay having before himself taken a preservative against that poyson he gave it to Bajazet to drink who chearfully drank it up the Physitian commanding them that waited in his Bed-Chamber and attended on his person to keep him well covered with warm clothes and not to give him any thing to drink until he had well sweat This cursed Jew having thus poysoned the aged Prince to avoid the danger of the Fact and to carry the first news thereof to Selymus secretly conveyed himself away and in hast fled to Constantinople But Bajazet attainted with the force of the Poyso began first to feel most grievous gripings in his Stomach the strong pain whereof appeared by his miserable complaining and heavy groaning in the midst of which torments he gave up the Ghost in the year 1512 when he had reigned thirty years The Turks report that he died a natural death but Antonius Utrius a Genoway who at that time served in Bajazet his Chamber and was present at his death reporteth That upon his dead Body the evident tokens of Poyson were to be seen His dead Body with all his Treasures were presently brought back again to Constantinople and delivered to Selymus who caused the Body of his Father to be with the greatest solemnity that might be buried in a most sumptuous Tomb in a Chappel near unto the great Mahometan Temple which he had before built for himself at Constantinople which Monument there remaineth this day to be seen His Servants were all by Selymus restored to their places which they before held in the Court in the time of their old Master excepting five of the Pages of his Chamber who lamenting the death of their Master above the rest had attired themselves all in mourning Apparel for which cause they were by the commandment of Selymus cast into prison where two of them were put to death the other three at the suit of Solyman Selymus his Son and of other two Bassaes were saved but being stript of their rich Apparel and whatsoever else they had gotten under Bajazet they were inrolled for Common Souldiers under Sullustares Bassa Of these three Antonius Utrius the Genoway before spoken of was one who after ten years miserable Captivity amongst the Turks at last escaped at such time as Selymus was by the Persian discomfited and with much ado returning again into Italy wrote the History of all such things as he himself had there seen with the calamities of Bajazet his House and a great part of the tyrannous Reign of Selymus Haman the false Jew as the same Author reporteth coming to Constantinople and expecting some great reward for his foul Treason by the commandmet of Selymus had his head presently struck off with this exprobration of his Treachery That opportunity serving he would not stick for reward to do the like against Selymus himself Of this Bajazet Ianus Vitalis writeth this Elogium Dum rerum exquiris causas dum procul Hunnes Carmannos Cilices Sauromatasque domas Bajazethe domi proles tua te petit armis Et te per fraudes amovet imperio Adjicit inde novum sceleri scelus tibi miscet Pocula lethiferis illita graminibus Intempestivos crudelis vipera foetus Per sua sic tandem funera rupta parit Quid tutum est cui sint ingentia regna Tyranno Si timant natos progeniemque suam In English thus Whilst that thou Bajazethes seeks of things the hidden cause And fain wouldst bring the Hunne and Russ under thy Turkish Laws Thy Son at home steps up in Arms against thy Royal Crown And by false Treason and Deceit finds means to pluck thee down Whereto he addeth mischief more and straight without delay By Poyson strong in glittering Bowl doth take thy life away The cruel Viper so brings forth her foul untimely Brood Who eat and gnaw her Belly out their first and poisoned Food Which things may Princes hold for safe that do great Kingdoms sway If of their Children they must stand in dread and fear alway Christian Princes of the same time with Bajazet the Second Emperors of
taken from Corcutus all hope of escaping by Sea so that he was fain to hide himself in a Cave near unto the Sea side not far from Smyrna living in hope that after a few days the Fleet would depart and so he should find some opportunity to escape After he had thus a great while in fear most miserably lived with Country Crabs and other like wild Fruit a poor Diet for a man of State and was with extream necessity inforced to send his man for relief to a poor Shephards Cottage thereby he was by a Country Pesant discovered to Cassumes who with too much diligence sought after his life and being by him apprehended was carried towards the Tyrant his Brother at Prusa Right welcome to Selymus was the report of his taking who as soon as he understood that he was within a days journey of Prusa sent one Kirengen-Ogli who of his squint look was called Chior Zeinal to strangle him upon the way and to bring his dead Body to Prusa This Captain coming to Corcutus in the dead time of the night and awaking him out of his sleep told him his heavy Message how that he was sent from his Brother Selymus to see him executed which must as he said presently be done Corcutus exceedingly troubled with these heavy news and fetching a deep sigh desired the Captain so long to spare his life until he might write a few short lines unto his Brother Selymus Which poor request being granted he called for Pen and Paper and readily in Turkish Verse for he had spent all his time in study reproved his Brother of most horrible Cruelty upbraiding him that he had not only most disloyally thrust his Father out of his Empire but also most unnaturally deprived him of Life of whom he had before received the same and not so content had most tyrannously slain his Brothers Children and now like an unmerciful wretch thirsted after the guiltless blood of himself and Achomates his Brethren At last concluding his Letters with many a bitter curse he besought God to take of him just revenge for so much innocent blood by him most unnaturally spilt And when he had thus much written he requested the Captain that it might together with his dead body be delivered unto Selymus So without any further delay he was according to the Tyrants command presently strangled The next day after when the dead body was presented unto Selymus he uncovered the face thereof to be sure that it was he and seeing a Paper in his hand took it from him but when he had read it for all his cruel nature and stony heart he burst out into tears protesting that he was never so much grieved or troubled with any mans death as with his for which cause he commanded general mourning to be made for him in the Court and with Princely solemnity buried his body Three days after he caused fifteen of those diligent searchers who first found Corcutus to have their Heads struck off and their bodies to be flung into the Sea saying That if he were by any extremity driven to fly and hide his Head they would not stick to serve him in like manner as they had done his Brother Now of all the Posterity of Bajazet remained none alive to trouble the cruel Tyrants thoughts but only Achomates and his two Sons who upon the approach of the Spring set forward with his Army from Amasia excited by the often Letters of his Friends who assured him that Selymus might upon the suddain be easily oppressed if he would with all expedition come to Prusa forasmuch as the Janizaries and Europeian Horsemen the undoubted strength of his Army were at that time absent and he himself as one hated both of God and Man could not in so suddain and unexpected danger tell what he were best to do or which way to turn himself wherefore they willed him without delay to hasten his coming and not to expect the milder Weather of the Spring lest in the mean time Selymus should call together his dispersed Forces God they said did oftentimes offer unto men both the opportunity and means to do great matters if they had the power to lay hold thereon and therefore he should do well now by celerity and courage to seek to better his evil Fortune which but a little before had bereft him of his Fathers Kingdom for if Summer were once come on he must either gain the Victory by plain Battel which would be a hard matter or else get him packing out of Cappadocia and all Asia the less Achomates who before had promised unto himself better success as well for the great Strength he had of his own as for the new supply of Horsemen he had procured from Hysmael the Persian King but especially for the hope he had that Selymus generally hated for his late Cruelty should in the time of the Battel be forsaken of his own Souldiers yielded to the perswasions of his Friends who with many pleasing words set before his Eyes glorious things easie to be spoken but hard to be effected Wherefore when he was come into Galatia with somewhat more than fifteen thousand Horsemen having for hast left his Footmen by easie marches to come after him Selymus advertised of his coming by speedy Messengers sent for his Horsemen to Prusa In the mean time whiles he is levying other common Souldiers and expecting the rest of his Forces Fortune which always favoured his attempts did then also avert the danger prepared for him by the unfaithfulness of his Followers and shewed to him the open way to Victory For Achomates secret Friends which were in Selymus his Camp continuing firm in their good will toward him did earnestly by Letters perswade him being already set forward and now come as far as Paphlagonia to make hast and to come before Selymus his Forces were come together for that he had sent for the Janizaries and Europeian Horsemen and did with all speed and diligence make all the preparation he could possibly which for all that would all come too late if he should upon the suddain come upon him before he were provided Which Letters being by chance intercepted gave Selymus certain knowledge both of his Brothers purpose and coming together with the Treason intended against him by his own Servants wherefore executing them who had writ those Letters he in their names caused others to the same effect to be written to Achomates perswading him with all speed possible to come still on and not to stay for his Footmen for that Selymus might easily be oppressed with a few Troops of Horsemen if Achomates would with speed but come and shew himself unto his Friends and Favourites who upon the first signal of Battel would raise a tumult in the Army and upon the suddain kill Selymus unadvisedly going to and fro in the Battel Which Letters so written Selymus caused to be signed with the Seals of them whom he had before
strangled him with a Rope and that he might be the better seen and become more contemptible to all that passed that way they hanged him up by the neck upon an Iron Hook in an Arch of the same Gate and so left him to the worlds wonder Palearius propounding him as a mirror both of the better and worse fortune for all men to look upon aptly describeth both his happiness and misery in these few Verses following Non fuit in toto Rex aeque Oriente beatus Nec magis in toto Rex Oriente miser Quam dolor Egypti olim Tomombeius auro Ingenti atque armis ditione potens Captus ab hoste fero miserum simul atque beatum Exemplo potis est commonuisse suo Quid rides temere quid fles vis te cohibere Et natum post hac te meminisse hominem Mi traheum induto gemmis auroque corona Cingebat fulgens diadema caput Mi quandam ornabant pretiosa monilia collum Nunc fractam vili respice fune gulam In English thus In all the East a King more blest was no where to be found Nor in the East one more accurst liv'd not upon the ground Than Tomombeius Egypts grief sometime for store of gold Of power great for Martial Force and Kingdom he did hold But taken by his cruel Foe may good example be Both to the happy and distrest of mans uncertainty Why do'st thou fondly laugh Why do'st thou vainly cry Canst thou from henceforth stay thy self and think th' art born to die My Garments were the Royal Robes I wore the Crown of Gold With richest Stones most richly set most glorious to behold My neck adorn'd with richest Gems which I did sometimes wear But now trust up in shameful Rope behold me hanging here This misery befel Tomombeius the thirteenth of April in the year 1517 upon the Monday in Easter Week There were many which shed tears to behold that so cruel and lamentable a spectacle who by their woful countenance and pitiful lamentation seemed to detest that foul and unworthy death of their late Sultan notwithstanding that the Janizaries reproved them therefore and threatned them with death who like giddy braind Fools as they termed them enured to the slavery of the Mamalukes joyfully and thankfully accepted not of their deliverance for the Egyptians were as yet uncertain of their Estate and therefore as men in suspence not without cause stood in doubt what should become of themselves fearing lest the Turks a warlike Nation and a terror to all the Princes of Europe and Asia nothing more courteous than the Mamalukes should with no less insolency rage and tyrannize over them under their warlike and cruel Emperor Besides that the woful sight of Tomombeius hanging in the Gate as the unworworthy scorn of Fortune wonderfully wounded their hearts for why it was yet fresh in their remembrance that he with the good liking of all men and general favour of the Nobility with good fame rose up all the degrees of Honour both in Field and Court unto the height of Regal Dignity and therefore grieved the more to see him by inevitable Destiny cast down headlong so shamefully to end his Life and Empire together A notable spectacle undoubtedly amongst the rarest examples of worldly fragility both to the happy and unfortunate the one not to be too proud or too much to flatter themselves in their greatest bliss and the other to learn thereby with patience to indure the heavy and unworthy changes and chances of this wretched and miserable world And so much the more did Tomombeius so hanging move men to compassion for that the Majesty of his tall and strong body and reverend countenance with his long and hoary Beard well agreed with his imperial Dignity and Martial disposition The same fortune with Tomombeius ran also divers of the Princes of the Mamalukes with some others of the common sort also Tomombeius thus taken out of the way and all the Mamalukes almost slain and no power of the Enemy to be heard of in all Egypt to renew the War Selymus dividing his Forces sent them forth with his Captains to take in the Countries and Provinces of Egypt lying further off They of Alexandria after the battel of Caire having thrust out the Garrison and easily surprised the Castle of Pharus which the weak defendants chose rather upon hope of present reward to deliver than with doubtful event to defend yielded themselves many daies before unto the Turks Damiata also called in ancient time Pelusium opened their Gates and submitted themselves to the Victors There was no City betwixt the River of Nilus and the Borders of Iudea and Arabia which yielded not to the obedience of Selymus The Kings also of Africk bordering upon Cyrenaica Tributaries or Confederates of the Egyptian Sultans sent their Embassadors with Presents to Selymus There remained now none but the wild Arabians a People never to be tamed and especially they of Africk who having lost many of their Friends and Kinsmen in aiding Tomombeius would not as it was thought submit themselves unto the Turkish obedience This wandering king of People living for most part by Theft had filled the Countries from Euphrates where it runneth by the Palmyrens with all the inner parts of Egypt and Africk unto the Atlantick Sea with huge multitudes of men and being divided into many Companies under divers Leaders have no certain dwelling places but live an hard and frugal kind of life in Tents and Waggons after the manner of the Tartars their greatest Wealth is a good serviceable Horse with a Launce or a bundle of Darts they were alway at discord and variance amongst themselves by reason whereof they could never agree for the expulsing of the Mamalukes who otherwise had not been able to have stood against them if they should have joyned their Forces together So that the late Egyptian Sultans seemed to hold their State and Empire among so populous a Nation rather by their discord than their own strength wherefore Selymus having now by fit men upon his Faith before given allured many of their Chieftains and greatest Commanders to Caire honourably both entertained and rewarded them By whose example others moved came also in dayly and having received their rewards gave the Oath of their Allegeance to Selymus Others which could by no fair promises or words be won being cunningly intercepted by other Captains and delivered to Selymus indured the pains of their vain obstinacy and malice The other remote Nations toward Aethiopia as they had in former time rather acknowledge the friendship than the command of the Egyptian Sultans so now induced with the fame of the Victory easily joyned in like amity with the Turk About the same time Selymus sent certain Troops of Horsemen to Suezzia a Port of the Red Sea of old called Arsinoe about three days journey from Caire in which Port Campson the great Sultan a little before the coming of the
to Medices the Admiral to be conveied up the River to Vienna Liscanus at the time of his apprehension most covetously and uncourteously took from him his Chain and a rich Cloak lined with Sables which indignity done to so noble a Gentleman so much offended the minds of the rest of the Hungarians that above twelve thousand of them thereupon presently returned home to their own dwellings cursing the Germans to the Divel This Perenus was one of the greatest Peers of Hungary but of a most haughty and magnificent mind so that he would sometime have almost a hundred goodly spare Horses fit for service led before him without their Riders and would sometime speak too liberally against the bareness of King Ferdinands Court who polled by his Courtiers hardly maintained his State which his surpassing magnificence and princely Port was cause enough for the other great Courtiers to envy at his Estate and to seek his overthrow who as Men overcharged with the burthen of another Mans vertue whereof they never bore the least part and always gaining by the depraving of other Mens perfection conspired together his overthrow and oftentimes pointing at him with their fingers would say That he favoured of a Crown This notable Man as he had many worthy Vertues so was he not without cause noted of ambition and unconstancy for after that King Lewis was lost he disdaining the preferment of Iohn the Vayvod to the Kingdom of Hungary took part with King Ferdinand against him in hope as it was thought to be next in honour unto himself but after he saw King Iohn again restored and his State strongly supported by Solyman and that all things stood doubtful and fickle with Ferdinand he with like levity sought means by Abraham the great Bassa to be reconciled to King Iohn which was hardly obtained of him by the intercession of Solyman himself as is before declared to whom he gave his Son as a Pledge of his Fidelity After which time he lived in great Honour and Loyalty all the Reign of King Iohn but after he was dead and saw George the Bishop the Kings Tutor doing what he list to reign like a King he disdained his Government and solicited by King Ferdinand revolted again unto him and furthered him in what he could for the obtaining of the Kingdom But now falling into the envy of the Court Malice found out matter enough to work his confusion First it was given out That his Son who had many years been detained in Solymans Court as a Pledge of his Fathers Faith was even then under the colour of a fained escape come into Transylvania when as he had secretly agreed with Solyman that his Father being a Man much favoured of the People should by promising them all possible Freedom allure them to the Turkish subjection in reward of which good service he should be made Governour of the Kingdom of Hungary and put in hope also to be made the Tributary King thereof if it should fortune the young King to die Besides that it was accounted a thing very suspicious that he had the Winter before used great kindness and friendship toward the Turkish Captains by sending them great Presents and receiving the like again And last of all his Letters directed to certain Hungarian Captains were produced wherein he seemed to promise them as his Friends and Followers greater entertainment than agreed with his present Estate All which things King Ferdinand of his own disposition not easily to be perswaded to conceive evil of the Germans his Countrymen were it never so apparent or true but of Strangers any thing quickly believed and therefore caused him as is before said to be apprehended But Perenus as he was brought by Medices the Admiral to Vienna when he was come near unto the Gate of the City and heard that Philippus Torniellus with certain other brave Captains of his acquaintance were come to meet the Admiral he requested that the close Coach wherein he rid might be opened and that he might have leave to speak to those noble and valiant Gentlemen Which thing was easily granted for that the Nobility and approved valour of the Man seemed unto them which had the charge of him unworthy of such restraint of liberty or imprisonment yea or of the least suspicion thereof So he turning himself towards them spake unto them in this sort Wretched I noble Gentlemen said he whom despightful envy hath circumvented guiltless but much more miserable King Ferdinand whom domestical Thieves bereave of Substance of Friends and Honour all at once For so it cometh to pass that by this inconsiderate wrong done unto me he shall utterly lose the love and fidelity of the Hungarian Nation and may therefore for ever not without cause despair for the obtaining of the Kingdom of Hungary sithence that it is not lawful for me inferiour to nâ—â—e of my Nation in Birth and having for my good and faithful service well deserved râ—ward of a just King so much as to rejoyce for the deliverance of my Son from the Captivity of the Turks but that by my sinister fortune dreadful death in stead of incomparable joy must be presented to mine Eies For will these malicious Pick-thanks guilty of thâ—ir own Cowardise the wicked Contrivers and Witnesses of my wrongful Accusation spare me being laid fast and indurance which never spared the Kings Honour For every Man of what Nobility soever be he never so guiltless when he is once in hold must be content to endure not what he hath deserved but what his hard fortune assigneth Yet my upright mind and clear conscience which thing only God the most just Iudge leaveth as a comfort to Men in misery wrongfully accused delivered me of this care and so will the Marquess our General to whom I before upon a mistrust foretold that such a danger would shortly befal me and that I had rather be slain guiltless than to withdraw my self from Trial which thing I told him at such a time as I was so guarded with mine own strength that I feared no Mans force I beseech you do me this honourable favour as to request King Ferdinand in my behalf quickly and honourably to proceed to the Trial of my Cause and according to his own princely disposition and the will of others to discern betwixt his faithful Friends and fained Flatterers Truly we are too too unfortunate Captains if for a little evil success we shall be so adjudged as Men that had overthrown their Fortune Cazzianer peradventure received the just punishment he had deserved for the shameful forsaking and losing of the Army at Exek when as he possessed with an uncouth fear forgot the duty of a General more afraid of death than dishonour for when he had voluntarily committed himself to safe custody he was so generally condemned of Cowardise that despairing to defend his Cause he brake Prison and as wickedly as unfortunately revolted to the Turks But neither was I
began to grow doubtful of his own safety for that they being but few although Men of good worth were to withstand the infinite number of such Enemies as oftentimes used most desperately to expose their lives to all manner of dangers This their fear was also encreased by the coming of certain Messengers from Solyman who understanding of what Nations the Garrison consisted sent unto the City three of his own Guard one a Spaniard another an Italian and the third a German all Renegate Christians that every one of them might without an Interpreter speak unto their Countrymen in their own Language These Men admitted into the City offered great rewards and large entertainment in the Name of Solyman to such as would in time yield denouncing all torture and extremities unto them which should endure the summons of the Cannon Whereunto it was answered by the Captains That those faithful and valiant Souldiers who had reposed their last hopes in their Arms were neither to be won by gifts nor terrified with threats With which answer the Messenger returned and the same day the Turks great Ordnance were planted upon the Hill before the Gate of the City and the weakest parts of the Walls round about the City so well pickt out by the Turks to be assaulted as that they could not more skilfully or commodiously have been chosen out of them which had within most diligently viewed every thing so that it is to be thought that the Christians wanted not only Fortune against the Turks but also Faith amongst themselves Salamanca distrusting the Fortifications of the Suburbs retired into the City contrary to that he had before vainly boasted Achomates General of the European Horsemen laid siege to that part of the Wall which was next to the Bishops Gardens Ulamas the Persian besieged the Tower near unto the Gate towards Buda The Asapi or common Souldiers were by their Captains brought on to dig Trenches and cast up Mounts as was thought most convenient It is incredible to be spoken with what fury the great Ordnance were discharged without ceasing insomuch that the Tower with a great part of the Wall near unto it shaken with continual Battery fell down with such violence as if all had been shaken with a most terrible Earthquake neither was any Man able to stand upon the Walls but that the Janizaries with their Harquebusies out of their Trenches and from their Mounts would most certainly fetch him off and many which stood within farther off were with the Turks Arrows falling from high as if it had been out of the Air grievously wounded But that which most troubled the Defendants and did them greatest harm was the Stones which beaten in sunder with the great Shot and not to be avoided did with their Pieces kill or maim the Souldiers near hand With which dangers they were enforced to forsake the uttermost Wall and to cast up new Fortifications within that they might with less danger defend the place Neither in the Enemy wanted courage to assail the Breach thrice they desperately attempted to have entred and were always with loss repulsed In which assaults amongst others Bultaces Sanzack of Selymbria and a Man of great account among the Turks was lost Whilst the Defendants were thus busied many of the Souldiers and Mariners which came up the River with all things necessary for the Army from Buda went on shore and lay in the Suburbs of the City in such security as if there had been no Enemy nigh which thing they in the City perceiving suddainly sallied out upon them fearing no such matter and slew many of them before they could arm themselves and drave the rest of their Fleet so that betwixt fighting and flying there was about two hundred of them slain Zimar a Persian Admiral of the Fleet in rescuing of them which to save their lives fled unto the River was shot through with a small Shot and slain Whilst these things were in doing and the Turks having in many places sore shaken the Wall did with greater force daily assail the City and the Defendants with their continual loss and out of all hope of relief were more and more discouraged an old Calabrian Engineer which had long time served King Ferdinand fled out of the City to the Turks who being courteously entertained by Solyman and examined by the Bassaes of many things concerning the strength and state of the City satisfied them in all that they desired and further directed them in planting their Batteries in places most convenient for the speedy taking of the Town In the mean time whilst the Turks were with restless labour battering the Walls and working in their Mines it fortuned that a gilt brazen Cross which stood upon the top of the Steeple of the Cathedral Church was by the continual shooting of the Turks thereat at length beaten down at the sight whereof it is reported that Solyman after the superstitious manner of that Nation taking the chance as a token of good luck cried out presently Strigonium is won Liscanus and Salamanca fearfully consulting of the event of the Siege and secretly conferring together resolved to save themselves and to give up the Town Liscanus was no great Souldier and yet by continual spoil grown exceeding rich and therefore thought it but folly to buy the Name of a resolute Captain at too dear a price with the loss of his Life and Wealth The like feeling was also in Salamanca who preferred the safety of himself and of that which he had got in long service before all credit and honour were it never so great This their purpose was not kept so secret but that it was noised abroad amongst the common Souldiers of whom almost the third part was now either slain or with wounds or sickness grown weak yet were they all of opinion generally that they were still strong enough to defend the Town But the under Captains and Antients using to flatter their Generals liked well of the motion to yield unto Solyman upon reasonable conditions rather than to expose themselves to most certain death which should nothing better King Ferdinands cause Not long after an Antient was by night let down over the Wall and having by an Interpreter received the Turks Faith called forth Salamanca that he might upon better conditions go through with them for the yielding up of the Town Who without further delay coming out went to Achomates before he went commanding them which defended the Water Tower next to the River side a place of great danger for safegard of their lives to get them into the City who terrified with that news and hastily retiring were by the vigilant Turks which lay at the siege thereof perceived who suddainly breaking in slew such as were not yet gone and possessed the Castle But Salamanca being brought before the great Bassaes when he had stood upon many nice terms and required many things to have been granted him obtained no more but
yet had nor never shall I will therefore my self provide that thou nor none for thee shall ever hereafter in such sort shamefully triumph over a poor crooked Wretch And having thus much said stab'd himself with his own Dagger into the Body whereof he in short time died Which so soon as it came to the old Tygers Ears it is hard to say how much he grieved His dead Body was by his Fathers commandment carried from Aleppo in Syria to Constantinople and afterwards honourably buried on the other side of the Haven at Pera. For all this bloody Tragedy his covetous mind was not so troubled but that he could forthwith command all Mustapha's Treasures and Riches to be brought to his Tent which his Souldiers in hope to have the same given among them for a Prey willingly hasted to perform In the mean time the Souldiers which were in Mustapha's Camp not knowing what was become of their Master seeing such a multitude of Souldiers thrusting into their Camp without all order to repress their tumultuous insolency stept out in their Armor and notably repulsed them not without much Bloodshed At length the noise of this stir was heard by the rest of the Kings Souldiers who seeing the Tumult to increase more and more ran in to help their Fellows so that in short time there began a hot skirmish and cruel fight on both sides insomuch that two thousand were slain and more wounded neither had the broil so ended had not Achomat Bassa a grave Captain and for his long experience of no small Authority amongst the Souldiers kept back the Janizaries and staid their fury and turning likewise to Mustapha's Souldiers by gentle and mild words and courteous perswasions in this manner appeased their rage What my Brethren said he will you now degenerating from your ancient Loyalty for which you have been for so many Ages commended impugn the command of the great Sultan our dread Sovereign Truly I cannot sufficiently marvel what thing should move you whom I have hitherto proved to have been most worthy and valiant Souldiers in this civil conflict to draw those Weapons against your Fellows and Brethren which you have most fortunately used against the Enemies of the Othoman Kings except you mean thereby to make your selves a joyful spectacle unto your Enemies who grieving to see themselves overcome by your Victorious Weapons may yet rejoice among themselves to see you turn the same one upon another Wherefore my Sons for your ancient honours sake be careful that you do not by this your insolency lose the reputation of your Wisdom Loyalty and Valor for which you have hitherto been above all others commended reserve these your Weapons which you have now too too much used among your Fellows against your Enemies of whom you may get more Praise and Honour This Speech of the old Bassa so mollified the stout Souldiers that they freely permitted all that was in Mustapha's Tents to be carried to Solymanâ— but so soon as the death of Mustapha was blown into the Ears of the Janizaries and the rest of the Army in Solymans Camp another Tumult rose among them worse than the first They were quickly all up in Arms again and with a great noise confused with Tears and Lamentation as they were in rage and fury brake violently into Solymans Pavillion with their drawn Swords which struck the Tyrant into such a fear that destitute of all Counsel in himself he was about with the extream peril of his life to have fled but being holden by his Friends and making a Vertue of Necessity upon the suddain adventured to do that which at better leisure he would scarcely have thought upon for going forth out of his Tent but with a pale and wan Countenance he spake unto the enraged Souldiers thus What Broil is this what Stir what so great Insolency what mean your inflamed fierce and angry Looks know you not your Sovereign and him that hath power to command you Have you so resolved to stain the ancient and invincible honour of your selves and your Ancestors with the Blood of your Lord and Emperor Whilst he was yet thus speaking the Souldiers boldly answered That they denied not but that he was the Man whom they many years before had chosen for their Emperor but in that they had by their own Valour got for him a large and mighty Empire and in like manner preserved it that was therefore of them done that he should for the same govern them vertuously and justly and not to lay his bloody hands without discretion upon every just Man and most wickedly embrue himself with innocent Blood and that they came thither armed they did it as they said moved with just cause to revenge the unworthy death of guiltless Mustapha and that for that matter he had no just cause to be angry with them Wherefore they required that they might publickly clear themselves of the Treason whereof they were accused by Mustapha's Enemies and that the Accuser might be brought forth to justifie his Accusation protesting that they would never lay down their Weapons until the Accuser made his appearance in Jugdment and commenced his Accusation judicially upon pain to endure the like punishment if he failed in proof Whilst these things were in doing the hainousness of the late committed fact caused every Man to shed Tears so that Solyman himself seemed to be sorry for the Murther so lately by himself committed wherefore he promised unto the Souldiers whatsoever they required and did what he could to appease their angry minds For all that they in the mean time lest he should craftily slip away and deceive them of that he had promised and of the expectation of such things as they had required with a marvellous care and diligence all kept Watch and Ward Solyman to appease this fury of the Janizaries deprived Rustan Bassa of all his Honours and took from him his Seal whereof he had the keeping and delivered it to Achomates Bassa But Rustan worthily strucken with fear and horror seeing himself now in no safety in his own Tents fled secretly to Achomates asking his Counsel what were best for him to do and what Course to take in so doubtful and dangerous a case To whom the Bassa answered that it were best for him to use the great Emperors advice and to do what he commanded Which answer well satisfied Rustan and so he which of late gave other Men access unto the Emperor at his pleasure was now glad by his old Acquaintance and Friends to prefer this poor suit To know his pleasure what he would have him to do from whom he received this answer That he should incontinently without further delay get him out of his sight and out of the Camp which the Bassa said he could not conveniently do being by his displeasure and the Souldiers rage disfurnished of all things necessary for his departure Whereunto Solyman sent him answer
secret commiseration of his inevitable Destiny or that he had by Loyalty or other means so won her Favour is not known but every Man saw that if it had lien in her Power she would undoubtedly have preferred him before his elder Brother Selymus and have placed him in the Empire but she must needs give way to her old Husbands Will firmly and irremovably set down that the Destinies so permitting none should reign after him but his eldest Son Selymus Of which his purpose and resolution Bajazet being not ignorant began most circumspectly to look about about him if he could by any means frustrate that forcible necessity and exchange his certain destruction with an Empire in which his deep and dangerous cogitations he was not a little comforted by the favour and love of Roxolana his Mother and of Rustan the great Bassa his Brother in Law who together had in any other matter been able to have overruled the aged Emperor Whereupon he resolutely set down himself rather to end his days by making proof of good or bad Fortune than upon the death of his Father which by Course of Nature could not now be far off to be as a Sacrifice basely butchered by some vile Hangman of his Brothers Bajazet so resolved and now already fallen out with his Brother Selymus took occasion upon the general discontentment of the People and others for the unworthy death of Mustapha their late joy to begin those stirs which he had before with himself plotted and so to make a Head whereunto he might afterward join the Body also for why that worthy Mustapha had left behind him so great desire of himself that now it wearied many to live after him they had so placed all the hope of their good Fortune in him unto whom nothing was more desired than to revenge the wrong done unto him or else to run the same hard Fortune with him othersome guilty of the immoderate Affection they had born unto him yet living and fearing to be called to give an account thereof thought any state better and more assured than that wherein they presently stood and therefore sought all occasions of new stirs how to set all in an hurly burly only a Captain was wanting Mustapha could not again be revived yet might he be strongly supposed to live This device pleased Bajazet as best fitting his purpose being not ignorant of this disposition of the People Wherefore by certain of his most faithful and trusty Followers he found out a certain obscure Fellow of a notable audacity which should take upon him the Name and Person of Mustapha whose Stature also and Countenance and Proportion of Body differed not much from Mustapha himself he as if he had by chance escaped first began to shew himself in that part of Thracia which is above Constantinople and lieth toward Danubius not far from the Countries of Moldavia and Valachia and was for that cause both fittest for Rebellion and also best stored with Horsemen who of all others most honoured Mustapha Hither he comes as if it had been from a long journey slenderly accompanied and as if he had been desirous at the first not to have been known his Followers being demanded as it chanced who it was did rather fearfully give them that asked occasion to ghess than plainly to tell them that it was Mustapha neither did he himself much deny it whereby the People became more and more desirous to know him Which beginning thus laid he afterward began to rejoyce of his fortunate coming thither and to give God thanks for his safe arrival there amongst his Friends he tells them That at such time as he was sent for by his Father he durst not come into his sight or commit himself unto him in his Fury but by the counsel of his Friends to have with great promises perswaded one that was marvellous like unto himself to go in his stead by whose danger he might make proof of his Fathers mind towards him who before he was admitted to the speech of his Father was without hearing miserably strangled and so cast out before his Pavilion at which time there were many as he said which perceived the deceit but the greater part remained in error deceived with the Lineaments and Countenance of the miserable dead Man who was much altered with the terrible pains of death and supposing it to have been him indeed that was slain Which thing as soon as he understood he thought it not good longer to stay but presently to flie and to provide for his own safety and so flying with a few of his own Followers thereby the more secretly and safely to escape and having passed above Pontus by the People of Bosphorus was now come thither where he was in good hope to find much help and comfort in the Fidelity of his Friends whom he requested not now to forsake him or to make less account of him disgraced by the malice of his Step-Mother than they had before in time of his Prosperity For that he was aminded to revenge the injury done unto him and by force of Arms to defend himself for what else had he now left being by no other means preserved but by the death of another Man that he had sufficiently proved how his Father stood affected towards him and that he now lived by his mistaking not by his Kindness The cause of all which his troubles was his Stepdame who as he said with her inchantments led the silly old Man now almost doating for Age and mad for love whither she would at her pleasure and by her Agent Rustan Bassa forced him forward headlong into all kind of mischief but that God be thanked he wanted not his Friends by whose help he would find a way out of these miseries and take revenge of his Enemies for why he had as yet couragious Hearts and the Janizaries with the greater part of his Fathers Family on his side and that great multitudes of People would flock unto him upon brute of his Name so that they which did now mourn for him as dead in number many would by heaps run to help him being alive so that they there present would only courteously receive him as a Guest and protect him now distressed till such time as his welwillers and Friends might repair unto him And this at last he gave out not in secret but openly to all Men wheresoever he came The same things did they also report whom he made the People to believe to have been the Companions of his Flight which was also confirmed by divers of good Account and Authority whom Bajazet had before dealt withal to that purpose So that a great number of Men altogether unknown to Bajazet were by that means seduced for this matter was so cunningly wrought that many of them that had known Mustapha alive and seen him laid dead before his Fathers Pavilion yet listed not greatly to believe that which they knew but easily suffered
the Persian fashion seven Staves of Silver seven Scimiters with red Scabberts seven Bows with Arrows and Quivers all wrought with Gold and precious Stones he presented also many other Carpets called Tefâ—ich made of the finest Lawn and so large that seven Men could scarcely carry one of them All the Faulcons were dead by the way The Presents which the Embassador gave unto the Great Turk in his own Name were also these An Alcoran a Pavilion fair and large certain Scimiters Bows and Arrows richly garnished with certain Carpets of Silk and Camels hair After which Presents so delivered and Reverence done unto the Great Sultan by the Embassador and thirty of his Followers all in Cloth of Gold he returned to his Lodging very honourably accompanied as well by the Turks as them of his own Retinue First besides many others there were a great Company of the Spahies and Chiauses and other Courtiers mounted upon goodly Horses well furnished and in decent order here might a Man have seen store of Cloth of Gold Velvet Damask and other kinds of Silk After these there followed about three hundred Persian Horsemen apparelled after their manner some with Gowns made of divers little pieces of Taffata of sundry Colours representing the Pictures of Men Women Horses and other Beasts and some of them embroidred with Flowers and Fruits of sundry sorts some had also Gowns of Cloth of Gold but not so fair as the Turks and some of Velvet but very few of Cloth for that the Persians have no great plenty either of Velvet or yet of Cloth except such as they have from the Portugals that travel into those Eastern Countries yet of Silk and Wool it appeareth they have great plenty most part of their Gowns being of Wool quilted with Bombast After these Horsemen followed many Persian Footmen peradventure all Servants after whom came the Turkish Horsemen and last of all came a Horse of the Embassadors led by a Persian after which Horse followed two hundred Janizaries and in the Rearward of all came the Embassador alone gorgeously attired both himself and his Horse He himself was invested with crimson Velvet mingled with some other Colours his Saddle and Bridle were all bedeckt with Jewels the Caparison of his Horse was all embroidred with Turquoies and other precious Stones the Horn upon the top of his Turbant which the Turks call Metevenchia was altogether wrought with Gold and set with precious Stones in brief upon every part of his Body hanged Jewels of great price After the Embassador followed about an hundred and forty Persian Horsemen and others of his Court apparelled as before some well some ill according to their Ability Now although the Persians as is to be thought shewed all their Pomp yet they made nothing so fair a shew as did the Turks neither are they so fair Men of complexion being for the most part of a swarft and brown Colour and rather little Men than otherwise not much unlike to the Spaniards The Embassador being departed the Presents were all brought and shewed to Selymus who allowed for their ordinary Charges five hundred Ducats a day for that indeed their number was great and their Beasts many These Expences bestowed upon the Embassadors do presently begin as soon as any of them enter into his Dominions and end so soon as the business for which they come is finished But long it was not but that this Embassador having concluded a Peace betwixt the two great Princes Tamas and Selymus and dispatched such matters as he came for returned home again into Persia. The Venetians also now at this same time by their Embassadors sought to renew the League they had made with the great Turk now expired which as it was easily obtained so was it of small assurance Selymus the next year quarrelling with them and raising new Wars to the great hurt and disturbance of that State as shall forthwith appear Selymus now at Peace with all the World a thing of the Turks not much desired began to think of Works of Charity year 1569. and purposing to build a magnificent Temple at Hadrianople for his own Sepulture with a Monastery a Colledge and an Alms-House as had his Father and other his Ancestors before him at Prusa and Constantinople led thereunto with a vain and superstitious Devotion was troubled with nothing more than how to endow the same with Lands and Revenues sufficient for the maintenance of so great a Charge for that that the Mahometan Kings are by their Superstition prohibited to convert any Lands or Possessions to such holy uses other than such as they have with their own Sword won from the Enemies of their Religion which they may as they are perswaded as a most acceptable Sacrifice offer to their great Prophet which Devilish perswasion ferveth as a Spur to prick forward every of those ambitious Princes to add something to their Empire This his devout purpose once known wanted not the furtherance of many ripe Heads devising some one thing some another as they thought best fitted his humor But amongst many things to him presented none pleased him so well as the Plot laid for the taking of the rich Island of Cyprus from the Venetians a Conquest of it self sufficient both for the eternizing of his Name and performance of his own charitable Works intended with a large overplus for the supplying of whatsoever wanted in his Fathers like devout Works at Constantinople But that which moved him most of all was the glory of such a Conquest which as his Flatterers bare him in hand might make him equal with any his Predecessors who in the beginning of their Reign had usually done or attempted some notable thing against the Christians Hereupon the matter was by Selymus propounded to the great Bassaes to be considered of without whose Advice and Counsel the Turkish Emperors seldom or never take any great Wars in hand Amongst these grave Counsellors Muhamet the chief Visier Bassa a Man of greatest Authority unto whom Selymus was beholden that he had so quietly obtained the Empire and a secret Friend unto the Venetians seemed much to mislike of that motion perswading Selymus not to yield thereunto alledging beside the danger and uncertainty of the expedition that his Father Solyman at the time of his death had charged him straily that the League with the Venetians should be religiously kept and that he could not with his Honour without just cause so quickly break the League which he himself had but a little before most solemnly confirmed But Mustapha the second Bassa sometime Selymus his Tutor and therefore of him much honoured with Pial Bassa the Admiral both envying at the great honour of the Visier Bassa so mightily impugned that he had before said and so importuned Selymus with the shew both of Honour and Profit attending that action as also with the easiness thereof a great part of the Venetian Arsenal being but a little before burnt and their
other Captains came into the Camp but before they entred into the Bassaes Pavilion they were commanded to deliver their Weapons which they all did At the first meeting Mustapha entertained them courteously and with many glorious words as if it had been in admiration extolled their worthy valour and courage saying that he was glad now to know them by face whose valiant minds he had before known by their most valiant deeds Now prowess and valour seemed not only in safety but also honoured of the Enemy When after a long discourse the false Bassa revolved unto the mischief and treachery he had before resolved upon complaining that certain of his Men taken at the Siege had been afterward against all reason and order slain Which the Governor and the rest utterly denying he started up as in a rage and with high words and stern countenance urging the fact commanded them all to be forthwith cast into bonds and so bringing them out of his Pavilion in the sight of the Army contrary to his Oath and Promise caused them all to be slain At which time Bragadinus and Theupolus were oftentimes commanded to lay down their Heads to have had them struck off yet was this execution deferred and their lives reserved not to save them but with more exquisit punishment and torture to satisfie the barbarous Cruelty of the faithless and unmerciful Tyrant The next day after Bragadinus having his Ears before cut off in despight was brought forth to be wondred at and tortured with the most extremest kind of Torture that Tyranny it self could have devised for dispoiled of Jewels and Attire and a Basket laid upon his Shoulders filled with Earth he was enforced oftentimes to carry the same to repair the Rampiers that were overthrown and ever as he passed by the proud Bassa insulting upon him to fall down and to kiss the ground at his feet and so buffeted with the Turks Fists and spurned as a Dog with their Feet was in great derision and despight asked Whether he hoped that Christ his God would come to help him or not Which indignity of it self bitter and miserable the dignity of the Man made much more miserable whose comely and stately Countenance with his long and reverend Beard even in that extream misery added unto him a certain Majesty and Grace In this so foul a sight of vertue troden under foot the poor Christians could neither well stay their Tears nor let them fall for fear of the displeasure of the Turks But the forsworn Bassa not only forgetful of all Humanity but inraged rather with extream Cruelty caused that noble and worthy Bragadinus to be set in a Chair and his Skin to be flain off from him quick a punishment unworthy of him that suffered it but most worthy him that inflicted the same Yet in so great and horrible a Torture he was not heard to let fall any word not beseeming a faithful Christian and the honour of his Country only he called upon God for mercy and detested the Turks perfideous Treachery and so breathed out his life But the Tyrant worthy of eternal Infamy not satisfied with the Torture of the living Man caused the Head to be cut off from the dead Body and upon the point of a Spear to be set up on a high place for all Men to look upon His Skin also stuffed with Chaff he caused to be hanged up at the Yards-arm and so to be carried about not so true a Trophy of his Victory as a Testimony of his perfideous and Turkish Cruelty Two days after Count Theupolus after he had been most shamefully entreated full of the marks of the Turks Cruelty was to make an end withal shamefully hanged in the Market-place With what Cruelty the Bassa had tyrannised upon the Nobility with the same he also raged upon the meaner sort of the Citisens of whom some he slew some he chained in the Gallies and carried away the rest into Bondage Three hundred Christians some Souldiers some Citisens which came forth with the Governor to see the Turks Camp were there also all slain Nestor Martinengus a famous Captain escaped the Tyrants hands being hidden by one of the Bassaes Eunuchs who by the help of a Greek Fisherman got to Leptis and from thence to Crete and so afterwards to Venice where he faithfully reported to Aloysius Mosenicus the Duke the whole process of that War with the loss of the City and that in the space of threescore and ten days there was above a hundred and forty thousand great Shot discharged against the City Such Noblemen and Gentlemen as escaped out of this so general a slaughter banished their Country and in misery dispersed without hope of return led afterward a miserable and vagrant life though some of them even at this day as I have been credibly enformed are by the Venetian State right well maintained The Country people and Artificers were generally by the Turks spared for the peopling of the Country This was the fatal ruine of Cyprus one of the most fruitful and beautiful Islands of the Mediterranean The loss whereof not without cause grieved many Christian Princes as sometime a Kingdom of it self but now a Province of the Turkish Empire our Sins or the evil agreement of Christian Princes or both the cause thereof I know not neither if I did durst I so say Whilst Mustapha yet lay at the Siege of Famagusta the other two great Bassaes Partau and Haly the one the Admiral and the other General of the Souldiers appointed by Selymus for the keeping of the Sea that no relief should be sent by the Venetians to Famagusta and further as occasion served to infest their Dominions about the midst of May arrived in Euboea with two hundred and thirty Gallies whether Uluzales Viceroy of Algiers with divers other the Turks notable Pyrates resorted unto them with their Gallies With this Fleet departing from Euboea and sailing alongst the Coast of Mysia Ionia CarÃa and so directly toward the Rhodes they were met with thirty Gallies more of the Turks adventurers After that having left certain Gallies for to lie before Famagusta they directed their Course for the Island of Crete and the 13 of Iune put into the Bay of Amphimalea now called Suda and there landed 12000 Men. The Island of Crete now called Candia is greater than Cyprus but lesser than Sicilia or Sardinia but for fertilty comparable with any of the Islands of the Mediterranean It was in ancient time famous for many things but especially for an hundred Cities which therein stood as witnesseth amongst others Seneca Urbibus centum speciosa Cretae but at this time it hath only three Candia a Colony of the Venetians whereof the Island now taketh name Canea and Rhetimo The circuit of the Island is five hundred and twenty miles full of Hills for which cause the people of the Country are much delighted in hunting In it is no navigable River
their Dominions with new Fortifications and Garrisons as did also the King and the Pope in Italy for why no Ship or Gally could now look out of any Port but it was presently surprised and taken by the Turks which with the sundry calamities before received so confounded the Venetians that they in their Assemblies and Consultations seemed rather to quake for fear than after their wonted manner gravely to consult how the Enemy was to be repulsed Yet for the more safety of their City and for fear lest the Turks Fleet should forcibly break in upon them they strongly fortified the Passages through the Rock or Bank which defended the City from the Sea and kept continually twelve thousand Men in readiness in the City for the more assurance thereof All the Turks Fleet being again met together Partau and Haly departed from Aulona the twenty sixth of August and sailed directly to Corcyra which little Island seemed to be compassed in round with the great Enemies Fleet. Partau Bassa at his first arrival there landed eight hundred Horsemen and a thousand Foot who ranging up and down the Island did great hurt and burnt the very Suburbs of the City At which time the Garrison Souldiers sailing out upon them with a thousand Horsemen and five hundred Foot slew a great number of them and amongst the rest one Paphus Rays a Man of great name Thus the Turks Fleet having done wonderful harm in the Venetian Territory as well in the Islands as upon the Frontiers of Dalmatia enriched with the spoil of those Countries and carrying away with them fifteen thousand most miserable Captives departing from Corcyra arrived all in the Bay of Corinth now called the Gulf of Lepanto where we will for a while leave them to ride in safety At such time as this great Fleet the terror of that part of Christendom first put into the Adriatick Venerius the Venetian Admiral then lying with fifty Gallies at Corcyra and fearing if he staied there longer to be enforced with so small a power to fight against so strong an Enemy or else so to be shut up that he could not joyn his Forces with the Spanish Fleet which was daily expected upon the coming of the Fleet departed thence to Messina there more commodiously and more safely to attend the coming of Don Iohn of Austria General of the Spanish Forces At his coming Columnius met him with twelve Gallies which the Great Duke of Florence had sent in the aid of the Confederates and three Gallies of Malta who only were yet come thither and with great honour received him Not long after M. Antonius Quirinus and Antonius Canalis came thither also with sixty and two Gallies before appointed by the Venetians for the relief of Famagusta but now called back again to joyn with the rest of the Fleet and in short time the Gallies of Sicily arrived there also At last after long expectation in the later end of August came Don Iohn with the Spanish Fleet a Man then about four and twenty years old in whom wanted no honourable parts his Mothers blemish only excepted who although he was most dear unto his Father Charles the Fifth yet left he him nothing by his Will but only at his death commended him unto his Son Philip as his Brother The Venetian and the Popes Admirals hearing of his coming went to meet him and that with such triumph and joy that all the former heaviness before conceived of his long staying was turned into gladness with most assured hope of triumphant Victory Their doubled Forces and two great Fleets joyned in one encouraged them above measure filling all the West with the expectation of some great matter The Venetian Fleet consisted of an hundred and eight Gallies six Galleasses two tall Ships and a great number of small Galliots Unto them were joyned twelve Gallies of the Popes of whom Columnius was Admiral And with Don Iohn the General and Auria the Spanish Admiral came fourscore and one Gallies of whom three were from the Knights of Malta In this Fleet beside Mariners were reckoned to be twenty thousand fighting Men an Army not only beautiful for shew as consisting of most choice Bodies but indeed most strong and puissant old beaten Souldiâ—rs almost throughout it in every place intermixed with others of less skill many known to be Men of great experience rich and lusty Bodies were by name called forth to this so honourable service and divers other of great Nobility as well old Men as young and lusty Gallants for the natural hatred they bear unto the common Enemy came and as voluntary Men chearfully thrust themselves into that religious War every of which Noblemen as they were greater by birth or power so had they drawn after them a greater number of their Favourits and Followers strong and able Bodies of their own charge bravely armed who sought for no other pay for their pains and danger but by some notable Victory to eternise their names or honourably to spend their lives in so just a quarrel as for the defence of the Christian Faith and Religion Amongst these most honourable and resolute Men were three of greatest mark Alexander Farnesius Prince of Parma in time to be the honour and glory of Italy his native Country whose untimely death in the Low Countries even his honourable Enemies lamented and being dead is not without cause and worthy desert accounted amongst the most politick and famous Leaders of our age The second was Franciscus Maria Prince of Urbin a young Man honourably descended and of an invincible courage And the third Paul Iordanus Ursinus an honourable Gentleman of the Family of the Ursini in Rome All the power of the confederate Princes thus met together at Messina and all things now in readiness a Counsel was called by the General to resolve what course to take in those most dangerous Wars against so puissant an Enemy unto which Counsel were admitted only Don Iohn the General himself and Aloysius Rechezenes of some called Requisenius great Commander of Castile the General Lieutenant or rather director of his actions Sebastianus Venerius the Venetian Admiral and Augustinus Barbadicus General proveditor of equal authority and reputation with the Admiral and one Secretary Marcus Antonius Columnius the Popes Admiral with Pompeius Colonna his Kinsman The chief point whereon these great Commanders were to resolve was Whether they should adventure the general fortune of a Battel against so strong an Enemy or only seek to defend the Frontiers of their own Dominions Which question as all other of like sort was of divers diversly phantasied every Man pleasing himself with his own reasons Requisenius Don Iohn his chief Counsellor without whom he willingly did nothing and undoubtedly a Man of great valour and experience speaking first said That the Enemies strength was necessarily to be known before they committed all to the fortune of a Battel and that therefore delay was to be used lest
belong unto the Kingdom of Polonia which the Transilvanians took to be no other but mere and open wrong This supposed Title such as it was the Chancellor had so fashioned out unto the King and the States of that Kingdom that they referred it to his Discretion to invade the Country and removing the Vayvod placed by the Prince to place another in his stead and the rather to perswade them laboured by many forced Reasons to shew the Power of the Transilvanian Prince to be so far inferiour unto the Turks that it was to be feared he should at length be thrust out of all his Dominions and so they together with Moldavia become subject to the Turks which if it should so come to pass then should the Polonians have an untrusty and troublesome Neighbour and that therefore it were better that Moldavia were possessed by them that were better able to defend it than was he that so the Turk might be kept farther off from Polonia Which occasion he said was not longer to be delay'd but now betime to be laid hold upon perswading himself to find such Grace and Favour with the Turkish Emperour as that he should be therewith right well contented which was like enough for a time to be for that the Transilvanian should thereby be much weakened By these and such like Reasons framed to serve his own turn the Chancellor so prevailed with the King and the States of the Kingdom that he received as I said full Authority to proceed in the matter as he did and as is before declared to the great trouble of the Prince and benefit of the Turk the late chosen Vayvod not long after opening a way in three places for the Tartars into Transilvania one by the Country of Siculi another by the way that leadeth to Alba-Iulia and the third by Valachia The Transilvanian Prince seeing the Country of Moldavia by the practice of the Chancellor thus taken from him and dissevered from the other united Provinces to the great weakning of his Estate after the flight of Sinan sent â—ertain Companies both of Horse and Foot to Stephen the late Vayvod but now driven out by the Polonians to prove if haply he could by that means drive out the Polonians again and recover his former Dignity With this aid sent from the Prince and others that favoured his Quarrel he joyned a bloody Battel with the Polonians but being therein by them overcome and taken and for a space kept as the Prince feared to have been delivered unto the Turk he was by them as is reported cruelly afterwards put to death This foul dealing of the Polonian in Moldavia much grieved many good Christians as tending to the general hurt of the Christian Commonweal For which cause the Emperour by his Ambassadors sent for that purpose unto the Polonian King sought to perswade him to desist from such Invasion of the Transilvanian Prince by his Chancellor as nothing standing with his Honour and that some good Reconciliation might be made between the Prince and the Cardinal Bator and his Brother the Princes Uncles Authors of all these Troubles To which purpose also the Pope sent a Messenger with like Instructions and Letters unto the King perswading him not so to prosecute his Wars against the Prince but to turn his Thoughts unto a more peaceable and Christian-like course especially with him with whom he was so near linked in Marriage To the like effect he writ also unto the Cardinal Bator and after many grave Admonitions peremptorily cited him to Rome But forasmuch as the Proceedings of the Polonian against the Prince are more plainly to be gathered by the Pope's Letters unto the King it shall not I hope be mistaken if I here set them down thus as I find them by others reported POpe Clement the Eighth to our best beloved Son in Christ Sigismund by the Grace of God King of Polonia with the Benediction Apostolical sendeth greeting By how much greater affection of fatherly Love we embrace your Majesty in the Lord so much the more fervently we wish all your Actions to be adorned with the greatest commendation of true Godliness and Wisdom both before God and Men whereof it proceedeth that we are so much the more vehemently and grievously moved if we hear any such thing of you as may seem not agreeable to your Vertue and approved Zeal toward the Catholick Religion or tending to the obscuring of the Glory of your Name as is now brought unto us concerning the Affairs of Moldavia whereof not without great grief we write unto you And to rehearse things a little before past with what earnestness and fervency dealt I with you that for God's Cause and the defence of the health and liberty of the Christian Commonweal against the Tyranny of the Turks you would combine your self with our most dearly beloved Son Rodolph the Emperor and divers other Christian Princes and that you should not let slip so notable an occasion so worthily to deserve of God of the Catholick Faith and of the Christian Commonweal in general And albeit we then thought as well for many your own private respects as also of your Kingdoms That you were to be borne withal and excused if you did not now openly descend into this Confederation of the Christian Princes against the most mortal and common Enemy neither apertly joyn your Forces or give aid for the repressing of his Insolency yet we always assured our selves that no let should in any case proceed from you whereby either theEmperour or the other Christian Princes should be the rather hindered justly to prosecute their Injuries or to cast off from their Necks the heavy yoke of the most cruel Tyrant whose desire of Sovereignty is not comprised within the compass of any bounds But that you should in favour of the Turks impugn the Catholick Princes and Defenders of the Christian Faith and so joyn hands with the Enemies of the Cross of Christ as that by your help their force and fury should be encreased and ours not only weakened but in the very course of Victory hindered and cast into most grievous perils this we have not only not thought of you but not so much as once suspected yea and can now scarce be persuaded to believe those things to be done by you which are reported unto us as most true and undoubted For the report goeth That you having Intelligence with the Turks and Tartars have with them conspired and namely against our well-beloved Son Sigismund Prince of Transilvania who with invincible Courage fighteth the Battels of the Lord and lest he should be able to abate the force and attempts of the most proud Enemy which by the singular mercy of God he hath hitherto above his own power performed but rather be enforced much to fear his own Estate a new Vayvod and Prince as it were by a triumvirate Authority and compact to be placed in Moldavia and him by the Turks You and the
willed them to sit down by him telling them that he was sent from Heaven to purge the World from evil and to prepare the Law of God to expel Cydan out of his Kingdom and to restore Peace unto the World wherefore he advised them not to have any commerce with Cydan nor to assist him in any sort They observed many marks upon his body he had one blue Tooth all the rest being white Hair upon either Shoulder a red Circle in the Palm of his right-hand and the proportion of a Spur upon his right foot Having gotten some Victories against Cydan and taken the Town of Morocco in the end his devillish Art failing him he was slain as you have heard Such were the Affairs of Africk in the Realms of Fez and Morocco But in Algier a wonderful drought had caused cruel Combustions it had so devoured the fruits of the Earth before their Maturity as there followed a wonderful Famine throughout the whole Land. The Turks attributed the cause of their Misery sometimes to their Sins then to the coming of the Moors who had been expelled out of Spain as a pernicious Vermin and sometimes to the licentiousness of Christians which lived in those Places Wherefore in the beginning of May this Year the Judge of the Town ordained That all the Turks should make their devout Prayers to Mahomet their Prophet to obtain Rain so necessary in that Country that the Moors should depart the Town within three days upon pain of death and that all the Christians as well free as bond-slaves should cause their Heads and their Beards to be shaven this was speedily executed for the Turks Decrees require a prompt Obedience But the miserable Moors which could not get out of Algier within their three days prefixed detained either by Sickness or some other Impediment were all cut in pieces For thirteen days there was nothing seen within the Town but Processions of Turks without Turbants crying and howling after their manner to obtain Rain from their false Prophet but he which commands Sovereignty over times from whose hand proceeds fair Weather and Rain and which makes the Earth fruitful held the Pipes of Heaven yet stopped to open them at more religious and holy Vows than the superstitious Clamours of these Infidels For Bernard Murroy of the Order of the Redemption of Captives hearing that the Turks meant to revenge their Miseries upon them and to ruine a little Chappel which the Christian Slaves had in the Prison for the pious Exercises of their Religion obtained by the means of Bius Consul of the French in Algier permission from the Dovan or Turkish Judge to make Processions and to pray unto God to send them the dew of Heaven which was so necessary for them All the Christian Slaves which were Prisoners continued their Devotions for the space of five days but on the fourth day being the Eighth of May there fell such abundance of Rain upon Algier as these poor Christians seeing their Prayers heard in the midst of the Enemies of their Faith gave infinite Thanks unto God for his great Mercy and Grace These miserable Christian Slaves were still detained in Irons and cruel Servitude by this Accident This Murroy of the Order of the Redemption of Captives accompanied with two others of the same Order had redeemed to the number of one hundred thirty and six but when he was ready to embarque them their evil Fortune would have it that the Gallies of Genoa running along that Coast landed some men near unto Algier where they took the Bassa's Son of that Town with many other Turks and amongst this number a Virgin of Algier of a very noble Family and of as rare a Beauty for the misery of these Slaves for that when as the Bassa's Son and the others were redeemed by a Frigot which the Father had sent the fair Algerian Virgin was still detained by a Captain of the Genowayes who had retired to Calvy an Island adjoyning there to satisfie his Desires with more ease upon the frail and fading perfection of this fair Slave which had deprived him of his Liberty In the mean time the Bassa of Algier seeing his Son returned with the other Turks and not the Algerian Virgin commanded that the hundred thirty and six Slaves should be put again into Irons with the three religious men which had redeemed them Thus this feminine Beauty or rather the Passion of this Genoways who holds the Possession so dear makes a great number of Christian Souls to suffer by insupportable Servitude howsoever they of his Nation flattering his disordered lust say that his Desire to win her to God and to make her a Christian caused him to keep her so carefully These suffered in Algier the loss of their Liberty but a Capuchen Friar a Florentine by Nation endured at Tunes the loss of his Life by the Cruelty of the Moors chased out of Spain and retired into those Countries This religious Man being a Slave among the Turks attended daily from Florence or from some other place money to redeem his Liberty but it happened one day disputing in a Barbers House with a Morisque concerning Christian Religion the Zeal of his Faith transported him so far as to say among divers Turks That his Religion was better than that of Mahomet's These Words took criminously in that place were reported by the Morisques to the Cadi or Judge of the Town whom they prest with such horrible Clamours and Cries as he pronounced Sentence of Death against this Capuchen He was delivered unto them and they stripped him naked leading him with Infamy through Tunes some spitting in his Face others casting Dirt at him and so they led him out of the Town where they tied him unto a Post and they being cruelly incensed by a Speech which a Morrabour or religious Turk said unto them That he among them that gave him not one Blow with a Stone should be no good Turk stoned him to death where afterwards they burnt his Body and threw the Ashes into the Wind. The Martyrdom of this Capuchen was followed by the constant Confession amidst the violence of Torments of a penitent Renegado a Florentine by Nation and Captain of the chief Gally of Chio Four French-men being Slaves in the Island of Chio in the Patron or chief Gally belonging to the Bey or Governour of the Island they resolved to recover their Liberty with the hazard of their Lives to return into France and carry into some Port of Christendome that Gally being the best appointed in the whole Haven They drew unto their Party the Captain which commanded being a Florentine Renegado Their Enterprise should have been executed when as they should go to Land to cut Wood. But whether that the Scribe were treacherous to his Companions or transported with some rash Indiscretion being on Land he spake these Words aloud the which overthrew both the design and them that projected it Ho
transport the People in one whereof were ninety five Persons embarked all of them Pasâ—a's Aga's and chief Officers of the Court the Vessel was over-set by a sudden gust of Wind and all the People drowned excepting three Sea-men which saved themselves by swimming More considerable were the Mischiefs by Fire For on occasion of some Fire-works made in one of the Grand Signior's Chiosks or Houses of Pleasure the Fire took so fiercely on the Tavan or wooden Works of the Sieling that it endangered the whole Palace and had consumed all but that many Hands and active Men gave a stop to the farther Progress This Fire was but a fore-runner of a greater which began the 16 th of September in that part of the City of Constantinople which is called Aiacab being between the Wall and the Port where live Taverners Butchers Fishmongers and others who sell Provisions The Fire took first in one of those Houses which had been a Tavern and are Buildings only made of Deal-boards and Timber which combustible Matter flamed out so violently that it took hold on all the Houses round and was so quick in its Motion as if it had taken by a Train or that some wicked People with Fire-balls had employed themselves in the Mischief the Fire took its Course against the Wind burning on one side and the other to the Historical Pillar and to the Moschs of Sultan Mahomet and Sultan Selim so that in a short time one third of the City was reduced to Ashes It is difficult to express the lamentable Destruction was made hereby what Riches what Palaces and Moveables were consumed in it there being twenty thousand Houses reported to be burnt which Misery is best represented by the remembrance of our calamitous Incendiation at London the greatest difference between one and the other was that that at Constantinople was more quick in its Motion for it burnt a larger compass of Ground in one third of the Time than ours did at London for that City for the most part consisting of slight Buildings of Wood met not the resistance which ours sometimes did against the Walls of Brick and Stones The Fire being extinguished and Men having time to lament and think began to impute the Cause and Fault to those whom they most suspected sometimes they accused the Persians for having fired the City for which Crime one of them the next Year suffered Death Some attributed the Cause of all to the Janiâ—aries and that they out of hatred to the Inhabitants or for the sake of Plunder if they did not begin yet at least increased the Fire which they the more suspected because the Janisaries refused not only to work themselves alledging that they expected Orders from their Aga but likewise hindered and discouraged others Howsoever the Grand Signior not wanting on his own part to contribute all Assistance possible sent four thousand Men out of his Seraglio to work about the Fire not excusing the very Officers of his Royal Chamber from contributing their Authority and personal Aid some of which ventured far into the Fire to demonstrate their Courage Activeness and Obedience to the Commands of their Emperor but all this was too little against an obstinate and an invincible Enemy for the Fire flamed and proceeded until it wanted Nourishment and Food to consume In fine twenty thousand Houses were burnt two hundred Moschs and the Library of the Mufti which for the Number of the Arabick and Persian Books was curious and of high esteem The Albengs or Habitation of the Janisaries containing three hundred Chambers of which each Chamber was capable to receive four hundred Men were all burnt and reduced to Ashes The which fatal and miserable Spectacle did a little touch the Heart of Sultan Morat so that he gave out considerable Sums to comfort the Distressed who had most suffered by this Calamity and to raise from its Ashes his consumed and languishing Constantinople which being revived and flourishing was again miserably consumed by Flames in the Month of April 1660. But such is the beneficial and commodious situation of that Place and the Riches thereof by Trade and the Presence of the Ottoman Court that the Inhabitants again rebuilt it in fewer Years than could be imagined But now to return to the Grand Signior at Adrianople we find him resolutely designed to make a War upon Poland to which he was induced by the Perswasions of Abassa and the present conjuncture of Advantage to join with the Moscovite it seeming great Policy not to suffer the Countries of Moscovy to be over-run or the Poles who is a warlike and dangerous Nation to grow Puissant and Powerful by his Success and Conquest over his Neighbours Wherefore Preparations were made on all sides for the War great Quantities of Provisions and Ammunition were sent into Moldavia by way of the Black Sea and the Danube The Tartar Han sent word that all his Forces were in readiness and expected nothing but their Orders to march The Beglerbey of Greece made his Rendezvous at Philippolis with an Army of thirty thousand Men where he attended to join with the Forces of Bosna Silistria and other parts of Europe Moldavia and Walachia made an appearance of Levying Men and joining with the Turk but their Hearts were towards the Poles with whom they kept a secret correspondence and would be ready to adhere on the least Opportunity In short the Army of the Turks was so great and all his Affairs in that readiness that he scorned to incline an Ear to Propositions of Peace in which Opinion Abassa humoured and perswaded him that the Poles were so fearful of his Forces that they had already yielded to Terms of compounding for a yearly Tribute All which proved false for in the mean time Vladislaus King of Poland remitting nothing of the Heat and Vigour of his War against the Moscovites he was so succesful therein that he forced an Army of eighty thousand Men which he had besieged in their Camp to lay down their Arms and surrender themselves which was an Action scarce to be credited at least to be parallel'd in any History and with this Conquest he might have proceeded to the Capital City of Mosco and concluded the War and that Empire But God's Providence which governs all things altered this Counsel and diverted those victorious Arms to the Siege of Bial which Town being well fortified and garisoned withstood many Assaults of the Enemy and blunted the Spirits and Swords of the Conqueror for losing much time in this Siege other Towns made use of the Opportunity to provide and fortify themselves whilst the Poles growing weary and wanting Pay raised divers Mutinies and Seditions in the Camp. These Difficulties and Inconveniences inclined the King Vladislaus to bend a favourable Ear to the many Supplications and Instances which the Moscovites made for Peace So that the Plenipotentiaries being assembled it was agreed that the Dutchy of Smolesco and Czernieschou which
Friends of Mortaza who wanted not in the Court to represent them with some Compassion arguing that his flight was not of Contumacy or Contempt to his Masters Protection but an effect of natural Preservation which worked so far on the Grand Signior that he immediately sent for the Vizier to enquire of him the State and Condition of Mortaza The Vizier to defend himself and make good what before he had counselled his Master aggravated his Adversary's Crimes and his Disobedience and Flight to an inconsiderable King with which and some other light Excuses and Perswasions that the removal of such a Person was agreeable to the present State of Affairs and conducing to his own Security easily pacified the Mind and Affections of the Grand Signior but no sooner was he returned to his House but advice was given him that the Emaum of Mortaza or his Priest or Chaplain was then at Constantinople whom the Vizier immediatly sent for and without any Plea or Indictment struck off his Head and threw his Body into the Sea on pretence that he was sent thither as a Spy for hisMaster and to give Intelligence anda beginning to Rebellion year 1662. These were his colours and allegations for his deserved Death for Governours though never so wicked and so absolute and that have no need to render any other cause to the World of their actions than their own will yet esteem it necessary to act under the specious guise of justice and in the good opinion of the multitude The Aga of Babylon encountred the same Fortune for Mâ—rtaza giving place he thought it fit for himself to do the like resolving for Constantinople but being intercepted in his Journey by the new Pasha his Head was struck off and his Journey shortned But that which again renewed the trouble and fears of the Vizier was a report that the late Kahya-begh degraded at Adrianople was secretly returned to the City and lived concealed giving such Orders to the Janizaries as tended to Mutiny and Insurrection and that the pretences and reports of his being gone to Damascus and thence in his holy Pilgrimage to Mecha were but all false stories to conceal his Residence at Constantinople This set the Vizier all on fire and made him tremble with the thoughts of it wherefore search was made for him day and night but not found for in reality he was gone on his designed Journey only it was the misfortune of his Kahya or Steward as before it was of Mortaza's Emaum to fall into the Viziers hands who being beaten to confess where his Master was died afterwards of the blows But notwithstanding that Mortaza was fled yet the Vizier laid not aside his fears and thoughts concerning him not knowing how soon he might be recalled home and seated in his place ofwhich various Examples are extant in Turkish History and therefore he sent orders to Mahomet Pasha his late Kahya now Pasha of Daâ—biquier as General with the knowledge and consent of the Grand Signior and to the Pashaws of Aleppo Erzirum and others near adjacent to prepare and assemble what Force was necessary to constrain the King of the Curdi to surrender Mortaza into their hands But whilst these matters were in agitation some unexpected troubles in Georgia diverted their Arms and held them for some time in suspense not knowing what the issue might be The Original and Ground thereofwas this After Sultan Solymâ—n had taken Eâ—zirum it was agreed in the Capitulations between the Turks and Persians that of the seven Provinces of Georgia anciently called Iberia but now as sâ—pposed to have received the Denomination from St. George the Cappadocian Martyr there had in great esteem and reverence three should be tributaries to the Turk and three to the Persian all govern'd by Achic-bash as head and supream Prince to whom the Seventh should also be subjected without acknowledgment to either in payment of which Tribute they continued most willingly lest for default thereof the importation of Salt of which their Provinces afford none should I be hindred either from the Turkish or Persian Dominion And now it happened that Achic-bash dying his Wife married again who to gratifie her new Lover was contented to have the eyes of her Son put out who was the lawful Heir to the Government This Fact was so hainously received by the Princes of the three Provinces under the Persian that with common consent they elected one to succeed Achic-bash and extorted the power out of the hands of the Amâ—rous Traitor The Princes of the three Provinces under the Turk alarm'd hereat made insurrection resolving rather than any Foreigner to set up one of the Kindred of Achic-bash which the Persian Provinces better understanding approved likewise and for confirmation and maintenance of their choice assembled an Army of Threescore thousand men The Pashaws tending towards Curdi were surprized in their March with the news of these disturbances in Georgia and not rightly apprehending the causes of these sudden commotions gave an arrest to the progress of their Arms inclining towards the parts of Georgia to be in a readiness to suppress all designs against the Ottoman Dominions so that the thoughts of War against the Curdi was for some time laid aside The news of these troubles did also alarm the Port with which also came a report That six hundred Tents of the Kuzilbashees which are the best sort of Persian Horsemen were pitched nigh the Confines of the Grand Signiors Territories so that Orders were dispatched to the aforesaid Pashâ—ws to watch the motion and issue of those Affairs but those storms blowing over by the establishment of Achic-bash the Turkish Forces proceeded on their first design against Mortaza marching to the pass of the Country of the Curdi which is very steep asperous and rough The whole Kingdom being as it were one Mountain of dangerous and difficult access hath hitherto preserved the Inhabitants from the Ottomon Subjection The entrance thereunto being strong by Nature is also fortified with several Castles the chief of which possessed by Mortaza is called Zizri and the People there abouts Zezidi The Turkish Army being arrived at this pass Mahomet the Pasha of Darbiquier appointed General as we have said before ordered five hundred of his select men to enter within the pass which the Curdi perceiving with little opposition put to flight being so commanded by the General the unadvised Curdi eagerly pursuing the enemy left the pass naked and undefended supposing their whole victory and success to consist in the Rout of those few Whereupon the Turkish Army wisely possessed the pass and got between the Curdi and their place of Retreat and laying the Siege to the Castle required them either to surrender themselves or else Mâ—rtaza and his Complices into their hands The Curdi perceiving themselves thus hardly beset and in a manner defrauded their Garison which possessed the pass without the Confines the Enemy gotten possession of the Gate which opened to
caverns and bowels of the Earth into the Air the soil became so brittle crumbling and as it were sandy and like ashes that it seemed not capable longer enduring of the Pick-ax or theShovel and was so porous that the light of some Mines glimmering into the others Traverses easily discovered each others Mines whereby it became equally a trade and custom to steal Powder Howsoever the Venetians so closely worked with those Props and Arts that they formed a considerable Mine which on the first of December they sprang with so much success that they wholly overthrew a Battery of the Turks directed against St. Andrea and buried all their Cannon But these French Gallants intended not from the first of their design to make this War their Trade or the Town of Candia their place of habitation but as Passengers or Pilgrims whose souls are active and hate idleness to give the World some proofs of their Valour and so away wherefore La Fueillade their General pressed Morosini to give leave that he and his Fellow-Souldiers might make a Sally and enter into the Enemies Trenches so as to yield a divertisement to those on the Walls and perform that Action and Enterprise for which they had designed and undertaken this Voyage of which some of them were so impatient that they would not expect Orders for their Sally as the Chevalier De Tresmes who alone entred into the Enemies Works and returned with his Sword all bloody at which La Fueillade his Commander was so incensed that he reproved him with this short reprehension I would as gladly see a Butcher as you Others by this example scarce refrained from the like amongst which Monsieur De Ville Franche drew a Turk by force from his Trench and brought him to the foot of the Bastion but there he was forced to quit his Prize for being shot in the Leg with a Pistol-bullet soon after dyed of the wound By these examples the Commanders seeing it impossible to repress or abate the mettle of these vigorous Spirits their bridle was taken off and licence given to make their excursion so that all things being ordered and contrived for a Sally before break of day in the morning they sâ—â—â—ntly issued forth and leaping into the Enemies Quarters valiantly mingled with them cutting and hewing down all before them their Banner was a Crucifix carried in the Front by Father Paul a Caâ—uchâ—n Fryer who little regarding those who followed him proceeded with his Ensign as unconcâ—rned as if he had been in Procession which so animated the Souldiery that like men conducted by miracle they broke through the gross Body of the Enemies Force and so violent they were in their combate and so intent to their business that they neither observed the multitudes of the Enemy which came upon them nor the signal of their Commander for a Retreat until at length discovering their danger they made speed with some disorder to return having lost an hundred and twenty Gentlemen in this rencounter whose heads being cut off as the custom of the Turks is were pitched upon the Pikes end and ranked before the door of the Viziers Tent amongst which the head of the Marquess Doradour did beyond all the others draw the eyes of the Turks who admired the clearness of his complexion and fairness of the hair which being breaded in tresses for the more convenience in fighting made death it self beautiful and was at the same time both his Enemies glory and their compassion The French having thus evaporated their fury with this Phlebotomy there not remaining above two hundred and thirty after this Sally of all those six hundred brought into Candia Monsieur La Fueillade with his reliques departed at which time the whole strength of the Town consisted of about seven thousand stranger Souldiers four thousand Inhabitants and two thousand Savoyards which was too weak a Garrison to resist so potent an Enemy so formally and strongly incamped unless supplied with new Recruits Wherefore the Dukes of Brunswick and Lunenburg mindful of their Christian Brethren in this distressed Siege contributed three Regiments towards their relief consisting in all of three thousand three hundred men The first under Count Waldeck the second under Molleson and the third under Count Radesfeld They made their Muster first at Verona and imbarking at Venice the 28 th of March on the 12 th of May 1669. they arrived aâ— Candia These valiant Souldiers desiring to ease the long besieged Companies demanded the Guards of Sabionera and St. Andrea which being by this time become hot and dangerous stations were not disputed with that heat of honour as formerly but were easily yielded to the fresh and new-come Souldiery Many now and various were the assaults which the Enemy made upon the Town hoping to carry it by dint of Sword but the Christians unweariedly maintained their valour and courage and particularly the Lunenburghers whose gallantry deserved its due praise and reward Their General Count Waldeck whilst he undauntedly incouraged his men and openly exposed himself on the Works received a mortal wound of which soon afterwards he dyed but before he expired he assembled together his Fâ—llow Souldiers and incouraged them in the Holy cause they were come to maintain giving them as a Farwel-Sermon instructions and perswasive arguments to a godly life and having confessed his owns sins in the presence of them all he resigned his spirit into the â—ands of his Creator leaving not only his own Forces but the whole Town disconsolate for the loss of so able a Commander And now the time of year approaching whereiâ— the Town expected its ultimate Relief and the Union of all the Princes of Christendom for raising the Siege which had continued for the space now of about two years the valiant Christians full of hopes daily animated each other casting their eyes to Sea-ward promised a reward to the first Descryer of the long desired Fleet. The Turks also being advised of the expected Succours resolved if possible to perform the business designed before their arrival and thereupon made one of the greatest assaults that ever was yet given to the Town in which though the Christians behaved themselves with all valour imaginable yet the Turks still gained farther footing and advantage And now it fared with the Town after every storm as it doth with a physical body after every accession of a Feaver which though it intermits for some time yet it leaves the Patient always more weak and debilitated than before Wherefore the Christians increasing in care and diligence the Captain-General disarmed several of his Gallies to supply the Town with what Force he could possibly contribute and the Engineers imployed their brains for destruction of the Enemy so that they fell again to their Mines and sprang one which took good effect soon after they sprang seven others after which four more near the Revelin of St. Spirito which blew up many Turks ruined their Lodgings and buried
the largest extent of Dominion But indeed when I have considered seriously the Contexture of the Turkish Government the absoluteness of an Emperor without Reason without Vertue whose Speeches may be Irrational and yet must be Laws whose Actions Irregular and yet Examples whose Sentence and Judgment if in Matters of the Imperial Concernment are most commonly corrupt and yet Decrees irresistible When I consider what little rewards these are for Vertue and no Punishment for profitable and thriving Vice how Men are raised at once by Adulation Chance and the sole Favour of the Prince without any Title of Noble Blood or the Motives of Previous Deserts or former Testimonies and Experience of Parts and Abilities to the weightiest the richest and most honourable Charges of the Empire when I consider how short their continuance is in them how with one Frown of their Prince they are cut off with what greediness above all people in the World they thirst and haste to be Rich and yet know their Treasure is but their Snare what they labour for is but as Slaves for their great Patron and Master and what will inevitably effect their Ruin and Destruction though they have all the Arguments of Faithfulness Vertue and moral Honesty which are rare in a Turk to be their Advocates and plead for them When I consider many other things of like Nature which may more at large hereafter be discoursed of one might admire the long continuance of this great and vast Empire and attribute the stability thereof without change within it self and the increase of Dominions and constant progress of its Arms rather to some supernatural Cause than to the ordinary Maxims of State or Wisdom of the Governors as if the Divine Will of the All-knowing Creator had chosen for the good of his Church and chastisement of the Sins and Vices of Christians to raise and support this mighty People Mihi quanto plura recentium sâ—u veterum revolvo tanto magis ludibria rerum mortalium cunctis in negotiis observantur But that which cements all Breaches and cures all those Wounds in this Body Politick is the quickness and severity of their Justice which not considering much the strict division and parts of distributive and commutative makes almost every Crime equal and punishes it with the last and extreamest chastisement which is Death I mean those which have relation to the Government and are of common and publick Interest Without this Remedy which I lay down as a principal Prevention of the greatest Disorders this mighty Body would burst with the Poison of its own ill Humors and soon divide it self into several Signories as the Ambition and Power of the Governors most remote from the Imperial Seat administred them hopes and security of becoming Absolute In this Government Severity Violence and Cruelty are natural to it and it were as great an Error to begin to loose the Reins and ease the People of that Oppression to which they and their Fore-fathers have since their first original been accustomed as it would be in a Nation free-born and used to live under the Protection of good Laws and the Clemency of a vertuous and Christian Prince to exercise a Tyrannical Power over their Estates and Lives and change their Liberty into Servitude and Slavery The Turks had the original of their Civil Government â—oundâ—d in the time of the War for when they â—irâ—t came out of Scythia and took Arms in their Hands and submitted unto one General it is to be supposed that they had no Laws but what were Arbitrary and Martial and most agreeable to the enterprise and Design they had then in hand when Tangrolipix overthrew the Persian Sultan possessed himself of his Dominions and Power and called and opened the way for his Companions out of Armenia when Cutlumuses revolted from him and made a distinct Kingdom in Arabia when other Princes of the Seleuccian Family in the infancy of the Turkish Power had by Wars among themselves or by Testament made division of their Possessions when Anno 1300. Ottoman by strange Fortunes and from small beginnings swallowed up all the other Governments into the Ogusian Tribe and united them under one Head until at last it arrived to that greatness and power it now enjoys The whole condition of this People was but a continued state of War wherefore it is not strange if their Laws are severe and in most things arbitrary that the Emperor should be Absolute and above Law and that most of their Customs should run in a certain Chanel and Course most answerable to the height and unlimited Power of the Governor and consequently to the Oppression and Subjection of the People and that they should thrive most by servitude be most happy prosperous and contented under Tyranny is as natural to them as to a Body to be nourished with that Diet which it had from its Infancy or Birth been acquainted with But not only is Tyranny requisite for this People and a stiff reign to curb them lest by an unknown Liberty they grow mutinous and unruly but likewise the large Territories and remote parts of the Empire require speedy preventions without Processes of Law or formal Indictment jealousie and suspicion of Mis-government being Licence and Authority enough for the Emperor to inflict his severest Punishments all which depends upon the Absoluteness of the Prince which because it is that whereby the Turks are principally supported in their Greatness and is the prime Maxim and Foundation of their State we shall make it the Discourse and Subject of the following Chapter CHAP. II. The Absoluteness of the Emperor is a great support of the Turkish Empire THE Turks having as is before declared laid the first foundation of their Government with the Principles most agreeable to Militay Discipline their Generals or Princes whose Will and Lusts they served became absolute Masters of their Lives and Estates so that what they gained and acquired by the Sword with Labours Perils and Sufferings was appropriated to the use and benefit of their Great Master All the delightful Fields of Asia the pleasant Plains of Tempe and Thrace all the Plenty of Egypt and Fruitfulness of the Nile the Luxury of Corinth the Substance of Peloponnesus Athens Lemnos Scio and Mitylene with other Isles of the Aegean Sea the Spices of Arabia and the Riches of a great part of Persia all Armenia the Provinces of Ponius Galatia Bythinia Phrygia Lycia Pamphylia Palestine Coelosyria and Phoenicia Colchis and great part of Georgia the Tributary Principalities of Moldavia and Walachia Romania Bulgaria and Servia and the best part of Hungary concur all together to satifie the Appetite of one single Person all the extent of this vast Territory the Lands and Houses as well as the Castles and Arms are the proper Goods of the Grand Signior in his sole Disposal and Gift they remain whose Possession and Right they are only to Lands dedicated to Religious uses
up and turned her Head about upon which the Executioners being again called back the Cord was a second time applied and wrung so hard with the haft of a hatchet that at length she was dispatched and the News carried to the Royal Chamber The black Eunuchs immediately took up the Corpse and in a reverend manner laid it stretched forth in the Royal Mosch with about 400 of the Queen's Slaves encompassing it round about with Howling and Lamentations tearing the Hair from their Heads after their barbarous fashion moved compassion in all the Court. This Work being over the Vizier having given thanks to the Ichoglans or Pages for their pains gave order to produce the Banner of Mahomet which is carefully and reverently kept in the Treasury which being produced obliges all of that Faith from seven Years and upward to arm and come under it The Banner being brought forth with a rich Covering was advanc'd with great shouts of Allah Allah and carried by the Ichoglans out of the chief Gate of the Seraglio where it was shewn to the People who with wonderful admiration and devotion beheld their glorious Standard order was also given to proclaim through the whole City the Procession of the Heavenly Banner for they say that the Angel Gabriel brought it to Mahomet in the time of a great War made against the Christians as an infallible Sign and Evidence of Victory The opinion of this superstitious Flag so prevailed as it brought not only the Young and Healthful to fight under it but Sick and Old and Women judged themselves obliged to run to the defence of this Holy Ensign The news hereof and the death of the old Queen coming to the old Chamber of the Janisaries several of them and those also of the principal Heads began to murmure that it was now necessary to lay aside their private Interests and have a respect to their Faith and their Souls for should they oppose the Heavenly Banner they should run themselves into the State of Gaurs and Infidels and become liable to the same censure or punishment which is inflicted upon unbelievers But in the new Chambers Bectas endeavoured to remove this apprehension from the mind of his Souldiers by large Presents both of Gold and Silver perswading them to uphold their Fame and Reputation for that the Grand Signior and his Mother were Enemies to their Name and Designs and resolved to abase or destroy the order of that Militia and with assurance of Victory and encouragement against a People unarmed and undisciplined animated them to fight and to make the business more easie advised them to fire the City in several parts that so the People might be diverted and divided for safety of their own Goods and Dwellings But this proposition took not with the Officers and Souldiers who had many of them Houses and Possessions of their own in Constantinople but put them into great Distractions and Divisions in their Counsels In this pause came an Officer from the Grand Signior who to venture his life had the promise of a good Reward with a command in Writing which he threw in amongst them and galloped away as fast as he could crying out as he rode He that comes not under the Banner of the Prophet is a Pagan and his Wife divorced The Writing was taken up and carried to the presence of the principal Officers which being opened and read was to this purpose Bectas Aga I have made Pasha of Bosna Kara-chiaus I have made Captain-General of the Sea Kul-kahya I have made Pasha of Temiswar and Kara Hassan Ogle I have made Janisar Agasi and I require at sight of these Presents that every one of you upon pain of Death and ruine of his Family repair to his Duty and Station In this instant came news that the old Chamber of Janisaries had left their station and were run under the Banner without Arms and had refused Bectas's Mony and deserted his Cause and that the Spahees in great Troops and the Jebegees who command the Ordnance approached with Artillery to beat upon their Chambers The Spahees came thundring in upon the Janisaries in remembrance of their past Injuries and had certainly cut them off had not the Vizier with his Sword in his hand by good and bad words restrained them and appeased their Animosity The Janisaries of the new Chamber proclaimed their new Commander and visited him with their usual form of Congratulation running afterwards confusedly â—nder the Banner Kara Hassan the new elected Aga of the Janisaries went to the Seraglio to thank the Grand Signior for the Honour done him and with ten of his principal Friends was admitted to the Grand Signior's Presence who humbly kissing the Ground received the accustomed Vests and with some Admonitions was fairly dismissed and ordered to reduce his Janisaries to better Obedience By this time Bectas Kuskahya and Kara Chiaus with some of their Favourites remained wholly abandoned looking one upon the other full of Complaints and Railings each at other for the miscarriage of the Action But since it was not now time to condole but to save their Lives every one made to his House First Bectas fled to his Home where having ordered his Affairs he clothed himself in the Albanian fashion and escaped to the House of a poor Man formerly his Friend and Confident but the next day being discovered by a Youth was taken and being set on a Mule was with the scorn and derision of the People conducted to the Grand Signior's Seraglio and there strangled This Person was held in so much detestation by the common People that after his Death the Cooks and inferiour sort of Servants run Spits and Pitch-forks through his Body and plucking the Hairs out of his Beard sent them for Presents to their acquaintance through all Constantinople saying These are the Hairs of that Traitor who gloried that before he would lose his Head there should be raised a Mountain of Heads as high as St. Sophia But Kulkahya being come to his House filled his Portmantles with Gold and Jewels and accompanied with sixty Horse resolved to fly to the Mountains of Albania places so inaccessible that they have never yielded to the Turkish Yoke but finding himself hotly pursued in his Journey and that it was impossible to escape with so great a Number freely distributed a great part of his Gold upon his Retinue and thanking them for their Affection and good Intentions dismissed them all excepting one Servant with whom he journied with four laden Horses with Gold Jewels and other Riches and perceiving that this also was too great an incumbrance they buried a Treasure to the value of 600 thousand Dollars in the Country as they travelled which was afterwards found out by certain Shepherds who disagreeing about the division thereof the Matter came to be known to the Judg of that Country who seised upon it all and sent it to the Grand Signior's Treasury But Kulkahya travelling still farther with his
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
accompanied his Pipe with Tears and Sighs He was an excellent Musician and a deep Philosopher endued with those supernatural vertues as enabled him to work Miracles clear and notorious to all the world he was an Hermite called in Arabick Abdal went with his head bare and his body full of wounds without a Shirt or other Cloathing besides a Skin of some wild Beast thrown about his Shoulders at his Girdle he wore some fine polished Stone on his Wrists instead of Diamonds and Stones of value he wore counterfeit Jewels which carried a luster and fair appearance with them this man was called Sanâ—one Kalenderi who was continually singing Arabick Sonnets and according to them Musical Airs making also harmonious compositions so artificially that he seemed another David But how strict and sober this Santone was his Disciples or Proselytes are of another temper being wholly given up to jollity and delights they banish all kind of melancholy and sadness and live free of cares passions or torments of the mind and have this saying amongst them This day is ours to morrow is his who shall live to enjoy it and therefore studiously attend to lose no moment or least part of their pleasure but consume their time in eating and drinking and to maintain this gluttony they will sell the Stones of their Girdles their Earings and Bracelets When they come to the house of any rich Man or person of Quality they accommodate themselves to their humour giving all the Family pleasant words and chearfull expressions to persuade them to a liberal and free entertainment The Tavern by them is accounted holy as the Mosch and believe they serve God as much with debauchery or liberal use of his creatures as they call it as others with severity and mortification And the Turks say That in the Hegira 615 the Christians became Masters of Ierusalem by reason that the Institutour of this Order of the Kalenderi who had a chief hand in the Government of the City was found drunk when it was assaulted CHAP. XVIII Of the Edhemi THE original Founder of this Order was one Ibrahim Edhem concerning whom the Disciples themselves or Followers recount things very obscurely and tell us Stories that his Father was a Slave and Abasme by Nation and went one day under the Fort Horanan to discourse with Ibnimâ—lik King of Cairo that he was a man very comly facetious and sober in his carriage always desiring to please God continued in the Moschs reading the Alchoran and in prayer day and night with his face prostrate on the ground and often repeating these words O God thou hast given me so much Wisedom as that I know clearly that I am in thy direction and therefore scorning all Power and Dominion I resign my self to the speculation of Philosophy and a Holy Life His Servants seeing this his devout way of living applied themselves to the imitation of his Austerity and abandoning all greatness and vanities of the World applied themselves to solitude and mortification their superfluous Garments they bestowed upon the Poor giving to those whose necessities required them Their food is Bread made of Barley and Pray frequently with Fasting and their Priors apply themselves to a faculty of Preaching Their principal Convents are in Cities of Persia especially Chorasan Their Cloathing is of a course thick Cloth upon their heads they wear a Cap of Wooll with a Turbant round it and about their necks a white Linen Cloth striped with red In the Desarts they converse with Lions and Tigres salute them and make them tame and by the miraculous power of Divine assistence entertain discourse with Enoch in the Wilderness This and many other wild discourses they make of this Edhem but because there are but few of this Order in Constantinople being most appropriated to Persia I could not receive so particular an account of their Rule and Institutions as I have done of others CHAP. XIX The Order of Bectash THE original Founder of this Religion is of no ancient memory or standing nor had his Birth or Education amongst the Santones of Arabia from whence most of these superstitious pretenders have had their beginning but one of those that was an Army-Preacher that could fight as well as pray of whom my Learned Hogia gives me this account In the time says he that the Warlike and Victorious Sultan Amurath passed with his Army into Servia and overcame Lazarus the Despot of that Countrey and slew him in Battel Bectash was then a Preacher to Amurath who amongst other his Admonitions forewarned him of trusting the Servians but Amurath out of his couragious spirit relying on his own Wisedom and Force admitted a certain Nobleman called Vilvo upon pretence of doing him homage to approach near him and kiss his hand who having his Dagger ready and concealed stabbed Amurath to the heart and with that blow made him a Martyr Bectash knowing that this treacherous death of his Prince must needs also be the cause of his for being so near his person and prophesying of this fatal stroke sought not to prevent it but made preparations for his own death And in order thereunto provided himself with a white Robe with long Sleeves which he proffered to all those which were his Admirers and Proselytes to be kissed as a mark of their obedience to him and his Institutions from this action the custome hath been introduced of kissing the sleeve of the Grand Signior The Religious of this Order wear on their heads white Caps of several pieces with Turbants of Wooll twisted in the fashion of a Rope they observe constantly the hours of Prayer which they perform in their own Assemblies they go Cloathed in White and praise the Vnity of God crying Hu which is may he live and by these means obtain the Grace of God. This Santone hath many millions of Disciples and Followers now all the Janizaries of the Ottoman Porâ— are professours of the same Religion This Bectash at his death cut off one of his sleaves and put it upon the head of one of his Religious men part of which hung down on his shoulders saying After this you shall be Janizaries which signifies a new Militia and from that time begun their original institution so this is the reason why the Janizaries wear Caps falling behind after the manner of Sleeves called Ketche This Hagi Bectash was a person exceedingly attractive in his conversation holy to admiration a Man of great Worth and Majestick in his comportment he was buried in the City Kyr where they have many Convents and Religious followers who always praise and adore God and thus far my Hogia informs me But whatsoever he says this Order is the most abhorred in the World by the Kadizadeli because that Bectash left it to the free will of his Disciples either to observe the constant hours of prayer or not by which great liberty and licentiousness is entred amongst the Ianizaries who are Souldier-like not over zealous or
with a notable speech perswadeth the Venetians to take up Arms against Mahomet the Great 264 a. At Vienna a strange Accident of two Citizens 842 a. Vienna by Solyman besieged 411 a b. badly fortified ib. b. the Walls blown up 413 a. thrice aâ—saulted ib. a. worthily defended 413 b. Solyman glad to forsake the siege 414 a. Villerius chosen Great Master of the Rhodes 382 b. his Letters to Solyman 384 a. his careful provision for defence of his City 385 b. 387 a. his notable speech unto the Rhodians ib. a. his worthy Commendation 390 a. in vain craveth Aid of the Christian Princes ib. b. recovereth the Spanish Bulwark from the Turks 395 b. his resolute Opinion concerning Solyman's demand for the yielding up of the Rhodes 399 b. his answer unto Solyman offering unto him most honourable entertainment 403 a. he departeth from the Rhodes with his Knights upon New-years-day 404 a. Visnovisky a valiant Prince poisoned by a Priest 932 a. A Vision in the Air at Modina Talnobi 953 b. Uladislaus King of Polonia chosen also King of Hungary 178 a. sendeth Ambassadors unto Amurath lying at the siege of Belgrade 179 a. goeth himself in Person against the Turks 188 b. taketh Sophia ib. b. spoileth Bulgaria 189 a. highly commendeth Huniades for his good Service ib. b. enfâ—rced with the Difficulty of the paâ—â—age of the Mountain Hemus retireth with his Army 190 a. by the perswasion of Huniadâ—s and others retireth and in vain seeketh to have opened the Mountain passage 191 b. in his retreat much troubled with the Turks 192 a. in great Triumph returneth to Buda ib. b. upon most honourable Conditions concludeth a Peace with Amurath for ten years 197 a. by solemn Oath confirmeth the League he had made with Amurath ib. a. absolved of that his Oath by Julian the Cardinal of S. Angel resolveth for the prosecution of his Wars against the Turks 199 a. by his Ambassadors and Letters craveth Aid of Scanderbeg ib. b. setteth forward against the Turks 201 b. fightetâ— the great and unfortunate battel at Varna 202 b. is there himself slain 203 a. Ulusales in the battel of Lepanto taketh twelve of the Venetian Gallies 590 a. seeing the rest of the Turks fleet discomfited flieth himself ib. a. is by Selymus the next year sent out with two hundred Gallies against the Venetians and their Confederates 602 a. meaning nothing less maketh shew of battel 604 b. cunningly retireth ib. b. flieth from Navarinum into the Bay of Modon 607 a. returneth with his weak Fleet to Constantinople 612 a. Uranacontes by Scanderbeg appointed Governor of Croia against the coming of Amurath 220 b. with chearful speech encourageth his Soldiers 221 a. rejecteth Amurath's Presents and threatneth the Bassa by whom they were sent 225 a. The Uscoques what manner of People they are 943 a. Uâ—trof Bassa of Van inciteth Amurath to make War against the Persians 654 b. by Amurath commanded to begin the War which he readily performeth 655 b. Usun-Cassanes the Persian King sendeth Ambassadors with Presents to Mahomet the Great 344 b. marrieth Despina the Daughter of Calo Johannes Emperour of Trapezond 278 b. in a great battel overthroweth Zenza the Persian King and killeth Cariasuphus his Son the last of the Posterity of the Mighty Tamerlane 279 a. in a great battel overthrown by Mahomet the Great 280 a. his death ib. a. W WAlpo treacherously yielded unto the Turks and the Traitors justly rewarded 497 a. The Walloons overthrow the Turks and Haiducks at Presburg 864 a. War betwixt the Grand Seignior and the King of Poland and the cause why 963 a. War in Barbary 900 a. Wars by Amurath the Third proclaimed against the Emperor Rodolph 86 b. Waswood an old Ianizarie his presumptuous speech unto Mahomet the Great Sultan 745 b. taken out of Prison by the rest of the Ianizaries 746 a. Water dear sold 447 b. The Wife of Prince Coresky being Prisoner in Tartary sendeth a Messenger to seek her Husband 941 b. who brings her Tidings of him 942 a. and ransoms her ib. b. Wiglase in vain attempted by the Haiducks 861 b. Wihitz the Metropolitical City of Croatia taken by the Turks 714 b. William King of Sicilia invadeth the Tirant Andronicus's Dominions taketh the City of Dyrrhachium passeth through Macedonia and spoileth the Country meeteth with his Fleet at Thessalonica which he also taketh by force and spoileth 36 a. William Long-Espie Earl of Sarisbury with a band of tall Soldiers goeth into the Holy Land 72 a. his stout answer unto Earl Robert the French Kings Brother 73 b. valiantly fighting is slain ib. b. Wladus Prince of Valachia putteth Mahomet the Great in fear 246 b. Wladus cruel 247 a. dieth in battel against the Turks ib. b. Wine for a space running down the Streets of Constantinople as if it had been Water after a shower of Rain 798 a. Wolfgangus Hoder upon the Danubius doth good service against the Turks 412 b. X. XAycus Pay-Masâ—er of the Rhodes intrapped by the Turks and sent Prisoner to be tortured at Constantinople 386 b. Xene the fair Empress the young Emperour Alexius's Mother maliciously accused of Treason and so wrongfully condemned 34 a. by the commandment of Andronicus sâ—rangled in Prison and so poorly buried 34 b. Xerif troubleth the Kingdoms of Fez and Morocco 914 a. his beginning ib. a. his Children grow potent ib. a. they kill the King of Morocco ib. a. fâ—ared by the King of Fez ib. a. dissention between the Brethren and eldest taken Prisoner by the younger ib. b. Xerif Mahomet assaults the King of Fez ib. b. Xiphilinus by Alexius sent over to Andronicus dealeth unâ—aithfully in his Message 32 a. Y. YOland Daughter to King John crowned Queen of Jerusalem and after by her Father given in marriage to Frederick the Emperor 67 b. Z. ZAcharias Groppa fighteth a Combat with Alhemaze a Turk 254 a. Zachel Moyses the Transilvanian Prince's Lieutenant in battel overthrown by Basta 798 b. â—lieth unto the Turks 800 a. Zacynthus Neritus and Cephalenia taken by Achmetes Bassa 291 a. Zamoschie the Great Chancellor of Polonia staieth the Tartars from the invading of Moldavia 755 b. invadeth Moldavia himself 756 a. his Letters unto Clement the Pope in defence of himself and of that he had done in Moldavia 759 a. driveth Michael the Vayvod out of Valachia and placeth another in his stead 788 b. Zanius the Venetian Admiral with a Fleet of 117 sail cometh to Corcyra 574 b. he with the Confederates setteth forward towards Cyprus ib. b. upon the foul disagreement of the great Commanders returneth 577 b. discharged of his Office and sent in bonds to Venice 878 a. Zeffer Bassa recovereth the Government of Bosna from Zellaly and shortly after dieâ—h 841 a. Zellaly formerly a Rebel in Asia reconciled to the Grand Seignior cometh into Bosna 832 a. defeateth Zeffer Bassa the Governour of that Province and seateth himself therein ib. a. by the Grand Seignior sent for to the Port 832 b. refuseth
to allure them by the promises of the Imperial favour and protection offering them preferments upon Condition they would change their Religion at length finding them proof against all their arts they stigmatiz'd several and sold them to the Spanish Gallies from whence afterwards they were redeem'd by the famous Ruyter Admiral of Holland others were thrown into vile loathsome Prisons in which some perish'd the rest who out-lived their misfortunes were released by the importunities of the States Ambassador at the Imperial Court. These matters of fact are too publick to be denied and the Reasons that are given seem by no means sufficient to palliate such Barbarities Those Letters in Cypher which were produc'd against them to prove them Guilty of Treason are justly suspected but grant them true they were but from particulars and one or two Mens Guilt cannot render a whole body of Men liable to punishment As for those Accusations which were laid upon them of being Murderers Robbers Ravishers c. they were only alledged not proved and consequently likely to be meer Calumnies To conclude that they were Rebels because some fled from the Persecutions they saw pouring upon them seems to be no very good consequence and to shew not so much their guilt as their fear at least this cannot be urg'd against those that made their appearance and that there were several which signed the Paper that was presented them argued they indeed weak but not criminal and the rigours that were used to bring them to sign it do extreamly diminish if not absolutely take away all the force of that Argument So that I doubt not but it will appear to the impartial Reader that the conduct of the Popish Clergy has had too great an influence on these last Troubles and that their persecuting Maxims are as ruinous to the interest of a State as contrary to the Spirit of our Christian Religion And from this Original began that War which haâ—h ever since continued with great effusion of Blood and strange vicissitudes of Fortune which not only reduced Hungary to the pit of despair but even Germany it self to the brink of Destruction until God was pleas'd to take the Cause into his own Hands and avenge Christendom from their Enemies whose Sins it seems were more ripe for the Divine vengeance than those of the Christian people The discontents on both sides grew so high that the Emperor resolved to perform nothing on his part of what he had promised to his Hungarian Subjects nor they any thing on theirs which respected Duty and Allegiance to their Prince Both Parties stood in defiance to each other the Emperor would not lose the benefit of the charge and expences he had been at to fortify the frontier Garrisons against the Turks Nor would the Hungarians restrain themselves from their usual Incursions notwithstanding the Treaty so lately sign'd by them By which the Emperor received frequent complaints from the Turks So all was now private Machinations and open Defiances It was now in the Month of September That the three years were expir'd year 1665. at the end whereof according to the Statutes of that Kingdom a Diet was to be Assembled at Presburg for redress of those aggrievances of which the Subjects complain'd It was usual for the Emperor to be present there but some jealousies being whisper'd of a Plot to seize his Person his Majesty refrain'd from making his appearance at that Diet which being by that means put off the Sovereign Chamber of the Kingdom taking all matters into their Consideration sent their Deputies to complain unto the Emperor That Colonel Spaar Governour of Zatmar had extorted Money from the Citizens upon pretence of paying his Soldiers tho' in reality to appropriate it to his own benefif and service That the German Soldiers were sâ—ill quarter'd in the Countries notwithstanding all the Promises and Engagements given to the contrary the which aggrievances together with that of taking away their Churches was such a Scandal and block of Offence as caused great Commotions in that Kingdom whensoever that matter came into dispute Hence it was That the Protestants chose three Leaders or Chiefs of their Faction and Party against which Prince Ragotski and Apafi opposed their Forces in favour of the Palatine Wesselini year 1666. and Count Palaffi Imbre appear'd as one of the Chief of the Male-contents but having not sufficient Force to sustain his party and interest he crav'd assistance and succour from the Turks to whom he offer'd his Son for a Hostage and the Town of Debin with the dependences thereunto belonging as a farther security for performance of Articles All was now divided into Sects and Parties Count Peter Serini of whom the Emperor had not the least jealousie entertained secret consults with the Malecontents and with Nadasti raised Forces upon pretence of giving a stop to the Turks in their passage to Dalmatia but with real design to seize the Person of the Emperor at Puttendorf a place appertaining to Count Nadasti as he was Riding post with Prince Lubkovitz Chief Steward of his House and with about 12 Gentlemen of his Retinue to meet the Empress but that Plot took not effect for their Ambuscade missing the Emperor he happily met the Empress on her Journey out of Spain This Conspiracy being thus disappointed Count Nadasti desired the Emperor year 1667. that he might be made Palatine of Hungary in the place of Wesselini lately deceased But the Emperor not being well satisfy'd of the Faith and Integrity of that Person refused to confer it upon him or any other until he saw the Tranquillity and Peace of that Kingdom better secur'd At which Nadasti being enrag'd corrupted a Carpenter in revenge to set fire to the new Appartment which was building in the Palace for the Empress Eleonora In expectation that in such an affrightment and confusion the Conspirators might seize on the Person of the Emperor But God conserved his Imperial Majesty tho' that Plot was not detected until Nadasti received the reward of his demerit The Deputies of the upper Hungary made new Addresses to the Emperor year 1668. to have the Office of Palatine supplied according to the Constitutions of the Kingdom but in those times of Sedition and Discontent his Imperial Majesty not finding a Person equally grateful to the Hungarians and loyal to himself to whom he could confide that Important Charge did for some time keep the Office in his own hands which with the refusal made to restore the Protestant Churches was so generally displeasing that the Nobility deny'd to be present at the Coronation of the Empress until they were a little mollify'd and appeas'd by having the Revenue and Rents of their Churches releas'd to them Besides the Office of Palatine the Government of Carelstadt became vacant by the decease of the Count Aversperg which being in Croatia and lying commodious for Serini he immediately made applications for it by means of his Lady who with her good
Garrisons or Regiments respectively All Counties and Cities who by their Deputies shall appear before the Commissioners in order to such Reconciliation shall have safe Pasports to go and return with all security As to matters of Religion the Worship of God and Restitution of Churches all the particulars agreed unto and promised at the last General Diet held at Edemburg shall be perform'd and inviolably maintained As to the Statute made in the year 1655 concerning the Coronation of the King of Hungary on which various Glosses and Interpretations have been put which have caused great disorders and disturbances the same shall be referr'd to the next Convention of the States to consider thereof and Decrees therein what shall be most agreeable to the Fundamental Constitutions of the Nation So that a true and impartial Interpretation being put on all things as well in Religious as in Temporal Matters a good and lasting Peace and right understanding may pass between the King and his People And as to those who shall not take hold of this Golden Scepter now held forth unto them with this opportunity and within the time limited It is declared That they are excluded from Mercy and are guilty of all the Miseries which shall fall upon themselves and their Country and shall be Prosecuted as Rebels Outlawed and Felonious Persons and such as are never more to be receiv'd into Grace or Pardon To put this Commission into Execution were appointed the Duke of Loraine the Count Kinski Chancellor of Bohemia the Baron of Abele and Count Vinceslat of Altheim who were to open the same at Presburg on the 15 th day of February But in regard nothing was declar'd explicitely in this Decree touching Liberty of Conscience the Exercise of the Protestant Religion and the Conservation of Privileges it seemed so short and narrow and incomprehensive of the Cause for which the Malecontents had so long contended that very few thought it worthy the acceptance Howsoever some there were who being convinced by the Success of the Emperor that they had engolfed themselves in a desperate Interest embraced the offers of the Imperial Pardon such were the Baron of Baragotzi who abandoning Tekeli's party Fled with Three hundred Hussars into his Castle of Zakwar The Count Humanai and some other Hungarian Lords followed his Example and fortified themselves in the Castle of Angwar The Barons Ladislaus Francis Baragotzi Schienissi Clebai and Malkai intending a like Revolt were seized and by Order of Tekeli were put to Death With all these Misfortunes the Spirit of Tekeli being nothing abated but rather raised with Rage and Despair he Issued out a Proclamation of his own in Imitation of that of the Emperor's in which with an Imperial Stile he declared Pardon to all such as should within a time limited return to the defence of the Malecontented party of which he had owned himself the Head and Protector And for their better Encouragement he laid out a Project of constituting a Republick by which all the Nobility and many of the Commonalty should come to bear a share in the Government And to punish those who had Revolted from him he marched with a Body of 10.000 Men of his own and a considerable force of the Turks under the Command of the Pashas of Buda and Agria to Besiege Count Baragotski in his Castle of Zakwar of which Count Rabata having advice he presently marched with all his Forces against them which Tekeli fearing declin'd an Engagement in a Season when the Winter was scarce past but on a suddain turning his design on the Castle of Angwar which was defended by the Count of Humanai he took it by force in three Days time and carried away the Count himself to Cassovia where he cut off his Head. To revenge these Insults the Lituanians whom the King of Poland had left behind him in their Winter-quarters made frequent Incursions upon the Countries of the Malecontents especially into the County of Sepusa burning their Villages and carrying away their Cattle But this Militia remain'd not long in those parts before they were recalled by the King of Poland out of Hungary either because he was informed that his Soldiers deserted daily or else out of some pique or discontent of being refused to be Mediatour and Guaranty for the Peace with the Malecontents for which Reason he declared That he would not concern himself in a War against Tekeli and his Complices but against the Turks only to which the Articles of Alliance did oblige him and to no other The Spring being now advanced and Tekeli at Cassovia he Wrote a Letter from thence to the Pope Dated the 12 th of April wherein he represented That ever since the last year he was very desirous to put an end to the Troubles of Hungary upon those Terms and Conditions which were agreed with the Baron Saponara And being not able to obtain from the Emperor a Grant to constitute the King of Poland Guaranty of this Treaty he was forced to take new Measures and to support Himself and his Interest under Protection of the Turks which his Enemies interpreted to be a Renuntiation of his Christianity But he sacredly protested to his Holiness that he took up Arms for no other Reason and Cause than the Defence of his Country and to conserve himself from entire Ruin having had the experience of many years that the Emperor was in no State or Condition to defend him That He and his Party did not deserve the Odious Name of Rebels considering that the Arms they took up were in Defence only of the Liberties and Privileges granted unto them by the ancient Kings of Hungary and particularly by King Andrew the II. whose Letters are conserved amongst the Archives of the Vatican which if his Holiness would be pleased to inspect and examine he would easily find that those Articles have been so far from being performed that they have been wholly laid aside and violated in every particular That as to his own Person he hath been despoyled of his Estate and made an Exile in the very tender years of Youth with others of the Hungarian Nobility who could never obtain redress upon their complaints but instead thereof received Sentence of Death by corrupt and partial Iudges without any regard to the formalities prescribed by Law. And tho' in this Cause not only Protestants but great numbers of Catholicks were concerned amongst which George Lippa Archbishop of Gran was one a Person very Zealous for Restoration of those Liberties which the Emperor had Sworn to maintain when in the year 1655 he had received the Crown of Hungary at Presburg yet nothing could avail towards moderating the violent Proceedings of that Council by which the Emperor was governed so that having no other remedy they were enforced as their last Refuge to have recourse unto their Arms not with design to act against the Catholick Religion or to the prejudice thereof either in Hungary or elsewhere
on the part of the Emperor to carry forward two such important Wars by several ways And in the first place to secure the New Conquests it was thought necessary to encourage the Bulgarians and Rascians who had made a Defection from the Turks and submitted themselves intirely to the Service of the Emperor and as a means to secure those People Count Marsigli the Chief Director and Surveyor of the Fortifications was dispatched to erect a Fortress in some Place or other the most convenient for Defence and Protection of those People for which no place could be situate so advantageously as that of the Iron-Gate which would very much have secured the Christian Conquests and been a good Frontier between which and Adrianople there was not the least Fortification in all that vast Country nor from thence to the very Walls of Constantinople Tho' the Emperor was greatly burdened by a War against France and at the same time against the Turk yet all Care was taken both in one and the other The Imperial Chamber issued out vast Sums to Recruit the Militia in Hungary to Remount their Artillery and provide all sorts of Ammunition and Provisions for the next Campagne with which the Magazines both in Servia and Sclavonia were supplied as also Carriages Bridges Boats and all sorts of Warlike Preparations which were carried on by the great Industry of Count Caraffa Commissary-General In the mean time the Turks made continual Incursions into Bosnia along the sides of the Rivers Unna and Câ—lpa but without much Success they being on all sides streightned in their Quarters and Marches by the Germans For Piccolomini having notice that the Pasha of Bosnia designed to over-run all the Country near the Save detached some Parties of Hungarians and Germans from the Garrison of Proot to discover the Actions of the Turks and being in the night time advanced some Leagues into the Enemies Country they surprized the Town of Lisnia and set Fire to it and killed all the Garrison consisting of 500 men some few only excepted which they carried away Prisoners But the Confusion at the Ottoman Court was much greater by reason of a new Rebellion in Asia carried on by Yedic a famous Robber in that Country and Partner with Yeghen Pasha whom we mentioned in our Treatise of the last Year the which continued for some time before it was appeased and Yedic cut off But before we touch upon that Story it will be necessary to declare the Fate of Yeghen who had forced himself upon the Government and obliged the Vizier to Create him Seraskier which happened in this manner After that Yeghen had fled from Belgrade he quarrelled with Noradin Galga Son of the Tartar Chan upon which Noradin being a Man of a high Spirit called him Coward and pitiful mean spirited Rascal fit for nothing but to Command a Band of Thieves and Robbers at which Yeghen who looked on himself as Seraskier or General of the Army was so enraged that shaking his Topuz at him which is a kind of Iron-Mace carried by the Turks on the side of their Horses Saddle caused him to be Strangled before the Eyes of many of the principal Men belonging to the Tartarian Court. The News of this Affront and Outrage committed on the Son the very hopes of the House highly enraged the Chan his Father who studying Night and Day a Revenge wrote to the Grand Signior and Grand Vizier in the most resenting Terms possible against Yeghen urging that that insolent and unhumane Robber was to be destroyed without which the Cause of the Musselmen could not be Blessed nor any Fortune be expected against their Enemies But the Grand Vizier thinking himself under some Obligations to Yeghen who had the Year before saved his life before Nissa when the Janisaries mutinying for want of Pay he being then Janizar-Aga conspired to Strangle him In remembrance of which being now advanced to the sublime Office of Grand Vizier he endeavoured to sweeten the matter and render the case of Yeghen as plausible as might be But such was the Misfortune of Yeghen that the Tartar Chan coming in Person to Adrianople to consult on such Measures as were necessary to be taken for the succeeding Campagne he fell on his Quarrel with Yeghen who had put his Son to Death urging to the Divan that there was an unavoidable necessity for putting Yeghâ—n to Death as the Cause and â—omenter of all the Mutinies in the Army and the Rebellions in Asia Yeghen being advised by his Friends and Correspondents of which he had many at the Ottoman Court of the Complaints and Endeavours of the Tartar Chan against him found himself not only thereby defeated of his expected Confirmation in the Office of Seraskier but in danger of the Evil which the Wiles and Accusations of an irreconcilable Enemy at the Court might bring upon him Wherefore abandoning himself to Despair he began again to practise all sorts of Villainy to rob Villages and Towns entertaining all sorts of Robbers Murderers and People accustomed to Spoil arrogating to himself a power of creating Pasha's and exercising all sorts of Violence and Cruelty upon the Inhabitants of Romelia or Greece And moreover he wrote to his Friends and Acquaintance in Asia particularly to Yediâ— to Declare in favour of his Cause which was also supported by the Authority of the Gâ—and Vizier But the Grand Seignior and the Divan entertaining Sentiments different to those of the Vizier consulting the necessity there was of gratifying the Chan issued immediate Orders to the Pasha of Sofia to suppress the Incursions of Yeghen and to Call to his Assistance the Nefiran which are like our Trained-Bands or Militia of the Country to seize and take either Dead or Alive this Yeghen Pasha who had violated the Laws of their Prophet Mahomet and encouraged and fomented all the Rebellions in Asia This dismal News struck Yeghen with a sudden Amazement so that not knowing where to find any safety in the Parts where he remained all the World conspiring his Destruction he resolved to retire into Allania and betake himself to the Aid and Protection of his old and faithful Friend Mamoot Bei Oglu it having been suspected for some time at the Port that this Yeghen whensoever he should be droven hard would endeavour to shelter himself in Albaniâ— under protection of this Mamoot Bei means were contrived before-hand with a thousand fair Promises made to Mamoot Bei that whensoever Yeghâ—n should come for Refuge under his Command that he should do that Service to the Sultan as to betray him or cut him off Accordingly Yeghen putting himself into the hands of his ancient Comrade Mamoot was received by him with outward Joy and the most Endearing Terms of Love and real Sincerity that could be expressed and desiring him to continue with him for some days he promised him all security to joyn with him in his
Selymus with his Army passeth over the River Achomates strangled Amurat and Aladin the Sons of Achomates fly the one into Persia and the other to Egypt Amurat spoileâ—h Cappadocia Selymus râ—sâ—lveth to invade the Persian Chendemus â—assa disswades Selymus from going any further against the Persians Chendemus Bassa by the commandment of Selymus slain Selymus senâ—eth oâ—t his Scouâ—s who do râ—turn with bad news Selymus passeth over Araxes Hysmael sends an Herald to Selymus Selymus his answer unto Hysmael The order of Selymus his Battel Hysmael with thirty thousand Persians giveth Battel to Selymus with three hundred thousand Turks The great and mortal Battel between Hysmael and Selymus Vasta Ogli slain The terror of the Battel between Selymus and Hysmael The Persian Tents taken by the Turks The Ianizaries in mutiny against Selymus Selymus in passing the River Euphrates receiveth great loss Selymus cometh to Amasia The former History as it is reported by Jo. Ant. Mâ—â—navinus a Genoway present at doing thereof Selymus and Hysmael compared together Hysmael majestical Selymus tyrannical Hysmael courteous Selymus churâ—ish The Persians better Horsemen than the Turks The cause why Hysma â— came with so small an Army againsâ— Selyuâ—us The Countries â—â—bject to Hysmael Selymus with a new Army entreth into Armenia Aladeules his Kingdom Aladeules flies into the Mountains Aladeules taken and brought to Selymus is put to death Selymus invadeth Hungary Selymus goeâ—h to Iconium The causes moving Campson to fall out with Selymus The order of the Mamalukes The imperious Government of the Mamalukes in Egypt Judea and Syria The beginning of the Government of the Mamalukes in Egypt The moderate and happy Government of Campson Campson his answer to the Embassadors of Selymus Selymus converteth his Forces from the Persians against Campson Selymus encourageth his Souldiers to go against the Mamalukes The wholesome Counsel of Gazelles for protracting the War. A secret grudge between Campson and Cayerbeius Governor of Comagena The Mamalukes notable Souldiers The order of Campson his Battel The order of Selymus his Battel The death of Campson Aleppo delivered to Selymus by Cayerbeius the Traitor The dead Body of Campson laid out for all men to view Paulus Jovius Illust. virorum Elog. lib. 4. Selymus coming to Damasco Notable discipline in Selymus his Army Tomombeâ—us by the general consent of the Mamalukes chosen Sultan of Egypt Gaza yielded to Sinan Sinan advertised of the coming of Gazelles goeth secretly to meet him The Battel between Sinan Bassa and Gazelles Selymus doubting Sinan Bassa to have been lost becometh Melancholy News of Sinans Victory comforteth Selymus Sinan Bassa goeâ—h to meet Selymus as he was coming to Gaza Tomombeius 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of Selyâ—â—s by an 〈◊〉 way makâ—s great confusion in Tomombeâ—us Camp. Christian Canoniers serve the Turks against the Egyptians The order of Selymus his Army Sinan Bassa General of the Field Sinan Bassa with most of his Followers slain by Bidon Mustapha with his Asian Souldiers overthroweth the left Wing of the Sultans Army Selymus causâ—th the Diadare and valiant Captain â—idon to be slain Tomombeius his purpose discovered to Selymus TheEgyptians diveâ—sly afâ—ected toward the Mamalakes The description of the great City of Caire The Pyramids of Egypt Selymus encourageth his Souldiers to the wining of Caire A most mortal Battel fought in Caire A long and terrible Fight Caire taken by Selymus Gazelles his speech to Selymus Albuchomar discovereth to Selymus the power of Tomombeius and the treachery of them of Caire The causes moving Selymus to send Embassadors to Tomombeius Selymus his Embassadors slain by the Mamalukes Tomombeius distresseth the Turks in passing the bridge made over Nilus The Mamalukes give a fresh charge upon the Turks The Mamalukes put to flight Tomombeius taken and brought to Selymus Tomombeius tortured The miserable and of Tomombeius last Sultan of Egypt Paulus Jovius Illust. virorum Elog. lib. 4. The Egyptians in doubt of their Estate bewail the death of Tomombeius Selymus câ—nningly reduceth the Arabians to his obedience Of this Cortug-Ogli see more in the life of Solyman Cayerbeius the Traitor made Governor of Caire and Egypt Jonuses envieth at the prâ—ferment of Cayerbeius Selymus commanded the Wages of his Souldiers to be left in Garrison at Caire to be augmented Selymus calleth for Jonuses Bassa to answer the matter The answer of Jonuses Bassa The death of Jonuâ—es the great Bassa Jonuses Bassa jealous of his fair Wife Manâ—o The fair Lady Manto cruelly slain by her jeâ—lous Husband The cause why Hysmael invaded not Selymus wholely busied in the Egyptian Wars Selymus purposing to invade the Christians struck in the Reins of his Back with a Cancer The death of Selymus The 〈◊〉 judgment of God. Phi. Lonicerus Turcicae Historiae Tomo primo lib. primo Selymus before his death commendeth the tuiâ—ion of his Son Solyman to Pyrrhus the Bassa The bloody and tyrannical Precepts left by Selymus to his Son Solyman which he afterward most assuredly kept as is to be seen in his life following Solyman hardly perswaded that his Father was dead Gazelles Governor of Syria rebelleth against Solyman Gazelles slain Belgrade won by Solyman Philippus Villerius chosen great Master of the Rhodes Cortug-Ogly the Pyrat perswadeth Solyman to besiege the Rhodes Solymans Letter to Villerius Great Master of the Rhodes The answer of Villerius to Solymans Letter Solymans Oration to his Men of â—ar declaring his purpose of bâ—siâ—ging the Rhodes Solyman maketh preparation against the Rhodes Villerius prepareth to make resistance against the Turks Solymans Letter to Villerius Pyrrhus Bassa his Letter to Villerâ—us The answer of Villerius to Solymans Letter Villerius his answer to Pyrrhus the Bassa his Letters Villerius advertised of the coming of the Turks Fleet. The carefulness of the Grand Master Villerius his Oration unto the Rhodians Solymans threatning Letters to the Rhodians The Rhodians for fear of the Turks destroy their Suburbs and places of pleasure without the City The fear of the Country People The Chancellor his Speech perswading the Rhodians â—o fight with the Turks Gallies The worthy commendation of the Great Master The Turks Fleet descried at Sea troubleth the Rhodians The order of the Turks Fleet The Great Master by his Embassadors craveth aid of the Christian Princes The commendation of Prejanes The description of the Rhodes A Turkish Woman Slâ—ve conspireth to fire the City The painfulness of the Turks Pioniers The Turks deceived by the Christian Mariners Solyman cometh into the Camp. Solymans cholerick Oration to his Souldiers Apella a Traitor The Turks battery The English Bulwark blown up The Turks assault the English Bulwark the second time and are again repulsed Mustapha Bassa â—alleth into disgrace with Solyman The English Bulwark assaulted the third time by Mustapha The Turks Ensigns advanced to the top of the walls are again cast down Another breach made in the Walls The Great Master his oration unto his Knights The Turks assault the City in five places at once
Turks Empire The bounds of the Turks Empire in Europe Affrica and Asia The Greatness of the Turks Empire The four chief Cities for Trade in the Turks Empire The Othoman Government meer tyrannical The means whereby the Turkish Emperours preserve themselves in so absolute a Sovereignty Four things wherein the greatest strength of the Othoman Empire consisteth The Turks ordinary Revenues and why they are no greater The Turks Casualties more than his ordinary Revenue The Turks Timariots of greater value than his Revenues The two chief Pillars of the Othoman Empire The great use of the Timariot Horsemen in the Turks Empire The number of the Timariots The Spahi Ulufagi and Carapici Seminaries of the great Offices in the Turks Empire The Acanzii The Janinizaries the second strength of the Turkish Empire What manner of Children are taken up to make Janizaries of The Azamoglans are such untrained Youths as are taken up to become Janizaries but yet are not of their Order The manner of their bringing up The daily Pay of the Janizaries and Spahi The Janizaries Insolent Their great Priviledges and Royalties The Order of the Janizaries in our time much imbased The Turks Asapi in what small regard they are had The great Commanders of the Turks Empire The great Authority of the Visier Bassaes. The great Authority of the Beglerbegs 1 The Beglerbeg of Romania chief of the Beglerbegs of the Turks Empire in Europe 2 The Beglerbeg of Buda 3 The Beglerbeg of Temeswar 4 The Beglerbeg of Bosna 5 The Beglerbeg of Coffe or Capha The Beglerbegs of the Turks Empire in Asia The great Power of the Turk in the Mediterranean and Euxine Sea. From whence he hath his chief Seamen 6 The Denizi Beglerbeg the Turks great Admiral to be accounted sixth of the Beglerbegs The Princes as well Mahometans as Christians upon whom the great Empire of the Turk confineth and of what Power they be in comparison of the Turk The Persian too weak for the Great Turk The Portugals too strong for the Turk in the East-Indies Prester Iohn too weak for the Turks The King of Morocco and the Turk both in doubt of the King of Spain The King of Polonia unwilling to meddle with the Turk or the Turk with him The Emperour with the rest of the Princes of the House of Austria together with the Aid of the Germans have much ado to defend themselves against the Turk The Venetians by Policy rather than by force maintain their State against the Turk The King of Spain of all other Princes that border upon the Turk best able to wage War with him Why the Turk is not to be thought invincible neither his Power so strong as in shew it seemeth to be The signs of the declining of the Turks Empire * Ayack in Turkish signifies a Foot. Amurat installed * Which is a dispensing of Mutton to the Poor * The chief City of the Krim Tartar †Gherey the Name of the Family Tâ—e form of 〈◊〉 Cossacks Boats. Bethlem Gabor desires assistancâ— against the Empâ—ror The Siege raised at Bagdat the Turks overthrown Duke of Weymar and Count Mansfelt join with the Prince of Transylvania The Emperor's Army defeated Peace concluded between the Emperor and Gabor Another Expedition into Persia. Proposition made by the Persian for a Peace Rejected by the Turk The Pirats of Tunis and Algier trouble the Seas A Fight at Sea by mistake Proposals of Accommodation with Abassa Erzirum besieged The Siege raised New Troubles from Tartary The Ianisaries mutiny They consent to treat with Abassa Abassa reconciled to the Grand Signior The Vizier and Abassa make their Entry into Constantinople The Iews at Constantinople how treated The Tartars ovâ—rthrown by the Polanders The Death of Bethlem Gabor The Widow of Bethlem Gabor perswaded to quit her Government The Principality offered to Ragotski Ragotski chosen Prince A Victory gained bythe Turks over the Persians The difficulty of sending Men into Persia. The Cossacks trouble the Turks The Disorders in the Ottoman State. The Vizier prepares to besiege Bagdat The Siege The Siege raised The Poles and Turks make Peace TheCossacks and Tartars compared Troubles in Hungary The G. Signior afrighted with Lightning Illay retaken from the Turks The Vizier deprived of his Office. Mutiny of the Spahees joined with the Ianisaries The Vizier strangled by Order of the Grand Signier Rebellion in Anatolia Mutinies at Buda Troubles in Moldavia The French Interpreter impaled The Peace made with Persia and speedily broken Perswasions for a War against the Empeâ—or A Peace made between the Emperor and Grand Signior Preparations of War made against Emir Facardin A Fight of the whole Turkish Fleet against two English Ships The Capt. Pasha slain Tâ—â— Son of Facardin 〈◊〉 And is strangled * A sort of Vessel or Ship so called by the Turks Morat exercises several Acts of Tyranny Morat destroys the Taverns Hangs a Venetian Merchant Tâ—e Turks make War on the Poles A Fight between the Turks and the Poles An Ambassador sent to the G. Signior from Poland The several Mischiefs by Water and Fire A terrible Fire at Constantinople Reasons for a War with Poland The Victory which the Poles obtained over the Moscovites They make a Peace The Turk sends an Ambassador into Poland to desire a Peace Abassa strangled Articles of Peace agreed between the Poles and the Turks A Difference between the French Ambassador the Captain Pasha The French Druggerman hanged The Sieur Marcheville forcibly sent away Acts of Cruelty The G. Signior returns to Scutari The G. Signior resolves to go to Persia iâ— Person Bethlem renews his Complaints to theGrand Signior His Reasons to be re-instated The Turks send an Army into Transylvania Ragotski implores Aid from the Emperor It is debated in Council The Emperor refuses Succour to Ragotski Ragotski obtains Succoâ—rs underhand The Turks enter Transylvania They sight with Cornis Are overthrown Peace is made Morat at Erzrum The Grand Signior's Patience Labours Revan betrayed and surrendred by Emir Gumir Rejoycing and a Festival kept for it at Constantinople The Turks enter farther into Persia. Tauris destroyed Festival for return of the G. Signior 1636 His avâ—rsion to Tobacco Revan râ—gained by the Persian The Grand Signior's Severity Cruelty Disturbances in Poland and Hungary The Turks confirm the Peace with Poland Send Forces against Ragotski Mutiny â—n the Turkish Army Van besieged by the Persians Fifteen thousand Turks killed in an Ambush Mutiny of the Souldiers A new Vizier sent to the Army A Persian Ambassador sent to the G. Signior Troubles in the lesser Tartary Cantemir makes a new Colony He is overthrown by the Tartar Han. Cantemir put to death The King of Tartary killed Bechir Gherey ordained K. of Tartary Asac besieged Is taken by the Cossakâ— The Cause of the Civil War between the Poles and Cossacks The Cossaks Country described Preparations for the War in Persia. The extravagant Pleasures and Cruelties of Morat The March
Prisseren 1689. Novemb. The Arnouts list themselves And formed into regular Troops Piccolomini 's Death Decemb. Prince of Holstein Commands the Army 1689. Decemb. Mustapha Aga comes to renew the Treaty of Peace The French and Court of Rome obstruct the Peace The Reasons for which the Peace was obstructed 1689. January Thâ— Venetian 〈…〉 Napoli de Romania 1689. January The Venetians in some distress The Doge sick February A Convoy with Money and Provision arrives from Venice 1689. February Turkish â—oâ—ces landed at Negropont March. Morosini reâ—ovâ—rs his Health Negropont supplied 1689. March. Malvasia blâ—â—ked up Liberachi â—ncamped He purposes to joyn with Bossina Thâ— Venetians fâ—ar the incâ—â—ase oâ— Liberachi 's Foâ—ces 〈◊〉 Remedy A Plot laid against Liberachi A Ploâ— agaâ—nst Liberachi Dambi sâ—nt to him Is kindly received by Liberachi Their Conferâ—nce Liberachi excuses his coming over to the Venetians Ali Bey disturbs the Discourse Liberachi his Compliment sâ—nt to the Doge Dambi departs The Troops embarked The Doge sails for Culuri Some fears for the Convoy coming from Venice The Duke of Guadagne joyns the Fleet. Two Venetian Gallies lost A Relation of the state of theTown 1689. May. June The Malta Gallies arrived the 24 th The Venetian Convoy arrives 1689. June Visits made to the Dogâ— The Complements returned The Result of a Council of War. Liberachi thâ—â—atâ—ns 〈◊〉 nâ—ar â—alona Hâ—â—â—â—hts aâ—â— iâ— defâ—ated July The Nâ—â—row of Corinth fortâ—fâ—â—d The Plagâ—◠〈◊〉 out 1689. July Malvasia blocked up The Malta Gallies permitted to cruise abroad A Storm endangers â—he Gallies Reinforcement sent â—o the Narrow of Corinth The Bombs annoy the Town Thâ— Gallies of Malta return â—hâ—y go agaâ—n to Sea. Cornaâ—â— joyns the Fleet. Attempt to burn the Vessels of the Town 1689. August But without effect Venier Caraccioli killed Are greatly lamented The Turks make a Saâ—ly Somâ— Oltramarines put to â—â—ight The Seraskier keeps a Guard on Negropont The Ships batter the Town Septemb. The Doge sick of a Fever 1689. Septemb. The Doge returns â—ome The Gallies of Malta separate from the Fleet. The Doge at Ragusi October Spalato Octob. 3d The Doge makes his Quarantene at Spalato Novemb. 1689. Novemb. Theyr joycâ— for the Succâ—ssâ—s of Pr Lewis of Baden The Pâ—atcicâ— givâ—n to the Doge Decemb. Tâ—â— Dâ—gâ— departs from Spalato and arrives at Venice 1690. January The Germans defeated Count Montecelli Attacked by the Tartars He makes his Escape with some loâ—s Casseneck surrendred Corbelli destroys the Palanca of Bellingesh The Germans get an Advantage The Tartars barbarous Usage of the poor People They return to Budziack Nissa iâ— want of Provisions February Canisia 〈◊〉 to capitulatâ— 1690. February Places taken and burnt March. The Rascians faithful to the Emperor 1690. March. Canisia treats Answer to the Garrison of Canisia Hostages given The Emperor ratifiâ—â— thâ— Treaty April The Tâ—on surrendred 1690. April The Cannon and Ammunition and Provisions taken therein The Situation of Canisia Incursions made into several places Some Skirmishes The Turks worsted Several small Parti â—eâ—gage May. Nissa provided 1690. May. 〈…〉 Fâ—ies Berkowitz taken by a Captain of Dalmatia Sea Robbers Land. Berniâ— surpriâ—â—â— by the Christians The Grand Vizier marches to the Camp at Nicopolis June The Palanca of Bellanasch surprized and taken 1690. Juâ—e Radimir abandoned by 〈◊〉 Turks A Booty taken from the Hussars 〈…〉 Tuâ—ks 〈…〉 Great Waradin 〈◊〉 Câ—sâ—â—e 〈◊〉 Bellanasch surrenâ—red July 〈◊〉 Turks 〈◊〉 Strahina 1690. July Pernich stoâ—med taken Tekeli declared Prince of Transilvania The Tartars râ—tire from Widin Corbelli reinforces the Troops in Servia August 1690. August The Christian Camp at Alexin Pyroth taken Nissa invested A Sally made from the Town General Heusler defeated 〈◊〉 Doria sold for 60 Rix Dollars Tekeli's Letter to his Princess The Princesâ—'s Answer Widin invâ—sted Pr. Lewis at â—agodina Nissa straitly Besieged And Attacked Septemb. Widin surrendered The Garrison marches and joyns with Pr. Lewis 1690. Septemb. Nissa 〈◊〉 Semendâ—â—a 〈…〉 P. Lewis in Transilvania October The Grand Vizier invests Belgrade 1690. October The Duke of Croy at Belgrade The Steeple of theCastle takes fire Again on fire and blows up A great slaughter thereby All the Magazines of Powder and Provâ—sâ—ons 〈◊〉 up Belgrade taken The Duke of Croy escapes with the Generals The Germans quit tâ—e 〈◊〉 of Great-Waradin P. Lewis continues his march And beats several Parties of the Enemy Tekeli flies from place to place 1689. October H◠〈◊〉 inâ—o Walachia Esseck summoned The Answer to the Summons The Turks repulsâ—d Novemb. 1690. Novemb. A Salley made from the Town A stratagâ—m to deceive the Tuâ—ks It succeeds to the terrour of the Turks The Turks raise the Siege by a pannick fear Ioy at Vienna Decemb. P. Lewis complimented by all the States of Transylvania C. Tekeli in a sad C ndition 1690. Decemb. P. Lewis prepares to fight the Turks The Turks return with loss â—o Temeswaer Orsouâ— sâ—rrendred to the Turks The 〈…〉 of Francisco Morosini The Prais of Morosini The Venetians resolve to besiege Napoli di Malvasia The Town battered They Capitulate Malvasia delivered up The Venetians design upon Valona Septemb. They Land. Cannina battered The Turks overthrown in the Field The Fort of Cannina capitulates 1690. Septemb. Cannina surrendred Persons of Quality killed The Turks abandon Valona The Pasha of Arzigovina designs on the Greeks Hâ— attacks Nixichi Is beatâ—n off The Pashâ— taken Prisoneâ— Filiporich takâ—â— A Seaâ—â—gâ—t The two 〈◊〉 St. Iseppo S. Mark attaâ—kâ—d by 10 Turkish Visâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Maâ—k 〈…〉 Valiâ—r killed The St. Iseppo sinks The Turks despise â— Peace The English Trade in a bad condition The Turkey Trâ—de in a bad condition The Turkey Ships arrive in England January The Prince of Hanover killed 1691. January â—acket takâ—n and burned As also a Fort called Waradin February 〈◊〉 Turks of Great Waradin 〈◊〉 1691. February â—â—veraâ— Skirmishâ—s Novi delivered to the Turks The Turks worsted The Garrison of Lugos make a sally Are put to fâ—ight The Town and Castle of Lugos taken The Garrison of Bech makes a Salley The Garrison of Segedin surprize Chonad March. Irrick surprizâ—â— â—ith much Booty taken A Pasha pursues thâ—m buâ— reâ—iâ—es Percilia routs a Body of Tartars Karakowar taken 1691. March. May. 1690. June 1691. June Sir Will. Hussey chosen Ambassador for Turky The Grand Vizier not inclined to a Peace The Turks in hopâ— of Victoâ—y under this Grand Vizier The English Ambassador hastens to Constantinople And makes his Entry Tâ—â— Dâ—ath of Sultan Solyman Sâ—â—â—an Achmet Bâ—â—â—hâ—r of Solyman pâ—oclaimed Emperor The Châ—ract r of Sultan Achmet Solyman interred The Grand Vizier confirmed The strength of the Turkish Army Principal Men in Asia put to Death The Copper Money the cause of trouble August The Character of Sultan Achmet The force of the Turkish Army The French Ambassador perswades to a Battle Sir William Hussey at Constantinople Tâ—e Friendship between the Turks and French. August Câ—unt Marsigli 1691. August The March of the